Beholder, magic, and beautiful women in the Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons trailer

At Gamescom Opening Night, Invoke Studios showed off the first gameplay footage for Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons. The footage let us see Kaatri exploring the world and showing off how the magic that you learn as you progress through the game can be used to slip through grates or navigate precarious platforming, or create storms and devastating lightning attacks to fell massive beasts.

The reveal also showed more of the relationship between Kaatri, played by Tricia Helfer, and her patron Tasha, voiced by Maggie Robertson. It's Kaatri's charge by Tasha to sense out Raw Magic, that will be used to "expand and transform her magical ability."

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is set in the Domain of Dread, Darkon. This domain, most recently referenced in the TTRPG in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, is a realm of Dark Fantasy and Disaster Horror formerly ruled over by the Lich-King Azalin Rex.

The exact time period of the setting is unknown, but fans have already put together a rough map of the game world:

a warlock in search of something lost

Ahead of the gameplay reveal, TechRaptor got to hear from Dominic Guay, Studio Head at Invoke Studios, and Jeff Hattem, VP of Creative at Invoke Studios, about how Kaatri will grow during her journey, what their guiding principles during development have been, and why a Warlock felt like the perfect class to focus this game on.

Kaatri is described as a seasoned weapons master who is "on a personal quest to find someone dear to her." It's in that pursuit that Kaatri ends up meeting Tasha, an incredibly powerful witch from Dungeons & Dragons lore, and taking part in a dangerous bargain with her in exchange for Warlock powers.

Unlike a spellcaster who gains their power through rigorous study like a Wizard, or through their devotion to their faith like a Cleric, the Warlock gets to shortcut this by having a patron, but it normally comes at a cost.

As you explore the world and find sources of Raw Magic, you'll be able to upgrade your spells or unlock new ones. The developers noted how important this was for the spell system, letting players really specialize in the type of play style that best fits them. Gear found along the way will also carry different traits that "allow you to tailor your playstyle to your favorites, or to the enemies you're facing."

One person might find or unlock a spell that another player will not at all.

Spells in Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons don't just function in combat, but also have other uses like traversal, and as you gain access to new spells and power up existing ones you might find a variety of interesting synergies. The team teased that a variety of cool combination uses have already been found in house, and encouraged players to experiment as much as possible.

If you break the game, we'll be really happy

The developers noted that Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons will lean into the world and lore of the TTRPG but away from a lot of its mechanics. Kaatri will be going on her adventure mostly alone, save for her Imp companion, but that doesn't mean she won't be gathering up a group of allies that won't go out adventuring with her directly.

The team also highlighted that they're not trying to simulate the TTRPG directly at all, and even stated that there will be no dice rolls.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S with an anticipated release in 2027.