Do Patron Spells For Warlocks Count Against Slots?

The Slot Level column in the Warlock table does not increase above “5th”, meaning a warlock cannot know a spell of 6th level or higher. Therefore, Mystic Arcanum spells must be known separately from the warlock’s Pact Magic spells. Warlocks cover off for four spell slots all of 5th level, while Mystic Arcanum covers 6th through 9th level spells. Sorcerers have nine levels of spell to cover off with 15 Spells Known.

To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your warlock spells of 1st through 5th level and the level of those slots.

A warlock’s spell slots are its biggest weakness. Up until 10th-level, they only have two spell slots per short rest and only ever get up to four spell slots at the same level. Your choice of subclass gets you additional spells to your spell list; they are automatically counted as prepared spells (Cleric, Paladin, Druid).

The Fiend allows you to choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock. Warlocks only get spell slots up to 5th, but also get Mystic Arcanum features as part of their class that allow for 6th – 9th level casting. In the adventurer’s guide, Warlock patrons grant you an expanded spell list but the list is not dictated by the patron.

Warlocks should be fine using their slots for either non-utility or utility, as the encounter type demands.