Dungeons & Dragons Announces Horror Subclasses Unearthed Arcana

Dungeons & Dragons has announced a new Unearthed Arcana focused on horror subclasses. The new UA, available now on D&D Beyond, introduces a mix of new subclasses and thematic subclasses from 2014 5th Edition. The full list of subclasses are as follows:

• College of Spirits Bard
• Grave Domain Cletic
• Phantom Rogue
• Shadow Sorcerer
• Heblade Patron Warlock
• Undead Patron Warlock
• Reanimator Artificer
• Hollow Warden Ranger

The Reanimator Artificer is built around creating a reanimated companion that can act in combat and explodes when it dies. The Hollow Warden Ranger adds a Wrath of the Wild feature that activates when casting Hunter's Mark and adds various emanation effects while active.

No word on what this UA is related to, but there is a mystery product coming out in October and these horror subclasses could tie into a potential Ravenloft book.

You can check out the full Unearthed Arcana here.

 

[Parmandur]

I didn’t.

My track record is better than most, mostly because I don’t let wishful thinking get in my way.

And I still rate higher than 50% Lorwyn for October (and it will be late).

Your record is, indeed, pretty good.

However, this UA seems pretty clearly for the October book, so whatever theme the October book is seems tied to these options...which are not Lorwyn related.

The Lorwyn Card set is next year so after this UA I surmise thst the Lorwyn RPG tie-in will be then, and this is for an October book thst is, at minimum, Spooky themed. Ravenloft seems plausible.

 

[WanderingMystic]

I was thinking about the Hexblade and that one could be for a different book. The Hexblade design is so drastically different than what it might as well be a new class. They could have assumed that it might take more than just one pass so put it out earlier so they could get more eyes on it.

 

[Parmandur]

And only a couple of those subclasses are from VGR.

That's literally every Subclass found in van Richten's Guide...?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's literally every Subclass found in van Richten's Guide...?

And a lot that are not.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My opinion is WotC wants a sourcebook with the Ravenloft logo but the crunch could be used in all the settings.

A new "Libris Mortis" could be more focused into monsters and PCs than crunch for PCs. "Open Grave: Secret of Undead" wasn't so cool like Libris Mortis.

* What about Drelnza, Iggwilv's daughter She was a vamp alleged killed by adventurers but the Dark Powers of the demiplane of dread could "reanimate" her to use her to torment her mother. Or maybe mommy asked a little favor to half-brother. And she could return as a "reborn". I mean with a right story that character could be "recovered".

* Amonkhet could allow "no-evil" necromancers and something style "Ghostwalk".

* Do you know anything about the cancelled "Project T", a "Dead by Daylight" spinoff? Let's say it was like Ravenloft with guns and trucks

* Does anybody remember the 1995 teleserie "American Gothic"? With a right plot you don't need a lot of monster of the week

* Shadowmoor is not "gothic horror" with undead but fantasy folk horror with "dark feys"

* If there are new PC species or lineages then we should see a secon UA article.

 

[Remathilis]

And a lot that are not.

Reanimator: new
College of spirits: VGR
Grave domain: XGE
Hollow One: new
Phantom: TCE
Shadow Sorcerer: XGE
Hexblade: XGE
Undeath: VGR

Two from Ravenloft, three from Xanathar, one from Tasha, and two are new. The obvious logical conclusion is this is Xanathar's Guide to Ravenloft (with notes from Tasha and Van Richten).

 

[Parmandur]

And a lot that are not.

Yes, but each one would fit in Ravenloft quite well: we don't have proof thstt this is for a Ravenloft Rules Supplement, but thst model is certainly a reasonable fit for the material as presented.

Re printing every Ravenloft Subclass is, at least, notable.

 

[Parmandur]

Reanimator: new
College of spirits: VGR
Grave domain: XGE
Hollow One: new
Phantom: TCE
Shadow Sorcerer: XGE
Hexblade: XGE
Undeath: VGR

Two from Ravenloft, three from Xanathar, one from Tasha, and two are new. The obvious logical conclusion is this is Xanathar's Guide to Ravenloft (with notes from Tasha and Van Richten).

Of the 8, 2 are already explicitly Ravenloft, 5 are super good fits for Ravenloft...and 1 is Hexblade, which would fit well enough honestly. It is spooky Dark Fantasy, and Sentient Edgelord Weapons are a bit of pseudo-Gothic horror in Fantasy IMO.

 

[Kurotowa]

Of the 8, 2 are already explicitly Ravenloft, 5 are super good fits for Ravenloft...and 1 is Hexblade, which would fit well enough honestly. It is spooky Dark Fantasy, and Sentient Edgelord Weapons are a bit of pseudo-Gothic horror in Fantasy IMO.

It's funny. This version of the Hexblade is pushing the "bonded with a cursed runeblade" style of character flavor, which has shown up all over fiction thanks to Elric and his influence, but mechanically it's fairly neutral. Scrub the ability names and all that's left is a couple instances of Necrotic damage. There's no soul eating or undead summoning to be found, otherwise.

It would be trivial to reflavor this as the chosen champion of a Moonblade or similarly benevolent weapon. Which I would consider a feature, not a bug, personally.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

The Weathermay-Foxgrove Guide to the Living Dead. With every example being conspicuously drawn from Ravenloft.

Gisa and Geralf's Guide to Innistrad.