D&D 5E The New D&D Book: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything!

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The new D&D book has been revealed, and it is Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, "a magical mixture of rules options for the world's greatest roleplaying game." The 192-page book is due out November 17th, with standard and alternate covers, and contains more subclasses, spells, character options, group patrons, and rules. Oh, and psionics!

Cover art is by Magali Villeneuve

WHAT WONDERFUL WITCHERY IS THIS?

A magical mixture of rules options for the world's greatest roleplaying game.

The wizard Tasha, whose great works include the spell Tasha’s hideous laughter, has gathered bits and bobs of precious lore during her illustrious career as an adventurer. Her enemies wouldn’t want these treasured secrets scattered across the multiverse, so in defiance, she has collected and codified these tidbits for the enrichment of all.

• EXPANDED SUBCLASSES. Try out subclass options for every Dungeons & Dragons class, including the artificer, which appears in the book.
• MORE CHARACTER OPTIONS. Delve into a collection of new class features and new feats, and customize your character’s origin using straightforward rules for modifying a character’s racial traits.
• INTRODUCING GROUP PATRONS. Whether you're part of the same criminal syndicate or working for an ancient dragon, each group patron option comes with its own perks and types of assignments.
• SPELLS, ARTIFACTS & MAGIC TATTOOS. Discover more spells, as well as magic tattoos, artifacts, and other magic items for your campaign.
• EXPANDED RULES OPTIONS. Try out rules for sidekicks, supernatural environments, natural hazards, and parleying with monsters, and gain guidance on running a session zero.
• A PLETHORA OF PUZZLES. Ready to be dropped into any D&D adventure, puzzles of varied difficulty await your adventurers, complete with traps and guidance on using the puzzles in a campaign.

Full of expanded content for players and Dungeon Masters alike, this book is a great addition to the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Baked in you'll find more rule options for all the character classes in the Player's Handbook, including more subclass options. Thrown in for good measure is the artificer class, a master of magical invention. And this witch's brew wouldn't be complete without a dash of added artifacts, spellbook options, spells for both player characters and monsters, magical tattoos, group patrons, and other tasty goodies.

Here's the alternate cover:

UPDATE! An online event called D&D Celebration from September 18th-20th will be hosted by Elle Osili-Wood, which is "an epic live event with panels, gameplay, & previews of the book!" See the video in the Tweet below!

Gather your party and join the adventure at  D&D Celebration 2020, an online gaming event open to fans all over the world!

Celebrate the release of  Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden  with a weekend of Icewind Dale–themed virtual play sessions and help us create the biggest virtual tabletop roleplaying game event ever! Fans will also get the chance to preview some content from  Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the forthcoming book featuring massive rules options, subclasses, and more for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Watch featured play sessions with D&D luminaries and learn something new with a slate of panels led by the D&D design team and community.


UPDATE! Check out the Nerdarchy site for some previews.

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Has, Well… Everything for 5E D&D

The follow up to 2017’s Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, on Nov. 17, 2020 fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons upcoming Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything must indeed possess powerful …

nerdarchy.com

UPDATE! Other news items around the web about this book:

With D&D's Next Rulebook, Character Creation Will Never Be the Same

Although Dungeons & Dragons’ fifth edition has added as many classes, races, and rules as it has since it first began, for the most part, the way players create characters has stayed the same. You pick a race, that race defines certain things about you, and so on. But the game’s next sourcebook...

io9.gizmodo.com

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything coming in November, brings new ways to personalize your characters

Wizards of the Coast has announced its next D&D book! Entitled Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, this rules expansion follows up Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and will be available on November 17th. Providing both players and DMs with the tools to level up their games, the 192 page tome will be...

gamingtrend.com

Dungeons & Dragons Announces New Book and Fall Event - IGN

The D&D team reveals an online community event in September and a new sourcebook soon to follow.

www.ign.com

D&D's next expansion, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, adds new subclasses and racial customization

Dungeons & Dragons is getting its biggest rules expansion in three years, courtesy of one powerful witch. In November, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything will hit shelves, offering D&D players several new subclasses, some exciting new spells, and a new way to create characters that’s fully...

www.syfy.com

 

[Chaosmancer]

I hope some of the new Class options include a fighting style that give them 2 cantrips at level 1. Tha would not be too far fetched considering that the paladin and the range both get such an option. Of course, the fighter does not benefit as much, since they get cantrips anyway, but it would really help making an eldritch knight feel like one from level 1. Probably an option that allows them to blend magic and swordfighting from level 1 would be even better, but we´ll see what we get. I also hope, that the fighter gets some warlordy fighting style (although you could argue just taking the battlemaster maneuver as fighting style and taking one of the "warlordy" maneuvers might do the trick too.

I also hope for the Ranger or Paladin styles, but I think an Arcana style for fighters would be a mistake.

Eldritch knights already getting cantrips would mean that such a fighting style would lead to them having 4 cantrips by level 3, more than anyone except the Sorcerer (and the same number as a high level druid.... why do druid's get so few cantrips???)

I get the impulse of "my concept from level 1" but I don't think it would be a good idea.

(Is ignoring the feats and races, since if you went V. Human you could end up with 6 cantrips by that path.)

 

[Marandahir]

Hidden behind Spoiler to limit off-topic SW sinkhole that I dived into. @Charlaquin

Spoiler

Exactly. Again, if you’re already a big fan, it’s a fine place to start a series re-watch, but it’s a terrible place to start watching the series for the first time.

See, that's what I've been debating. I think it's a great film made even better by latching A New Hope onto it, but a poor introduction to the franchise as it does not ease you into or answer questions AT ALL. It throws a lot at you and gives you no time to breathe and ponder. Without using some poor unfortunate souls as guinea pigs though, all of this is theorycrafting, because every one of us arguing one order or another has seen the films enough to not be surprised by the reveals we're trying to line up with different watch orders. We can't "go back" and erase our memories of the films when watching it, so Rogue One is almost certainly easier on the brain for us who have seen the rest of the Saga.

I'd argue that IX is similar, and I fear that's the issue that allowed the final cut to make it in as it is. Every time I watch the film I like it more, I get it more, the film has more time to breathe because I'm not overwhelmed by the pacing. But the first time I watched it I felt like I was locked into a roller-coaster, and that's not necessarily a good thing. I do really like the film, but I've seen it 5 times now and a film should be able to stand on its own with a single viewing (or rather, stand within a franchise in a single viewing if it's dependent on previous films; for comparison, I shouldn't have to watch the final episode of a TV series multiple times to "get" it).

Machete order is best order. Optionally you can follow VI up with VII and VIII, but I and the “A Star Wars Story” films are unnecessary (watch them separately as anthology films if you want) and IX is just bad.

I fundamentally disagree. Episode I is pivotal to the stakes of the entire Saga. It's importance should not be understated.

Machete-Jumping through OT and PT is fine, but you must not drop Episode I.

People who skip Episode I miss the underlying message of the entire Prequel Trilogy. We're supposed to be HAPPY that Naboo triumphed over the Trade Federation. George Lucas is doing here what GRRM does with Danaerys Targaryan. We're supposed to like and become invested in the villains and the systems that allow their rise to power. The twist of the PT doesn't work if you cut out Episode I.

Episode I hinges entirely on the Duel of Fates. The song is called that because it's about the fate of Anakin Skywalker. If Qui-Gon Jinn survives his fight with Darth Maul, he'll be the father figure that Anakin needs, the one who can guide him and nurture him on his journey in the Force. Obi-Wan… couldn't be that father figure to him. There's a reason Anakin meekly says to Obi-Wan, "you've been like a father to me" but Obi-Wan later says to Anakin "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"

Anakin's desperately searching for a father after he's taken away from his mother, and wants Obi-Wan to be that, but Ben is too rigid and close-minded, sort of a perfect ideal of the state of the Jedi at the time; their eyes clouded by their arrogance in belief that the Light Side belonged to the Jedi. Ben, like Anakin and Yoda and Mace and all the others, become Generals in a war, and Anakin finds a surrogate father INSTEAD in Sheev Palpatine.

The pivotal moment is Qui-Gon's death. This is Palpatine ensuring that he can mold Anakin, with the goal of making him into his next Sith vessel. When Vader fails at Mustafar, and is no longer suitable as a vessel for Palpatine, he instead is transformed into Sidious' slave and enforcer. But the promise of a new Vader in Luke Skywalker is why Palpatine says "you like your father, now belong to me" in VI. Palpatine plans to inhabit Luke, because if Luke beats his father through aggressive action, he's opened himself to being a new Vader. Same deal with Ben Solo in VII-VIII-IX and Rey in IX.

But Episode I is also pivotal because of the rise to power of Palpatine. It's about a Senate that cannot govern, and the allure of consolidating power into an authoritarian to handle crises when democracy breaks down. We cheer the Jedi and Naboo forces overcoming the Trade Federation outside the governing systems, and celebrate with the band playing the Emperor's theme, albeit sped up and in Major. This is a direct parallel to the rise of Julius Caesar, and Lucas also wanted to speak to the rise of certain American Presidents he was critical of (don't want to get too political here, so I'll leave it at that).

Star Wars is Anakin's story, but it's also Palpatine's story and Luke's story and Leia's story and Rey's story. No one character listed above is more important than the others in the tale (could also argue that it's Han Solo's story too, especially with the Solo solo film starting off his arc in the tale).

In addition, without Episode I, Maul's arc is lost. This might seem insignificant to those who ignore the TV shows, but then if you watch Solo you'll be greatly confused.

I'd argue that TCW is equally important to understanding how Anakin can become Vader (it definitely smooths out his teenage years and character arc), but if you're not going to watch Episode I, I doubt you'd touch The Clone Wars. That would make Episode I even MORE important to show us an Anakin Skywalker who is still a wide-eyed, innocent idealistic pilot, mechanic, and good friend. Episode II Anakin is having some of the worst days of his life, only really outdone by Episode III Anakin's experiences. It makes it sound like Anakin's just always been this creepy, authoritarian bad guy who's go-to answer to the Senate not deciding how to act is to "Make them decide" through a dictator (as he says to Padmé while they're rolling romantically in the hills). That's not his natural state, that's the Anakin who has been molded for years by the mentorship and surrogate fathering of Palpatine. But without Episode I, we don't know that.

Episode I is not just an anthology story, and the creator of the Machete Order is dead wrong to exclude it. You need all VI episodes if you want a "complete story" with the Lucas films and you're even considering adding the PT to the OT.

VII-VIII-IX are optional but recommended. They're not needed because the story of I-VI is about the rise and fall of an Empire. VII-VIII-IX tell the story of the realistic aftermath of what would happen after overthrowing an Empire (it's not all hunky-dory), and how these war heroes would end up in the rocky attempts to rebuild a democracy from the ashes. And IX is no worse than anything the PT put out, it's just that the authorial intent of IX and VIII clearly clash (both serve as natural extensions of VII but give a bit of narrative whiplash when put together). It still works but Lucasfilm has had to do a lot of patching work with the canon EU materials to smooth out the edges (just like they had to with The Clone Wars for the issues of II and III).

 

[Dausuul]

I should have known better than to bring Star Wars into the discussion.

To the entire thread, I apologize.

 

[Marandahir]

I should have known better than to bring Star Wars into the discussion.

To the entire thread, I apologize.

Ech, you're right. Sorry for engaging, @Dausuul, @Charlaquin, everyone. What started as a curious aside regarding R1 & IV led to strong feelings about the Saga and viewing order, and y'all can ignore my monologues above if you want. It's not relevant to Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I also hope for the Ranger or Paladin styles, but I think an Arcana style for fighters would be a mistake.

Eldritch knights already getting cantrips would mean that such a fighting style would lead to them having 4 cantrips by level 3, more than anyone except the Sorcerer (and the same number as a high level druid.... why do druid's get so few cantrips???)

I get the impulse of "my concept from level 1" but I don't think it would be a good idea.

(Is ignoring the feats and races, since if you went V. Human you could end up with 6 cantrips by that path.)

I think counting v-human into it is a mistake. I can understand why probably just adding two cantrips does not feel totally right. Probably something other magical would be better. Probably something like when using a non heavy, non two handed melee weapon and no shield, you can use your reaction to add +2 to your AC or add +2 to damage. I know, this is competing with the shield spell and is similar to the warmage ability, but that would still be a nice idea... it is also quite similar one of the bladesong ability of 2e. It is also not overshadowing duelling style or defensive style, since you either have lower AC or do only just a little bit more damage if you use it with a versatile weapon like the longsword.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think it helps to start with Rogue One, honestly, the first half of "New Hope" has always felt boring for me. I didn't particularly cared for it and I was never able to go past a few minutes. I guess that back in time, the effects where stunning enough to sell those 40 minutes on their own, but everything right now has built over them so they don't feel as unique anymore.
If not for the prequels, I wouldn't have cared about Star Wars at all, I loved Episode I when it first came out! (it didn't hurt that I was eleven at the time) and I have watched as many of them as I could when they were in theaters. (The exceptions were Episode III, Clone wars and Solo, not for lack of trying, though)

Every Star Wars movie is somebody's first.

 

[MarkB]

Ech, you're right. Sorry for engaging, @Dausuul, @Charlaquin, everyone. What started as a curious aside regarding R1 & IV led to strong feelings about the Saga and viewing order, and y'all can ignore my monologues above if you want. It's not relevant to Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

Well, it's a cauldron of everything. Star Wars is probably in there somewhere.

 

[Oofta]

Well, it's a cauldron of everything. Star Wars is probably in there somewhere.

Is that why the result is so chewie?

 

[Charlaquin]

@Marandahir

Spoiler

You misunderstand me. I’m not saying I isn’t important to the saga, I’m saying it isn’t important to Luke’s story. And it isn’t. Neither is IX, or Rogue One, or Solo, or the Clone Wars Series... There is a lot more to the Star Wars saga than just Luke’s story, and I is certainly important to the saga as a whole. But it has no relevance to the story of Luke Skywalker, and the point of Machete order is to refocus the films and reframe them around Luke’s story, as the origin trilogy did. Any editor will tell you, figure out what your story is about, and cut everything that isn’t essential to that story. Machete order is about Luke, and it cuts everything in Star Wars that isn’t essential to his story. If I and II could be cut from it too, they would, but the change to Anakin’s force ghost’s appearance means you at least need III, and III doesn’t work without the context of II. But as part of Luke’s story, II and III work without the context of I, so I gets cut. Now, if your goal isn’t to experience a tightly-focused story that revolves around the character of Luke Skywalker, machete order probably isn’t for you. If you want to dive deeply into the Star Wars universe and view any and all events connected to the eponymous wars, then yeah, of course you aren’t going to skip I. But such a deep-dive would be narratively unfocused, tonally inconsistent, overly long; all the criticisms that started being raised when the prequels came out and changed the scope of Star Wars from the story of a farm boy who learned he had a pivotal part to play in the ongoing Star Wars to the story of that kid and his father. Machete order aims to bring back the tight narrative focus that was lost with the prequels by taking a machete to the thicker of Star Wars content and cutting it down to just what is needed to tell a single, cohesive story about Luke.

 

[Gradine]

Honestly, a brief Star Wars detour is always preferable to re-litigating the 4e wars for the zillionth time.