D&D 5E What We Know About Tasha's Cauldron Of Everything

This is a short summary of various things we've learned so far about the upcoming Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

• The initial announcements. November 17th, 192-page hardcover.
• Two subclasses (Warlock Genie, Barbarian Path of Wild Magic) have been previewed.
• Origin customization rules allow you to switch out ability scores and proficiencies.
• Psionics are manifested as psionic-themed spells.
• Preview of a gelatinous ice cube familiar and inspired cocoa mug magic item.
• November 2019's class features Unearthed Arcana playtest document seems to have been largely adopted.
• 22 subclasses from Unearthed Arcana, or reprinted from earlier books.

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.

 

[DND_Reborn]

While much of this might be great material, it is a bit disappointing from a rules perspective. Hopefully as more things are revealed it will look better to me. I'm glad others are psyched about it, but so far I just can't be.

 

[ART!]

I will probably be buying this through D&D Beyond, so my group can make use of all this character stuff in their PC builder tool.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

"Would you say I have a plethora of puzzles?"

"A what?"

"A plethora."

"Oh yes, you have a plethora."

"Jefe, what is a plethora?"

"Why, El Guapo?"

"Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora."

• 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.

Three Amigos quotes aside, still super-excited for this book. It sounds like a lot of the artifacts are going to be classics like the Machine of Lum the Mad and the Mighty Servant of Leuk-O. And I'm sure the Hut of Baba Yaga.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

While much of this might be great material, it is a bit disappointing from a rules perspective. Hopefully as more things are revealed it will look better to me. I'm glad others are psyched about it, but so far I just can't be.

Yeah I'm with you on this.

This doesn't look horrible or anything, but everything I've seen so far looks half-arsed or half-hearted or deliberately cautious.

The only big thing I'm looking forward to is the Class Feature Variants, and my concern is that they too will have been nerfed, but I guess we'll see. So far it feels more like a book I'm buying because of the paucity of interesting mechanical stuff for 5E, and because I feel like some of the CFV stuff is basically necessary, rather than because I'm excited.

 

[Zaukrie]

Much more excited about level up.

 

[JPL]

Didn't notice the "parlaying with monsters" rules until just now.

First off . . . great name for a band. Parlaying With Monsters.

Second . . . now I want to play a rogue with high Charisma and Wisdom, expertise in Persuasion and Insight, and just talk stuff out, y'know? Try to think outside of the box and get some win-win solutions.

 

[wicked cool]

is this book basically a primer for 5.5 edition (stuff after feedback they wish they had included)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Didn't notice the "parlaying with monsters" rules until just now.

First off . . . great name for a band. Parlaying With Monsters.

Second . . . now I want to play a rogue with high Charisma and Wisdom, expertise in Persuasion and Insight, and just talk stuff out, y'know? Try to think outside of the box and get some win-win solutions.

That would go over quite well in most of my games. In particular if you honestly tried to help the monsters get what they want without all the collateral damage they cause. Most of the time the collateral damage is not the goal itself. "There ought to be a better way" might actually work!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

is this book basically a primer for 5.5 edition (stuff after feedback they wish they had included)

It might be stuff they wish they'd included, but it's not a "primer for 5.5 edition" because they don't need to do 5.5 edition. This book is yet another proof-of-concept that if they want to make changes to 5e, they can do it by ADDING OPTIONS and we (players and DMs) can use those options, or not, as we like.

Still 5e. With options.