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.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm not so sure. Don't just look at the nature of these subclasses, but the number. Most setting and creature type books have had a small sampling on subclasses, in the two to four range. This is eight subclasses. That's half way to a Xanathar's or Tasha's level of player options focus.

If they're going to throw ten whole subclasses into a Ravenloft or Shadowmoor book, that's a big departure from past books. And if they're not, then this might be half of a more thematically focused "of Everything" type book for next year.

Forge of the Artificer is billed as a "Tasha's for Eberron" and it has a whole new class with five subclasses, five species, a slew of feats (including dragonmarks) and backgrounds, plus additional lore and adventure outlines. The Forgotten Realms players Guide has seven subclasses and who knows how many species, feats, spells and such. I can absolutely see this as the filling the same niche for Ravenloft.

 

[bedir than]

these horror subclasses could tie into a potential Ravenloft book.

I'll bet on Shadowmoor from MtG

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I think the lawyers are guiding WotC and they're making a clear claim to their IP by releasing setting books for each of their settings.

• Toril/Forgotten Realms,
• Eberron,
• Ravenloft,
• Oerth/Greyhawk,
• Athas/Dark Sun,
• Krynn/Dragonlance,
• Sigil/Planescape,
• Blackmoor,
• MtG planes,
• Mystara,
• Spelljammer / Extraplanar, etc...
• Gamma World?
• Exandria? (Yes, I know Critical Role / Mercer owns it, but things can change over a few years).

I'm betting we'll see a new setting book every 6 months or so - which seems to be slightly slower than the pace at which they are releasing these setting specific UA. This will be a way for them to reaffirm their IP rights - as well as meet a desire that lingers from the past couple decades where many of these settings have sat mostly untouched.

I see this as an absolute win. And they say suits are good for nothin'.

 

[Remathilis]

Maybe. But I find the theme and the October release of the mystery book to be, as the kids say, suss.

Yes, but we had the Forgotten Realms subclasses tested months ago and that's for a book in November. It's May already and they need to have the book done sooner for October. Cutting it awfully close. Hence why I thought 2026.

I'll be happy to be wrong if it comes out sooner.

 

[Kurotowa]

Forge of the Artificer is billed as a "Tasha's for Eberron" and it has a whole new class with five subclasses, five species, a slew of feats (including dragonmarks) and backgrounds, plus additional lore and adventure outlines. The Forgotten Realms players Guide has seven subclasses and who knows how many species, feats, spells and such. I can absolutely see this as the filling the same niche for Ravenloft.

Hmm, true that. Forge of the Artificer is a bit borderline because Eberron always needs a lot of custom options, but you're absolutely right that the Forgotten Realms book has a whole roster of subclasses. So I suppose a setting book isn't off the table.

If it is a setting book, I have to also agree that Ravenloft is more likely. I'd expect a set for Lorwyn-Shadowmoor to have some for Lorwyn, and more of a fae theme than an undead one. So "Ravenloft book in 2026" is where my money's at, now.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

What needs to be playtested and/or gain player buy-in about it? It seems like it's set technology, no need to put that in a UA.

Yeah, just like there's always a subclass or two in a UA that they don't print, there's always one or two that they print that wasn't in the UA. Keeps us guessing.

 

[Remathilis]

I'll bet on Shadowmoor from MtG

Doesn't fit the theme. Mad scientist, spirit channelers, cryptid rangers and death priests are more Innistrad than Shadowmore. This is Ravenloft.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, but we had the Forgotten Realms subclasses tested months ago and that's for a book in November. It's May already and they need to have the book done sooner for October. Cutting it awfully close. Hence why I thought 2026.

I'll be happy to be wrong if it comes out sooner.

They print primarily in the US, from when they are done, something like 6 weeks I read somewhere. So say it takes then 4 month to finish, print & deliver it, that is around early August, so October is plenty of time to release it.

 

[darjr]

Well dang. Curse of Strahd was one of the best 5e campaigns I ran. Ran it when it came out. The people in that group still talk about it.

 

[DavyGreenwind]

I've got a sinking feeling that, perhaps they aren't worrying about print time because this book and the Eberron book won't have physical releases...