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.

 

[The Harbinger]

New Van Richten's Guide?

 

[The Harbinger]

New Van Richten's Guide?

 

[jgsugden]

...As for your Gamma World example, it wasn’t a commercial product. They could have shut it down but it wasn’t worth the cost of the lawyers and the negative publicity.

... errrr ... it was a WotC product. It sure was commercial. They wouldn't shut down their own product, so I'm not sure what you mean. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/161306/d-d-gamma-world-rpg-gw7e

As for the rest - you're presenting a lot of conclusions about a world that is very, very, very complex and very, very, very contentious. Boundaries are pushed as there is a lot of money at stake. I think my theory that this series of revisions to their different settings has something to do with IP rights is correct, but you're free to dismiss it.

 

[Parmandur]

... errrr ... it was a WotC product. It sure was commercial. They wouldn't shut down their own product, so I'm not sure what you mean. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/161306/d-d-gamma-world-rpg-gw7e

As for the rest - you're presenting a lot of conclusions about a world that is very, very, very complex and very, very, very contentious. Boundaries are pushed as there is a lot of money at stake. I think my theory that this series of revisions to their different settings has something to do with IP rights is correct, but you're free to dismiss it.

Given thwt all the relevant IP is still in print (that's how they shut down the attempt to take the Star Frontiers name for a new prodict a few years back, they still sell Star Frontiers), that seems extremely unlikely. More likely they want to utilize their IP to make money.

 

[Remathilis]

New Van Richten's Guide?

I suspect something akin to Forge of the Artificer: a collection of updated mechanics and some additional info, story ideas and such. They could update the dhampir, hexblood and reborn (giving them proper undead/construct types) and then give the DMs some new domains, adventure skeletons, and monsters.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So the sorcerer gets a subclass where they can cast a summon spell without concentration, and artificer gets a second pet class with at-will pet healing, and the Ranger still has the weakest pet of pretty much any pet subclass. Cool.

Oh well, these are very cool subclasses, and my group just makes the Ranger’s pet a Sidekick or just use the revised Ranger beast conclave with the 2024 Ranger, and make some spells not have concentration.

But still.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The truth is most of the other concentration spells that are combat aren't better than HM.

Literally any summon. Situationally, Ensaring Strike or other control spells.

You wouldn't really cast them outside of the niche situations where they are good or if you are blatantly trying to cheese them (Spike growth dragging, Conjure aura multihits).

From lots of experience, this is dead wrong. Every Ranger player I know casts other spells, and even drops HM to cast beefier or situationally more impactful spells, fairly regularly. My wife’s archer ranger beast master stopped using it completely for a while except for one time we were tracking/chasing someone, back when using the 2014 ranger. Now that she is using the new ranger she uses it more, but is frustrated by it almost every fight where she does.

The '24 Ranger has enough uses of favorite enemy that they can use all their slots on out of combat and support spells then when combat starts pop a FE to just concentrate on Hunter's mark.

Hunter’s Mark is a handful of d6s of extra damage per combat, and usually uses multiple bonus actions over the course of that combat. The Ranger has spells that deal more or comparable damage in one turn. Especially for archer rangers.

In play, hunters mark isn’t actually that good, it’s just a central class feature and it (in 24) makes the Ranger able to go all day without loss of level of reliable DPR.

Restrainted is Way better than Frightened

Eh, it’s a little better, not way better. Regardless, it doesn’t need to have both concentration and a “save every round” clause.

Rangers have summons and "summon" Emanations. It's against 5e's design to let you have buffs and summons up.

It really isn’t. At all. There are many non concentration buff spells.

 

[WanderingMystic]

For our home group we will probably just drop the concentration requirement at level 13 instead of the can't loose concentration when hit. Honestly with that I feel that the ranger is solid. I would still use most of my spell slots outside of combat for utility but being able to have a summon or conjuration would be nice.

 

[TravDoc42]

I suspect something akin to Forge of the Artificer: a collection of updated mechanics and some additional info, story ideas and such. They could update the dhampir, hexblood and reborn (giving them proper undead/construct types) and then give the DMs some new domains, adventure skeletons, and monsters.

If they are adding new monsters, I wonder which Ravenloft beasties they'll choose!

I love the Skin Thieves from the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III, and although I doubt they'll bring them back, I ADORE these weird bear monsters that pretend to be humanoid by skinning random people and wearing them. That'd be my choice!

 

[TravDoc42]

Also, unsure if anyone else mentioned it, but I bet that this is the mysterious October release