D&D Beyond Drops adds first subclass, a Shadowfell-themed Fighter

The D&D Beyond Drops program has added its first subclass as part of its October slate of releases. The Sorrow Knight is a Fighter subclass that has ties to the Shadowfell and is part of a wider slate of Shadowfell-related releases for October's major D&D Beyond Drops. The Sorrow Knight has a pool of Despairing Strike Dice that can be spent when a Fighter hits with a weapon attack. In addition to dealing extra Psychic damage, the Despairing Strike also inflicts one of several additional effects chosen by the Sorrow Knight. The range of choices for the Despairing Strike increases when a player reaches Level 10. At Level 7, the Sorrow Knight gains a limited teleport ability that can also frighten creatures within 10 feet of where the Fighter appears. At higher levels, the Fighter gains resistance to Necrotic and Psychic damage and can attune to the Shadowfell for a minute, with the ability to spend Reactions to become incorporeal when targeted by an attack and thus reduce that attack's damage to 0 and become immune to the Charmed and Frightened conditions.

Several Shadowfell-related Feats were also released with this set of content, as well as a handful of Shadowfell-related monsters.

The Sorrow Knight is the first subclass to be released via the D&D Beyond Drops program, a digital-only set of content available only to D&D Beyond subscribers. The Sorrow Knight, alongside other D&D Beyond content will be available to non-subscribers in the form of a digital release on D&D Beyond next May. It does not appear (at least at this time) that there are any plans for a physical release of the Sorrow Knight or other D&D Beyond Drops content.

 

[Remathilis]

If I have any complaints about this drop, it's that the three feats are very meh. The pact feat is ok, though rerolling 1s on healing in dim light is flavorful, it's rather niche. The trapper feat feels neat but you can't use it very much and the weaver feat grants darkness but no way to see through it. I was really hoping they would be useful to a shadow sorcerer, but they hits the same beats the subclass does.

The good news is the shadow sorcerer and sorrow knight look like they would be a good tag team.

 

[Marandahir]

Seems like "4E Shadar-Kai: THE CLASS"

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

That rerolling 1's on healing in dim light feat is some pathfinder slop. Niche, fiddly, AND low impact!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Looks like what i wish the Phantom Rogue was.

That aside, i like it

 

[Remathilis]

That rerolling 1's on healing in dim light feat is some pathfinder slop. Niche, fiddly, AND low impact!

The good news is that's it's 1 of three features, but it's still kinda a "better on paper than in play" ribbon

 

[Remathilis]

Seems like "4E Shadar-Kai: THE CLASS"

It does synergize well with them, as well as other spooky options like dhampir and reborn.

 

[Horwath]

If I have any complaints about this drop, it's that the three feats are very meh. The pact feat is ok, though rerolling 1s on healing in dim light is flavorful, it's rather niche. The trapper feat feels neat but you can't use it very much and the weaver feat grants darkness but no way to see through it. I was really hoping they would be useful to a shadow sorcerer, but they hits the same beats the subclass does.

The good news is the shadow sorcerer and sorrow knight look like they would be a good tag team.

the more this edition goes, the more I hate rerolls of any kind.
they just slow down the game, just give fixed bonuses before the roll or fixed bonuses after the roll.

for healing, just give +1 per die bonus, even that is semi-bad but usefull and does not need a reroll for a very minor and circumstantial benefit.

Shadow trapper is an interesting feat, but can we also move from d4 whenever possible, not that d6 would be overpowered here.

 

[Remathilis]

the more this edition goes, the more I hate rerolls of any kind.
they just slow down the game, just give fixed bonuses before the roll or fixed bonuses after the roll.

for healing, just give +1 per die bonus, even that is semi-bad but usefull and does not need a reroll for a very minor and circumstantial benefit.

Shadow trapper is an interesting feat, but can we also move from d4 whenever possible, not that d6 would be overpowered here.

I will laugh heartily if the we go full circle and end back up with +1 circumstantial bonuses littering the character sheet in 6e...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Sometimes I think that Battlemaster Superiority Dice should have been an across fighter thing or across martial. Not all fighter subclasses get it but the ones that do use the same mechanics.

You get 3 Combat 1d8 dice and they return on a short or long rest. You can always just roll and expend one to add it as damage to a hit with a weapon or unarmed

Battlemaster turns Combat dice into Superiority Dice and you get more dice due to the milder on-hit effects.

Sorrow Knight turns Combat dice into Superiority dice and you use a tertiary abilty score due to the stronger on hit effects.

Arcane Archer turns Combat dice into Shot dice and you use a secondary abilty score due to the good on hit effects.

Superior Technique fighting style and Martial Adept feat return but only give basic Combat dice. You need a special fighter subclass to upgrade Combat dice for special use.

It would be a simple class still, as well. "You have X dice per rest you can simply add to damage after determining that you hit" is at least as simple as action surge.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Seems like "4E Shadar-Kai: THE CLASS"

Kinda, works as a Raven Queen Sorrowsworn subclass, for that very reason.