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]

Survey is up. I had more yellow than I thought I would...

• I asked if the Reanimator's creation could be a little more permanent than 24 hrs (such as if you use a corpse to create it) and could be small or medium. I also wanted life transference to be lower level.
• I wanted the College of Spirits to get some sort of seance ability again to perhaps cast certain divinations (speak with dead, divination, augury) as rituals.
• I wanted the Hollow Warden and Hexblade to not be completely built around needing HM/Hex to get their features.
• I wanted the shadow sorcerer to have more shadow spells (summon shadowspawn, shadows of Moil, shadow blade) and to have summon shadowspawn if they can't have shadow-puppers as a proper pet.
• Grave cleric and Undead warlock went through all green.

I'm finishing up a Ravenloft game that had an undead warlock, a shadow sorcerer (with homebrewed bonus spells), and my own home-brewed reianimator artificer. So while I personally didn't play those classes, players in my game did and I think that made me a little more particular about the whole dark-spooky subclass vibe.

 

[WanderingMystic]

Survey is up. I had more yellow than I thought I would...

• I asked if the Reanimator's creation could be a little more permanent than 24 hrs (such as if you use a corpse to create it) and could be small or medium. I also wanted life transference to be lower level.
• I wanted the College of Spirits to get some sort of seance ability again to perhaps cast certain divinations (speak with dead, divination, augury) as rituals.
• I wanted the Hollow Warden and Hexblade to not be completely built around needing HM/Hex to get their features.
• I wanted the shadow sorcerer to have more shadow spells (summon shadowspawn, shadows of Moil, shadow blade) and to have summon shadowspawn if they can't have shadow-puppers as a proper pet.
• Grave cleric and Undead warlock went through all green.

I'm finishing up a Ravenloft game that had an undead warlock, a shadow sorcerer (with homebrewed bonus spells), and my own home-brewed reianimator artificer. So while I personally didn't play those classes, players in my game did and I think that made me a little more particular about the whole dark-spooky subclass vibe.

So for Reanimater I said that maybe more free uses per day would balance them out since it feels like they were ment to just die.

Hexblade needs to be removed from hex, also said give them spiritual weapon. They are trying to have a spectral echo of your patron and there is already a spell that does that very thing. In addition it scales well for the warlock unlike hex

Hollow needs the AC tuned down or non shield stacking. Said that they can get rid of the other 2rd level ability and just have it come on line at level 11 and to give them something that is not tied to hunters mark to replace it. Personally I want misty step because that would let me just appear behind my target when they tried to run away from me. With that I just need to give them a hockey mask as part of their armor and play a revenant and my next character is set

Shadow was kinda meh, stronger than it was weaker than other sorcerers. I was also shocked that more shadow spells were not in their spell list but couldn't remember which ones had not been republished in the new phb. They have said before that they don't like putting spells from other sources onto granted spell lists.

Undead warlock is almost perfect just give us back the +1d6 at level 6. Resit necromantic is barely useful and the second half of being able to switch your type has no reason for being here now.

Phantom is in a good place, it still feels a bit weak until you hit 9th level but that is similar to most rogues.

Our group liked the bard but after reading your comments I completely agree that some divination could be nice.

 

[Remathilis]

. They have said before that they don't like putting spells from other sources onto granted spell lists.

Oh, I want those spells reprinted along with the shadow sorcerer. No "see Xanathat/Tasha".

 

[WanderingMystic]

Oh, I want those spells reprinted along with the shadow sorcerer. No "see Xanathat/Tasha".

Ahh ok that I like but I doubt they would ever do but I do really like that way of doing something. Or they could have just put a few shadow spells into our core book.

 

[Kurotowa]

Hexblade needs to be removed from hex, also said give them spiritual weapon. They are trying to have a spectral echo of your patron and there is already a spell that does that very thing. In addition it scales well for the warlock unlike hex

Spiritual Weapon is flavorful, but you're right that it scales. Scales too well, especially with Pact Magic spell slots. Consider a 9th level Hexblade with two attacks (EB or Blade Pact, doesn't matter). Hex adds +2d6 if both attacks hit. The automatically upcast Spiritual Weapon is doing 4d8+5 if it hits. That's a pretty massive damage boost that Warlocks don't need.

 

[Remathilis]

Spiritual Weapon is flavorful, but you're right that it scales. Scales too well, especially with Pact Magic spell slots. Consider a 9th level Hexblade with two attacks (EB or Blade Pact, doesn't matter). Hex adds +2d6 if both attacks hit. The automatically upcast Spiritual Weapon is doing 4d8+5 if it hits. That's a pretty massive damage boost that Warlocks don't need.

Considering you are essentially trading your entire subclass's features to cast it, its kinda warranted to be powerful.

 

[Kurotowa]

Considering you are essentially trading your entire subclass's features to cast it, its kinda warranted to be powerful.

Mystic was saying give it to them and decouple the features from requiring Hex. Which is the scenario I was mathing out. Also any trade between utility and damage is a false choice, because death is the best debuff and damage is always better.

 

[WanderingMystic]

Mystic was saying give it to them and decouple the features from requiring Hex. Which is the scenario I was mathing out. Also any trade between utility and damage is a false choice, because death is the best debuff and damage is always better.

Spiritual weapon is on par with Summon undead or summon aberration with those both doing slightly better damage having extra effects, not taking your bonus action to control them however they have hit points so to me that evens them out.

Hex is just a bad spell to be concentrating on by the time you are 5th level thanks to how many good spells you have. It can work on a high level Goo because of the extra debuff they get and the fact that they can summon without concentration.

An up cast hunger of Hadar (cold) with your ability to push you opponents with EB can be just as deadly and is a b tter cast if you are facing larger groups of enemies.

If they got a spell like Spiritual Weapon it is just another tool for the warlock instead of just hanging the class on a spell that doesn't work well at higher levels.

 

[Pauln6]

Ahh ok that I like but I doubt they would ever do but I do really like that way of doing something. Or they could have just put a few shadow spells into our core book.

I have been frustrated that classic shadow spells have been so absent, almost like they were deliberately saving them for a supplement that never happened. I get that shadow conjuration and evocation were too broad for 5e but I have seen some fan content, which used class features to try and reclaim it, such as illusions infused with shadow to inflict xd6 extra necrotic damage, and it would be nice to get a more limited shadow jump at lower levels, maybe costing spell points rather than waiting so long for a fairly basic ability that many classes and races get as short rest abilities.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

I say this as an Innistrad lover: there is almost nothing in Innistrad that doesn't have an equivalent in Ravenloft. I would be surprised if they went that route.

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