D&D 5.5E: Unearthed Arcana Introduces Two New Horror Subclasses, Updates Favorites
WotC just dropped A new Unearthed Arcana centered around horror subclasses. With eight subclasses all in all, this one’s hefty!
It is not yet spooky season, even a little bit. But WotC has dropped a new “horror subclasses” Unearthed Arcana that reminds us all that every day is spooky if you keep it alive in your heart. Or dead in your heart. I was never cool enough to be a goth so I don’t know the proper terminology.
But what I do know is that the new horror subclasses UA features eight subclasses all in all, two of which are brand new: the Reanimator for Artificers, and the Hollow Warden for Rangers. The rest are updates taken from the pages of three other splatbooks. You’ll find options from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. All of which is cool, but it does kind of cast a pallor over just how backwards compatible everything is between editions.
Horror Subclasses Featured In New Unearthed Arcana – Does This Portend A Return To Ravenloft?
First of all, the big question: does this point to an as yet unannounced new book? Well, given the horror-themed nature of everything, I wouldn’t be surprised. After all Curse of Strahd is one of the most well-loved of D&D’s many campaigns.
One place I think we can look for an idea of what we might expect are the upcoming splatbooks: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, and the Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide. Both of these books are very player focused, though Forge of the Artificer offers up some sample adventures to play with.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new books hew a little closer to the Forgotten Realms book. Because that book also features eight new subclasses, all centered around a single theme: the Forgotten Realms. And that book is being released as part of a three book campaign set, which also has a world guide and book of monsters.
So perhaps what we’re seeing is a tease of something Ravenloft related. Or even just undead-related. But the “horror” vibes in general give off big Ravenloft energy. At any rate, there is a ton of new stuff in the Unearthed Arcana. And as you might expect Wizards of the Coast wants to know what you think of it. A new survey is coming in a couple weeks. But for now, let’s check out what all is in the UA.
Two New Subclasses
We’ll be going through all of the subclasses individually over the next few days, but for right now, here’s a sort of birds-eye view of everything. And let’s kick it off with the two brand new subclasses introduced in this horror subclasses Unearthed Arcana.
First up is the Reanimator subclass for the Artificer. This is a huge deal, because it’s a signifier from WotC that the Artificer is getting way more integrated into the core of the game. In the previous edition, Artificers got to appear in the Eberron Book and were then also included in Tasha’s Cauldron, and that was about it. No other books had new stuff for them.
But that seems like it’s all about to change, with the new Reanimator Artificer subclass. As the name implies, this is a very Dr. Frankenstein kind of class. You create a reanimated companion, proving that you have mastery over life and death, finally you’ll be able to show them, show them all. It is a crime that there’s no ability centered around proving those fools at the university were wrong for mocking you—but that’s something you can just do organically in play.
The other all-new subclass is the Hollow Warden Ranger. And to start with, it’s a very Dark Souls type of name. Even the theme of it feels very souls-like. You “Draw on the Might of Ancient Wild Terrors” (capitalization is WotC’s).
This is a subclass that’s all about drawing on the power of fearsome terrors that lurk deep within the old places of the world. You know, jagged coastlines, steep mountain crags and the like—although what’s hilarious about that, is that jagged coastlines and steep, craggy mountains are all relatively young, geologically speaking.
A real “we dwell in the old places of the world” kind of vibe would be sandy coasts worn smooth by the passage of time. Or the well-worn crests of Appalachia. An Appalachian Ranger has a different feel, though. But geological youth aside, you get the vibe—dark, foreboding, and ancient.
That all comes through in the Ranger’s bonus spells and the central feature of the subclass, a transformation that draws on the power of the ancient horrors of the world whenever you cast Hunter’s Mark.
Six Old Subclasses Updated to 5.5E
Of course, it’s not just new subclasses. There are six old subclasses from Van Richten’s Guide, Tasha’s Cauldron, and Xanathar’s Guide that get updated with a coat of 5.5E paint. Again, it sort of belies the backwards compatibility. Characters in 5.5E tend to be a little more powerful. They have more of the stuff that makes them fun to play. It’s not a bad thing. People who use the Phantom Rogue or the Grave Domain Cleric might well appreciate the changes. But it bears mentioning. On to the subclasses.
Starting with the gothic Bard College of Spirits. These bards draw on supernatural stories and the spirits evoked from within them. Calling forth spirits from beyond the grave, they conjure forth hidden knowledge. The new version of this subclass gets proficiency with playing cards (get your own Tarokka deck). It also has an improved action economy.
The Grave Domain Cleric is all about making sure the dead stay dead and the living stay living. To this end, they have a lot of power around death. They deal extra damage to bodied creatures and restoring extra life to those they decide to revive from 0 hit points. It’s a neat way to play a spellcasting Cleric.
As previously mentioned, the Phantom Rogue gets an update. I think the jury’s still out on how much of it is a straight buff vs how much is a sort of nerf. But all-in-all the new version looks like it’s more potent. You still deal your sneak attack damage to multiple creatures via necrotic wails of the dead. And you still gain proficiency from beyond the grave. But now you have more of the Tokens of the Departed, and can do cool things with them.
The Shadow Sorcery subclass gets a huge update that folks have been hungering for since the subclass was introduced: bonus spells. That, honestly, might have been enough. All Sorcerer subclasses have bonus spells now, and the Shadow origin getting them makes it much more appealing. But, on top of that, you get an improved “Spirit of Ill Omen”—formerly the Hound of Ill Omen—that can scale. You also get an improved Umbral Form.
Then Warlocks get TWO new subclasses, because they’re the new favorites. Not that I mind. I really want to play one—it’s been too long. In the horror subclasses Unearthed Arcana you’ll find the Hexblade Warlock reimagined—I really like the new version. It feels different from the Hexblade of 5E in a big way. It’s such a fun paradigm that relies on hitting your Hexed targets and doing extra stuff to them. It has a big supernatural swordsman feel to it.
Then there’s the Undead Patron Warlock which is all about transforming into an avatar of undeathly might. And boy howdy does it deliver. Especially with a new final form that your foolish enemies have yet to see.
Get ready for goth time!
