Every New D&D Subclass In Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Dungeons & Dragons is expanding its dark side with the new book, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, giving players everything they need to explore it. This book includes seven new character classes, each with a spooky theme and unique abilities.

Players who participated in the D&D Unearthed Arcana playtests will recognize some of the character options in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. D&D tested these horror-themed character classes last year, but the final versions in the book have been updated and include some new features and twists.

Reanimator (Artificer)

Last year’s Eberron: Forge of the Artificer gave artificer players a lot of new options, and now Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is adding even more. The new Reanimator subclass lets players create undead minions, taking inspiration from the classic Frankenstein story and offering a different approach to bringing creatures back to life than typical D&D resurrection spells.

Once Reanimators reach level three, they gain a special ability that changes the spare the dying action. Instead of just stabilizing someone, they can use electricity to bring them back to life, but this also harms nearby creatures. They also learn to create a Reanimated Companion, a helpful ally that stays with them until they finish a long rest.

As Reanimated Companions level up, they become more powerful, dealing more damage with attacks or when they explode. They also become increasingly unsettling, with options to make them Bloated, Gaunt, or Moist, each offering special benefits. Reanimators reach their peak at level 15, gaining a free use of the raise dead spell and the ability to drain life from their companions.

College Of Spirits (Bard)

Similar to artificers who create undead creatures, College of Spirits bards aren’t concerned with the boundary between life and death. However, instead of raising physical bodies, these bards communicate with and manipulate spirits.

Once a College of Spirits bard reaches level three, they learn the guidance cantrip, which they can cast at a range of 60 feet, and become proficient with a Gaming Set that can serve as a spellcasting focus. What’s really exciting is that when using Bardic Inspiration, they can call upon the powers of spirits listed in a “Spirits from Beyond” table. These spirits offer diverse benefits, from gaining an advantage on d20 rolls to dealing significant thunder damage.

Reaching level six empowers a bard’s spellcasting, adding an extra 1d6 to either the damage or healing of their spells once per turn. They also gain a single free use of the spirit guardians spell per Long Rest. This ability can be adjusted to provide half cover to the bard and nearby allies. By level fourteen, College of Spirits bards further enhance their powers with additional dice rolls when using the Spirits from Beyond table.

Grave Domain (Cleric)

Unlike new artificers and bards who try to summon spirits from the afterlife, Grave Domain clerics generally focus on hastening death and eliminating undead creatures. They see death as a sacred and serious force, and actively work against anything that disrupts its natural cycle.

However, Grave Domain clerics aren’t only focused on preventing death. They can cast spare the dying quickly at level three, and spells like revivify and raise dead are available to them. They also have abilities at level three to deal extra damage to already wounded creatures, which aligns more closely with the subclass’s overall theme.

Once a Grave Domain cleric reaches level six, they can reduce the damage they take from enemies that are already badly wounded. After that, their abilities don’t improve much until level seventeen. At that point, they gain two significant benefits: Enhanced Necromancy lets them affect extra creatures with their necromantic spells by using a special ability, and Keeper of Souls allows them to heal themselves or allies whenever a nearby enemy dies, but they can only do this once per short rest.

Hollow Warden (Ranger)

The wild holds many secrets and dangers, and Hollow Warden rangers tap into that shadowy power. Starting at level three, they develop strange, plant-like growths because of the energies they wield. This allows them to transform into a frightening form by using their Favored Enemy ability as a quick bonus action. While transformed, they gain improved armor, can attack more often when enemies move nearby, and have a chance to scare their foes.

When Hollow Warden rangers reach level seven, they become more resilient with improved Constitution saving throws and the ability to heal themselves when they deal damage while in their transformed state. By level eleven, they gain more powerful offensive abilities while transformed, making their frightening effects stronger and allowing them to use their weapon mastery skills more often.

At level 15, Hollow Warden rangers become even more powerful when facing frightened enemies, dealing extra damage to them. Additionally, if they reach 0 hit points while transformed without being defeated, they can recover all their hit points once per long rest.

Phantom (Rogue)

If typical rogues aren’t dramatic enough, the Phantom rogue takes it to another level. They have a strong link to the spirit world and death, and that theme is reflected in everything they do.

Once a Phantom rogue reaches level three, their successful sneak attacks deal additional Necrotic damage to any creature that isn’t the main target. They also receive assistance from friendly spirits, gaining proficiency in a skill or tool of their choice every Short or Long Rest.

As a Phantom Rogue player, level nine is seriously cool! We really start leaning into the whole spirit thing. We get these ‘soul trinkets’ from when enemies fall – they’re like little power-ups that can add damage to our attacks, give us an edge on checks, or even give us a hint of what’s to come. The catch is, we can only hold onto two at a time. But the best part? We get to use speak with dead once per rest, and it works specifically with the soul trapped inside one of our trinkets! It’s a great way to get more info from our fallen foes.

Once Phantom rogues reach level 13, they gain the ability to turn into ghosts, allowing them to fly, move through solid objects, and become harder for enemies to target. By level 17, they further enhance their Necrotic damage and how they use Soul tokens with a few final upgrades.

Shadow Sorcery (Sorcerer)

Shadow Sorcerers draw their magical power from places of deep, otherworldly darkness—like the Shadowfell or other evil dimensions. This connection begins to show at level three, granting them darkvision and blindsight, and a chance to avoid falling unconscious by making a Charisma saving throw.

At 6th level, Shadow Sorcerers can summon shadow creatures by spending sorcery points. These creatures make it harder for enemies nearby to resist the sorcerer’s magical effects. By 14th level, these sorcerers gain the ability to teleport as a bonus action between areas of dim light or darkness.

At level 18, Shadow Sorcerers gain a unique ability: they can transform into a shadowy form, allowing them to pass through creatures and objects. While in this form, they also become resistant to all types of damage, except Force and Radiant.

Undead Patron (Warlock)

Warlocks often gain power by making deals with dangerous entities, and the undead are a perfect fit for this. Those who choose the Undead as their source of power wield dark and forbidden abilities, drawing strength from creatures like liches and vampires.

Once a warlock reaches level three and chooses the Undead Patron, they can become a powerful avatar of their patron, gaining temporary health, becoming immune to fear, and gaining the ability to frighten others. By level six, their powers grow further, allowing them to deal extra necrotic damage that bypasses enemy defenses, add even more necrotic damage to their attacks, and resist the effects of exhaustion.

At 10th level, Warlocks with the Undead Patron gain resistance to necrotic damage, which eventually becomes immunity when they use their Form of Dread ability. They also have a chance to deal necrotic damage to enemies and recover after being reduced to 0 hit points. Reaching level 14 enhances their Form of Dread, providing resistance to even more damage types, granting the ability to fly, and making it easier to cast specific spells.

2026-06-03 04:58