New Dungeons & Dragons Class Lets Players (Literally) Raise Hell

New Dungeons & Dragons Class Lets Players (Literally) Raise Hell

As a seasoned D&D player with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I can confidently say that the Illrigger class is a game-changer! Having played every edition from 2nd to the latest release, I’ve seen many classes come and go, but none quite like this one.


Straight from the pages of the 2024 edition of the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Dungeons & Dragons has unleashed a fresh class, the Illrigger, crafted by MCDM. As a gamer, I can’t wait to embody the infernal might of the Nine Hells! According to D&D Beyond, an Illrigger is a battle-hardened soul sent on missions to enforce the commands of any archdevil pulling their strings. In many ways, they share a flavor reminiscent of a Paladin from the pits of Hell, yet with distinct traits that set them apart as a wholly original and captivating experience for both players and non-player characters alike.

Illriggers exhibit versatility, excelling in various roles such as elite soldiers, field commanders, assassins, and magical strategists. While they can appear impressive and stylish, their status as warriors hailing from Hell may stir up disagreements within a party, whether it’s a moral dilemma for the good-aligned characters working alongside this hellish ally or a more complex situation where an archdevil manipulates their Illrigger, potentially leading to high-stakes drama. Ultimately, the new class offers endless possibilities for both players and game masters to explore.

New Dungeons & Dragons Class Lets Players (Literally) Raise Hell

Illrigger’s Are All Favor & Hellfire – Making Them the Perfect Pick For Every Table

Despite the assumption that Illriggers hail from the Hells and thus lean towards evil, it’s possible to develop an Illrigger player character (PC) who isn’t an instant edgy antagonist, making group play enjoyable rather than a struggle. It appears that the creators of MCDM have devoted significant effort in designing the Illrigger class, ensuring it complements other characters effectively across various campaign settings.

For a PC to adopt a covert strategy in their gaming, they could opt for the Shadowmaster character, boasting a mix of adaptable combat skills and useful abilities that rivals the most strategically optimized Rogues. On the contrary, Sanguine Knights excel as healers and blood manipulators, capable of revitalizing allies while draining enemies’ vitality to enhance their party’s power. Painkiller serves as a DPS subclass with a traditional focus, offering unique features for players who enjoy dealing heavy damage and controlling adversaries. Hellspeakers are Charisma-based characters that use enchantment abilities to their advantage in every social encounter. Lastly, the Architect of Ruin is an intriguing subclass centered around Asmodeus’ destructive power, empowering a spellsword with bonus damage, imposing disadvantage on saving throws, and even disrupting other casters.

New Dungeons & Dragons Class Lets Players (Literally) Raise Hell

Illriggers boast an array of personalization choices that set them apart distinctly, particularly within the realm of contemporary Dungeons & Dragons. One of their initial class abilities, Baleful Interdict, is characterized as follows:

At the initial stage (level 1), you have the ability to cast a magical barrier on a creature within 30 feet of you once every turn. This can be done either through an attack or using a Bonus Action. If the target suffers damage from any source other than burn marks from an Illrigger, you can use your seals to inflict additional Fire or Necrotic damage (1d6 for each seal). The number of seals you possess is determined by your Illrigger level, but they are replenished during Short or Long Rest periods. At levels 5, 11, and 20, the damage per seal increases by an additional 1d6.

This function operates in much the same fashion as a Hexblade Warlock’s “Hexblade’s Curse,” yet it provides additional flexibility, allowing you to select the type of damage and offering a wider range of triggers for the effect.

Moreover, Illriggers possess “Interdict Boons” that grant unique advantages to players when they successfully deploy their seals. For instance, an Illrigger might activate the Soul Eater boon to temporarily increase their hit points according to their character level. Additionally, they could receive a boost to their Armor Class. This is particularly beneficial for a character that can switch between mage and martial combat roles, as the impact of this buff on the character’s performance in combat encounters can be significant.

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2024-11-28 18:40