Embody the Horror of Ravenloft Through the Way of the Astral Self from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
The Way of the Astral Self for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons monks allows your character to manifest ghostly appendages, gain newfound sight and so much more. With all of its heavy spirit themes this Monastic Tradition is the perfect fit for the Domains of Dread and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. The latest 5E D&D book embraces the trappings and genres of horror in truly terrifying ways. While it comes as a surprise to many who know me I am an avid fan of horror spliced into other genres and while reading through this monk subclass I was so impressed by how easily this type of character would slot into a horror game. The subclass hails from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Tasha embodies so much of an archetypal witch that this only further leaned into the Ravenloft flavor. Let’s break down some ideas for the Way of the Astral Self and talk about its features.
Genres of Horror Inspires Uniquely Terrifying Adventures from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
The mists of Ravenloft have arisen to envelop fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons and adventurers must overcome their dread or forever be its prisoner! Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft makes a dark promise to provide everything 5E D&D players need to craft horror themed campaigns with new story hooks, character options and campaign customization to bring one of the most exciting and beloved D&D settings to life — including a comprehensive look at all the Genres of Horror with tips, tricks and guidance for evoking them at the gaming table. Let’s get into it.
Command Respect and Fear with the Order Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
The Order Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything feels truly weird in the spectrum of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. What I mean is this subclass is tied heavily to law, discipline and command and few other 5E D&D cleric Divine Domains associate so strongly with a particular alignment. For most other cleric Divine Domains we have more general concepts — things like Light, Life and Nature. While I come very close to exploring the notion of how the Order Domain demonstrates the death of the traditional alignment system, that’s too deep a topic for today. Instead let’s talk about first impressions and how this 5E D&D cleric feels almost like the antithesis of another Divine Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – the Peace Domain.
Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Slayer of Evil
One of our Patreon supporters asked us to come up with a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons character build for their concept so over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted oblige. They are playing in a Domains of Dread campaign and want to play a Slayer of Evil character focused on the undead, lycanthropes, witches and ghosts instead of demons and devils. Although they don’t play Adventurers League they asked specifically for an AL-legal build, “So, everyone can benefit from this build and use it in their one-shot, campaign, homebrew and what not.” This 5E D&D character brings light to the darkest of places so let’s get into it.
Dive Deep into The Fathomless from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
The Fathomless Otherworldly Patron for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons warlocks immediately evokes Fjord from Critical Role in my mind as an inspiration. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything offered many subclasses to fil out the class rosters and The Fathomless patron for warlocks feels especially welcome. Something about a warlock making a pact with a sea monster feels dreadful in all the best ways. While there’s no denying many Critters will have a hard time separating this subclass from Fjord, a veritable ocean of ideas surged to mind as I thought of what The Fathomless patron might look like, if not the dread Uk’otoa.
D&D Party Composition — Playing an All Sorcerer Party
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel the Single Class D&D Party series got away from Nerdarchists Dave and Ted before completion. But I’m continuing onward toward earning a degree in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons through attendance at all the institutions of higher education in 5E D&D academia. We take a different approach to this popular video series here at Nerdarchy the Website through my take on the concept of single party composition. The all sorcerer party draws strength from the innate magical power residing in all students. When a 5E D&D character enrolls at Sorcerous Origins their studies and arcane experimentation take place within a special college at the Arcane Traditions wizard academy. So let’s get into it.
Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Thunder Cat
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted feel the magic and hear the roar of creating a nostalgia inspired fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Thunder Cat character. This 5E D&D character is on the move and loose with electrical and storm
powers and of course a feline like ancestry. So let’s get into it.
D&D Ideas — Good Guys
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is good guys, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on Nerdarchy Live to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of good guys in Balance adventurers who act as good guys in both word and deed (and mechanics!) may earn a very special new friend. A sadistic trap imprisons an innocent sprite. Item-destroying acid and a mysterious flask invite heroes to look closer along with 54 other dynamic scenarios in Out of the Box. Find out more about it here. You can get the Nerdarchy Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Divine Domains by a Factor of Three
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted check out the most popular homebrew magic items for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragon at D&D Beyond. We get a kick out of seeing what folks come up with and sharing their creations in posts like this. (There’s lots of these posts whether for homebrew subclasses, magic items, spells, feats and more floating around for the curious.) I’m channeling divinity this time around to see what miraculous creations there are for the most devout class in 5E D&D — the cleric — and checking out the Top 10 homebrew Divine Domains. There’s currently over 1,175 homebrew of them so let’s get into it.
Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Centaur of Disease Control
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted lean into a meme to create a truly groan worthy fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Centaur of Disease Control character. With their hooves planted firmly on the ground they charge forward to create a 5E D&D character who infects a campaign with a deviation from the normal structural or functional state. As one commenter put it this centaur character’s mastery of disease — both spreading it and curing it — turned out to be “very well thought out for just a pun.” So let’s get into it.
