Both of the upcoming Arcana Unleashed books for D&D Beyond have been revealed, with new details on subclasses, adventures, and more.
Now we are in the Season of Magic, for sure. D&D Beyond revealed new details about the upcoming pair of magic-centric books, Arcana Unleashed and Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall. The first is a sourcebook/expansion for the game that positions itself as the “Complete Arcane Codex” – in other words, it’s all things magic. From new subclasses and feats and spells, to factions of the multiverse, including secret societies and even new monsters.
Meanwhile in Deadfall, you’ll find a high-level adventure that sets player characters up against the Red Wizards of Thay, and in particular the foul lich, Szass Tam. And this is more of a campaign/gazetteer that sprawls deep into the heart of Thay in a “magical spy thriller” adventure. Here’s what we know so far.
‘Arcana Unleashed’ – The Complete Arcane Codex For D&D 5.5E
First up, let’s dig into Arcan Unleashed. This is a complete guide to all things arcane magic presented by Alustriel Silverhand, whom you might know as one of Mystra’s daughters. And reading through the contents of the book, it sounds like it’s going to be a more focused version of something like Xanathar’s Guide or Tasha’s Cauldron.
I honestly think it’s a good move on WotC’s part to have their big expansions a little more focused. As you’ll see, this lets them fill the book with plenty of interesting stuff for players and DMs without feeling like it’s necessarily a sacrifice.
First things first, here are the 8 new subclasses, confirmed to be in the book:
- Arcana Domain Cleric – What if your Cleric was also a Wizard
- Arcane Archer Fighter – Shoot magic arrows, hopefully more frequently than in the past
- Warrior of the Mystic Arts Monk – Kind of like Eldritch Knight but for Monks
- Vestige Patron Warlock – Aka bring your fallen deity to work day
- Conjurer Wizard – Will it still be teleports all day
- Enchanter Wizard – Mind control for fun and profit
- Necromancer Wizard – Summon an army of the undead
- Transmuter Wizard – Make ch-ch-changes to your world
Sadly this means that the updated Hexblade and the poorly-named (but otherwise fun) Magic Stealer Rogue didn’t make the cut. Nor did the Oath of the Spellguard Paladin, which is surprising, because that seems like a subclass that would fit right in with the theme.
But Arcana Unleashed is much more than a big book o’ subclasses, though. There are also nine new “arcane factions” to throw into the world, no matter which of D&D’s material planes you happen to be playing on. Some focus on schools of magic, like the Covenant of the Grave, while others, like the Ninth Quill seek dangerous knowledge.
Alongside all those, you’ll find 10 new backgrounds that tie you to one of the new factions, presumably with new feats and other rewards that can tie you in to whatever the faction has going on. Speaking of feats, there are more than 20 new feats in the book. From Origins to Epic Boons and everything in between, including a new Fighting Style Feat, which is almost certainly “Blessed Warrior” but for Arcane Casters.
And as you might imagine, there are a ton of new spells. In Arcana Unleashed, there are 33 new and revised spells, which skew towards higher level spells. All of which can be used against and by the 19 new magical monsters that you’ll find in the book, including stats for Venger of D&D Cartoon fame.
There’s even an adventure involving Venger, as he tempts the party into the Tomb of the Shadow Serpents for a quick one-shot adventure designed to spark a campaign.
Deadfall – This One’s The Adventure
Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall, on the other hand, is all about adventure. This one is solidly aimed at the DMs out there, giving them a “magical spy thriller” that’s aimed at high level play. I’m intrigued to see how WotC tackles high level play with the 5.5E ruleset and with the new design team. Because as we all know, high level play can be tricky because of the sheer breadth of options players have.
However, it looks like they’re really going for it. Deadfall is a full level 11-20 adventure packed full of maps and six new high-CR monsters, including a stat block for Szass Tam himself. You might recognize that name as the looming evil presence in Honor Among Thieves or as the lich lord of Thay.
Either way, you also get a deep dive into the world of Thay and its power-hungry Magocracy, as well as 14 powerful new magic items. So if you’ve been hungering for a high level adventure, you’ll find that here.
Though it doesn’t stop there. To help kick off the Season of Magic, there’s also a new “play-along pack” that introduces Living Spells to D&D. Longtime readers of BoLS will doubtless be familiar with the concept out of the Mortal Realms of the Age of Sigmar. But if you want to see them for yourself (as well as a preview of some of the rules awaiting in Arcana Unleashed) you can claim it at one of the links below!
You can pre-order Arcana Unleashed and Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall below – release dates for both are September 15th!
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
