Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt is a third-party sourcebook, newly on D&D Beyond, and it’s basically dark fantasy Bloodborne.
D&D’s Season of Horrors might be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that horror’s off the menu. Especially if that horror is extremely eldritch-flavored. And dark. I’m talking about Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, which is newly available (in a limited, Player Pack form) on D&D Beyond. In this sliver of the larger book, you’ll see exactly why Steinhardt’s Guide and its city of Luyarhna are as Bloodbourne as it gets.
I mean, assuming you don’t see it just from the name alone. But before we get too into what awaits you in the player pack, I feel I should mention that the full version, which is not currently available on D&D Beyond, has much more than you’ll find in this pack. But you’re also not paying the full price; it’s $14.99 for the player pack on D&D Beyond, and it’s $34.99 for the full digital version from MonkeyDM. I imagine it’s a Heliana’s type situation, where the book will probably be in a couple of parts, with discounts available if you pick it up piecemeal. Alright, that said, let’s check out the book.
Putting The Blood In ‘Bloodbourne In D&D’
It is almost immediately apparent that this is not a WotC setting. As you read through even the first couple of paragraphs of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt (Player Pack), you’ll realize that it’s leaning heavily on the “dark” in dark fantasy. It’s a setting where the rich are corrupt, where the poor are brutalized, and the church will torture both the accused and the accuser in matters of justice, because that’s just how bloody this world is.
At times, it leans a little too edgy for my personal tastes. But hey, that’s what settings are for. And if nothing else, I can respect that this is a very big swing on the creator’s part. Because if there’s another thing that’s immediately apparent about Steinhardt’s Guide, it’s how much Bloodbourne its creators played.
A fair amount of ‘Berserk’ is in this world too.
In both the Player Pack and the full version of the book, it’s all but impossible not to catch the references. There are ominous Blood Moons that rise in the sky. There’s a church all about using blood and unholy experimentation that creates inhuman mutants by etching eldritch symbols onto people’s skulls. It’s not quite “lining the brain with eyes” but it gets the idea across.
But the references and mechanical adaptations go beyond just the flavor. There’s a whole new class of magic items, called ‘Trick Weapons’ that, like the Trick Weapons of Bloodbourne, can be wielded in one form and transformed into another.
Consider the “Unstable Crumbler,” which as you can see from the artwork, is a giant cannon on a stick. You can use this as an “untransformed” weapon, where it functions as a cannon. It shoots. Only the Unstable Crumbler sometimes makes the cannonballs explode, dealing their normal 3d10 damage plus 2d8 damage to the target and anyone within 10 feet of it that fails a save.
Or you can transform it into a massive Maul with a Bonus Action, and it works like a regular Maul does, except when you roll a natural 18 or higher, in which case the weapon detonates a fireball at the point of impact and everyone has to save (including you, but if you save you take no damage) or take 8d6 damage. It’s extremely Bloodbourne.
Seven New Subclasses To Start
While there are plenty of new weapons and spells and such, I think the biggest draw from the player pack version of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt is going to be the seven new subclasses. These are gritty, dark fantasy subclasses that carry that same Bloodbourne-y flavor with a bit of Berserk mixed in for good measure.
We’ll be taking a closer look at the new subclasses over the coming days. But by and large, these are mechanically complex (though not necessarily more powerful) subclasses. If you like having more options and cool powers to pick from, by and large, these are going to satisfy that itch.
But if you’re looking for something that’s straightforward to play, you probably won’t find much here. I think that’s a part of the appeal, though. Each of these subclasses has a more ‘hardcore’ feel to it. You’re not just playing a Druid, you’re playing in the Circle of Symbiosis and grafting bone and sinew and wood to your body until you become something… inhuman, but not unnatural (depending on how technical you want to get).
The Rogue subclass, Radiant Blade, is all about getting a pool of Divine Points that you spend to use fancy tricks to deal ever more damage to your enemies. And the Barbarian Lightning Vessel is just writhing with electricity and looking for ways to spread the damage around.
Feats And Gear And Spells And More – As Dark As You Like
In the Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Player Pack, you’ll find a ton of player-centric stuff. Most of the lore is aimed at getting you up to speed. But the meat and potatoes of the book are the new subclasses and the other player options you can pick.
There are two new species, the constructed soldiers known as the Manikin, and the Scourgeborne, who are dark and cursed. But it’s okay because of how they get cool powers from their curses, but it’s also dark and a tragedy but that’s okay because they like tragedy because you can brood about it.
Darkness and blood are just part of the curse this guy bears, so is having a sick cannon.
We’ve talked a little about the weapons. If you want more firearms, there are three new types here, the Blunderbuss, Flintlock, and Cannon, and they all come with a host of other properties. I cannot stress enough this is the game for you if you want more stuff to play with. If you want more buttons and levers and mechanical hooks to build a character with, Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt has you covered.
You might try the new spells which give you strange new powers, like transforming your ribcage into a terrible gaping maw that literally devours your enemies and then spits them out, teleporting them far away from you. Or impaling your enemies on a bony spike. It’s very 2nd Edition to me, in the best ways.
All in all, Steinhardt’s Guide has a lot to offer players looking for more out of their vanilla D&D campaigns. That said, I certainly think you have to know whether or not this kind of very specific dark fantasy is your flavor or not. Because the flavor and the mechanics play closely with each other.
And if you can’t get on board with the brooding darkness, you might want to give this one a pass. But iif you crave that Souls-like kind of depth of weapons and abilities and options, Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt certainly satisfies.
Luyarhna awaits!
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
