D&D’s Upcoming Book Has My Favorite Subclass Return, But Which Version Will It Be?

The upcoming Arcana Unleashed gameplay expansion for Dungeons and Dragons is set to bring back several subclasses from the older 5th Edition of the game, including some fan-favorites. Although the new book also has a few new archetypes, other magical-themed options are getting official reworks or updates into the fresh 5.5e rules now widespread for the iconic TTRPG. For fans of the spellcasting Wizard class, though, it remains to be seen what playtesting version of certain subclasses will be adopted officially into the game.

Personally, the Wizard is my favorite class in D&D, due to the sheer variety of magic you gain access to solve almost any problem your party could run into. While this class isn’t the strongest or wisest, its Intelligence focus makes it very unique from other paths characters tend to choose. In Arcana Unleashed, there are four different Wizard subclasses arriving to D&D 5.5e, with four different schools of magic coming back from older versions of the game refreshed for new adventures.

Arcana Unleashed Brings Back The Necromancer Wizard Subclass After Multiple Playtesting Experiments

The Necromancer Wizard is arguably a staple of D&D, with the archetype often helping build characters who summon armies of undead minions to their side. The Necromancer has often been underrated mechanically in 5th Edition, so it getting a rework and re-release through official content was inevitable. However, designers at Wizards of the Coast surprised fans by introducing not one, but two separate overhauls for the Necromancer through Unearthed Arcana (UA) playtesting back in 2025.

The first “Arcane” themed UA introduced many 5.5e reworks for subclasses now in Arcana Unleashed, including the Necromancer, Enchanter, Transmuter, and Conjurer Wizard paths. The Necromancer has several improvements from its base 5e version, including the ability to gain two Necromancy Level 1 spells for free whenever players opt into the subclass at Level 3. In addition, players now get to add more Necromancy spells into their spellbook at no cost whenever they level up, greatly enhancing the progressive feel of the subclass.

That being said, the UA for the Necromancer takes a turn in other ways, at least with the first playtesting that featured it. For example, the first version of the 5.5e Necromancer could not summon undead creatures until it gained the Summon Undead spell at Level 6, making the archetype more reliant on vitality abilities than gathering minions. For three levels, players had to wait to tap into the unique appeal of the Necromancer. This was later changed in an updated playtest document for some Arcane subclasses, reworking the Necromancer Wizard yet again following some feedback.

Official Mechanics For The Archetype Won’t Be Released Until The Gameplay Expansion Comes Out

The updated version of the Necromancer added and removed several other features seen in the first Arcane UA, creating almost a new, yet familiar, version of the subclass. Instead of Summon Undead being the first opportunity for players to gain undead minions, Level 3 characters could now use the Find Familiar spell to call upon a Skeleton or Zombie to their side. At the same time, the Level 6 Undead Thralls feature gained more effects, allowing players’ summoned undead to deal more damage and gain health whenever players cast a Necromancy spell.

These quality-of-life improvements were more detailed in the second Arcane UA than they were before, but some options were long along the way. As of this time of writing, players won’t know if the Necromancer has been changed again within the context of Arcana Unleashed when that expansion book comes out in September 2026. In all likelihood, the updated Necromancer will be what any changes will be based on, but there’s still a chance the subclass gets reverted back to the first UA in some areas following additional playtesting.

Multiple Versions Of The Necromancer Might Be Adopted For D&D’s 5.5 Edition Rules

This is where the main issue of the Arcana Unleashed Necromancer lands, as players have no clue what to expect due to the subclass’ multiple revisions. There are aspects from the 5e Necromancer that could return, or the designers might stick to 100% of what the archetype became as of the latest UA. In my opinion, I think it will be a mixture of everything that has come before, with the hindsight that players want to gain access to the subclass’ promise as early as possible.

Although some older forms of the Necromancer might return, the favorable reception to the updated Arcana UA shows a better balance of design choices. As the 2027 roadmap for D&D inevitably introduces even more subclasses, having a third and final edition of the 5.5e Necromancer will reflect a lot of refined work into something hopefully every player can enjoy. For someone like me, who has created multiple Necromancer Wizard characters in the past, Arcana Unleashed‘s “final say” on the Necromancer subclass in one of the more exciting updates to Dungeons and Dragons as a whole this year.

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