New D&D Subclass Has The Potential To Break The Game

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is the latest expansion book coming out for Dungeons and Dragons, adding seven new subclasses for players to try. All befitting the “Season of Horror” for the TTRPG’s 2026 roadmap, options like the College of Spirits Bard, Grave Domain Cleric, and Undead Patron Warlock all provide grim character archetypes for unique builds. However, one subclass has perhaps the highest potential out of those being offered, if it is translated with some of the same features from initial playtesting.

The setting of Ravenloft is deeply connected to the history of D&D, mainly in the ever-popular Curse of Strahd adventure book from 5th Edition. The newest Ravenloft book is going to bring back many parts of that setting, but with plenty of fresh additions, including returning Domains of Dread and Darklord characters who rule them. That being said, the biggest content drops for players will inevitably be the subclasses, which are arriving with new Backgrounds to synergize with revised 5.5e rules.

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within Introduces The Reanimator Artificer As A Very Strong Magical Subclass

The very first subclass in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is the Reanimator Artificer, a spellcasting class tied to the magical item tinkering of the larger Artificer core class. The Artificer is a class that has been reworked into 5.5e with plenty of changes, but still remains very strong as an Intelligence-based archetype with tons of flexibility. The Reanimator is one of the first new Artificer subclasses ever made, even after the class’ integration in base 5th Edition.

The Reanimator starts off strong, gaining specific spells as they level up tied to the concept of “mad science.” This subclass pursues the idea of gruesome experiments, foul magic to create artificial life, and themes tied to Frankenstein as its horror connection. The Reanimator gains False Life, Spare the Dying, and Witch Bolt at Level 3, but later levels include incredibly potent arcana like Enhance Ability, Animate Dead, Lightning Bolt, Blight, Death Ward, and Antilife Shell. These pieces of magic are incredibly strong, showing an ambitious progression that could serve a solid Artificer build all on their own.

The core feature of this subclass, though, is the Reanimator’s ability to create a Reanimated Companion, a minion you fully control through necromancy and science. Like your own Frankenstein’s monster, this companion grows in strength with you despite already starting as an incredibly strong ally. Even at third level, the companion has complete immunity to Lightning damage, and can’t be charmed, exhausted, or poisoned in any way. Resistances to necrotic and poison damage also gives the companion far more defenses than your Artificer will likely ever get.

Variety Of Undead Minion Types Come With Natural Advantages To The Archetype Itself

The undead Reanimated Companion also has Blindsight, a Death Burst when it dies, and the ability to regain Hit Points by taking Lightning damage of any kind. With the Reanimator’s Jolt to Life feature at Level 3, players can revive allies and create Emanations of lightning around them to initiate this feature, allowing them to heal their D&D allies and keep their companion alive at the same time. This natural synergy is not one that all archetypes have, and it only gets better as the companion improves through other features.

When you reach Level 5, the Reanimator can use their companion as a conduit for their magic, adding damage to their necromancy or evocation spells if their reanimated ally is nearby. This level also gives your companion an extra attack with their Dreadful Swipe, a strike that can prevent enemies from ever taking Opportunity Attacks until the start of their next turn. This gives the Reanimator more opportunities to reposition on the battlefield, setting up their already strong magic with the companion ensuring their plans work.

Features Tied To Improving Your Companion Break The Rules Of D&D In Interesting Ways

This subclass is already quite strong by the time you reach Level 5, but the levels beyond that start to break the ceiling of what other archetypes are capable of. When you gain Improved Reanimation at Level 9, you can the ability to transform your companion further, adding one of three options that grant it new skills. Those traits include:

• Bloated – The companion becomes Medium or Large size, knocking back and dealing more damage to enemies with melee strikes.
• Gaunt – The companion’s speed increases, gaining a climb speed as well. It can also frighten targets that get too close to it.
• Moist – The companion gains a swimming speed, and has a chance to deal acid damage to enemies that land hits against it.

Giving your Reanimated Companion even more traits allows it to synergize with your magic more, giving it far greater action economy that most characters in your party. It only takes a bonus action to command your companion to strike, so your turn can consist of casting an Artificer spell and attacking twice through your companion. Even the most broken melee D&D builds might struggle to keep up from the sheer adaptability this Artificer has. The companion also uses the Dodge action automatically if you don’t command it, moving and reacting normally to take pressure off your character.

The Level 15 features for the Reanimator are good too, allowing your character to get rid of material components for spells or increase your companion’s Death Burst damage. You can even eliminate your companion to regain lots of health, saving you from certain defeat in some circumstances. This helps overcome the Artificer’s greatest weakness — Hit Points and vitality when in combat. By increasing your action economy through a powerful ally with just as many abilities as another player character, you can combine their might and magic to create a truly OP build.

This doesn’t even begin to cover the ways this subclass could improve further with specific Feats. Players have great opportunities to grow stronger by combining this subclass’ features with other abilities from another character’s class and its features. Yet, based on what the Reanimator Artificer gets naturally, this archetype in Dungeons and Dragons is set up for success right away, making it a clear subclass to try in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within.

What subclass from D&D‘s newest book is going to be the one you try? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

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