Dungeons & Dragons: Beastheart Class Introduced in New Supplement

Matt Colville’s MCDM Productions has published a new Dungeons & Dragons supplement that provides players with a brand new playable class that gives players a monstrous companion. The new Beasthearts & Monstrous Companions guide provides Dungeons & Dragons players with over a dozen monstrous companions ranging from owlbears to dinosaurs to gelatinous cubes, as well as the new Beastheart class that grants these monstrous companions extra abilities and synergies with various class abilities. The supplement was designed by James Introcaso with Colville serving as the design director. 

Monstrous Companions differ from a familiar or a ranger’s companion in several key ways. For one, any player can become the caregiver of a monstrous companion, and they can be commanded using a bonus action. Additionally, Monstrous Companions also utilize a new mechanic called ferocity, which builds over the course of combat and fuels several additional “ferocity actions” that have additional effects. For instance, the basilisk can spend 5 ferocity to use its poison gaze, which can poison up to three creatures provided they fail a Constitution saving throw. Some ferocity actions require a caregiver to be of a certain level, which provide players with more combat options as they level up. 

Notably, a monstrous companion with too much built up ferocity immediately goes into a rampage, which causes the companion to immediately attack the nearest creature, regardless as to whether they’re friend or foe. As such, using ferocity actions is critical to preventing a player from entering a rampage. 

The Beastheart is a new class that is built around the monstrous companion and the bond between monster and caregiver. Not only does the Beastheart gain additional Primal Exploits that players can spend ferocity to use in combat, they also gradually build up their companion’s abilities and stats. The Beasthearts & Monstrous Companions supplement comes with five subclasses that allows players further specialization and options as well. Several magic items are also included that are specifically built for monstrous companions in mind.

Beasthearts & Monstrous Companions is available for sale at the MCDM Store, Roll20, and Fantasy Grounds for $14.99. Several new miniatures of companions found in the supplement are also available for sale on the MCDM online store.