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The Domains of Dread in Dungeons & Dragons' Ravenloft campaign setting are some of the most dangerous places in the multiverse, with few safe sanctuaries and fewer allies. Fortunately, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within has added two powerful new subclasses that combat evil by tapping into the dark side of the alignment chart.

Unlike most Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings, Ravenloft doesn't consist of a single planet. Instead, it has disconnected pocket planes, known as Domains of Dread, which are ruled over by powerful beings, known as Darklords. Each Domain of Dread is a nightmarish hellscape in its own unique way, and the only way to escape is by defeating its Darklord, either through combat or breaking their spirit, which is a lot easier said than done.

The Reanimator Artificer Unleashes Frankenstein Monsters On The Enemy

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within featured updated versions of older subclasses from previous Dungeons & Dragons books, like the Phantom Ranger and Undead Patron Warlock. It also added two completely new subclasses, with the first being the Reanimator for the Artificer, which itself received an update in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer. For those unfamiliar with the class, the Artificer mixes magic with technological know-how, casting spells and creating magic items that can aid the party on their adventures.

In case the name wasn't a huge clue, the Reanimator is an Artificer who creates new life from pieces of the old. Their main gimmick is creating a Reanimated Companion, an undead being composed of corpses. The Reanimated Companion's undead status gives it some unique abilities, such as immunity to Lightning damage and the Charmed, Poisoned, and Exhausted conditions. This makes it incredibly useful when defusing traps by sending them into it, and the player doesn't need to feel guilt about it dying, because it's already dead.

As the Reanimator levels up, they can make their Reanimated Companion stronger. At level 5, they can cast spells through the creature, dealing additional damage when using Evocation and Necromancy magic, while at level 9, it can be given a climb or a swim speed, drastically increasing its mobility and exploration abilities. Over time, the Reanimator can pile multiple changes into their Renaimated Companion, turning it into a mighty homunculus that can fight on the front lines with the best of them.

But what about the Reanimator's magical capabilities? Their bonus spell list has some amazing choices that perfectly fit the theme, such as Witch Bolt, Animate Dead, Lightning Bolt, Blight, and Death Ward. Their version of Spare the Dying is also more powerful than usual, as it uses electricity, healing the wounded creature and damaging nearby enemies. Once they reach level 15, the Artificer masters their craft, and can cast Raise Dead once per day for free.

The Reanimator subclass is ideal for people who want to play a mad scientist character in Dungeons & Dragons, with a great mix of offensive and healing abilities. Some Clerics and Paladins might get angry at the whole "turning corpses into servants thing", but if the Reanimator isn't using them for evil, then they should soon come around to the concept of recycling the dead to make adventurers easier.

The Hollow Warden Ranger Transforms Into Beasts Worse Than The Average Monster

Throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons, the Ranger class has been obsessed with taking down specific creatures, as reflected in their Favored Enemy ability. The Hollow Warden Ranger from Ravenloft: The Horrors Within decides to take things one step further, by transforming into something far worse than their prey.

The Hollow Warden Ranger's main gimmick is transforming with their Wrath of the Wild ability by burning uses of Favored Enemy. Once they hit level 3, they can spend their Opportunity Attack to strike an enemy when a creature in melee range hits an ally, or create a 10ft aura that can inflict the Frightened condition. Once they reach level 7, if they're below 50% of their total health, the Hollow Warden Ranger regains 1d10 + Wisdom modifier worth of their health when hitting enemies, meaning they can fight without the need for outside healing.

Easily the best reason to pick the Hollow Warden Ranger at level 3 is their immediate access to Wrathful Smite, which is usually a Paladin-exclusive spell. Wrathful Smite deals 1d6 extra damage per spell level and has a chance of inflicting the Frightened condition, which stacks with Hunter's Mark, meaning the Ranger can pile on the damage in a short period of time.

Once the Hollow Warden Ranger hits level 15, they become extremely difficult to kill, as dropping below zero hit points doesn't kill them: it just makes them angrier. Upon being dropped to zero hit points, if the Hollow Warden Ranger is transformed, they instantly regain 30 hit points. While this can only be used once for free per Long Rest, the Hollow Warden Ranger can burn level 4 spell slots to reactivate it, meaning they can fight all night.

The Hollow Warden Ranger is akin to a Bloodborne character, someone who has to embrace the power of the monsters they hunt, growing stronger when they tear through enemies while wounded. This fits extremely well with Ravenloft, considering how many Domains of Dread have a Victorian or gothic feel. This also helps characters shed the standard Aragorn or Drizzt Do 'Urden archetype that so many Dungeons & Dragons Rangers fall into.

Using The Reanimator Or Hollow Warden In A Dungeons & Dragons Campaign

The Reanimator and Hollow Warden are ideal fits for Ravenloft campaigns, which often have a much darker tone than the standard Dungeons & Dragons fare. Sometimes, the players have to embrace the darkness if they wish to fight it, so making undead buddies or transforming into monsters doesn't seem as bad when the goal is taking down the evil Strahd von Zarovich. In Ravenloft, the ends often justify the means, as the Darklords are among the worst villains in Dungeons & Dragons.

One of the biggest problems is integrating the Reanimator into a standard group. In most Dungeons & Dragons worlds, undead are seen as horrific abominations and affronts to life, which must be destroyed, lest they harm the living. This means the Reanimator might be an outcast by virture of their profession, which could give them a reason to become an adventurer, as they can't linger in one place for too long, lest their secret be uncovered, and the torches and pitchforks divided out among the townsfolk.

The Hollow Warden Ranger has a much easier time, considering most of its abilities only activate in battle, meaning they can easily hide their powers when hanging around in a tavern. It falls to the player to explain why their character draws their powers from such an unsavory source, and why they're not exactly suited to polite society. Perhaps their transformation ability can activate when they get angry, Jekyll and Hyde-style, meaning they can lose control when faced with adversity in everyday life.

Fortunately, there are countless ways a Dungeons & Dragons player can approach their character to make them suitable for different settings. Perhaps the Reanimator has to hide their Reanimated Companion's true nature at all times, dressing them up as a mere assistant, which could lead to all kinds of comedy scenarios. After all, the class' name is close to that of a '80s comedy horror film, so there's plenty of precedent for a funny take on Victor Frankenstein.

The Reanimator and Hollow Warden have a ton of potential for bringing their mechanics into the texture of a player character, which is helped by how different they are from most of the existing options. Countless people have played a Fighter named Bob, but who could turn down the chance to play a mad scientist or a gothic Bloodborne hunter in the Forgotten Realms?