04/05/2024

We continue with the last 3 classes included in Into the Shadowlands: the Ranger, the Sorcerer, and the Warlock.

The Ranger Class

“Trackers, expert guides, and vigilant watchers, skilled at navigating the borderlands of civilization.”

Rangers get access to all weapons and can wear light or medium armor but no shields.

Rangers gain one additional language and they are skilled in Navigation, tracking, stealth, and wild animals. Rangers have 2 additional features: Craft Salve and Quarry.

Craft Salve allows the Ranger to create a healing salve and restores 1d4 HP, stops poison effects, or reverses petrification. On a failed roll, the Ranger cannot craft a salve until after a rest.

Quarry allows the ranger to mark a creature. When the Ranger hits the quarry with a weapon attack, the Ranger can roll the weapon damage die with Advantage.

Overall Take: This Ranger is very similar to the Official Ranger from The Arcane Library. The Healing Salve is more limited than the official Ranger’s list of remedies but I prefer it. Quarry is similar to the 5E Hunter’s Mark but just gives Advantage on damage from instead of bonus damage die. I do like that more than the 5E version. If wilderness exploration or hex crawling is going to be part of the Shadowdark campaign, you can’t go wrong with a Ranger in the party.

The Sorcerer Class

“Mages, conjurers, and arcane freaks, who seek to conquer their powers before their powers consume them.”

Sorcerers are very limited for weapons (staff and dagger) and cannot use any armor.

Sorcerers get 2 features: Spellcasting and Sorcery.

Spellcasting: The Sorcerer gets 2 spells at Level 1 and uses Charisma as their stat for checks.

Sorcery gives the Sorcerer Mana Points (MP) equal to 2 x Sorcerer Level. The Sorcerer has 3 different things they can do with the points:

1. Empower: The Sorcerer can use MP on a spellcasting check to make a failure a success.
2. Recover: The Sorcerer can spend 5 MP to regain a lost spell.
3. Unleash: The Sorcerer can spend 5 to change a successful spellcheck into a Natural 20. The Sorcerer then needs to make a DC18 CON check or suffer exhaustion (and corruption if you are using it)

Overall Take: I really like this take on the Sorcerer, but the cost to use Sorcery items might need a tweak. The Sorcerer wouldn’t have enough points until Level 3 to use anything but Empower. Maybe change Recover to 4MP so that would be all the Level 2 Sorcerer could use for the day and add another option or two to the list. Since Sorcerers are supposed to have this magical power within them, I think it would be a cool idea to also allow the Sorcerer to use HP instead of having MP. It would be close to what DCC does with Spellburn. This would allow the Sorcerer to use their own life force to change their magic.

The Warlock Class

“Scholars, urchins, merchants, and soldiers, all are welcome to make deals for dark and powerful gifts.”

Warlocks get the same weapon choices as the Sorcerer but can wear light armor.

Warlocks get an additional language relevant to their Patron, but there are no Patrons listed in this supplement. I guess it is up to the player and GM to come up with a Patron and flush it out.

Warlocks get 2 features: A Pact Boon and Spellcasting.

Pact Boon: There are 4 choices – Arcane Pact, Blood Pact, Grave Pact, and Steel Pact. Arcane Pact gives you an arcane blast spell (like Eldritch Blast), Blood Pact gives them a familiar, Grave Pact makes them hard to kill, and Steel Pact gives them access to all weapons and medium armor (and they can call pact weapon to hand; thnk Pact of the Blade in 5E).

Spellcasting: Warlocks gain 2 spells at Level 1 and use CHA for the spellcasting checks. They are very similar to the Sorcerer in this regard.

Overall Take: I am not a fan of this Warlock. It seems too overpowered, especially if you take the Steel Pact. You gain use of all weapons and medium armor, you use your CHA as your attack rolls with the pact weapon, can call the pact weapon to your hand from anywhere, and you can cast just as many spells are the Sorcerer. I prefer the Warlock from Cursed Scroll #1 who didn’t even get spells, just boons from their Patron.

Next time we will look at some of the additional rules that were included in the Into the Shadowlands supplement.

Keep on gaming!