Ravenloft: The Horrors Within - Reanimator (Artificer)

The UA spell list gave the subclass False Life, Spare the Dying, Witch Bolt, Blindness/Deafness, Enhance Ability, Animate Dead, Lightning Bolt, Blight, Death Ward, Antilife Shell, and Raise Dead.

The release version keeps the same spell list.

The playtest version had Jolt to Life as its own feature. It modified Spare the Dying so the target regained 1 Hit Point and nearby creatures took lightning damage equal to 1d4 plus half your Artificer level, rounded up.

That idea now lives inside Reanimator Skill Set. The revival scales with your Artificer level instead of always restoring only 1 Hit Point, and the lightning damage uses clearer breakpoints: 2d4 at first, then 3d4 at level 11 and 4d4 at level 17. The feature also adds Reanimator’s Tools, giving you proficiency with Alchemist’s Supplies or another artisan tool if you already have it.

The UA companion was Small, had Hit Points equal to 4 + four times your Artificer level, and had Strength 14. Its Death Burst dealt 2d6 necrotic damage, and Dreadful Swipe dealt 1d4 + 2 + your Intelligence modifier necrotic damage.

The official companion is Medium by default and has better Hit Points: 5 + five times your Artificer level. It keeps the same basic command rules, Lightning Absorption, senses, resistances, and immunities. The tradeoff is that its Strength drops to 11, Death Burst starts at 2d4, and Dreadful Swipe loses the old flat +2 damage.

Arcane Conduit let you cast through the companion’s space and add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of an Artificer Evocation or Necromancy spell once per turn. Ferocity let the companion use Dreadful Swipe twice when commanded.

Arcane Conduit appears to be unchanged. Ferocity is the big change: instead of giving the companion two swipes, it increases Dreadful Swipe’s damage die from a d4 to a d6.

In the UA, Improved Reanimation was the name for the feature that gave your companion another modification option.

Improved Reanimation is now its own durability and damage upgrade. The companion’s Death Burst increases to 4d4, and necrotic damage dealt by the companion ignores resistance.

The UA level 9 options were Bloated, Gaunt, and Moist. Bloated could make the companion Medium or Large, Gaunt improved mobility and fear pressure, and Moist added swimming plus acid retaliation.

The same three themes remain, but the structure is clearer because the companion is already Medium. Bloated now pushes it to Large. Gaunt is effectively unchanged. Moist gains extra utility by letting the companion move through spaces as narrow as 1 inch without spending extra movement.

The UA capstone was Promethean Reanimation. Facilitated Revival halved the material component cost of Revivify or Raise Dead. Improved Companion raised Death Burst to 4d6 and let companion necrotic damage ignore resistance. Life Transfer let you destroy the companion as a reaction when you took damage, then regain Hit Points equal to your Artificer level.

The release version is Refined Reanimation. Facilitated Revival now gives you a free Raise Dead once per long rest when you use appropriate tools as the spellcasting focus. Life Transfer can trigger when you or the companion takes damage, and you gain Hit Points equal to the companion’s current Hit Points before it drops to 0 and triggers Death Burst. Superior Modification also lets the companion gain three Strange Modification options.