Unearthed Arcana: Reanimator (Artificer)

Now that we officially know the new subclasses that will be part of Ravenloft: The Hours Within, I thought it would be a good idea to re-explore these Unearthed Arcana horror subclasses now. It will also let us do a quick comparison with the official release in two months, so we can see what changed from the UA presentation and what made it into the published book.

Description

Reanimators defy the laws of nature in pursuit of gruesome experiment. These grim Artificers stitch together servants from disparate corpses, use foul magic to strengthen the living, and transform the art of necromancy into a terrifying science.

Level 3: Reanimator Spells

When you reach an Artificer level specified in the Reanimator Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Artificer Level	Spells
3	False Life, Spare the Dying, Witch Bolt
5	Blindness/Deafness, Enhance Ability
9	Animate Dead, Lightning Bolt
13	Blight, Death Ward
17	Antilife Shell, Raise Dead

I like this spell list a lot. One of the most important things for me with any subclass is how thematic its features and spell choices feel, and this one absolutely delivers on that front.

At level 3, getting False Life, Spare the Dying, and Witch Bolt feels great right away. At level 5, Blindness/Deafness is also a strong fit. Animate Dead and Lightning Bolt at level 9 are super cool, Blight and Death Ward at level 13 work nicely, and Antilife Shell plus Raise Dead at level 17 keep the concept going all the way to the top.

Overall, the list really sells the Doctor Frankenstein, creature-creation fantasy. The spells are thematic, fun, and mechanically solid. For me, there is nothing to change here.

Level 3: Jolt to Life

When you cast Spare the Dying, you can modify the spell so that it sends a jolt of electricity through the target, reviving it. The target regains 1 Hit Point, and each creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the target makes a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking Lightning damage equal to 1d4 plus half your Artificer level (round up) on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

You can modify the spell this way a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

This is a fun little feature. It is not especially powerful, and it does require an ally to already be at 0 hit points, so it will not always come up in every table’s play pattern. Still, I think it is a really interesting tool to have in the party.

What I especially like is how this changes the dynamic for the DM. If I knew a character in the group had an ability like this, I would feel much more comfortable pushing encounters harder and dropping characters to 0 hit points, because there is a built-in, flavorful way for the party to recover from that moment.

I like the idea of playing around that tension a little more at the table. It creates drama, it rewards the subclass for doing its thing, and it feels appropriate for a Reanimator. For now, I would keep this exactly as it is.

Level 3: Reanimated Companion

Using Tinker’s Tools or another type of Artisan’s Tools with which you have proficiency, you can take a Magic action to create a Reanimated Companion (see the stat block) through the power of necromancy and science. The companion manifests in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. You determine the companion’s appearance; your choices don’t affect the companion’s game statistics.

The companion is Friendly to you and your allies and obeys you. It lasts until you finish a Long Rest or until you take a Magic action to dismiss it early, at which point it harmlessly collapses into a pile of viscera. It immediately drops to 0 Hit Points and dies (triggering its Death Burst trait) if you die.

Once you create a companion, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest or expend a spell slot to create one. You can have only one companion at a time and can’t create one while your companion is present.

The Companion in Combat. In combat, the companion acts during your turn. It can move and take its Reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action unless you take a Bonus Action to command it to take an action. If you have the Incapacitated condition, the companion acts on its own and isn’t limited to the Dodge action.

This is fun immediately, and then the stat block makes it even better.

The basic structure is all good to me: you create it with your tools, it appears nearby, you choose the appearance without affecting the mechanics, and it lasts until a Long Rest unless you dismiss it or die. The usual companion rules are here, but they are presented cleanly and do what they need to do.

I also like the combat flow. It acts on your turn, can move and use its Reaction on its own, and normally needs your Bonus Action to do more than Dodge. That is familiar territory for companion design, but the nice touch is that if you are Incapacitated, it is not stuck doing nothing. It can still act on its own, which feels both useful and flavorful.

Looking at the stat block itself, I think this might be one of my favorite companions so far. The AC and hit points seem fine for the level, the resistances and immunities are cool, and Blindsight 60 feet is a neat detail. Death Burst is especially fun because it makes the companion annoying in exactly the right way. You can throw it into the enemy’s space, and if they decide to kill it in melee, they still get punished for doing so.

Lightning Absorption is also great. The fact that you can heal it with lightning damage opens up some fun interactions, and Dreadful Swipe is solid too. The damage is fine, and shutting off Opportunity Attacks on the target gives it a genuinely useful tactical role.

Overall, I really like this companion. It feels flavorful, useful, and distinct.

Reanimated Companion

Reanimated Companion
Size / Type	Small Undead, Neutral
Armor Class	10 + your Intelligence modifier
Hit Points	4 + four times your Artificer level (the companion has a number of Hit Dice [d6s] equal to your Artificer level)
Speed	30 ft.
STR	14 (+2), save +2
DEX	10 (+0), save +0
CON	16 (+3), save +3
INT	4 (-3), save -3
WIS	10 (+0), save +0
CHA	6 (-2), save -2
Resistances	Necrotic, Poison
Immunities	Lightning; Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses	Blindsight 60 ft.; Passive Perception 10
Languages	Understands the languages you know
Challenge	None (XP 0; PB equals your Proficiency Bonus)
Trait: Death Burst	The companion explodes when it dies. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC equals your spell save DC, each creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the companion. Failure: 2d6 Necrotic damage.
Trait: Lightning Absorption	Whenever the companion is subjected to Lightning damage, it regains Hit Points equal to the Lightning damage dealt.
Action: Dreadful Swipe	Melee Attack Roll: Bonus equals your spell attack modifier, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1d4 + 2 plus your Intelligence modifier Necrotic damage, and the target can’t take Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.

Level 5: Strange Modifications

Whenever you create a Reanimated Companion, it gains one of the following options of your choice; choose when you create the companion.

Arcane Conduit. You can cast spells as though you were in the companion’s space, but you must use your own senses. Once per turn, when you cast an Artificer spell from the Evocation or Necromancy schools and deal damage while your companion is within 120 feet of you, you can add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of that spell.

Ferocity. When you command your companion to take the Dreadful Swipe action, the companion can use it twice.

I like that this subclass gets a new feature so soon after gaining the subclass. That pacing feels good.

Both options here are fun. Arcane Conduit gives you some nice flexibility by letting you cast as though you were in the companion’s space, and the extra Intelligence modifier to one damage roll each turn is a clean reward for leaning into Evocation or Necromancy spells.

Ferocity is the one that jumps out immediately, though. Letting the companion use Dreadful Swipe twice when commanded is just cool. It is simple, satisfying, and makes the companion feel more threatening in a very direct way.

This is a good level 5 feature set overall.

Level 9: Improved Reanimation

You experiment and alter your companion further. Whenever you create a Reanimated Companion, it gains one of the following options of your choice; choose when you create the companion.

Bloated. The companion becomes Large or Medium (your choice). Whenever it hits a Large or smaller creature with its Dreadful Swipe action, that creature can also be pushed up to 10 feet away from the companion. Additionally, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage dealt by the companion’s Death Burst.

Gaunt. The companion’s Speed increases to 45 feet, and it gains a Climb Speed equal to its Speed. It can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. In addition, whenever a creature of your choice starts its turn within a 10-foot Emanation originating from your companion, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or have the Frightened condition until the start of its next turn.

Moist. The companion gains a Swim Speed equal to its Speed. In addition, whenever the companion is hit by an attack roll from a creature within 10 feet of it, the attacker takes Acid damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.

This is a lot of fun. I really like getting multiple upgrade paths for the companion, because versatility always makes a subclass more interesting to me.

Bloated is solid. Making the companion Large or Medium gives you some flexibility, the push on Dreadful Swipe is useful, and adding your Intelligence modifier to Death Burst helps reinforce that explosive play pattern.

Gaunt looks especially strong. The increased Speed, Climb Speed, and ability to move across difficult surfaces and ceilings already make it very interesting, and then adding a repeatable Frightened effect to nearby creatures is excellent.

Moist is also fun. A swim speed is more situational, but the acid retaliation damage means it still has a clear combat identity.

Even if some options look better than others on paper, I like having choices like this because context matters. The option that seems weaker in a vacuum can easily become the best one in the right encounter or campaign. That kind of versatility is something I always enjoy.

Level 15: Promethean Reanimation

You have mastered the science of revivification, granting you the following benefits.

Facilitated Revival. When you cast Revivify or Raise Dead, the cost of any Material components needed for that spell is halved.

Improved Companion. The damage of your Reanimated Companion’s Death Burst increases to 4d6. Necrotic damage dealt by your companion ignores Resistance.

Life Transfer. You can siphon the animating magic of your companion to bolster yourself. When you take damage, you can take a Reaction to cause your Reanimated Companion to drop to 0 Hit Points. The companion immediately dies (triggering its Death Burst trait), and you regain a number of Hit Points equal to your Artificer level.

I really like this capstone. It feels fun, thematic, and useful.

Facilitated Revival is nice, assuming the table actually plays with material component costs. I do, so I appreciate it, though I know not every group will care as much about that part.

Improved Companion is very cool. Increasing Death Burst to 4d6 and letting the necrotic damage ignore resistance makes the companion feel appropriately dangerous at this level.

Life Transfer is my favorite part here. When you take damage, you can sacrifice the companion, trigger Death Burst, and regain hit points equal to your Artificer level. At level 15, turning your companion into a 15-point emergency heal with an added explosion attached is just awesome.

Overall, I really like this subclass. It seems genuinely fun to play.