Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything may only be nearing two weeks old, but it’s been the talk of the D&D community for months already. Wizards of the Coast’s newest rules expansion prints 30 subclasses, new optional features for existing subclasses, optional rules for character creation, and more.
One of the subclasses added in with TCoE is the Phantom archetype for the Rogue. This archetype previously made multiple appearances in D&D’s Unearthed Arcana, a web content series that offers players new content in exchange for playtesting and feedback. The Phantom rogue’s updated features will be discussed in the article below.
At 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain the Whispers of the Dead feature. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can choose one skill or tool proficiency that you lack and gain it, as a ghostly presence shares its knowledge with you. You lose this proficiency when you use this feature to choose a different proficiency that you lack.
Also at 3rd level comes the Wails from the Grave feature. Immediately after you deal your Sneak Attack damage to a creature on your turn, you can target a second creature that you can see within 30 feet of the first creature. Roll half the number of Sneak Attack dice for your level (rounded up), and the second creature takes necrotic damage equal to half the roll’s total. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Tokens of the Departed makes its presence known at 9th level. As a reaction when a creature you can see dies within 30 feet of you, you can open your free hand and cause a Tiny trinket to appear there, a soul trinket. The DM determines the trinket’s appearance, and you can have a maximum number of soul trinkets equal to your proficiency bonus, and can’t create one while at your maximum. You can use the trinkets in the following ways:
-While a soul trinket is on your person, you have advantage on death saving throws.
-When you deal Sneak Attack damage on your turn, you can destroy one of your soul trinkets and immediately use Wails from the Grave without expending a use of that feature.
-As an action, you can destroy one of your soul trinkets, no matter where it’s located. When you do so, you can ask the spirit associated with the trinket one question. The spirit appears to you and answers in a language it knew in life. It’s under no obligation to be truthful, and it answers as concisely as possible, eager to be free. It only knows that it knew in life.
Nearing the end, Ghost Walk comes in at 13th level. As a bonus action, you assume a spectral form. While in that form, you have a flying speed of 10 feet, you can hover, and attack rolls have disadvantage against you. You can also move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object. You stay in this form for 10 minutes or until you end it as a bonus action. To use this feature again, you must finish a long rest or destroy one of your soul trinkets as part of the bonus action you use to activate Ghost Walk.
Finally, Death’s Friend wraps up the Phantom archetype at 17th level. Your association with death has become so close that you gain the following benefits:
-When you use your Wails from the Grave, you can deal the necrotic damage to both the first and second creature.
-At the end of a long rest, a soul trinket appears in your hand if you don’t have any soul trinkets, as the spirits of the dead are drawn to you.
If you like this subclass and would like to see more, it’s recommended to visit the D&D website for more information.
