Summary
The Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft module for 5eDungeons & Dragonsoffers players and Dungeon Masters alike a varied host of different adventures to embark on. From classic horror games to cosmically confounding adventures, this module is highly diverse, meaning it can be difficult to design characters for it.
However, because the module has a lot of opportunity for roleplay in addition to combat, you’ll want to create balanced characters that not only have boons against horror-based creatures but also fit well into the horror setting. Here are the best character builds you can make for a tour through the Domains of Dread.
Background
Entertainer
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft offers a handful of different character creation options, including new species (or lineages), backgrounds, and subclasses. One of the best of these is the college of spirits bard, who uses their magics to communicate with spirits who have passed on. This subclass is perfect for traveling through Ravenloft for several reasons.
First, your inspiration can take on many different forms and abilities depending on what type of spirit you commune with when you use your bardic magics. This makes this class highly versatile. Second, you can use these spirits to add additional spells to your spell list, meaning you can tailor your spell list to the type of encounter you’re braving.
Haunted One
This next build uses three different elements, all of which come from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. First, select the unique undead lineage, which is ideal for roleplay. This lineage allows your character to have died once already and come back from the grave, potentially with new powers in tow. This can also feed nicely into the haunted background.
Perhaps your undead warlock communed with an undead spirit when they passed into the next realm. This patron then sent you back with a nefarious purpose in mind, granting you your warlock powers. This build is great for expert roleplayers.
Soldier
One of the most underrated subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons is the path of the ancestral guardian barbarian. This subclass grants barbarians perks to their rage and combat abilities thanks to assistance from their ancestors, spirits who follow them wherever they go.
Not only is this class perfectly tailored for roleplaythrough the Domains of Dread, but additionally, at tenth level, this subclass allows you to cast Augury or Clairvoyance. Having additional spellcasting is great for a barbarian, but these spells are also incredibly helpful in the Domains of Dread, when navigating the mists properly could mean the difference between life and death.
Guide
Another highly unique lineage you can use from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is the dhampir lineage, which is essentially a half-blooded version of a vampire and a human. This lineage comes with unique perks like spider climbing and bite attacks.
For this build, consider using the twilight domain cleric subclass, which is highly underrated. Not only is the flavor of this subclass perfectfor a horror-based campaign, but its features allow for you to create area of effect healing spells, which is extremely useful for the Domains of Dread, given that almost every creature you meet is sure to pack a deadly punch.
Investigator
Though perhaps not the first thought for players creating characters in the Domains of Dread, druids can actually make a great addition to a campaign in this setting. Consider using the circle of spores druid subclass, which focuses on death and decay, making it perfect for the tone of any adventure in Ravenloft. Selecting elf also grants you access to different spells early on, thus diversifying your spell list.
Lastly, talk to your DM about homebrewing the investigator background for this build. Backgrounds in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft don’t grant ability score improvements like they do in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. So, to balance your character, consider using the Investigator (which grants proficiencies in Insight, Investigation, and Perception) and then asking for buffs to Wisdom, Intelligence, and Dexterity, which feel tonally aligned with the background.
Wayfarer
Rogues make natural additions to any Dungeons & Dragons party, but especially in Ravenloft. Choose tiefling and the wayfarer background to gain some spellcasting, darkvision, and improvements to your Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma, which can all be extremely helpful for rogues. Yourthieves' tools proficiencywill prove redundant, so you can also choose scribe as a background if you so desire.
The real boon to this build is the phantom rogue subclass, which is perfectly tailored for this module. With this subclass, you gain various perks to your sneak attack, the ability to swap out different proficiencies (which is great for various adventures in the Domains of Dread), and most importantly, your Tokens of the Departed feature. This feature allows you to steal souls from others, granting yourself various perks. Customization is key in Ravenloft, and this subclass has plenty of it.
Merchant
Paladins can also make great additions to a Ravenloft-based party. The oath of the watchers subclass is really well-suited to this module thanks to its abjuration abilities. Select orc to gain darkvision and perks to your sturdiness as a character, as well as merchant to get buffs to your Constitution and Charisma scores, essential for paladins.
The oath of the watchers paladin gets access to several abjuration-based spells, most notably Counterspell. Having multiple people in your party who can use Counterspell is great for a journey through the Domains of Dread, as many characters tend to have powerful magics that need to be interrupted.
Though many realms in Ravenloft are heavily urban-themed, there are also a ton of nature-based domains, meaning rangers can fit right into a campaign like this. The gloom stalker ranger subclass can also prove thematically relevant to a horror-based campaign, and offers buffs to darkvision, hiding in nonmagical darkness, and more.
Select elf to grant yourself darkvision, which is expanded an additional 30 feet by this subclass. Additionally, select the guide background to give yourself proficiency in Stealth and Survival (helpful for rangers), access to some additional druid spells, and buffs to your Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, a ranger’s three core stats.
In a campaign through the Domains of Dread, you’re going to want to create as many flex-support characters as you possibly can, so that all the pressure isn’t placed squarely on your cleric. That’s why the divine soul sorcerer subclass can prove extremely helpful, as this subclass gives you access to spells like Cure Wounds and Bless at various levels.
Additionally, choose the hexblood lineage, which is specific to Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. This lineage is a cross between normal species in D&D and hags, and grants players additional spellcasting options and more.
Scribe
Similar to the divine soul sorcerer, the way of mercy monk offers an additional flex-support build for your party, which is sure to make your journey a lot easier. Monks of mercy get access to various healing abilities, meaning they can heal themselves and others while also dealing a decent amount of damage.
Choose halfling as your species to gain access to various feats that improve your dexterity and make you more stealthy. Plus, halflings get advantage on saves against being frightened, which is ideal for any horror-based campaign.
