Summary

Horror campaigns and modules can be some of the most fun yourDungeons & Dragonstable will ever have playing the game. From iconic modules like Curse of Strahd to entirely homebrewed adventures, playing in a horror setting poses a great challenge for players and Dungeon Masters alike.

However, as a player, you might be wondering what the best character build options are for horror-themed campaigns. After all, should you lean into the horror aspects of the adventure, or play against type? Here are some of the best, most optimized character builds for a horror campaign in Dungeons & Dragons.

The spirit board from the House of Lament adventure in DND.

Background

Charlatan

This first character concept is all about getting the chance to roleplay a spirit medium who can commune with the dead. The college of spirits bard has a number of horror-based abilities and features that allow them to channel the power of spirits from beyond the grave.

Combine this subclass with tiefling for additional innate spellcasting to help flesh out your spell list, as well as the charlatan background, which can grant players bonuses to their Dexterity and Charisma, which is extremely helpful for bards. Plus, with the charlatan background, you gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand, which can help you deceive others.

Spiders crawl through a webbed city in DND.

Sage

The twilight domain cleric is a highly underrated, at times overpowered subclass that’s perfectly tailored for a horror campaign. There are two main reasons for this. First, when you select this subclass, you gain darkvision out to a range of 300 feet. Second, when you are in dim light or darkness, you may give yourself a magical flying speed equal to your walking speed for one minute.

Because you’re likely going to be in dark areasduring a horror campaign, this subclass is ideal. Plus, the healing abilities granted by this subclass are very powerful. Choose dwarf and sage to give yourself tremorsense, which you may combine with your darkvision, as well as buffs to your Constitution and Wisdom.

The cover art for the Book of Ebon Tides featuring a mystical bear and druid in DND.

Farmer

The theming of this subclass is perfect for a horror campaign thanks to its macabre tone. With this druid subclass, you gain access to a handful of necrotic spells like Animate Dead, Gentle Repose, and more. Plus, you’re able to reanimate dead creatures using your spores to help you in combat.

Because you’re likely to be around undead a lot anyway during a horror campaign, this subclass can help turn the tide of combat in your favor. Use the farmer background to grant buffs to your Constitution and Wisdom. Additionally, wood elves work great for druids thanks to their innate spellcasting options.

A band of drow mercenaries in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist in DND.

Entertainer

The phantom rogue is one of the spookiest subclasses available in 5e Dungeons & Dragons. This subclass allows rogues to toe the line perfectly between life and death. When you end lives with your rogue features, you may steal a bit of essence from the creature’s soul, using it to buff yourself and your Sneak Attack Damage.

Additionally, you gain access to a spectral form, perfect for hiding from monsters in a horror campaign. Use the entertainer background to buff your Dexterity and Charisma, essential for rogues, as well as the gnome species, so that you gain darkvision.

A player investigates a haunted manor in DND.

Guide

Way of the long death monks are a macabre subclass option for monks that fits right into a spooky setting. This subclass is all about obsession with death and experimentation with the occult. With this subclass in tow, you’re able to extract temporary hit points from dead creatures, inspire fear in enemies, and avoid falling unconscious.

While aasimar don’t necessarily make for particularly good monks, their resistance to necrotic damage will help immensely for close-quarters combat in a horror campaign. The guide background grants bonuses to Dexterity and Wisdom, your two core monk stats, as well as some innate spellcasting, which can help round out your character concept.

A ship sails through an Eldritch Storm in DND.

Wayfarer

The undying warlock character concept is all about forming a pact with a necromantic patron who knows the secret to immortality. This build is perfect for a horror campaign and any player who wants to play a neutral oreven evil-aligned character.

The undying warlock subclass grants you access to spells like False Life, Feign Death, and Death Ward, all great spells for a horror campaign. Plus, you earn a variety of features that can help support your fellow players from dying, and even cheat death yourself. Finding ways to stabilize creatures so that they don’t become undead is essential in a horror adventure.

A player character casts a protective ward in front of their party in DND

The hollow warden ranger is a uniquely horror-themed subclass first presented in an Unearthed Arcana supplement. This subclass is all about drawing on the power of unnatural, eldritch horrors that surround you. With this subclass, you gain access to terrifying spells like Phantom Steed and Wrathful Smite, in addition to various buffs to your Constitution saving throws and more.

Besides just the theming of this subclass, rangers can prove useful for traversal in horror campaigns. If your adventure takes you outside of an urban-sprawl scenario, your party will be grateful that they have a ranger in tow.

Dcr. Viktra Mordenheim in Lamordia operating on a body in D&D art.

Merchant or Artisan

The reanimator artificeris another haunting subclass that was first presented in Unearthed Arcana. This subclass allows you to conjure a macabre servant, a reanimated corpse that does your bidding both on and outside of the battlefield.

A spellcaster casts Witchbolt on a zombie in Dungeons & Dragons.

Gnomes always synergize well with artificers thanks to their innate spellcasting and advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Plus, they have darkvision out to 60 feet. You can select either the merchant or artisan background, as both give bonuses to Intelligence, your artificer’s primary stat.

Sorcerers always fit right into a horror-based campaign, but the shadow sorcerer subclass is perhaps best suited to an adventure of this playstyle. With this subclass, you gain a number of terrifying features, including the ability to cast the Darkness spell, avoid falling unconscious, and the ability to step from one shadow to another.

A player character fights a monster in the Dungeon of the Mad Mage in DND.

Tieflings have innate spellcasting, which can help round out your spell list. Plus, the wayfarer background grants ability score improvements to Dexterity and Charisma, which can both prove useful to sorcerers. You also get proficiency with Thieves' Tools, which is not granted by your subclass.

Noble

Lastly, the eldritch knight fighter subclass can prove to be a great martial class to bring into a horror-based campaign. This subclass is great as it gives fighters access to spellcasting, particularly abjuration-based spells, which are extremely helpful in a horror campaign. Plus, your fighter attacks can impose disadvantage on creatures against spell attacks, meaning you may use your spells wisely to get the drop on horror monsters.

Select orc as your species so that you’re able to take the dash action as a bonus action, which is extremely helpful for martial classes. Plus, you also get darkvision. Finally, select the noble background to grant yourself ability score improvements to Strength and Intelligence, which you’ll need good stats for with this subclass.