D&D Beyond Goes Full Soulsborne in Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt
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If you’ve been looking to add a little more Soulsborne action to your Dungeons & Dragons, you’re in luck. Wizards of the Coast has officially rolled out the Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Player Pack on D&D Beyond.
Originally created by third-party publisher (and noted Patreon designer) MonkeyDM (aka Evan Mascaro), the new digital version introduces a grimdark setting that blends Lovecraftian horror with the tactical combat of games like Dark Souls and Blood Borne.
Below, we hunt down all the details on this horrifying new addition to D&D Beyond.
What’s the original Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt?
The original Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt was launched in 2022 as a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $2.6 million USD and becoming one of the most funded D&D 5E compatible projects on the platform.
Later released to the general public in 2023, the sourcebook provides a complete campaign setting focused on the twisted gothic metropolis of Luyarnha, a city plagued by an eldritch disease known as the Scourge and beset on all sides by rival factions competing for power.
The original 491-page book includes:
- 12 new species: This includes options such as the Demidritch, Manikin and Scourgeborne.
- 15 new subclasses: Including the Circle of Symbiosis Druid, Living Nightmare Fighter, Oath of the Eldritch Hunt Paladin and Scion of Madness Sorcerer.
- A new class: The Jaeger, a martial class that features five distinct operational subclasses known as “Chapters.”
- New mechanics: Including rules for madness, eldritch moon phases and firearms (including blackpowder weapons).
- New spells: Including a new type of bone-based magic known as Osteomancy.
- 50 new monsters: These range in CR and creature type, and also include rules for combining monster types and severing limbs.
- Five adventures: These can be run individually or as part of a larger campaign.
- World-building and campaign tools: This includes the history and lore of the city of Luyarnha and its surroundings, with a unique blend of steampunk and gothic horror.
What’s included in the Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Player Pack?
The D&D Beyond version is not a reprint of the original sourcebook bur rather a separate product that features a variety of player-focused content. It includes:
- 7 Subclasses: Including the Circle of Symbiosis Druid and the Torturer Ranger.
- 2 Species: The Manikin (porcelain marionettes powered by golden nervous systems) and the Scourgeborne (individuals partially transformed by creeping eldritch madness).
- 9 Trick Weapons & Firearms: Specialized weapon mechanics, including mid-battle transformations that allow martial weapons to switch forms on the fly (reminiscent of classic Soulsborne trick weaponry).
- 16 Spells: All taken from the Osteomancy school of magic.
- Revised Firearm Rules: Redesigned black-powder mechanics, including rules for character-driven cannons.
- 3 Backgrounds & 4 New Feats: Custom options tailored for dark fantasy characters, including specialized monster hunters and heroes permanently marked for death.
Notably all of the material is updated for D&D 5.5E.
How much is the Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Player Pack?
On D&D Beyond the digital only pack retails for $14.99 USD. That’s not actually a bad price point considering that a PDF version of the complete D&D 5.5E sourcebook retails for $34.99 USD if you purchase it directly from MonkeyDM.
For contrast, the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide retailed for $39.99 USD on D&D Beyond and included 21 species, 40 subclasses, 1 new class, 25 backgrounds, 41 feats and 102 spells.
Who is MonkeyDM?
MonkeyDM (real name Evan Mascaro) is a popular French game designer currently based in Romania who is best known for his homebrew content for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition, including a range of subclasses, optional rules and campaign concepts.
Over the years, MonkeyDM has grown a significant following, primarily through his Patreon, although in more recent months he has expanded his YouTube channel. Following the success of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, he also established his own publishing company, which is also known as MonkeyDM.
Final thoughts
The Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Player Pack is yet another instance of Wizards of the Coast bringing popular third-party content onto D&D Beyond. It’s something the company should be commended for, especially considering this new horror-themed supplement is a potential competitor to the Ravenloft: The Horrors Within supplement.
That being said, if you’ve already picked up the original supplement, there probably isn’t much of a need to get it now. If you’re a D&D Beyond user looking to add a little Soulsborne-style gameplay to your campaign, then you may want to give it a look. You can snag the Player Pack now on D&D Beyond.
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Jason Volk is the Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics and lives in the wilds of Western Canada. He has been playing D&D for over 25 years and is a huge fan of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms. His favorite character of all time was a Necromancer named Neek who spent most of his adventuring career resurrecting the corpses of slain monsters. When he’s not playing TTRPGs, Jason enjoys video games, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, watching football and spending time with his wife and adorably nerdy children.
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