
Episode 23 - Dark Domains
Nights of Eveningstar - 02/25/2021
Sent to recover the Braewinter’s family relic, the party has uncovered a mysterious castle cloaked in shadows and darkness......
Legends & Lore
It’s hard to believe that we’re on the eve of the release of the first D&D fifth edition product. The Starter Set will be available at Wizards Play Network stores this week, starting on July 3. That day will also see the release of the basic rules for D&D on the Dungeons & Dragons web site.
For the D&D basic rules, our initial release will include character creation. It features the human, elf, dwarf, and halfling for races, along with the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard classes, all from 1st level to 20th level. As the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide near completion, we’ll add to the basic rules with more material to grow it into a complete game. Our goal is to continue to make updates to the basic rules for D&D until the end of the year, at which point it will be feature complete.
As for the contents of the basic rules, let’s take a peek under the hood to see what you can expect. It’s important to remember that all of this material is drawn from the Player’s Handbook. The basic rules for D&D are not a separate game, but rather are a subset of Dungeons & Dragons.
Races: The dwarf, elf, and halfling each feature two subraces: hill dwarves and mountain dwarves, high elves and wood elves, and lightfoot halflings and stout halflings.
Classes: Each class features one option for specialization. The fighter has the champion martial archetype, the cleric features the life domain, the rogue has the thief roguish archetype, and the wizard has the School of Evocation arcane tradition.
Backgrounds: The backgrounds featured in the Starter Set pregenerated characters are included in the D&D basic rules.
Equipment: The basic rules include the Player’s Handbook equipment chapter in its entirety.
Rules of Play: The D&D basic rules cover combat, using ability scores, adventuring, and the rules for magic, all taken straight from the Player’s Handbook.
Spells: The game provides a wide selection of cleric and wizard spells, from 0-level cantrips all the way up to the most powerful 9th-level spells.
Cleric Spells | Wizard Spells |
Cantrips (0 Level) | Cantrips (0 Level) |
Guidance | Dancing Lights |
Light | Fire Bolt |
Resistance | Light |
Sacred Flame | Mage Hand |
Spare the Dying | Minor Illusion |
Thaumaturgy | Prestidigitation |
1st Level | Ray of Frost |
Bless | Shocking Grasp |
Command | 1st Level |
Cure Wounds | Burning Hands |
Detect Magic | Charm Person |
Guiding Bolt | Comprehend Languages |
Healing Word | Detect Magic |
Inflict Wounds | Identify |
Sanctuary | Mage Armor |
Shield of Faith | Magic Missile |
2nd Level | Shield |
Aid | Silent Image |
Augury | Sleep |
Hold Person | Thunderwave |
Lesser Restoration | 2nd Level |
Prayer of Healing | Arcane Lock |
Silence | Blur |
Spiritual Weapon | Darkness |
Warding Bond | Flaming Sphere |
3rd Level | Hold Person |
Beacon of Hope | Invisibility |
Dispel Magic | Knock |
Mass Healing Word | Levitate |
Protection from Energy | Magic Weapon |
Remove Curse | Misty Step |
Revivify | Spider Climb |
Speak with Dead | Suggestion |
Spirit Guardians | Web |
4th Level | 3rd Level |
Death Ward | Dispel Magic |
Divination | Fireball |
Freedom of Movement | Fly |
Guardian of Faith | Haste |
Locate Creature | Lightning Bolt |
5th Level | Major Image |
Commune | Protection from Energy |
Flame Strike | 4th Level |
Greater Restoration | Arcane Eye |
Mass Cure Wounds | Dimension Door |
Raise Dead | Greater Invisibility |
6th Level | Ice Storm |
Blade Barrier | Stoneskin |
Find the Path | 5th Level |
Harm | Cone of Cold |
Heal | Dominate Person |
Heroes’ Feast | Dream |
True Seeing | Passwall |
7th Level | Wall of Stone |
Etherealness | 6th Level |
Fire Storm | Chain Lightning |
Regenerate | Disintegrate |
Resurrection | Globe of Invulnerability |
8th Level | Mass Suggestion |
Antimagic Field | Otto’s Irresistible Dance |
Earthquake | True Seeing |
Holy Aura | 7th Level |
9th Level | Delayed Blast Fireball |
Astral Projection | Finger of Death |
Gate | Mordenkainen’s Sword |
Mass Heal | Teleport |
True Resurrection | 8th Level |
Dominate Monster | |
Maze | |
Power Word Stun | |
Sunburst | |
9th Level | |
Foresight | |
Imprisonment | |
Meteor Swarm | |
Power Word Kill | |
Time Stop |