Tasha’s Magic Cauldron of Everything is the newest sourcebook for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons and is packed with new options for DMs and players alike. This even includes options that help to further customize characters and flesh out their combat and utility abilities, with the Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook adding a whole new category of magic items for a spellcaster class that is already brimming with versatility.
One of the most versatile spellcasting classes in Dungeons and Dragons is the Sorcerer. The Sorcerer class features a specific ability to manipulate how spells are cast called Metamagic. These options allow for sorcerers to change certain effects of their spells, like allowing a cantrip to be cast in one bonus action to more quickly fire off a Ray of Frost at an encroaching enemy. In TCoE, a new category of items specifically for attunement by a Sorcerer allow for even more flexibility with the Metamagic options.
The newly added Sorcerer shards are as varied as the spells and cantrips available to the spellcaster classes already. They represent different elements of damages available and different planes that exist in the DnD multiverse, and they all offer an effect that can be utilized upon spending a Sorcery Point to perform a Metamagic feature such as Twinned Spell, which allows for a spell normally targeting one creature to be duplicated against another. These effects vary in combat strength based on the rarity of the shard in question, but wary DMs can rest easy knowing that these effects are kept from becoming overpowered by the limited well of points from which Sorcerers can draw.
The Astral Shard is a silvery piece of stone that is a crystallized piece of the Astral Plane. Like all the shards in TCoE the Astral Shard can be used as an arcane focus, eschewing the normal need for spellcasters to keep a bunch of separate components needed for spells. While attuned to the item a Sorcerer who uses a Metamagic option can choose to teleport up to thirty feet away, mimicking the Misty Step spell available to Wizards of most schools and other spellcasters. The Astral Shard offers a quick way to escape a dicey situation after delivering a Metamagic spell.
Coming from the opposite end of the DnD Multiverse is the Far Realm Shard. This inky black shard offers some options that would seem more at home in the features a Warlock would have access to. Allowing the Sorcerer to tap into the power of the Lovecraftian Far Realm, after using a Sorcery Point to perform a Metamagic spell the player can then summon a powerful tentacle to lash out at an enemy. If the creature doesn’t succeed on a Charisma check they are subjected to a solid 3d6 psychic damage and becomes frightened. Psychic damage is useful against many creatures that are resistant to other elements of damage and is a great addition to the Sorcerer’s toolbox.
Another shard that represents a separate plane of existence, the Feywild Shard grants access to the Wild Magic Table for Sorcerers outside of the Wild Magic origin. The Wild Magic origin is a subclass for the Sorcerer that offers some of the humor that DnD is known for, such as accidentally turning an ally or themselves into a houseplant for an hour. The Feywild Shard lets PCs that are normally focused on straightforward attack power experiment with a bit of the almost anime-level silliness that a tabletop game can engender.
Offering a few options for players to use outside of combat, the Outer Essence Shards offer different effects based on one of the alignments associated with the shard. Its Lawful effect allows a Sorcerer to end most psychological effects like charm or fear on themselves or another creature, a great way to keep from losing sway in a debate with a dragon or avoiding fleeing from a raging Barbarian in terror. The other effects allow a Sorcerer to impose disadvantage on enemies, bestowing temporary hit points, or lashing out with necrotic damage.
Last of the shards with planar origin, the Shadowfell Shard has the best utility for use outside of combat. The Sorcerer can use the Shadowfell Shard to curse one creature with disadvantage on checks made with a certain ability. This would be useful in smaller situations like convincing a smithy for a discount on his best set of armor or other situations that require a lighter touch than a straightforward battle. But this ability is also useful in combat as it allows the Sorcerer to make it harder for an enemy to avoid a spell requiring an ability check like Cloud of Daggers.
Next are the Elemental Essence Shards, as their name implies each of these shards represent a different element and offer effects as such. Shards include Air, Fire, Water, and Earth elements. The Sorcerer already is capable of dealing out lots of elemental damage but these options allow both to accentuate that damage and compliment any elemental theme that a player has designed. The Air Shard allows its user to fly for a distance of sixty feet without provoking a reaction from even the most acrobatic enemy Monk. Incredibly useful in a close battle is the Earth Shard. Its use allows the PC to choose one type of damage and take only half as much of that damage until their next turn.
Fire is a common choice for Sorcerers and other spellcasters in Dungeons and Dragons and the Fire Shard offers a chance for guaranteed damage. After using the Metamagic feature the Sorcerer can then choose a target of their spell who catch flame for 2d10 fire damage. When compounded with other Sorcerer features that enhance elemental damage the Fire Shard can lead to some devastating damage. Mixing damage with combat utility is the Water Shard. Its activation makes all enemies in a small radius attempt to avoid a bursting wave of water, and if they fail are pushed away from the Sorcerer. This is another useful ability for a class that tends to need to keep their distance from most enemies.
A big theme of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is improving on options for players to customize their characters to help fit a theme they might have in mind. The magic items offered in the newest book for fifth edition helps those players who wish to create such a theme with new abilities that might fit their vision for a character. Expanding on options to create more creative characters is almost always great for DnD and the new Sorcerer Shards provide several new choices for any player who’s looking to power up their Sorcerer.
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is available now in digital and physical formats.
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