A D&D Review from Your Supreme Leader at DeathStarInc.com
My loyal minions and fellow adventurers,
As your Emperor, I have many responsibilities: crushing rebellions, maintaining unlimited power, ensuring the Death Star’s thermal exhaust ports are properly secured (learned that lesson the hard way), and yes—playing Dungeons & Dragons. What? You think ruling the galaxy doesn’t leave time for rolling dice? Please. I have people for menial tasks like “actual governance.”
Wizards of the Coast has released their latest Unearthed Arcana playtest material featuring six revised subclasses, and naturally, my Court Wizard delivered them to me immediately. (He knows what happens to those who withhold information from the Emperor. Spoiler: it involves Force lightning and an unfortunate lack of Revivify scrolls.)
So, let’s examine these options through the lens of someone who has perfected the art of villainy. Which subclass would the Emperor himself play? Let’s break them down, shall we?
Arcane Archer (Fighter): Magical Arrows for Those Who Can’t Cast Spells Properly
The Concept: You shoot arrows with magical effects. Occasionally.
The Emperor’s Take: Look, I understand the appeal. There’s something deeply satisfying about delivering death from a distance—I do it constantly with Force lightning. But here’s my issue: this is a Fighter subclass. A martial class. The Emperor does not concern himself with mundane physical prowess when he has UNLIMITED POWER at his fingertips.
That said, I appreciate the Banishing Shot option. Temporarily sequestering incompetent officers in a harmless demiplane? That’s basically my Tuesday morning staff meeting. And the Seeking Shot that ignores cover and moves around corners? That’s just good target acquisition for execution orders.
Pros:
- Curving Shot lets you redirect missed attacks (I wish I could do this with my lightning)
- Magical Ammunition includes a “Vine Shot” for climbing (though Force levitation is superior)
- Masterful Shots lets you move away from attackers and counterattack (very Sith-like)
Cons:
- You have to actually aim things physically
- Only gets spells at level 3, and it’s just Druidcraft or Prestidigitation (pathetic)
- Intelligence modifier determines uses (at least they got that right—Intelligence IS superior)
Would the Emperor Play This? No. If I wanted to shoot things from a distance, I’d just Force-choke someone from across the room. Much more dramatic, requires no ammunition, and the look on their face is chef’s kiss.
Rating: 3/10 Dark Side Points. Too much physical effort, not enough pure magical domination.
Tattooed Warrior (Monk): Magic Tattoos for People Who Punch Things
The Concept: You have magic tattoos that give you various abilities and you punch people with mystical martial arts.
The Emperor’s Take: Interesting. Very interesting. Not for me, obviously—the Emperor’s body is a temple, and that temple doesn’t need ink when it can shoot lightning from its fingertips. But I can appreciate the aesthetic.
The Beast Tattoos give you cantrips and abilities. The Tortoise gives you AC bonuses when using Patient Defense—defensive capabilities are not to be scoffed at, even if patience is not a Sith virtue. The Bat gives you Blindsight, which would have been useful during that whole “didn’t see Vader picking me up and throwing me down a reactor shaft” incident.
At level 17, you get Monster Tattoos. The Beholder option lets you shoot four rays of Force damage from your eyes. FROM YOUR EYES. I’ve been trying to do this for YEARS! Why should my fingers have all the fun? Unfortunately, it costs Focus Points, and maintaining focus is… well, let’s just say the Rebel Alliance made that difficult.
Pros:
- Can reshape tattoos after a Long Rest (very practical—I change my mind about things constantly)
- Troll tattoo gives you regeneration (would have been handy on the second Death Star)
- Chromatic Dragon lets you breathe magical energy (finally, a feature befitting my stature)
Cons:
- You have to punch things in melee range (absolutely not)
- Relies on Wisdom for most abilities (I prefer Intelligence, obviously)
- The aesthetic says “wandering mystic” not “UNLIMITED POWER”
Would the Emperor Play This? Absolutely not. The Emperor does not engage in hand-to-hand combat. That’s what Vader is for. And Royal Guards. And increasingly nervous admirals.
Rating: 4/10 Dark Side Points. The eye-lasers almost won me over, but then I remembered I have Force lightning.
Conjurer (Wizard): Teleportation and Summoning Minions
The Concept: You teleport around and summon creatures to do your bidding.
The Emperor’s Take: Now we’re talking! This is a proper spellcaster, and more importantly, it’s about making other creatures do your dirty work. That’s Management 101, people.
Benign Transposition lets you teleport 30 feet as a Bonus Action, or swap places with a willing creature. Perfect for when you need to make a dramatic exit or throw an incompetent subordinate into danger. “Admiral, switch places with me—I mean, congratulations on your field promotion to ‘Rebel Target.'”
At level 14, you get Splintered Summons, which lets you summon TWO creatures instead of one with your summoning spells, though their Hit Points are halved. This is efficiency! Why summon one Elemental when you can summon two slightly weaker ones? It’s like cloning—a concept I’m very familiar with. Very. Familiar.
Durable Summons gives your summoned creatures Temporary Hit Points and Resistance to most damage types. Unlike my actual subordinates, who are regrettably fragile.
Pros:
- Teleportation as a Bonus Action (finally, a feature as dramatic as I am)
- Focused Conjuration means damage can’t break your Concentration (would have been useful against Force-sensitive children)
- Double-summoning is peak “I have minions” energy
Cons:
- The summons are from Conjuration spells, which means you’re limited to specific options
- The teleport swap requires a “willing” creature (all my subjects are willing… technically)
- No direct damage features (you have to rely on summons)
Would the Emperor Play This? Maybe. The teleportation is appealing, and summoning multiple minions speaks to my management style. But it lacks the direct, personal malevolence I prefer. Where’s the hands-on evil?
Rating: 6/10 Dark Side Points. Solid utility, good minion generation, but needs more personal villainy.
Enchanter (Wizard): Mind Control is the Ultimate Power Move
The Concept: You entrance, charm, and manipulate minds.
The Emperor’s Take: Finally. THIS is what I’m talking about. This is the subclass equivalent of decades of political manipulation, of convincing an entire Senate that granting me emergency powers was a good idea, of making people want to serve the Empire.
Hypnotic Presence lets you Charm a creature within 10 feet, giving them the Incapacitated condition and a Speed of 0. It requires Concentration, but it essentially removes an enemy from combat while you focus on other things. This is how I ran Senate meetings.
Instinctive Charm is chef’s kiss perfect. When someone attacks you, you can force them to make a Wisdom save or miss entirely—and potentially hit one of their allies instead. “You just attacked your own friend! How embarrassing for you.” This would have been SO useful against that whiny farmboy.
At level 14, you get Alter Memories, which means you always have Modify Memory prepared and can target TWO creatures with it. Do you know what I could have done with this? “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” would have been just the beginning!
Split Enchantment lets you effectively cast Enchantment spells at one level higher, targeting additional creatures. Charm Person becomes Charm Persons. Command becomes Commands. Very efficient.
Pros:
- Perfect for manipulation and control (my specialty)
- Instinctive Charm can turn attacks against their own allies (poetic justice)
- Alter Memories is literally “I am altering the deal, pray I don’t alter it further” as a class feature
- Enchanting Conversationalist adds your Intelligence to Deception/Intimidation/Persuasion (INT is obviously the superior stat)
Cons:
- Requires targets to be able to see or hear you (no disguises as wrinkled old men… wait)
- Many effects require Concentration (easily broken by that pesky Rebel Alliance)
- Charm effects end if you attack the charmed creature (so much for “unlimited power”)
Would the Emperor Play This? YES. This is peak Emperor energy. Subtle, manipulative, turning enemies against each other, rewriting memories—this is how I operated for decades before revealing my true nature. The only thing missing is the ability to shoot lightning, but I suppose I can take the Lightning Bolt spell.
Rating: 9/10 Dark Side Points. This is the “secretly evil chancellor” subclass I’ve been waiting for. The only reason it’s not 10/10 is because it lacks direct damage options for when subtlety fails.
Necromancer (Wizard): Commanding Armies of the Undead
The Concept: You manipulate life, death, and undeath. You raise armies of skeletons and zombies to serve you.
The Emperor’s Take: Heavy breathing.
This. This is POWER. Raising the dead to serve you? Creating armies that don’t question orders, don’t require food or payment, and can’t betray you? This is everything I tried to accomplish with the Sith Eternal and my clone contingencies!
Necromancy Spellbook gives you Resistance to Necrotic damage (useful when you’re constantly draining life force), Grim Harvest that heals your undead when you cast Necromancy spells (better healthcare than what the Empire provides), and Undead Familiar that lets you have a Skeleton or Zombie as your pet. I’ve always wanted a Skeleton familiar to lurk ominously in the corner during meetings.
Undead Thralls is where this gets serious. You can cast Animate Dead at an effectively higher level once per day, AND all your summoned Undead get bonus HP and deal extra Necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. This is army-building, people. Efficient, cost-effective, silent army-building.
Harvest Undead lets you consume one of your Undead servants to heal yourself when you’re Bloodied. It’s like Grim Harvest but more dramatic and with better action economy. “Admiral Jenkins, you have failed me for the last time—now become Hit Points.”
Death’s Master at level 14 is perfection. You can give your Undead Temporary Hit Points as a Bonus Action, and when an Undead is reduced to 0 HP, you can make it EXPLODE with necrotic energy, damaging everything nearby. Even in death, they serve! This is the loyalty I’ve been trying to cultivate in my subordinates!
Pros:
- You can have ARMIES of undead servants (finally, reliable employees)
- Your undead explode when destroyed (no wasted resources)
- You can sacrifice your minions to heal yourself (the Sith way)
- Overwhelming Necrosis means your spells ignore Necrotic Resistance (no more resistance to The Plan)
Cons:
- Requires corpses or spell slots to create undead (logistics, ugh)
- Your familiar options are Skeleton or Zombie (not very subtle for Senate meetings)
- People tend to react poorly to Necromancers (though I’ve been called worse)
Would the Emperor Play This? Absolutely. This is the “transfer my essence into clone bodies” subclass. This is the “Sith Eternal” subclass. This is the “even death is not an escape from my service” subclass. If I had this in real life, the Rebellion would have faced not just the Empire, but legions of undead stormtroopers who would actually hit their targets (because they’re already dead and thus have no fear).
Rating: 10/10 Dark Side Points. This is it. This is the one. Unlimited power, armies of the undead, self-healing through life drain, and the ability to make your servants explode. What’s not to love?
Transmuter (Wizard): Reality is Whatever I Want It to Be
The Concept: You transform matter and energy, because physics are more like… guidelines.
The Emperor’s Take: Transmutation has always appealed to me. The idea that reality is mutable, that the world can be reshaped according to my will—this is philosophically very Sith. In practice though, let’s examine the features.
Transmuter’s Stone gives the bearer proficiency in Constitution saves plus one of several benefits: Darkvision, extra Speed, or Resistance to a damage type. Plus you can use it as a Spellcasting Focus. At level 10, you can choose TWO benefits, which is excellent action economy.
Wondrous Alteration gives you Alter Self for free once per day, plus additional benefits. The Natural Weapons option gives you 2d6 damage AND Advantage on Concentration saves. Finally, a wizard who can punch back while maintaining their Polymorph!
Shapechanger at level 10 is fascinating. You get Polymorph for free once per day, and when you target yourself, you can modify it so you retain your mental stats, class features, and languages. You can even cast Transmutation spells while polymorphed! This is “turn into a dragon but still cast spells” territory.
Master Transmuter at level 14 is where it gets wild:
- Major Transformation: Turn one object into another (very useful for… creative problem-solving)
- Panacea: Heal for half max HP and remove all conditions (better than the Imperial medical bay)
- Restore Life: Cast Raise Dead for free (because death is optional)
- Restore Youth: Make someone 3d10 years younger (FINALLY! Do you know how many Bacta treatments I go through?)
Pros:
- Shapechanger lets you become a dragon while still casting spells (ultimate power fantasy)
- Master Transmuter’s Restore Youth could make me appear less… decrepit
- The versatility is unmatched—you can solve almost any problem
- Empowered Transmutation makes your buffs even better
Cons:
- Many features use consumable resources (the Stone, spell slots)
- Restore Youth only makes you appear younger (I need actual youth, not cosmetics)
- Less focused on direct damage and control
- Transmuter’s Stone crumbles after using Master Transmuter (unless you spend a 5th-level slot)
Would the Emperor Play This? Possibly. The ability to transform reality, restore youth, and turn into a dragon while maintaining spellcasting is extremely appealing. The Panacea and Restore Life options mean I could maintain my clones more effectively. This is the “I am altering reality, pray I don’t alter it further” subclass.
Rating: 8/10 Dark Side Points. Powerful, versatile, and thematically appropriate for someone who refuses to accept the limitations of mortality. The Restore Youth feature alone almost sells me on it.
The Emperor’s Final Verdict
After careful consideration (and several rounds of Force lightning-based “stress relief”), here is my ranking:
1st Place: Necromancer (10/10) This is the Emperor’s subclass. Undead armies, life drain, exploding minions—everything I’ve ever wanted in a character class. Plus, the thematic resonance with my clone contingency plans is just perfection. The only thing missing is a feature called “Transfer Essence to Clone Body,” but I suppose I can reflavor Gentle Repose for that.
2nd Place: Enchanter (9/10) The subtle manipulation, mind control, and memory alteration capture my “evil chancellor” era perfectly. This is how you conquer a galaxy without firing a shot—just make everyone think it was their idea. The only reason it’s not first is because it lacks the raw “armies of death” energy that Necromancer provides.
3rd Place: Transmuter (8/10) Reality manipulation and the Restore Youth feature are incredibly appealing. The ability to become a dragon while still casting spells is the kind of power fantasy that speaks to my soul. Also, Major Transformation means I could finally transform the Rebel Alliance’s fleet into… I don’t know, a fleet of luxury yachts? The possibilities!
4th Place: Conjurer (6/10) Solid utility, good minion generation, but it lacks the personal malevolence I crave. Still, teleporting around dramatically and summoning creatures to do my bidding has merit.
5th Place: Tattooed Warrior (4/10) The eye-lasers are cool, but the rest requires too much physical combat for my taste. I didn’t become Emperor by punching people—I became Emperor by making other people punch each other while I watched.
6th Place: Arcane Archer (3/10) I appreciate the magical arrows, but this is too martial, too physical. If I wanted to shoot things, I’d use Force lightning. Much more dramatic, and it scales with my aesthetic.
Conclusion: The Path to the Dark Side Runs Through Character Creation
So there you have it—the Emperor’s official review of the latest Unearthed Arcana. If I were rolling up a character for our next campaign (and yes, I DM sometimes, and yes, my campaigns have a surprising number of “evil emperors” as major NPCs), I’d absolutely play a Necromancer.
There’s something deeply satisfying about the idea of commanding armies of the undead while manipulating the forces of life and death. Plus, the math works out: my Intelligence is obviously maxed, so all those Undead get maximum bonuses, and I can use Intelligence for my skills through various Wizard features.
Though I must admit, the Enchanter’s ability to alter memories and turn attacks against their sources is deeply appealing for a more subtle campaign. Perhaps a multiclass? Two levels of Enchanter for Hypnotic Presence and then full Necromancer? Hmm. Something to consider.
What do YOU think, my loyal subjects? Which subclass would you play? Have you playtested any of these options? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The most insightful response will receive a personal commendation from the Emperor himself. The least insightful will… well, let’s just say Admiral Jenkins needs company in the exploding undead division.
Remember: Good is a point of view, Anakin. And from my point of view, the Necromancer is the best subclass.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a D&D session to prepare, and these skeletons won’t animate themselves.
May the Force—and the d20s—be with you.
– Your Emperor
P.S. – Yes, I know Necromancy is technically “evil” in most D&D settings. Your point?
P.P.S. – If you’re wondering about my dice luck: I don’t roll dice. I command them. They will land on 20, or they will suffer the consequences. This is why I’m no longer invited to certain gaming stores.
P.P.P.S. – The Court Wizard just informed me that “threatening dice with Force lightning” is “not how probability works” and “concerning behavior.” Sounds like someone wants to be animated as a skeleton.