Last Updated on February 1, 2023
Whether you’re a dungeon master looking for new tools and content or a player in search of powerful new options for your next character, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is absolutely brimming over with new ways to play the world’s oldest roleplaying game.
Key Takeaways
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything contains a mixture of new content and advice for players and dungeon masters, including…
- Player Content including a whole new class (the Artificer) and 26 subclasses.
- Dungeon Master content from advice on running Group Patrons and Sidekicks to running a Session Zero.
- Spells as well as magical tattoos and a whole pile of more mundane magical items.
What Is Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything?
Released in 2020, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is the second major rules expansion for D&D 5e and builds on both the core 5e books and its predecessor, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, with new rules, subclasses, dungeon master tools, spells, and advice.
For players, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is a great source of new subclasses — including the already iconic Swarmkeeper Ranger, Soulknife Rogue, and Path of Wild Magic Barbarian.
It also officially introduces the Artificer class to D&D outside of the Eberron setting, and its Custom Lineage rules allow you to make a new character (of any race you choose) without the constraints of innate racial ability bonuses. Lastly, it provides additional rules for existing subclasses, like a dramatically improved version of the Beast Master Ranger or additional Battle Master Maneuvers for the Fighter.
For Dungeon Masters, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is packed with useful tools for making your game run more smoothly at the table (like how to run a session zero), and how to build better campaigns — both on the macro (using tools like group patrons and the effects of different supernatural realms) and micro (with advice on traps, sidekicks, and parleying with monsters).
What’s in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything?
- The Artificer Class, complete with four subclasses and artificer infusions.
- 26 Subclasses for the other 12 classes, including options that previously only existed in setting-specific sourcebooks like Eberron: Rising From the Last War and Mythic Odyssey’s of Theros.
- Optional character rules for every class.
- Custom lineage rules allowing players to create their own race from scratch with a +2 in one Ability Score of their choice and a feat at 1st level.
- Advice for running Group Patrons — shadowy puppet masters, organizations, and guilds to dispense quests, provide bonuses, and add structure and depth to a campaign.
- Magic including new spells, advice on players (and DMs) personalizing the way their spells look, new magic items, and magical tattoos.
- Dungeon Master tools and advice on everything from running a session zero to hiring sidekicks and portraying naturally hazardous or magical regions like the Far Realm, a Haunted Manor, and monster-infested places.
- Puzzles including advice for making them (which is really good) and several examples (which are bad and don’t follow the advice given).
Don’t miss our full guide to 5e books here.
I played my first tabletop RPG (Pathfinder 1e, specifically) in college. I rocked up late to the first session with an unread rulebook and a human bard called Nick Jugger. It was a rocky start but I had a blast and now, the better part of a decade later, I play, write, and write about tabletop RPGs (mostly 5e, but also PBtA, Forged in the Dark and OSR) games for a living, which is wild.
