These D&D Subclasses May Be Cut From The 2024 Dungeons Master’s Guide But They’d Make Great TV Villains

The 2024 Dungeons & DragonsDungeon Master’s Guide cut a few subclasses, but they would make great TV villains for a potential series based on the tabletop. Dungeons & Dragons has always allowed players to tell fun, nuanced stories in a variety of ways, whether that be by placing players in unconventional situations or allowing them to tell broader stories beyond good versus evil. However, 2024’s version of the Dungeon Master’s Guide may result in the tabletop losing some of that nuance after it excluded Oathbreaker Paladins and Death Domain Clerics.

Both subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons focus on morally evil characters who spur their original promises and purposes, serving death-based powers in place of more traditional deities. Though most players generally want to play more classically good characters, cutting these options out of the game can limit the storytelling potential for old and new participants. That being said, that potential could create an opportunity for a Dungeons & Dragons TV show, as these subclasses can serve as great antagonists despite their removal from the official tabletop rules.

Oathbreaker Paladins & Death Domain Clerics Can Appear In A D&D TV Show Despite Being Cut

These Subclasses Could Allow For Various Stories Of Betrayal In The TV Show’s Narrative

A live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV show could feature Oathbreaker Paladins and Death Domain Clerics, allowing for those complex narratives to continue even after their exclusion from the guides. Many pieces of D&D media have already featured darker characters that are similar to these subclasses in subtle or overt ways. The Legend Of Vox Machina‘s gunslinger Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe) was connected to the demon Orthax, using his power to craft his signature weapon, the pepperbox gun. Honor Among Thieves also featured a similar class through the Red Wizards, whose corruptive magic destroyed several parts of the land.

Related

This Vintage Dungeons & Dragons Villain Deserves To Be In A Live-Action TV Show

This legendary undead menace is the perfect foil for adventurers in any of Dungeons & Dragons’ campaign settings, and would be terrifying on-screen.

Still, these characters are not the norm, nor do they get a lot of development down that path of evil alignment: Percy’s bond with Orthax was severed in the end of season 1, and the Red Wizards weren’t given much development in Honor Among Thieves. A Dungeons & Dragons live-action show that uses these subclasses could resolve that, exploring themes of betrayal and disillusionment in depth. Audiences could see firsthand why a hero would fall into darkness and how, sometimes, the light cannot triumph, creating intriguing villains to follow throughout the series. In that same vein, these subclasses can bring elements of reality into the show’s central themes, adding even more layers to a Dungeons & Dragon s television project.

Both Dungeons & Dragons Villains Would Ground A Live-Action Show With Real-Life Themes

Each Subclass Can Explore Themes Of Corruption And Mortality

Including Oathbreaker Paladins and Death Domain Clerics would make a live-action Dungeons & Dragons TV show darker than earlier adaptations, but would also add a sense of realism to the series through its themes. If the villain of the series was an Oathbreaker Paladin, then the story could explore how religion can be corrupted and can lead to inner conflict depending on the doctrine. Another theme that could be tackled is how extreme beliefs can lead to rapid corruption of the self, as those beliefs often do not leave room for debate and can be shattered quickly in certain circumstances.

In the case of Death Domain Clerics, themes of mortality and death can be explored in new ways, as many of these characters have necromantic powers. Through this negative example, the importance of accepting death and loss would be emphasized, adding in either a possible redemption or more exploration of corruption as the antagonist ignores the warnings of others to seek personal retribution or power. Either way, having these subclasses in a Dungeons & Dragons live-action TV show would give the series the chance to break away from conventional narratives, giving audiences the complex storytelling the tabletop removed.

Dungeons & Dragons

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.

Created by

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson , Jonathan Goldstein , John Francis Daley

Expand