D&D Reveals Eight Underdark Subclasses and Species to Test

Dungeons and Dragons is expanding its 2024 character-building options with eight Underdark-themed additions in the latest Unearthed Arcana playtest. The update includes three subclasses and five species, giving players new ways to shape characters around subterranean magic, monsters, fungi, and unusual forms of survival.

What happened

The playtest introduces the Freedom Domain for Clerics, the Circle of Spores for Druids, and Faerzress Sorcery for Sorcerers. Each option points toward a different style of play. Freedom Domain emphasizes mobility and independence, including a Channel Divinity feature inspired by Freedom of Movement and an option connected to avoiding armor. Circle of Spores leans into fungal powers, with abilities related to reviving corpses through spores and communicating telepathically. Faerzress Sorcery focuses on manipulation, including stronger Darkvision and the ability to give mundane weapons magical properties.

The update also adds five species: Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, and Myconid. Together, they make the species portion of the release particularly focused on the cultures and creatures associated with the Underdark.

Why it matters

The 2024 revision already provides 12 classes, with four subclasses associated with each class in the revised Player's Handbook. Additional releases have continued to broaden that foundation with options such as the Artificer, Bladesinger Wizard, and Dhampir. This playtest continues that expansion while targeting a very specific setting and aesthetic.

Several of the new species should also be recognizable to players who know Baldur's Gate 3. Illithidkin are connected to experimentation by Mind Flayers, while Myconids are fungus-based people who inhabit the Underdark. Driders combine drow and spider traits, Deep Imaskari are associated with creating light, and Kuo-toa receive a distinctive version of Find Familiar. These choices could support campaigns built around alien origins, subterranean exploration, or characters whose identities immediately create tension in more conventional societies.

What to watch next

These options are Unearthed Arcana playtest material, so players should treat them as content being tested rather than a guarantee of final rules. The most important questions will be how the subclasses perform beside existing choices and whether the new species offer meaningful identity without becoming automatic picks for specific builds.

The timing also places the release within an active period for D&D. The 2024 edition has received major rulebooks including Ravenloft: The Horrors Within and Arcana Unleashed, while future crossover projects involving World of Warcraft and Star Wars are planned. Wizards of the Coast is also developing Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons, a single-player action-adventure game revealed at The Game Awards in 2025. The tabletop playtest therefore arrives as part of a wider effort to keep the franchise expanding across rules, settings, and games.

Key takeaways for players

• The update contains three subclasses and five species, all tied to the Underdark.
• Clerics, Druids, and Sorcerers are the classes receiving new subclass choices.
• Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, Myconid, and Deep Imaskari are playtest species.
• Players should expect the rules to remain subject to testing and possible revision.
• The additions are especially relevant for campaigns involving subterranean settings or unusual character origins.

New Underdark character options

Expert View

This is a strong thematic playtest because it offers more than another set of interchangeable bonuses. The subclasses and species give players clear narrative hooks, while the Underdark focus creates a coherent identity across the release. Its biggest test will be balance: options such as corpse revival, telepathy, enhanced Darkvision, and magical weapon effects need to feel distinctive without narrowing character creation around a few obvious choices.