Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

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August 2020

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Tasha's Cauldron of

Everything

Standard edition print cover. Art by

Genre

Publisher

Publication date

17 November 2020

Media type

Print (hardcover)

Pages

192

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

is a

for the

of the

, published in 2020. The book is a

supplement to the 5th edition

(2014) and

(2014).

Contents

[

]

The book adds a variety of options for both players and

along

with

by the archmage

Chapter 1: Character Options

Includes 26 new subclasses, 2 or 3 for each of the twelve previously

existing

Some subclasses have also appeared in

other published campaign sourcebooks.

The addition of The Artificer class including the 3 subclasses previously published in

and one new subclass.

Optional character origin customization

with rules that decouple a character's race or origin from their

abilities

New

and class features

Chapter 2: Group Patrons

Adds a shared origin story and/or an ongoing

for adventuring parties

Chapter 3: Magical Miscellany

, including 3 new spells attributed to Tasha.

Introducing a new type of wondrous item: magic tattoos, including 11 magical tattoo entries

Chapter 4: Dungeon Master's Tools

Expanded rules options, such as session zero guidance

Advice on

with monsters

Rules for sidekicks, natural hazards and supernatural environments

Puzzles

Publication history

[

]

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

was published on November 17, 2020 and features cover art by

. An

alternate cover is available only in local game stores with art by Wylie Beckert.

On the hidden elements within

the alternate cover art, Beckert said, "My favorite thing to hide within the image was the spell

Tasha’s hideous

laughter

. In the art brief, this was meant to be a scroll with identifying text on it. But I wanted to find a more

subtle way to show it, hence the possessed scroll of laughing imps and skulls. The art brief also called for Graz’zt

to be 'looking flirtatious'. I figured the flirtiest he could get would be offering Tasha a uniquely demonic

valentine".

The book features "in-character commentary from Tasha", as well as several new spells and magic items iconic of the

character.

The book also includes a "de-

" version of the group patron mechanic

and of the

and its subclasses,

along with

of several subclasses that were previously published in other

supplements for specific campaign settings: the Order Domain

and Circle of Spores

from

, College of Eloquence

and Oath of Glory

from

, and the

Bladesinging

from

In August 2020, it was widely reported

that the book would include "a new way to create characters that’s

fully customizable and in line with the game’s push for diversity and representation".

said that

the options would "better reflect the story

you

have in mind for the characters".

Much of the information in

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

was developed through the public

– of the playtest

subclasses, Crawford said "almost every single one made it into the game".

In November 2020, Crawford contrasted the book's new optional character creation rules with the game's original racial

ability score bonuses, saying "Contrary to what many people might think those ability score increases that are in

those different options, they're not there for game balance purposes. They are there strictly to reinforce the

different archetypes that have been in

D&D

going all the way back to the '70s. [...] It really has been just about

archetype reinforcement, and because it's not there for game balance reasons we give people the option in Tasha's

Cauldron to take whatever those bonuses are [...] put them in any ability score you want".

Dungeons & Dragons Rules Expansion Gift Set

, a boxed set, contains

(2022) along with new printings of

(2017) and

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

; it was

released on January 25, 2022. An exclusive edition, with white foil alternate art covers by Joy Ang, is only available

through local game stores.

Reception

[

]

Pre-release

[

]

In August 2020, Corey Plante, for

, wrote: "All things considered,

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

already feels

like a must-buy as the most important D&D book of 2020 that players will be reference for many years to come". Scott

Baird, for

, highlighted the slow release schedule of 5th edition

Dungeons & Dragons

and that "

Tasha's

Cauldron of Everything

might offer some of the biggest additions to the game since it was first launched".

Multiple critics highlighted the anticipation of new racial rules after Wizards of the Coast's

that the company would make substantive changes to character creation.

Jeffrey Parkin, for

wrote: "The most important and intriguing announcement about

Tasha’s Cauldron

is a new and extensive set of rules for

character creation. [...] With these rules, your character’s race will no longer be tied to inherent stat boosts and

abilities. While the character creation rules are still available in 2014’s

Player’s Handbook

for anyone who wants

to use them,

Tasha’s

will decouple race and origin from their 5th edition mechanics".

Jon Ryan, for

, wrote:

"The most noteworthy item is probably the new 'lineage' options, which allow players to adjust the features and

ability modifiers traditionally associated with a character's race or species. [...] This notion of divesting a

character's stats from their species has long been a topic of discussion among the D&D fanbase, and whether via

discussions in forums or on social media, or feedback on previous Unearthed Arcana, it seems that much of the content

in TCoE is a direct result of that type of player feedback".

James Whitbrook, for

, highlighted that this book

includes the highest levels of character customization seen in 5th Edition so far with the new rules that would allow

players to discard previously "mandated traits and benefits" and "abilities and ideals [...] explicitly linked to

racial stereotypes".

Whitbrook also highlighted that this book is the first step to address race and inclusivity

within the game and commented that "for Crawford, it’s not just about addressing previously longheld bias and

privileges in races of the game—such as the negative stereotypes against Orcs and the aforementioned Drow, dark-

skinned fantasy races that have been interpreted as the game’s take on minority characters in the past—but also

giving players the freedom to pick whatever race they want while creating a character that doesn’t feel like a

specific exemplar of that race".

Critical reception

[

]

"Best-selling Books Week Ending November 21, 2020",

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

was #2 in

"Hardcover Nonfiction".

In the following weeks, it slipped to #8

and then to #22.

Per

Publishers Weekly

105,022 units were sold in November 2020.

"Best-Selling Books List" for the week of November 26,

2020,

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

was #5 out of 150. In the following weeks, it slipped to #27 and then to #117.

Charlie Hall, for

Polygon

, wrote that the book "is a great resource for everyone at the table, it's just not as dense

and full-featured as the supplements that have come before" and there is "a decent bit of material that's been

reprinted".

Hall highlighted an earlier vow by Wizards of the Coast where the company stated they would make

structural improvements to the game's mechanics in relation to race. Hall criticized these improvements in

Tasha's

Cauldron of Everything

as "extremely weak" and wrote, "My only real disappointment with the book is the way in which

it handles optional rules for dealing with the concept of race. [...] The guidance is, more or less, to ignore the

rules for character creation and just do what feels right. That's good advice for every player and every DM regardless

of the situation, but it falls well short of establishing a progressive new precedent for the original role-playing

game".

Liam Nolan, for

, wrote, "one of the biggest controversies surrounding

Dungeons & Dragons

has been the game's

prescriptivist approach to race and the way it embraces problematic stereotypes. [...] However, customizing one's

origins isn't just a matter of moving around ability scores. Players can also customize their languages and

proficiencies. [...] While customized origins do not undo any of the damage that's been done, they do provide a path

forward for making

Dungeons & Dragons