D&D: Five Ways to Let Your Inner Goth Out to Play
Is your D&D character not enough of a goth? Don’t worry. We’ve got five handy ways to make your character embrace the gloom.
Summer is here, and that means it’s almost too hot to pile on the black and white makeup. But it won’t be too hot for your next character. So the next time you find yourself wanting to play a gloomy little weirdo, who understands that the world is sometimes black and white, read on.
Here are five different ways that you can build a goth type character. Whether that means drawing on the inner gloom that lies in the heart of us all, or like, jumping through the Shadowfell like it was Tuesday.
Shadar-Kai
Speaking of jumping through the Shadowfell, the Shadar-Kai are a fantastic option. Not only do they all, collectively, look like they’re ready to break into a “rousing” chorus of Bela Lugosi’s Dead, they’re also naturally imbued with the Blessing of the Raven Queen. Infused with the grim energy of the Shadowfell, Shadar-Kai can teleport as a bonus action, gaining resistance to all damage when they teleport using that trait.
On top of that, they have resistance to necrotic damage in addition to all the usual stuff for being an elf.
Drow
The original goth elf, Drow are denizens of the Underdark, which is a different shadowy place where very little sunlight can reach. While they aren’t as into the stuff of death as their Shadar-Kai counterparts, Drow are all about misery.
They were originally cursed by the downfall of the Queen of Spiders, Lolth, who dragged them out of the Feywild into the Underdark. And those who still follow Lolh suffer greatly at her pleasure. They prize cruel, malicious ways to gain power, and those who fail Lolth either die or become Driders in her service.
Dhampir
Finally a non-elf on the list here. Dhampir are “poised between the worlds of the living and the dead”, which is another way of saying, “they definitely own Bauhaus’ Press Eject and give me the Tape’“. But on top of that, they’re also sort of partially undead.
All Dhampirs have an unnatural hunger, which lets them be cool and emo as they try to resist their darker nature. They might derive sustenance from blood, flesh, spinal fluid, psychic energy, dreams, or life energy. But, like any goth, they can climb on the walls or ceiling without using their hands, and have a vampiric bite that lets them make a fanged bite that heals them while damaging their target.
Duergar
Duergar are goth dwarves. They have been transformed by centuries living in the deepest places of the Underdark, down in the cthonic realm where strange magical energies suffused their very being. Not only that, but they were also altered by Aberrations like Mind Flayers, who performed psionic experiments upon them that left them in possession of pretty sweet powers, though at a terrible cost.
These include the ability to grow and/or shrink once per day, as well as the ability to become invisible. Plus, like all goths, they have advantage on saving throws to avoid being charmed or stunned.
Tiefling
Finally, Tieflings. Their bloodline is literally cursed with infernal powers. They have horns, tails, and derive magics from the Nine Hells. It doesn’t get more goth than that. Plus, every Tiefling can make their voice boom, make shadows loom, at at higher levels can summon darkness once per day, so that the world outside looks as deep and dark as their soul does on the inside.
What are your favorite ways to be a goth in D&D?
