grim hollow player’s guide pdf
Grim Hollow Player’s Guide: A Comprehensive Guide
Dive into Etharis! This guide unlocks the dark fantasy world, now accessible via the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF on D&D Beyond, alongside forty new subclasses.
Welcome to Etharis, a realm steeped in occult mysteries and shadowed by a pervasive darkness. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide serves as your gateway into this unique dark fantasy setting, now readily available as a PDF through platforms like D&D Beyond. This comprehensive guide isn’t merely a rulebook; it’s an invitation to explore a world drastically different from traditional high fantasy.
Ghostfire Gaming has meticulously crafted Etharis, a land where the veil between realities is thin, and ancient, forgotten powers stir. The recent release of both the Player’s Guide and the Campaign Guide on D&D Beyond signifies a major expansion of character creation options, boasting an impressive forty new subclasses.
Prepare to confront moral ambiguities, grapple with the corrupting influence of the occult, and forge your destiny in a world where survival is far from guaranteed. This guide will equip you with the knowledge needed to navigate the treacherous landscapes and unravel the secrets of Grim Hollow.
What is Grim Hollow?
Grim Hollow is a dark fantasy tabletop role-playing game setting designed for use with the 5th Edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s more than just a campaign setting; it’s a complete reimagining of the D&D experience, leaning heavily into gothic horror, occult investigation, and gritty realism. The core experience is now accessible through the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, available on D&D Beyond.
Unlike typical fantasy worlds, Etharis – the world of Grim Hollow – is a land scarred by past cataclysms and haunted by ancient evils. The setting emphasizes player agency and consequence, where choices have weight and morality is often a shade of gray.
The recent influx of forty new subclasses, released on D&D Beyond alongside the guide, dramatically expands character customization. Grim Hollow challenges players to confront not only external threats but also the darkness within themselves, making it a truly immersive and unforgettable gaming experience.
The World of Etharis: A Dark Fantasy Setting
Etharis, the setting for Grim Hollow, is a land steeped in occult strangeness and dark fantasy adventures. It’s a world dramatically different from the high fantasy tropes often found in Dungeons & Dragons, offering a grim and gritty alternative. Players can fully explore this world now with the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, readily available on D&D Beyond.
Centuries ago, a cataclysmic event known as the Sundering shattered the land, leaving behind a fractured realm haunted by lingering magical energies and monstrous creatures. Civilization clings to existence amidst the ruins of a forgotten age, constantly threatened by both external forces and internal corruption.
Etharis is a place where faith is tested, secrets are currency, and survival is a daily struggle. The recent release of forty new subclasses on D&D Beyond enhances the roleplaying possibilities within this compelling, dangerous world, offering players diverse paths to navigate its shadows.
Character Creation in Grim Hollow
Creating a character in Grim Hollow diverges from traditional D&D approaches, emphasizing a darker, more grounded experience. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, now accessible on D&D Beyond, is essential for navigating this process. It details the unique elements that shape heroes in Etharis.
Character creation begins with selecting a Lineage (akin to race), but these aren’t the standard fantasy options. Expect variations reflecting Etharis’s troubled history and the influence of the Sundering. Following this, players choose a Calling (class), but even these are reimagined, offering a wealth of new subclasses – forty recently added to D&D Beyond!
The guide stresses the importance of backstory and motivations, as characters are often defined by their past traumas and the choices they make in a world riddled with moral ambiguity. Prepare for a character creation experience that’s both challenging and rewarding.
Choosing a Lineage (Race)
Lineages in Grim Hollow, detailed within the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF available on D&D Beyond, represent more than just ancestry; they embody a character’s inherent connection to Etharis’s fractured history. Forget typical fantasy races – Grim Hollow presents unique options shaped by the Sundering and the world’s occult nature.
Expect to encounter variations on familiar themes, but with a distinctly darker edge. The guide emphasizes that each Lineage carries inherent strengths and weaknesses, influencing not only mechanical abilities but also societal perceptions. Consider how your chosen lineage impacts your character’s place within Etharis’s complex factions.
Careful selection is crucial, as Lineage choices significantly affect a character’s starting skills and proficiencies. The PDF provides comprehensive information on each lineage, aiding players in crafting a character deeply rooted in the world’s lore.
Selecting a Calling (Class) ⏤ Overview
The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, now accessible on D&D Beyond, introduces “Callings” – Grim Hollow’s equivalent of classes. These aren’t your standard fantasy archetypes; they’re deeply interwoven with the occult and the dark realities of Etharis. Expect a focus on survival, resourcefulness, and the constant struggle against corruption.
Grim Hollow boasts a diverse range of Callings, recently expanded with a massive batch of forty subclasses. The guide emphasizes that each Calling offers unique approaches to overcoming the world’s challenges. Choosing a Calling defines a character’s core abilities and role within a party, influencing both combat prowess and narrative potential.
The PDF provides detailed overviews of each Calling, outlining their strengths, weaknesses, and thematic connections to Etharis. Prepare for Callings that embrace the darkness, manipulate the occult, or desperately cling to fading hope.
Grim Hollow Subclasses: A Deep Dive
The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, now available on D&D Beyond, truly shines with its expansive selection of subclasses – a staggering forty in total! These aren’t mere variations on existing themes; they represent specialized paths within each Calling, deeply rooted in the lore and dangers of Etharis.
The subclasses are categorized into four distinct branches: Occultist, Martial, Divine, and Primal. Each branch offers unique playstyles and thematic focuses. The PDF provides detailed breakdowns of each subclass, outlining their key features, abilities, and how they interact with the core mechanics of Grim Hollow.
Expect subclasses that delve into forbidden knowledge, master brutal combat techniques, channel desperate prayers, or harness the raw power of the wilderness. This wealth of options allows for incredibly diverse and personalized character builds, enhancing the immersive experience within Etharis.
Occultist Subclasses
Delving into the forbidden, the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF unveils a captivating array of Occultist subclasses. These paths embrace the dark secrets and dangerous rituals that permeate Etharis, offering players unique ways to manipulate the unseen forces at play.
Expect subclasses focused on blood magic, pacts with otherworldly entities, and the unraveling of ancient mysteries. The PDF details how these Occultists differ from traditional spellcasters, emphasizing risk, reward, and the ever-present threat of Corruption. They often trade conventional power for access to potent, yet unpredictable, abilities.
These subclasses aren’t simply about casting spells; they’re about making difficult choices and accepting the consequences. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF provides intricate details on each subclass’s unique mechanics, ensuring a truly immersive and unsettling experience for those who dare to tread this path.
Martial Subclasses
Brace for brutal combat! The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF doesn’t shy away from gritty realism, and its Martial subclasses reflect this perfectly. Forget heroic flourishes; these are warriors forged in the fires of Etharis’s harsh realities, focused on survival and effectiveness.
Expect subclasses specializing in grim weaponry, relentless tactics, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve victory. The PDF details how these fighters, rogues, and rangers operate within the world, often blurring the lines between honorable combat and ruthless pragmatism.
These aren’t just damage dealers; they’re masters of battlefield control and opportunistic strikes. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF provides detailed mechanics for each subclass, emphasizing tactical positioning, resource management, and the psychological toll of constant warfare, offering a challenging and rewarding experience.
Divine Subclasses
Faith tested, power corrupted. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF presents Divine subclasses grappling with a world where the gods are distant, or perhaps even malevolent. Expect a departure from traditional benevolent deities; these are powers demanding sacrifice and offering aid with a hidden cost.
Clerics and paladins within Etharis often walk a precarious path, their divine gifts intertwined with the creeping corruption that plagues the land. The PDF details subclasses focused on desperate bargains, forbidden rituals, and the struggle to maintain faith in the face of overwhelming darkness.
These aren’t healers and protectors in the conventional sense; they’re conduits for forces beyond mortal comprehension, wielding power that can both save and destroy. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF offers nuanced mechanics reflecting this duality, emphasizing moral ambiguity and the consequences of divine intervention.
Primal Subclasses
Wild power, tainted nature. Within the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, Primal subclasses embody the raw, untamed forces of Etharis – forces deeply scarred by corruption. Rangers and druids find their connection to the natural world twisted and fraught with peril.
Expect subclasses that draw power from blighted forests, monstrous beasts, and the very decay of the land. The PDF details options for those who embrace the darker aspects of nature, becoming protectors of a dying world through unconventional, and often unsettling, means.
These aren’t guardians of idyllic wilderness; they’re survivors in a hostile environment, wielding primal magic that reflects the land’s suffering. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF emphasizes a gritty, realistic portrayal of nature, where survival demands difficult choices and a willingness to compromise.
Key Mechanics in Grim Hollow
Beyond standard D&D. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF introduces mechanics that dramatically shift the gameplay experience, moving beyond traditional Dungeons & Dragons rules. Central to this are the Corruption and Sanity systems, deeply interwoven with the setting of Etharis.
The PDF details how characters accumulate Corruption through exposure to occult practices and the horrors of the world, leading to both benefits and debilitating consequences. Simultaneously, the Sanity system tracks a character’s mental fortitude, threatened by the grim realities they face.
Rituals, a core component, are presented with detailed rules, emphasizing the risks and rewards of dabbling in the occult. These mechanics aren’t simply additions; they fundamentally alter character progression and decision-making, creating a truly immersive and challenging experience, all outlined within the guide.
Corruption and its Effects
A descent into darkness. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF meticulously details the Corruption mechanic, a defining feature of Etharis. Exposure to occult energies, forbidden knowledge, and the world’s inherent bleakness causes characters to accrue Corruption points.
This isn’t solely negative; initial Corruption grants access to potent, albeit dangerous, abilities. However, as Corruption rises, characters suffer increasingly severe consequences, manifesting as physical mutations, mental instability, and a growing detachment from their former selves.
The PDF provides a tiered system outlining these effects, ranging from minor quirks to debilitating conditions. Managing Corruption becomes a crucial aspect of gameplay, forcing players to weigh the benefits against the escalating risks. It’s a constant struggle against the encroaching darkness, detailed extensively within the guide’s pages.
The Sanity System
Preserving your mind in a broken world. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF introduces a robust Sanity system, reflecting the psychological toll of Etharis’ horrors. Unlike traditional hit points, Sanity represents a character’s mental and emotional stability.
Witnessing disturbing events, delving into occult lore, or succumbing to Corruption can erode a character’s Sanity. Loss of Sanity manifests as temporary or permanent mental conditions – phobias, manias, or even complete breakdowns. The PDF details a comprehensive list of these conditions, adding layers of roleplaying complexity.
Recovering Sanity is challenging, requiring rest, companionship, or specific rituals. The system isn’t merely punitive; it encourages players to confront the psychological consequences of their actions, deepening immersion in Etharis’ grim reality, as fully explained in the guide.
Rituals and Occult Practices
Unveiling the arcane secrets of Etharis. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF extensively details the dangerous world of rituals and occult practices prevalent throughout the land. These aren’t simple spellcasting alternatives; they are complex, often harrowing procedures with significant risks and rewards.
Rituals demand specific components, precise timing, and often, a sacrifice – not always material. The PDF provides a framework for creating unique rituals, emphasizing the importance of research and preparation. Failure can lead to Corruption, Sanity loss, or even summon unwanted entities.
Occult practices are deeply intertwined with the world’s lore, offering characters a path to power, but at a steep cost. The guide outlines various occult societies and their favored rituals, enriching the roleplaying experience and providing compelling story hooks.
Equipment and Resources
Survival in Etharis demands preparedness. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF doesn’t just detail fantastical weapons; it emphasizes the scarcity and importance of everyday resources. Expect a grittier approach to equipment, where quality and maintenance are paramount for survival in this dark fantasy setting.
The PDF expands upon standard D&D equipment, introducing unique tools and supplies tailored to the challenges of Etharis. Expect to find specialized alchemical ingredients, protective charms against Corruption, and durable gear suited for harsh environments. Acquiring these resources often requires venturing into dangerous locales.
Beyond gold, bartering and favors play a crucial role in obtaining necessary items. The guide highlights the economic realities of the world, where trust is rare and resources are fiercely contested. Careful management and resourcefulness are key to thriving.
Unique Grim Hollow Equipment
Etharis boasts gear unlike any other. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF unveils a fascinating array of unique equipment, steeped in the world’s occult history and dark fantasy themes. These aren’t simply stat boosts; they often come with risks and narrative implications.
Expect to discover items imbued with lingering Corruption, offering power at a cost. Relics from forgotten civilizations, alchemical concoctions with unpredictable effects, and weapons forged with strange materials populate the PDF. Each piece tells a story, adding depth to your character’s journey.
The guide details not only the mechanical benefits but also the lore surrounding each item. Understanding its origins and potential drawbacks is crucial. These unique tools aren’t just about combat; they’re integral to navigating the mysteries and dangers of Grim Hollow.
Acquiring Resources in Etharis
Survival in Etharis demands resourcefulness. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF details the challenging landscape of acquiring essential supplies. Forget easy access; Etharis is a world where everything has a price, often a dangerous one.
Traditional methods like foraging and trading are present, but complicated by the world’s inherent darkness. Expect to barter with desperate villagers, scavenge from haunted ruins, and potentially make deals with questionable entities. The PDF emphasizes that resources aren’t simply ‘found’ – they’re earned through risk and negotiation.
Furthermore, occult practices and rituals can yield unique components, but at the cost of Corruption. Managing this risk is key. The guide provides insights into local economies, valuable trade routes, and the dangers of relying on unreliable sources.
Navigating the World of Etharis
Etharis is a land steeped in peril and mystery. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF stresses that travel isn’t merely about distance, but about surviving the journey itself. Expect treacherous terrain, hostile creatures, and the ever-present threat of the occult.
Detailed maps within the PDF highlight key locations, but also denote areas of high Corruption or known danger. Understanding local customs and factions is crucial; a careless word or action can quickly escalate into conflict. The guide emphasizes the importance of information gathering – rumors, local legends, and the whispers of desperate travelers can be lifelines.
Furthermore, the PDF details the challenges of long-distance travel, including supply management, navigating political boundaries, and avoiding the attention of powerful, malevolent forces. Preparation is paramount for any expedition.
Important Locations and Factions
Etharis is a fractured land, dominated by powerful factions and haunted by forgotten places. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF meticulously details several key locations, from the decaying grandeur of Veridian City to the isolated, mist-shrouded villages of the Black Mire.
The PDF outlines the major factions vying for control – the Iron Covenant, a militant religious order; the Merchant Guilds, driven by profit; and the secretive Duskwatch, dedicated to combating the occult. Each faction possesses unique agendas and resources, offering potential alliances or dangerous rivalries.
Understanding these power dynamics is vital for survival. The guide also highlights locations steeped in occult history, warning of ancient evils and forgotten rituals. Navigating Etharis requires not only strength, but also shrewd political maneuvering and a healthy dose of caution.
Dangers and Threats in Grim Hollow
Etharis is a realm steeped in peril, far exceeding typical fantasy dangers. The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF doesn’t shy away from detailing the horrors that await adventurers. Beyond monstrous creatures, the land is plagued by a pervasive occult corruption, twisting both beasts and people.
The PDF emphasizes the threat of the Blight, a supernatural disease that warps the body and mind. Furthermore, desperate cults and power-hungry mages actively seek to exploit the dark energies of Etharis, posing a constant threat to the unwary.
Sanity itself is a fragile resource, easily shattered by encounters with the unnatural. The guide details how prolonged exposure to the occult can lead to madness and despair. Survival in Grim Hollow demands vigilance, preparation, and a willingness to confront horrors beyond mortal comprehension.
Using the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF
The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF is your gateway to the dark world of Etharis. Available on D&D Beyond, this comprehensive resource streamlines character creation and gameplay within this unique setting. The PDF format allows for easy navigation, searching, and referencing of rules and lore.
Players can utilize the digital tools on D&D Beyond to build characters utilizing the forty newly added subclasses detailed within the guide. Interactive character sheets and integrated rules references enhance the gaming experience.
The PDF also serves as an invaluable resource for Dungeon Masters, providing detailed information on the world, its factions, and the threats that lurk within. It’s designed to facilitate immersive storytelling and challenging encounters, ensuring a truly unforgettable campaign.
Accessing the PDF and Digital Tools
The Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF is readily accessible through D&D Beyond. Users can purchase and download the PDF directly on the platform, integrating it seamlessly with their existing D&D Beyond library. This provides convenient access on various devices, including computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Beyond the PDF itself, D&D Beyond offers a suite of digital tools designed to enhance your Grim Hollow experience. These include character builders specifically tailored to the setting’s lineages and callings, alongside integrated rules compendiums.
The recent addition of forty subclasses expands character customization options, all easily managed through D&D Beyond’s digital interface. Utilizing these tools streamlines gameplay and allows players to fully immerse themselves in the occult world of Etharis, fostering a richer and more engaging campaign.
Optimizing Your Gameplay Experience
To maximize enjoyment with the Grim Hollow Player’s Guide PDF, leverage D&D Beyond’s integrated tools. Familiarize yourself with the unique mechanics of Etharis – Corruption and Sanity – to fully embrace the setting’s darker tone. Utilizing the digital character builder ensures accurate representation of your chosen lineage and calling, including the newly added subclasses.
Consider pre-session preparation, reviewing key locations and potential dangers within Etharis. The PDF and D&D Beyond’s compendium offer valuable insights into factions and resources.
Embrace roleplaying the psychological impact of the occult world. Grim Hollow thrives on player agency and consequence, so thoughtful decision-making will elevate the experience. Explore rituals and occult practices detailed within the guide, enhancing immersion and narrative depth.