Dungeons & Dragons releases Villainous Options playtest

Wizards of the Coast has released a new playtest featuring four new "villainous" subclasses, along with two more feat paths designed to transform characters into either a lich or a death knight. Today, Wizards released a new "Villainous Options" Unearthed Arcana. The new document contains four subclasses - a Pestilence Domain Cleric, a Circle of the Titan Druid, a Hell Knight Fighter, and a Demonic Sorcerer, alongside feat paths intended to slowly transform a player character into either a lich or a death knight. While previous D&D books have brought back the concept of mini-feat trees, these villainous paths are intended to be used at every opportunity a feat can be taken.

The Pestilence Domain cleric's core ability allows it to confer exhaustion levels on opponents via use of Channel Divinity. Enemies who die while having one or more Exhaustion level can explode and inflict necrotic damage on others. The capstone ability allows the Cleric to transform into a swarm of pestilence-infused pests.

The Circle of the Titan Druid has a Wild Shape ability that transforms them into various kinds of kaiju-esque monsters, which eventually become gargantuan in size.

The Hell Knight Fighter deals extra Infernal damage that varies in type depending on the ability and eventually transforms foes into minor devils upon their death.

The Demonic Sorcerer likewise grants various kinds of sorcerer abilities Abyssal effects, culminating in the ability to summon a demon to the battlefield once per day for free.

The path feats are interesting - both culminate with a feat that can only be taken at Level 12 or higher and requires a player to have at least two other feats from the feat path. Death Knights gain a pool of Death Points that fuel various abilities, while the Lich gains a Soul Jar and eventually gains the mechanical benefits of being a lich.

The playtest is open now, with a playtest survey launching next week.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Lore also says only Wizards become Liches

Nope, wizards and some clerics. (and by implication, sorcerers and warlocks, since before those classes existed they would have been considered wizards).

None of these are presented as a good mechanical choice. There are plenty of better feats to choose. You would only choose them for role playing reasons. In which case, you would create a suitable character from the start.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

Nope, wizards and some clerics. (and by implication, sorcerers and warlocks, since before those classes existed they would have been considered wizards).

But new Lich feats are constructed in a way that, again, anyone can take them if they have at least single level in spellcasting class (or even not that for Eldritch Knight and Arcane Warrior Monk). So why limit Death Knight like that while freeing the Lich?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But new Lich feats are constructed in a way that, again, anyone can take them if they have at least single level in spellcasting class (or even not that for Eldritch Knight and Arcane Warrior Monk). So why limit Death Knight like that while freeing the Lich?

It's not limited. You don't need anything to take it. It may not be an optimal choice, neither is lich.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

It's not limited. You don't need anything to take it. It may not be an optimal choice, neither is lich.

Not really, it pretty much is useless for anyone who doesn't invest in Charisma. Even Inspiring Leader lets you pick Charisma or Wisdom, that incosistency is irritating. A Monk or Cleric or Bladesinger or Eldritch Knight would not become Death Knight without having to nerf their class, which is a soft lock that is unnecessary. You could as well just have Paladin levels in requirements.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Not really, it pretty much is useless for anyone who doesn't invest in Charisma.

Sure. It's also bad for anyone who doesn't hit people with weapons. And the lich is a mechanically bad choice for anyone, but particularly for non-casters, since it's strongest ability restores spell slots.

You could as well just have Paladin levels in requirements.

Poster boy Soth wasn't a paladin. Nothing forces fighters to have a bad charisma (14 should be enough to make disadvantage wrathful smite land). And whilst having spell slots makes it slightly less bad mechanically, it's far from required.


These two paths are designed for a very specific type of player. They are not intended to be worth considering by every PC choosing feats.

 

[Mecheon]

Poster boy Soth wasn't a paladin.

Though far more successful poster boy Arthas was, and I think its fair to say that more folks would think of this image when they think 'death knight' well before they think of Soth

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Though far more successful poster boy Arthas was, and I think its fair to say that more folks would think of this image when they think 'death knight' well before they think of Soth

Both apply, but in D&D terms, the line is traced back to the anti-paladin in the 1st edition and blackguard prestige class in 3rd, to oathbreaker in 5.0. And WoW took it from D&D. But WoW is starting to fall off the pop culture radar now, with BG3 better known. And the best known was a Jedi knight.

But it’s fair to say that most death knights are either paladins or paladin-adjacent knights.

 

[SkidAce]

Though far more successful poster boy Arthas was, and I think its fair to say that more folks would think of this image when they think 'death knight' well before they think of Soth

Intense choice. I understand your example...but I'm just the type of nerd that would have a hard time choosing between the two.

Both are exemplars and perfect examples of death knight/anti-paladin.

Is there even a 3rd runner up thats even close?

 

[SkidAce]

And before you say Darth Vader, the quintessential evil villain...he's number one in his category, but IMO, I'm not sure the category is death knight.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

And before you say Darth Vader, the quintessential evil villain...he's number one in his category, but IMO, I'm not sure the category is death knight.

To be fair, Soth is based off Vader