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.

 

[Weiley31]

You know, the feat paths would work great as like Renown rewards for Factions with these ones.

 

[kapars]

I'm going to stake a strong position for my survey feedback. The Hell Knight's Infernal Die shouldn't be tied to a limited supply. It's really not that strong, the Infernal Wound can be removed as easily as having a minion spend an Action, and nearly every subclass feature ties back into it. So why not just make it a passive ability? Why limit how often you get to do the cool signature thing the entire subclass is built around?

Consuming someone's action is quite powerful. The damage also keeps ticking which adds up. CON times per short rest is also not that infrequent.

 

[Weiley31]

Did I miss something, or the wild shape itself doesn't get any benefits from its size increase except the ones listed in the class description?

Because WoTC still REFUSE to make any concrete/solid rules for Large races and so forth. Even though they legit have a spell that basically tells ya how to treat it in regard to damage or reach (Enlarge Self).

 

[Distracted DM]

Gotta compare these feat chains to the A5E ones. I know there's a lich feat chain, I haven't seen a death knight one though. In one of yours @Timespike ?

 

[Blue]

In a hypothetical 6e I think I'd prefer if every PC just got a +1 ASI every 4 levels, and a more modest feat every 3 levels, with no feat ever granting an ASI. In that framework, the paths of DK/lich could require 4 feats and they could gradually increase in power.

You might want to check out 13th Age. It's a D20 from lead designers of D&D 3ed and 4e without executive meddling and less adherance to sacred cows. It came out before 5e and the 2nd edition came out last year.

It's a 10 level system compared to 5e's 20 (or 4e's 30), but each level gives a feat, and at 4th you get +1 to 3 abilities, at 7th you get +1 to 4 abilities, and at 10th (the highest) you get +1 to 5 abilities. (It also has incremental advances where you pick up things from your next level to make leveling more granular and not have to wait as long.)

 

[Distracted DM]

I like that they included some narrative requirements for the DK and Lich paths. Though I can easily see players just passing over them and taking the feat as part of the level-up process without any actual action taken in-game to do so (other than gaining levels). "Oh yeah I'm level 16 and now am a lich." "What? You didn't do anything to get it!" "I took the feats."

 

[Sulicius]

Because WoTC still REFUSE to make any concrete/solid rules for Large races and so forth. Even though they legit have a spell that basically tells ya how to treat it in regard to damage or reach (Enlarge Self).

Enlarge has nothing to do with how large species actually work. Just look at the hundreds of large creatures and the Rune Knight and Giants barbarian. It’s just flavor, and in most cases it gets in the way while exploring small dungeons.

 

[Weiley31]

I'll admit, I'm actually shocked they are doing something like this. Between the arguments going back and forth bout playing evil characters in the past to actually giving stuff the thing has.

For example: I see the Lich stat block for 5.5E is Immune to Necrotic/Poison and resistant to Cold/Lightning

For some reason, if your Lichdom is "complete," your only Resistant to Necrotic/Poison. So, there needs to be a side bar saying since your a baby newborn lich, your body hasn't acclimated to gain Immunity yet. The closest thing to getting something like that if the PC with these Lich feats is an Elf.

Otherwise, if we are gonna actually become the thing on the tin, they need to ACTUALLY have THE GUTS to pull the trigger if they are saying/allowing "you become this." And yes, that means you have to give out the immunities or features that are a slight increase in power or straight up NO SELL things like damage types.

Balance you say? Eh, that's for the DM to figure out. Either don't allow it or learn to embrace Chaos.

I actually like this and I hope it passes.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'll admit, I'm actually shocked they are doing something like this. Between the arguments going back and forth bout playing evil characters in the past to actually giving stuff the thing has.

For example: I see the Lich stat block for 5.5E is Immune to Necrotic/Poison and resistant to Cold/Lightning

For some reason, if your Lichdom is "complete," your only Resistant to Necrotic/Poison. So, there needs to be a side bar saying since your a baby newborn lich, your body hasn't acclimated to gain Immunity yet. The closest thing to getting something like that if the PC with these Lich feats is an Elf.

Otherwise, if we are gonna actually become the thing on the tin, they need to ACTUALLY have THE GUTS to pull the trigger if they are saying/allowing "you become this." And yes, that means you have to give out the immunities or features that are a slight increase in power or straight up NO SELL things like damage types.

Balance you say? Eh, that's for the DM to figure out. Either don't allow it or learn to embrace Chaos.

I actually like this and I hope it passes.

Preach.

 

[Weiley31]

Enlarge has nothing to do with how large species actually work. Just look at the hundreds of large creatures and the Rune Knight and Giants barbarian. It’s just flavor, and in most cases it gets in the way while exploring small dungeons.

I meant like with Large/Oversized weapons. That has been ALWAYS been one of the main arguments from the developers on why they don't do playable large races in 5E. For pcs, don't double the damage die just add the 1D4 damage die to your attack like Enlarge Self does. Reach/Aura was another reason, but you don't see anybody complaining about a Bugbear having a 15t reach with a weapon.