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.

 

[Scribe]

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.

The wheel turns.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

How many decades has it been since anyone at TSR or WotC has said they don't want people playing evil characters?

 

[Scribe]

How many decades has it been since anyone at TSR or WotC has said they don't want people playing evil characters?

I cannot remember it ever happening, it's not Wizards that is the problem here, and I remember pointing it out that the 5.5 PHB has the options while people were saying how 'Wizards doesnt want to promote Evil.'.

 

[vecna00]

After a read through - these are so fun! I'm hoping for similar Good feat paths in the Book of Exalted Deeds to mirror the Book of Vile Darkness this will likely release in.

I'd be all in on 5.5 versions of the Saint and Fist of Raziel.

 

[Saracenus]

I cannot wait for the Path of the Lady of Pain that turns you into a Dabus.

 

[Parmandur]

Sorry, with the exception of the death knight feats, nothing here screams Dragonlance.

And this stuff is far too raw to make a 2026 book. By the time they get the feedback and digest it, it would be time to go to print. And heaven forbid anything gets a red review because they are going to have whole sections to rewrite. This is 2027 regardless of what Champions actually is.

I mean, Dragonlance remains a strong possibility for the Holiday release, but I do believe it is likely to be an upcoming Season at any rate.

The time for UA to final product historically is 2-15 months. It is still barely possible some of this may end up in Ravenloft (based on the precedent of Guildmasters Guide To Ravnica test in September 2018 for a November 2018 release), but I doubt it. Could easily be for the late year release se, based on the more recent precedent of Forgotten Realms options.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Quick reviews.

First, great idea. Second why no warlock? Anyway, on to what is there.

Pestilence Cleric
It's a cleric with a domain. None of them are amazing - nothing above B grade (meaning up to B+).
First the necrotic + poison combo at least makes them less bad - but monsters like wraiths are immune to both. You're still weak to the undead.
Spells: Fine
L3: Plague Blessing: Eww. Exhaustion levels to track. Put it on the tank (or tank yourself). I like the idea - but con saves and just inflicting modifiers for people who fail the con saves just feels like an annoyance.
L6: Virulent Burst: AoE bursts from enemies who fall - fine, fun, and I like the bigger effect if you've weakened someone with the plague blessing
L17: Vermin Form. Level 17. So I barely care. But it's fun and the cleric doesn't need a power pick.
Overall: B- (would be B or possibly B+ if Plague Blessing was more elegant). A decent and evocative cleric domain - and clerics are too spell-dominant.

Circle of the Titan
It's a kaju druid! A rival to the Moon Druid! For that alone it's looking at a potential A grade.
L3: Spells. Spells you can cast in wild shape. Especially thaumaturgy for titan form Sfx and Cure Wounds (because you're a variant moon druid)). A decent job here.
L3: Titan form. You've a big guy (Behemoth), a big swimmer (Leviathan/Tentacles), and a big flier (insectoid). Damage scaling is worse than a moon druid (you do have a combat flier form however)
L6: Elemental rend + shock wave. Cute. You're basically a slightly weaker moon druid with a flying combat form. You don't need much at this level except dodging damage resistance which you have here.
L10: Primal Havoc. Get bigger. Power fantasy but no mechanics.
L14: Monstrous Appetite. Grab and eat things. Oh, and be huge. Fun. And your damage has fallen off a lot by this point (it's still just two basic attacks only boosted by your druid's Primal Strike. Controller not striker in melee.
Overall: I'm no more convinced by this thing's scaling than the moon druid; A- with potential for playtesting.

Hell Knight Fighter
A firey fighter inflicting cursed wounds. Probably looking at a B baseline here especially as the short rest dice mechanic makes me think of the Battlemaster.
L3: Diabolical Gift - non-combat abilities. Borderline ribbon
L3: Infernal Wound. Con-modifier d6s/short rest. It's a Damage over Time effect which can be high but only if monsters live long. And they don't. There's theoretically a lot of damage you can do here - but in practice the battlemaster is just better.
L7: Advanced Weapons. 1/6 chance of triggering. Cute.
L7: Hell-forged equipment. Again better than nothing but not great.
L10: Hellfire Surge. Hey! That tickles! (Actually how much does burning do?)
L15: Blister of Avernus. Trivial damage increase - and how does it work with Advanced Wounds?
L18: Hellfire Condemnation. Ribbon
L18: Infernal Bargain. Nice interaction but.
Overall: C+. This is a Battlemaster wannabe. But it's functional.

Demonic Sorcerer
I mean of course. Not escaping the "what's the difference with a warlock?" questions any time soon. Let's see if it does anything new or interesting.
L3: Demonic Spells. Decent enough except Contact Other Plane will take you out every time. I don't think these really add much to your list.
L3: Abyssal Rupture. There's trivial damage or even a damage for haul as a bonus action - but the pick here is Fiendish Carapace to give attack rolls against you disadvantage. That's ... surprisingly useful
L6: Abyssal Aura. Yay! Random abilities. And you shouldn't be getting close.
L14: Abyssal Conduit. Bigger and better aura
L18: A summon. When you can cast 9th level spells. A bit late
Overall: C+. I don't like the aura - and I'm not sure the carapace is meant to be spammed the way it should be. The spell list mostly works without adding much. But it's functional.

Death Knight Path
This is how a feat chain should be considered. Multiple options. A grade potential.
Base feat: Death Knight Initiate (Str/Cha). Gain Death Points equal to proficiency bonus. Can Wrathful Smite with them - and foe gets disadvantage.
Intermediate Feats: (Str/Con/Cha) Spend a death point for a different spell per feat (Command, Find Steed, Fear, Bane). Find Steed is permanent. Fear is third level. These are not balanced.
Capstone: Requires Death Knight Initiate and one Intermediate, and L12. Str/Cha. Turn undead (complete with gaining benefits) and get a half-fireball per point expended.
Overall: B- with potential for A-. Interesting concept, some balancing required. Especially with the points not increasing with the new abilites so competing with the wrathful smite.

Lich Path
A spin on the Infernal Warlock - get a bonus for reducing enemies to 0hp or by being within 10ft of an enemy reduced to 0hp.
Base Feat: Lich Initiate. (Int/Wis/Cha). Gain a phylactery(don't let it be destroyed but otherwise it does nothing). Do damage wtih your next roll.
Intermediate feats (Int/Wis/Cha): When you get the extra damage recover a L1-4 spell slot, someone gains a few temp hp. Alternatively spend a spell slot when you cast Chill Touch to try to paralyse.
Lich Capstone (Int/Wis/Cha): Turn Undead. Gain Fear and use it a few times for free. Trigger the phylactery.
Warlocks need some option (IMO Arcane Restoration should restore a pact magic slot). This is weird in that it wants you to get up and close. Overall: B with potential for A. More interesting than the Death Knight because the abilities stack rather than compete for resources and the Lich gets the phylactery which is just better than the fireball.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Remember that getting your power from demons is a villainous path, but getting your power from devils is so normal it's practically the default

This is why i erase the whole triad of fiends and just have "demons", which are mostly a motley assortment of unique monsters rather than types. There is The Spined Devil, and The Pit Fiend, and Balor Lord of Burning Shadow, etc.

That, and Asmodeus isnt a god. My worlds do not have evil gods, because "god" is a subjective term that refers specifically to the group of powers that work together to some degree and keep the worlds spinning and oppose the powers of total entropy and corruption. Anything else is a different kind of being.

So you cannot be a hell cleric, and there is no difference between a devil and demon giving you power.

But also...the warlock doesnt specify what type of fiend does it?

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I find the wording about Infernal Wound dice to be confusing, why ever say you get 1 dice when you get more uses.

I like the Druid, but I want the damage of their attacks to go up with size increases. Yes I know they're adding extra damage from their Druid abilities already and get 2 attacks, but it feels like they need something more substantial in size increases other than being able to melee attack more spaces

 

[Kurotowa]

Circle of the Titan
Overall: I'm no more convinced by this thing's scaling than the moon druid; A- with potential for playtesting.

No Druid combat shapeshifting subclass is going to scale properly while WotC remembers the lesson of 3e. If you take a full spellcaster and give them the ability to easily shapeshift into a combat form that can go toe to toe with a full martial, you have what's far and away the strongest class in the game.

While I appreciate the desire for a fully realized combat shapeshifter option, I'm convinced it can't be one attached to the Druid. Not unless there's a way to permanently trade out spellcasting ability to get it. Otherwise there's just no way to square the power budget with what's already a full caster class. Attach it as a martial subclass like Beast Barbarian, make a new base class if you must, but stop trying to fit it onto the Druid's Wild Shape. It doesn't work.