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.

 

[Remathilis]

The problem with subclasses that tells a story is that the story is pre-written. You gain the abilities at the preset levels no matter what you have done or decided in the meantime. Hit that subclass at level 3 and you are locked in for the next 17 levels unless you die, the campaign ends, you stop monking, or the DM lets you change subclasses entirely, effectively erasing your past.

Subclasses are good for many things - but they are terrible at "lure of power" stories or other stories based on choices made by the character. Feats aren't ideal but are way better.

Much of the problem with class systems are that they are pre-written. But put aside that for the moment.

I think the issue is what was more important, the Dark or the Monk part of the identity. It seems to me with the lich that the caster identity is secondary since you can be a bard, a sorcerer, a cleric or a druid and still be a lich. But the DK feels a little too tailored to paladin and MAD fighters. Could that be fixed with allowing an alternative stat to base their powers off of? I think it could. Idk.

But if the fact that Paul's example is a monk and that a "monk death knight" should have different things than a paladin death knight, I don't necessarily agree. At that point you need to make a monk exclusive subclass (like WoLD) to fill that evil monk role.

Fwiw: I think you could fix a lot of problems just by adding extra paths. We're trying right now to cram every undead pc into death knight or lich at the moment because that's all we have. Even just adding vampire would allow for martials who don't want to invest in the knightly tropes an option. A death knight might not be the best option for a monk, but vampire could be.

 

[SkidAce]

Subclasses are good for bundles of abilities that make a structured grand concept. I mean, you definately learn, basic math (1st ability), geometry (2nd abilitiy) etc.

Feats paths seem better for smaller things where the first ability opens the door to various choices, like special fighting school style.
Learn the 1st feat (Better Sword Handling), then chose from several others for 2nd feat (Vertical Chop, Horizontal Slash, or Piercing Lunge), then maybe if you want, eventually the capstone feat (Wind Sword Hurricane)*




*it was only meant to be an example, but now I want to flesh out this style.

 

[mamba]

A core of the monk is physical discipline. So let's amp that up and take it on a dark path. The flesh will do what it is told. And not only the monk's flesh but the monk becomes an expert in making the flesh of others do what it is told, hurting them more with attacks. Until eventually the flesh of the monk only does what is told and doesn't even breathe without instruction. Their heart doesn't even beat without instruction. For all practical purposes the flesh of that monk is dead.

That is a monk path based on core monk themes. And mechanically what is the difference between that and the existing Death Knight path? Basically the fireball.

story wise pretty much everything apart from the being (un)dead bit. I don’t see a death knight reflected in this at all.

Are you talking about the feat chain from the UA, then yeah, the lower part of that chain works. Starting with the steed you go off track

 

[Neonchameleon]

Much of the problem with class systems are that they are pre-written. But put aside that for the moment.

You're confusing class systems with level systems. PbtA playbooks are classes but don't really have levels. Even Daggerheart has broken open its levels enough that they aren't pre-written; you get to make three choices at every level and none of them have to be the same; the only thing you have to share is the proficiency boost at each tier and PF2e is a similar level of flexible.

Classes pre-write the starting point, which is something you have to do somehow. Levels pre-write how you grow, in other words the journey rather than letting you see what happens in play. And feats can be picked when they are appropriate (although you get painfully few in 5e).

I think the issue is what was more important, the Dark or the Monk part of the identity.

One's feats, one's the full class. Class >> feats with any reasonably balanced feat in D&D 5e. But the character is a painting made up of various colours and shades.

It seems to me with the lich that the caster identity is secondary since you can be a bard, a sorcerer, a cleric or a druid and still be a lich. But the DK feels a little too tailored to paladin and MAD fighters. Could that be fixed with allowing an alternative stat to base their powers off of? I think it could. Idk.

Absolutely and it should.

story wise pretty much everything apart from the being (un)dead bit. I don’t see a death knight reflected in this at all.

Are you talking about the feat chain from the UA, then yeah, the lower part of that chain works. Starting with the steed you go off track

Yes I'm talking about the UA feat chain. The one in which the steed is strictly 100% optional even if you are going to the end of the feat chain. Not every option has to fit - just enough do for the concept. If steed doesn't work for this transformation then just don't take it. One of the real strengths of this structure is that the middle feat can be chosen from a list. (Me? I'd allow the start, middle, and end to be variable).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The one in which the steed is strictly 100% optional even if you are going to the end of the feat chain

There is optional, and there is optional. You need to pick one, and Find Steed is by far the best, especially if you don’t have spell slots.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But if the fact that Paul's example is a monk and that a "monk death knight" should have different things than a paladin death knight, I don't necessarily agree.

The Death Knight used to be a subclass, it was called Oathbreaker. The issue was, in order to tell a story of a character falling from grace you needed to use an obscure DM-facing optional rule for changing subclasses. Using feats is pretty much the same as a subclass, but can be tacked on to a character using familiar player-facing rules.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So let's write a better one. A core of the monk is physical discipline. So let's amp that up and take it on a dark path. The flesh will do what it is told. And not only the monk's flesh but the monk becomes an expert in making the flesh of others do what it is told, hurting them more with attacks. Until eventually the flesh of the monk only does what is told and doesn't even breathe without instruction. Their heart doesn't even beat without instruction. For all practical purposes the flesh of that monk is dead.

That is a monk path based on core monk themes. And mechanically what is the difference between that and the existing Death Knight path? Basically the fireball.

This is pretty much Darth Sion from KotOR2. And what is different about it is the flavour of the abilities. You don’t want smite - aside from theme it’s mechanically bad for monks, who have better things to do with bonus actions, you don’t want a steed, you don’t want Bane - since the character’s abilities are focused internally not externally. You want abilities that focus on self-buffs.

The WotC book will probably launch with a vampire path as well as Death Knight and Lich, since that is already half made. And I’m certain 3PP will be quick to add more if WotC don’t get in quick. So I’m sure your monk will have a suitable path available without needing to genericise the Death Knight.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Much of the problem with class systems are that they are pre-written.

I would call it a feature (of D&D), not a problem. In D&D, the story of the class comes first, and the abilities are chosen to fit the story. Subclasses (kits/prestige classes in other editions) further focus the story. Bad subclasses are ones that don't have a clear story. This Hellknight subclass is an example of that - it's just a random mishmash of abilities without a clear narrative. Compare to the Pathfinder Hellknight, which has a very strong narrative. Likewise the Titan druid has a clear narrative, it just needs its mechanics tidying up.

It's not a universal feature of class based systems. For example, some games define class by combat role rather than story. One I'm familiar with is City of Heroes, with its Tanker, Scrapper, Blaster, Defender and Controller classes.