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]

I found this letter in my in tray. I don't know where it came from, but it smells slightly of sulphur. I blame DHL.

Dear Screwtape,

In your last missive you informed me that WotC have just released a wholly unsatisfactory version of the Hell Knight. If mortals are going to be tempted, this really needs to be much cooler. Please pass these suggestions onto these so called “wizards”.



Level 3: Diabolical Gift

Stat. Although personally, I prefer English. So much room for misleading ambiguity.



Level 3: Spellcasting

Give these guys 1/3 warlock spellcasting, with charisma as their casting stat. This will synergise nicely with the Death Knight path. But don’t give them any cantrips, we don’t want them shooting Eldritch Blasts around the place.



Level 7: Hellfire Weapon

We should give these guys a cool melee weapon like we give to bladepact warlocks (apart from they can’t use charisma with it and they can do fire damage it instead of normal damage if they want). It could be any melee weapon, although I can’t fathom why anyone would choose something other than a really big sword. Oh, and let them use it as a spell casting focus. Who really cares about that stuff these days?



Level 10: Hellfire Armor

We should give them some really cool black armour, that gives them resistance to fire and advantage on Intimidate checks. Upgrade it to also give Radiant damage resistance at level 15, in case they attract attention from the opposition. At level 18 it can make them completely immune to fire. It could be any type of armour, or a shield - apart from chainmail bikinis, I received a memo saying we aren’t allowed to give them out any more. What is the world coming to!?



Level 10: Hellfire Surge

Let them keep this. Who doesn’t love setting things on fire? And it will really annoy them when they try to read the newspaper with it on.



Level 15: Hellish Minion

Add Find Familiar to their list of spells prepared, but every time they cast it have it be one of these annoying imps that keep pestering me. Give it a few buffs so it is slightly less useless in a fight.



Level 18: Summon Non-Rubbish Minion

Give them Summon Fiend, even though they don’t technically qualify for level 6 spells. It can work like warlock Mystic Arcanum.



Regards, your revered Uncle Wormwood

 

[Remathilis]

Which is basically, the name. The mechanics are an incohenrent mess that do not support the aathetic.

That's why yellow exists as an option.

I preferred green.

 

[Remathilis]

I found this letter in my in tray. I don't know where it came from, but it smells slightly of sulphur. I blame DHL.

This is what I mean when I say every poster here is a "temporarily embarrassed" game designer who thinks they knows the game better than everyone else, especially WotC.