Finding out of the villainous options have improved through the latest D&D playtest.
Wizards of the Coast are back with a revised Unearthed Arcana from the original villainous options released back in April. They’ve also revised their process a bit giving more feedback on how they’re responding to our feedback so we know which options have performed well, which are getting tweaks and which haven’t made the cut. Fair play to them for responding to feedback.
As usual, I’m analysing how they’ve updated these latest playtest options and will evaluate whether I think they’re satisfactory new options or not. You can find the full playtest material here.
What’s included in the playtest?
The playtest comes with 3 brand new subclasses with the options revised from the original villainous options playtest. They are:
- Druid: Circle of the titan
- Fighter: Hell knight
- Sorcerer: Demonic sorcery
We also get 8 feats; 4 origin feats and 4 epic boons. These are new to the playtests rather than revisions.
How did the villainous options playtest perform?
We got an update on both villainous options playtest and what the fate of those options are likely to be which I’ve summarised below:
Success
The following options received positive feedback and are likely to appear in future releases, possibly with some minor adjustments:
- Path of lament barbarian
- Pestilence domain cleric
- Warrior of venom monk
- Path of the death knight
- Path of the lich
Updated playtests
A few options felt like they were promising, but needed updating and new playtests performed. Those are:
- Circle of the titan druid
- Hell knight fighter
- Demonic sorcery sorcerer
Didn’t meet standards for inclusion
One subclass failed to meet the required standards to proceed further. This was the primordial patron warlock.
Circle of the titan druid
What is it?
These druids can transform into creatures of titanic proportions, often doing so to destroy the civilisations that cause great harm on the natural world.
What’s changed?
- Circle of the titan spells (Lv3): Gained enlarge/reduce and fire shield, losing cure wounds and stoneskin in the process.
- Titan form (Lv3): AC increased from 11+ wisdom modifier to 13+ wisdom modifier. Temporary hit points increased from 2x your druid level to 4x your druid level. These forms now only last 10 mins instead of the usual wild shape period. Many tweaks to individual titan forms like leviathan’s ink cloud has been changed to toxic deluge (a damaging and poisonous emanation that uses spell slots), energising pollen now lets you move as part of the action and heals more per creature. Insectoid doesn’t gain flyby until level 10. Attacks now scale in damage by an extra 1d8 at levels 6 and 12.
- Monstrous appetite (Lv14): Significantly increased acid damage to swallowed creatures from 2d8 to a number of d12s equal to your wisdom modifier.
Verdict
The circle of the titan was a subclass that many were quite rightly, very excited about. Myself included. It truly nailed the feel of becoming a godzilla-like being without being overpowered. The balance was a little off though and needed a bit of tweaking. They had less hit points than the comparatively diminutive moon druid’s wild shape and were incredibly easy to hit with 8/11+ wisdom modifier for their AC.
The latest playtest largely rectifies this with boosted AC (especially for the insectoid) and doubled temporary hit points (so they now exceed the moon druid).
They also hit quite a bit harder now with damage scaling with levels. Some of their other effects have also been buffed.
I do wonder if they’re a bit good at everything now. Tough, high damage and lots of effects. With plenty of chances to use wild shape (especially as you’ll be using spells slots less) I’m not sure that the reduction in time spent wild shaped is much of a nerf. You should have enough uses for most major encounters and you also have spell slots to replenish it from level 5. If anything, I wonder if they’ve readjusted on the slightly overpowered side. Still, some minor tweaks and I think this will be loads of fun!
5/5
Hell knight fighter
What are they?
Hell knights are the servants of Hell. Serving under Archdevils, cambions and other Hellish commanders, hell knights receive devilish powers and act in the interests of Hell. This might be as a soldier in the blood war or as an agent in the mortal realms.
While this may seem evil (and often means performing evil deeds), there are many reasons one might become a hell knight. This might be for personal gain, but could also be the price of a lost deal or a trade to save a loved one.
What’s changed?
- General: Damage types can now be chosen from cold, fire or necrotic for your hell-forged weapon and infernal wounds.
- Hell-forged weapon (Lv3): Can be used on two weapons at once.
- Advanced wounds (Lv7): The effects of advanced wounds now trigger on any roll of the infernal wounds die, not just on a 6. But a 6 will trigger bigger effects through devil’s luck.
- Hellfire surge (Lv10): Rather than causing burning, this causes extra damage to creatures with an infernal wound.
- Hellfire condemnation (Lv18): Has been removed.
- Infernal bargain (Lv18): Has an added effect that allows you to gain heroic inspiration and expend it to cause d20 tests to be rerolled. This may also cause a positive or negative outcome for you.
Verdict
I found the previous version of the hell knight unpredictable and a bit lacking in impact. This version makes some decent improvements on this front. The fortune it imposes doesn’t affect your normal capabilities, instead it adds enhancements on top. I like this better. It makes infernal wounds feel a lot more impactful.
You should find yourself dishing out a lot more extra effects through advanced wounds. Bringing unholy power to level 7 should up your damage output a bit and up the odds of scoring devil’s luck too.
It’s also a bit more simple to track with burning removed so you’re only tracking the infernal wounds you’ve inflicted. Overall I think it’s fairly solid but still a little fiddly in practice.
3/5
Demonic sorcery sorcerer
What is it?
These sorcerers have powers originating from Abyssal, demonic powers. Demons have chaotic powers, making these sorcerers sinister and unpredictable.
What’s changed?
- Abyssal rupture (Lv3): Can now be used 30ft away rather than as an emanation.
- Demonic spells (Lv3): Gained bane, dissonant whispers, spike growth, web, bestow curse, giant insect and modify memory, losing detect magic, entangle, misty step, spider climb, gaseous form, confusion and hallow.
- Abyssal realm (Lv6): Can now choose the effect and can use it as an emanation or at range.
- Fiendish savant (Lv14): Has been moved from level 18 to level 14.
- Abyssal explosion (Lv18): Can now cause their abyssal rupture to explode.
Verdict
The previous version of this subclass was both too random and far too vulnerable for a subclass that tried to fight close to enemies. Fortunately, they rectify both these issues by giving you a lot more choice of effects for your abyssal rupture and making their features have a range.
Unfortunately, abyssal rupture feels very low in power, despite a bit of an increase in damage. It may be consistent bonus action damage, but it’s not a lot and it quickly feels almost pointless as you progress in levels.
It’s definitely an improvement on the previous version, but I’d still like to see some power scaling on this subclass. The debuffs you cause do feel regular and substantial enough at least.
3/5
Feats
These feats are brand new playtest options, with 4 origin feats and 4 epic boon feats. They’re primarily intended for mischievous and villainous characters or those atoning for misdeeds.
Origin feats
Atoner’s grace
Atoner’s grace feels very niche. How often do characters really end up taking the influence action against hostile creatures. Only sometimes I think. Parley is perhaps more situational. Disengage or influence aren’t common in combat but can happen. But then you need to layer on 2 more situations in being within 5ft of an ally and needing a saving throw or an ability check. I don’t see this getting used loads. Maybe your best bet is a rogue or monk who may use the disengage action more as a bonus action, but it still feels like a wasted feat.
1/5
Raised by cultists
This one is better. Heroic inspiration when bloodied should happen fairly frequently. Granting advantage on concentration saving throws for allies could be great, but relies on being very close to an allied spellcasters. Those tactics can be challenging, especially depending on your party composition. I’d like to see that area expanded.
3/5
Trapper
Advantage on investigation checks is decent. Advantage on perception checks is even better (and removing disadvantage from perception during fast movement may be occasionally useful).
Setting traps as a bonus action is really interesting and I actually had to look up the rules for how a hunting trap works. Hampering a creature’s movement could be really good, especially for narrow locations. All these abilities combined are pretty good and there’s no other feat quite like this.
4/5
Underhanded
Repositioning when you roll initiative could be quite useful. Fight dirty is a bit more situational. Really, you’d want to encourage this to happen more, but that requires giving creatures a chance to make an opportunity attack against you. In reality, this either happens rarely, or you’re encouraging too many opportunity attacks. Plus most characters won’t have a hand free except unarmed warriors like monks or two handed weapon wielders who I guess don’t need to hold their weapon with both hands unless swinging it. Unfortunately, only half of this feat is any good.
2/5
Epic boon feats
Boon of the bandit king
Moving in and out of a creature’s reach without provoking opportunity attacks is really good. Being able to convince others to willingly part with items can be really good if you’re up for lots of stealing, but how often NPCs have something worth stealing is another matter. This is potentially quite good.
4/5
Boon of the cleansed heart
Decent spell to use for free. Technically a bit situational so how much you use dispel evil and good may depend on the campaign you’re playing.
Necrotic damage is common enough that immunity is useful, and the damage boost is nice. It’s still situational as you rely on being the target of necrotic damage here. But there should be enough situations to make this feat decent overall.
3/5
Boon of the Hunter’s eye
Knowing resistances, immunities and vulnerabilities at level 19+ is handy as so many creatures have them. Doing so without expending an action is especially helpful. You may want to attempt to knock out more than kill (and maybe even just kill later after knocking out) as this will guarantee downing your opponent when not quite down to 0HP.
My only problem with this kind of mechanic is you sort of have to check with the DM all the time of they’re at sub-20 HP or rely on the DM to remember this stuff which can be a pain.
3/5
Boon of unwavering devotion
Possession is rare and illusions often can be. Forcing a reroll on a wisdom saving throw per encounter is strong (though I don’t know why they don’t just say it’s replenished when you roll initiative rather than adding in on rests as well) if you have plenty of wisdom saving throws to cause (which can be frequent and quite debilitating).
3/5
Summary
There are definite improvements in here with the circle of the titan the best of the lot while demonic sorcery and the hell knight had much more substantial updates.
The feats were mostly average to good which is kind of the region you want them to be landing in. There’s some nice ideas here like getting players using hunting traps and having them move through combat more easily.
I still don’t love the hell knight or demonic sorcery options, but they are at least OK. A couple of feats could benefit from some tweaks too.
