Designer Insights from Unearthed Arcana: Villainous Options Update

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This Unearthed Arcana features new and revised playtest content. It continues the theme of the previous two Villainous Options UAs, presenting subclasses and feats associated with villainy. Like the previous two UAs, characters who walk these paths can be of any alignment, but it never hurts to talk with your DM if you’d like to explore a more villainous side of your character.

The material in this UA uses the rules in the Player’s Handbook. Learn about this playtest directly from the D&D Game Design Team in this article.

From the Game Design Team

After our second Villainous Options UA debuted, we met with members of the D&D Community Advisory Group to talk about Unearthed Arcana playtests. We asked those trusted community leaders questions about Unearthed Arcana—such as cadence, timing, and transparency—and what we heard during those sessions echoed feedback we’ve received recently from fans like you.

One recurring nugget of feedback we’ve received is that fans want more transparency when it comes to playtest content. It can take a while for playtest content to appear in an official D&D product. (I won’t bore you with the details of our production timelines; it’s all very technical and involves lots and lots of gnomes and fervid dancing.) Understandably, players and DMs want to know the fate of the content they’ve seen before it shows up in a release. Did the subclasses from the last playtest do well? What about the two paths of villainy? Can I expect to see a subclass I loved (or thought needed more time to bake) again in the future? Can you give me more information about the content in the UA? In this article, we hope to answer those questions and more!

We appreciate your feedback. Truly. Please remember to fill out the UA survey when it opens to make your voice heard. D&D is at its best when it walks hand-in-hand with its players; after all, the game belongs to you—not us! When you have fun, so do we. :-)

— Justice Ramin Arman, D&D Game Design Director

Villainous Options Highlights

Sidharth ChaturvediVillainous Options Highlights

This UA contains a selection of revised content from a previous UA, Villainous Options. It doesn’t contain any content from the UA that followed that one, Villainous Options 2. Here’s a quick update on how the content from those two playtests fared:

  • The Path of Lament (Barbarian) subclass was not a sad story. Respondents felt it had great flavor and great features. You might see this subclass appear in a future product with some minor tweaks.
  • Respondents loved the Pestilence Domain (Cleric) subclass. Positive sentiment was infectious! (Sorry.) You might see this subclass appear in a future product with some minor tweaks.
  • The Circle of the Titan (Druid) subclass was a big hit. Despite its popularity, we’re presenting a revised version in this UA that addresses some opportunities for improvement.
  • The Hell Knight (Fighter) subclass could have burned brighter. Respondents loved the subclass’s narrative and theme, but some aspects about its mechanics necessitated a second pass. A revised version of this subclass appears in this UA.
  • Players sunk their fangs into the Warrior of Venom (Monk) subclass, which was praised for its theme and creativity, as well as the perceived viability of how it approached a Poison-focused character option.
  • Like the Hell Knight, the Demonic Sorcery (Sorcerer) subclass oozed with demonic flavor. Players like the idea of a demon-themed Sorcerer, but the mechanics didn’t pass the sniff test. (Wizards of the Coast does not recommend sniffing demons.) A revised version of this subclass appears in this UA.
  • The two paths of villainy, the Path of the Death Knight and the Path of the Lich were welcomed with open, rotting arms. You might see these feats appear in a future product, but not without some in-house adjustments, such as exploring options for the Death Knight that are friendlier to a wider cast of martial classes.
  • The Primordial Patron (Warlock) received mixed feedback. Players felt it was too thematically similar to the Genie Patron from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and respondents were divided on its core feature, Elemental Node. We’re putting this subclass on the backburner for now; it didn’t meet our standards for inclusion.

Revised Subclasses 

This Unearthed Arcana features three revised subclasses, all of which originally appeared in the Villainous Options UA: 

  • Circle of the Titan (Druid) 
  • Hell Knight (Fighter) 
  • Demonic Sorcery (Sorcerer) 

The following sections summarize changes for each revised subclass. 

Circle of the Titan (Druid)

The revised version of the Circle of the Titan subclass contains the following changes, among others:

Level 3: Circle of the Titan Spells. Players felt the Circle of the Titan Spells didn’t quite match the subclass’s fantasy. To remedy that, we changed around the spells. Notably, we gave the subclass Enlarge/Reduce (a common recommendation among survey respondents) and Fire Shield in place of Cure Wounds and Stoneskin.

Level 3: Titan Form. Players wanted Titan Forms to feel tougher without outpacing the Circle of the Moon subclass. We increased the AC of each Titan Form from 11 + your Wisdom modifier to 13 + your Wisdom modifier, and we increased each form’s Temporary Hit Points from 2 x your Druid level to 4 x your Druid level. As a tradeoff, this transformation lasts only for 10 minutes instead of the normal Wild Shape duration of a number of hours equal to half your Druid level.

We also made tweaks to the specific Titan Forms in response to feedback. For example, the Leviathan’s Ink Cloud has been swapped for Toxic Deluge, and Energizing Pollen now lets you move as part of using it and can heal more Hit Points. Conversely, the Insectoid doesn’t gain the Flyby trait until Druid level 10.

Level 14: Monstrous Appetite. We significantly increased the Acid damage dealt to swallowed creatures, as players suggested.

Hell Knight (Fighter)

The Hell Knight subclass saw significant revisions thanks to player feedback. Here are some of the noteworthy changes for this subclass:

General: Damage Types. You can now deal your choice of Cold, Fire, or Necrotic damage with your Hell-Forged Weapon (previously Hellfire Weapon) and infernal wounds.

General: Deemphasis on Luck. Although they loved the theme, players wanted the subclass to be less reliant on luck. To maintain the theme while also increasing the odds of triggering the Hell Knight’s key features, players can now treat a roll of 1 on their Infernal Wound Die as a 6 at level 7 instead of level 18.

Level 7: Advanced Wounds. The additional effects from Advanced Wounds now trigger on any roll of an Infernal Wound Die instead of just a 6, and rolling a 6 makes each effect even more potent through Devil’s Luck.

Level 10: Hellfire Surge. Players didn’t want to track burning damage every round on top of Infernal Wound damage. We simplified this feature. Now, a creature with an infernal wound within 20 feet of the Hell Knight takes more damage from that wound.

Level 18: Hellfire Condemnation. This feature was met with mixed reception, so we cut it from the subclass.

Level 18: Infernal Bargain. Infernal Bargain leans more into the fantasy of the Hell Knight making a devilish deal. The Hell Knight still enjoys the benefit of the previous version of this feature, which now occurs at level 7 through the Infernal Equipment feature.

Demonic Sorcery (Sorcerer)

Many players who reviewed the Demon Sorcery subclass in Villainous Options 1 wanted to create Abyssal effects on a distant area of effect rather than as an Emanation. For our second go at the Demonic Sorcery subclass, we took that feedback and combined it with suggestions made about the Primordial Patron Warlock subclass in Villainous Options 2. We’re excited about the result and eager to hear what you think!

Here are some of the noteworthy changes for this subclass:

Level 3: Abyssal Rupture. The biggest change to the Demonic Sorcery subclass was to the Abyssal Rupture feature, which now allows the Sorcerer to create the rupture as an area of effect within 30 feet. This keeps the Sorcerer out of melee, which was a recurring concern among players.

Level 3: Demonic Spells. Players felt that the subclass’s spells didn’t feel particularly demonic. We’ve updated the Demonic Spells table to be better evoke the fantasy of a Sorcerer channeling the powers of the Abyss.

Level 6: Abyssal Realm. Players didn’t like the randomness of the former Abyssal Aura feature, which is now called Abyssal Realm. Now, the Sorcerer can choose which effect to apply, and they can apply it either around themselves as an Emanation or at range as part of their Abyssal Rupture.

Higher-Level Features. The higher-level class features were shifted and made stronger in response to player feedback. The Sorcerer now gets the Fiendish Servant benefit at level 14 (instead of 18). At level 18, the Sorcerer can cause their Abyssal Rupture to explode with magical energy.

Feats

This UA also contains new Origin feats and Epic Boon feats. These feats include options for dastardly and mischievous characters as well as characters atoning for past villainy.

Your Feedback Matters

We couldn’t have made so many improvements to the three subclasses in this UA without your help. Once you’ve read or played with these playtest materials, be sure to fill out the survey on D&D Beyond, coming on June 25, and let us know what you think.

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