Dungeons and Dragons just rolled out its latest playtest and the new Villainous Options rules set includes four new evil subclasses for players to experiment with.
All Dungeons and Dragons Villainous Subclasses Revealed
For those who are unfamiliar with the Dungeons and Dragons testing format, players can often gain free access to unofficial rules called Unearthed Arcana. The community is able to play with these new or changed rules and provide feedback to Wizards of the Coast that will be taken into consideration for future rules books.
Very frequently, new rules and subclasses that appear in Unearthed Arcana end up being included in an official DnD release sometime in the following year, or so. The latest Unearthed Arcana drop is all about letting players lean in to villainous character options.
Here is the full breakdown of each new subclass and what they will allow players to bring to the table:
Pestilence Domain (Cleric) – A Cleric of the Pestilence Domain heralds gods of disease, famine, poison, and decay, unleashing plague as an act of devotion. The Pestilence Domain grants access to spells that detect and guard against poison, sicken others, cause crops to wither, and summon insects. Its unique Channel Divinity effect, Plague Blessing, turns the Cleric or an ally they touch into a conduit for pestilence, conferring Exhaustion to nearby enemies. When enemies perish, Clerics of this domain can cause them to burst with plague and spread one of two potent contagion effects. At the height of this subclass’s power, the Cleric can shape-shift into a swarm of plague-ridden pests to terrorize foes.
Circle of the Titan (Druid) – Sometimes, the best way to fix a problem is to tear it down. Druids of the Circle of the Titan do just that, growing to seismic proportions to wreak colossal havoc. This Druid can use Wild Shape to take on one of three monstrous Titan Forms: a structure-stomping Behemoth, a waste-spewing Leviathan, or a healing Insectoid. These forms improve in size and might as the Druid gains levels, bringing greater destruction to their surroundings. At level 14, Druids of this circle can grow to Gargantuan size and swallow enemies whole.
Hell Knight (Fighter) – Anointed champions of the Nine Hells, Hell Knights imbue their weapons with hellfire, transforming them into glowing Hellfire Weapons. With a Hellfire Weapon, the Fighter can deal Fire damage and inflict debilitating and persistent Infernal Wounds. At higher levels, a Hell Knight can superheat their armor to erupt with hellfire, their attacks overcome Fire Resistance, and Infernal Wounds deal explosive damage whenever the Fighter rolls a 6 on their Infernal Wound Die. By level 18, the Hell Knight can turn bad luck into good fortune, representing the infernal deals that devils offer mortals.
Demonic Sorcery (Sorcerer) – Demonic Sorcery embodies the corruptive magic of demons. Sorcerers of this subclass use their own bodies as conduits for the wicked powers of the Abyss. Early on, this energy ruptures out from the Sorcerer in bursts, which the Sorcerer can use to reel in enemies and protect against attacks. Eventually, this unstable magic radiates from the Sorcerer as an Abyssal Aura, corrupting reality around them and bringing the Abyss to their surroundings. Enemies caught in this Emanation must contend with caustic ooze, mind-affecting spores, and other effects inspired by the infinite layers of the Abyss. The spells included in this subclass also take inspiration from these layers and the demon lords who rule them; Confusion, for example, takes inspiration from Demogorgon’s gaze, while spells like Detect Magic and Dispel Magic appear in the stat blocks of many demon lords.
These new subclass rules seem to suggest that one of the books in the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons seasons will include a villainous theme.
If players want to test out one of these new subclass options, they should be sure to check with their Dungeon Master first to ensure that they are willing to allow the experimental subclass in their game. Players should also keep in mind that Unearthed Arcana subclasses are not supported in the DnD Character Builder, so they’ll need to manage their sheet the old school way with paper and pencil.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at game shops and digitally at DnD Beyond.
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