The new Druid Circle of the Titan in the Villainous Options Unearthed Arcana is all about letting you become a giant monster.
The new Villainous Options Unearthed Arcana is out for playtesting right now. In it are four new villainous subclasses and two new “paths of villainy” which can help you become a Death Knight or a Lich. Each of the villainous subclasses has some kind of mechanic or flavor that makes them feel especially appealing for characters on the darker side of the alignment grid.
In the case of the new Circle of the Titan Druid, it’s the idea that you are a Druid who, every now and then, has to come in and destroy civilization once it starts to verge on the point of harming nature. You basically have to Batman Begin a new cycle – or if you prefer, you’re kind of like the Weapons out of Final Fantasy VII; in that you embrace the power of city-destroying monsters to take up arms (and big stompy feet) against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them.
In other words, this is the Druid Circle of Godzilla. And just like Toho’s beloved Kaiju, it’s up to you to decide whether you’re there to be nature, pointing out the folly of man, or whether you’re there to be a cool giant monster friend, because there’s no inherently villainous mechanics here. Just the potential for it.
Druid Circle of the Titan – Now YOU Get To Be A Kaiju At Level 3
It all starts right away at level 3 with Titan Form. As the name suggests, this is the ability that lets you become a monster. You can Wild Shape into one of three different forms: Behemoth, Leviathan, or Insectoid. Each is a separate stat block with its own different abilities – you’re not locked into one over the other. You can pick which one you take whenever you Wild Shape. Each one is Large (to start) and has its own different overall deal.
The Behemoth is kind of a Godzilla – you deal double damage to objects and structures, you can breathe radioactive energy (radiant damage in a line), and you gain the ability to make rend attacks that, honestly, feel a little anemic for what you’re supposed to be doing. But more on that in a little bit.
Leviathan form is a classic sea monster, but also on land – you become amphibious, gain tentacles and scales, and the ability to release an inky cloud as a Reaction to taking damage. And the Insectoid form lets you become Mothra as you release pollen that can heal people caught up in a cloud of your spores and don’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
And overall, this makes sense. If you want to balance the subclass, and not make people wait until higher levels to live out the feeling of being a Titan. But it also feels a little weird to become a “giant monster,” and all you get is an attack that deals 1d8 + Wisdom modifier damage with a 10-foot reach. I don’t know what the perfect solution is – I think if it were me, I’d layer on something like “when you hit someone you push them back and knock them prone” or whatever to reflect the titanic impact.
Each form also gains more abilities as you level up, which helps. At level 5, every form gains the ability to multiattack. And at level 10, they all gain a signature ability, like the ability to trample foes or emit a toxic stench or become a hive mind. Level 10 also lets you become Hug,e and level 14 lets you become Gargantuan, and at higher levels, you get abilities that let this mean something more than just “you take up more squares on the battlemap.”
You also get a list of Circle of the Titan spells, which are always a part of your Druid list. It’s nothing to write home about, truly – in fac,t it’s probably the smallest list of bonus spells, though they do all play into the fantasy of being a big giant monster (and you can specifically cast them while in monster form).
Higher Level Titans – Your Size Actually Matters
At higher levels, most of your features add extra power to your Titan form. At level 6, Dire Impact gives you two different abilities that add to your transformation. First, Elemental Rend lets your Titan Form attacks deal Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage instead of whatever normal damage they would do. Second, Shock Wave lets you spend a level 1+ spell slot when you become a Titan, or as a Bonus Action afterward, to create a 15-foot shock wave that can knock enemies prone. I don’t think people will really use this one much, especially since it doesn’t lso do damage.
At level 10, Primal Havoc upgrades your Titan form even more. You can become Huge and unlock your special abilities. But then you also get Above It All, which makes being Huge matter – while you’re Huge or larger (in your Titan Form), you ignore Difficult Terrain caused by heavy snow, ice, rubble, or undergrowth. And boy, what a narrow feature this one is. If ever there was something that’s too specific – this is it. I love the idea, but the execution is terrible.
Fortunately, at level 14, Monstrous Appetite lets you do actual giant monster things. For one, you can become Gargantuan at last. Two, you can grapple any creature you hit with a Rend as a free extra rider. And three, you can swallow your opponent whole. As a Bonus action, you pick one creature that’s Large or smaller (!), and they are blinded, restrained, and taking 2d8 acid damage at the start of each of your turns. You can have up to your Wisdom modifier creatures swallowed at once, as well.
All in all, I love the idea. I think there’s a little too much in the way of trying to keep it from feeling overpowered – it ends up seeming underpowered right up until level 14, but there’s a lot of potential there. But that’s just what I think. WotC wants to know what you think – so be sure and fill out the Villainous Options survey when it goes live on April 9th.
Check out the Circle of the Titan Druid at the link below!
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