D&D 5E Apprentice Wizard- Arcane Burst power

[Remathilis]

Do people think it should increase to 2d10 damage at 5th level if I were making an Advanced Apprentice Wizard? I was thinking that it should have been 1d6 to start but thinking that it is not really a cantrip, that it should stay at 1 dice and not increase to 2.

For what it's worth, the 8 specialist wizards also have AB as an ability, with different dice (2 - 4 d10, mostly 3d10) and damage types appropriate to the caster (Necro is necrotic, enchanter is psychic). There are no strict guidelines on the amount, but upping the dice is fine.

Here is the list
Abjurer CR 9, 3d10
Conjurer Cr 6 3d10
Diviner CR 8 3d10
enchanter CR 5 3d10
Evoker CR 9 4d10
Illusionist CR 3 2d10
Necromancer CR 9 4d10
Transmuter CR 5 3d10

 

[cbwjm]

I'd probably just make it up as a d10 force cantrip, scaling as normal.

I'd say the cantrip only gets the +2 because they are treating it like a weapon attack instead of the regular canteip rules, that is it gets an ability mod added to it. I'd potentially remove the +2 from the stat block, but wouldn't hurt to leave it in.

 

[aco175]

For what it's worth, the 8 specialist wizards also have AB as an ability, with different dice (2 - 4 d10, mostly 3d10) and damage types appropriate to the caster (Necro is necrotic, enchanter is psychic). There are no strict guidelines on the amount, but upping the dice is fine.

Here is the list
Abjurer CR 9, 3d10
Conjurer Cr 6 3d10
Diviner CR 8 3d10
enchanter CR 5 3d10
Evoker CR 9 4d10
Illusionist CR 3 2d10
Necromancer CR 9 4d10
Transmuter CR 5 3d10

Thank you, this clears up think a lot with how they plan on going foreword. I copied the Evoker below and it appears that the Arcane Burst scales with level and gets multiattack like Eldritch Blast. Each also gets a cool recharge power that seems to make up for less choice in spells and should help the DM run it better if the base arcane blast is powerful enough and the other spells are more filler.

I kind of picture all of them now like Harry Potter people with their wands zapping each other.

 

[Stormonu]

Yeah, I envision it either as straight up Eldritch Blast or Firebolt with some sort of energy substitution shtick/feat from a "subclass" or somesuch.

 

[Quickleaf]

I understand the big picture that they're trying to streamline stat blocks, but I really disagree with design choices here... for 3 reasons.

1) Especially the design choice to make an eldritch blast-adjacent at-will spell ALSO be usable as a melee attack. This completely sidesteps one of the advantages of closing into melee with a mage who typically would have ranged spell attacks, thus imposing disadvantage on those ranged spell attacks.

Had it just been the Evoker NPC with this ranged/melee dual functionality? That would be a cool way to distinguish evokers as battle-mages.

However, putting it on the Apprentice Wizard (and presumably other wizard stat blocks in MMotM)? Totally disagree with that approach.

2) They need to label things as spells or provide a clarification around counterspelling. Calling them "not spells" and giggling while thwarting a player's ability to counterspell is not a solution, it's a terrible hack that doesn't reflect any fiction.

3) Even the streamlining – i.e. having combat spell descriptions written out in the stat block – is half-baked. The Apprentice Wizard's burning hands is left up to GM to look up. The Evoker's ice storm, lightning bolt, and wall of ice are left up to the GM to look up. But why not go all the way and include those? And if it's "too much to fit", then cut what you don't need.

 

[pukunui]

1) Especially the design choice to make an eldritch blast-adjacent at-will spell ALSO be usable as a melee attack. This completely sidesteps one of the advantages of closing into melee with a mage who typically would have ranged spell attacks, thus imposing disadvantage on those ranged spell attacks.

Had it just been the Evoker NPC with this ranged/melee dual functionality? That would be a cool way to distinguish evokers as battle-mages.

Does it help if you think of it as a sort of eldritch blast + shocking grasp combo?

 

[Quickleaf]

Does it help if you think of it as a sort of eldritch blast + shocking grasp combo?

Oh, I'm not hung up on NPCs/monsters doing stuff with magic that's not available to players. That's cool.

The issue is more the world-building and player expectations. There's a reason we think "mage=artillerist", and imposing disadvantage on a ranged attacker is a very common reasonable tactic by a melee PC.

Assuming every wizard has not-shocking grasp strips that away though.

And it diminishes the option to distinguish certain types of NPC casters from each other (like I was saying this would fit for an Evoker).

 

[bedir than]

Oh, I'm not hung up on NPCs/monsters doing stuff with magic that's not available to players. That's cool.

The issue is more the world-building and player expectations. There's a reason we think "mage=artillerist", and imposing disadvantage on a ranged attacker is a very common reasonable tactic by a melee PC.

Assuming every wizard has not-shocking grasp strips that away though.

And it diminishes the option to distinguish certain types of NPC casters from each other (like I was saying this would fit for an Evoker).

I think I'll remove the melee notation from all but Evoker and Abjurer

 

[pukunui]

I think I'll remove the melee notation from all but Evoker and Abjurer

That seems fair, and I don't think it's a big enough change to affect CR, so I say go for it! These stats are made to be modified to suit our tastes after all.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm not a fan, because the first thing the mage PC is going to ask is "how do I learn that spell?" and "you can't" is a lousy response.

If the thing is a spell in the world, it should act like a spell.

If it is not a spell, that's fine, but then what is it and how does it work?

Maybe it's a magic item, maybe it's a weapon, maybe it's a trait of a particular kind or school...

But the attack is diegetic. It is a prop in the fiction. It is there in the improv environment for anyone to pick up and mess around with.

Mechanically, there's not much of a reason to not include this in the game somehow. Maybe a magic wand as a common magic item capable of basically "longbow, but use Int and apply force damage." Prereq that you're a spellcaster, maybe require attunement...

Because, honestly, if there's a space for this for monsters because "we just need some simple magic attack," then that's ALSO true for players.