If you divide the spell tropes into three major themes, namely, Life, Mind, and Elements:
Bard = Life and Mind
Druid = Life and Elements
Wizard = Mind and Elements
Mainly, the Wizard feels like Renaissance protoscience. Hence the complex books.
There are a handfull of Life-trope spells in the Wizard class spell list, like Regeneration, Alter Self, Enlargement, even Find Familiar if the familiar is a natural beast. But the Life spells are rare, and can be easily deleted.
I would split off all necromantic stuff into its own class, mainly being death or undeath to Life, but also including fear, forgetfulness, and insanity to Mind, and void and erosion to Elements.
Probably leave the celestial/fiend stuff to the Cleric/Warlock.
The Feywild is very Bard-like, also emphasizing Life and Mind, even art, song, enchantment, and beauty.
Anyway this three-way pairing of themes keeps the three mage classes distinct from each other.
It also helps the Wizard focus better on a distinctive flavor, and explains why they dont normally do healing magic.
Bard = Life and Mind
Druid = Life and Elements
Wizard = Mind and Elements
Mainly, the Wizard feels like Renaissance protoscience. Hence the complex books.
There are a handfull of Life-trope spells in the Wizard class spell list, like Regeneration, Alter Self, Enlargement, even Find Familiar if the familiar is a natural beast. But the Life spells are rare, and can be easily deleted.
I would split off all necromantic stuff into its own class, mainly being death or undeath to Life, but also including fear, forgetfulness, and insanity to Mind, and void and erosion to Elements.
Probably leave the celestial/fiend stuff to the Cleric/Warlock.
The Feywild is very Bard-like, also emphasizing Life and Mind, even art, song, enchantment, and beauty.
Anyway this three-way pairing of themes keeps the three mage classes distinct from each other.
It also helps the Wizard focus better on a distinctive flavor, and explains why they dont normally do healing magic.
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