D&D General Why Do You Think Wizards Are Boring?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

One of the things I do miss with wizards is the old specialists from 2e/3e. You'd get bonuses bit you'd have penalties via losing access to spell schools. I like that since it helped make specialist wizards different while alao making generalist wizards a good option if you wanted better access to spell schools.

The more I think about it, the more I think giving 5E wizards a very small list of "general" spells and then giving more spell access by subclass (many of which replicate the 2E specialist wizards) is the way to go. It could effectively give banned spell schools while still offering the possibility that PC wizards could hunt down those other spells in other ways, if the player was extremely keen to.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The more I think about it, the more I think giving 5E wizards a very small list of "general" spells and then giving more spell access by subclass (many of which replicate the 2E specialist wizards) is the way to go. It could effectively give banned spell schools while still offering the possibility that PC wizards could hunt down those other spells in other ways, if the player was extremely keen to.

This, of course, is how the best and most inspiring sorcerer subclasses work. A small list of sorcerer core spells, and then either divine spells, divination and enchantment (aberrant mind), or abjuration and transmutation (clockwork soul).

 

[Baron Opal II]

I've adapted the temple spell lists from Tekumel with some success. It's a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, but hey, it's all fruit.

First level spells from the various traditions a pretty much all the same. There are a few that are missing, pyromancers not having darkness for example, but the everyone learns the "fundamentals of magic".

Sixth level spells are all unique, and there aren't that many of them. The Earth Mother has earthquake and hero's feast, and the pyromancers have firestorm.

Third and fourth are a blend. The war gods share some spells, most of the gods of light share some spell, and so on. About a quarter of the temples / guilds / whatever share a particular spell.

It works for me.