Because they share the same fundamental idea, specializing in a specific school, and because this would tamp down the "Wizard has eight freaking PHB subclasses" thing.Then why are they one subclass?
There is little in common between them.
Precisely. I would present it more like this though.When I say One Subclass, I mean something like this:
Wizard: School Master
Boring Fluff Text
School Savant
When you select this subclass at level X, choose one school of magic for you to master. The gold and time you must spend to copy a spell into your spellbook from that school is halved.
School Masters
At Xnd Level, you gain a special form of magic based on what school you chose to master as part of School Savant
If you chose abjuration, you gain Arcane Ward, if you chose Conjuration, gain Minor Conjuration. If you chose Divination, you gain Portent. If you chose Enchantment, you gain Hypnotic Gaze. If you Chose Evocation, you gain sculpt spell. If you chose illusion, you gain Improved Minor Illusion. If you chose Necromancy, you gain Grim Harvest. If you chose Transmutation, you gain Minor Alchemy.
ect ect
School | Feature |
Abjuration | Arcane Ward |
Conjuration | Minor Conjuration |
Divination | Portent |
Enchantment | Hypnotic Gaze |
Evocation | Sculpt Spells |
Illusion | Improved Minor Illusion |
Necromancy | Grim Harvest |
Transmutation | Minor Alchemy |
then what should replace them?I'd much rather abandon spell schools than crush them all into one subclass.
i suggested this in the survivor companion thread a bit back but more relevant to this discussionthen what should replace them?
If subclasses got removed, I'd want a huge amount more classes instead.None. Remove subclasses entirely. They do nothing but decrease player imagination and add power/features. (There is some merit in an archetype design to help players define a direction for their PC, if they really need one.)
Wizards, more so than probably than any other class, can define itself by their spell selection, focusing on utility, combat, summoning, or whatever--including a "general" practitioner.
Now, if you want subclasses:
- Combat - focuses on combat spells, dealing massive damage or protecting others
- Lore - desires to uncover secrets and gain knowledge
- Specialist - studies one aspect (school?) of magic to the determent of others
- Summoner - uses conjured creatures in whatever role (servants, combatants, etc.)
- Utility - emphasis on making adventuring (general life) easier
I would stay away from "themes" (e.g. necromancer, firemage, etc.) and allow those to develop by spell choice and role-play. A "Necromancer" could be accomplished either via Combat, Lore, Summoner easily.
I understand why, but don't agree for the reasons stated in my first post. To avoid thread derailing, I'll leave it at that. If you want a discussing about it, feel free to message me.If subclasses got removed, I'd want a huge amount more classes instead.
I understand why, but don't agree for the reasons stated in my first post. To avoid thread derailing, I'll leave it at that. If you want a discussing about it, feel free to message me.