D&D (2024) Memorize Spell is one of the most obnoxious abilities I've ever seen, despite being perfectly on-theme (Packet 7)

[Scribe]

This is the sole reason I'm in two minds about this spell. It's like, if you're not going to fix the spells, this is going to make it way worse, but, it's pretty bad already.

If it goes live I do expect this ability to be rated top-tier on every guide and there to be extensive advice on how to abuse it maximally.

Bleh! Its just terrible design. I must now go back to work, grumbling over this.

 

[Amrûnril]

I think this is a case where the issue isn't so much the ability itself but what the ability's being stacked on top of. Being able to access any spell in their book given a bit of study time seems quite thematic for the Wizard- I'd argue more so than being able to access a dozen spells at 6 seconds notice. But if the developers aren't willing to tone down the number of spells available at 6 seconds notice, then even otherwise thematic improvements to the flexibility of spell preparation start to seem like too much.

 

[ChameleonX]

Maybe limit it to INT mod times per day?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Maybe limit it to INT mod times per day?

This goes against a core 5e game philosophy that INT should never, ever be usable.

 

[DavyGreenwind]

I actually really appreciate this ability. I generally am annoyed at the whole "prepare spells every morning" thing. It's my least favorite part of Vancian magic.

Nothing is lamer than coming across the perfect situation where you can finally cast that one niche spell, but ope, you didn't prepare it, so either wait all night or miss the moment.

I think it is a huge quality of life fix. I too have used homebrew rules similar to this, especially with newer players.

 

[Pedantic]

But with the D&DO version you don't lose the specific spell that you cast, which you would in D&D 3.0.

In 3.5 if you had one slot unassigned you could spend 15 minutes to prep some spell there, and then you had no more flexible slots. But with this system you don't have that limitation. There is also no risk with the new version, since you will never find yourself with unassigned spell slots that you can't spend.

The 1 minute timeframe is definitely better, but I think the rest is pretty comparable, given the increased number of slots and automatic scaling 3.5 wizards enjoyed. This feels more like a modern version of an old ability than anything wildly out of the blue. Though, I am curious what the tier list of spells for it ends up being, given the ground already covered by rituals.

 

[Dionysos]

I like it. You have other full caster classes with full knowledge of a big spell list, who can have up to ten spells always prepared on top of the usual roster of prepared spells. Letting wizards swap out prepared spells doesn’t break the game, compared to that, and actually makes the spellbook seem like a cool thing to have.

Baldur’s Gate 3 lets all prepared casters swap out prepared spells any time outside combat, so basically the same thing as this ability. It’s a fantastic rule change. It means you actually use niche utility spells you’d never waste a preparation slot on, otherwise. Let’s bring some of that into the tabletop game.

 

[darjr]

I like it. You have other full caster classes with full knowledge of a big spell list, who can have up to ten spells always prepared on top of the usual roster of prepared spells. Letting wizards swap out prepared spells doesn’t break the game, compared to that, and actually makes the spellbook seem like a cool thing to have.

Baldur’s Gate 3 lets all prepared casters swap out prepared spells any time outside combat, so basically the same thing as this ability. It’s a fantastic rule change. It means you actually use niche utility spells you’d never waste a preparation slot on, otherwise. Let’s bring some of that into the tabletop game.

So it is a BG3 thing? Interesting. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it came from the tt game, from inside wotc dev, first.

 

[darjr]

Would it be better if it cost you a prepared spell? Or cost you a spell slot like it was a cast? Or both?

 

[darjr]

Way back when I used to let Magic Users cast spells out of their spell book like a scroll. But they would lose that spell and the pages out of their book, with a chance that they'd lose the whole book.