D&D (2024) Playtest 8 Spell Discussion

Sure, which is polar opposite to Potterverse where they don't make anything up and learn from books and teachers.

This is wrong. If an apprentice gets every spell from his master, it's all going to be identical. There will be lots of duplication in voice, gestures, etc.
D&D Wizards cannot read each others spellbooks BECAUSE the methods of each spellcaster are idiosyncratic and unique.

A Wizard must use magic to decipher − namely to translate − the semantics of one Wizard into the semantics of an other Wizard.


(That said, I agree, the Potterverse are fundamentally D&D Wizards, despite innate magic, and Charisma potency.)
 

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I mean D&D litterally has a magic school setting that admits sorcerers. If sorcerers cannot learn or be taught, why would any go to Strixhaven?
Strixhaven admits Sorcerer students, analogous to how a university admits athlete students.

Sorcerers need to exercise and hone their talents.
 



Strixhaven admits barbarians. It also teaches actual knowledge(not spells in this example) to students, which sorcerers can use.

Through use. They gain them intuitively. They do not gain them via teaching.
I consider Barbarians "Primal magic". They belong in Strixhaven. Paladin "Divine magic" does too.

Athletes have innate muscles, and must use them to become great athletes. Those who have innate magic, must use it to become great mages.

Strixhaven also contributes to Background features during level 0.
 

CONJURE ANIMALS
Level 3 Conjuration (Druid, Ranger)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes


You summon nature spirits that take the form of a Large swarm of spectral animals in an unoccupied space that you can see within range.
The swarm lasts for the duration, and you choose the animal form of the spirits, such as wolves, serpents, or birds.

At the start of each of your turns, you may give the swarm a command that it obeys if it is within range,

Fetch: You describe a specific kind of plant, rock, metal, or item worth less than 10 gp and weighing less than 100 lbs. The swarm disappears and returns in 1 minute. When they return, it drops it at your feet if that object was within 5 miles and not in the possession of any creature.

Hunt: You describe a specific kind of plant or creature that was within the area during the last 24 hours. The swarm disappears and returns in 1 minute. When they return. you learn the direction and distance to that plant or creature if within 5 miles..

Maul: You can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 10 feet of the swarm. On a hit, the target takes Slashing or Poison damage (your choice) equal to 2d10 plus your spellcasting ability modifier.

Watch: You can use your action to see through the swarm’s eyes and hear what it hears, and continue to do so until you use your action to return to your normal senses.

When you Move on your turn, you can also move the swarm up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

CONJURE CELESTIAL
Level 7 Conjuration (Cleric)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You summon the protective presence of a Celestial spirit such as an angel or unicorn encased in a pillar of divine light that shines in a 10-foot-radius, 40-foot-high Cylinder centered on a point within range. Until the spell ends, Bright Light fills the Cylinder,

At the start of each of your turns, you may give a command to the spirit to bathe a creature is within range in one of the following lights:

Healing Light: The creature that isn’t an Undead or a Construct regains Hit Points equal to 4d12 plus your spellcasting modifier. A creature can be healed by this light only once per casting of this spell.
Revealing Light: The creature that isn’t an Beast or a Plant can speak and understand the Abyssal, Infernal, and Celestial language for the duration of the spell.
Searing Light: The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d12 Radiant damage on a failed save or half as much damage on successful one.

When you Move on your turn, you can also move the pillar up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of level 8 or higher, the healing and damage increase by 1d12 for each slot level

CONJURE ELEMENTAL
Level 5 Conjuration (Druid, Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You summon an Elemental that fills a 10-foot Cube within range. The spirit lasts for the duration and is composed of air, earth, fire, or water (your choice) when you cast this spell.

At the start of each of your turns, you may give the elemental a command that it obeys if it is within range.

Break: The elemental deals 8d8 damage of a type determined by the elemental’s element: Bludgeoning (earth), Cold (water), Fire (fire), or Lightning (air). to a nonliving structure or object within 30 feet of it.

Slam: The elemental make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet. . On a hit, the target takes 8d8 damage of a type determined by the elemental’s element: Bludgeoning (earth), Cold (water), Fire (fire), or Lightning (air). If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is also
pulled into the elemental and has the Restrained condition. At the start of each of its turns, the target must make a Strength saving throw
against your spell save DC. On a success, the target frees itself. On a failure, the target takes 4d8 damage of the same type as the spell attack.
The elemental can have only one creature restrained at a time.

When you Move on your turn, you can also move the elemental up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of level 6 or higher, the damage increases by 2d8 for each slot level above 5.

CONJURE FEY
Level 6 Conjuration (Druid)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You summon the awesome presence of a Medium Fey in an unoccupied space you can see within range. The spirit lasts for the duration, and it looks like a Fey creature of your choice such as a nymph or sylvan animal.

At the start of each of your turns, you may give the fey a command to place a glamour that it obeys if it is within range.

Charming Glamor: The fey forces a creature within 5 feet to make a Charisma saving throw or is Charmed by you and sees you as a trusted ally until the start of your turn.
Frightening Glamor: The fey makes a ranged spell attack against a creature within 30 feet. On a hit, the target takes Psychic damage equal to 3d12 plus your spellcasting ability modifier, and the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition until the start of your turn.
Illusion Glamor: The fey makes a creature look like you as if it casted disguise self on itself. The creature may make a Charisma saving throw at the start of every turn to end this effect.
Repeating Glamor: The fey repeats any words heard in any language in the Sylvan language. While this glamor is in effect, you can understand and speak the Sylvan language.

When you Move on your turn, you can also move the fey up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of level 7 or higher, the damage increases by 2d12 for each slot level above 6
 

Players need to flip back-and-forth between pages anyway to locate the spells of the appropriate levels as well as, the names of the spells for the appropriate classes.

Adding redundant information in the spell description − that is also necessarily inaccurate − is unhelpful.

Each class already has its own list of spells, including their levels grouping together.
Unhelpful to you.

It is has already been helpful to me. It has reduced my page-flipping during planning and scheming.
 


This finite class list in the spell description itself creates the misleading impression that other classes are unable to acquire these spells.

This impression is false.

The class list is misleading.
I disagree. It's exception-based design. There are always exceptions to the base rule, from feats (like Arcane Initiate), to subclasses, to magic items.

A Druid can use a staff to cast Vampiric Touch, and a Moon Druid can get access to it from their Circle Spell List. The granting of access to a spell only needs to be mentioned in the source that grants it, not in the base spell lists.

Now, we've also not seen such design where a spell belongs only to 1 subclass. Moon Druids don't have a Moon Druid-exclusive spell. But I don't think they'll go that way.
 

On the other hand it's wizards and druids only - and only works at near-melee range. Druids never get multi-attacks and even bladesingers don't really want to be in melee. It would be completely broken in the hands of e.g. warlocks but with the kit it works with is almost certainly fine unless Moon Druids break it.
I'd be a Druid or Wizard and use this spell for protection. Want to come at me? Meet my bodyguard.
 

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