D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook preview: "New Spells"

[UngeheuerLich]

I think we saw the nerfs in the UA. The rest are just going to be buffs, because, they buffed warrior types, they need to give casters double that.

Which is totally not true. Or do you have more insight than we?

We will surely see nerfs to spells without save ends.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Oooh... A hint that sorcerers will get bonus spells in all their subclasses?

Not sure if this has been said already, but Treantmonk in his video hinted that was the case. I hope it is new spells as a subclass list, not just new spells in abilities, like I first thought.

 

[Chaosmancer]

1/long rest.

Never quite understood by Prayer of Healing giving a short rest needed to be limited to once per day. If I'm spending the spell slots on it, that feels fine to me.

 

[deadman1204]

so just enough changes to require spending more money, but not really even a full 5.5 edition.
Imagine if they designed the game for people who play the game - especially past lvl 6. I know I'm asking alot but...

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

The Magic Weapon spell is level 2 (castable at level 3 by a full caster, or level 7 by an Eldritch Knight), and makes a weapon a +1 weapon. Upcasting to a 4th level spell (castable at level 7 by a full caster, or level 19 by an Eldritch Knight) makes a +2 weapon.

Magic Weapon is useless in most games. I feel bad for the dirt farmer game where people don't have +1 weapons by 7th level.

Ditching the Gish cantrips was a mistake. They're balanced over other cantrips by requiring multiple attributes (str/dex and a caster stat)

 

[Chaosmancer]

So, a few things.

1) I've been playing a playtest cleric with the new cure spells for a few months now, and it is such a nice feeling. 2d8+mod, with an additional 2d8 per spell level means that when I Cure Wounds the paladin, I can actually keep him going for two or three rounds depending on how many enemies hit him. I actually combo'd a 2nd level Cure Wounds with a use of Aura of Vitality to heal 30+ hp in a single turn with my cleric (it was also the most effective I could be, since I was hit with Mass Suggestion and could no longer take aggressive action towards the enemies for the rest of the day). I am 300% behind this change, because healing no longer feels like a waste of everyone's time mid-combat. Bonus points, I have rarely felt the need to utilize Healing Word, and actually would prefer to use Cure wounds a lot of the time. Since I can actually make a significant difference with the Cure Wounds I save Healing Word for if I can't reach an ally or if I also want to be dishing out some damage. It isn't the go-to healing spell.

2) The change to Guidance actually sounds like a really good change. I'm imagining it lasts longer now, which means you can hit someone with guidance 10 minute or an hour (they didn't specify) before they take a particular set of actions, and then guide them on the skill checks specifically you want to guide them on. This cuts down on spamming (you are boosting persuasion checks right now, not athletic checks), gives a better feeling of preparation, and still maintains a lot of usefulness. I am hesitantly hopeful I will like this a lot.

3) Polymorph.... Treantmonk said that these spells sometimes give a lot of Temp Hp, so it may be that this is not a major nerf... but it is a nerf, and I think a good one. Polymorph had some bizarre interactions. Polymorhp a Pit Fiend into a sheep, cast Power Word: Kill, Pit Fiend is dead. Polymorph them into a fish, bury them, suffocate them, they die. Alternatively, you could polymorph the injured fighter into a Giant Ape, essentially healing them 160 hp, and that was more effective than any healing spell in the game. I had seen a lot of optimizers calling Polymorph the best healing spell in 5e because of this.

It kind of did everything. And I'm sure some of the edge cases are still there, but the rework makes me think that not only will Polymoprh stop being one of the best spells for any situation, but there may eb really good reasons to look at True Polymorph or Shapechange when they become available.

 

[mellored]

I think it's a bit of a shame, almost criminal that there isn't a simple elemental-damage-add weapon cantrip spell. Add like a d4 or d6 fire/ice/thunder/acid/lightning to a weapon attack, like a scaled down flamestongue/frostblade weapon for eldritch knight/hexblade/ranger/paladin types.

Elemental weapon was in 2014.

Conjure Minor Elemental scales it up in the playtest.

 

[TwoSix]

Never quite understood by Prayer of Healing giving a short rest needed to be limited to once per day. If I'm spending the spell slots on it, that feels fine to me.

I'm assuming it's to prevent abuse from a warlock who multiclasses to gain the spell. I can't think of any super problematic combos off the top of my head, but getting a new max level spell slot every 10 minutes on top of the healing from PoH has to allow some kind of shenanigans.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

"CURE WOUNDS cures more damage"

LOL of course it does. Ties in great with bonus action potion drinking.

It's a good thing cause it was basically not worth casting in the past.

 

[Stalker0]

I think the million dollar question is.... which spells (if any) lost their concentration?

There are a lot of pretty solid spells in the mid-level that are CRUSHED by concentration. Its a spell that seems nice, until you realize it would deny you the use of your super strong concentration spell....and into the trash it goes. remove that, and its a brand new ballgame for a lot of spells.