D&D (2024) Spell Theif is not as bad aa it looks.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

This trick could be useful for setting up some combos that require multiple concentration spells. It doesn't matter so much that the original caster loses access to a spell, when he's going to be busy concentrating on something else anyway.

 

[Argyle King]

Can multiple Rogues spell-thief the same casting of a spell?

 

[RangerWickett]

You have to wait until 17th level for your Arcane Trickster rogue to steal spells?

All them Arcane Tricksters should have chosen to be Last Raven wizards, who learn to filch magic from 2nd level. Last Raven | Level Up

 

[Mistwell]

I just don't see it. The guy who casts it loses it for 8 hours and you get it ... but he has more spell slots at that level.

Also preparing a spell is not free and at high level most casters are preparation limited. Giving up one so the Rogue can use it does not seem like a good trade.

This is especially true when the Rogue probably has a crappy Intelligence. I play ATs a lot and if I play on point buy, most of them have an 8 Intelligence.

Apparently an Int-based Rogue using True Strike and a ranged weapon is the new hotness?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

You have to wait until 17th level for your Arcane Trickster rogue to steal spells?

All them Arcane Tricksters should have chosen to be Last Raven wizards, who learn to filch magic from 2nd level. Last Raven | Level Up

I've always felt spell leeching should have been the main thing of the warlock (way more than eldritch pew-pew). Give them a very few spells based on their patron, but give them a bunch of spell filching per day to steal other spells to use during the day.

 

[mellored]

Can multiple Rogues spell-thief the same casting of a spell?

Yes.

 

[RangerWickett]

I've always felt spell leeching should have been the main thing of the warlock (way more than eldritch pew-pew). Give them a very few spells based on their patron, but give them a bunch of spell filching per day to steal other spells to use during the day.

I'm not sure what to name such a class, but yeah, I'd like someone who operates kinda like, I dunno, Magic: the Gathering logic. You need to 'tap mana' from your environment to power your spells. So like, there'd need to be some system for gathering power one turn, then using it to pump out a spell the next turn.

I think I'd enjoy that style - charge your laser, then fire your laser - more than the Vancian stuff we've had for ages.

Or better yet: assess what energy is in the environment, and then have access to different magical effects depending on those energies. And maybe you could have previously established a deep metaphysical link to some power source which you could draw upon anywhere, which would be your primary type of magic. But a lot of spellcasting would be opportunistic.

Like the MacGuyver of sorcery.

 

[Ashrym]

Rogue is now unaffected by that firewall, being able to walk back and forth though it for the rest of the battle. Plus he has an extra firewall to cast.

I'm not sure I'm misreading your post or missing something from the rules. It looks to me like you're saying arcane tricksters gain a free casting of that spell.

Level 17: Spell Thief​

You gain the ability to magically steal the knowledge of how to cast a spell from another spellcaster.

Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can take a Reaction to force the creature to make an Intelligence saving throw. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell’s effect against you, and you steal the knowledge of the spell if it is at least level 1 and of a level you can cast (it doesn’t need to be a Wizard spell). For the next 8 hours, you have the spell prepared. The creature can’t cast it until the 8 hours have passed.

Once you steal a spell with this feature, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

The main benefit I see here is being able to use a reaction to save oneself from a spell effect. The lack of 4th level spell slots seems to restrict wall of fire drastically as far as casting it goes. It looks to me like it's just a spell prepared still requiring that one limited spell slot.

Can multiple Rogues spell-thief the same casting of a spell?

I don't see why not.

 

[Argyle King]

Reading more, the spell-thief ability actually seems worse than I first thought.

You might be able to get higher spells than 3rd level if you multiclass into a caster class. However, at that point, the game is already at high level and being able to steal one 3rd level spell isn't that great most of the time.

With new monster design leaning toward giving monsters magical abilities that aren't spells, I'm not even sure how often spell-thief works -even in scenarios where I think it should.

The concept is a cool idea. But I'm not sure that how it interacts with other parts of the game works out very well.

 

[ECMO3]

1: rogue 20 gets a free crit. Any attack spell would be great (Blinding smite)

To steal Blinding smite the Rogue actually has to be hit with an attack and damaged and your party just lost a Paladin Smite on this as well as the ability to cast Blinding Smite. Also you are giving up Cunning Action when you do this.

Moreover you are trading a crit on a sneak attack for a crit on a spell attack of 4th level or lower. I can't think of any example where this would be a good trade.

2: AT 6 gives the target disadvantage on the first save. Meaning your more accurate

Yeah this can be good, but most Rogues have a crappy intelligence. Pushing Intelligence makes this a lot better, but not many do this.

3: Paladin just spent his last level 3 slot on Crusaders Mantle, so no real penalty for taking a copy.

The Paladin needs a 3rd level slot to cast Blinding Smite on you so you can steal it. So he spends his last slot targeting you.

4: your surrounded, and allies can drop a zone on you without worry of friendly fire

That can be a good use of it if the caster does not mind losing the spell, but it is hardly OP.powerful IMO.