D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal: "New Wizard"

"The paramount collector of spells."

Open your spellbooks, everybody. Today we get a Wizard video.

​

The last version of the class was in the UA Playtest 7 package (PT7). It's not clear how much they'll say here. Of the base class, I am hoping that they have recanted the level 5 ability, Memorize Spell (or perhaps shifted it to needing a short rest). They've said that the PHB will get clearer rules for how illusions work -- maybe they'll talk about that? Other than that, I think the most they can do is show us some revised spells: Will the revised version of Counterspell be kept? Any surprise Necromancy reveals? Let's find out.

OVERVIEW

• "the paramount collector of spells": "many" of new spells are for the wizard.
• As in PT7: cantrip change after long rest (level 1); scholar -- expertise in an academic field (at 2)
• NO MENTION OF ARCANE RECOVERY
• NEW: Ritual Adept broken out as a new class feature. They can cast spells in their spellbook, as before, but here ID'd as a new feature.
• NEW: Memorize Spell at 5: you can swap a spell after short rest.
• Each subclass gets a new version of Savant: free spells in spellbook of preferred school. 2 free spells of favored class, and a new spell for each spell level (so every 2 levels, as in the playtest. This isn't what is said in the video, but has been corrected elsewhere.

SUBCLASSES
Abjurer

• new abjuration spells feeds back onto how subclass functions.
• NEW: Arcane Ward at 3: resistance, immunity applied before the Arcane Ward.
• NEW: Projected Ward a 6: your friend's resistance is applied before the ward for them.
• NEW: Spell breaker at level 10: Counterspell and Dispell Magic are both prepared (PT7 did not include Counterspell). Dispell Magic is a bonus action.

Diviner

• NEW: Third Eye at 10. As in PT7, bonus action to activate; 120' darkvision, see invisibility. NO MENTION of Greater Comprehension ("read any language")

Evoker -- "all about bringing the boom"

• As in PT7: Potent Cantrip at 3 applies to cantrips both with a saving throw or an attack roll.

Illusionist -- "we felt that the subclass needed more" (YAY)

• NEW: Improved Illusions at level 3:
  • cast illusion spells with no verbal components. (FUN)
  • illusions with range with at least 10' is increased to 60' (no-- by 60' to 70').
  • you get minor illusion cantrip, with both visual and audible
  • you cast minor illusion as a bonus action.
• NEW: Phantasmal Creatures
  • summon beast and summon fey spells always prepared. These MAY BE changed from conjuration to Illusion, and the illusory version can be cast without expending a spell slot, but the summoned version, only with half the hit points. ONCE PER DAY.
  • illusions can step on a trap to set it off (?!)
  • (replacing Malleable Illusions, which I complained about here. This is so exciting.)
• NEW: Illusory Self triggered by you being hit by an attack (not when you are targeted). As in PT7, you can get more uses by giving up a spell slot of level 2+.

SPECIFIC SPELLS

• NEW: school shift to Abjuration: no examples
• Counterspell as in PT7.
• GUIDANCE ON ILLUSIONS in Rules Glossary. E.g. How are they affected by environment?
  • spell descriptions also clarified. Rules Glossary to be discussed in future video (also conditions, areas of effects, guidance on teleportation, telepathy, "
• "being dead" to be discussed in Cleric Video. Tease...

So this gave much more than I was expecting, and it looks amazing. Playing an illusionist will now be much more clearly not a "mother may I?" situation, which (I feel) has long been the case. I think I got most of what I'd asked for in the PT feedback.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

the whole swap a cantrip each day.... at some point why not just give wizards every wizard cantrip? I mean how many cantrips do you need?

Wizards: ALL OF THEM!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm not sure that I fully understand how an illusion would trigger a trap -unless the trap had a sight-based trigger.

They're quasi-real shadow creatures summoned by this specific class ability. It's a callback to 1E illusion shadow magic.

 

[Marandahir]

I think a broader array of more general, non-specialized wizard subclasses would be helpful, but honestly, I do like having the classic specialist subclasses as well.

I'd love more dual-school subclasses like the War Mage. Maybe a Beguiller Wizard specializing in Illusions & Enchantments? How about a Summoner Wizard specializing in Conjuration and Necromancy? A "Witch" Wizard specializing in Enchantments and Transmutations? A "Sha'ir" Wizard specializing in Evocations and Conjurations? A Shadowcaster Wizard specializing in Necromancy and Illusions? A Mystic Theurge Wizard specializing in Abjurations and Divinations (and includes access to limited healing spells from a Clericy list, now moved to Abjurations?).

 

[occam]

Those were nearly all new material, not small updates to existing material for what is ostensibly the same edition.

And I never said dlc was bad. But it is what it is.

Er, the Monstrous Manual, Skills & Powers, Expanded & Revised Dark Sun, Tome of Magic, etc., etc. might have something to say about 2e products that were "nearly all new material".

 

[Chaosmancer]

No necromancer?

I'm not sure that I fully understand how an illusion would trigger a trap -unless the trap had a sight-based trigger.

Being able to swap cantrip during a long rest seems consistent with the move toward using long rests as a way to respec your character.

Illusionist sounds cool, but I'm curious to see if the final product ends up being more OP. I know that a lot of people focus on evocation and damage (I don't,) but being able to mess with an enemy's senses can be a strong form of battlefield control.

The illusion spells in question are normally conjuration, and the change only reduces the creature's hp by 50%, not removing the fact it is a physical creature. It is a nice nod to the illusionist eventually making things more real as they gain power.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Force cage needs HP and concentration at the minimum.

Or perhaps each time it gets hit, you make another concentration save.

I'd say wall of force does as well. Force Constructs being immune to almost everything is a problem, and thematically unsatisfying. But those are spell changes, so I will keep the glimmer of hope alive (and use my homebrew ones if they decided not to change them)

 

[Micah Sweet]

Er, the Monstrous Manual, Skills & Powers, Expanded & Revised Dark Sun, Tome of Magic, etc., etc. might have something to say about 2e products that were "nearly all new material".

While some of those examples might suit your point to some degree, considering just how much material 2e put out it will still be a quite small percentage, and not really comparable to the swath of update material 5.5 players can look forward to purchasing again (just like 3.5 before it).

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I would have gone with four new subclasses, or use some from the supplements that were cool, and made one of the new ones School Specialist. That would at least be new content that could be converted back to 5e.

The pure number of class abilities that 8 different subclasses contain in order to capture the theme of each school cannot fit into a single "Specialist Scholar" subclass. I tried. And if the abilities aren't different and interesting to create diverse playstyles, there is no reason to do it that way. Diviner plays VERY different than Illusionist.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The pure number of class abilities that 8 different subclasses contain in order to capture the theme of each school cannot fit into a single "Specialist Scholar" subclass. I tried. And if the abilities aren't different and interesting to create diverse playstyles, there is no reason to do it that way. Diviner plays VERY different than Illusionist.

Then drop the school classes altogether in the PH, and use a different paradigm.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Then drop the school classes altogether in the PH, and use a different paradigm.

Sure, some might be bored that the schools have been around for 40 years, but I like the schools. I'm glad they are still part of the Core rules.

Another thing, this isn't a different game. If for nothing other than people playing using the 2014 PH wanting to translate their existing characters to the 2024 PH. All the other classes kept their core 2014 subclasses, and so did the Wizard. The designers did their best with Wizard and Cleric, with the limitations they felt they had to abide by, by picking the most iconic/popular subclasses to start. I know it's not perfect that not all Schools and Domains could make the transition in the updated Core book, but at least they covered the most popularly played ones and made them even more interesting.

The fact that there are still some un-updated 2014 Core Wizard and Cleric subclasses are the main reason I think we'll get future subclass refreshes. Which I LIKE because I like what they've been doing with the updates. Monsters will likely be a little more fun and scary (which most people have been clamoring for), which is allows the designers to find a new level of balance for the classes and subclasses. It seems a lot like the classes and subclasses are really not clones of each other, rather their diverse and flexible class and subclass abilities provide actual differences in playstyle (not just a theme nod), and offer a huge variety of ways to build one's character. Each Wizard will feel different.