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.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Backing to Evoker vs a Sorcerer lets check numbers.
Pure blasting damage.
A dragon sorcerer level 6 casts Quicken and Empowered fireball for average 37 fire damage plus empowered Firebolt that have advantage on attack rolls for extra 17 fire damage. With better DC.
For average 54 damage on a single target and 37 damage AOE

The Evoker level 6 casts fireball that deals average 28 damage AoE.

The wizard does 28 damage against 54 (68% higher than wizard).

IMO. If you actually want to prove the sorcerer is a better blaster than an evoker wizard you want to show the sorcerer outdo the wizard when the wizard is at his best. His best is when blasting needs done around allies and when he gets a short rest to restore a 3rd level slot.

This means he gets 4 fireballs at level 6 and essentially has the careful spell metamagic on each.

The Sorcerer will choose careful spell metamagic to mimic this and empowered for his two total metamagics at level 6.

It takes the level 6 sorcerer 5 sorcery points to get back 1 3rd level spellslot. That leaves the sorcerer with 1 sorcery point and the ability to recharge 3 for a total of 4 remaining in the adventuring day.

So the wizard casts 4 fireballs that don't hurt allys. The sorcerer can just match that, but his get a +4 damage bonus due to fire dragon sorc damage boost. He can also potentially give them +1 to save DC over the wizard. And in the event a fireball doesn't need careful spell, he can give it an average of about a +5 or so damage boost (sorcery point limited).

Sorcerer is clearly a better blaster, but it's only by something like 32 vs 28 damage for most fireballs.

He has better ac, hp. And when he's down to just cantrips they likely have advantage.

However, the wizard has rituals, a better spell list (assumed based on 2014) and more control over their chosen spells (subclass spells are nice, but they aren't usually anywhere near the best spells you could have picked if given the choice).

I'm confident saying dragon sorcerer is a better blaster class than evoker wizard, but it's not as far ahead as you make it seem and the wizard is likely much better at many non-blasting activities, at least at the levels people typically play.
 

log in or register to remove this ad


they have mentioned already that low level scrolls are easily craftable and readily available since it is now done with the calligraphy tool. It will more than likely be easy for a wizard to have 1-3 level spells scrolls that they can transcribe into their spell books.
That generally requires actually knowing the spell you want to make a scroll for. If your assertion is correct and it doesn't require the spell known in some way then so too could a sorcerer warlock cleric rogue fighter or barbarian find it "easy to have 1-3 level spell scrolls [and completely outclasswhst versatility the wizard's rituals+spellbook provides]"
 

As of the last playtest, the metamagic changes where...

Extended: adds Advantage on concentration

Seeking Spell: now cost 1 instead of 2

Subtle: still need costly or consumed components.

Twinned 1 SP: +1 spell level on spells that have "At Higher Levels: ... you can target on additional.."*

*presumably they will have more spells that scale that way. Warlocks would like more scaling spells too.
Heightein Spell now cost 2 instead of 3 and apply disadvantage for any spell save.


Metamagic — Level 2​

Metamagic, the Sorcerer’s trademark feature, has seen some upgrades: You now get this feature at level 2 instead of level 3, and you learn two additional Metamagic options at level 10 and 17 instead of one. You can also change one Metamagic option when you level up. Additionally, the two optional Metamagic options introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything have now been incorporated into the core class.

Six of the ten Metamagic options were tweaked. If you don’t see a Metamagic option in the list below, it remains unchanged from the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

  • Careful Spell: Now protects your allies from taking half damage on a successful save. Next time your Barbarian is surrounded, throw a Fireball at their feet without fear of harming your friend.
  • Extended Spell: You now also have Advantage on saving throws made to maintain Concentration on spells affected by this Metamagic.
  • Heightened Spell: Costs 2 Sorcery Points instead of 3. Now also affects all subsequent saves a target makes against the heightened spell. (Hello, my old friends: Hold Person and Slow.)
  • Seeking Spell: Costs 1 Sorcery Point instead of 2. You can still use this Metamagic option even if you are using another one on that same spell.
  • Subtle Spell: Now allows you to ignore Material components as well, as long as those Material components do not have a cost specification and are not consumed by the spell.
  • Twinned Spell: This Metamagic option has been reconfigured. Now, Twinned Spell applies to spells that can be upcast to target an additional creature, such as Banishment, increasing the spell’s effective level by 1. It also only costs 1 Sorcery Point. So, for example, if you are level 7, you can’t yet cast Banishment at the 5th level slot necessary to target another creature, but you can cast it at 4th level and spend 1 Sorcery Point to twin it!
 

IMO. If you actually want to prove the sorcerer is a better blaster than an evoker wizard you want to show the sorcerer outdo the wizard when the wizard is at his best. His best is when blasting needs done around allies and when he gets a short rest to restore a 3rd level slot.

This means he gets 4 fireballs at level 6 and essentially has the careful spell metamagic on each.

The Sorcerer will choose careful spell metamagic to mimic this and empowered for his two total metamagics at level 6.

It takes the level 6 sorcerer 5 sorcery points to get back 1 3rd level spellslot. That leaves the sorcerer with 1 sorcery point and the ability to recharge 3 for a total of 4 remaining in the adventuring day.

So the wizard casts 4 fireballs that don't hurt allys. The sorcerer can just match that, but his get a +4 damage bonus due to fire dragon sorc damage boost. He can also potentially give them +1 to save DC over the wizard. And in the event a fireball doesn't need careful spell, he can give it an average of about a +5 or so damage boost (sorcery point limited).

Sorcerer is clearly a better blaster, but it's only by something like 32 vs 28 damage for most fireballs.

He has better ac, hp. And when he's down to just cantrips they likely have advantage.

However, the wizard has rituals, a better spell list (assumed based on 2014) and more control over their chosen spells (subclass spells are nice, but they aren't usually anywhere near the best spells you could have picked if given the choice).

I'm confident saying dragon sorcerer is a better blaster class than evoker wizard, but it's not as far ahead as you make it seem and the wizard is likely much better at many non-blasting activities, at least at the levels people typically play.

Im talking about 52 damage vs 28 wizard on a turn.
Also, Arcane Recover is gone. Wizards cant regain a spell slot when short rest anymore. Also The evoker must waste spells slots and prepared spell for Mage Armor. For sorcerer AC is free and more prepared spells choices.

Careful can be applied not only to blasting spell and cast careful fear / Hypnotic Pattern spell ending an encounter. The wizard cant do it.
Now sorcerers can cast ritual spells, but here wizards shine, if your DM allows news spells.
 
Last edited:






Related Articles

Remove ads

Remove ads

Top