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.
 

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I just mentioned that in diablo, the necromancer was DLC.
I have not heard people speaking of download content for D&D.

It just sounds like you are using a computer game term to accuse wotc of holding back a class intentionally to make people spend an overproportional amount of money on a small packet of contend.
...I kinda think they are though.
 

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I'm wondering if the Summon X spells got more options like Summon Abberation did (it gained a Mindflayer option). Perhaps they all have 4 like Summon Elemental did now. I also hope the Fey and Celestial summons are more flavourful like Fiend, Elemental, Aberration, etc..., the Fey and Celestial options were super generic in flavour.
 

Thanks for that, explains why it looked like Spell art and had a major literary character hanging around!

Yeah, that was a typo, oops.

Fixed!
Should be noted all three of those characters in the spell art are major character. Laeral Silverhand (the open lord of Waterdeep), Vajra Safahr (the Blackstaff/High Mage of Waterdeep and also on the Monster Manual cover), and Drizzt.
 


The Illusionist getting free conjuration spells is funny, its like the majored in Illusions, minored in conjuration.
I think the idea of conjuring up illusory creatures that are nonetheless still dangerous is quite thematic, actually.

Reminds me of a certain witch from a visual novel I adore.

Runs away before Beatrice the Golden can drag him back to Rokkenjima
 
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Should be noted all three of those characters in the spell art are major character. Laeral Silverhand (the open lord of Waterdeep), Vajra Safahr (the Blackstaff/High Mage of Waterdeep and also on the Monster Manual cover), and Drizzt.
I reckon you are correct!
 

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