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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Even the class most in need of a nerf gets a pile of new toys. Wee.

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Making the subclasses based strictly on the spell school is still a boring idea and I wish they had moved away from this.
On the other hand they picked the four with a strong practical identity that is distinct and accessible, doesn't require D&D lore (conjurer and transmuter I'm looking at you), isn't all about the summons (necromancer, possibly conjurer), and isn't trying to be charisma-based (Enchanter).

Instead we have defensive mage, blast mage, trickster, and detective. As a set that works. And all of them except maybe the blast mage synergise in concept with a deep spellbook.

And for arcane necromancer I'm in favour of a set of them; sorcerer for the focused animation, warlock for death knights and vampires, and the wizarding necromancer going into lore mastery and research as much as having replacable lab techs.
 

And for arcane necromancer I'm in favour of a set of them; sorcerer for the focused animation, warlock for death knights and vampires, and the wizarding necromancer going into lore mastery and research as much as having replacable lab techs.
I've wanted 5e to have Nethermancy back as a subclass of Wizard, I thought the Shadowcaster was a neat idea in 3.5e despite Tome of Magic being a failure in many ways. I'd see it as something between Illusionist and Necromancer much like how the War Mage is between Evoker and Abjurer.

Or at least have something like a Necromancer that's more about Shadows, Spectres and Wraiths instead of Zombies and Skeletons.
 

When they revisit the Artificer, I hope they shift away from the pseudo-steampunk stuff and more toward object oriented casting being their core identity. This is where rune magic should sit, and animistic fetish crafting, or incarnum style objects made of pure magic.
I think the Artificer's core identity is strongly steampunk, rune magic stuff would be a secondary flavour like Urban Rangers and Urban Barbarians. Among changes I hope they do, give them the new True Strike as a cantrip or let them be the 2nd best (of the published by WotC classes Rangers should be the best) at using Pistols and Muskets.
 



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