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.

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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.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Alright, the important part, the art:

• Main Wizard, Aasamir female
• Abjurer, edit: Dwarf male! End editnot clear if thisnis the actual key art since it breaks format, but it seems to be a Human female hanging out with Driz'zt
• Diviner, Tiefling female
• Evoker, Elf male
• Illusionist, Gnome female

View attachment 369569View attachment 369570View attachment 369571View attachment 369572

And a bunch of fun Spell art, with some familiar faces (Melf, Bigby, Tasha, etc.)

View attachment 369573View attachment 369574View attachment 369575View attachment 369576View attachment 369577View attachment 369578View attachment 369579View attachment 369580View attachment 369581View attachment 369582View attachment 369583

Heh, when I saw them changing the formatting on this, I was thinking of how it might end up messing with your count. They really wanted to show off the spell art a lot of the time.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Man, the art has a lot of scars on a lot of the PCs - which, of course, is pretty appropriate for their lifestyle!

Hey, they trust in their spells. Dodging an axe after setting up their ward would just show they lack confidence.

Not dodging the next three times might be stubborness, but they are sure the fifth time is the charm.

 

[Chaosmancer]

the fact that memorize spell still exists is a HUGE buff in versatility to the wizard. the fact that it now takes an hour means it won't be the insta solution to every problem, just some of the more important ones. That + ritual casting means wizards will always have a tool for every job.

Yeah, it was one of the single biggest things I wanted them to change from the playtest. Being able to swap any spells with a single minute of prep was just insane. A short rest is far more reasonable.

 

[Undrave]

Wizards and clerics have more built-in variety expected by the players of those classes. They're simply not equal in that regard.

Boo friggin' hoo. Well, maybe if WOTC had been more daring we would have gotten a Warlock style set up for Clerics to add more build options without monopolizing the page count and then all the School Specialists could have been a single sub class for the Wizard.

Boring subclasses and the only interesting Feature "Memorize Spell" made useless with the short rest limitation (before you could use your repertoire on utility spells for problems you encountered .. which made you fell smart and lets you use your niche utility-spells, but waiting one hour will be often way to long).

Well you can let another party member try while you get your cheat code ready.

I do wish that "School Specialist" was one subclass somehow, and then it could branch out from there (though I do struggle what what would replace it - War Wizard, Order of Scribes, Alchemist?). I almost wish "Artificer" was simply a wizard subclass at times because the current implementation is a bit too narrow.

School Specialist/Academician Wizard, the War Wizard (with 4e implements because those were cool), Order of the Scribes with a ritual bent, and finally the Lorehunter, a Wizard specializing in plundering ruins for arcane secrets with more physical skills and some Rogue touches.

But WOTC doesn't dare enough.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Illusions have always been sketchy in implementation though. I always figured that was their strength: versatility.

Yeah. It is.

 

[Baron Opal II]

Crawford misspeaking is going to be the death of me. Sitting through the entire video thinking wizards were getting three spells every level, but that isn't how the Savant abilities work.

Geeze.

It's not? That's a relief. Could you explain what he meant?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Okay, didn't see anyone talking about this as I read through the thread, and this is a pretty decent change. I know not everyone watches the videos, but of those that do, fewer check the articles and @Kobold Stew it looks like the OP is not updated with clarity on this.

In the video, Crawford says that the Savant abilities allow a wizard to get a new spell of their school whenever they gain a wizard level. This is wrong, he misspoke. The article clarifies it works like it did in the playtest. They get a new spell of their school, whenever they gain ACCESS to a new spell level. So two new spells at the start (when they have access to 1st and 2nd spells) and then one each for 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells.

Edit: @Baron Opal II almost ninja'd you ROFLOL

 

[Undrave]

Shadow conjuration/Demi Shadow magic was always a part of the illusionist shtick.

I wonder if the Illusionist gets any buff to their Deception skill?

the fact that memorize spell still exists is a HUGE buff in versatility to the wizard. the fact that it now takes an hour means it won't be the insta solution to every problem, just some of the more important ones. That + ritual casting means wizards will always have a tool for every job.

Batman needs his prep time

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Okay, didn't see anyone talking about this as I read through the thread, and this is a pretty decent change. I know not everyone watches the videos, but of those that do, fewer check the articles and @Kobold Stew it looks like the OP is not updated with clarity on this.

In the video, Crawford says that the Savant abilities allow a wizard to get a new spell of their school whenever they gain a wizard level. This is wrong, he misspoke. The article clarifies it works like it did in the playtest. They get a new spell of their school, whenever they gain ACCESS to a new spell level. So two new spells at the start (when they have access to 1st and 2nd spells) and then one each for 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells.

Edit: @Baron Opal II almost ninja'd you ROFLOL

Good. I was worried that we run out of spells to chose from too fast.

 

[Undrave]

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?

This is like that Land Druid from yesterday: they go out of their way to minimize player error in character build, but in doing so they introduce a whole non-committal feel to the game that drains the identity out of characters.