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.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Wizard gets to change a prepared spell on a short rest.
And all subclasses get 1 known spell per level of their school instead of the faster copying.

That's the only major change to the base class.

Illusionist got a rewrite. Illusion spells got more guidelines on how to run them, but not any indication of what that is.

I also bet we see a nerf of the peak power of a wizard due to adding more saves to spells.

 

[Argyle King]

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.

 

[Gorck]

Yeah that would be a good idea, IMO. You could pick your spells to favour offence or defence.

Dunno about your other mixes. Illusion and Enchantment to form a Beguiler of sort is another nice idea.

Here a nonsensical idea that I once threw together:

Spoiler: Wizard Subclasses Reimagined

WIZARD SUBCLASSES REIMAGINED​

WAR MAGE (Abjuration/Evocation) – Evocation for offensive magic and Abjuration for defensive magic

3 War Savant: Chooses two Abjuration and/or Evocation spells from the Wizard spell list [. . .] In addition, whenever you gain access to a new level of spell slots in this class, you can add one Abjuration and/or Evocation from the Wizard spell list [ . . .]

3 Potent Cantrip (Evoker): UA 7

6 Sculpt Spells (Evoker): UA 7

10 Spell Breaker (Abjurer): UA 7

14 Spell Resistance (Abjurer): UA7

DARK SUMMONER (Conjuration/Necromancy) – Necromancy to summon undead beings and Conjuration to summon living beings as well as inanimate objects

3 Summoner Savant: Chooses two Conjuration and/or Necromancy spells from the Wizard spell list [. . .] In addition, whenever you gain access to a new level of spell slots in this class, you can add one Conjuration and/or Necromancy from the Wizard spell list [ . . .]

3 Grim Harvest (Necromancer): 2014 PHB

6 Master Summoner (Necromancer) NEW: learn Summon Undead (if you already know this spell, learn Summon Beast, Summon Fey, or Summon Shadowspawn instead). Your summoned creatures add your PB to damage rolls and they last for 24 hours.

10 Focused Conjuration (Conjurer): 2014 PHB

14 Durable Summons (Conjurer): 2014 PHB

REALITY BENDER (Divination/Illusion) – Divination to help yourself see the past/future and Illusion to make others see what’s not there

3 Reality Savant: Chooses two Divination and/or Illusion spells from the Wizard spell list [. . .] In addition, whenever you gain access to a new level of spell slots in this class, you can add one Divination and/or Illusion from the Wizard spell list [ . . .]

3 Portent (Diviner): UA 7

6 Malleable Illusions (Illusionist): UA 7

10 Illusory Self (Illusionist): UA 7

14 Greater Portent (Diviner): UA7

ALTERATION SPECIALIST (Enchantment/Transmutation) – Transmutation to alter objects and Enchantment to alter creatures

3 Alteration Savant: Chooses two Enchantment and/or Transmutation spells from the Wizard spell list [. . .] In addition, whenever you gain access to a new level of spell slots in this class, you can add one Enchantment and/or Transmutation from the Wizard spell list [ . . .]

3 Hypnotic Gaze (Enchanter): 2014 PHB

6 Instinctive Charm (Enchanter): 2014 PHB

10 Shapechanger (Transmuter): 2014 PHB

14 Transmuter’s Stone (Transmuter) NEW: Combine 2014 PHB Transmuter’s Stone with Master Transmuter

 

[Remathilis]

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.

Illusions used to have a variant that made semi-realistic "shadow stuff" effects that could actually harm people and had weight and mass. This is just their version of that.

 

[Vaalingrade]

So wizard buffed?

~checks calendar~

It is a day ending in 'y', so yes, obviously.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I said schtick, not trick!

I'd link the clip, but I don't think Eric's grandmother would approve.

That's why I didn't finish the sentence, as painful as that was.

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

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

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.

Well, I appreciate the lack of shyness regarding your agenda.

That being said, all four of your subclass ideas sound pretty good to me.

 

[mellored]

I also bet we see a nerf of the peak power of a wizard due to adding more saves to spells.

Force cage needs HP and concentration at the minimum.

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

 

[Micah Sweet]

What I found is that even though you can change a lot each day already (prepared spells), most of the time players don't bother anyway. Only if specific circumstances arise.

As I already said: I wish everything would depend on downtime activies to change an ability. And maybe this activity takes longer the higher your character level.

But what Inwish even more is a solid discussion in the PHB or the DMG at least how long long rests should be for different kind of game styles.

I guess, having week long long rests might also do the trick for more committal games.

That's the million dollar question really: what are their current thoughts on the rests and encounters per day issues? It'll be nice to know what the next decade of arguments will be about.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

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?).

Bladesinger.