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.

 

[mellored]

have less spells than the sorcerer, and ZERO other abilities to boot because wizards have "unlimited potential" that is also completely unusuable.

Rituals.

Yes, Sorcerer taking generically useful spells, and thus they won't take Alarm.

And yes, a level 5 Wizard would have 90%* the same prepared spells as a sorcerer, plus 5 extra rituals in the book.

Swapping spells on a short rest, and swapping cantrips are just extra gravy on the ritual mashed potatoes.

*and the fact that they have 90% the same spells 90% of the time makes me still think they should be the same class. Just choose between Int and Cha at level 1.

 

[Stalker0]

ALL divination is mother may I. No dm ever will tell you all the important stuff you need to know to always have optimal spells, EVER. If he does then he needs to be fired cause he's a bad dm. This same old concept that all wizards will always know everything they need is based on fantasy not reality. ITs mainly used to justify why wizards are OP in theory, but it never works that way in practice.

At the end of the day, ALL of dnd is mother may I. As a DM, I can make any class I want look like garbage or gold. I have that power because I design all the encounters, and I give out all the answers (or withhold them).

Your right that if a wizard is trying to smartly research and plan out their days, and the DM just constantly stone walls them....yes that wizard is going to look a lot weaker. Same way a Dm that uses nothing but ranged attack scenarios is going to make the melee barbarian look a lot weaker.

The very point of the wizard is to revel in your flexibility, and a good DM makes every player feel good by highlighting their strengths periodically, and then challenges them by hitting their weakness on occasion as well. If the DM is not giving the wizard a chance to use their niche spells.....than no amount of class balancing will help you.

 

[deadman1204]

Rituals.

Yes, Sorcerer taking generically useful spells, and thus they won't take Alarm.

And yes, a level 5 Wizard would have 90% the same prepared spells as a sorcerer, plus 5 extra rituals in the book.

Swapping spells on a short rest, and swapping cantrips are just extra gravy in the ritual mashed potatoes.

Which of course depends on the wizard having the money and access to buy all the ritual spells. However rituals are VERY MUCH not as powerful as they are made out. If they were, sorcerers would take the spells. Rituals are like ribbons, they look pretty but don't do very much.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Lets start with the simple, "Yes I have played a wizard in 5e".

Now your point about money is...both valid and not. In base 5e, there are no magic items or magic item shops, gold is practically worthless once the fighters get their plate armor, and so any money the wizard spends on spells isn't really a cost at all. Unless of course....the DM is super stingy with gold or does let players buy magic items. This comes back to the fact that gold = spell availability is an antiquated mechanic. 5e did a lot to remove gold as a source of raw power in the game....but the wizard remains a vestigial part of the old model, and I do think new mechanics for that should be considered. Ultimately I can respect at some tables the wizard will have very few bonus spells, but I can equally respect that at some tables the wizard will practically have any spell they want. Its a flaw in the edition design that can radically affect the power of a single class.

On the topic of general spells (aka the wizard always prepares the same "generic" spells each day), this assumes you have NO understanding of what the day will bring, and that is the exact wrong way to approach a wizard. Your a scholar by nature, so you should be planning and researching! If your going through bumbleton forest....I would certainly start the day asking the DM questions like, "can I use x knoweldge to know what general creatures are in that forest? Is it know for any particular dangers? Hey the night before, can I use divination or augury before I go to sleep to check if a few spells might be useful?

If a wizard is going into every day not having a clue what spells they might need....than the wizard isn't being a scholar. That is part of the challenge (and fun!) of being a wizard. Beyond that, this only assumes an adventuring day mindset. But what I find is where the wizard REALLY excels is downtime.

We have a week off. The wizard can one day decides to do divinations all day. the next day prepares comprehend languages so they can talk to a whole variety of people in town. The 3rd day they craft a bunch of walls of stone to help the local village that was attacked by orcs protect themselves. 4th day they decide to add a bunch of new glyphs of warding to the party's secret base to help secure it. Etc etc. When a wizard has time and a plan....they CAN do almost anything, and to me is one of the wizard's greatest strengths.

I have never met a wizard player who does that? I think as a DM I would like a wizard to do that occasionally at least, though perhaps not all the time.

 

[mellored]

Which of course depends on the wizard having the money and access to buy all the ritual spells.

No it's not. At level 5, you can prepare the same spells as a sorcerer, and have 5 free rituals in your spell book.

If you had money, it could be 10 extra rituals.

However rituals are VERY MUCH not as powerful as they are made out. If they were, sorcerers would take the spells. Rituals are like ribbons, they look pretty but don't do very much.

That's certainly a valid opinion. And you're welcome to play the sorcerer.

In my experience, it depends on how well you can think outside the box, and how willing the DM is to allow it.

 

[deadman1204]

No it's not. At level 5, you can prepare the same spells as a sorcerer, and have 5 free rituals in your spell book.

If you had money, it could be 10 extra rituals.

That's certainly a valid opinion. And you're welcome to play the sorcerer.

In my experience, it depends on how well you can think outside the box, and how willing the DM is to allow it.

Every wizard in the game would trade a few rituals for the subclass abilities of a sorcerer.
Each sorcerer is different and unique, wizards are all functionally identicle. Are rituals kinda neat? Sure why not. Do they make the class? No, they are a low powered ribbon.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Which of course depends on the wizard having the money and access to buy all the ritual spells. However rituals are VERY MUCH not as powerful as they are made out. If they were, sorcerers would take the spells. Rituals are like ribbons, they look pretty but don't do very much.

The wizard doesn't need "all the ritual spells". If they are using standard loadouts, as you suggest, then that means that they have a number of spells in their book that they don't have space to prep. Which you fill with rituals.

And like anything there are diminishing returns with the first few being the most valuable.

Honestly rituals are IME what carries the wizard through tier 1. By late tier 2 the best spell list in the game is their big thing but when you only have three slots slotless utility spells are really important.

 

[deadman1204]

At the end of the day, ALL of dnd is mother may I. As a DM, I can make any class I want look like garbage or gold. I have that power because I design all the encounters, and I give out all the answers (or withhold them).

Your right that if a wizard is trying to smartly research and plan out their days, and the DM just constantly stone walls them....yes that wizard is going to look a lot weaker. Same way a Dm that uses nothing but ranged attack scenarios is going to make the melee barbarian look a lot weaker.

The very point of the wizard is to revel in your flexibility, and a good DM makes every player feel good by highlighting their strengths periodically, and then challenges them by hitting their weakness on occasion as well. If the DM is not giving the wizard a chance to use their niche spells.....than no amount of class balancing will help you.

This is a bit hyperbolic. Most things are pretty cut and dry. The paladin knows what they will do when they smite, the bard knows what they will do as well.
This idea is being presented where the wizard can and must somehow know everything thats gonna happen, and that the dm will always tell them everything. Thus wizards are OP because they can perfectly prepare for everything and have infinite spells. Except we all know this never happens in any game.

 

[mellored]

Every wizard in the game would trade a few rituals for the subclass abilities of a sorcerer.
Each sorcerer is different and unique, wizards are all functionally identicle. Are rituals kinda neat? Sure why not. Do they make the class? No, they are a low powered ribbon.

Like I said. That's a valid opinion. I haven't seen the full list of spells yet so I am withholding judgment.

Not that I have any issues with wizards being a B tier class for once.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Every wizard in the game would trade a few rituals for the subclass abilities of a sorcerer.

That's because they'd still have some left over...

Each sorcerer is different and unique, wizards are all functionally identicle.

And this is why I propose wizard as a subclass of sorcerer. The books and rituals subclass.

Are rituals kinda neat? Sure why not. Do they make the class? No, they are a low powered ribbon.

What makes the class is having the best spell list in the game; I don't think many doubt that a level 9+ wizard is under 2014 rules the strongest class in the game.

However a level 1-4 wizard ... isn't strong. Joint lowest AC and HP (with the sorcerer) and in a semi-mythical "two rest six encounter day" they can barely even spend one slot per encounter and don't really have any finishers. But any half-sane level 1-4 sorcerer should be green with envy at rituals like Find Familiar, Alarm, Comprehend Languages, and Detect Magic (all of which I have seen save the necks of parties or open up entire avenues to adventure). By level 9 it's not such an issue of course.