D&D (2024) Abilities as Spells: splitting your abilities between class section and spell section

[Dausuul]

My question about "consolidating spells" is what exactly do you think WotC would be using its word count to be putting in it place? I mean I'm pretty sure it wouldn't "more martial stuff", because if they wanted more martial stuff in the game they could rejigger their word count right now to put "more martial stuff" in it.

Either WotC is going to change things or they're not. If they are, then "more martial options" is a perfectly reasonable idea to fill the space. If they're not, then there's nothing more to be said.

Personally, I would like to see some of that space used for martial options; some of it used to flesh out exploration rules; and some of it used for more ways to use magic. For example, I want to be able to make a witch-like PC who brews potions and poisons as a way to deliver spell effects. I'd happily give up three or four of my seventy-nine zillion ways to set things on fire for that.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Considering class-specific spells, I am interested in exploring the idea of breaking Wildshape out of being a Channel Nature ability. What if there was a "Wildshape" series of Druid-only spells? This way, Spellcasting and Wildshaping work hand in hand, and you can wildshape a lot more if you want, or ignore it and cast spells instead. Do the rules for Wildshape need to be so big that they don't fit in spells? Maybe there is a Channel Nature option, usable in Wildshape form, that lets you buff in some way?

Level 1 Spell - Critter Wildshape. Casting Time: 1 bonus action. Duration: 1 hour (concentration). Become a Tiny critter (use a stat-block in the spell). While in Critter form, you have your Con modifier in THP. When you lose your concentration, or your THP from this spell, the spell ends. Upcast to L2, get Aquatic, Upcast to L3, get Aerial?

Level 2 Spell - Wildshape. (Get at 3rd level, like Subclass). Casting Time: 1 bonus action. Duration: 1 hour (not-concentration). (Uses a Stat-block in the spell that the stats increase with upcasting.) While in Wildshape, you get your Con score in THP. When you become unconcious, the spell ends. Generally, only higher level druids can use higher level spell slots get more powerful stats, if one wants to focus on that.

Maybe upcasting to 3rd level lets you choose an Aquatic form and upcasting to 4th level lets you choose an Aerial form, or those functionalities could be broken out into L3 and L4 spells with their own specific stat-blocks.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Considering class-specific spells, I am interested in exploring the idea of Divine Smite just being a Paladin-exclusive spell, because it already works with spell slots. Maybe it can be upcast into the more interesting higher level smite options? Maybe a use of the Channel Divinity ability also lets you cast the spell instead of using a spell slot?

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

Maybe upcasting to 3rd level lets you choose an Aquatic form and upcasting to 4th level lets you choose an Aerial form, or those functionalities could be broken out into L3 and L4 spells with their own specific stat-blocks.

I would be fine with a suite of Druid exclusive Wildshape spells maybe granted as a bonus list at first level. Rather than trying to have upcasting do the heavy lifting, you could come up Wild Shape: Beast of the Skies (4th level spell) for flyers and Wild Shape: Beast from Below (2nd level spell) for burrowing creatures and then let upcasting add temp hp and AC.

It sounds like they are going to do something similar for Paladins with a suite of Smite spells in the next Paladin pass so it might be something already on their mind.

The bonus list could also come with a daily free casting or even they could look at allowing Channel Nature to allow free castings of any Wild Shape spell you know appropriate to your level.