D&D 5E Brainstorming Wizard Subclasses

[Minigiant]

The problem with most wizard schools is that they don't significantly change how you play a wizard.

That's mostly because the spell list of the base wizard is so strong that you can't add much more without invalidating the other spellcasters.

 

[Scribe]

Mentioned this in the 24 version thread.

Cleric Domains and Wizard Schools, should be a part of their respective classes, but not the subclass definitions.

Order of Scribes, Bladesinging, and War Magic, at least do something.

School of Evocation....

 

[Leatherhead]

That's mostly because the spell list of the base wizard is so strong that you can't add much more without invalidating the other spellcasters.

I'm going to go with the nuclear example here because it's time to take a hard look at this:

Abjuration.

It's meant to invoke the "White Mage" archetype, but kind of fails in that regard due to not being able to use the most prominent kind of Abjuration spells, healing magic. (Yes, even Cure Wounds is Abjuration in the playtest and it will most likely stay that way due to other classes features). Now make no mistake, I hate combat healing and greatly appreciate it being toned down for 5e.

But a Wizard with healing magic, the one glaring hole in their repertoire, wouldn't actually invalidate the entire Cleric class because Clerics have a lot more than just their spells to draw upon. Like moderate martial prowess for improved survivability, automatic story hooks for the campaign and links back into the world due to the nature of their belief based magic, and and class features that actually do interesting things. In fact, it might just help the Cleric identity in the long run because those players who want to play a dedicated healer have something else to gravitate too without all the overwhelming flavor of a Cleric.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I'm going to go with the nuclear example here because it's time to take a hard look at this:

Abjuration.

It's meant to invoke the "White Mage" archetype, but kind of fails in that regard due to not being able to use the most prominent kind of Abjuration spells, healing magic. (Yes, even Cure Wounds is Abjuration in the playtest and it will most likely stay that way due to other classes features). Now make no mistake, I hate combat healing and greatly appreciate it being toned down for 5e.

But a Wizard with healing magic, the one glaring hole in their repertoire, wouldn't actually invalidate the entire Cleric class because Clerics have a lot more than just their spells to draw upon. Like moderate martial prowess for improved survivability, automatic story hooks for the campaign and links back into the world due to the nature of their belief based magic, and and class features that actually do interesting things. In fact, it might just help the Cleric identity in the long run because those players who want to play a dedicated healer have something else to gravitate too without all the overwhelming flavor of a Cleric.

Honestly “magical doctor” is such an obvious concept to leave out -

But getting healing right in ttrpgs is tough so I can see why it’s not common.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm going to go with the nuclear example here because it's time to take a hard look at this:

Abjuration.

It's meant to invoke the "White Mage" archetype, but kind of fails in that regard due to not being able to use the most prominent kind of Abjuration spells, healing magic. (Yes, even Cure Wounds is Abjuration in the playtest and it will most likely stay that way due to other classes features). Now make no mistake, I hate combat healing and greatly appreciate it being toned down for 5e.

But a Wizard with healing magic, the one glaring hole in their repertoire, wouldn't actually invalidate the entire Cleric class because Clerics have a lot more than just their spells to draw upon. Like moderate martial prowess for improved survivability, automatic story hooks for the campaign and links back into the world due to the nature of their belief based magic, and and class features that actually do interesting things. In fact, it might just help the Cleric identity in the long run because those players who want to play a dedicated healer have something else to gravitate too without all the overwhelming flavor of a Cleric.

Wizards with healing magic only do not invalidate clerics because

1. Healing Magic is typically connected to resurrection magic.
2. Clerics also get offensive buff spells whereas wizards only get defensive buffs (abjuration) and a few transformation offensive buffs (haste, polymorph, etc)

In a system where weapon and armor proficiency is just a feat away, broadening their already very versatile wizard spell list is very dangerous. Especially when you're dealing with a Wizards of the Coast and D&D community who are BOTH known to be unwilling to restrain themselves once a traditional limitation is off.

And I'll stop there before I go into a "Wizard fanboys ruin Wizards" rant.

 

[Stormonu]

That's mostly because the spell list of the base wizard is so strong that you can't add much more without invalidating the other spellcasters.

Subclasses for wizards would be much more relevant if the wizard had a small, curated list and each subclass added 2-4 spells per level that expanded that list. Imagine how different Evokers would be if they were the only ones who could cast Fireball or Meteor Swarm, only the Necromancer could use Animate Dead and Finger of Death or only Illusionists could use Invisibility and Phantasmal Killer.

However, they would also be interesting if their subclasses went past mere schools of magic. Wand mages (including enhanced Wand, Rod, Staff use/creation), the above mentioned Scroll Mage, White Mages (who gain some clerical spells) or even War Mages (a reverse Eldritch Knight who focuses on spells more than martial ability) could be very, very interesting.

For my own homebrew, I've been working on Aeromancers (wind and flight spells), Alchemists (potion makers), Cryomancer (fog, ice and slow), Geomancer (earth magic, glyphs, abjurations), Pyromancer (fire magic), Runecasters (inscribe glyphs into objects to enchant them), Scriptor (scroll mages), Spellthief (steal other's magic), Truenamer (alteration, enchantment by invoking or changing the name of objects), Wand Caster (uses wands, staves and rods), White Wizard (wizard/cleric hybrid)

 

[Minigiant]

Subclasses for wizards would be much more relevant if the wizard had a small, curated list and each subclass added 2-4 spells per level that expanded that list. Imagine how different Evokers would be if they were the only ones who could cast Fireball or Meteor Swarm, only the Necromancer could use Animate Dead and Finger of Death or only Illusionists could use Invisibility and Phantasmal Killer.

D&D missed the boat in the playtest.

Wizards would have been better if there were a generic Arcane spell list with 8 spells per level except for cantrips. 1 spell per scchool.
Then each subclass of wizard, sorcerer, and warlock would unlock other spells from a secondary list with each spell having 1 or more tags.

Only Evokers and Pyromancy wizards, Red Dragon sorcerers, and Fiend pact and Ifreet pact warlocks would learn Aganazzar's Scorcher on level up or a scroll.

6e maybe.

 

[cbwjm]

I went back to my DnD ideas document to see what I'd thought of for wizards as ideas to develop. Some were similar to the OP, mixing a couple schools to get a subclass though it was pretty much just a name and suggested schools:

• Reality Shaper (illusion, transmutation)
• Planewalker (conjuration, divination)
• Mindbender (illusion, enchantment)

Others I had were:

• Thee Metamagician, able to twist his spells with metamagic
• The Frost Norn, a master of frost magic and divination spells (which I also turned into a home-brewed shaman subclass).
• The Elementalist, focused on the four elements, can become more powerful focusing on one or spread out into some or all of the elements by selecting powers based on the core 4 elements.
• The Essence Mage. Draws upon the essence of different energies to alter and empower their magic. I tried to create this one but never quite figured it out. Essentially you'd get a couple of damage types that you could attune to that would cause your spells to act differently.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Thee Metamagician, able to twist his spells with metamagic

how would this be distinguished from the sorcerer in a way that doesn't just make it the superior metamagic user with more spells prepared, a longer spell list to pick from and more spell slots? i suppose if they have limited number of sorcery points not being able to create their own extra ones from converting them from slots...

 

[cbwjm]

how would this be distinguished from the sorcerer in a way that doesn't just make it the superior metamagic user with more spells prepared, a longer spell list to pick from and more spell slots? i suppose if they have limited number of sorcery points not being able to create their own extra ones from converting them from slots...

Honestly, I wouldn't really care if it came out superior than the sorcerer.