D&D 5E Companion thread to 5E Survivor - Subclasses (Part XIV: Wizard)

[DeviousQuail]

What's all the hype about the War Mage?

Spoiler: Let's Put It Under the Microscope

Concept:
(from "Xanathar's Guide to Everything")
Arcane colleges that specialize in training wizards for war.
Blends Evocation and Abjuration rather than specializing in either.
They see their magic as both a weapon and armor, superior to any piece of steel.
"What good is being able to throw a mighty Fireball if I die before I can cast it?"

Fireball is overrated, but otherwise? It's a good concept.

2nd LEVEL FEATURES
Arcane Deflection: when you're hit, you can use your Reaction to give yourself a +2 bonus to AC. When you fail a save throw, you can use your Reaction to give yourself a +4 to the save throw roll. If you do either, you can't cast spells other than cantrips until the end of your next turn (emphasis mine).

That "end of your next turn" bit is rare in 5E, and often overlooked. A good defensive ability all the same...not as good as the Shield spell, but at least it doesn't cost a spell slot.

Tactical Wit: Add your Intelligence modifier to initiative checks. Quick thinking and quick reflexes, nice.

Side note: I appreciate that there are no added weapon, armor, and/or shield proficiencies, like all of the other "I'm a sword-wizard!" subclasses. And I'm glad they resisted the urge to staple on some benign tool or skill proficiencies that will never be used. I don't think this is an accident; it looks like the devs wanted this to be the obvious choice of subclass for Wizards who plan to multiclass with Fighter.

6th LEVEL FEATURE
Power Surge: You get a new resource called "Power Surges." Management of this pool of Power Surges is tricky: when you finish a Long Rest it resets to 1. You add 1 to the pool every time you successfully end a spell with Dispel Magic or Counterspell, and you add 1 point to the pool if you have 0 and finish a Short Rest. Your pool can have a maximum number of Power Surges equal to your Intelligence modifier.

So what's a Power Surge? Once per turn you deal damage to a creature or object with a wizard spell, you can spend one power surge to deal extra force damage equal to half your wizard level.

I get what they were trying to do with the whole "stealing magic from other spellcasters and using it against them" bit, but it would be a lot more streamlined if they had just replaced that whole first paragraph with one sentence: "Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a Long or Short Rest, or until you successfully end a spell with Dispel Magic or Counterspell." But I digress.

10th LEVEL FEATURE
Durable Magic: while concentrating on a spell, you get a +2 bonus to AC and all save throws. Pretty handy! But to me it feels a bit underpowered for a 10th level class feature.

14th LEVEL FEATURE
Deflecting Shroud: when you use your Arcane Deflection ability, you deal force damage to up to three creatures within 60 feet. The amount of damage is equal to half your wizard level. This is pretty awesome, but it's a long wait for this ability...not sure if it's worth it.

Looks like I'll have to choose between Bladesinging and War Magic soon, probably as early as tomorrow. I'll probably start downvoting whichever one has the lowest score (hopefully one can be eliminated early enough to prevent infighting from destroying both of them).

I've been upvoting it because it's the only wizard I've played into Tier 4 but I'm surprised with how well it has done. Especially with how wonky that 6th level ability is in writing and in play. The second level feature makes it fantastic for multiclassing but I played mine without multiclassing and it is still really good. Shield is probably better due to it's duration but Arcane Deflection has more versatility with a lower upfront cost. Combined with Durable Magic at 10th level I almost never failed a concentration saving throw.

I doubt it is most people's favorite subclass but if you aren't sure on which wizard to play, why not take the one that is straightforward and makes all your numbers bigger?

 

[Tonguez]

You're forgetting the melee cantrips in the book: Booming Blade, Green-flame Blade, Lightning Lure and Sword Burst.

EDIT: Oh wait, Sword Burst is just sword THEMED, it doesn't need a weapon to be cast.

yeah Bladesinging would be so much better if they had expanded green-flame blade etc to do more unique ‘bladesinger’ only stuff.
As it is Bladesinger is just a wizard with armor and a rapier, Hexblade is better for the theme

 

[Vaalingrade]

Welp, predictably everything that deserves to be in the game, much less the survivor is gone super early and waaay too many of the traditional wizard schools yet live. Time to go rogue.

 

[Aldarc]

yeah Bladesinging would be so much better if they had expanded green-flame blade etc to do more unique ‘bladesinger’ only stuff.
As it is Bladesinger is just a wizard with armor and a rapier, Hexblade is better for the theme

The theme was elven in origin, and I think that it fits well in that context.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

You're forgetting the melee cantrips in the book: Booming Blade, Green-flame Blade, Lightning Lure and Sword Burst.

EDIT: Oh wait, Sword Burst is just sword THEMED, it doesn't need a weapon to be cast.

Yeah, Sword Burst would feel a lot more satisfying in that respect IMO if it involved (spell) attack rolls instead of a save. Easy enough to house rule or create another cantrip, but...

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Other than Rune Crafter, which clearly isn't long for this world, we're now down to things that have at least broken even since the start. Most of them are several votes up (Necromancy and Enchantment are the only exceptions.)

 

[Tonguez]

The theme was elven in origin, and I think that it fits well in that context.

Well yes, but the original also focussed on longswords whereas the current writeup makes finese rapier optimal

 

[Aldarc]

Well yes, but the original also focussed on longswords whereas the current writeup makes finese rapier optimal

That's not the problem of the subclass but, rather, the rapier.

 

[Tonguez]

And we’re down to the core Schools and the fighty wizards!

 

[CleverNickName]

Looks like the great and terrible School of Necromancy is in the hotseat right now.
What's so great/terrible about it?

I'm so glad you asked!

Spoiler: Let's Look at Necromancy

The Concept:
(from the Player's Handbook)
The School of Necromancy explores the cosmic forces of life, death, and undeath.
Learn to manipulate the energy that animates all living things.
"Learn to sap the life force from a creature...transforming that vital energy into magical power."
Not all are evil, but the forces they manipulate are considered taboo.

Sounds more like a druid to me. A Circle of Necromancy could be fun, all you would have to do is...wait, no, stay on topic CleverNick....

2nd LEVEL FEATURES
Necromancy Savant: time and money spent copying a Necromancy spell into your spellbook is cut in half. It's not a bad idea, but I've never met a Dungeon Master who didn't handwave this (and I've never met a Dungeon Master who didn't complain about "money being useless in 5E" either, so....)

Almost all of the PHB wizard subclasses have some kind of ability that rewards you for casting spells of that school. Necromancy's reward is free healing:

Grim Harvest: Once per turn when you kill one or more creatures with a spell, you regain hit points equal to twice the spell's level, or three times its level if it was a Necromancy spell. This is one of the best wizard abilities in the game: being able to heal yourself for free is incredibly rare in this game.

Note that it doesn't specify that the spell has to be a wizard spell, either...so grab the Magic Initiate feat and snag inflict wounds off of the cleric spell list (while you're there, grab the toll the dead and spare the dying, cantrips, to stay on-brand.) Or if you're a fan of multiclassing (I'm not), you can dip some levels of the Cleric (Death Domain) class.

6th LEVEL FEATURE
Undead Thralls: you get the animate dead spell for free. When you cast it, you can create one extra skeleton or zombie...and the creatures you create have more hit points, better attack rolls, and deal more damage. Pretty handy if you need an ally in combat, or if you need help carrying your stuff around, or if you need someone to trigger boobytraps...

10th LEVEL FEATURE
Inured to Death: you gain resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced (this is the only time you'll ever see this ability.)

14th LEVEL FEATURE
Command Undead: as an action, and without even spending a spell slot, you can take control of an undead creature within 60 feet. A Charisma save vs. your wizard spell DC applies, but if it fails YOU OWN THAT CREATURE for at least an hour. So if you really want to see your DM absolutely blow a fuse, wait until his pet NPC lich/vampire/mummy lord has used up all of its Legendary Resistances, and then hit it with this.

All in all? Necromancy is a solid subclass in my book. Some players hate it because it's so dependent on the DM and the campaign setting ("how come we never encounter undead creatures anymore? Are you still mad about my Command Undead ability?"), and because the Necromancy spell list is so sparse. (Seriously, they should have given the Necromancer the inflict wounds spell for free at 2nd level.)

It's not as good as Abjuration in my opinion, but it's definitely in my Top 3.