As I pointed out in another thread about this, they need to be careful with how they're doing specialists.
Personally, I'm not enthused about "cast X more frequently." In the first, it immediately imposes a playstyle on anyone who wants to play a specialist: BECAUSE I'm an Illusionist, I MUST have at-will or encounter-based magic? That's not cool.
What I'd like to see instead is perhaps "specialist-exclusive spells." Okay, any wizard can cast
Invisibility. But a true Illusionist is the only one who gets
Minor Image. This, I think, recaptures some of the feeling of playing an Illusionist in 1e, when you got tricks
no one else got. Exclusivity helps reinforce an archetype. Frequency does not do nearly as good a job with that.
The axis of how often one can do that spell should be different. Yes, encounter and at-will spells should be in the game, but I don't think they should be tied to a given archetype very strongly. There should be no reason that I MUST have a certain recharge category in order to embody a certain archetype.
I think this is one of those things that goes pretty deep into the 4e Divide, regardless of class. Different recharge categories are very different ways to play the game, and it's not something that is a rational choice as much as it is a personal preference. Some folks love Fighter Dailies, some folks hate At-Will Spells. I'm starting to think that the option to turn that on or off is going to have to be there, for EVERY class, for EVERY build, because it's not really a class/build kind of thing. It's deeper than that.
So, y'know, if I can't play a Fighter with a Daily Power, and Billy can't play an Illusionist with ONLY daily powers, that's a problem for flexibility. That's a problem for both me and Billy.
The rate of recharge of your special abilities MUST be something that is not dependent on choice of class/specialty/subclass/archetype/etc.
....Hell, maybe that's a dial you want to set on every spell/ability:
Magic Missile
- Single Missile: Deal 1d4+INT force damage to one living creature. The spell is not expended, and you can cast it again on your next turn.
- Missile Battery: Launch three missiles as above. The spell is partially expended, and you can prepare it again during a short rest.
- Missile Massacre: Launch five missiles as above. The spell is fully expended, and you can prepare it again only during a long rest.
Cleave
- A Hot Knife Through Butter: When you reduce a creature to 0 hp or fewer, spend a single expertise die to make a melee weapon attack against another creature you can reach. The expertise die returns at the start of your next turn.
- Can't Stop The Spin: When you reduce a creature to 0 hp or fewer, spend a single expertise die to make a melee weapon attack against up to two other creatures you can reach. The expertise die returns after your next short rest.
- Whirligig: When you reduce a creature to 0 hp or fewer, spend a single expertise die to make a melee weapon attack against all other creatures you can reach. The expertise die returns after your next long rest.
Sneak Attack
- Advantageous Openings: When you have advantage, you can deal 1d6 extra damage.
- Backstab: When you have surprise, your first attack, if it hits, deals 3d6 extra damage. You loose your use of Sneak Attack until your next short rest, however -- they're onto your tricks.
- Assassination: When you have surprise, your first attack, if it hits, kills any creature with less than 10 hp who is not immune to poison. You loose your use of Sneak Attack until your next extended rest, however -- you need to brew more poison and apply it to your tools, something you can only do with a few hours.
Cure Wounds
- Cure Light Wounds:Heal 1d8+WIS hp by touching a target. You regain the use of your Cure Wounds spell at the start of your next turn.
- Cure Moderate Wounds: Heal 3d8+WIS hp by touching a target. You regain the use of your Cure Wounds spell after a short rest.
- Cure Serious Wounds: Heal 5d8+WIS hp by touching a target. You regain the use of your Cure Wounds spell after a long rest.
Minor Illusion
You can use this spell while hidden, and the illusions it creates can be within 50 feet of you.
- Ghost Sounds: You create an illusory noise arising from any point in range. The sounds can be anything you imagine, from quiet whispers to a dragon's roar, but you do not have fine control over the sound -- you cannot make it say specific things, or duplicate a specific creature. This use of Minor Illusion does not expend the ability.
- Object Illusion: You create an illusory object, such as a wall, a pit, a table, a treasure chest, a suit of armor, etc. The object behaves as if real visually and audibly (it can be lifted, opened, broken, etc., and it makes splintering noises or clinking sounds or whatever is appropriate), but it cannot bear an actual force: things set on the table fall through, people who fall into the pit don't actually stumble, and while the chest may open (and may even contain treasure, if the caster wishes), it won't be a safe place to store your own loot. This use of Minor Illusion expends the ability until you take a short rest.
- Illusory Creature: You create the illusion of a creature, such as a person, a halfling, a dog, a troll, a dragon, or a small bug. The creature behaves as if real visually and audibly (a dog might bark, or it might start reciting poetry; a dragon might roar, and its wings might ripple as it flies, the halfling's hair will wave in the breeze, and his footsteps will be audible), but it cannot bear an actual force: a weapon swung at the creature passes through air, an attempt to lift the creature lifts no weight, and any attack from the creature deals no damage. While the visual and audible reaction may be sensible (a halfling may dodge all attacks directed at it, while the dog's bite may sound like it rips through clothes), there is no actual force involved. This use of Minor Illusion expends the ability until you take an extended rest.
...this way, you even get to choose ROUND BY ROUND what kind of resources you want to expend. Wanna be an at-will fighter and a Daily Mage? Done. Wanna be a Daily Fighter and an at-will mage? Also done. Wanna mix and match? Stick to at-wills until you want to blow the lid off the joint with Dailies.
And yer normal wizard doesn't get Minor Illusion. It's an Illusionist Special, baby.