D&D 5E Differentiating Arcane and Divine Magic.

[DND_Reborn]

My groups did the "everyone casts their spells like sorcerers do" before sorcerers were added to the game. We mostly hated the Vancian "forget your spell after casting" garbage.

But are you then also limiting them to known spells? We allowed them to automatically know all the spells and got rid of spell prep for divine casters. Haven't done it in 5E yet, but probably will at some point.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

But are you then also limiting them to known spells? We allowed them to automatically know all the spells and got rid of spell prep for divine casters. Haven't done it in 5E yet, but probably will at some point.

Divine could ask their deity for any of the spells on the overall list for the class that matched their level. Arcane still had to find new spells and learn them and copy them into their books before they could pick and choose when they cast a spell.

 

[Tonguez]

There is nothing to work on really. It is done. Players simply have to be willing to change the mindset about spells and which class they are linked to. In case you don't remember when we were working on the "sameyness" thread:

People get caught up with the distinction in the Arcane v Divine spell list when the real issue should be about the Class and how Clerics use of ‘supernatural powers’ is mechanically different to the Warlocks use of ‘supernatural powers’.
Hence my previous suggestion of boosting Channel Divinity Domain powers rather than using spells

 

[Minigiant]

People get caught up with the distinction in the Arcane v Divine spell list when the real issue should be about the Class and how Clerics use of ‘supernatural powers’ is mechanically different to the Warlocks use of ‘supernatural powers’.
Hence my previous suggestion of boosting Channel Divinity Domain powers rather than using spells

Deities are stronger than angels, devils, demons, and fairies.
Deities don't bother making "weaker clerics" in the form of warlocks.
Well most.

I could see trickery gods doing it for funs.

 

[Ashrym]

The runaway thread on the new Psionics UA got me thinking about how could we differentiate arcane and divine Magic from each other more. Traditionally, divine Magic users "know" all their spells, and just choose from them each day. Arcane magic users have to learn their spells, either through their book like wizards or through level up like the sorcerer (Baldur's Gate's Bard, which I assume was like 2E's, learned from scrolls while 3 and 5Es bard learns like a sorcerer).

Psioncs fans want Psionics to be different, but how could we go about making divine Magic more different than arcane magic? How would you go about making it feel more spiritual?

Remove wizards from your game, convert rangers to spell preparation, enforce divine casters memorizing specific spells and each spell memorized costs the appropriate slot like older Vancian. That gives all divine casters spell prep and all arcane casters spells known. Wizards can be removed because there are enough of spell casting classes that there's no need for wizards.

Enforce artificers using spell prep like divine casters (the exception) and based on alchemical component prep fluff as the basis if allowing that class.

Just spit balling to answer the question raised by the OP.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Wizards can be removed because there are enough of spell casting classes that there's no need for wizards.

I vote yes on proposition NO-WIZ.

 

[SkidAce]

When Clerics and Wizards were the only thing in the game... having divine and arcane magic as descriptors made sense. But not anymore. Not in 5E.

I see what you are saying, but kinda disagree.

My ranger that belongs to the Order of Sehanine Moonbow get his abilities from her divine blessing.
As do the Druids of Beory.

On the other hand, there are rangers that get their abilities from nature itself, etc etc.


Not RAW (anymore) but I do have several rangers whose magic is arcane, the get stuff from the wizard splee list like back in earlier editions.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The easiest way to differentiate between spellcasters is through their spell lists. Remove damage spells from clerics.

 

[Tonguez]

The easiest way to differentiate between spellcasters is through their spell lists. Remove damage spells from clerics.

Why would a War God not use damage spells?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Why would a War God not use damage spells?

Because we're trying to differentiate between arcane and divine magic. And because a War God would prefer to use weapons.