Illusionist as a Wizard "scheme"?

[MoonSong]

Wizards should have traditions, instead of schools. Traditions could then go beyond mere schools - pacts, thaumaturgy, necromancy, binder, truenaming, incarnum, etc.

No, that would make them step into too many classes toes. No thanks I want my warlocks, sorcerers and more casters to be their own thing rather than a wizard variant

 

[The Shadow]

Wizards should have traditions, instead of schools. Traditions could then go beyond mere schools - pacts, thaumaturgy, necromancy, binder, truenaming, incarnum, etc.

Possibly... but if you're changing the basic mechanic for how spells are gained and/or cast, that sounds like a new class to me.

In other words, I see sorcerer and warlock as distinct classes, not as wizard variants.

 

[Li Shenron]

Li Shenron, I just don't want to see supposed Illusionists casting Fireball. That's just wrong.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) this is up to one's responsibility.

If I want to play an Illusionist, I'd probably pick almost exclusively illusions, plus some extra spells which I might re-flavor so that they feel more like illusions even if technically they aren't.

But between a "full-illusionist" and a generalist, there are also players who might want a character to favor illusions but still be generalist enough, maybe 50% illusions and 50% everything else; and another player may want a 70%-30% or 80%-20%... and they are people too

 

[Minigiant]

I think only skill monkey classes should get additional class based backgrounds like schemes. Rogues, rangers, maybe bard and maybe monks.

Other classes have to deal with themes to mechanically customize.