D&D (2024) Power Sources

[Frozen_Heart]

I do not consider the idea that the Bard needs to have spells that Wizards don't to actually be meaningful. In fact, I don't consider ANY spell that only one class gets to be meaningful in any way. Because what matters is what actually shows up and is played at the table.

The paladin has had their own set of unique Smite spells this entire time. And speaking personally... I have never seen a single one ever get cast in any game I have run. So the fact the paladin class has these unique spells has been absolutely meaningless to the game. And thus the idea that Clerics might now be able to cast them because they are both in this so-called 'Divine Spell List' is just as meaningless. Another class is now going to be allowed to not cast a number of spells.

Obviously some of you feel different. That's fine. But it's all a matter of perspective.

I'm getting a ton of use from thunderous smite with my earth genasi artificer armourer. My DM let me pick it because it's very on theme for the character. It may not be optimal, but punching people across the room is cool af.

However for some reason most of those spells are only on the paladin list, which is the exact class which would never use them. Far better to just dump all your slots on divine smite instead.

Ranger has a couple of them, but their bonus action is already over-full so they can't make good use of them. Artificer doesn't get any, but would be the best suited to use them of the half casters.

 

[Mephista]

Why would summoning a Pegasus matter? I mean, its a flying mount, but we've got the Fly spell going on already, so its already a concern...

 

[DEFCON 1]

If you only look at the spells that suck and never see use, of course it doesn't matter. Try putting find greater steed on the cleric list.

Okay? So a cleric can now ride a griffon just like a paladin can. I don't see the issue. The ability to ride a spirit animal does not a paladin make (in my opinion). A paladin is a paladin because of the entire package of things a paladin is and can do... and sharing a few abilities or functions with other classes does not then destroy the paladin package as far as I'm concerned.

If you feel differently, so be it.

 

[Neonchameleon]

If you only look at the spells that suck and never see use, of course it doesn't matter. Try putting find greater steed on the cleric list.

I'm far more irritated by the Bard not being able to cast Heroism than I am by the Cleric casting Find Greater Steed. Although not having unique spells does the half-casters no good at all.

 

[Minigiant]

4e had a great spread for planar link

Arcane- Whole Universe
Divine- Outer Planes
Elemental- Inner Planes
Primal- Material Plane/Feywild
Psionic- Far Realm
Shadow- Shadowfell

 

[Mephista]

4e had a great spread for planar link

Arcane- Whole Universe
Divine- Outer Planes
Elemental- Inner Planes
Primal- Material Plane/Feywild
Psionic- Far Realm
Shadow- Shadowfell

Too bad this was an abject failure of design. The only ones to use Elemental power were the Arcane classes. Wizard, sorcerer, swordmage, etc. Shadow had the assassin and vampire "classes" - and even then, assassin turned into a half-martial class - Everything else was again swallowed by the Arcane classes (wizard necromancy, warlock dark/gloom/vestige pacts, etc).

5e's divide is actually not bad from this perspective. Divine draws from Outer, Primal from Inner/Echoes, Arcane from ambient energy in the material as well as "inner" magic.

 

[Minigiant]

Too bad this was an abject failure of design. The only ones to use Elemental power were the Arcane classes. Wizard, sorcerer, swordmage, etc. Shadow had the assassin and vampire "classes" - and even then, assassin turned into a half-martial class - Everything else was again swallowed by the Arcane classes (wizard necromancy, warlock dark/gloom/vestige pacts, etc).

5e's divide is actually not bad from this perspective. Divine draws from Outer, Primal from Inner/Echoes, Arcane from ambient energy in the material as well as "inner" magic.

It was less a design failure and more a lack of one. 4e was on self sabotage death mode by the time it got to Shadow and Elemental.

 

[Mephista]

I'd argue it was more that Arcane was always going to cover elemental and shadow - I mean, hells. Just look at the simple subclass options wizard, warlock and sorcerer - evoker, fiend, and dragon. All renowned for blowing things up with elemental powers, especially fireballs. The 4e swordmage had all elemental powers to begin with. There was never going to be a way to separate arcane from elemental.

Meanwhile, necromancy is an iconic part of "evil divine" classes as well as wizard powers. Iirc, WotC printed necromantic themed warlocks early on (FR book, PHB2), before even primal or psionic sources came out. I forget when necromancer wizard was released. Too much overlap with other classes just sunk Shadow before it could get going.

 

[Yaarel]

I love the mythic imagery, symbolism, themes, tropes, and flavors.

Over the decades, the D&D traditions have developed:
• Spell Schools
• Psionic Disciplines
• Power Sources
• Planes

Each of these inspires curiosity but disappoints attempts to make sense of it.

The Schools, Disciplines, Sources, and Planes: each of these is a sprawling inconsistent mess, each of these is ultimately meaningless, and each of these is useless for gaming purposes.

Unless there is a serious reorganization and systematization, these parts of D&D are not even worth printing in future D&D products.

There seems like there can be something amazingly useful and flavorful. There are points of contact between them for a potentially deep game. A map of magic itself. But the way these are currently are worthless.

 

[Mephista]

Spell schools has use with using detect magic while dungeon crawling. Or any otherwise magical investigations.

Planes, as places to travel to and adventure, are setting locations. We have more than one official adventure set amongst the planes, and at least two settings as whole rely on them (spelljammer, planescape).

So... yeah, going to hard disagree on these two.

Not sure what "inspires curiosity" power sources really do, since its basically just summed up as "cleric magic" "druid magic" and "wizard magic" with an occasional nod to psions, bards or otherwise mentalist type of magic.