D&D (2024) why are spell schools and what should they be?

[Gubber Bittencourt]

It's not per level.

It's 3-4 per long rest * level. You get to change out spells everyday.

If you only selected spells at level up, that would not be as bad. Since you could do that away from the table and not keep everyone else waiting.

Spell list are the items to be chosen. Prepared spells are the chosen item.

Only 4 spells to choose would be horrible for a full caster.

4 prepared spells per level is much more than it is today in 5e.

The number of spells you can prepare = your level + spellcasting ability modifier

Lvl 20 char= 20+5= 25 prepared spell.
2.5 spell per spell levels

 

[Voadam]

Also, no one should have to change spells out each day. I absolutely HATE that mechanic more than anything in the game aside from alignment. Sure, you don't 'have' to, if you want to leave the most powerful ability of the class on the floor, but it shouldn't be a thing everyone just has stapled to their character.

I was a big fan of the 3.5 Unearthed Arcana option for spontaneous divine casters where they had spells known as a sorcerer (plus domains) and cast spontaneously using slots. Fit my preferences much more than daily selection of any spell from the ever expanding cleric/druid lists.

Accumulating wizard spells though was fun.

 

[Incenjucar]

A big part of it is that most of the spells in D&D are mostly kludged together from specific historical ideas rather than a cohesive framework. Hypothetically there should be a lot of overlap between spell schools in what they can accomplish but some gaps in how they accomplish it. Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, Conjuration, Invo/Evo, and Enchantment could all cause the Blinded condition in different ways, for example, and how you deal with each could vary. We could have Illusory Darkness, Eyerot, Moleye Transformation, Conjure Blindfold, Crown of Darkness, and Curse of Sightlessness, respectively.