The changes to spellcasting with the Bard and Ranger are amazing in lots of ways, but respresent an implied erosion of the defining versatility of the Wizard. This represents a challenge designers will face, and thinking about it identifies some substantial changes in the understanding of spellcasting which allows for some reasonable speculation about future playtest documents.
For spellcasting classes, the class table identifies both the number of spells you prepare at that level and the number of slots you have at each level. This is a major change. For the bard, the number of spells known is more or less the same – any given level might be +/-1 or 2, but ultimately it’s a wash. In fact, Songs of Restoration makes it so that you have up to 5 more spells known. This will require and reward a different kind of system mastery: at the upper levels, characters will only have one spell prepared at 9th level per long rest. That will reduce flexibility on high-end boss fights. Another way to look at it is that at level 18, you can only prepare one 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spell. Within a given long rest, that’s really no different than the Warlock’s Mystic Arcanum, which always feels very limited. Flexibility for the Bard and Ranger comes from being able to draw on a wider list, with the opportunity to change after every long rest, with some limitation of schools available.
How will this wash out for other spellcasters, if this approach is maintained? Some speculation:
If other casters have full flexibility on their lists (with the limits outlined above), is there any reason to limit the Wizard to spells written down in a book, and giving them access to only 2 new spells/level? I don’t think so. A class or subclass feature could add 5 (10?) more spells, all from a particular school that the wizard chooses at level 2 or 3, for example.
Another reason to think the spellbook might disappear is the absence of the Ritual book from the ritual caster feat (a change I find disappointing).
Given that the flexibility of the Wizard has been their main strength, I don’t see what they can do to preserve that quality given the flexibility they have introduced to the bard. I do not think they will maintain the spellbook-building minigame (a book might still be a spellcasting focus, for instance, or could give +1 DC when used, but that’s ultimately cosmetic).
For spellcasting classes, the class table identifies both the number of spells you prepare at that level and the number of slots you have at each level. This is a major change. For the bard, the number of spells known is more or less the same – any given level might be +/-1 or 2, but ultimately it’s a wash. In fact, Songs of Restoration makes it so that you have up to 5 more spells known. This will require and reward a different kind of system mastery: at the upper levels, characters will only have one spell prepared at 9th level per long rest. That will reduce flexibility on high-end boss fights. Another way to look at it is that at level 18, you can only prepare one 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spell. Within a given long rest, that’s really no different than the Warlock’s Mystic Arcanum, which always feels very limited. Flexibility for the Bard and Ranger comes from being able to draw on a wider list, with the opportunity to change after every long rest, with some limitation of schools available.
How will this wash out for other spellcasters, if this approach is maintained? Some speculation:
- I expect the Cleric to have full access to the Divine list, the Druid full access to the Primal list, and the Wizard full access to the Arcane list.
- I expect the Paladin will be able to draw on a limited number of schools from the Divine list, with progression like the ranger. Like the ranger, they’ll start with two cantrips, which is a huge buff for both classes – that was a completely viable fighting style (since Tasha’s), given to them for free.
- Would they limit the Sorcerer list as the inverse of the Bard list? Bards have DIET (Divination, Illusion, Enchantment, Transformation) spells. That would leave ACNE for the (also Charisma-based) Sorcerer (ha ha ha – Abjuration, Conjuration, Necromancy, and Evocation). I hereby copyright these acronyms; Sorcerers have ACNE, Bards DIET.
- This line of thinking would mean a substantial increase in the number of spells for the Sorcerer, and adding more still (including some from other schools, illusion for instance) could come through subclasses, along the lines of Songs of Restoration. That’s been the tendency in new sorcerer subclasses for the past few years already, so no surprise if so. There’s a reduction in the number of cantrips sorcerers have available, unless they had a different table, but I’m guessing the designers won’t do that. Some other solution might come into play.
- As I’ve speculated in another thread, I think Eldritch Blast will become a class feature for the Warlock.
- Subclasses could give limited access to other spell lists: the Divine soul giving access to (certain schools within?) the divine list, etc.
- I expect Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Fighter will remain subclasses. Whatever their progression, I’d expect they’ll get a subset of schools too -- Enchantment/Illusion and Evocation/Abjuration (though it’d be nice if they got one more school, perhaps not in the same ACNE/DIET groups)
If other casters have full flexibility on their lists (with the limits outlined above), is there any reason to limit the Wizard to spells written down in a book, and giving them access to only 2 new spells/level? I don’t think so. A class or subclass feature could add 5 (10?) more spells, all from a particular school that the wizard chooses at level 2 or 3, for example.
Another reason to think the spellbook might disappear is the absence of the Ritual book from the ritual caster feat (a change I find disappointing).
Given that the flexibility of the Wizard has been their main strength, I don’t see what they can do to preserve that quality given the flexibility they have introduced to the bard. I do not think they will maintain the spellbook-building minigame (a book might still be a spellcasting focus, for instance, or could give +1 DC when used, but that’s ultimately cosmetic).
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