The Awkwardness of Wizard Subclasses In D&D 2024

[@RingXross]

We could also take a more meme solution to the subclass problem. Muscle Wizards anyone? I CAST FIST!

[@DamocMetalFever]

I would have switched the last 2 pairings: Evoker and Transmuter as an Elementalist and Conjurer and Abjuration as an Exorcist/Summoner

[@xiongray]

I designed a subclass that mirrors Lands Druid, Jester Wizard. It is the Wizardiest of Wizards where the Spell list you prepared with the highest number of school gives you two special features; 1. dedicate your specialty like subtle casting (illusion) or more targets (Conjuration) or bigger area if effect (Evocation) for any and all applicable Spells you prepared & 2. A discount on your particular school you have the most prepared like gaining a Spell Slot a level lower than the one expended

[@xiongray]

Eventually, you could alter your Spell list to manipulate effects on the fly, like imbuing Spells onto equipment, weapons, & armors like an Enchanter with Magical traps.

[@richardrdotson]

These are brilliant. We ditched the school specializations all together and are saving them as prestige classes.

[@mrmastaofdesasta6994]

I wasn't a big fan of the 8 subclasses as they were. They released a bunch of actually interesting subclasses later on, like the bladesinger, which give you new abilities or ways to cast spells and are focused around new playstyles, while the 8 subclasses make you just slightly better at a specific type of spell. So I was kind of disappointed that they didn't use those new subclasses. Imo, wizard subclasses should have been focused around different ways to cast magic. Like Bladesinger who focus on buffing themselves and throw around quick short to midrange spells. A ritual mage who focuses on slow casting and large spells perhaps. Many possibilities.

[@orbracha25]

*Love* the idea of the four fundamental forces as wizard subclasses: gravity could focus on crowd control by having lots of forced movements and maybe something akin to Hold Person/Monster as a subclass feature, electromagnetism would focus on lightning damage and maybe help allies with grappling to make use of the new grappler feat, weak force would probably focus on transmutation magic due to the weak force being able to turn one type of particle into another, and the strong force would probably be a bladesinger-like melee wizard due to the strong force only applying on small scales sorry, I'm just a nerd who loves the nerd class so this excited me a lot!

[@RingXross]

@@orbracha25 Us nerds stick together. I really like your take on how the forces could translate for the wizard. Very creative.

[@orbracha25]

@@RingXross I feel like I should actually create those as homebrew, even though I'm not that great at making homebrew lol

[@RingXross]

@@orbracha25 Sounds like you're half way there already. Just needs a little polish and some play testing. The play tests will give you the best results and feedback I have found.

[@Pre-GenCharacter]

Battle Mage = nerd who lifts

[@xiongray]

They could have condensed an actual Wizard subclass. Nonetheless, it works for half the wizard schools for DLC.

[@xiongray]

Two schools of magic specialists was already in the works in 2014; Eldritch Knight with Abjuration & Evocation, and Arcane Trickster with Illusion & Enchantment. I homebrewed two subclasses that followed this design for the other martial classes; Spellblade Barbarian: Transmutation & Divinations, and Monk: Conjuration & Necromancy.

[@RingXross]

Considering WOTC strong push towards the digital market, this would not surprise me in the least.

[@RingXross]

@@xiongray Good point about the EK and AT, i hadn't thought of that.

[@xiongray]

@RingXross Well, it used to be the case. EK & AT now are no longer restricted, having studied a little harder OR design-wise, didn't want to pigeonhole these subclasses... OR make it increasingly easier for the Virtual Tabletop.