Ok, we've covered the three classes and the feats, now we just have the spells and rules glossary. The latter is going to be a little more complex, so we're going to take a look at the spell lists.
If we are to take the Ranger and Bard as models for the way that spells are distributed moving forward, it looks like these lists/categories will replace class spell lists. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this actually does some future-proofing for the game - it's easier to add spells now without having to have a big section for class spell lists - each spell just comes with two relevant tags: School and Type(s).
Now, because this is now going to work with a broad rule rather than a designating each spell for specific classes, there's a possibility that classes will lose (or gain) spells with this change.
And because I'm that obsessive, I'm going to go down the line and take a look at what this means for PHB spells for the two classes we have.
Bards get access to Arcane spells, but they only get half the schools of magic (outside of their Songs of Restoration, Magical Secrets, and Further Magical Secrets features). Bards can only prepare spells of the Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, and Transmutation schools.
This actually applies to Cantrips as well - both in that they're restricted by school and you can prepare different ones each day.
So, let's look at the Bard list (using the Tasha's-era expanded spell list, but still limited to the PHB spells) and compare it with what you get in this UA. (We'll include the Songs of Restoration, as all Bards will get those (Healing Word, Lesser Restoration, Mass Healing Word, Freedom of Movement, and Greater Restoration). Also note that some spells have had their school changed - Thunderwave, for example, is Transmutation now (which seems odd, but it does mean Bards get to keep it):
Bard Gained Spells: Hex, Jump, Alter Self, Blur, Darkvision, Magic Aura (Nystul's?), Rope Trick, Blink, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Phantom Steed, Water Breathing, Arcane Eye, Fabricate, Stone Shape, Stoneskin, Contact Other Plane, Creation, Passwall, Telekinesis, Flesh to Stone, Reverse Gravity, Sequester, Simulacrum, Control Weather, Telepathy, Shapechange, Time Stop, Weird
Bard Lost Spells: Blade Ward, Light, Mage Hand, Animal Friendship, Bane, Faerie Fire, Heroism, Speak with Animals, Unseen Servant, Aid, Animal Messenger, Cloud of Daggers, Heat Metal, Locate Animals or Plants, Silence, Zone of Truth, Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feign Death, Glyph of Warding, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Nondetection, Plant Growth, Stinking Cloud, Dimension Door, Awaken, Mass Cure Wounds, Planar Binding, Raise Dead, Teleportation Circle, Eyebite, Find the Path, Guards and Wards, Heroes' Feast, Forcecage, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Sword, Prismatic Spray, Regenerate, Resurrection, Symbol, Teleport, Mind Blank, Power Word Heal, Prismatic Wall
Hoo boy, that was a lot. As you can see, Bards lose out on more spells than they pick up. However! I think it's also important to note that the new way that Magical Secrets works will help pick up a ton of slack. You can take your magical secrets in any of the three spell lists, and this allows you to prepare two spells a day that are from that list and aren't restricted by school. It seemed to me that losing out on particularly Conjuration and Abjuration spells removed a lot of options from the Bard, but you can get the ones you need pretty easily with Magical Secrets. The other big restriction is that you're now purely on the Arcane list, which has some surprising absences (like Silence). But Magical Secrets lets you pick any of the three lists, and is unbound by schools. And because you prepare these each day, rather than just learning a set number and stopping there, I think you might be in decent shape.
Now, let's look at the Ranger. With fewer spell levels to look through, as well as less of a restriction on spell school, I actually expect the Ranger to get more spells. But let's see.
Rangers can learn any Primal spell of an appropriate level (max 5th) as long as it's not of the Evocation school. Also, consider that Rangers now get cantrips, and so obviously you're adding a fair number with that.
Ranger Gained Spells: Druidcraft, Guidance, Mending, Message, Poison Spray, Resistance, Shillelagh, Spare the Dying, Thorn Whip, Create or Destroy Water, Healing Word, Thunderwave, Augury, Enlarge/Reduce, Call Lightning, Dispel Magic, Feign Death (how was this not a Ranger spell before?), Mass Healing Word, Sleet Storm, Conjure Minor Elementals, Control Weather, Giant Insect, Polymorph, Stone Shape, Greater Restoration, Insect Plague, Mass Cure Wounds, Reincarnate, Scrying,
Ranger Lost Spells: Alarm, Searing Smite, Aid, Gust of Wind, Magic Weapon, Daylight, Wind Wall,
So, in the Ranger's case, their spell options expand profoundly, while they do lose a few. Rangers also now prepare spells, rather than simply learning them. They also have Hunter's Mark always prepared. You prepare a number of spells equal to the spell slots you have (and spells of each level for each slot of that level you have,) meaning that the Ranger winds up at level 20 with 15 spells prepared. That's 4 more than you have in current D&D, and you get to swap them out (and you've got 3 cantrips).
So, what do we think about this?
Again, I think that this new system is great for future-proofing, but it also puts us in a position where some things are a bit awkward. For example, Bards are the only class to get Vicious Mockery, currently, but if we assume that Wizards will get access to every spell school, that means they will be able to take it as well. We lose a little specificity.
Going general: again, Eldritch Blast's absence from any of the lists is quite notable. I do think it's very likely going to simply become a Warlock class feature. This will mean other classes can't get it, and it also might not scale up in beams unless you truly commit to getting levels in Warlock.
It looks like most healing spells have been made Abjuration spells. I'd initially thought this could be used to keep Paladins away from Evocation spells, but then most of the Smite spells are Evocation. Perhaps it just creates some thematic consistency.
I'm inclined to think that maybe Bards are too restricted in their school options, though again, Magical Secrets could be the solution - though the first of those features doesn't come online until level 11, which is pretty far in.
Next post, I'll be looking at the Rules Glossary to see how the base rules of the game shift with this UA.
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