D&D (2024) Class Exclusive spells

[Minigiant]

In contrast with the start of One D&D, WOTC is now toying with classes having exclusive spells and altering old exclusive spells to better match class fantasy. The newer playtests and the newer platyest survey response videos hint heavily in those directions based on community responses.


So

Which spells would you want stripped from the general Arcane,Divine,and Primal lists and made into class spells?
How would you alter these spells?
What kinds of new spells would you add to 5h edition as class exclusive spells to flesh out class fantasy and identity?

 

[Horwath]

IMHO, exclusive spells are bad design.
If something is defining the class then make it a class feature, like Divine smite or Combat wild shape.

D&D only needs one spell list, Magic.

And all spells available to all, then just make class/sub-class features define the class by giving mandatory spells known/prepared and features that buff certain type of spells; Healing domain, Summoning, Pyromancy , Aberrant, Stormsould, etc...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Most of the spells that are really thematic for the class should be exclusive to the class. They should just be willing to have a short list of class spells for each spellcasting class, and say that the class can prepare spells from their class spell list and the arcane/divine/primal spell list.

Turning them into weird class features that give you spells like they're doing is basically the worst of both worlds.

 

[Horwath]

Most of the spells that are really thematic for the class should be exclusive to the class. They should just be willing to have a short list of class spells for each spellcasting class, and say that the class can prepare spells from their class spell list and the arcane/divine/primal spell list.

Turning them into weird class features that give you spells like they're doing is basically the worst of both worlds.

I disagree, especially with this latest playtest:

I.E.
Scribe spell, why is this a spell in the first place? What was wrong with having it in Spellbook description part? What is a benefit of this becoming a spell? Will someone try to poach this spell with some feats/class features? No.

Same as Sorcerous burst, a spell so criminally bad, that no one will take it, so it's just a "free" cantrip for sorcerers, well, not free as it still uses class resources and anyone with a brain will try to haggle the DM to give them one cantrip of choice instead, Mending or Light sounds nice instead.

Or any Sorcerer exclusive spells, all are awful with exception of Arcane eruption.

Or pact weapon cantrip?
Just have it say; As a Bonus action you conjure any weapon in your hand that lacks Heavy property, you are proficient with it.
No need to code it as a spell.

 

[Yaarel]

Spells are an impotant way to customize a character.

To make a spell exclusive to a class is the same thing as removing player choice.

I prefer the recent approach that says, "use this feature, or an other feature of your choice".

Recommend, and dont coerce.

 

[Andvari]

I prefer clerics, druids and mages having their own spell lists as it makes the classes feel more different.

 

[jdrakeh]

I would prefer all magic using classes to have exclusive spell lists, to be honest. All magic users being very same-y has long been one of my least favorite things about D&D. It's better or worse depending upon which edition you're playing, of course.

 

[Horwath]

Spells are an impotant way to customize a character.

To make a spell exclusive to a class is the same thing as removing player choice.

I prefer the recent approach that says, "use this feature, or an other feature of your choice".

Recommend, and dont coerce.

Class mage:
Full spellcaster progression, all spells available.
2 skills,
no armor, simple weapons
saves: int, wis and cha
spellcasting ability; highest of int, wis or cha.

1st level features:
potent cantrips,
ritual caster,

No subclasses,

20th level feature: epic destiny or what every

Feats at levels: 2,3,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,19.

 

[Yaarel]

I would split up the spell lists into separate Schools, that organize the spells by theme.

Then I would assign certain Schools to certain classes.

Each caster class gets about three or four Schools.

Subclasses are a way to access an other School, or to heighten a base School.

This makes the flavor of the caster classes feel different from each other.

At the same time it is easy to customize by using a subclass or feat to access a different School.

For example.


The Schools

Conjuration (planes, summoning)

Divination (space-time, precognition, teleportation)

Enchantment (mind, telepathy, charm, fear, senses, phantasm)

Evocation (air-lightning-thunder, fire-radiant-darkness, water-cold)

Illusion (quasi real force constructs, force, arcane armor, fly)

Necromancy (death-necrotic-shadow, undead, fiend, aberration)

Transmutation (earth-acid-weapons, plants, fabrication, animals-healing)


These themes in each School represent every spell in D&D.


Different classes emphasize different themes. Something like:


Bard: Divination, Enchantment, Transmutation

Druid: Evocation, Transmutation, Divination

Wizard: Evocation, Transmutation, Illusionist

Sorcerer: Conjuration, Evocation, Illusion

Warlock: Conjuration, Enchantment, Necromancy

Cleric: Conjuration, Divination, Necromancy


These Schools are the respective spell lists for each class.

Subclasses can mix things up a bit, and feats.

 

[Delazar]

Psion: Divination, Enchantment, Illusion