D&D (2024) Types of Magic - Arcane, Divine, and Primal?

[Dragonhelm]

One thing I'm unclear on in the 2024 PHB is the types of magic in this edition.

Traditionally, there have been arcane and divine, though 4e also had primal and psionic. The playtest seemed to go back and forth on primal. I'm not seeing anything that specifies.

Is this something they're leaving ambiguous on purpose, or have I missed something somewhere?

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Dividing spells up into Arcane, Divine, and Primal got left behind in early playtests. The 2024 PHB uses class-based spell lists similar to how 2014 PHB treats things.

In general there is still some thematic impact of the Arcane, Divine, and Primal lists, like how Magical Secrets for Bards or Magic Initiate feats can only select from the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell lists (being the archetypes of Divine, Primal, and Arcane spells, respectively). But there is no official definition of these three spell types anywhere in the book.

 

[deadman1204]

it would be nice if there was actual primal, instead of druids being discount clerics with a few green flavored spells. Druids are still limited by the priest idea that they cannot bring the damage to compete with a sorcerer, so they are just hippy clerics. It would be great if druids were able to shed the "nature woman healing but not as good as a cleric healy" thing that is prevelent in every edition of dnd.

 

[jayoungr]

No reason you can't put magic types (back) into your own campaign, especially if you're playing in a homebrew world.

 

[Distracted DM]

No reason you can't put magic types (back) into your own campaign, especially if you're playing in a homebrew world.

Yeah I actually liked that distinction in 4e.
I do group the types of magic, I think the only change I made is Bards are primal. They're way different from the original bards with a mage's spellbook; they get healing spells etc. which doesn't mesh with Arcane, and they cheat the rules- so Primal made the most sense to me.

I was tempted to use kobold press' "wyrd" magic type as well, but warlocks just aren't different enough to justify it in my head.

 

[Larnievc]

One thing I'm unclear on in the 2024 PHB is the types of magic in this edition.

Traditionally, there have been arcane and divine, though 4e also had primal and psionic. The playtest seemed to go back and forth on primal. I'm not seeing anything that specifies.

Is this something they're leaving ambiguous on purpose, or have I missed something somewhere?

I’ve got the new PHB. Can confirm it just has class based spell lists and doesn’t seem to mention Arcane or Divine at all.

 

[Sulicius]

There are remnants of it, though. Both the bard magical secrets and magic initiate feat restrict options to the cleric, druid and wizard spells.

 

[Larnievc]

There are remnants of it, though. Both the bard magical secrets and magic initiate feat restrict options to the cleric, druid and wizard spells.

Which is a shame because it means an Eldritch Knight cannot take the Paladin spell ‘Compel Duel’.

 

[Minigiant]

According to the Crawford, Arcane, Divine, and Primal correlate to the Wizard, Cleric, a Druid respectively.

Everyone else is flavored how your want.

But if you are making a class, subclass, species, or feat that is Arcane, you are expected to tag the Wizard class spell list.

 

[Larnievc]

According to the Crawford, Arcane, Divine, and Primal correlate to the Wizard, Cleric, a Druid respectively.

Everyone else is flavored how your want.

But if you are making a class, subclass, species, or feat that is Arcane, you are expected to tag the Wizard class spell list.

What about Warlock, Ranger and Paladin spell lists? I’m not sure the old concepts of arcane, divine and primal map too well with the class based spell lists.