Saturday 20 September 2014

D&D 5: Spells by School

As I previously mentioned, I've been mulling over some ideas for tweaking the wizard class in D&D 5. Not that it really needs tweaking -- I like it well enough as it is -- but, well, it's inspired me to think about some alternative ideas which might be fun too.

The main idea I have in mind is to make school specialization stricter, so that specialists can only cast spells from their chosen school. The big boon being, however, that they can also cast spells from the spell lists of other classes (including clerical spells, for instance). A wizard who chooses to remain non-specialized (which I also have in mind as an option) would be limited to spells from the standard wizard list.

So, what would these super-focused spell lists look like? Here you go -- all spells in the D&D 5 PHB, by school, irrespective of class:

[Update: I've formatted these lists, also including the spells from the Elemental Evil Companion, as a 2-page PDF which you can download here.]

Abjuration
Blade Ward (0)
Resistance (0)
Alarm (1)
Armor of Agathys (1)
Mage Armor (1)
Protection from Evil and Good (1)
Sanctuary (1)
Shield (1)
Shield of Faith (1)
Aid (2)
Arcane Lock (2)
Lesser Restoration (2)
Pass without Trace (2)
Protection from Poison (2)
Warding Bond (2)
Beacon of Hope (3)
Counterspell (3)
Dispel Magic (3)
Glyph of Warding (3)
Magic Circle (3)
Nondetection (3)
Protection from Energy (3)
Remove Curse (3)
Aura of Life (4)
Aura of Purity (4)
Banishment (4)
Death Ward (4)
Freedom of Movement (4)
Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum (4)
Antilife Shell (5)
Banishing Smite (5)
Circle of Power (5)
Dispel Evil and Good (5)
Greater Restoration (5)
Planar Binding (5)
Forbiddance (6)
Globe of Invulnerability (6)
Guards and Wards (6)
Symbol (7)
Antimagic Field (8)
Holy Aura (8)
Mind Blank (8)
Imprisonment (9)
Prismatic Wall (9)

Conjuration
Acid Splash (0)
Mage Hand (0)
Poison Spray (0)
Produce Flame (0)
Arms of Hadar (1)
Create or Destroy Water (1)
Ensnaring Strike (1)
Entangle (1)
Find Familiar (1)
Fog Cloud (1)
Grease (1)
Hail of Thorns (1)
Tenser's Floating Disk (1)
Unseen Servant (1)
Cloud of Daggers (2)
Find Steed (2)
Flaming Sphere (2)
Misty Step (2)
Web (2)
Call Lightning (3)
Conjure Animals (3)
Conjure Barrage (3)
Create Food and Water (3)
Hunger of Hadar (3)
Revivify (3)
Sleet Storm (3)
Spirit Guardians (3)
Stinking Cloud (3)
Conjure Minor Elementals (4)
Conjure Woodland Beings (4)
Dimension Door (4)
Evard's Black Tentacles (4)
Grasping Vine (4)
Guardian of Faith (4)
Leomund's Secret Chest (4)
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound (4)
Cloudkill (5)
Conjure Elemental (5)
Conjure Volley (5)
Insect Plague (5)
Mass Cure Wounds (5)
Teleportation Circle (5)
Tree Stride (5)
Arcane Gate (6)
Conjure Fey (6)
Drawmij's Instant Summons (6)
Heroes' Feast (6)
Planar Ally (6)
Transport via Plants (6)
Wall of Thorns (6)
Word of Recall (6)
Conjure Celestial (7)
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion (7)
Plane Shift (7)
Teleport (7)
Demiplane (8)
Incendiary Cloud (8)
Maze (8)
Tsunami (8)
Gate (9)
Mass Heal (9)
Storm of Vengeance (9)
Wish (9)

Divination
Guidance (0)
True Strike (0)
Comprehend Languages (1)
Detect Evil and Good (1)
Detect Magic (1)
Detect Poison and Disease (1)
Hunter's Mark (1)
Identify (1)
Speak with Animals (1)
Augury (2)
Beast Sense (2)
Detect Thoughts (2)
Find Traps (2)
Locate Animals or Plants (2)
Locate Object (2)
See Invisibility (2)
Clairvoyance (3)
Tongues (3)
Arcane Eye (4)
Divination (4)
Locate Creature (4)
Commune (5)
Commune with Nature (5)
Contact Other Plane (5)
Legend Lore (5)
Rary's Telepathic Bond (5)
Scrying (5)
Find the Path (6)
True Seeing (6)
Foresight (9)

Enchantment
Friends (0)
Vicious Mockery (0)
Animal Friendship (1)
Bane (1)
Bless (1)
Charm Person (1)
Command (1)
Compelled Duel (1)
Heroism (1)
Hex (1)
Sleep (1)
Tasha's Hideous Laughter (1)
Animal Messenger (2)
Calm Emotions (2)
Crown of Madness (2)
Enthrall (2)
Hold Person (2)
Suggestion (2)
Zone of Truth (2)
Compulsion (4)
Confusion (4)
Dominate Beast (4)
Dominate Person (5)
Geas (5)
Hold Monster (5)
Modify Memory (5)
Mass Suggestion (6)
Otto's Irresistible Dance (6)
Antipathy/Sympathy (8)
Dominate Monster (8)
Feeblemind (8)
Power Word Stun (8)
Power Word Kill (9)

Evocation
Dancing Lights (0)
Eldritch Blast (0)
Fire Bolt (0)
Light (0)
Ray of Frost (0)
Sacred Flame (0)
Shocking Grasp (0)
Burning Hands (1)
Chromatic Orb (1)
Cure Wounds (1)
Dissonant Whispers (1)
Divine Favor (1)
Faerie Fire (1)
Guiding Bolt (1)
Healing Word (1)
Hellish Rebuke (1)
Magic Missile (1)
Searing Smite (1)
Thunderous Smite (1)
Thunderwave (1)
Witch Bolt (1)
Wrathful Smite (1)
Branding Smite (2)
Continual Flame (2)
Darkness (2)
Flame Blade (2)
Gust of Wind (2)
Melf's Acid Arrow (2)
Moonbeam (2)
Prayer of Healing (2)
Scorching Ray (2)
Shatter (2)
Spiritual Weapon (2)
Aura of Vitality (3)
Blinding Smite (3)
Crusader's Mantle (3)
Daylight (3)
Fireball (3)
Leomund's Tiny Hut (3)
Lightning Bolt (3)
Mass Healing Word (3)
Sending (3)
Wind Wall (3)
Fire Shield (4)
Ice Storm (4)
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (4)
Staggering Smite (4)
Wall of Fire (4)
Bigby's Hand (5)
Cone of Cold (5)
Destructive Smite/Wave? (5)
Destructive Wave (5)
Flame Strike (5)
Hallow (5)
Wall of Force (5)
Wall of Stone (5)
Blade Barrier (6)
Chain Lightning (6)
Contingency (6)
Heal (6)
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere (6)
Sunbeam (6)
Wall of Ice (6)
Delayed Blast Fireball (7)
Divine Word (7)
Fire Storm (7)
Forcecage (7)
Mordenkainen's Sword (7)
Prismatic Spray (7)
Earthquake (8)
Sunburst (8)
Telepathy (8)
Meteor Swarm (9)
Power Word Heal (9)

Illusion
Minor Illusion (0)
Color Spray (1)
Disguise Self (1)
Illusory Script (1)
Silent Image (1)
Blur (2)
Invisibility (2)
Magic Mouth (2)
Mirror Image (2)
Nystul's Magic Aura (2)
Phantasmal Force (2)
Silence (2)
Fear (3)
Hypnotic Pattern (3)
Major Image (3)
Phantom Steed (3)
Greater Invisibility (4)
Hallucinatory Terrain (4)
Phantasmal Killer (4)
Creation (5)
Dream (5)
Mislead (5)
Seeming (5)
Programmed Illusion (6)
Mirage Arcane (7)
Mirrage Arcane (7)
Project Image (7)
Simulacrum (7)
Weird (9)

Necromancy
Chill Touch (0)
Spare the Dying (0)
False Life (1)
Inflict Wounds (1)
Ray of Sickness (1)
Blindness/Deafness (2)
Gentle Repose (2)
Ray of Enfeeblement (2)
Animate Dead (3)
Bestow Curse (3)
Feign Death (3)
Speak with Dead (3)
Vampiric Touch (3)
Blight (4)
Contagion (5)
Raise Dead (5)
Circle of Death (6)
Create Undead (6)
Eyebite (6)
Harm (6)
Magic Jar (6)
Finger of Death (7)
Resurrection (7)
Clone (8)
Astral Projection (9)
True Resurrection (9)

Transmutation
Druidcraft (0)
Mending (0)
Message (0)
Prestidigitation (0)
Shillelagh (0)
Thaumaturgy (0)
Thorn Whip (0)
Expeditious Retreat (1)
Feather Fall (1)
Goodberry (1)
Jump (1)
Longstrider (1)
Purify Food and Drink (1)
Alter Self (2)
Barkskin (2)
Cordon of Arrows (2)
Darkvision (2)
Enhance Ability (2)
Enlarge/Reduce (2)
Heat Metal (2)
Knock (2)
Levitate (2)
Magic Weapon (2)
Rope Trick (2)
Spider Climb (2)
Spike Growth (2)
Blink (3)
Elemental Weapon (3)
Fly (3)
Gaseous Form (3)
Haste (3)
Lightning Arrow (3)
Meld into Stone (3)
Plant Growth (3)
Slow (3)
Speak with Plants (3)
Water Breathing (3)
Water Walk (3)
Control Water (4)
Fabricate (4)
Giant Insect (4)
Polymorph (4)
Stone Shape (4)
Stoneskin (4)
Animate Objects (5)
Awaken (5)
Passwall (5)
Reincarnate (5)
Swift Quiver (5)
Telekinesis (5)
Disintegrate (6)
Flesh to Stone (6)
Move Earth (6)
Wind Walk (6)
Etheralness (7)
Etherealness (7)
Regenerate (7)
Reverse Gravity (7)
Sequester (7)
Animal Shapes (8)
Control Weather (8)
Glibness (8)
Shapechange (9)
Time Stop (9)
True Polymorph (9)

Comment:
Just looking at the number of spells in each list, we see that divination looks a bit sub-par (which was expected), abjuration looks surprisingly ok, and illusion and necromancy look surprisingly sparse. Necromancy, on the other hand, has access to raise dead et al, which is a very powerful boon.

3 comments:

  1. I've toyed with a similar idea, wizards only casting spells from their own school, but I never considered giving access to other classes from the same school. I like it.

    I have made it where the specialist gets full access to his school, but can only cast spells of other schools at 2 spell levels lower than what they have access to, maxing out at 7th level spells when they can cast 9th level.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The background to this idea is that I prefer a single spell-casting class which (at least potentially) has the abilities of clerics and wizards rolled into one.

      Yes, I was also wondering about some kind of "minor school" access as well, like you describe.

      Delete
  2. I do like that idea. I'm teaching my kids to play right now, and want to keep it RAW as possible to begin with. This may be a system I turn to at some point, though.

    Easy enough to make the cleric's turn undead ability into a spell if that was something you still wanted to have around, or just give it to the Paladin.

    I do think some sort of minor access to other schools should be allowed, or some of the schools do get too narrow in focus. The version I used I only play tested thru low to mid levels, just enough to "kick the tires". Seemed to work, though.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.