We already know what all the subclasses are, Sposta. The wizard gets two - 'Graviturgist', which is a wizard whose subclass abilities focus around the manipulation and mastery of gravitational forces, and 'Chronurgist', which is a wizard whose subclass abilities focus around the manipulation and master of time and entropy.
I.e. wizards who get actual subclass abilities, like War Magic, as opposed to being "you learn spells of your chosen school 50% more cheaply. Oh, also you occasionally get some flimsy weaksauce thing that's maybe related to a school of magic?"
GOD I hate the whole 'school of magic' nonsense. It's a huge limiter on the game and it really needs to go the next time Wizards gets the balls to make a new edition of the game. Which will be never because 5e will never stop selling like mad. God...damnit...
I think Wizards will do it in the laziest way possible. Dunamancy spells will be distributed amongst the other schools of magic, and the only thing calling them out as 'Dunamancy' will be the section in the Wildmount guide that says "the spells in this list are dunamantic in nature. Whatever that means for your campaign."
Mostly because 4e told Wizards that any upsetting of the applecart, making any sort of meaningful change to D&D, pisses off nerds and threatens their sales, so we're stuck with dumb nonsensical vestigial weirdness like 'Schools of Magic'. Which can never be changed, altered, added to, or subtracted from, lest we risk the Wrath of Oldsters.
As an oldster, I have to disagree. Schools of magic are fine. They categorize things. That’s really all they need to do. What they need to get rid of are gorram spell slots! Dumbest effing thing ever that a level 20 caster can use one 9th level slot, still have 80 combined levels worth of slots remaining, and can’t cast another 9th level spell until tomorrow?!?!? WTF?!? What are they smoking that that makes any sense?!?!? That hasn’t made sense since before I started playing. The schools of Magic are like the dewey decimal system, dated but functional. Spell slots are like an abacus in the age of the microchip.
I think Wizards will do it in the laziest way possible. Dunamancy spells will be distributed amongst the other schools of magic, and the only thing calling them out as 'Dunamancy' will be the section in the Wildmount guide that says "the spells in this list are dunamantic in nature. Whatever that means for your campaign."
Mostly because 4e told Wizards that any upsetting of the applecart, making any sort of meaningful change to D&D, pisses off nerds and threatens their sales, so we're stuck with dumb nonsensical vestigial weirdness like 'Schools of Magic'. Which can never be changed, altered, added to, or subtracted from, lest we risk the Wrath of Oldsters.
As an oldster, I have to disagree. Schools of magic are fine. They categorize things. That’s really all they need to do. What they need to get rid of are gorram spell slots! Dumbest effing thing ever that a level 20 caster can use one 9th level slot, still have 80 combined levels worth of slots remaining, and can’t cast another 9th level spell until tomorrow?!?!? WTF?!? What are they smoking that that makes any sense?!?!? That hasn’t made sense since before I started playing. The schools of Magic are like the dewey decimal system, dated but functional. Spell slots are like an abacus in the age of the microchip.
Spell Slots are a resource to be spent or conserved as the player's sense of the situation dictates. Getting rid of them entirely would disrupt the game balance of spellcasting classes vs non-spellcasting classes, and would also probably unbalance spellcasting classes against each other.
That's not to say that the Spell Slot system shouldn't see changes. I think the number and level of slots available being tied exclusively to class level is rather... archaic. The casting classes are all functionally different from each other, and their magic use should behave differently. But getting rid of the system entirely wouldn't work.
To be fair, I don't think spell schools are lazy - they are part of a systemic design created to organize a wild variety of different effects. It's a modular system, which makes it much easier to adapt the material to a different setting.
There are definitely downsides to this kind of organization, but 5e has been built as if it expects to assimilate a LOT of content without the same degree of bloat you saw in 3.5 or 4e. You also avoid a lot of D&D equivalent of spaghetti code, where one old build might have access to X, Y, and Z of the new group, another gets A, B, and C, and so on for dozens of builds, and you do that every time new content comes out - or otherwise you just don't let old builds benefit from new content at all (which obviously is bad design).
Back to the topic, what are some abilities you think the new subclasses will get?
Matt said the Echo Knight will be able to divide their abilities between themselves and their "shadow clone", I assume this means you can take a bonus action on your turn, or your clone can. Same with Extra attack, either version of you can make 2 attacks, or each can make one. You could also split up your movement between the two of you. What other abilities do you think they'll get? Will the clone have individual hit points, or will they be shared between the original? If they're shared, doesn't that double the chances of you taking damage, like if you're in the same proximity of a fireball or other AoE spell? If they have their own hit points is that too powerful?
I assume the graviturgist will be able to blast people away from them, they'll move people around, and stuff like that. What else?
I honestly have no idea what abilities the Chonurgist will get, what do you think? All I can think of would be spells.
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If I remember correctly, the shadows died pretty easily in the episodes that showed the use of that ability, so I am guessing that they will have their own hit points but be fairly low. I would have to go back and watch again to be certain.
Back to the topic, what are some abilities you think the new subclasses will get?
Matt said the Echo Knight will be able to divide their abilities between themselves and their "shadow clone", I assume this means you can take a bonus action on your turn, or your clone can. Same with Extra attack, either version of you can make 2 attacks, or each can make one. You could also split up your movement between the two of you. What other abilities do you think they'll get? Will the clone have individual hit points, or will they be shared between the original? If they're shared, doesn't that double the chances of you taking damage, like if you're in the same proximity of a fireball or other AoE spell? If they have their own hit points is that too powerful?
Based on the description, I'd assume the player must reduce their max HP by some amount, and that determines how much health the shadow clone will have, tracked separately. There would probably be some extra damage to the player if the clone is killed, I'd imagine. To me, the biggest advantage of a player being in 2 places at once like this would be automatic flanking without anyone else's assistance. Would be really interesting if, at some higher level, you could swap positions with the clone. Could allow for some pretty ridiculous escapes.
I assume the graviturgist will be able to blast people away from them, they'll move people around, and stuff like that. What else?
Probably will be able to mess with gravity itself. I'd assume a lot of effects like Levitate. The ability to affect the weight of objects seems like a pretty obvious choice. For example, as a reaction, make an incoming ranged attack or spell with a physical projectile miss, dropping to the ground instead of continuing to the target. Or the ability to make heavy objects, like rocks or unconscious giants or whatever, light as a feather. Thematically, I'd assume they can use Feather Fall on themselves at-will with no spell slot or components.
I honestly have no idea what abilities the Chonurgist will get, what do you think? All I can think of would be spells.
Thinks like Haste or Slow come to mind. Maybe at higher levels they can get the benefit of a long rest from a short rest, can't use again until an actual long rest is taken? Or creating an area in which time flows faster, to accomplish some task or other in a shorter period of time. Perhaps they can craft magical traps, that lock the victim within a moment, or reverse their personal timeline to a previous point.
I've barely dipped my toes into the Critical Role world so when news of this dropped, like... I had no preconceived notions about what it would involve before they told us, and the stuff that we're hearing about is pretty much ALL new to me since I don't yet know much about that world, but now I'm REALLY excited about dunamancy! I'd had bits and pieces of a character in mind for a while that I'd wanted to do something with, and I could never figure out what CLASS he should be. Now I'm really vibing on this and I think I can rework the ideas I'd had into one of the dunamancy subclasses.
I have an idea of a Netherese wizard who studied under Jeriah Chronos and then went through one of the Time Gates either out of curiosity or by accident and ended up in "todays era" FR with his spellbook of time-related spells that have been largely forgotten by the rest of the world.
Adopting Matt Mercer's Dunamancy and reskinning it to "Chronomancy" in FR might make my life so much easier ;-)
I've always wanted to play as a character in the Forgotten Realms that can manipulate time, either as a Netherese Wizard or a High-Elven Mage that suspended himself in a time bubble for a few thousand years.
I'm sure Dunamancy will be a great way to do this. Some of the spells sound amazing, Gravity Fisher and the Luck creating spell. I need those.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
We already know what all the subclasses are, Sposta. The wizard gets two - 'Graviturgist', which is a wizard whose subclass abilities focus around the manipulation and mastery of gravitational forces, and 'Chronurgist', which is a wizard whose subclass abilities focus around the manipulation and master of time and entropy.
I.e. wizards who get actual subclass abilities, like War Magic, as opposed to being "you learn spells of your chosen school 50% more cheaply. Oh, also you occasionally get some flimsy weaksauce thing that's maybe related to a school of magic?"
GOD I hate the whole 'school of magic' nonsense. It's a huge limiter on the game and it really needs to go the next time Wizards gets the balls to make a new edition of the game. Which will be never because 5e will never stop selling like mad. God...damnit...
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Thinking of starting ANOTHER thread asking why Epic Boons haven't been implemented? Read this first to learn why you shouldn't!
As an oldster, I have to disagree. Schools of magic are fine. They categorize things. That’s really all they need to do. What they need to get rid of are gorram spell slots! Dumbest effing thing ever that a level 20 caster can use one 9th level slot, still have 80 combined levels worth of slots remaining, and can’t cast another 9th level spell until tomorrow?!?!? WTF?!? What are they smoking that that makes any sense?!?!? That hasn’t made sense since before I started playing. The schools of Magic are like the dewey decimal system, dated but functional. Spell slots are like an abacus in the age of the microchip.
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Epic Boons on DDB
Spell Slots are a resource to be spent or conserved as the player's sense of the situation dictates. Getting rid of them entirely would disrupt the game balance of spellcasting classes vs non-spellcasting classes, and would also probably unbalance spellcasting classes against each other.
That's not to say that the Spell Slot system shouldn't see changes. I think the number and level of slots available being tied exclusively to class level is rather... archaic. The casting classes are all functionally different from each other, and their magic use should behave differently. But getting rid of the system entirely wouldn't work.
To be fair, I don't think spell schools are lazy - they are part of a systemic design created to organize a wild variety of different effects. It's a modular system, which makes it much easier to adapt the material to a different setting.
There are definitely downsides to this kind of organization, but 5e has been built as if it expects to assimilate a LOT of content without the same degree of bloat you saw in 3.5 or 4e. You also avoid a lot of D&D equivalent of spaghetti code, where one old build might have access to X, Y, and Z of the new group, another gets A, B, and C, and so on for dozens of builds, and you do that every time new content comes out - or otherwise you just don't let old builds benefit from new content at all (which obviously is bad design).
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I’m not saying they should “get rid of” spell slots, I’m saying they should replace them with something better.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Back to the topic, what are some abilities you think the new subclasses will get?
Matt said the Echo Knight will be able to divide their abilities between themselves and their "shadow clone", I assume this means you can take a bonus action on your turn, or your clone can. Same with Extra attack, either version of you can make 2 attacks, or each can make one. You could also split up your movement between the two of you. What other abilities do you think they'll get? Will the clone have individual hit points, or will they be shared between the original? If they're shared, doesn't that double the chances of you taking damage, like if you're in the same proximity of a fireball or other AoE spell? If they have their own hit points is that too powerful?
I assume the graviturgist will be able to blast people away from them, they'll move people around, and stuff like that. What else?
I honestly have no idea what abilities the Chonurgist will get, what do you think? All I can think of would be spells.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
If I remember correctly, the shadows died pretty easily in the episodes that showed the use of that ability, so I am guessing that they will have their own hit points but be fairly low. I would have to go back and watch again to be certain.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
Based on the description, I'd assume the player must reduce their max HP by some amount, and that determines how much health the shadow clone will have, tracked separately. There would probably be some extra damage to the player if the clone is killed, I'd imagine. To me, the biggest advantage of a player being in 2 places at once like this would be automatic flanking without anyone else's assistance. Would be really interesting if, at some higher level, you could swap positions with the clone. Could allow for some pretty ridiculous escapes.
Probably will be able to mess with gravity itself. I'd assume a lot of effects like Levitate. The ability to affect the weight of objects seems like a pretty obvious choice. For example, as a reaction, make an incoming ranged attack or spell with a physical projectile miss, dropping to the ground instead of continuing to the target. Or the ability to make heavy objects, like rocks or unconscious giants or whatever, light as a feather. Thematically, I'd assume they can use Feather Fall on themselves at-will with no spell slot or components.
Thinks like Haste or Slow come to mind. Maybe at higher levels they can get the benefit of a long rest from a short rest, can't use again until an actual long rest is taken? Or creating an area in which time flows faster, to accomplish some task or other in a shorter period of time. Perhaps they can craft magical traps, that lock the victim within a moment, or reverse their personal timeline to a previous point.
I've barely dipped my toes into the Critical Role world so when news of this dropped, like... I had no preconceived notions about what it would involve before they told us, and the stuff that we're hearing about is pretty much ALL new to me since I don't yet know much about that world, but now I'm REALLY excited about dunamancy! I'd had bits and pieces of a character in mind for a while that I'd wanted to do something with, and I could never figure out what CLASS he should be. Now I'm really vibing on this and I think I can rework the ideas I'd had into one of the dunamancy subclasses.
I have an idea of a Netherese wizard who studied under Jeriah Chronos and then went through one of the Time Gates either out of curiosity or by accident and ended up in "todays era" FR with his spellbook of time-related spells that have been largely forgotten by the rest of the world.
Adopting Matt Mercer's Dunamancy and reskinning it to "Chronomancy" in FR might make my life so much easier ;-)
I've always wanted to play as a character in the Forgotten Realms that can manipulate time, either as a Netherese Wizard or a High-Elven Mage that suspended himself in a time bubble for a few thousand years.
I'm sure Dunamancy will be a great way to do this. Some of the spells sound amazing, Gravity Fisher and the Luck creating spell. I need those.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms