Unless the character 2-3 Levels into Cleric I do not see them getting some CLASS feature to heal. At later levels they get access to Divine spells to heal. (Why. No idea)
A Divine spell draws on the power of gods and the Outer Planes. Clerics and Paladins harness this magic. - SO let us also give it to the BARD.
How is harnessing the echoes of creation not a divine potential?
Bard as herald or messenger of the gods is a trope, and we can call the divine bard a cantor. Leading psalms or hymns falls withing the scope of the bard within religious context. I would use David of David and Goliath fame as an example.
After God sends an evil spirit to torment Saul, his servants recommend that he send for a man skilled in playing the lyre. A servant proposes David, whom the servant describes as "skillful in playing, a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him." David enters Saul's service as one of the royal armour-bearers and plays the lyre to soothe the king. Samuel 14:16-23
It's a bit odd that people were arguing for years that bard were casting divine spells because of the healing instead of arcane spells that healed and now that those are divine spells again as argued it's an issue. 1e bards healed with magic (it was even divine magic at the time). 2e bards healed with arcane spells that could heal in the same way mages did. 3e bards could heal with magic. 4e bards could heal with magic. 5e bards could heal with magic. Mythological bards could heal. Historical bards were also healers. I'm not clear on why you think bards wouldn't continue to heal; or decide healing is for clerics and paladins even though druids and rangers can do that, or bards and sorcerers and warlocks and have also had the ability to add those options. Artificers also heal.
That boat didn't just sail. It was not really there in the first place. ;-)
Why not add the songs of restoration like in previous EA but make it something like the cleric order. The bard knows and has follwing spells prepared when they gain the indicated level.
This could add some variance on picking spell list and songs separately and you can come up with dozens of combinations (here is some i just thought of).
Songs of Restoration
1 - Healing Word (because I think its more thematic than cure for a bard)
Why not add the songs of restoration like in previous EA but make it something like the cleric order. The bard knows and has follwing spells prepared when they gain the indicated level.
I do love the "songs of" mechanic idea, that has been discussed around these boards. But I also like the idea of Bard being a half caster with access to all 3 lists, and then Magical Secrets working like Mystic Arcanum (access to some higher level spells that a half-caster normally wouldn't be able to access).
"Songs of" could also work into the Colleges subclasses, having the College determine some spells that the Bard automatically knows and gets 1 free casting with, and fits the theme of their College.
Or they could be applied to Backgrounds, sort of like the Strixhaven backgrounds: they grant some spell picks at 1st level, and then expand the choices of your classes, and again could be specified around college themes, like College of Healing (as a background) that has some healing spells, and things like that. This would also strengthen the whole concept of Bards having been trained in a school.
I really like the new list, and I like the fact that you have an impactful choice to make. I truly do not see a negative to not having heal spells available if you choose arcane on your bard. if you want to be a healer, then arcane is not the school for you.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
The title says it all - I'm guessing they needed to make space for Jack of All Trades, but it leaves Arcane Bards with no healing. I'd lean toward giving bards a choice between Jack and Restoration.
I remember threads in this very forum when "songs of restoration" came out where people complained about this "forcing" them to play as healers. The logic was lost on me as even if you have a specific spell you still have to choose to use it and I'd always rather have another spell known than not have another spell known.
The whole point of 'Songs of Restoration' was to add specific healing and support spells to the Bard since they had to choose from the Arcane List. Opening up the Primal and Divine lists basically removes that requirement in theory but opens up all new issues with 'what kind of Bard do you want to be?', so I don't think Jack of All Trades had anything to do with the logic of its removal.
I'm not really sure how it all shakes out. I need to actually sit down with the spell lists and choose spells for a theoretical bard to really see what can be made. Primal College of Glamour feels like something interesting, Divine College of Dance and Arcane College of Lore might be good. Now that we're back to choosing limited spells known at level up my Bard builds would have to go back to choosing thematic spells rather than just choosing useful ones for the day and expected situations.
Idea:like Strixhaven, in that a background specific spell list is added, but more closely aligned to Bardic song ideas (Songs of Restoration, Songs of the Wild, etc.), theology schools, academic schools, and metaphysical/wizardry schools (illusion, necromancy, etc.). They could also reflect things like Monastic studies, etc.
College of Diplomacy Attributes: +2 Cha, +1 Wis Skills: Deception, Persuasion Languages: (Pick one) Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane) Spell List: Cantrips: Friends, Message 1st Level: Comprehend Languages, Charm Person 2nd Level: Calm Emotions, Suggestion 3rd Level: Sending, Tongues 4th Level: Compulsion, Fast Friends 5th Level: Dominate Person, Ray's Telepathic Bond
College of Ecology Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int Skills: Nature, Survival Languages: Sylvan Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Primal) Spell List: Cantrips: Druidcraft, Guidance 1st Level: Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals 2nd Level: Pass without Trace, Protection from Poison 3rd Level: Conjure Animals, Speak with Plants 4th Level: Conjure Woodland Beings, Grasping Vine 5th Level: Commune with Nature, Wrath of Nature
College of Elementalism Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Wis Skills: Nature, Survival Languages: Primordial Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane or Primal) Spell List: Cantrips: Elementalism, Resistance 1st Level: Absorb Elements, Chromatic Orb 2nd Level: Dragon's Breath, Protection from Poison 3rd Level: Protection from Energy, Water Walk 4th Level: Conjure Minor Elemental, Elemental Bane 5th Level: Conjure Elemental, Dispel Evil and Good
College of Illusion Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Wis Skills: Arcana, Deception Languages: (Pick one) Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane) Spell List: Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Minor Illusion 1st Level: Disguise Self, Silent Image 2nd Level: Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force 3rd Level: Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image 4th Level: Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer 5th Level: Dream, Mislead
College of Medicine Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int Skills: Medicine, Survival Languages: (Pick one) Tools or Musical Instruments: Healers Kit Feat: Magic Initiate (Divine or Primal) Spell List: Cantrips: Guidance, Spare the Dying 1st Level: Cure Wounds, Detect Disease and Poison 2nd Level: Aid, Lesser Restoration 3rd Level: Mass Healing Word, Revivify 4th Level: Aura of Life, Aura of Purity 5th Level: Greater Restoration, Raise Dead
College of Necromancy Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Cha Skills: Arcana, Medicine Languages: (Pick One) Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane or Divine) Spell List: Cantrips: Chill Touch, Toll the Dead 1st Level: Inflict Wounds, Ray of SIckness 2nd Level: Blindness/Deafness, Gentle Repose 3rd Level: Animate Dead, Vampiric Touch 4th Level: Blight, Death Ward 5th Level: Contagion, Negative Energy Flood
College of Theology Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int Skills: History, Religion Languages: Celestial or Abyssal Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one) Feat: Magic Initiate (Divine) Spell List: Cantrips: Thaumaturgy, Word of Radiance 1st Level: Detect Evil and Good, Protection from Evil and Good 2nd Level: Augury, Zone of Truth 3rd Level: Beacon of Hope, Magic Circle 4th Level: Banishment, Divination 5th Level: Commune, Dispel Evil and Good
The problem with spells known lists and domain lists and things like these backgrounds is that none of them are future-proof. They have no way of growing as new player option books come out with new spells. As such, you'd generally want to use them very sparingly lest you paint yourself into a corner. Look at the Tasha's Summon spells. It's hard to not say that those are simply better to use than the older Conjure spells. But if those older conjure spells are on a spells known list, then we end up with the Subclass/feat/background being less desirable due to the normal growth of the game.
I actually think the solution might be in the Warlocks Mystic Arcanum, with a little twist.
Mystic Arcanum is an ability that lets you cast a pre-selected spell once per day, if we play that onto the Bard and let them change the Mystic Arcanum Choice as part of a Long Rest, while keeping the rest of the 'choose spell list' and 'select spells at level up' mechanics in place, we open up a bit of variety and choice while keeping much of the Bard Specific Flavor.
For example, Sure you're an Arcane Bard, and you're using the Arcane List, but you have this one little trick up your sleeve and pull a Call Lightning down on the enemy.
The problem with spells known lists and domain lists and things like these backgrounds is that none of them are future-proof.
Future-proofing is not desirable for a company though, and it seems odd to me that people in the community think it is. Likewise backwards compatibility is not desirable for the company. Letting people keep using the same books for 60 years means that you don't sell that person any new books for 60 years. Sure you can add more and more supplements but to get people to buy the new supplement it has to be power-creepy, because why would people buy a book to play a class/subclass that is weaker than those already available? Eventually power-creep and increasing complexity from dozens of books needed to be purchased to make a viable character is discouraging for people seeking to join the hobby and that edition begins a slow decline.
The problem with spells known lists and domain lists and things like these backgrounds is that none of them are future-proof. They have no way of growing as new player option books come out with new spells. As such, you'd generally want to use them very sparingly lest you paint yourself into a corner. Look at the Tasha's Summon spells. It's hard to not say that those are simply better to use than the older Conjure spells. But if those older conjure spells are on a spells known list, then we end up with the Subclass/feat/background being less desirable due to the normal growth of the game.
I get what you're saying, but the backgrounds in OneD&D are explicitly changeable/creatable/cloneable by the player (as opposed to implicitly in 5e, which sort of also implied to be changeable by the DM and not the player). Think the spell list should be different? Change it. New product, or you just don't agree with the specific spells chosen? Change it or clone it and make it entirely your own. Put a title on it like "University of Balder's Gate College of Illusion" instead of just "[Generic] College of Illusion", if you want to avoid confusion from a published version.
So, the idea that these can't change with opinion, nuance, locality, or new information/products is ... just not true in any way.
I actually think the solution might be in the Warlocks Mystic Arcanum, with a little twist.
Mystic Arcanum is an ability that lets you cast a pre-selected spell once per day, if we play that onto the Bard and let them change the Mystic Arcanum Choice as part of a Long Rest, while keeping the rest of the 'choose spell list' and 'select spells at level up' mechanics in place, we open up a bit of variety and choice while keeping much of the Bard Specific Flavor.
It has been suggested to use Magical Secrets (in OneD&D) as being the Bard's version of Mystic Arcanum. Mystic Arcanum is really more of a way to give the Warlock higher level spells, without making them "just another full caster". Mystic Arcanum explicitly does NOT let you pick outside of your known spell list (Warlocks only get Arcane spells via Mystic Arcanum, for example -- it doesn't broaden their selection in terms of spell lists). And that's how I would suggest using Magical Secrets for a half-caster Bard who has all 3 main spell lists: they get a single casting of a higher level spell, without using a spell slot.
Background spell lists, One D&D Bard's Songs of ___, nor Mystical Arcanum, don't really serve the purpose that you're describing (picking any random spell you want). That's what the 5e Magical Secrets feature was for: picking any possible spell that isn't in your spell list, as a way to change things up. But a Half Caster Bard that gets all 3 main spell lists doesn't need that kind of mechanic: they already can pick any spell within their level ability. They don't need Songs of ___ to get access to those spells because they can get access to those spells anyway. They don't need 5e's version of "Magical Secrets" because they can already pick those spells. The only exception would be class specific spells (like Once D&D's version of Eldritch Blast), and I would be reluctant to cross that boundary: Jack of All Trades and Master of None.
What they need, if anything, is a way to get higher level spells (if we want Bards to have them) and/or a way to have "extra spells known", possibly with one extra/free casting. Mystical Arcanum gives you all of that. And a Background Spell list might also give you that, if the Bardic College Subclass says something like "if you have the ____ collegiate background, you automatically know those spells (when you reach the appropriate levels) without it counting against your spells prepared/known.
For example, Sure you're an Arcane Bard, and you're using the Arcane List, but you have this one little trick up your sleeve and pull a Call Lightning down on the enemy.
I mean, who doesn't like a good Cover Song?
A OneD&D Bard, if they're a half caster with all 3 of the main spell lists, could get Call Lightning at 9th level when they get their 3rd level spell slot. A OneD&D Bard (as per playtest 6) who picks Arcane spells at 1st level, could get Call Lighting at 10th level when they gain the other two spell lists.
While Mystic Arcanum would allow an extra 3rd level spell at 5th character level ... it wouldn't change the spell lists the Bard has available, and thus you still wouldn't get Call Lightning earlier than those two options. Unless you're trying to make Mystic Arcanum into something that it explicitly isn't, by making it be like 5e Magical Secrets ... which you can do, obviously, but it might be better to call it something else, because then it's not Mystic Arcanum at all.
Johnzkin, You're correct that a DM can and often should adjust things to account for future states, and I would be 100% onboard with supporting that if the book were already released. But the point of the UA is to brainstorm those sorts of long term concerns and address them during the design phase whenever possible, thus Future Proofing.
I think adjusting your idea from being a 'Background like Strixhaven' to being a 'Feat Chain' where one feat leads to another etc would likely layer on top of the 5e/1DD system more elegantly. I think splitting the first of the chain into a list that includes the cantrip, 1st and 2nd spell list and then a second feat that adds the 3rd and 4th spells, and then another with 5th and 6th should work, albeit a little awkwardly since you are taking a feat at 4th level that you cant actually make use of till 5th level (sounds like college doesn't it?). Put a +1 stat modifier on the 2nd and 3rd feats in the chain (as + stats are not allowed on level 1 feats) and you might be really cooking with something. A way of adding a curated spell list to any caster at the cost of a feat chain.
I also want to thank you for making me reconsider my suggesion of Mystic Arcanum, I actually forgot that it was limited to the Arcane Spell list for some reason. But it also made me rethink my idea to a more elegant model that calls back to the Vancian Magic system of early D&D. Having a touch of Vancian Magic to provide limited access to key pick ups from other spell lists feels like a much more appropriate solution to the problem that Songs of Restoration was originally trying to address. So thank you for making me reconsider. Being able to use Vancian magic to pull two one-time-use-spells from any spell list (from a spell level you can cast of course) and then choose a different two at the end of a long rest is much closer to what I imagined and much more fitting with the Bards history.
Johnzkin, You're correct that a DM can and often should adjust things to account for future states, and I would be 100% onboard with supporting that if the book were already released. But the point of the UA is to brainstorm those sorts of long term concerns and address them during the design phase whenever possible, thus Future Proofing.
Not the DM. The Player. OneD&D Backgrounds aren't set in stone (or "not as set in stone as the 5e ones"). The OneD&D rules literally say to create your own background for your character, or use these ones as examples. That's the future proofing: you, the player (not just the DM) can change them on a character by character basis. New spells come out? Change the background to fit it.
In 5e, the officially printed backgrounds are part of RAW, not just examples. In OneD&D, the officially printed backgrounds are examples, not RAW. OneD&D RAW (for what it is so far) is "here's how you make your own background."
So, with respect to backgrounds, Future Proofing isn't a long term concern in OneD&D. It's just "not a thing." It's handled by the fact that the rules literally say to create your own background for each character.
Not the DM. The Player. OneD&D Backgrounds aren't set in stone (or "not as set in stone as the 5e ones"). The OneD&D rules literally say to create your own background for your character, or use these ones as examples. That's the future proofing: you, the player (not just the DM) can change them on a character by character basis. New spells come out? Change the background to fit it.
This isn't new; we've always been able to customise our background. The difference in the OneD&D playtest is that there's no longer any special background feature to choose from (or forget about), it's just a feat now.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
How is harnessing the echoes of creation not a divine potential?
Bard as herald or messenger of the gods is a trope, and we can call the divine bard a cantor. Leading psalms or hymns falls withing the scope of the bard within religious context. I would use David of David and Goliath fame as an example.
David is also described as a as a prophet of Allah.
It's a bit odd that people were arguing for years that bard were casting divine spells because of the healing instead of arcane spells that healed and now that those are divine spells again as argued it's an issue. 1e bards healed with magic (it was even divine magic at the time). 2e bards healed with arcane spells that could heal in the same way mages did. 3e bards could heal with magic. 4e bards could heal with magic. 5e bards could heal with magic. Mythological bards could heal. Historical bards were also healers. I'm not clear on why you think bards wouldn't continue to heal; or decide healing is for clerics and paladins even though druids and rangers can do that, or bards and sorcerers and warlocks and have also had the ability to add those options. Artificers also heal.
That boat didn't just sail. It was not really there in the first place. ;-)
Why not add the songs of restoration like in previous EA but make it something like the cleric order. The bard knows and has follwing spells prepared when they gain the indicated level.
This could add some variance on picking spell list and songs separately and you can come up with dozens of combinations (here is some i just thought of).
Songs of Restoration
Songs of Beguilement
Songs of the Mirage
Songs of the Wild Things
Songs of the Storm
Songs of the Waves
I do love the "songs of" mechanic idea, that has been discussed around these boards. But I also like the idea of Bard being a half caster with access to all 3 lists, and then Magical Secrets working like Mystic Arcanum (access to some higher level spells that a half-caster normally wouldn't be able to access).
"Songs of" could also work into the Colleges subclasses, having the College determine some spells that the Bard automatically knows and gets 1 free casting with, and fits the theme of their College.
Or they could be applied to Backgrounds, sort of like the Strixhaven backgrounds: they grant some spell picks at 1st level, and then expand the choices of your classes, and again could be specified around college themes, like College of Healing (as a background) that has some healing spells, and things like that. This would also strengthen the whole concept of Bards having been trained in a school.
Yeah half caster with all lists and some other Expert like features could be fun
I really like the new list, and I like the fact that you have an impactful choice to make. I truly do not see a negative to not having heal spells available if you choose arcane on your bard. if you want to be a healer, then arcane is not the school for you.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I remember threads in this very forum when "songs of restoration" came out where people complained about this "forcing" them to play as healers. The logic was lost on me as even if you have a specific spell you still have to choose to use it and I'd always rather have another spell known than not have another spell known.
The whole point of 'Songs of Restoration' was to add specific healing and support spells to the Bard since they had to choose from the Arcane List. Opening up the Primal and Divine lists basically removes that requirement in theory but opens up all new issues with 'what kind of Bard do you want to be?', so I don't think Jack of All Trades had anything to do with the logic of its removal.
I'm not really sure how it all shakes out. I need to actually sit down with the spell lists and choose spells for a theoretical bard to really see what can be made. Primal College of Glamour feels like something interesting, Divine College of Dance and Arcane College of Lore might be good. Now that we're back to choosing limited spells known at level up my Bard builds would have to go back to choosing thematic spells rather than just choosing useful ones for the day and expected situations.
Collegiate Backgrounds:
Idea: like Strixhaven, in that a background specific spell list is added, but more closely aligned to Bardic song ideas (Songs of Restoration, Songs of the Wild, etc.), theology schools, academic schools, and metaphysical/wizardry schools (illusion, necromancy, etc.). They could also reflect things like Monastic studies, etc.
College of Diplomacy
Attributes: +2 Cha, +1 Wis
Skills: Deception, Persuasion
Languages: (Pick one)
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Friends, Message
1st Level: Comprehend Languages, Charm Person
2nd Level: Calm Emotions, Suggestion
3rd Level: Sending, Tongues
4th Level: Compulsion, Fast Friends
5th Level: Dominate Person, Ray's Telepathic Bond
College of Ecology
Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int
Skills: Nature, Survival
Languages: Sylvan
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Primal)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Druidcraft, Guidance
1st Level: Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals
2nd Level: Pass without Trace, Protection from Poison
3rd Level: Conjure Animals, Speak with Plants
4th Level: Conjure Woodland Beings, Grasping Vine
5th Level: Commune with Nature, Wrath of Nature
College of Elementalism
Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Wis
Skills: Nature, Survival
Languages: Primordial
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane or Primal)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Elementalism, Resistance
1st Level: Absorb Elements, Chromatic Orb
2nd Level: Dragon's Breath, Protection from Poison
3rd Level: Protection from Energy, Water Walk
4th Level: Conjure Minor Elemental, Elemental Bane
5th Level: Conjure Elemental, Dispel Evil and Good
College of Illusion
Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Wis
Skills: Arcana, Deception
Languages: (Pick one)
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Minor Illusion
1st Level: Disguise Self, Silent Image
2nd Level: Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force
3rd Level: Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image
4th Level: Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer
5th Level: Dream, Mislead
College of Medicine
Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int
Skills: Medicine, Survival
Languages: (Pick one)
Tools or Musical Instruments: Healers Kit
Feat: Magic Initiate (Divine or Primal)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Guidance, Spare the Dying
1st Level: Cure Wounds, Detect Disease and Poison
2nd Level: Aid, Lesser Restoration
3rd Level: Mass Healing Word, Revivify
4th Level: Aura of Life, Aura of Purity
5th Level: Greater Restoration, Raise Dead
College of Necromancy
Attributes: +2 Int, +1 Cha
Skills: Arcana, Medicine
Languages: (Pick One)
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane or Divine)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Chill Touch, Toll the Dead
1st Level: Inflict Wounds, Ray of SIckness
2nd Level: Blindness/Deafness, Gentle Repose
3rd Level: Animate Dead, Vampiric Touch
4th Level: Blight, Death Ward
5th Level: Contagion, Negative Energy Flood
College of Theology
Attributes: +2 Wis, +1 Int
Skills: History, Religion
Languages: Celestial or Abyssal
Tools or Musical Instruments: (Pick one)
Feat: Magic Initiate (Divine)
Spell List:
Cantrips: Thaumaturgy, Word of Radiance
1st Level: Detect Evil and Good, Protection from Evil and Good
2nd Level: Augury, Zone of Truth
3rd Level: Beacon of Hope, Magic Circle
4th Level: Banishment, Divination
5th Level: Commune, Dispel Evil and Good
The problem with spells known lists and domain lists and things like these backgrounds is that none of them are future-proof. They have no way of growing as new player option books come out with new spells. As such, you'd generally want to use them very sparingly lest you paint yourself into a corner. Look at the Tasha's Summon spells. It's hard to not say that those are simply better to use than the older Conjure spells. But if those older conjure spells are on a spells known list, then we end up with the Subclass/feat/background being less desirable due to the normal growth of the game.
I actually think the solution might be in the Warlocks Mystic Arcanum, with a little twist.
Mystic Arcanum is an ability that lets you cast a pre-selected spell once per day, if we play that onto the Bard and let them change the Mystic Arcanum Choice as part of a Long Rest, while keeping the rest of the 'choose spell list' and 'select spells at level up' mechanics in place, we open up a bit of variety and choice while keeping much of the Bard Specific Flavor.
For example, Sure you're an Arcane Bard, and you're using the Arcane List, but you have this one little trick up your sleeve and pull a Call Lightning down on the enemy.
I mean, who doesn't like a good Cover Song?
Future-proofing is not desirable for a company though, and it seems odd to me that people in the community think it is. Likewise backwards compatibility is not desirable for the company. Letting people keep using the same books for 60 years means that you don't sell that person any new books for 60 years. Sure you can add more and more supplements but to get people to buy the new supplement it has to be power-creepy, because why would people buy a book to play a class/subclass that is weaker than those already available? Eventually power-creep and increasing complexity from dozens of books needed to be purchased to make a viable character is discouraging for people seeking to join the hobby and that edition begins a slow decline.
I get what you're saying, but the backgrounds in OneD&D are explicitly changeable/creatable/cloneable by the player (as opposed to implicitly in 5e, which sort of also implied to be changeable by the DM and not the player). Think the spell list should be different? Change it. New product, or you just don't agree with the specific spells chosen? Change it or clone it and make it entirely your own. Put a title on it like "University of Balder's Gate College of Illusion" instead of just "[Generic] College of Illusion", if you want to avoid confusion from a published version.
So, the idea that these can't change with opinion, nuance, locality, or new information/products is ... just not true in any way.
It has been suggested to use Magical Secrets (in OneD&D) as being the Bard's version of Mystic Arcanum. Mystic Arcanum is really more of a way to give the Warlock higher level spells, without making them "just another full caster". Mystic Arcanum explicitly does NOT let you pick outside of your known spell list (Warlocks only get Arcane spells via Mystic Arcanum, for example -- it doesn't broaden their selection in terms of spell lists). And that's how I would suggest using Magical Secrets for a half-caster Bard who has all 3 main spell lists: they get a single casting of a higher level spell, without using a spell slot.
Background spell lists, One D&D Bard's Songs of ___, nor Mystical Arcanum, don't really serve the purpose that you're describing (picking any random spell you want). That's what the 5e Magical Secrets feature was for: picking any possible spell that isn't in your spell list, as a way to change things up. But a Half Caster Bard that gets all 3 main spell lists doesn't need that kind of mechanic: they already can pick any spell within their level ability. They don't need Songs of ___ to get access to those spells because they can get access to those spells anyway. They don't need 5e's version of "Magical Secrets" because they can already pick those spells. The only exception would be class specific spells (like Once D&D's version of Eldritch Blast), and I would be reluctant to cross that boundary: Jack of All Trades and Master of None.
What they need, if anything, is a way to get higher level spells (if we want Bards to have them) and/or a way to have "extra spells known", possibly with one extra/free casting. Mystical Arcanum gives you all of that. And a Background Spell list might also give you that, if the Bardic College Subclass says something like "if you have the ____ collegiate background, you automatically know those spells (when you reach the appropriate levels) without it counting against your spells prepared/known.
A OneD&D Bard, if they're a half caster with all 3 of the main spell lists, could get Call Lightning at 9th level when they get their 3rd level spell slot.
A OneD&D Bard (as per playtest 6) who picks Arcane spells at 1st level, could get Call Lighting at 10th level when they gain the other two spell lists.
While Mystic Arcanum would allow an extra 3rd level spell at 5th character level ... it wouldn't change the spell lists the Bard has available, and thus you still wouldn't get Call Lightning earlier than those two options. Unless you're trying to make Mystic Arcanum into something that it explicitly isn't, by making it be like 5e Magical Secrets ... which you can do, obviously, but it might be better to call it something else, because then it's not Mystic Arcanum at all.
Johnzkin, You're correct that a DM can and often should adjust things to account for future states, and I would be 100% onboard with supporting that if the book were already released. But the point of the UA is to brainstorm those sorts of long term concerns and address them during the design phase whenever possible, thus Future Proofing.
I think adjusting your idea from being a 'Background like Strixhaven' to being a 'Feat Chain' where one feat leads to another etc would likely layer on top of the 5e/1DD system more elegantly. I think splitting the first of the chain into a list that includes the cantrip, 1st and 2nd spell list and then a second feat that adds the 3rd and 4th spells, and then another with 5th and 6th should work, albeit a little awkwardly since you are taking a feat at 4th level that you cant actually make use of till 5th level (sounds like college doesn't it?). Put a +1 stat modifier on the 2nd and 3rd feats in the chain (as + stats are not allowed on level 1 feats) and you might be really cooking with something. A way of adding a curated spell list to any caster at the cost of a feat chain.
I also want to thank you for making me reconsider my suggesion of Mystic Arcanum, I actually forgot that it was limited to the Arcane Spell list for some reason. But it also made me rethink my idea to a more elegant model that calls back to the Vancian Magic system of early D&D. Having a touch of Vancian Magic to provide limited access to key pick ups from other spell lists feels like a much more appropriate solution to the problem that Songs of Restoration was originally trying to address. So thank you for making me reconsider. Being able to use Vancian magic to pull two one-time-use-spells from any spell list (from a spell level you can cast of course) and then choose a different two at the end of a long rest is much closer to what I imagined and much more fitting with the Bards history.
Not the DM. The Player. OneD&D Backgrounds aren't set in stone (or "not as set in stone as the 5e ones"). The OneD&D rules literally say to create your own background for your character, or use these ones as examples. That's the future proofing: you, the player (not just the DM) can change them on a character by character basis. New spells come out? Change the background to fit it.
In 5e, the officially printed backgrounds are part of RAW, not just examples. In OneD&D, the officially printed backgrounds are examples, not RAW. OneD&D RAW (for what it is so far) is "here's how you make your own background."
So, with respect to backgrounds, Future Proofing isn't a long term concern in OneD&D. It's just "not a thing." It's handled by the fact that the rules literally say to create your own background for each character.
This isn't new; we've always been able to customise our background. The difference in the OneD&D playtest is that there's no longer any special background feature to choose from (or forget about), it's just a feat now.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.