The Phantom Rogue is cool, but has some small parts that could use fixes or changes.
The Genie Warlock is good, but the proficiency bonus based abilities are something to keep an eye on.
The Order of Scribes Wizard is a mess. Overall, most of the abilities need to change or just become overall wizard abilities. The damage-swapping is broken, the AI spellbook is strange, and the capstone ability is so bad that you hope you never have to use it.
The Phantom Rogue is cool, but has some small parts that could use fixes or changes.
The Genie Warlock is good, but the proficiency bonus based abilities are something to keep an eye on.
The Order of Scribes Wizard is a mess. Overall, most of the abilities need to change or just become overall wizard abilities. The damage-swapping is broken, the AI spellbook is strange, and the capstone ability is so bad that you hope you never have to use it.
It's only been out for about a week, so it'll be awhile until the next UA comes out or till we can do the survey. I would recommend to anyone who doesn't know about it that we have a thread dedicated to predicting upcoming Unearthed Arcana. Some of the predictions have even been right before.
The Phantom Rogue is cool, but has some small parts that could use fixes or changes.
The Genie Warlock is good, but the proficiency bonus based abilities are something to keep an eye on.
The Order of Scribes Wizard is a mess. Overall, most of the abilities need to change or just become overall wizard abilities. The damage-swapping is broken, the AI spellbook is strange, and the capstone ability is so bad that you hope you never have to use it.
Pretty much 100% agree.
Ditto
I myself really like the Wizard, and I never really diged the Artificer version and I am hoping for more Artificer subclasses coming hopefully but I am very happy with Armorer.
(I’m currently running a lvl 10 Bladesinger though ToA, and in terms of broken Wizard subclasses, Bladesinger has to be far out there. Damage swapping doesn’t come close)
For all that I love playing wizards, I do feel Scribe should have remained an Artificer subclass. But if we’re going with The Wizards of Shorthand as a subclass, this one’s not too bad as a first pass. Needs more work, but there’s been worse.
Wizardly Quill: pretty much fluff, with her bonus of reduced transcription costs. Using your fancy quill should probably grant proficiency for calligraphy tool checks. One thing that comes to mind here is that this class will be really reliant on a GM who hands out varied spellbooks and similar resources frequently. If you’re not finding lots of spells to add, or you’re not finding the ‘right’ spells, you’re going to be hamstrung as a scribe (and in both the campaigns I’ve run and played in, spells weren’t a common loot option before circa level 8. I’ve four copies of Detect Magic in the five spellbooks I’ve found).
Awakened Spellbook: Fluffwise, I love the idea of this. Spellbooks should have been a spellcasting focus anyway (granted, one that comes with the risk of your book being fireballed while you’re skim-reading), a book that’s been subject to so much magic that it’s become a bit alive itself is very Unseen University, and a free ritual isn’t an unreasonable boon from Arcane Siri. But in-game, the rest of this bumps up against the nature of prepared spells for me. If my spellbook is alive and reactive, so that it can change what’s on the page and I can cast a psychic meteor storm or acidic mind spike, why do I have to prepare anyway? Can’t it just present me with whatever spell I need? Or if I have bookmarked the spells I need today, reminded myself of the difference in the incantations between thunder and lightning, and and got the awakened spellbook to focus on those spells, why’s it going dumpster-diving through Blade Ward, Skywrite, Floating Disc and Jump, when what I need right this second is the rune for radiant damage, since that seemed more effective last round? So I would change the damage swapping to prepared spells, and possibly also with a int mod limit on the number of times a day - hot swapping damage mid-incantation is not an easy trick, or everyone would be doing it, and Wizardkind would have codified those thunderous ice knives and psychic tidal waves into new spells that could be used everyone.
Master Scrivener: A free ring of minor spell storing, in addition to the free ritual slot from earlier is quite generous, but functionally adds up to an additional arcane recovery. Nice to have.
Manifest Mind: Spectral familiar. Very Artificery, and not notably rejigged for the move from Artificer to Wizard subclass. Doesn’t actually fit too well with the class theme - ie, me and my magic writing skills. Are there many sentient items that can project themselves in this way, because a book manifesting a spectral variant of itself doesn’t seem to flow well. In the same way that many of the recent UAs have focused on adding pets/minions to your character, this starts to shift focus away from the character themselves to their coterie. Also, I’m going to need a statblock for my sentient book, much as I do for the fighter’s sentient sword
One with the Mind: Again, am I the wizard, or is it my spellbook that’s the power here? The functionality is nice - almost a limited phylactery, and I don’t mind the cost of the resurrection - even with stingy spell finds, there’ll still be some I don’t need any more in my spellbook, and I’ll cheerfully sacrifice my ability to ever cast Mordenkainen’s Sword before I let the Druid practice Reincarnation on me.
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 fact the DMs are not providing spell scrolls in loot for wizards really is not really a fault of the game but on the DM to not be doing their part.
I guess I'd just prefer a lot of the Scribe Wizard's abilties to be available to all wizards, like the spellcasting focus spellbook, better scroll-making, and a bit of the flavor as well.
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It might just be me but i would prefer better scroll making as an Artificer thing. Or maybe even an overlapping ability seeing as they are the only 2 core intelligence classes.
It might just be me but i would prefer better scroll making as an Artificer thing. Or maybe even an overlapping ability seeing as they are the only 2 core intelligence classes.
Well, artificers are already better at making common and uncommon magic items, including spell scrolls of those rarities. I would like the Archivist back, but to dive all into the AI theme, and less into spell scroll making/record keeping.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Pretty much 100% agree.
Ditto
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
It's only been out for about a week, so it'll be awhile until the next UA comes out or till we can do the survey. I would recommend to anyone who doesn't know about it that we have a thread dedicated to predicting upcoming Unearthed Arcana. Some of the predictions have even been right before.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/unearthed-arcana/52554-what-will-the-next-ua-contain?page=51
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I myself really like the Wizard, and I never really diged the Artificer version and I am hoping for more Artificer subclasses coming hopefully but I am very happy with Armorer.
(I’m currently running a lvl 10 Bladesinger though ToA, and in terms of broken Wizard subclasses, Bladesinger has to be far out there. Damage swapping doesn’t come close)
For all that I love playing wizards, I do feel Scribe should have remained an Artificer subclass. But if we’re going with The Wizards of Shorthand as a subclass, this one’s not too bad as a first pass. Needs more work, but there’s been worse.
Wizardly Quill: pretty much fluff, with her bonus of reduced transcription costs. Using your fancy quill should probably grant proficiency for calligraphy tool checks. One thing that comes to mind here is that this class will be really reliant on a GM who hands out varied spellbooks and similar resources frequently. If you’re not finding lots of spells to add, or you’re not finding the ‘right’ spells, you’re going to be hamstrung as a scribe (and in both the campaigns I’ve run and played in, spells weren’t a common loot option before circa level 8. I’ve four copies of Detect Magic in the five spellbooks I’ve found).
Awakened Spellbook: Fluffwise, I love the idea of this. Spellbooks should have been a spellcasting focus anyway (granted, one that comes with the risk of your book being fireballed while you’re skim-reading), a book that’s been subject to so much magic that it’s become a bit alive itself is very Unseen University, and a free ritual isn’t an unreasonable boon from Arcane Siri. But in-game, the rest of this bumps up against the nature of prepared spells for me. If my spellbook is alive and reactive, so that it can change what’s on the page and I can cast a psychic meteor storm or acidic mind spike, why do I have to prepare anyway? Can’t it just present me with whatever spell I need? Or if I have bookmarked the spells I need today, reminded myself of the difference in the incantations between thunder and lightning, and and got the awakened spellbook to focus on those spells, why’s it going dumpster-diving through Blade Ward, Skywrite, Floating Disc and Jump, when what I need right this second is the rune for radiant damage, since that seemed more effective last round?
So I would change the damage swapping to prepared spells, and possibly also with a int mod limit on the number of times a day - hot swapping damage mid-incantation is not an easy trick, or everyone would be doing it, and Wizardkind would have codified those thunderous ice knives and psychic tidal waves into new spells that could be used everyone.
Master Scrivener: A free ring of minor spell storing, in addition to the free ritual slot from earlier is quite generous, but functionally adds up to an additional arcane recovery. Nice to have.
Manifest Mind: Spectral familiar. Very Artificery, and not notably rejigged for the move from Artificer to Wizard subclass. Doesn’t actually fit too well with the class theme - ie, me and my magic writing skills. Are there many sentient items that can project themselves in this way, because a book manifesting a spectral variant of itself doesn’t seem to flow well. In the same way that many of the recent UAs have focused on adding pets/minions to your character, this starts to shift focus away from the character themselves to their coterie. Also, I’m going to need a statblock for my sentient book, much as I do for the fighter’s sentient sword
One with the Mind: Again, am I the wizard, or is it my spellbook that’s the power here? The functionality is nice - almost a limited phylactery, and I don’t mind the cost of the resurrection - even with stingy spell finds, there’ll still be some I don’t need any more in my spellbook, and I’ll cheerfully sacrifice my ability to ever cast Mordenkainen’s Sword before I let the Druid practice Reincarnation on me.
I think that papervolcano is pretty much spot on.
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
The fact the DMs are not providing spell scrolls in loot for wizards really is not really a fault of the game but on the DM to not be doing their part.
Other than that I feel Papervolcano is right.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I guess I'd just prefer a lot of the Scribe Wizard's abilties to be available to all wizards, like the spellcasting focus spellbook, better scroll-making, and a bit of the flavor as well.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
It might just be me but i would prefer better scroll making as an Artificer thing. Or maybe even an overlapping ability seeing as they are the only 2 core intelligence classes.
Well, artificers are already better at making common and uncommon magic items, including spell scrolls of those rarities. I would like the Archivist back, but to dive all into the AI theme, and less into spell scroll making/record keeping.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms