Interesting you can cast this hidden as illusion wizard

Much better then the old one

Anyone know if this spell is also affected by the "Improved Illusions" trait, granting it an extended range of 75 ft up from 15 ft?

Quote from sam180 >>

Anyone know if this spell is also affected by the "Improved Illusions" trait, granting it an extended range of 75 ft up from 15 ft?

No, it isn't. Improved Illusions affects Illusion spells that have a range of 10+ feet. This spell has a range of Self.

Ah okay, thanks. I figured that would be the case but wanted to double check. 

Though I appreciate the much simpler or smoother mechanic (not counting HP), how many casters actually use this instead of other level 1 spells? 

Blind 1 round is rarely better than many other level 1 alternatives for Arcane casters (Cause Fear, Charm Person, Fog Cloud, Grease, Sleep, Thunderwave, not to mention all the damaging spells).  I end-up never learning or casting this in the various 5e games I play (whether tabletop, Solasta, BG3, etc.).

As a DM, I would feel the need to homebrew it slightly (it needs a buff).  I wonder if WotC has statistics on spell usage and I am disappointed it remains the same effect in 2024.  It is better nonetheless of course. 

In the very least it ought to be a 1 minute concentration (target gets to save at the end of each of their turns). Either that or no save. You're only likely to ever have 1 target be blinded (the average number of targets will wind up at under three, and one will most likely save).

Compare it to Burning Hands (same area) or Thunderwave, (bigger) - both of which can kill their target - or even Sleep (which can knock the target out of the fight). It's just weak. Very weak.

The spell is fine as is. If they fail their save they are blinded until the end of your next turn. This leaves you free to Scorching Ray them with advantage on your next turn too. Not to mention whatever your allies are doing. The 15 foot cone is the downside of the spell but its worth the tradeoff. It also means if they fail they can't make opportunity attacks against you or your allies.

Burning Hands is better at levels 1-2 but the damage it does is too little to matter after that. Blindness is a very potent effect.