Something that feels weird in later versions of D&D is the homogenization of types of magic. If the druid, the cleric, and the wizard can all wield fire, change their shape, and enchant foes, what is there to separate them? I like it a bit better when each type of magic has its unique wheelhouse
I felt that hard when my group of 4 had all different classes and all could cast shatter in the same turn for some reason. I like when characters can feel really distinct, not just a homogenous group
In my setting, scrolls are only made by wizards or apprentices. Powerful scrolls are crafted by hermit wizards who dedicate to a school of magic. Clerics only get blessings at temples until they gain high favor with their deity. The party hasn't met a druid yet, so I'll let you know when I know :)
They're implicitly divided across certain spell lists but it's not very well-discussed. You can see it in the 2014 dmg's advice on homebrewing with comments like "wizards don't usually have healing spells so avoid this unless you've got a good reason"
The symmetry of spellcasting might be one of my least favourite things about 5e, honestly. Every spellcasting class sharing spellcasting essentially verbatim makes a lot of oatmeal.
Yeah. I don't think you necessarily even have to make effects totally off limits to some casters, but they need to FEEL somehow.
Draw Steel classes all having their own resource that fuels their abilities is what got me hook, line and sinker; it was like something spoke to my DM subconscious, beckoning that it should have been this way all along
Like Wizard gets Fireball and Burning Hands but Druid gets like Burning Sphere and Cleric gets like flame strike. All fire, but they feel different
I guess that's my concern. They don't feel different enough for what I'm after.
This is something I think about a lot! My solution was to make a classless system that instead bases wielding magic on magical sources, allowing magic to be more free-form and fluid. The way I see it, if two classes feel the same, one of them should not exist.
Yes, and - I've always had a bit of a gripe with the idea that "spells" are the primary, uniform manifestation of magic. They're great for wizards, but why do divine or nature magics also manifest in this same mathematical, almost fungible, extremely codified way?
I found the Slayer system refreshing as I have a problem with how every caster and non caster do the same thing each turn. Roll a d20 for their class thing then wait until they can do it again. Slayers makes sure every class has a unique way to play from dice-less clerics to dice pool wizards.
Ooh. I need to check that one out .