The new Unearthed Arcana article for Dragonlance campaign setting is returning to D&D, as it introduces playtest material for classes and races from the world of Krynn. The article features a new sorcerer subclass, which draws its power from the moon, rather than a magical bloodline. The world of Krynn is orbited by three moons: Lunitari, Nuitari, and Solinari, which are named after the three gods of magic.
In the older editions of D&D, the main arcane spellcasting class was the mage, which transformed into the wizard from 3e onward. The mages of Krynn all belonged to one of the three Orders of High Sorcery, and those who did not were labeled rogue mages and were outcasts from mage society. The three orders were the Black Robes, the Red Robes, and the White Robes, who each followed similar alignments and could only use spells from specific schools. In order to one of the orders, a mage had to take The Test, which was held in one of the Towers of High Sorcery and was personally tailored for each candidate to be as challenging as possible. Many mages failed The Test and died in the process, and even those who ed were left scarred by the experience. Completing The Test was necessary to prove one's worth to the other mages of Krynn and once it was done, they were free to study magic and follow their ambitions.
The D&D multiverse has changed a great deal since the days of AD&D. There are now a number of different arcane spellcasting classes, including subclasses for melee classes, such as the Eldritch Knight for the fighter. The latest Unearthed Arcana article features material that brings Dragonlance content into 5e D&D, including an option that introduces sorcerers to the world of Krynn.
The Lunar Magic Sorcerer Subclass In D&D
The of the Lunar Magic subclass gained their power from exposure to moon magic and it has given them the ability to naturally cast spells. Their first level class feature gives them the sacred flame cantrip and it allows them to target two additional creatures with the spell, so long as all three targets are within five feet of each other. The Lunar Magic subclass is made for the sorcerers of Krynn, though it could be applied to any of the D&D campaign worlds. The Unearthed Arcana D&D article confirms that the Wizards of High Sorcery are now called the Mages of High Sorcery and they take of different spellcasting classes into their ranks, with the three classic orders now existing as background options.
The class features of the Lunar Magic sorcerer are tied to the three phases of the moon: Full Moon, New Moon, and Crescent Moon. This starts at level one, where each phase of the moon provides the caster with bonus spells that are added to their list. The Full Moon spell list provides faerie fire at level one, moonbeam at level three, death ward at level five, freedom of movement at level seven, and mass cure wounds at level nine; the New Moon spell list provides dissonant whispers at level one, darkness at level three, bestow curse at level five, Evard's black tentacles at level seven, and mislead at level seven; and the Crescent Moon spell list provides sanctuary at level one, blindness/deafness at level three, phantom steed at level five, hallucinatory terrain at level seven, and D&D's highly useful dream spell at level nine. These spells can also be cast once without expending a spell slot per long rest. What makes this feature so impressive is that the player can switch their list after a long rest, giving their character incredible utility, especially compared to the other sorcerer subclasses. It becomes even more impressive at level 6, as they gain the Waxing and Waning feature, which lets them burn a Sorcery Point as a Bonus Action to switch lists on the fly.
The other Lunar Magic class features are also tied to the Sorcerer's current choice of the moon phase. The level six Lunar Boons feature associates two spell schools with each moon phase: abjuration and conjuration for Full Moon, evocation and necromancy for New Moon, and divination and transmutation for Crescent Moon. If the sorcerer casts a spell of the associated school while in its phase, then they can reduce the Sorcery Point cost of Metamagic abilities by one point, even bringing the cost down to zero. This ability can be used a number of times equal to the caster's proficiency bonus. This is an incredibly powerful ability, as Empowered Spell can be used without spending Sorcery Points, and Quickened Spell will only cost one.
That's not all that the D&D sorcerers aren't a class, but a force to be reckoned with, given the power of these abilities and the fact that they can be used once per long rest or can be refreshed by spending five Sorcery Points.
D&D's Dragonlance Lunar Magic Class Is OP, But Still Being Tested
There are no two ways about it: the Lunar Magic subclass is ridiculously powerful compared to the options in the Player's Handbook. This could be part of a more general power creep that seems to be finding its way into the inner workings of D&D, as the Strixhaven backgrounds were incredibly powerful compared to the old options. With all of that being said, the content in Heroes of Krynn is playtest material and it's being distributed specifically for players to give their , before its printed and becomes part of the official ruleset. There's a good chance that the official version of the Lunar Magic subclass will have its powers trimmed or curbed in whatever Dungeons & Dragons book it finally appears in.
Source: Unearthed Arcana
