2024 D&D Player’s Handbook Wizard Subclass Changes Controversy, Explained

By Connor Lindsay

Published Jul 20, 2024

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Custom Image by Diana Acuña.

Summary

New 2024 Player's Handbook modifies wizard subclasses, reducing options and altering gameplay, causing controversy among D&D players.
Changes aim to simplify game for new players, but limit variety and depth for experienced players, impacting wizard class identity.
5th Edition wizard subclasses were vast and unique, allowing players to specialize in different magical schools and enhancing gameplay.

Wizards of the Coast has released some content from the 2024 Player's Handbook, largely regarding changes made to the classes of Dungeons and Dragons. While certain classes like the fighter have gotten some well-received updates, and others like the ranger have invoked wide ire for their altered ruleset, as not as much attention has been paid to the spellcasters of the game. The changes made to these classes have not been as extensive as those made to the martial characters, but they have caused some controversy in their own right.

The most substantial of these class changes pertains to the wizard and, more specifically, the wizard's subclasses. In D&D 5th Edition, wizards had the largest list of subclass options to choose from, allowing them to specialize in different kinds of magic. The 2024 Player's Handbook has not only cut down on the number of subclasses severely, but it has also stripped the wizard class of some of its identity.

Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook

Age Recommendation: 13 and up
Franchise Name: Dungeons & Dragons
Publishing Co: Wizards of the Coast

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5th Edition Wizard Subclasses Were Specific And Wide-Ranging

The Ability To Specialize In A Wide Range Of Magic Schools

There are 13 total subclasses for wizards in DnD 5e. Eight of the subclasses available corresponded to the eight schools of magic: abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. Each of these subclasses enhanced the powers associated with their spells and made wizards better at casting magic in their given school. There were also other subclass options, like the bladesinger and scribe, that gave wizards fresh ways to fight and act in the game.

No wizard functioned the exact same as any other.

The idea of these subclasses was to let wizards become savants when it came to certain kinds of magic. No wizard functioned the exact same as any other, and the wide range of spells they could take made them one of the more varying classes in 5th Edition. Part of the wizard's identity centered around both their ability to specialize and the wide range of things they could specialize in.

Subclass	Description
School of Abjuration	Focuses on protective magic, creating barriers and wards to protect oneself and allies.
School of Conjuration	Specializes in summoning creatures and objects, and teleportation spells
School of Divination	Focuses on revealing information, using magic to see the past, present, and future.
School of Enchantment	Specializes in influencing and controlling the minds of others through magic.
School of Evocation	Focuses on harnessing magical energy to produce powerful offensive spells.
School of Illusion	Specializes in creating illusions to deceive and mislead enemies.
School of Necromancy	Focuses on manipulating life and death, raising the dead and draining life force.
School of Transmutation	Specializes in altering physical properties of objects and creatures.
Bladesinging	Combines magic with swordplay, enhancing combat abilities with spells.
Order of Scribes	Specializes in the study and transcription of magical texts, with a sentient spellbook.
War Magic	Focuses on blending offensive and defensive magic for combat efficiency.
Graviturgy Magic	Manipulates gravity to control the battlefield and hinder enemies.
Chronurgy Magic	Manipulates time to gain advantages in combat and alter the flow of events.
Theurgy - Unearthed Arcana (UA)	Draws on divine magic, combining clerical and wizardly spellcasting.
Onomancy - Unearthed Arcana (UA)	Focuses on the power of true names to control and influence creatures and objects.

The New Player's Handbook Simplifies Wizard Subclasses But Simultaneously Waters The Class Down

Making The Game Easier To Understand For New People

The new 2024 D&D Player's Handbook sitting in a room environment.

One goal of the updates coming to DnD is to make the game easier to understand and play for new people, just as 5th Edition aspired to do back in 2014. The new handbook will thus only include four subclasses for the wizard: the abjurer, diviner, evoker, and illusionist. These four subclasses are still centered around some of the game's types of magic, and are certainly still quite powerful. In fact, with some of the early-level abilities these subclasses grant, they may be more powerful than many of the 5th Edition options.

Aspect	Pros	Cons
Simplified Mechanics	- Easier for new players to understand and play - Less overwhelming for unfamiliar players	- Experienced players might find it less engaging - Reduces opportunities for unique builds
Reduced Variety	- More focused abilities clarify subclass themes	- Fewer options lead to a sense of sameness - Limits replayability and uniqueness
Streamlined Spellcasting	- Easier spell selection and casting - Helps players grasp core aspects quickly	- Removes tactical depth - Reduces rewarding decision-making for experienced players
Balance Considerations	- Easier to balance subclasses - Reduces overpowering or underwhelming abilities	- Loss of nuances and creative solutions - Less dynamic gameplay experience
Character Development	- Easier envisioning and role development for new players	- Fewer growth paths for long-term players - Impacts engagement and investment

But the issue is that these subclasses don't afford nearly as many options to wizard players, limit the scope of their magical focus, and generally make the class feel less versatile than it once did. Only having subclasses for four of the eight schools of magic will make setting up classic wizard archetypes, like the summoner or the necromancer, more difficult to achieve and less distinct from other versions of the class in Dungeons and Dragons.