The Wizard class in '24 gets some small changes that don’t appear to make any sweeping difference in how the class plays overall.
Core Class Features
At 1st level, Nature is added as a possible Skill Proficiency.
Cantrips can be swapped freely at a Long Rest.
Scholar, 2nd level, is a new feature that grants Expertise one of the Wizard Skill Proficiencies (requires that you are Proficient with that skill already).
Memorize Spell, 5th, enables replacing 1 spell on a Short Rest.
The 18th level Spell Mastery description is changed to work on a Long Rest, rather than requiring 8 hours of study (which may have incurred Exhaustion previously).
An Epic Boon is available at 19th level.
Spells and Spellcasting
The number of prepared spells is now determined by a fixed number at any level. PHB14 set this as the sum of your Intelligence modifier and Wizard level. Now it is equal to the total number of spell slots at a level (at and above 3rd level, at least).
The Wizard spell list gets several new additions and a single “removal” (which isn’t actually). First, check the Spells in the Players Handbook Topic for overall spell changes.
The “removal that isn’t” is the spell Trap the Soul. Certain printing versions of PHB14 include this spell on the Wizard list, but the spell is never described anywhere in the text. Apparently, it was included on the Wizard list in error after having been incorporated into the the spell Imprisonment.
The following spells are added to the Wizard list:
Cantrips
- Elementalism
- Mind Sliver
- Thunderclap
- Toll the Dead
Level 1
- Ice Knife
Level 2
- Arcane Vigor
- Augury
- Dragon’s Breath
- Enhance Ability
- Mind Spike
Level 3
- Speak with Dead
- Summon Fey
- Summon Undead
Level 4
- Charm Monster
- Divination
- Summon Aberration
- Summon Construct
- Summon Elemental
- Vitriolic Sphere
Level 5
- Circle of Power
- Jallarzi’s Storm of Radiance
- Steel Wind Strike
- Summon Dragon
- Synaptic Static
- Yolande’s Regal Presence
Level 6
- Summon Fiend
- Tasha’s Bubbling Cauldron
Level 8
- Befuddlement (formerly Feeblemind)
Subclass Options
All subclass selections become available at 3rd level.
Wizard subclasses have been renamed from “School of …” to a verb-form of the school of magic: Abjurer for Abjuration, Diviner for Divination, Evoker for Evocation, and Illusionist for Illusion.
The subclasses for Schools of Conjuration, Enchantment, Necromancy, and Transmutation were not published in PHB24.
Across all subclasses, the Savant feature has been changed from simply reducing the time and gold cost of copying spells to instead grant two free (no time or gold to copy to spellbook) spells from that magic school for free at 3rd level, and another one free spell each time Wizard spell slots are gained.
Abjurer
Arcane Ward, 3rd, is now able to restore some HP to the Ward by expending a spell slot as a Bonus Action, granting twice the slot’s level as HP to the Ward.
Projected Ward, 6th, enables the target’s Resistances and Vulnerabilities to modify incoming damage before it is dealt to the Ward.
Improved Abjuration more or less becomes Spell Breaker at 10th level, granting Counterspell and Dispel Magic as always-prepared spells and allowing Dispel Magic as a Bonus Action that adds the Proficiency Bonus to its ability check. For both spells, they only expend a spell slot if they have an effect.
Diviner
This subclass is largely unchanged from its 2014 printing.
The Third Eye, 10th, no longer grants sight into the Ethereal Plane, and its Darkvision range is now 120 feet (vs 60). Additionally, the See Invisibility feature allows for casting See Invisibility without a spell slot, where it previously only revealed invisible things within 10 feet.
Evoker
Potent Cantrip becomes available now at 3rd level, rather than 6th, and is otherwise unchanged.
Sculpt Spells moves from 3rd level to 6th, but is otherwise unchanged.
Illusionist
Improved Illusionist, 3rd, now enables casting Illusion spells without Verbal components and increases their Range by 60’ (as long as they previously had at least a 10’ Range). Now, in addition to granting Minor Illusion as an always-prepared spell, it also makes casting it a Bonus Action, in addition to the benefits already granted in PHB14.
Malleable Illusions, at 6th level is replaced entirely with Phantasmal Creatures, which grants Summon Beast and Summon Fey as always-prepared. Casting either of these spells lets you do so as Illusion spells, without expending a spell slot but halving the summoned creature’s HP and making them appear spectral.