So I learned about this subclass not too long ago, and it just got me thinking. Since you can literally learn any wizard spell in the game and at a pretty decent speed, while also not being locked out of specializing in one specific category, what even is the point of any other wizard subclass?
Wizard players: Why would you ever not pick order of scribes?
5th EditionImagine playing a 2nd level diviner and your only spells are true strike and detect magic....
Imagine playing AD&D, and being a crossbow main because you are actually locked out of other spell schools.
I'm not sure you understand how wizards work. Any other wizard subclass can learn just as many spells as a scribe wizard, the scribes just write faster...
As for a reason not to pick them, they can't match broken features like arcane abeyance or portent, that some other subclasses have.
Or just the fun features. They may not be as powerful as some but I love command undead and arcane ward.
Of course. I read OPs question from an "optimal" standpoint, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with picking a feature purely for the fun aspect.
The objective of the game is to have fun, rather than win at it.
Yeah. Even then, the fun abilities are generally more powerful at fulfilling the fantasy they're supposed to deliver on. Scribes will never be a better necromancer than "Look who just made a death tyrant her best friend" necromancy wizard.
Sculpt Spell rules
Portent
I knew you’d say that
It is rather potent.
This is the way.
None of the wizard's lock you into one school of spell.
Scribes is like if you want more wizard per wizard, but there's others that pretty radically change wizard playstyle or gameplay.
Bladesinging, abjuration, and necromancy all encourage specific and unique playstyles.
Evocation and divination kind of just make wizard better at what it already does.
War is one of the best dips, also alongside divination.
The only one that's kind of bad, but even then not unplayable is transmutation. I mean CON saves built into wizard kit is pretty nice.
I also love split enchantment to an unreasonable degree since Psychic Lance came out
Oh yeah split enchantment! Haven't played an enchantment wizard quite yet, but I really want to.
Spellsword in the form of Blade Singer.
The actual answer is that the other subclasses have the benefits that can be used in addition to spells, such as the temporary HP of Abjuration's Ward as well as the Transmutation stone.
Not just temp HP, but an entirely separate pool of health, meaning not only does it stack with temp HP, but also if the damage is fully absorbed by the ward you don't have to make a concentration save.
er?
Do you actually know how the wizard class works? You sound a -little- confused.
What are you talking about? All wizards can learn all of the wizard spells, none are locked into any kind of specialization. It feels like you’re mistaking some kind of homebrew you have been playing for the official rules.
Order of Scribes is decent, sure. But it’s by no means the be-all and end-all of wizard subclasses like you’re suggesting.
They may be referring to previous edition rules. In 3.5, you could choose to specialize in a school of magic, similar to the PHB subclasses. It gave you extra prepared spells per day that you could only use for spells of your school, and iirc you learned and extra spell of that school on level up, but in exchange you picked two schools of magic that you could never learn any spells from (if you specialized in divination you only picked one barred school, and you could never pick divination as a barred school, because everyone needed read magic in those days).
That's not at all how Wizard spells work, or a chosen. Try going back to the PHB and have another read through.
The only interaction other subclasses have with their school of magic is that spells from their school are "half off" for copying into their spellbook.
The [insert school here] Savant features are notoriously bad design. Not only because they're useless, but also because they actively encourage you to not pick spells from your respective school since you'll already learn them for cheaper.
Scribe meanwhile has no such interaction and instead requires less time to copy any spells.
The other classes still get super awesome features.
And overall the spell schools themselves have little to no impact on the game.
Have you actually read The Wizard and its associated subclasses? Because that's not how wizards work.
Portent & Bladesinging are a couple examples of other options. Abjuration school providing temp Hp is also very handy for a low health class. Scribes is fun for sculpting spells and its animated spellbook. It really depends on what sorta wizard you wanna play! But I do feel Scribes wizard does get a little slept on
Wizard specializations arent even really in 5e anymore even with subclasses. Ironically, the way subclasses give you X Savant means youre encouraged not to learn spells from your school as a wizard.
Not to mention some specializations give you WAY better stuff. School of Divination is infamously a stupid 2 level dip.
This isnt 3E or PF where picking a school means you have to lock out of another school
Because it’s friggin lame
Many wizard schools are better for specific things. Bladesinger is game breakingly good for melee, divination let's you win when you need to, evocation let's you not nuke team members, abjuration eats damage, necromancy makes you hate wizard. Depends on what kind of wizard you want to have, they're almost as versatile as clerics but always more squishy.
Time Wizard
Seeing the future or blasting. Those are the true two wizard subclasses.
What do you mean by this? In 5e, there aren't opposite schools of magic that you don't have access to if you pick one of the PHB subclasses.