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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Wizard Subclass: School of Preservation, A Wizard from Dark Sun



Michael7123
2020-09-14, 06:34 PM
School of Preservation


https://i.imgur.com/0iqkLSb.jpg?1

Homebrewry Link: Click Here! (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/OIO_d-ATA)

Under the light of the Dark Sun of Athas, all arcane magic is powered by drawing upon the life of the natural world. Unlike the Defilers who disregard the health of the environment they draw their powers from, Preservation Wizards seek to use their powers in harmony with nature instead of at its expense.

Bonded Plant
Through careful cultivation and diligence, you have managed to form a bond with a small potted plant that serves as your Bonded Plant. You gain the following benefits as a result of this bond. You gain the druidcraft cantrip and one cantrip of your choice from the Druid spell list. For you, these cantrips count as Wizard cantrips. You may only cast these cantrips while your Bonded Plant is in your possession. The Bonded Plant is a spellcasting focus for you.

You may choose what form your Bonded Plant takes, or roll a d6 and select the corresponding plant below.

Types of Plant


1d6
Plant Type


1
A Bonsai Tree


2
Cactus


3
A Flower


4
Grass


5
A Fruit Growing Vine


6
A Venus Fly Trap




Weaponized Photosynthesis
Beginning at 2nd Level, you learn to draw upon the light of the sun stored in your Bonded Plant and weave it into your magic in such a way that also releases it back into the world to be re-absorbed into your Bonded Plant. When your Bonded Plant is within 60 feet of you and you cast a wizard spell with a spell slot that deals acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage, you can temporarily replace its damage type with radiant damage. A spell cast in this way deals no damage to plant creatures. Additionally, a creature who fails a saving throw against a spell cast in this way gains the blinded condition until the end of their next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Conservationist's Ward
At 6th level, you add the protection from energy spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. When you cast protection from energy, it is altered in the following ways.

It no longer requires concentration.
You may select Necrotic damage as the type of damage the target of the spell becomes resistant to.
You may choose to forgo selecting a damage type. The first time the target of the spell takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or necrotic damage, they gain resistance to that form of damage for the remainder of the spell's duration.

Gift of Life
Beginning at 10th level, once per day when preparing spells, you may choose to prepare any spell on the druid spell list that does not cause a creature to regain hitpoints of 2nd level or lower in place of one of your wizard spells. This counts as a wizard spell for you, but you may not copy it into your spell book. This spell may only be cast when your Bonded Plant is in your possession, and uses wizard spell slots of an appropriate level just as any normal wizard spell would.

You may willingly choose to give someone possession of your Bonded Plant. They gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on saves against the poisoned condition. Furthermore, whenever they are reduced to 0 hitpoints, they automatically become stable. Any effect that automatically kills creatures that are reduced to 0 hitpoints (such as the spells disintegrate and power word kill) instead merely renders them unconscious and stable at 0 hitpoints. You do not gain these benefits while in the possession of your own Bonded Plant: they only take effect when the plant is entrusted to another.

Avangion Apotheosis
Starting at 14th level, you can use a bonus action to manifest a pair of spectral wings from your back. While the wings are present, you have a flying speed of 30 feet. The wings last until you’re incapacitated, you die, or you dismiss them as a bonus action.

These wings take the form of a golden bat like wings that are slightly smaller than the wizard in height. This ability represents only the earliest stages of the metamorphosis that a powerful preservation wizard may undergo in order to become an Avangion.



Although this subclass was designed for a Dark Sun campaign, it could be used in another setting without too much trouble. Below are some examples:


Forgotten Realms: The Emerald Enclave would be a natural home for Preservationist Wizards who seek to foster a cooperation between urban centers an wilderness regions.
Ravnica: A Preservationist Wizard could fit in as a member or agent of the Selesnya Conclave, given their emphasis on defensive magic and a respect for the natural world.
Other Settings: In any homebrew setting, A Preservationist Wizard could work on behalf of a good or neutral nature deity's church. Alternatively he could be a liaison between a gild of mages and an organization of druids, with one foot planted in each world.







The world of the Dark Sun setting, Athas, is incredibly dry and arid, life is difficult, plants struggle to grow, and water is scarce. To actively maintain a respect for the natural order at the expense of one's own power is an act of altruism that is likely to go entirely unappreciated, as the public at large despises all wizards and considers them all to blame for the present state of the world.

Defiler magic is quick, simple, incredibly potent, and for a character who is from an early stage in their career carrying a living plant, a frequent source of temptation. As an optional rule, you could allow a player to choose to defile their own Bonded Plant (and the terrain in a 100 ft radius from the caster) to insure the target of a spell they cast automatically fails their saving throw against the spell, or to have a particular casting of a spell deal maximum damage on the damage dice. This will result in the loss of all subclass abilities (but not base wizard class abilities) until a new plant is obtained (no easy feat on Athas). This act may also come with social ramifications, with previous allies who become aware of the act potentially viewing it as a breach of trust or an unforgivable crime.

Additionally, you could require that the player be required to ensure their plant has a steady supply of water each day to gain access to their School of Preservation abilities. While this would be meaningless tedium to keep track of in most settings, water is a precious commodity on Athas, and there may come a time when you have to choose if you'll keep yourself hydrated or ensure that your plant can still drink.





While there is no need to give the Bonded Plant statistics, DMs and Players are encouraged to provide some personality for the plant: if that personality is genuine or merely projected onto the plant could also be left ambiguous. Your familiar may have a rivalry with the potted plant, viewing it as a competition for its master's attention and affection. If you wish to be a bit more direct, allow the plant to understand common (or the wizard's primary language) and visibly react by slightly moving when spoken to. If you wish, in addition to the normal levels of druid spells the preserver wizard can learn, they may be allowed to prepare a single third level spell: Speak with Plants, so that they can learn the no doubt profound insights that only a potted plant can offer.

DMs are strongly encouraged to not needlessly kill the plant without good reason. The plant does not need to roll saving throws against every area of effect spell that it technically is in. A rival defiler mage, however, might well deliberately try to target the plant with a blight spell or steal it, knowing full well how harmful the loss of the plant would be to the Preserver Wizard. This could also result in the possibility of the entire party being required to go on a rescue mission to save a potted plant. Truely, this is the sort of thing that epic adventures are made of.





The level 14 ability represents only the beginning of a transformation into an Avangion, a creature unique to the Dark Sun Setting that is a sort of half-angel and half-force-of-nature. As of yet, no statistics for this creature have been published in the latest edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Any player of a Preservationist Wizard who seeks to become a full fledged Avangion would do well to consult with his or her DM about the topic. One could draw an analogy to a player whose character ultimately wishes to turn into a lich. In all likelihood, should the transformation be successful, that marks the end of the character's life as something which can be reasonably controlled by a Player and not a Dungeon Master. The transformation should also be incredibly difficult to pull off (even if not as ethically repugnant as the steps involved in becoming a lich).

In short: talk with your DM about it. It could work for a capstone towards the very end of a campaign if handled right. I'd personally recommend at least one casting of wish being involved in the effort, but that's just my take on the issue.





Credits
Homebrew Made By: Michael7123

Feedback: Discord of Many Things

Art: Jason TN, Riven Fan Art

Dark Sun Setting: Wizards of the Coast



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The goal with this subclass was to help give the Dark Sun setting a bit of extra love. The defiler/preserver distinction that wizards make in that setting was my favorite aspect of it, so I thought it would be fun to re-create it for 5th edition (which sadly has hardly any Dark Sun content at all).

I strongly encourage you all to read the extra notes in the spoiler tabs, as there are some fun extra tidbits in there about the Dark Sun setting and some potential plot hooks for someone with this subclass.

LibraryOgre
2020-09-14, 07:34 PM
For various lore reasons, I do not like it as an Athasian preserver. I think Athasian magic works better when defiling is a conscious choice a wizard makes each time they cast a spell (as seen with Sadira in the Prism Pentad), and I'm not a fan of the Bonded Plant as a mechanic for Athasian preservers, in general.

Mechanically, here are some notes.



Bonded Plant
Through careful cultivation and diligence, you have managed to form a bond with a small potted plant that serves as your Bonded Plant. You gain the following benefits as a result of this bond. You gain the druidcraft cantrip and one cantrip of your choice from the Druid spell list. For you, these cantrips count as Wizard cantrips. You may only cast these cantrips while your Bonded Plant is in your possession. The Bonded Plant is a spellcasting focus for you.


Is the Bonded Plant in any way protected from Defiling damage? Because in any wizard's duel, it will be among the first things eaten by a defiler's consumption of magical energy unless you're in a very verdant area.



Gift of Life
Beginning at 10th level, once per day when preparing spells, you may choose to prepare any spell on the druid spell list that does not cause a creature to regain hitpoints of 2nd level or lower in place of one of your wizard spells. This counts as a wizard spell for you, but you may not copy it into your spell book. This spell may only be cast when your Bonded Plant is in your possession, and uses wizard spell slots of an appropriate level just as any normal wizard spell would.

I would rearrange the bolded section to "you may choose to prepare any spell on the druid list of 2nd level or lower that does not cause a creature to regain hit points in place of one of your wizard spells." I feel it's a clearer formulation of the idea.

Overall, it's not bad as sort of a wizard who minored in druidism. I might add a feature in there where they pick up the Ritual caster feat for Druidism, or get some benefit if they spend an ASI on it. I do not like it as a preserver for Athas, however.