Dungeons and Dragons’ new rules for the Wizard class make casting Counterspell a lot less risky. According to a YouTube video released by Wizards of the Coast on June 27, the Abjurer subclass will always have this potent spell prepared. More crucially, it won’t cost them a spell slot if the Counterspell fails.
We’d argue that Counterspell is one of the most iconic DnD spells in fifth edition. And while this upgrade is only available to a certain DnD Wizard subclass, giving your spell slot a ‘get out of jail free’ card is still a huge buff. We usually lean towards Evocation and Divination Wizards, but Abjuration is suddenly looking pretty appealing.
This change won’t come into play until the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the first of the One DnD rulebooks, releases in September. Along with it come a host of other tweaks to the core DnD classes. The Wizard has a new feature that gives them expertise in one skill, for example.
Plus, they’ll get a heap of quality-of-life adjustments that make casting, memorizing, and switching spells even easier. Spellbooks can now be a spellcasting focus, and Wizards can replace one of their DnD cantrips every long rest. It’s easier than ever to copy out your spellbook, and you can swap a prepared spell each short rest once you hit level five.
At the highest levels, Wizards can swap one spell on a long rest, rather than needing to spend eight hours studying. The Spell Mastery feature also counts chosen spells as always prepared (as long as they cost an action to cast – sorry Misty Step fans).
Only four of the Wizard’s DnD subclasses will be included in the new Players’ Handbook. If you’re playing an Abjurer, the new rules for Counterspell also apply to Dispel Magic. Diviners have improved Darkvision and the ability to cast See Invisibility without a spell slot, and Illusionists can cast Minor Illusion as a bonus action. We’re feeling a little sad about the changes to the Evocation subclass, but we can live with it.
You can learn more about how the Wizard is changing in the video above.
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