Obviously, the amount of spells a character can have comes down to their class, but a select few are more suited for this role. The Druid, Wizard, Cleric, Bard, Sorcerer, and Warlock are all classes that rely on spells most of the time, with some subclasses allowing for exceptions. High enough levels in these archetypes will grant you a high number of spells, but the way each path approaches magic is different, impacting how your character will be built.
5. School of Divination Wizard
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
The Wizard arguably has the most potential to become a powerful spellcaster, with the widest available list of magic they can learn that is offset with incredibly low vitality. Nearly any Wizard can become a strong mage, but the Divination path is a whole new definition of power. This subclass allows players to read the future, crafting their own paths forward through powerful magic. When you pick this subclass, you can roll two Portent dice at the end of a long rest, giving you insight into the unknowable.
You keep these dice rolls recorded, and can use them to replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check from a creature in your sights during any encounter. This could help save an ally from certain doom, or prevent an enemy from successfully landing a strike. The use of Portent is nearly infinite, and it only gets better at later levels. A good Divination Wizard build also regains spells slots incredibly fast through Expert Divination at Level 6, allowing you to cast more magic than nearly any other archetype in the class.
4. Circle of Land Druid
Druids have an array of magic tied to nature, with the Circle of Land perhaps being able to use their wide range of spells best. This Druid build immediately grants you an extra cantrip when you pick it, giving you more utility than other subclasses in its category. This idea extends into the Circle of Land Druid’s Natural Recovery feature, which gives you a way to recover expended spell slots during a short rest. Normally, Druids have to rest for much longer to regain spells back, but this mechanic almost makes this build closer to a Warlock.
Having more opportunities to cast magic opens the door for far more spells, including ones of great flexibility. Choosing the Circle of Land gives you an absurd range of spells automatically learned depending on which “land” environment you pick with your build. Fore example, Druids of Desert Land gain powerful spells like Silence and Blight, while Druids of Arctic Land get Hold Person and Ice Storm. Additional resistances to conditions from late level features spike your magic further, preventing it from being disrupted by enemies you face.
3. College of Lore Bard
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
The secrets behind magic are often explored by studious classes like the Wizard, but that class never reaches the depth of support the Bard can when they dive into their magic’s mysteries. The College of Lore Bard is almost scholarly, gaining a variety of proficiencies that make them adept at nearly every situation. However, while their Cutting Words and Peerless Skill features at various levels manipulate the battlefield, its their Level 6 ability that extends the potency of their magic.
Additional Magical Secrets is a feature with almost infinite possibilities, giving the College of Lore Bard the ability to choose two new spells from any class. This may not sound like much, but when you realize you can take spells from the Paladin, Ranger, Cleric, Warlock, Sorcerer, Druid, or even Wizard, your build’s potential skyrockets. In addition to already useful Bard spells, your character can extend their utility, healing, support, damage, or practically any part of their specific design to your liking with no limitations.
2. Lunar Sorcerer
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
Although mostly seen in the Dragonlance world of D&D, the Lunar Sorcerer is an often overlooked subclass even outside of that setting. As you level up in this class, every long rest means a unique selection of spells at your disposal, with your list changing depending on the lunar cycle you pick. For example, you could choose the Full Moon to have Shield, Lesser Restoration, Dispel Magic, and more as you reach various levels. Shifting between Lunar spells adds plenty of variety and adaptability to a class that has a lot of magical freedoms already.
The Lunar spells gain special boons when selected too, reducing the cost on your Sorcerer’s Metamagic to grant your build more flexible casting. This applies to all spells too, encouraging you to use magic from a certain school in association with the Lunar phase’s magic you like the most. Greater control and empowerment of your lunar magic can create one of the most diverse spellcasters in the game, with extra powers and benefits to using magic that suits your build best.
1. The Genie Warlock
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
Elemental magic is often chaotic, making it hard for Warlocks with limited magical options to use. This all changes with The Genie patron for this class, as it gives Warlocks a far longer grasp of magic than they normally have access to. Despite the short spell slots available for the Warlock, a Genie can provide a broader range of magic than other subclasses in the role tend to provide. This all starts when you pick a Genie of a particular element, such as a traditional air-bending Djinni or the earth-bound Dao, fiery Efreeti, or water logged Marid.
Each Genie type expands your spell list, such as the Dao giving you Spike Growth or Meld Into Stone. Unlike other classes, whose spell expansions come late, The Genie Warlock’s spells are granted throughout the first five levels. This incredibly early adaptation of magic makes this build perfect for low-level games, especially since your Genie patron also can create a safe zone in their “bottle” for extra protection. Extra elemental damage and even limited wish magic at later levels make a Genie’s support even better over time.
Considering that wish magic is by far the most powerful magic in the TTRPG, The Genie Warlock might have the best chance to break reality with their magical builds. That being said, there are plenty of options in D&D for powerful spellcasting, provided that you learn to be creative with the magic that is available to you.
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