Onomancy: The Name of Arcane Power

Good wizards always have their spells prepared.

    I played a D&D 5e oneshot today with a few of my friends, because it is one of those things we do during the weekends since they get boring and we have nothing else to do while locked down. I have played the Wizard class only ONCE for a different  game, and lets say... I really really really hated the class and pledged never to play it ever again due to sheer saltiness after dying multiple times and having my spells not work the way I hoped. That is the sad reality of a Wizard; people can actually pass saving throws, and some have advantage to those rolls. Bullshit. 

    I decided to go back to play the class just so that I can give it another chance. I mostly played melee classes, specifically the Paladin, Rogue, and Fighter for most D&D tables I am invited to. There are times when I played spell casters like the Bard, Cleric, and Druid, but really felt that I used melee tactics rather than the actual Spellcasting mechanic of class. With the release of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and The Explorers Guide to Wildemount, along with a lot of cool content from Unearthed Arcana, I am now fully armed with the material needed to make myself a Wizard build that will not be shit! The question of my Arcane Tradition (Wizard Subclass) came up since we were playing 11th level characters; my answer to this dilemma was the SCHOOL OF ONOMANCY (UA). I will be reviewing this subclass after the oneshot today and giving a briefer on what Onomancy actually is. If you want too see the full character sheet of the build I made for the oneshot, click here!

The Study of Names

"...Onomancers expand their study into language itself... something that is named stands out in the multiverse, distinct from the tapestry of creation all around it..."

- Unearthed Arcana 63 - Cleric, Druid, and Wizard

  As stated by the quote above, Wizards under the arcane tradition of Onomancy have a deep understanding and knowledge of names. Their arcane power stems from the manipulation of words, specifically the "true name" of all things around us. You know that scary childhood sleepover game where you grab a candle, stand in front of a mirror in a dark room, and utter "Bloody Mary" 3 times? The power to summon "Bloody Mary" by merely uttering her name is the arcane power Onomancers study and gain power from. When something exists, whether it be an object, person, or a spell, we give it a name in order to identify and distinct it from everything else. Names are just ways Onomancers study the arcane power of language, and the words that encompass existence itself. Due to this, Onomancers tend to hide their real names by using pseudonyms and monikers.

    A name can represent many things that can reflect aspects of one's life, and also reflect on the history of humanity and civilization. It is very powerful, which is why the origins and meaning of names and words are being studied, preserved, and thought. That distinctive power is what drives an Onomancer; their ability to manipulate names and words is extremely powerful in the world of magic and arcana. 

tl;dr: They are the Bards of the Wizarding world, hurling insults and names against their targets. 

Garum Dundee: Professional Wordsmith

"Dundee, or Uncle Dundee by most, is a bloody scientist who is part of a craic group of Arcanists and Mages who want to make shit that solves the worlds' BEEG-est problems: Minor Inconveniences"

- Garum Dundee's backstory

  A noble academic indeed. I'm just going to lay down the build. Garum Dundee is an 11th level Onomancy Wizard. as a Variant Human, he gets one free feat; I picked Resilient for proficiency and +1 bonus to Constitution saving throws; the free ability score increase from the race went to both constitution and intelligence. Speaking of which, I poured everything into Constitution and Intelligence, getting (20) +5 and (19) +4 respectively; Everything else was a dump stat with rating of 8-9 (-1), except dexterity which was 11 (+0).

   Thanks to these stats, Dundee has a max of 86 Hit Points due to his maxed constitution; however, due to the low dexterity and wizards not being proficient in ANY armor, he has an armor class (AC) of 10. He is very easy to hit, but is a glass cannon who can easily concentrate in his spells.

   Speaking of concentration for spells: for 4th and 8th level, instead of getting the Ability Score Improvement, I opted to getting two additional feats. First was Metamagic Adept which allows me to gain 2 sorcery points for free and learn two Metamagic Options; Quickened spell allows me to cast a spell as a Bonus Action if it takes an Action to cast; Twinned Spell allows me cast a spell on two targets instead of 1, depending on the spell. I then picked War Caster, which lets me roll Constitution checks with advantage when I am concentrating on a spell and take damage; and lets me cast a spell when taking an attack of opportunity against an enemy. 

    No need for me to discuss anything for the Wizard class, so I will just explain the abilities from Onomancy up to 11th Level. 

2nd Level Onomancers gain the following:

    1. Bonus Proficiencies - Gain proficiency in 1 language of choice and calligraphy tools. (Meh)

   2. Exact Name - I can force a target to make a Wisdom saving throw to reveal their true name, making putting them under the Charmed effect if they fail the saving throw. I can do this a number of times equal to my intelligence modifier. (Bardic charming, but for free)

 3. Fateful Naming - I can cast the spells Bane/Bless a number of times equal to my intelligence modifier without expending a spell slot. (Bard spells, but free)

    At 6th level, Onomancers gain a ability called Resonant Utterances which that allow them to manipulate the name of their targets in order to increase the spells power against them. There are 6 Resonant Options; Dundee only knows 2 at the start, but gains 2 more thanks to the Inexorable Pronouncement ability at 10th level. I can only do this a number of times equal to half the wizard level each day. The following are Dundee's Resonant Utterances:

    1. Devastation - If a spell casted requires the target to make a saving throw, the target does so at Disadvantage (Always the best)

     2. Dissolution - If a spell causes damage to a target, the target takes an additional 4d8 Force Damage (BEEG Damage!)

     3. Absorption -  It's like Dissolution, but instead of the target getting the extra 4d8 Force damage, Dundee gets 4d6 Temporary Hit Points! (Good heals for glass cannons)

      4. Nullification - Dundee can nullify a spell effect on a target if he passes a intelligence check. This can be things like poisoned, restrained, frightened, and other effects that are caused by a spell effect. (Really better than the other options tbh)

    Also at 10th level is the ability Durable Magic which gives Dundee a +2 bonus to Armor class and all saving throws when concentrating on a spell.

    Thanks to the mercy and kindness of the Dungeon Master, all the players get a ton of gold (7000 Gold in Dundee's case) and 2 free uncommon magic items. For this I picked the Cloak of Protection which gives +1 bonus to AC and saving throws; and there's the Stone of Good Luck which, again, gives +1 bonus to saving throws, BUT also to all skill checks!

Reviewing the School of Onomancy (and forgiving Wizard)

"Right, so we have two options: Either we kill this bloody dumb bloke right here, right now; or we elect a more competent leader for the Rebellion... ME!"

- Dundee threatens rebellion against The Rebellion

    Currently, me and the party are just speed running through the last boss, and I think we are in the 2nd or 3rd round of combat. I think I have good enough experience with Onomancy Wizard to say a bit of a review. In general I have not contributed much to any of the combat of this oneshot besides casting buffing my allies. To be fair, there were only two scenarios of combat in the oneshot, and the thing was derailed and speed run very quickly.

    So far, what I really like about the class is mainly the fact I can be a great assist to my party without spending a spell slot. The Fateful Naming feature in particular is a real turning point in combat; the extra 1d4 to both attack rolls and saving throws can mean a lot for a small party facing an encounter with 23 AC (yeah, very unbalanced homebrew boss by the DM.). Free spells are free spells; No one can really argue with casting a very useful spell for free multiple times a day. Combined with the fact that Bless is a concentration spell, I also gain the +2 to AC and Saving Throws from the Durable Magic ability! That is great; It's free!!

    The Resonant Utterances ability is EXTREMELY over powered in higher levels due to how many times you can use it increases as you level up and the options you can do to your spells for power! I was able to provide an extra 4d8 damage boost with Dissolution; give myself 4d6 temp HP as a result of buffing an ally dealing damage with Absorption; and force my enemies to submission by making them roll with disadvantage to saving throws with Devastation. Speaking of which, I tried casting the spell Banishment and used Devastation against the enemy boss, so they have to roll a Charisma Saving throw at disadvantage. It worked like I planned!! The problem is that the Boss was really unbalanced and unfair... so Legendary Action: Magic Resistance. Long story short: FAILING THE SAVING THROW DIDN'T EVEN MATTER! That may just be my own laments against the class, and legendary actions in general, but the fact Resonant Utterances are really cool stays. 

        The bonus proficiencies were useless for this oneshot.

     In conclusion, Onomancy is an extremely great subclass and should be added to official D&D Content. Only gripe though is the bonus proficiency; the option of being proficient in either Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation would be very useful instead of the extra language. You can get more language proficiencies in your background. 

    Now on to the Wizard class. I still fucking hate it! Maybe its because of whichever DM is doing shit whenever I play Wizard, but fucking hell man! There are only 2 situations that happen to every Wizard I play: I die instantly in combat (mainly in boss battles); or I do NOTHING. When there is a rare moment I actually get to do something, it fails instantly because of the insane abuse of Magical Resistance. I really thought I get to do something cool and finally be a glass canon of a spellcaster due to how rarely I commit to playing that role, but no, never happens. I blame the class and the dice gods.

    Regardless of what I think about the Wizard class, the School of Onomancy is a very competent and powerful subclass that allows Wizards to add more power to their spells and force the saving throws into their favor. The abilities given by the subclass, are really good, though I would rename some of the Resonant Options. Nevertheless, It is a very interesting and fun subclass to play  that really compensates for the physical weakness of the Wizard, especially with the right mix of magic items and who your party comprises of. Onomancy is a strong subclass that provides buffs, and a stronger subclass to turn the tides of the battlefield. 

    tl;dr: I still hate the Wizard; however, I LOVE the Onomancy subclass.

-YugiBearz

p.s. Hi jaron, screw Ivan the BBEG. I am the king now. also thx for letting me use Resonant Utterances wrong a few times heheh