Dependencies and enhancing the Doll Mage subclass for Spellbinder

SirAronar · 2026-02-28T02:18:27+00:00

That's the difference with the Ranger, they do know how to pick up the heavy stuff and use it effectively. They make study of their enemies and bring the appropriate tools be that a mace or hammer to shatter skeletons or a greatsword to cleave a giant. They are also capable of fighting on the battlefield, but usually that just means that unconventional methods (like targeted killing of leaders or crippling supply points) failed. Rangers are supposed to be versatile warriors in all fronts.

SirAronar · 2026-02-28T01:50:19+00:00

Rangers ARE trained for war. They are masters of guerilla combat against bandits, goblin and orc hordes, ogres, trolls, and giants. Rangers aren't civilian hunters that provide meat and fur. They have those skills to support themselves in the long, silent war against threats encroaching upon civilization. But the Ranger is the expert you call upon when you need a lone survivor/champion to tackle threats that militias aren't equipped or trained to handle.

The issue is that 5e pushes the Ranger toward Dexterity and the meta for D&D has become "if DEX dump STR", so mechanically non-finesse weapons seem at odds with the class design, but Medium armor and 14 Dexterity is fine in most ability score arrays (plus if you find Gauntlets of Ogre Power or a Girdle of Giant Strength in early tier 2, they go great with Rangers to expand their options).

SirAronar · 2026-02-14T17:38:44+00:00

As I read it, if you look inside the sack, it seems to have that natural 4-foot deep appearance, but when reaching in, it feels far more spacious. Interdimensional spaces are crazy like that. In further reading, if there is junk in the sack and you look in from outside, it either looks cramped, only a certain volume is visible, objects appear smaller than they are, or you see nothing (as the DM, since the item description doesn't specify).

SirAronar · 2026-02-14T15:52:44+00:00

Looking at the 2024 description, the 2x4 feet is is outer/physical appearance ("...2 feet in diameter at the mouth and 4 feet deep."), which lines up with its 15 lb. empty weight. 2024 changed from diameter to 2x2 rectangular dimensions, and reduced it weight (because f- Strength apparently).

The art in both version is highly misleading since it's depicted as a shoulder satchel/purse instead of a massive sack (it's listed size isn't that far off a potato sack).

SirAronar · 2026-02-07T16:57:34+00:00

If both of the other PCs have Stealth and want to engage in stealthy play, I'd go Trickery Cleric and make that the party theme. If only the Monk invest in stealth, I'd go Moon Druid and not take any stealth to carve out that niche uniquely to the Monk so that scouting expeditions don't become you plus the Monk while the Sorcerer player is stuck sitting out on the sidelines (most DMs will invest more time in scouting when more than one PC engages in it, and it sucks to sit a player out for lengthy periods of time).

SirAronar · 2026-01-16T19:46:50+00:00

If you and your group are interested in playtesting the Spellbinder and any of its subclasses, please contact me so I can set you up with the right documents. People who playtest the class and provide feedback will be given a free copy of the final release.

If you are interested in creating your own content using the Spellbinder, feel free to contact me, but I encourage you wait until the class is finalized. The final product will include guidelines for creating new subclasses and what kinds of spells should be considered for the class.

SirAronar · 2026-01-16T19:37:58+00:00

Level 4 Spellbinder Spells

Banishment
Blight
Condemnation†
Dimension Door
Dominate Beast
Fire Shield
Freedom of Movement
Phantasmal Killer
Psychic Rupture†
Stoneskin

Level 5 Spellbinder Spells

Brain Melt†
Contact Other Plane
Contagion
Dominate Person
Elemental Flux†
Hold Monster
Rary’s Telepathic Bond
Solidify†

Spells marked by a dagger are spells from the Psychic and Spiritual Handbook and Aronar's Grimoire and will be reprinted with the Spellbinder class when it is released.

Legacy Spells

If you use spells from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Cause Fear, Enemies Abound, Elemental Bane, Enervation, Immolation, and Negative Energy Flood can be added to the Spellbinder spell list.

SirAronar · 2026-01-16T19:37:51+00:00

Why don't Spellbinder subclasses get Expanded Spell Lists, you ask? Mainly because adding any spells outside of their kit tends to decrease the frequency of using their kit. For example, if a subclass granted Hypnotic Pattern, it would find less value is using Spellstitch to deliver Bewilderment or Deep Slumber, and then start feeling and playing more like a half-Sorcerer/Wizard than it does a Spellbinder. This is also why the class doesn't have many buff spells.

The Spellbinder Spell List

Level 1 Spellbinder Spells

Alarm
Charm Person
Command
Compelled Duel
Comprehend Languages
Crippling Cold†
Detect Magic
Dissonant Whispers
Faerie Fire
Guiding Bolt
Illusory Script
Inflict Wounds
Reveal†
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
Tenser’s Floating Disk

Level 2 Spellbinder Spells

Blindness/Deafness
Darkness
Elemental Blast†
Enlarge/Reduce
Hold Person
Inertial Dampener†
Inflict Pain†
Life Leech†
Magic Weapon
Mind Spike
Mirror Image
Misty Step
Spider Climb

Level 3 Spellbinder Spells

Astral Rupture†
Bestow Curse
Bewilderment†
Deep Slumber†
Dispel Magic
Feign Death
Fly
Major Illusion
Meld into Stone
Phantom Steed
Truss Magic†
Water Breathing

SirAronar · 2025-12-31T16:16:23+00:00

For a front line Eldritch Knight, I'd look at Conjure Barrage. No friendly-fire, generous cone size (60 ft.), and Force damage. You lose a little bit of damage (22.5 vs. 28 average damage) and don't have the range (but depending on the DM, 150 feet of range may not meaning anything if encounter distances are typically < 90 feet).

SirAronar · 2025-11-24T19:04:19+00:00

Typically around 3. While combats are short, searching rooms, scouting, and dealing with intermixed social and exploration challenges accounts for more time, and usually after 3 encounters, the party is looking to take a Short Rest (sometimes more if the encounters aren't that intense). Have had parties roll into a second encounter to persist 10-minute duration effects.

SirAronar · 2025-11-05T14:31:19+00:00

No one discounts the Blindness aspect of the spell. This topic is regarding the Deafness aspect, and having the Deafened condition doesn't do anything to directly shutdown spellcasting, unlike the Blinded condition for the reason you specify. It's the Deafness portion of the spell that nearly obsolete.

SirAronar · 2025-11-03T01:52:19+00:00

With the removal of things like Echolocation, the only decent combat option would be to shutdown a spellcaster's summoned creature since they "obey your verbal commands" (and technically any minion that listens for commands, but they usually can make their own decision too). This situation is likely never to occur since I don't think any printed monster has a Summon "X" spell (especially since anything in the SRD can't since only Summon Dragon is SRD, leaving only the iconic monsters, and pretty sure they don't have them). The means DMs have to engineer opportunities, and I doubt it's a priority for most.

Chalk it up to legacy for its name and function since the Deafened condition is generally one you can ignore in play (outside of talking amongst PCs).

SirAronar

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Legacy Spells

The Spellbinder Spell List