New Warlock patron: Great Machine (D&D 5e)

   While most warlocks serve capricious masters, these warlocks have bound themselves to a force for knowledge, rationality, and science. In some societies, this may be a creation of the most powerful arcanists. However, even these devices come to express themselves in manners similar to Great Machines known elsewhere. It is assumed by most that this entity is a greater spirit or minor god from the plane of Mechanus. It is possible that they are unknown types of truly mighty modrons acting in a manner similar to other outsiders; providing power for their own ends. Regardless of its actual nature, this patron describes itself as a computing machine with vast repositories of knowledge located within the folds of time and space. Its vast knowledge and perspective, along with its utter dispassion, renders its true designs inscrutable to its supplicants.
   However unknowable its objectives may be, and whether its professed intentions are believed, it seems strongly bound by structure and order. Several formal and repeatable processes for petitioning to become a warlock of the Great Machine have been documented. Many are connected with places or artifacts associated with this patron or its servants, as might be expected. The most common are processes of initiation by an existing warlock. As a result, warlocks of the Great Machine have occasionally established enclaves, schools, and even cults, depending on their various approaches to their patron.
   Warlocks sworn to the Great Machine nearly always take the Pact of the Tome. The most common form for this boon appears to be little more than a featureless tablet of slick, unnatural material hinged together with another plate whose inner surface is covered with odd, mechanical buttons. Under the manipulations of its owner, the blank inner surface can be made to show nearly infinite pages worth of information. Still stranger tomes have been granted, however, including simple slates that appear similar in effect to the blank half of the tome and small crystals which project the information into the space above them.
   Occasionally a warlock will instead receive the Pact of the Chain. Such familiars are strange, obviously artificial creatures. Their outer coverings are made from the same sort of slick, unnatural material as tomes so often are, and through the gaps metal, mechanical components can be seen. Despite their appearance, these creatures are not treated as constructs as their complexity exceeds what is apparent and their mechanical systems effectively replicate many biological systems. Frequently creatures summoned or produced by the magic of the Great Machine have this appearance.

Great Machine Patron Summary
1st; Expanded Spell list, Technomancer, Arcane Sight
6th; Clockwork Universe
10th; Wheels within Wheels
14th; Dust in the Gears

Character Options; With Spell and Sword

A collection of cantrips and feats to bring more magic to the arcane adventurer's life...

New Arcane Tradition: War Wizard

Trained to be living siege engines and weapons of mass devastation, War Wizards have developed skills to lay waste to vast tracts of a battlefield. Unlike other combat-focused spellcasters, such as bladesingers, battlemages, or even eldritch knights, warlocks, and sorcerers, War Wizards spend no particular time training in close combat. Instead they rely on their spells to devastate their foes from afar. They achieve this through the application of metamagic, twisting the arcane forces at their command to greater potential. While this tool is similar to that used by Sorcerers, its expression by these weavers of devastation is far more formulaic in its development and use.

Primordial Patrons; Invocations and Feats (D&D 5e)

Elemental Warlocks

Previous: The Unquenchable Flame

Primordial Patrons; The Unquenchable Flame (D&D 5e)

Elemental Warlocks

Previous: The Unyielding Stone

The most common warlock of flame is a shock troop in the legions of the mightiest of Efrit, though favored scions and servants might be granted power to act as emissaries and agents. The powers of fire are as capricious as those of air and as unforgiving as those of fire. The result are servants left to dance along the edge of a razor on bare feet, knowing one false move will see them spent as fuel for the all-consuming flames. But those who burn half as long shine twice as bright.

Blades are by far the most common pact gift, granted to the warriors of the burning legions. Familiars are less common, many being vulnerable to the hungry fire, though the pact of the chain can grant a Fire Elemental Wisp in addition to its other possibilities. The least common pact is the tome, vulnerable in nearly all its forms to destruction, though a few warlock are granted eternal flames. While these appear to be stones or crystals subject to a continual flame spell, the fire burns perpetually hot and nearly unquenchable.  Often kept in lanterns and other specially constructed containers, those who peer deeply into these mystical repositories can see arcane figures and formulae dancing in their depths. Tantalizing and tempting those who would reach in to turn the page.

Primordial Patrons; The Unyielding Stone (D&D 5e)

Elemental Warlocks

Previous: The Unending Sea

Servants of the primordial powers of earth tend to be solid and stable, as enduring and patient as the masters to which they are bound. While earth gensai, dwarves, and other dwellers beneath the earth are most likely to gain their eye, their attention can be drawn by acts of great stone or metalcraft, patience, or endurance. Among the primordial beings, the powers earth are most likely to directly test those they have claimed, seeking to forge, refine, and temper them to their greatest value.

Of the elemental pacts, those of earth are by far the most likely to receive a pact tome. These may be grimoires with steel covers and pages of tin worked to the consistency of silk. Alternately, they could be stone tablets, usually small plates of slate or crystal. Regardless, they require special skill and tools to carve, and the warlock receives this instruction and equipment with the tome. They gain proficiency with an appropriate set of artisan’s tools (such as a jewler’s kit for grimoire of finely wrought metal or mason’s tools for stone tablets). A few of these tomes monolithic; slabs hewn from the living earth or great pylons of geology. Such “tomes” may require superhuman strength and heavy equipment, to move, if such movement is even possible. If this is the case, the monolithic tome grants you its benefits if you are within a number of feet equal to your level squared. Moreover, at will you may meld with these structures as if you were using the spell meld into stone and may cast the spell Alarm as if it were a ritual while within this area.

Able combatants by virtue of their enhanced endurance, if you receive a pact blade it will almost always be a hammer or weapon with the heavy or two handed qualities. Familiars are generally creatures such as lizards, snakes, rats, spiders, or weasels, though those who benefit from the pact of the chain can instead call upon an Earth Elemental Wisp.

Primordial Patrons; The Unending Sea (D&D 5e)

Elemental Warlocks
Previous: The Unbounded Sky

Of the primordial patrons, the unending sea may be the most welcoming and forgiving, its warlocks are, certainly, the most varied. Most such warlocks come from seafarers or aquatic races, with water gensai having significant representation. The most notable warlocks of the unending sea are those who are malleable, changeable, and adaptable; taking whatever form the situation demands. In peace they are tranquil as still waters and in combat rushing like the raging storm. They can be stoic, with unfathomable depths and hidden undercurrents, or they can be as transparent as a mountain lake.

Familiars are common among waterlocks, though they are found most frequently with those who already live in aquatic or simi-aqatic environments as they generally taking the forms of crabs, frogs (toads), octopus, fish (quippers), sea horses. Meanwhile, those who receive the pact of the chain may gain water elemental wisps.

The most common pact blades for warlocks of the unending sea are those that can be wielded underwater without issue, dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, and trident, though nets and whips are not uncommon choices. Tomes are generally traditional in form, with covers of mother of pearl or made from shells of giant clams and pages of seaweed or kelp. A few receive great pearls, enchanted to show arcane knowledge to those who peer into the depths of these milky orbs.

Primordial Patrons; The Unbounded Sky (D&D 5e)

Elemental Warlocks

Servants of the primordial powers of air tend to be wild and freewheeling, even flighty. Air gensai and creatures with natural flying abilities are among the most likely to gain the approval and patronage, but such powers are always on the lookout for worthy pieces in their games and weapons against their hated terran foes. While some servants of the air choose to wield lightning and thunder, all feel the call of the free wind and sky.

Warlocks who receive a pact blade often use light or finesse weapons. If they sacrifice a cantrip slot they may, instead, use a ranged weapon. If these weapons use ammunition they provide a limitless supply, while thrown weapons may be recovered from up to 100 feet away as a bonus action once per turn or a reaction. Those with familiars generally choose flying creatures such as bats, hawks, owls, ravens. Those who benefit from the pact of the chain can instead call upon an Air Elemental Wisp. These free-wheeling and fast moving warlocks are rarely given tomes, and the rare ones that are given are often unusual in form, such as a set of streamer-like scrolls or a cape made of ribbon-like pages.

Primordial Patrons; Elemental Warlocks (D&D 5e)

There are a host of creatures from the elemental planes that count themselves among the otherworldly beings served by warlocks. Among the most common sponsors are genies of various types who collect would be warlocks just as willingly as they collect any other type of servant or slave. Their function in these courts range from entertaining servants to shock troops. Other ancient elemental powers are equally willing to lend would-be warlocks arcane might in return for service and servitude. Though, as with all such immortal beings, the plans in which they become enmeshed can be far longer in scope than a warlock might realize.

While all warlock patrons provide power in forms shaped to their own designs and natures, the nature of elemental powers can alter the usual warlock abilities in a number of unexpected ways. For example, servants of these primal powers who summon familiars may give their familiar the elemental type, rather than celestial, fiend, or fae.

• Primordial Patrons; Elemental Warlocks
• The Unbounded Sky
• The Unending Sea
• The Unyielding Stone
• The Unquenchable Flame
• Invocations and Feats

Next: The Unbounded Sky

Alchemists' Toybox- Gunpowder; House Rule: Gunpowder and Magic (D&D 5e)

Contents

Any arcane spellcaster who uses a form of gunpowder as a component in a spell or uses a component or focus covered in black powder, intentionally or unintentionally, risks losing control of their magic in a surge of energy. They must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC of 13 plus the spell’s level or experience a Wild Magic Surge (per the sorcerer Wild Magic ability). If a scroll is strewn with black powder using it forces you to make a Wisdom saving throw or suffer the Wild Magic Surge, in this case results that do not apply result in a Scroll Mishap (DMG 140).

Sprinkling a cartridge worth of gunpowder into a potion, or mixing it with magical dusts or powders, forces a roll on the Potion Miscibility table (DMG 140).

If you have proficiency in the Arcana skill, you can spend a minute and a cartridge worth of gunpowder to detect the presence of magic within 30 feet. Any barrier blocks this effect, but visible creatures or objects that bear magic allow an Intelligence (Arcana) check against DC 13 to determine the school of magic. Doing this does not cause issues with either scrolls or potions.

Next: Gunpowder Weapons

~~*~~

New Magic Items; Honoring the Ancients (D&D 5e)

New Warlock Patron; The Honored Ancients (D&D 5e)

Rather than a pact with otherworldly entities, you are part of an honored legacy. Whether these forbears called you to their service or you sought out their approval and gifts, you have become a direct link between the history of your people and their present. These ancient spirits often have their own inscrutable designs and desires, however. Over generations even the most benevolent may come to see the bloodlines and communities as groups and have less empathy for the struggles and even lives of individuals. Some, however, are less altruistic than believed by their descendants, seeing those they watch over as tools and weapons to be turned to their own purposes.

Expanded Spell List

The Ancestors let you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Level	Ancestor
1	Bless, Heroism
2	Augury, Gentle Repose
3	Speak With Dead, Revivify
4	Arcane Eye, Death Ward
5	Legend Lore, Raise Dead

Guiding Spirits

Starting at 1stlevel your ancestors make their will and blessings known to you directly. While their intent is often difficult for you to discern, you do gain the benefits of the cantrip guidance. This does not count towards your number of cantrips known.

Watchful Spirits

As you gain power your ancestral spirits become more interested in your progression and go beyond providing small nudges of aid.

At 6th level as an action you can choose one of your ability scores. As long as you maintain concentration on this connection, up to one hour, you have advantage on checks with that ability score. If you choose Constitution you also gain an additional 2d6 temporary hit points which are lost when this effect ends, Strength doubles your carrying capacity, and Dexterity prevents you from taking damage from falls of 20 feet or less unless you are Incapacitated. You cannot use this ability again until after you take a long rest. At 14th level you regain use of this ability after taking either a short or long rest.

Guardian Spirits

Once you reach 10th level you have become one of those whose names will be honored among your lineage. Your ancestors work openly at your side, helping to protect you until you join them among the honored dead.

You can summon a spectral apparition which hovers in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you. This guardian occupies that space and is indistinct. Any creature hostile to you that moves to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn or begins their turn within that area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 20 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The guardian vanishes when it has dealt a total of 60 damage in a day. If the guardian has not dealt all of its damage for the day you can dismiss or recall it as an action. Once the guardian has dealt 60 points of damage in a day you can only recall it again after you complete a long rest. At 14th level the total daily damage of your guardian spirit increases to 100 points.

Spirit Ascension

At 14th level you have become a legend among your people, and gain the knowledge needed to join the honored dead who watch over and lead them. You are encouraged by your people, both living and dead, to be interred among the great heroes of your line to help watch over and guide your family and their descendants, so you can rise again with these heroes of myth and legend if something truly terrible should threaten them.

As an action, you may cause yourself to enter a cataleptic state that is indistinguishable from death. You appear dead to all outward inspection and to spells used to determine your status. You can’t move (your move speed is 0) or use reactions, and may only take a limited number of actions as described below. You have resistance to all damage except psychic damage. While in this state you also cease aging and disease and poison have no effect until you end your use of this ability.

Even though you cannot move, and your eyes are often closed, while you are in this state you can see and hear, having full awareness of your surroundings as if you could look around. You can also perceive and communicate with the spirits of others in this state which you can see. However, the only actions you can take are to end this effect or attempting to possess a humanoid’s body. You can attempt to possess any humanoid within 100 feet of your body that you can see (creatures warded by a protection from evil and good or magic circle spells can’t be possessed). The target must make a Charisma saving throw against your spellcasting DC, though they may choose to fail this saving throw, such as if this is used on willing descendant attempting to channel your wisdom and advice for the community.

On a failure, your soul moves into the target’s body and the target’s soul becomes trapped within your body. Your original body is incapacitated with a speed of 0. On a success, the target resists your efforts to possess it, and you can’t attempt to possess it again for 24 hours. Once you possess a creature’s body, you control it. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature though you retain your alignment and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You retain the benefit of your own class features. If the target has any class levels, you can’t use any of its class features.

While possessing a body, you can use your action to return from the host body to your own if it is within 100 feet of you, returning the host creature’s soul to its body. If the host body dies while you’re in it, the creature dies, and you must make a Charisma saving throw against your own spellcasting DC. On a success, you return to your own body if it is within 100 feet of you. Otherwise, you die. If your body is more than 100 feet away from you, or if your body is dead when you attempt to return to it, you die. If another creature’s soul is in your body when it is destroyed, the creature’s soul returns to its body if the body is alive and within 100 feet. Otherwise, that creature dies.

After you end this effect you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

~~*~~

One of the things I love about 5e is the Warlock; it carves out a wholly new and interesting space with the concept of arcane sponsored magic. Not quite clerics of lesser gods bound by literal Faustian bargains. To say that the concept is ripe for development is a grave understatement. In fact, finding inspiration for a new way to make an interesting pact is the easy part. It's more challenging to find new and compelling rules sets to marry to new bargains, making them interesting and unique rather than re-fluffed retreads of existing pacts. Even so, it's an area ripe for development, and if I ignore that field it's only because I've had fields of development in other areas that I've felt are long standing areas of neglect by core developers.

The existence of ancestor worship in the real world has begged to be addressed across several editions. Invariably it has been addressed, in an unsatisfactory manner, with clerics. But! With the advent of warlocks we have a much more appropriate tool. Already designed to represent the avatars of minor power, these demiclerics don't require the same level of rework that their precursors did. Instead, I was able to focus on what would make an ancestor-worshiping spellcaster tick. I've obviously dipped deeply into the wells of divination and even necromancy, as ancestor worship is predicated on the guidence of those ancestors  and the preservation of both their spirits and the lineages they watch over. 

In many ways the power progression is more like the transformative sorcerer than the offensive warlock. But one of the benefits of 5e's subclass system is that you can bend the progression of a pact and not have to entirely rework the class. There is also some irony that this, ultimately but unintentionally, dovetails with the work I've done with non-evil necromancy and at 14th level lets characters turn into a version of a Baelnorn-like being. 

New Arcane Tradition: Defilers (D&D 5e)

Best known for its origins on a distant and desolate world, this dark practice has metastasized across the prime material through the work of various dark powers and the even stronger force of human avarice. To say that there are those who consider the practice of this arcane tradition is an evil act is to understate the level with which they revile it. While defiling magic is rooted in necromantic practices, the manipulation of life and death, many necromancers consider the level of wanton destruction practice of this path represents a stain of so deep it undercuts the value of achieving that power. They recognize that, unchecked, these abilities would swiftly turn even the most verdant of world into a gods-forsaken, magic hating wasteland like the world from which this tradition hails. The reaction of druids, rangers, green knights, and most sane creatures is nearly beyond words. They condemn this path with a passion that would dim the sun, carving paths of blood and holy wrath through nearly any obstacle to annihilate so much as suspected practitioners of it.

New Research Downtime action: Discovering Formulae (D&D 5e)

While some adventurers might rely on discovering formulae for crafting magical items among the plunder of their fallen foes, others prefer to be more proactive. By using the Research downtime action a character can seek a formulae for the creation of a magic item.

New House Rule; Wizard's Magical Primacy (D&D)

As the sole class to rely almost solely on spells for their power, vs sorcerers and warlocks who have increased physical combat ability and a variety of innate magic or divine casters who are highly capable in physical combat, wizards are the primary caster in D&D. Further, where other casters have specific constraints to their magic use, either representing sponsor influence or thematic style to their learning, wizards, at large, specifically reject these constraints in favor of seeking greater understanding. To represent these things;

Wizards can use spells from all spell lists.

~~*~~

A History of Magic: Illusion Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Illusion

The Subschools of Illusion: Figment, Glamour, Phantasm, Shadow.

Figment: A figment spell creates a false object or sensation. All who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Because figments are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can, and generally fail if this inability becomes obvious. Darkness, invisibility, message, sending.

Glamour: Like a figment, a glamour creates an image that others can see, but also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. While glamours are no more able to deal physical damage than the figments they are based on, their mind effecting component may prevent this from being readily apparent, even allowing them to deal psychic damage.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This subschool is the portion of the school closest to its parent tradition. The results of these spells are personalized mental impressions completely within the minds of the subjects. Unlike a other types of illusion, there is no fake or semi-real image or anything to actually see, so third parties viewing or studying the an area with an individual under a phantasm have no way to perceive the illusion. While phantasms can deal damage it is nearly always psychic damage.

Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is the same type as would be dealt by a real object.

Selected Spells:

Gremlins

Illusion cantrip (phantasm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You build a mental image of the target being plagued by small creatures darting about at the corner of their vision and taunting the target of this spell. If the target attempts to look directly at these tormentors, the creatures vanish. Often it seems they have just gone around corners, behind objects, or into containers, even if these actions would not actually conceal them or allow them to fit. While startling and distracting, these creatures do not actually harm the subject, though they may become persistent and possibly menacing if ignored.

Both you and your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

Animate Shadow

1st level illusion (shadow)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: 5 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Through your illusion magic you convert your shadow into a Shadow (per the Monstrous Manual), except that its type is Construct, its alignment is neutral, and its strength drain attack does not raise additional Shadows. This creature appears in your space or an unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. In combat, the summoned creature has its own turn.

For the duration of the spell you cast no shadow.

Spectral Arms

1st level illusion (glamour)

Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You create a illusory weapon copy of a melee or ranged weapon with which you have proficiency. You wield this weapon as if it were a normal version, but use your Intelligence for attack and damage rolls and it deals psychic damage rather than the weapon's normal type. You may appear to sheath the weapon, but intentionally dropping or giving it away ends the spell immediately. If you are unwillingly disarmed the weapon immediately returns to your hand, however.

If the weapon chosen is a ranged weapon it comes with one piece of ammunition per round, while thrown weapons reappear in hand once per round after an attack.

Enemies that can see through visual illusions, such as those with truesight, are immune to this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher the duration increases by 1 hour per additional slot level above 1st. 

Perfidious Enchiridion

2nd level illusion (glamour)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Permanent

You confuse the contents of a single page worth of writing you have scribed so that it appears to be some form of foreign or magical writing. When you cast this spell you can specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose. You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the writing could be set to be read by aberrations or undead), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that may read the text, such as those who say a certain password.

At the end of each round in which an individual gives the enchanted text more than a cursory examination, attempting to translate it or reading it aloud for example, they suffer 1d4 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom save or take a level of exhaustion.

A History of Magic: The History of Illusion (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells

The earliest illusion magic appears to have been failed attempts at conjuration. As we all know matter is an extremely dense repository of energy. While modern researchers can have detailed formulae by which to calculate exactly what these ratios are it took substantial trial and error for early conjurers to realize how much energy exists in even the smallest sliver of matter. Some of these early experiments proved capable of producing phantasmal results. Ghost images of the desired objects and effects. The majority of these effects were disregarded as outright failures while others would provide the ultimate groundwork for the basic conjurations we know today. A few, however, lived on as minor tricks, demonstrations, and even the occasional practical joke.

A History of Magic: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Enchantment

Enchantment Subschools: Charm, Compulsion.

                Charm: A charm spell is a subtle manipulation, changes how the subject views you or others, typically making it see you as a good friend.

Compulsion: A compulsion spell forces the subject to act in some manner or changes the way her mind works. Some compulsion spells determine the subject’s actions or the effects on the subject, some compulsion spells allow you to determine the subject’s actions when you cast the spell, and others give you ongoing control over the subject.

Selected Spells:

Fundamental Compulsion

Enchantment cantrip (compulsion)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: touch

Components: V, S, M (a chip of moonstone)

Duration: Instantaneous

You violently forge a psychic link with your target. Your target makes a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail you they take up to 1d4 psychic damage. You may choose to deal less than the damage rolled, to a minimum of 0.

Further, during your next turn you may target the same individual with this cantrip and either using a range of 120 feet or dealing double damage on a failed save. If you use either of these benefits and the target succeeds at their save you suffer 2d4 psychic damage.

This spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Soothing Touch

enchantment cantrip (charm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a small piece of fur or sprig of mint)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You attempt to suppress strong emotions in a humanoid. Your target must make a Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following two effects.
You can suppress any one effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the mean time.
Alternatively, you can choose to make a target indifferent about creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed. When the spell ends the creature becomes hostile again, unless the DM rules otherwise.
In either case after the spell ends, during their turn, the creature realizes that you used magic to influence its mood and may become hostile towards you.

Next: The History of Illusion

~~*~~

More of those evolutionary cantrips. I very much like these and can see a clear place for them in broader play, though. I have a fondness for the idea that a wizard who wants to deeply specialize should be able to shape those always-used abilities around that speciality. I've also leaned in a little on giving rules teeth to some of the things I discussed in the history section. 

A History of Magic: The History of Enchantment (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells

As research on the inner path developed into necromancy its practitioners were intimately aware of the power the energy they used had over living beings. As this awareness expanded, they discovered a variety of ways that the nature of the links between living creatures could be manipulated to produce sympathetic effects. One of the earliest innovations, long before the discovery of the negative energy plane as a source of power, was the means to influence the mind of living creatures.

A History of Magic: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Transmutation

Transmutation Subschools: Alteration, Metamorphosis.

Alteration: Alteration spells render physical changes on a material object, possibly improving its physical nature or granting it metaphysical properties.

Metamorphosis: Like all transmutations, these spells impose a physical change on a living creature. These spells change the nature of a living object, changing its form and possibly granting it greater abilities or new ones. At their most powerful metamorphic spells can make creature into an object, but still preserving their mind.

Selected Spells:

Talons

Transmutation cantrip (metamorphosis)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a bird's claw)

Duration: 1 minute

You transform your hands into wicked, birdlike claws. While under the effect of this spell you lack the manual dexterity to cast spells with somatic components. However, you can you make swift, slashing strikes in battle. You may choose to use Dexterity instead of Strength with your unarmed attacks, roll d4 slashing in place of your normal damage with such attacks, and, when you use the Attack action you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

This attack's damage die changes when you reach 5th level (1d6), 11th level (d8), and 17th level (d10).

Dweomerwright

Transmutation cantrip (alteration)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You touch a nonmagical weapon. Until the spell ends, that weapon becomes a magic weapon. It grants no bonus to hit or damage, but does effect creatures which are resistant or immune to nonmagical weapons.

Arcane Mark

1st level transmutation (alteration)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S, M (special ink)

Duration: Permanent

This spell enables you to etch your personal rune or mark, which can consist of no more than six characters, upon any substance (even stone or metal) without harm to the material upon which it is placed. When you place this mark, the writing can be visible or invisible. If an invisible mark is made, a detect magic spell or other effects which allows the perception of the invisible, such as see invisibility or the truesight ability likewise allows the user to see an invisible arcane mark. To such vision it appears to glow and be visible, though not necessarily understandable.

The mark can be removed as an action by a touch from the caster. If an arcane mark is placed on a living being, normal wear gradually causes the effect to fade in about a month.

A wizard targeting an item, creature, or location carrying one of their arcane marks on it benefits from an established magical link. Similarly, using an item which a caster has placed their arcane mark on to target that caster provides the same benefit. For example; If you have cast an arcane mark on a location where you are attempting to teleport you count as possessing an “associated object," while attempting to scry on a subject whose arcane mark you have in your possession counts as a “body part, lock of hair, or the like," etc. 

Carapace

1st level Transmutation (metamorphosis)

Cast: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a piece of turtle shell)

Duration: 1 hour

You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor and it grows a thick protective shell which lasts until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 16 + its Dexterity modifier. However, the target’s Dexterity and Charisma scores suffer a -2 penalty for the duration. Due to the random and irregular nature of the grown carapace the target cannot don armor while this spell is in effect.

Wings of Flight

2nd level Transmutation (metamorphosis)

Cast: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a pair of remex from a single bird)

Duration: 10 minutes

You touch a willing creature. The target grows a large set of wings for the duration of this spell. Fully opening these wings requires an area as large as if they were one size larger than they normal. Thus, a medium creature would be unable to use them in a 5' hallway. If able to open their wings fully, they gain a flying speed of 60 feet. Further, as a reaction, if you fall and can unfurl your wings you can set your rate of descent to 60 feet per round and, if you land while falling in this manner, land on your feet taking no damage.

While the transformation does not require concentration to maintain, flying or preventing falls with it does. If a flying character loses concentration they begin to fall unless they have another means to stop themselves. They are similarly subject to other effects that will cause flying creatures to fall (PH191). However, these effects do not end the spell, and they can resume concentration with a bonus action. When the spell ends the target reverts back to their natural form, falling if they are still aloft.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a slot of the 3rd level or higher you can target on additional creature for each slot above 2nd.

Next: The History of Enchantment

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I think I've made it painfully obviously that I think that transmutation needs a machete-style amputation, and intended to go all in for it- hacking out chunks that I've never felt fit into transmutation despite being there for multiple editions across decades. But, this shouldn't be taken to mean that I think the transmutation school needs *weakened*. It simply think it needed focused as transmuters often lack a "feel" that goes beyond that of generic wizards. With this conception transmuters suddenly have at least a couple competing, clear, and, hopefully, compelling visions.
While I've generally gone for "evolutionary" spells throughout this, here I wanted to specifically make a demonstration of what I think truly transmutative versions of spells that exist in the school would look like. While I made clear that I think "Fly," as written, should be elsewhere, transmutation, as I'm redefining it, remains perfectly capable of providing that effect. In fact, with the limitations placed I think it's easy to justify it being a lower level spell, on par with Spider Climb.