Editing Truenamer (section)

==Onomancer, or Utter Hubris: the 5e Truenamer==
''Wizards'' has had a lengthy love-affair with trying to make a "[[metamagic]] [[wizard]]" in 5th Edition, despite the fact that metamagic is one of the [[sorcerer]] class's few remaining good things in an edition that stripped almost all of them away, plus the wizard already being a spoilt brat in terms of class options, spell list, class ''features'', and almost everything else in comparison.  That is to say, the Devs love trying to do it and the fans hate it.

So, some probably-industrial-grade-drug-addled designer thought, why not mix ''that'' hubris with the hubris of trying to design a 5e version of one of the worst classes in the game's history?  

[https://media.wizards.com/2019/dnd/downloads/UA-TwilightFireNames.pdf In the October 2nd, 2019 Unearthed Arcana], a UA otherwise full of solid (if somewhat unremarkable) player options, Wizards featured the Onomancer.  We'd say this is because Wizards of the Coast think you are stupid and don't know Greek or how to Google, but it all-but calls them "truenamers" in the opening text and sidebar.

The Onomancer is a wizard whose entire schtick revolves around magically securing the "true names" of various creatures, via a 2nd level ability that lets them force a creature to make a save, and upon then applying bonus effects to every spell they cast on a creature whose true name they know.

Unfortunately, [[soulknife| as with some other updated classes that were infamously terrible]], Wizards decided they needed to keep that janky power-swing that characterizes the previous class for a semi-authentic truenamer experience.

First, you can only use your Extract Name class feature a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier (so, a maximum of five, ''ever''), and if they make the save, you can never use that ability on the target again.  ''Ever''.  Yep, a feature so limited you are heavily incentivized to save it for high-powered boss monsters, but which, when ''used'' on high powered boss monsters, has a chance to fail ''permanently''.  And that's not even bringing up that many high powered boss monsters have either high Wisdom and proficiency in Wisdom saves, Magic Resistance for advantage on saves vs. all magical effects, and for some, the ability to ''choose to succeed on a number of saves every day''.  Some have more than one of these at once.

This means many players and parties won't be able to reliably use the built-in class features... and that the GM will have to adjudicate according to the intentionally-vague "true name" sidebar that opens the class if the party tries to extract that name via other means, like interrogating underlings.  It also means that the onomancer's whole schtick doesn't work on anything without a language or higher intelligence, and therefore without a true name.  Have fun battling some of the high-level elementals, monstrosities, anything with an unaligned alignment!

And they'll have to, because, aside from a few extra proficiencies and the ability to cast ''bless'' on allied teammates a couple of times for free, ''every other ability in the class'' relies on adding bonus effects to spells once you know something's true name, so anyone playing an onomancer will want as many of them as they can get.  

Worse, those effects are often stronger versions of stuff sorcerers can do with metamagic, including over-the-top powers like dispelling a magical effect on the target of the spell using a similar system to ''dispel magic'', firing spells that don't require line of sight, or just offering buttloads of temporary hitpoints or extra damage (irresistible force damage, of course).  And unlike sorcerers, this system doesn't cost extra for some effects vs. others, at the "cost" of not being able to spend spell slots to recharge them.  

Also, at 14th level, they can make any spell that deals damage to a creature whose True Name they know either psychic or force for free, because letting the wizard turn all damage into irresistable damage worked ''so well'' for the Lore wizard, even with some built-in limitations.

Even if it's not as obviously broken as the truenamer, the onomancer is still janky, based around a poorly-designed mechanic that offers incredible power or absolutely fuck-all in a feast-or-famine system, and one that actively devalues a class that's already suffering from power discrepancy issues this edition.  Avoid.  Here's hoping they don't ignore all feedback and spite-print it in the next player options book, like certain other mistakes from ''Xanathar's Guide to Everything''.

''Update:'' The Onomancer Wizard has been confirmed to be dropped from further development in the Subclasses Revisited UA from May 2020 due to lack of appeal. Consider this bullet to be dodged.

{{D&D3-Classes}}