The Wizard Revisited

Clad in the silver robes that denote her station, an elf closes her eyes to shut out the distractions of the battlefield and begins her quiet chant. Fingers weaving in front of her, she completes her spell and launches a tiny bead of fire toward the enemy ranks, where it erupts into a conflagration that engulfs the soldiers.

Checking and rechecking his work, a human scribes an intricate magic circle in chalk on the bare stone floor, then sprinkles powdered iron along every line and graceful curve. When the circle is complete, he drones a long incantation. A hole opens in space inside the circle, bringing a whiff of brimstone from the otherworldly plane beyond.

Crouching on the floor in a dungeon intersection, a gnome tosses a handful of small bones inscribed with mystic symbols, muttering a few words of power over them. Closing his eyes to see the visions more clearly, he nods slowly, then opens his eyes and points down the passage to his left.

Wizards are supreme magic-users, defined and united as a class by the spells they cast. Drawing on the subtle weave of magic that permeates the cosmos, wizards cast spells of explosive fire, arcing lightning, subtle deception, and brute-force mind control. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or turns slain foes into zombies. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call meteors down from the sky, or open portals to other worlds.

Spellcasting

As a student of Arcane Magic, you have a Spellbook containing Spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power.

Casting Spells

In order to cast a Spell, you must know or have that Spell prepared, and you must have enough Spell Points available to cast the Spell. When you cast a spell, it consumes a number of Spell Points equal to the level of the Spell, or the level at which you cast the Spell, if that level is higher. You may not cast a Spell at a level higher than you are capable of casting, as indicated in the Spell Level column of the Wizard table. You may not use spell points to cast spells above 5th level.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level Wizard, you have nine Spell Points available. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared Spells can include six Spells of 1st or 2nd Level, in any combination, chosen from your Spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it as a 1st-level Spell for one Spell Point, or as a 2nd-level Spell for two Spell Points. Casting the spell does not remove it from your list of prepared Spells.

Casting a cantrip does not consume Spell Points.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your Spellcasting Ability for your Wizard Spells, since you learn your Spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your Spellcasting Ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Wizard spell you cast and when Making an Attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell Attack modifier = your Proficiency Bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a Spellcasting focus for your Wizard Spells.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a level in the Wizard class, you can add two Wizard Spells of your choice to your Spellbook for free. These selections may include Cantrips. Each of these Spells must be of a level for which you can cast, as indicated in the Spell Level and Spell Slots columns of the Wizard table. On your Adventures, you might find other Wizard Spells that you can add to your Spellbook (see “Your Spellbook”). You may only add a Wizard Spell to your Spellbook when it is of a level for which you can cast.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a Wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your Spellbook. When cast in this manner, you do not need to have the spell prepared, and it does not use any of your Spell Points or Spell Slots.

Arcane Recovery

You have learned to store and regain magical energy through complex mystical rites. Once per day when you finish a Short Rest, you can recover a number of Spell Points equal to your Wizard class level. You cannot recover your Spell Slots of 6th level and higher in this manner.

For example, if you’re a 4th-level Wizard, you can recover four Spell Points once per day at the end of a Short Rest.

Once per day, when you perform these rites at the end of a Long Rest, you recover all of your expended Spell Points and Spell Slots.

Arcane Tradition

When you reach 2nd Level, you choose an Arcane Tradition, either specializing in one of the eight schools, such as Evocation, or pursuing some other esoteric, regional, or otherwise specialized system of arcane study and research. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Expertise

At 4th level, choose one of your skill or tool proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency. The chosen proficiency must be one available from the wizard class, or one gained from your arcane tradition selection.

Spell Mastery

At 5th level, you achieve such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level wizard spell that is in your spellbook. You can cast that spell at its lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have it prepared. If you want to cast this spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal. At 11th level, you may choose two 1st-level wizard spells using this feature. At 17th level, you may also choose a 2nd-level wizard spell.

By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange any of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Arcane Supremacy

At 11th level, your study of complex spells and rituals has begun to unlock access to some of the most powerful magics known. You can learn and prepare spells of 6th level and higher, casting them using spell slots, as indicated on the Wizard table.

Your arcane supremacy spell slots can only be recovered at the end of a long rest.

At higher levels, as you gain access to higher level spells and spell slots, you may use your higher spell slots to fuel or increase the caster level of lower level spells.

Signature Spells

When you reach 18th level, you gain mastery over two powerful spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 3rd-level wizard spells in your spellbook as your signature spells. You always have these spells prepared, they don’t count against the number of spells you have prepared, and you can cast each of them once at 3rd level without expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

Capstone Ability

Something really cool, deserving of being a reward for sticking to 20 levels in a single class.

Your Spellbook

The Spells that you add to your Spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane Research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the Nature of the multiverse. You might find other Spells during your Adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient Library.

Copying a Spell into the Book: When you find a Wizard Spell of 1st Level or higher, you can add it to your Spellbook if it is of a Spell Level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Copying that Spell into your Spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the Spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the Wizard who wrote it. You must practice the Spell until you understand the incantations or gestures required, then transcribe it into your Spellbook using your own notation.

For each level of the Spell, the process takes two hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material Components you expend as you experiment with the Spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the Spell just like your other Spells. Copying a Cantrip into your Spellbook takes only one hour and costs 5 gp.

Replacing the Book: You can copy a Spell from your own Spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your Spellbook. This is just like copying a new Spell into your Spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the Spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied Spell. Cantrips cost only 10 minutes and 1 gp each.

If you lose your Spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the Spells that you have prepared into a new Spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your Spellbook requires you to find new Spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup Spellbooks in safe places.

The Book’s Appearance: Your Spellbook is a unique compilation of Spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous Spellbook in a mishap.

Arcane Traditions