Wizard
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, cal1 meteors down from the sky, or open portals to other worlds.
Scholars of the Arcane
Wild and enigmatic, varied in form and function, the power of magic draws students who seek to master its mysteries. Some aspire to become like the gods, shaping reality itself. Though the casting of a typical spell requires merely the utterance of a few strange words, fleeting gestures, and sometimes a pinch or clump of exotic materials, these surface components barely hint at the expertise attained after years of apprenticeship and countless hours of study.
Wizards live and die by their spells. Everything else is secondary. They learn new spells as they experiment and grow in experience. They can also learn them from other wizards, from ancient tomes or inscriptions, and from ancient creatures (such as the fey) that are steeped in magic.
The Lure of Knowledge
Wizards' lives are seldom mundane, The closest a wizard is likely to come to an ordinary life is working as a sage or lecturer in a library or university, teaching others the secrets of the multiverse. Other wizards sell their services as diviners, serve in military forces, or pursue lives of crime or domination.
But the lure of knowledge and power calls even the most unadventurous wizards out of the safety of their libraries and laboratories and into crumbling ruins and lost cities. Most wizards believe that their counterparts in ancient civilizations knew secrets of magic that have been lost to the ages, and discovering those secrets could unlock the path to a power greater than any magic available in the present age.
Creating a Wizard
Creating a wizard character demands a backstory dominated by at least one extraordinary event. How did your character first come into contact with magic? How did you discover you had an aptitude for it? Do you have a natural talent, or did you simply study hard and practice incessantly? Did you encounter a magical creature or an ancient tome that taught you the basics of magic?
What drew you forth from your life of study? Did your first taste of magical knowledge leave you hungry for more? Have you received word of a secret repository of knowledge not yet plundered by any other wizard? Perhaps you're simply eager to put your newfound magical skills to the test in the face of danger.
Quick Build
You can make a wizard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Dexterity. If you plan to join the school of enchantment, make Charisma your next-best score. Second, choose the sage background. Third, choose the mage hand, light and ray of frost cantrips, along with the following 1st level spells for your spellbook: burning hands, charm person, feather fall, mage armour, magic missile and sleep.
The Wizard
| Wizard Level | Prof Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Arcane Recovery | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Arcane Tradition | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | - | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | - | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Arcane Tradition feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | - | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | - | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Arcane Tradition feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | Arcane Tradition feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Spell Mastery (2) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Epic Ability Score Improvement or Feat | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Spell Mastery (4) | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Class Features
As a wizard, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per wizard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at 2nd and 3rd Levels: The higher of 1d6 or 4 + your Constitution modifier per wizard level
Hit Points at Higher Levels: Roll 1d6 (reroll a result of 1) + your Constitution modifier per wizard level
Proficiencies
Armour: none
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine and Religion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
- (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A spellbook
Spellcasting
As a student of arcane magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power, See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the wizard spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level you know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional wizard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown on the Cantrips Known column of the Wizard table.
When you gain a level in the wizard class, you can choose to forget one cantrip and replace it with another from the wizard spell list.
Spellbook
At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st level wizard spells of your choice.
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 a Spellbook. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time and money to decipher and copy it.
Copying a 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 sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 20 gold pieces. This is an arcane process where, as you experiment with the spell to master it, a mystical pen and ink will appear and record the spell's primal aspects and arcane essence in your spellbook. This process consumes precious metals or gems, so you must designate at the time which gold, platinum or silver coins or bars, or gems, that you have with you to the appropriate value will be used up. Once you have spent this time and money, your unique version of the spell will be recorded in your spellbook and you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
Replacing a Spellbook. 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 gold pieces for each level of the copied spell.
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 a safe place.
The Spellbook'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.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Wizard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your wizard level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you're a 3rd level wizard, you have four 1st level and two 2nd level spell slots. 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 using a 1st level or a 2nd level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorisation. 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
Ritual Casting
You can east a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.
Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher
Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.
Arcane Recovery
You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can be up to a maximum of 5th level and have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up).
For example, if you're a 4th level wizard, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd level spell slot or two 1st level spell slots.
Arcane Tradition
When you reach 2nd level, you choose an arcane tradition, shaping your practice of magic through one of eight schools: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, or Transmutation.
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 and 16th level, you can increase an 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.
Spell Mastery
At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over low level spells that you can cast some of them at will. For this feature you may choose two spells from amongst the wizard cantrips and the 1st level wizard spells that you have in your spellbook. Cantrips will be treated as normal. Any 1st level spells you choose are treated as cantrips and their number will count against the number of Cantrips Known as shown on the Wizard table. As a cantrip the spell can be cast at will without using a spell slot and without being prepared in advance. The spell is cast at its basic spell level; if you want to cast the spell at a higher spell level, you must expend a spell slot of the appropriate level as normal.
By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one of the spells you chose to have spell mastery in for a different spell, limited as set out above.
At 20th level, you can choose two more spells to have mastery in. These spells may be from the wizard cantrips or 1st or 2nd level wizard spells that you have in your spellbook. Cantrips will be treated as normal. Any 1st or 2nd level spells you choose are treated as cantrips, count against the number of cantrips known, require a spell slot to be expended if cast at a higher spell level than their basic spell level, and may be changed by spending 8 hours in study, as set out above.
Epic Ability Score Improvement or Feat
At 19th level you can increase an ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can increase an ability score above the normal limit of 20 but you can’t increase an ability score above 22 using this feature.
Alternatively, you may choose one feat.