Philosopher

Few in Estaklyos hold as much sway over thought as the philosopher-wizards. To most, the term “philosopher” conjures images of public debates in marble colonnades, or the long shadow of a thinker bent over papyrus scrolls. To a true Estaklian philosopher, however, philosophy is more than talk—it is the precise weaving of truth into magic. They see no division between arcane theory and the great questions of life, for the nature of magic is the nature of reality itself. Where others hurl fire or bend space by rote, the philosopher understands the why as deeply as the how, and with this understanding comes power beyond brute force.   The traditions of philosophical magic trace back to the ancient symposia of the city-states, when the first “schools” were not institutions but circles of thinkers debating under starlight. These early philosopher-mages argued that every magical effect had a logical root, a first principle, and that by mastering these principles, one could bend magic without unnecessary strain. Their rivals mocked them as “reason-casters” more concerned with definitions than survival — until those same rivals found themselves unmade by the philosopher’s elegantly reasoned wards and inescapable syllogisms woven into spells.   In Estaklian society, philosopher-wizards are at once admired and feared. They often serve as advisors to rulers, arbiters in disputes, or keepers of civic law, for their minds are trained to dismantle falsehood and to find clarity amid chaos. Many join or even found their own “School of Thought”—an academic tradition devoted to a particular ideal, such as harmony, paradox, unity, or transformation. Rival schools debate endlessly, sometimes in the agora, sometimes in the battlefield, their magic carrying the same rigor as their rhetoric. The most famous philosophical duels in Estaklian history were as much contests of wit as contests of spells.   Philosopher-wizards rarely confine themselves to the arcane alone. Many are well-versed in ethics, politics, metaphysics, and the natural sciences, believing a mage without wisdom is no better than a beast with claws. They pursue long journeys to observe the world firsthand, writing treatises that blend empirical study with magical theorem. To them, each spell cast in the world is an argument in the ongoing discourse between mortal will and cosmic law. A true philosopher considers their grimoire not a tool, but a living thesis.   Beyond Estaklyos, philosopher-wizards are much rarer, though do occasionally arise—particularly in Lungao and sometimes in Cetandar, though they were more common prior to the fall of Cavellas. In foreign courts, they are prized as negotiators, teachers, or framers of complex magical treaties. In more superstitious lands, they are often mistaken for oracles, their reasoned predictions taken as prophecy. Whatever the culture, they often stand apart from their peers, pursuing truth in its purest form.

Forbidden Schools

1st-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   As a philosopher, you are aligned with a philosophical principle, guiding your distinct worldview. Once you make this choice, you cannot change it later. You are barred from one school of magic that conflicts with your philosophical principles and one other school of your choice. You cannot learn or cast spells of these schools. You cannot choose universal magic as a forbidden school.

• The Axiom of Self-Sufficiency. These philosophers hold that to summon aid from beyond is to admit weakness, and that reliance on outside forces invites corruption of body, mind, and soul. Mastery is measured only in what one can achieve with his or her own mind and hands. Such philosophers have Conjuration as a forbidden school.
• The Doctrine of the Immutable Form. These philosophers believe that all things have a perfect, intrinsic nature granted by the gods, cosmic order, or some other determining force. Altering form, function, or substance is a violation of that truth. True wisdom lies in understanding a thing as it is, not reshaping it into what it is not. Such philosophers have Alteration as a forbidden school.
• The Maxim of Mortal Struggle. These philosophers accept death as a necessary limit to mortal ambition. To defy death or to manipulate life's animating forces is to unbalance the natural order and deny the meaning of mortal effort. Such philosophers have Necromancy as a forbidden school.
• The Oath of Open Hands. These philosophers believe that shielding oneself from the natural course of events breeds weakness. Adversity is the forge of wisdom, and erecting magical barriers is seen as a refusal to engage with the challenges that shape the soul. Such philosophers have Abjuration as a forbidden school.
• The Paradox of the Unwritten Future. These philosophers hold that to know the future is to chain it. Seeking to unveil fate constrains choice, either by steering oneself toward a foreseen path or by becoming trapped in the fear of altering it. True freedom lies in walking forward without certainty. Such philosophers have Divination as a forbidden school.
• The Precept of Natural Law. These philosophers believe that nature's forces exist for their own purposes, not for mortal weaponry. To harness raw destruction is to act in hubris, inviting disaster upon the world and oneself. Such philosophers have Evocation as a forbidden school.
• The Principle of Clear Perception. These philosophers reject deception in all its forms, believing that truth is found only in what can be seen as it truly is. Creating false images or misrepresentations is an affront to reason. Such philosophers have Illusion as a forbidden school.
• The Tenet of Mental Sovereignty. These philosophers view the mind as sacred and inviolate. Influencing another's will through magical compulsion is considered tyranny, undermining free thought and genuine choice. Such philosophers have Enchantment as a forbidden school.

Principled Casting

1st-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   Your deep study of philosophy refines your magic through the lens of your chosen principle. You gain a bonus to two schools associated with your philosophical principle.

• The Axiom of Self-Sufficiency. Those who reject calling upon allies from beyond instead hone the forces they can wield directly, molding the world itself with their own strength. When you cast a spell of the schools of Alteration or Evocation of 1st-level or higher that deals damage, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage taken by one target of that spell.
• The Doctrine of the Immutable Form. By refusing to alter what is, you learn instead to defend and empower things in their true shape, shielding them from harm. When you cast a spell of the schools of Abjuration or Evocation of 1st-level or higher, you or one willing creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of you gains temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
• The Maxim of Mortal Struggle. Accepting the limits of mortal life hones one's resolve to endure and outwit adversity, mastering magic that fortifies the mortal condition. When you cast a spell of the schools of Alteration or Enchantment of 1st-level or higher, one creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you have Advantage on its next Ability Check or Death Saving Throw made before the end of your next turn.
• The Oath of Open Hands. By refusing to hide behind walls, you perfect the art of striking true and unimpeded. When you cast a spell of the schools of Conjuration or Evocation of 1st-level or higher, you ignore half cover and treat three-quarters cover as half cover for the spell's attack rolls or the saving throws made by the targets.
• The Paradox of the Unwritten Future. Rejecting foreknowledge frees you to manipulate the perceptions and actions of the present moment. When you cast a spell of the schools of Illusion or Enchantment of 1st-level or higher targets one or more creatures, you may choose one of those creatures. Until the end of your next turn, the first attack roll made against that creature is made with Advantage.
• The Precept of Natural Law. By renouncing nature's destructive force, you become adept at guiding its shaping and sustaining powers instead. When you cast a spell of the schools of Alteration or Conjuration of 1st-level or higher that does not deal damage, the next attack made against one creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of you before the end of your next turn is made at Disadvantage.
• The Principle of Clear Perception. Rejecting falsehood sharpens the value of truth, and truth demands clarity of vision and defense of the real. When you cast a spell of the schools of Abjuration or Divination of 1st-level or higher, one creature you can see within 30 feet of you has Advantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
• The Tenet of Mental Sovereignty. By spurning the control of minds, you refine the arts that protect thought and manipulate perception from the outside. When you cast a spell of the schools of Abjuration or Illusion of 1st-level or higher, one creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of you can make a saving throw against an effect causing it to be Charmed or Frightened that normally allows a saving throw at the end of its turn.

Learned Disciplines

1st-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice from among Arcana, Culture, History, Nature, Psionics, or Religion. In addition, you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice from among the skills associated with your philosophical principle.

• The Axiom of Self-Sufficiency. These philosophers train in Survival to endure without aid, or Investigation to rely on careful inquiry rather than supernatural insight.
• The Doctrine of Immutable Form. These philosophers study Nature to understand things as they truly are, or Investigation to uncover the truth beneath appearances.
• The Maxim of Mortal Struggle. These philosophers practice Religion to respect the divine balance, or Medicine to ease suffering without trespassing into forbidden arts.
• The Oath of Open Hands. These philosophers hone Athletics to meet threats with their own strength, or Acrobatics to evade danger through skill alone.
• The Paradox of the Unwritten Future. These philosophers cultivate Insight to read the present moment without peering beyond it, or Perception to focus on what is, not what might be.
• The Precept of Natural Law. These philosophers study Arcana to understand magic without abusing its force, or Nature to respect the power of the elements in their unaltered state.
• The Principle of Clear Perception. These philosophers develop Investigation to pierce falsehoods, or Perception to notice truths hidden in plain sight.
• The Tenet of Mental Sovereignty. These philosophers practice Insight to recognize attempts at manipulation, or Persuasion to win minds through honest discourse.

Dialectical Reasoning

6th-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   Your deep training in logical thought and structured arguments grants you clarity in the heat of battle and composure under pressure.   When you see a creature within 60 feet of you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw against an effect not originating from you, you can use your reaction to offer a razor-sharp correction, pointed correct, or insight rooted in your philosophy. That creature must roll a d6 and you may choose to add or subtract the result from the triggering roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wizard Power Reservoir, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.   Additionally, you have Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed, Frightened, or Stunned as your disciplined mind resists emotional and mental disruption.

Dialectic Mastery

10th-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   Your deep engagement in philosophical discourse has honed your ability to adapt your magic to the needs of the moment.   Once per turn, when a creature succeeds on its saving throw against an Arcane spell of 1st-level or higher you cast, you can choose to force a different creature in range to make the saving throw instead. If you do, the first target takes no effects from the spell. Alternatively, when you miss a creature with a spell attack from an Arcane spell of 1st-level or higher, you may repeat the attack roll against a different creature in range. If you do, the first target takes no effects from the spell.

Eternal Philosophy

14th-Level Wizard (Philosopher) Feature   You have reached the pinnacle of your philosophical craft, allowing you to achieve perfect argument in it. You gain a feature aligned with your philosophical principle.

• The Axiom of Self-Sufficiency: Perfect Self. You become a bastion of your own making. When you cast an Arcane spell that targets only you and requires Concentration, you can choose to make it last for its full duration without requiring Concentration. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively, when you cast another spell that targets only you and requires Concentration, you can expend a second spell slot of the same level as the spell (minimum 3rd level) to use this feature again. You can only be affected by a single spell in this way at a time.
• The Doctrine of the Immutable Form: Truth Without Change. You project a 30-foot radius aura centered on yourself while you are not Incapacitated. Any creature that enters the aura or starts its turn there that is in a form other than its natural form reverts to its original form and can't take a new form while in the aura, including through the use of spells or abilities. A Shapechanger or a creature under the effects of an Alteration spell that enters the aura or starts its turn in it must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature takes 2d10 force damage and is knocked Prone.
• The Maxim of Mortal Struggle: Life's Final Lesson. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an Arcane spell, you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet. That creature gains Temporary hit points equal to your Wizard level and can use its Reaction to make one weapon attack. You can only choose one creature each time you cast a spell.
• The Oath of Open Hands: Will Untethered. When you fail a saving throw, you can chose to succeed instead. Alternatively, when a creature would succeed against an Arcane spell you cast but did not use Legendary Resistance, you can force it to roll again, using the new saving throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your Wizard Power Reservoir, rounded up, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• The Paradox of the Unwritten Future: Unbound Destiny. When you cast an Arcane spell that targets only one creature, you can choose to impose Disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes against that spell. If the creature still succeeds on its saving throw, roll a d4, then you regain an expended spell slot of a level equal to or lower than the rolled result. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wizard Power Reservoir, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• The Precept of Natural Law: Reject Nature's Enslavement. When you finish a long rest, choose two damage types from among acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, and thunder. You gain Immunity to one of the chosen damage types and Resistance to another from any Supernatural effect. When you finish a long rest, you may switch the chosen damage types.
• The Principle of Clear Perception: The World As It Is. You gain Truesight to a range of 60 feet. Additionally, when you see through an Illusion spell of 4th level or lower, you can use a Bonus Action to end that spell.
• The Tenet of Mental Sovereignty: Mind Unassailable. You gain immunity to the Charmed and Frightened conditions. Additionally, once per round, when you cast a spell from the schools of Divination or Abjuration of 1st-level or higher that targets one creature, you and that creature are Immune to Mind-Affecting effects until the start of your next turn.