Wizard

Overview

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.   Only a select few people in the world are wielders of magic. Of all those, wizards stand at the pinnacle of the craft. Even the least of them can manipulate forces that flout the laws of nature, and the most accomplished among them can cast spells with world-shaking effects.   The price that wizards pay for their mastery is the most valuable of commodities: time. It takes years of study, instruction, and experimentation to learn how to harness magical energy and carry spells around in one's mind. For adventuring wizards and other spellcasters who aspire to the highest echelons of the profession, the studying never ends, nor does the quest for knowledge and power.   Scholars and practitioners of what they call "the Art", wizards are the most disciplined spellcasters in Faerûn. They need to be, as their powers come from years of careful study and practice. Some wizards apprentice and study with an experienced master, while others attend formal academies or universities of wizardry, such as those in Waterdeep or Silverymoon.   With the intensity of their study and practice, wizards tend to become increasingly solitary as they advance in their Art, having fewer peers with whom they can share their insights, if they choose to share them with anyone at all. Thus great wizards often take up residence in isolated towers or strongholds, exhibiting ever more eccentric behavior as time goes on. Some say this is a mark of madness brought on by delving too deeply into arcane lore, but they never say it too loudly anywhere a wizard might overhear.   The greatest wizards of Faerûn find means of extending their lives far beyond the span of any race except the elves. Archwizards may be centuries old, having seen civilizations rise and fall across Faerûn. Other wizards seeking this longevity turn into liches, dwelling in isolated tombs and strongholds as they withdraw from the world in body as well as mind.

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.

Spellbook

A wizard's most prized possession - their spellbook - might be an innocuous-looking volume whose covers show no hint of what's inside. Or they might display some flair, as many wizards do, by carrying a spellbook of an unusual sort.

Ambition

Few aspiring wizards undertake the study of magic without some personal goal in mind. Many wizards use their spells as a tool to produce a tangible benefit, in material goods or in status, for themselves or their companions. For others, the theoretical aspect of magic might have a strong appeal, pushing those wizards to seek out knowledge that supports new theories of the arcane or confirms old ones.

Eccentricity

Endless hours of solitary study and research can have a negative effect on anyone's social skills. Wizards, who are a breed apart to begin with, are no exception. An odd mannerism or two is not necessarily a drawback, though; an eccentricity of this sort is usually harmless and could provide a source of amusement or serve as a calling card of sorts.

Features

As a wizard, you gain the following class features.

Level	Features	Cantrips	Prepared Spells	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	Spellcasting, Ritual Adept, Arcane Recovery	3	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	Arcane Tradition	3	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	Scholar	3	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	Ability Score Improvement	4	7	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	Memorize Spell	4	9	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	Arcane Tradition feature	4	10	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	—	4	11	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	Ability Score Improvement	4	12	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	—	4	14	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	Arcane Tradition feature	5	15	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	—	5	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	Ability Score Improvement	5	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	—	5	17	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	Arcane Tradition feature	5	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	—	5	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	Ability Score Improvement	5	21	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	—	5	22	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	Spell Mastery	5	23	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	Epic Boon	5	24	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	Signature Spells	5	25	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

 

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d6 per wizard level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per wizard level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple Weapons
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, and Religion

Equipment

• A Quarterstaff or a Dagger
• A component pouch or an arcane focus
• A scholar’s pack or an explorer’s pack
• A spellbook

1st Level - Spellcasting

As a student of arcane magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power.

Cantrips

You know three Wizard cantrips of your choice. Whenever you finish a You know three Wizard cantrips of your choice., you can replace one of your cantrips from this feature with another Wizard cantrip of your choice.
When you reach Wizard levels 4 and 10, you learn another Wizard cantrip of your choice, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Wizard Features table.

Spellbook

Your wizardly apprenticeship culminated in the creation of a unique book: your spellbook. It is a Tiny object that weighs 3 pounds, contains 100 pages, and can be read only by you or someone casting Identify.   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.   The book contains the level 1+ spells you know. It starts with six level 1 Wizard spells of your choice.   Whenever you gain a Wizard level after 1, 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 in the Wizard Features table. The spells are the culmination of arcane research you do regularly.

Spell Slots

The Wizard Features table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells. You regain all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest.

Prepared Spells of Level 1+

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 as shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Wizard Features table. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.   If another Wizard feature gives you spells that you always have prepared, those spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Wizard spells for you.

Changing Your Prepared Spells

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Wizard spells.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an Arcane Focus or your spellbook as a Spellcasting Focus for your Wizard spells.

Expanding and Replacing a Spellbook

The spells you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect your ongoing magical research, but you might find other spells during your adventures that you can add to the book. You could discover a Wizard spell on a Spell Scroll, for example, and then copy it into your spellbook.
Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a level 1+ Wizard spell, you can copy it into your spellbook if it's of a level you can prepare and if you have time to copy it. For each level of the spell, the transcription takes 2 hours and costs 50 GP. Afterward you can prepare the spell like the other spells in your spellbook.
Copying the Book. You can copy a spell from your spellbook into another book. This is like copying a new spell into your spellbook but faster, since you already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 GP for each level of the copied spell.   If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the Wizard spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of the new book requires you to find new spells to do so. For this reason, many wizards keep a backup spellbook.

1st Level - Ritual Adept

You can cast any spell as a Ritual if that spell has the Ritual tag and the spell is in your spellbook. You needn't have the spell prepared, but you must read from the book to cast a spell in this way.

1st Level - 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 have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.   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.

2nd Level - Arcane Tradition

The study of wizardry is ancient, stretching back to the earliest mortal discoveries of magic. It is firmly established in the world, with various traditions dedicated to its complex study.   You choose an arcane tradition, shaping your practice of magic. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

3rd Level - Scholar

While studying magic, you also specialized in another field of study. Choose one of the following skills in which you have proficiency: Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, or Religion. You have Expertise in the chosen skill.

4th Level - Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th 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. or you can choose another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Wizard levels 8, 12, and 16.

5th Level - Memorize Spell

Whenever you finish a Short Rest, you can study your spellbook and replace one of the level 1+ Wizard spells you have prepared for your Spellcasting feature with another level 1+ spell from the book.

6th Level - Arcane Tradition feature

At 6th level, you gain a feature granted by your Arcane Tradition.

8th Level - Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement Feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

10th Level - Arcane Tradition feature

At 10th level, you gain a feature granted by your Arcane Tradition.

12th Level - Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement Feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

14th Level - Arcane Tradition feature

At 14th level, you gain a feature granted by your Arcane Tradition.

16th Level - Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement Feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

18th Level - Spell Mastery

You have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a level 1 and a level 2 spell in your spellbook that have a casting time of an action. You always have those spells prepared, and you can cast them at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. To cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot.   By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.

20th Level - Signature Spells

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.