Wizard SC: Academic of the Arcane Schools

Classic | Wizard

The Academic of the Arcane Schools

A classic wizard that takes advantage of the many classic schools of magic, choosing to specialize in one while still being able to use their full, broad list of spells. Despite the traditional spell schools no longer existing as they used to, an Arcane Schools Wizard adapts no matter the age or setting.

(2nd) School Specialization

Pick a Classic School of Magic, from the list below. This choice will give you features involving that school when it comes to this subclass. At every level you obtain a feat from your core character progression, you can change the chosen school.

Arcane School	Description
Abjuration	Spells that protect, block, or banish. The school's name and meaning are largely unchanged. An abjuration specialist is called an abjurer.
Conjuration	Spells that bring creatures or materials to the caster. The school's primary functions have been split amongst the Divination, Evocation and Transmotion traditions. A conjuration specialist is called a conjurer.
Divination	Spells that reveal information or given insight beyond the normal realm of perception. Largely unchanged, though it incorporates aspects of other schools and traditions of then and now (such as Conjuration and Psionics). A divination specialist is called a diviner.
Enchantment	Spells that manipulate or enhance emotions, or change the mental state of folk by granting the caster power over others. While some of the school was shared with other traditions, much of it has become defined by the Psionic tradition. An enchantment specialist is called an enchanter.
Evocation	Spells that manipulate energy or create something from nothing. Largely unchanged, though many spells that straddled the line between schools (like Acid Arrow or Caustic Splash) are now just part of the school. An evocation specialist is called an evoker
Illusion	Spells that alter perception or create false images through the use of, what else, Illusions. Unchanged. An illusion specialist is called an illusionist.
Necromancy	Spells that manipulate, create, or destroy life or life force. Somewhat unchanged, but renamed Pnuemancy so that it is unambiguously about life and death. A necromancy specialist is called a necromancer.
Transmutation	Spells that transform the recipient physically or change its properties in a more subtle way. Unchanged, but renamed under its old moniker Alteration. A transmutation specialist is called a transmuter.
Other	Other schools of magic may exist, depending on the world. If they do, they will have their school effects listed in their description(s).

(2nd) Academic Array

You gain the following features.

• School Savant. The cost of writing spells into your spell book or for making scrolls of such is halved.
• Favored Class: Wizard. You gain the benefits of the Wizard’s Favorite Class bonus, regardless of if you have multiple classes or not.
  • Note: Favorite Class Bonus: You can prepare an additional amount of Wizard spells equal Half-Proficiency + 2. Additionally, every Spell Rank Tier gained by Wizard caster levels gives an additional Signature Spell Slots of your choice, as per the feature.

(2nd) Apprentice of the Arcane School

You gain the following feature, depending on your School Specialization.

Arcane School	Description
Abjuration	Arcane Ward The Warding Aura spell is always prepared for you, and does not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, your magic weaves into a passive, protective shield. You gain a magical, nigh invisible Ward that grants you Armor HP equal to twice your wizard level + twice your Intelligence Modifier. The Ward stacks with other sources of Armor HP, and persists when your Armor HP reaches 0. This Armor HP does not normally recover on a Swift Rest, however. You must Maintain a Cantrip — ▼ during Swift Rests and Exploration in order to recover the AHP. Additionally, you recover AHP (including non-Ward AHP) equal twice a ability's base cost whenever you use an ability 1st or higher rank, and when you complete a long rest, the Ward’s HP resets to its half (rounded up). Finally, Poison⚙️ damage can no longer bypass your armor HP.
Conjuration	Arcane Conjuration, Minor The Reinforce Conjurations spell is always prepared for you, and does not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, you can use an action / ◈ to conjure a mundane inanimate object in your hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that you can see within 10 feet of you. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side, weigh no more than 1 bulk per your class level, and must be of an item power level equal to your Half-Proficiency. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 10 ft, and can be used to replicate tasks or objects other objects can (i.e., a set of tools, a bag or a crate, etc). The object must be of something you’ve seen before and/or possess, and it disappears after 1 hour, when you use this feature again, or when it takes any sort of damage (it has 1 HP).
Divination	Arcane Luck The Diviner's Foresight spell is always prepared for you, and does not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, you gain a pool of Luck Points, equal to your Half-Proficiency + 2.Once per day, when you finish a Short Rest you may regain half your Luck Points (rounded up). You can spend Luck Points on the following effects, or spend them on maneuvers, augment feats, or similar abilities that consume points. Advantage: Immediately after you roll a d20, you can spend 1 Luck point to give yourself Advantage on the roll. Disadvantage: When a creature rolls a d20 for an attack roll against you, you can spend 1 Luck Point to impose Disadvantage on that roll. You do not have to see or percieve the creature.
Enchantment	Arcane Charm The Charming Push spell is always prepared for you, and does not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, either through glamor, a smile, or a hypnotic gaze; you can use your magic to make yourself more influential By using an action / ◈ to make one creature of your choice within 15 ft make a Will Saving Throw vs your spell save dc. If they fail, their attitude improves toward you and they are much more receptive to friendly conversation or suggestion (advantage on charisma based skill checks and saves, or on effects originally keyed to charisma, such as the Diplomacy skill). Some will even going so far as to stop fighting you in combat. This effect lasts a minute, and once this effect stops, the creature knows it has been magically charmed. This effect counts as being Enthralled. Creatures immune to being enthralled or compelled are immune to this effect, and effects that guard against the condition help against this similarly. A creature who succeeded becomes immune to this effect until they finish a Long Rest.
Evocation	Arcane Shaping The Force Bolt and Faultless Fusillade spells are always prepared for you, and do not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your spells. When you cast a spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to your Proficiency Bonus. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally would. Any damage or numerical value(s) avoided this way is instead dealt between creatures the spell still effects, divided evenly
Illusion	Arcane Trick The Minor Illusion and Mysterious Terrain spells are always prepared for you, and do not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. When you cast any spell from the Illusion tradition, or that has the Extradimensional or the Metaphysical⚙️ traits; you can create or remove an additional sound, image, or light with a single casting of the spell, creating a more solid/believable image. You may do one of the following with your illusions. Illusory Cover: You use your magic to create cover, or make cover you’ve already made translucent. Non-translucent cover acts as Obscured, 2, and can mimic the background or anything of your choice. Illusions that aren’t solid can still be interacted with and dispelled accordingly, and cannot be used to obscure vision once investigated. Illusory Lightshade: The object produces light and/or dims to produce less or no light. The light can be of any color or image you like, and can increase or decrease its Brightness level by 1. You cannot mimic sunlight or similar natural lighting fixtures. These effects do not work against creatures with blindsense, truesight, or similar.
Necromancy	Arcane Harvest The Scramble Vitae spell is always prepared for you, and does not count toward your Prepared Spell limit. Additionally, you gain the ability to reap life energy from creatures whose life force has been expunged. Once per turn, when a creature around you in a 30 ft radius dies, you may use a reaction to reap its life force, regaining hit points equal your Proficiency Bonus + 2. If you landed the kiling blow with a spell, feature, or similar effect (maneuvers, talents, etc or if your regular HP is full, you instead recover spell levels equal to half proficiency - 2 (minimum 1)
Transmutation	Arcane Alchemy You learn the Wild Shift ability, and can use spell slots to cast it. Additionally, you can perform a special alchemical procedure on one object composed entirely of non-magical wood, stone, or metal; transforming it into a different one of those materials or a material you are familiar with. Doing so requires an action / ◈, but for each 10 minutes you spend performing the procedure (as if performing a Ritual), you can transform up to 1 cubic foot of material. After 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), the material reverts to its original substance. The substance can change permanently if you concentrate on the substance for 8 hours per 1 cubic ft of transmuted material.
Other	Other schools of magic may exist, depending on the world. If they do, they will have their school effects listed in their description(s).

(3rd) Improved Spell Focus

You gain the Spell Focus common feature. Additionally the half-proficiency number is added to your spells's damage and numerical effects (Sleepcloud's Total HP, each projectile damage of Faultless Fusilade, etc).

(6th) Journeyman of the Arcane School

You gain the following feature, depending on your School Specialization.

Arcane School	Description
Abjuration	Projected Ward Starting at 6th level, when a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to cause your Arcane Ward to absorb that damage. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, the warded creature takes any remaining damage.
Conjuration	Blinkstep Starting at 6th level, you can use a standard action to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Alternatively, you can choose a space within range that is occupied by a Small or Medium creature. If that creature is willing, you both teleport, swapping places. Alternatively, again, you may increase the range of another Blink based ability by 60 ft. You can use this feature a number times equal to half-proficiency per long rest. You may optionally use a spell slot or an equivalent (spell points, luck points, etc) with the cost of 1 to use this effect.
Divination	Recovering Fates Beginning at 6th level, casting spells that alter others’ fate comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your spellcasting efforts. When you cast a spell of 3rd lvl or higher that targets you or a friendly ally, you regain spell levels equal to the level of that spell -2 (minimum 0). If you cast a Divination spell, you regain spell levels equal to the level of that spell -1 (minimum 1). The spell used in this way can only recover spell slots, and cannot be an Augmented Down spell.
Enchantment	Indomitable Influence As long as you are concentrating on an ability, you or the entities your spell creates or affects gains advantage on charisma-based d20 rolls. This includes Saves, Skill Checks, and even attacks.
Evocation	Potent Spells You add your spellcasting modifier + Half Proficiency to the damage you deal with any spell you’ve gained with this class, once per spell. This stacks with similar effects, such as Potent Spellcasting.
Illusion	Hall of Mirrors Beginning at 6th level, when a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to divert the attack to the nearest eligible target, be it another person or an object, provided that other target is within the attack’s range or is at least within 30 ft of you. The attacker must make a Will saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. On a failed save, the attacker must target the new target, thinking it is you. Creatures immune to being Compelled, or have Blindsense or Truesight are immune to this feature. You must choose to use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses. You may use this feature a number of times per Swift Rest equal to your Half-Proficiency.
Necromancy	Retrieval of Life Animate Dead and Revivify are added to your spellbook if they aren’t already, and both are considered both Wizard spells and Ritual Spells to you (you may add 1 other spell per spell you already know to your spell book(s) instead). Additionally: Your ‘Animate Dead’ spell can target one additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another appropriate entity. Whenever you create or summon a minion, companion, or similar, they get additional HP and damage equal to your proficiency bonus. Your ‘Revivify’ spell and similar spells can bring people back to life that have been dead for 10 times longer than what the spells list.
Transmutation	Transmuter’s Stone Starting at 6th level, you gain the Additional Attack common feature. Additionally, you can create a Transmuter's Stone that stores transmutation magic. You can benefit from the stone yourself or give it to another creature. A creature gains a benefit of your choice as long as the stone is in the creature's possession. When you create the stone, choose the benefit from the following options: Darkvision out to a range of 60 ft or an additional 60 ft if you already have Darkvision. An increase of Movement by 10 feet while the creature is unencumbered. Proficiency in All Saves, and a +5 to all Passive skill checks. Resistance to an Energy Damage Type of your choice when you choose this benefit.
Other	Other schools of magic may exist, depending on the world. If they do, they will have their school effects listed in their description(s).

(9th) Prodigious Memory

At 9th level, you have attained a greater mastery of spell preparation. By using ◈, you can replace one spell you have prepared with another spell from your spellbook.

You can use this feature a number of times per Short Rest equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

(12th) Expert in the Arcane Schools

You gain the following feature, depending on your School Specialization.

Arcane School	Description
Abjuration	Greater Abjurer When you use a feature or talent that has the Anti-Magic trait, or cast a spell that requires you to make a skill check or d20 roll as a part of casting that spell (such as Automatic Counterspell and Dispel Magic), you gain advantage on the roll. Additionally, your spells are considered warded, with unfriendly spellcasters having disadvantage to counter, discern, or dispel them (does not work with saves).
Conjuration	Greater Conjurer You’ve discovered a way to offload some of the mental strain from summons and companions offload. You may have an additional familiar, companion, or similar when you use the Find Familiar, Find Companion, or similar Find or Summoning spell They don't need to be the same type of summoned creature. Additionally, your conjured creations (summons, familiars, companions, etc) gain additional HP equal to 1/4th your maximum HP (rounded up), and additional bonuses to AC, Attack, Saves, DCs effects (if any), and numerical effects (such as reaction-based boons/effects, the damage component of Flame Blade, etc) equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
Divination	Greater Diviner You can use an ◈ to increase your powers of perception. When you do so, choose one of the following benefits, which lasts until you are incapacitated or until you dismiss the feature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Darkvision. You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 ft, or additional darkvision equal to 60 ft. Ethereal Sight. You gain 15 ft of Truesense. Greater Comprehension. You can read any language as if you understood it fluently.
Enchantment	Greater Enchanter Starting at 12th level, when you cast a spell that targets self or a spell that targets only one creature without augmentation (Blazing Bolt, Bind Creature, etc), you can have it target another creature that is within 30 ft of the original target. This still counts as targeting only one creature, for the sake of further Augmentation (such as using Ability Augment Feats).
Evocation	Greater Evoker Your spells echo, leaving behind a remnant that repeat their numerical effects (damage, healing, etc) on the next turn for 50% of the total, rounded up.
Illusion	Greater Illusionist You can create an illusory duplicate of yourself as an ◈. It gains all the benefits you can (including Hall of Mirrors), but it only has 1 hp and can move away from you up to 30 ft. You can cast spells from it and it does not need to adhere to gravity. As a reaction, once per short or long rest, you may interpose yourself between you and the duplicate. You can shape the illusion to match anything but yourself, as long as it is Medium sized. Further enhancements require a Deception check, which can fool others vs. their Insight, Perception, or similar skill.
Necromancy	Greater Necromancer You have resistance to shadow damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced by spells or effects. Additionally, you can contract afflictions, exhaustion, and poison conditions; but they do not affect you unless they kill you (such as the final stage of Exhaustion).
Transmutation	Greater Transmuter You learn the Wild Shape ability (using the same rules as Wild Shift), and the Polymorph spell. Additionally, any time you apply or end an effect with the Morphic or Shapechanger traits, you or your target can gain Armor HP until the effect ends, equal to your Proficiency Bonus x 2.
Other	Other schools of magic may exist, depending on the world. If they do, they will have their school effects listed in their description(s).

(15th) Classic Bonus Feat

You gain a feat choice at this class level, between one General Feat or 2 Advanced Feats.

(18th) Master of the Arcane School

You gain the following feature, depending on your School Specialization.

Arcane School	Description
Abjuration	Spell Resistance You gain Spell Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells, and you halve the damage of spells in addition to your normal resistance(s) (before reduction, like resistance). Once per short rest, you may choose to automatically ignore the effects of a spell not cast by you for 1 round.
Conjuration	Durable Summons Any creature or object you create with a spell has twice its starting hit points (includes Armor HP, Object HP, and/or the benefit from Greater Conjurer) and/or is considered Magical. Once per long rest, if one of your summons were to fail, you may instantly resummon it at full health. If you do, you cannot use your Movement or Blinkstep until the end of your next turn.
Divination	Greater Portents Your Luck Points now have an additional effect Alter Fate. You roll a d20 and save the number until you complete a long rest. As a free action or reaction, you may apply that roll to any other D20 your creature is in the presence of, forcing the roll to either succeed or fail.
Enchantment	Alter Memories You gain the ability to make a creature unaware of your magical influence on it. When you use any of your features or a spell to Compel or Enthrall one or more creatures, you can alter one creature's understanding so that they remain unaware of being Enthralled or Compelled. Additionally, once before the spell expires, you can use your action to try to make the chosen creature forget some of the time theyspent controlled. The creature must succeed on a Will saving throw against your wizard spell save DC or lose a number of hours of its memories equal to 1 + your CHA + your INT (minimum 1). You can make the creature forget less time. These effects, and your spells, ignore the Compelled and Enthralled condition immunities. .
Evocation	Overchannel When you cast a wizard spell of 1st through 5th level that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell. This does not count as using the Empower Spell or Maximize Spell feats, and can stack with such, doubling the damage of the spell (with Maximize) and dealing 50% more damage total (with Empower). For spells that are 6th and higher, the cost of using the Maximize and Empower Ability Augment Feats are reduced to 2 at all rank usage. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your INT. You may use this feature more times than that, but each use after the limit does 1d12 force damage to you, and removes that much from your maximum health until you take a long rest. This damage and health removal cannot be mitigated or reduced.
Illusion	Illusory Reality You have learned the secret of weaving a bit of reality illusions. Once per Short Rest, when you cast an Illusion spell, a Summoning spell, or an Extradimensional spell;, you can choose one inanimate, nonmagical object that is part of the magical creation and make that object ‘real’. You can do this on your turn as a ◈ while the spell is ongoing. The object remains real until it is destroyed, or dispelled, and can be dismissed like normal. Casting Permanency on the Illusion will make it Permanent, and can no longer be dismissed or dispelled. For example, you can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for your allies to cross. You can shape the illusion to match anything, from creatures to objects in the world, as long as it is Gargantuan sized or smaller. This rule may be bent in certain circumstances or with certain spells, depending on your GM.
Necromancy	Will of the Dead You can use magic to bring any undead under your control, even those created by others. As an action, you can choose one undead that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Will saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. If it succeeds, you can't use this feature on it again. If it fails, it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands until you dismiss it from your service. Intelligent undead are harder to control in this way. If the target has an Intelligence of 2 or higher, it has advantage on the saving throw. If it fails the saving throw and has an Intelligence Attribute of 3 or higher, it can repeat the saving throw at the end of every hour until it succeeds and breaks free.
Transmutation	Equivalent Exchange You can use an ◈ to consume the reserve of transmutation magic stored within your transmuter's stone in a single burst. When you do so, choose one of the following effects. Your transmuter's stone is destroyed and can't be remade until you finish a long rest. Major Transformation. You can transmute one nonmagical object – no larger than a 5-foot cube – into another nonmagical object of similar size and mass and of equal or lesser value. You must spend 10 minutes handling the object to transform it. Panacea. You remove all curses, diseases, and poisons affecting a creature that you touch with the transmuter's stone. The creature also regains all its hit points. Restore Life. You cast the Raise Dead spell on a creature you touch with the transmuter's stone, without expending a spell slot or needing to have the spell in your spellbook. Restore Youth. You touch the transmuter's stone to a willing creature, and that creature's apparent age is reduced by 3d12 years, to a minimum of 13 years old. This effect doesn't extend the creature's lifespan directly.
Other	Other schools of magic may exist, depending on the world. If they do, they will have their school effects listed in their description(s).

(!!th) Subclass Capstone: Mage for the Age

On a fundemental level, your knowledge of magic opened up a sliver of magical apotheosis. As such, your ability to use magic outshine magic surpasses almost all others.

The amount of spell slots you have (including Signature Spell slots), known spells (including from Spell Repertoires), and spells you can concentrate on are doubled.

Arcane Schools Mastery Talents

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