Wizard

A few unintelligible words and fleeting gestures carry more power than a battleaxe, when they are the words and gestures of a wizard. These simple acts make magic seem easy, but they only hint at the time the wizard must spend poring over her spellbook preparing each spell for casting, and the years before that spent in apprenticeship to learn the arts of magic.

Wizards depend on intensive study to create their magic. They examine musty old tomes, debate magical theory with their peers, and practice minor magics whenever they can. For a wizard, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art.

Wizard

Wizards, like other people who can turn a person into a toadstool with a glance, tend to be well respected or simply feared by common folk. The mightiest mortals in Faerûn are powerful wizards such as Elminster, Manshoon, and Szass Tam. Extending their lives for centuries (or, in some cases, choosing the path of lichdom and eternal undeath), these dangerous magic-wielders grow ever wiser and stronger in the ways of the Art as centuries pass by.

Most practicing wizards learned the basics of the Art as apprentices to more experienced wizards. This slow form of education is reliable, and the work an apprentice performs has the advantage of paying for her studies. Other would-be wizards graduated from one of the universities of magic, common in the lands of Lantan and Halruaa in the distant south but uncommon in the northern parts of Faerûn. North of Halruaa, the best-known university of magic is located in Silverymoon. Smaller universities of magic are known in areas such as Waterdeep, Sembia, Chessenta, the Vilhon Reach, Impiltur, and Tethyr, with an illusionist’s school recently opened in Damara. The methods of education used by the Red Wizards of Thay are equally as effective, even if fully half of those who begin such studies die in their torturous training regimen.

Wizards also have access to the additional familiars listed in the sorcerer entry.

Preferred Character Regions: Lands where wizards are relatively common include Calimshan, Chessenta, Cormyr, Damara, Evermeet, Halruaa, the Lake of Steam, Mulhorand, Rashemen, Sembia, Silverymoon, Tethyr, Thay, Unther, Waterdeep, and the Western Heartlands. Races with similar traditions include drow, moon elves, sun elves, wood elves, and deep and rock gnomes, who frequently specialize as illusionists.

hit dice: 1d6

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

armor proficiencies: None

weapon proficiencies: Simple weapons

tools: None

saving throws: Intelligence and Wisdom

skills: Choose 2: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, or Religion

starting equipment:

Choose A or B: (A) 2 Daggers, Arcane Focus (Quarterstaff), Robe, Spellbook, Scholar’s Pack, and 5 GP; or (B) 55 GP

spellcasting:

As a student of arcane magic, you have learned to cast spells.

Cantrips. You know three Wizard cantrips of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, 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. You determine the book’s appearance and materials, such as a gilt-edged tome or a collection of vellum bound with twine.

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 level 1+ spells that are available for you to cast with this feature. To do so, choose four spells from your spellbook. The chosen spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

The number of spells on your list increases as you gain Wizard levels, as shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Wizard Features table. Whenever that number increases, choose additional Wizard spells until the number of spells on your list matches the number in the table. The chosen spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you’re a level 3 Wizard, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of levels 1 and 2 in any combination, chosen from your spellbook.

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. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change your list of prepared spells, replacing any of the spells there with spells from your spellbook.

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.

class features:

Level 1: Summon Familiar

You learn the Find Familiar spell and can cast it as a Magic action without expending a spell slot.

When you cast the spell, you choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Slaad Tadpole, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite, or Venomous Snake.

Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own with its Reaction.

Level 1: Scribe Scroll

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.

Level 2:Arcane Traditions

Wizards through the ages have cataloged thousands of spells, grouping them into eight categories called schools. In some places, these traditions are literally schools; a wizard might study at the School of Illusion while another studies across town at the School of Enchantment. You may select a school of study from the list below as the school of your focus. The gold and time you must spend to copy any spell from that school into your spellbook is halved.

Abjuration

Conjuration

Divination

Enchantment

Evocation

Illusion

Necromancy

Transmutation

subclass options:

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Wizard Class Features	Cantrips	Prepared Spells	1	2	3	4	5
1	+2	Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll	3	4	1	-	-	-	-
2	+2	Arcane Traditions	4	5	2	-	-	-	-
3	+2		4	6	2	1	-	-	-
4	+2		4	7	3	2	-	-	-
5	+3		4	9	3	2	1	-	-
6	+3		4	10	3	3	2	-	-
7	+3		4	11	4	3	2	1	-
8	+3		4	12	4	3	3	2	-
9	+4		4	14	4	3	3	2	1
10	+4		5	15	4	4	3	3	2

Mage Runes

"Every sorcerer or wizard of Faerûn who desires to do so can adopt a personal rune or mage sigil that marks that mage’s work. These are sometimes simply marks of ownership or territory, but it is best to assume that every last rune graven on a doorway or boundary stone holds at least one spell waiting to be triggered—usually by handling the item or casting magic upon it. Triggers may be specific as to race, gender, time, and location of the rune-marked item, presence of other substances or magic, and the like."

"Spells so hung are usually of a guardian nature, but may do great harm. Explosive runes, sepia snake sigil, fire trap, and symbol are the most common, and rumors abound of stranger and more deadly spells that have been devised to guard a mage’s rune. No two mage runes are identical. A design chosen for a rune simply won’t function as such if it accidentally resembles one used by another mage (either active or in the past). Most who cast spells in Faerûn choose one rune for their entire lives, never changing."

"By the will of divine Mystra herself, the High One visits a heavy curse upon those who falsely use the rune of another creature. As the old apprentice rhyme reminds us: Whenever magic one doth weave ’Tis never, ever, wise to deceive."

—Elminster of Shadowdale

Mage Runes and the Curse of Mystra

All arcane spellcasters create a personal sigil or rune. This rune is used to identify belongings, as a warning, and as a signature. As the goddess of magic, Mystra takes it upon herself to protect powerful spellcasters (above 10th level) maligned by another using their rune with deceitful intent. If anyone (spellcaster or not) willfully copies a sigil with the intent to trick another or usurp the owner’s identity, that person must make three DC 15 Will saves to avoid the trifold Curse of Mystra.

If the offender fails the first save, they sustains 2 points of permanent Strength drain. If the offender fails the second save, they sustains 2 points of permanent Intelligence drain and the effects of a feeblemind spell.

If the offender fails the third save, they sustains 2 points of permanent Wisdom drain and loses all bonus spell slots gained from a high ability score for a period of one month.

Wizard Spell List

This section presents the Wizard spell list. The spells are organized by spell level and then alphabetized, and each spell’s school of magic is listed. In the Special column, C means the spell requires Concentration, R means it’s a Ritual, and M means it requires a specific Material component.

		Cantrips (Level 0 Wizard Spells)
Spell	School	Special
Acid Splash	Evocation	—
Chill Touch	Necromancy	—
Dancing Lights	Illusion	C
Elementalism	Transmutation	—
Fire Bolt	Evocation	—
Friends	Enchantment	C
Light	Evocation	—
Mage Hand	Conjuration	—
Mending	Transmutation	—
Message	Transmutation	—
Mind Sliver	Enchantment	—
Minor Illusion	Illusion	—
Poison Spray	Necromancy	—
Prestidigitation	Transmutation	—
Ray of Frost	Evocation	—
Shocking Grasp	Evocation	—
Thunderclap	Evocation	—
Toll the Dead	Necromancy	—
True Strike	Divination	—

		Level 1 Wizard Spells
Spell	School	Special
Alarm	Abjuration	R
Burning Hands	Evocation	—
Charm Person	Enchantment	—
Chromatic Orb	Evocation	M
Color Spray	Illusion	—
Comprehend Languages	Divination	R
Detect Magic	Divination	C, R
Disguise Self	Illusion	—
Expeditious Retreat	Transmutation	C
False Life	Necromancy	–
Feather Fall	Transmutation	—
Find Familiar	Conjuration	R, M
Fog Cloud	Conjuration	C
Grease	Conjuration	—
Ice Knife	Conjuration	—
Identify	Divination	R, M
Illusory Script	Illusion	R, M
Jump	Transmutation	—
Longstrider	Transmutation	—
Mage Armor	Abjuration	—
Magic Missile	Evocation	—
Protection from Evil and Good	Abjuration	C, M
Ray of Sickness	Necromancy	—
Shield	Abjuration	—
Silent Image	Illusion	C
Sleep	Enchantment	C
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter	Enchantment	C
Tenser’s Floating Disk	Conjuration	R
Thunderwave	Evocation	—
Unseen Servant	Conjuration	R
Witch Bolt	Evocation	C

		Level 2 Wizard Spells
Spell	School	Special
Alter Self	Transmutation	C
Arcane Lock	Abjuration	M
Arcane Vigor	Abjuration	—
Augury	Divination	R, M
Blindness/Deafness	Transmutation	—
Blur	Illusion	C
Cloud of Daggers	Conjuration	C
Continual Flame	Evocation	M
Crown of Madness	Enchantment	C
Darkness	Evocation	C
Darkvision	Transmutation	—
Detect Thoughts	Divination	C
Dragon’s Breath	Transmutation	C
Enhance Ability	Transmutation	C
Enlarge/Reduce	Transmutation	C
Flaming Sphere	Evocation	C
Gentle Repose	Necromancy	R, M
Gust of Wind	Evocation	C
Hold Person	Enchantment	C
Invisibility	Illusion	C
Knock	Transmutation	—
Levitate	Transmutation	C
Locate Object	Divination	C
Magic Mouth	Illusion	R, M
Magic Weapon	Transmutation	—
Melf’s Acid Arrow	Evocation	—
Mind Spike	Divination	C
Mirror Image	Illusion	—
Misty Step	Conjuration	—
Nystul’s Magic Aura	Illusion	—
Phantasmal Force	Illusion	C
Ray of Enfeeblement	Necromancy	C
Rope Trick	Transmutation	—
Scorching Ray	Evocation	—
See Invisibility	Divination	—
Shatter	Evocation	—
Spider Climb	Transmutation	C
Suggestion	Enchantment	C
Web	Conjuration	C

		Level 3 Wizard Spells
Spell	School	Special
Animate Dead	Necromancy	—
Bestow Curse	Necromancy	C
Blink	Transmutation	—
Clairvoyance	Divination	C, M
Counterspell	Abjuration	—
Dispel Magic	Abjuration	—
Fear	Illusion	C
Feign Death	Necromancy	R
Fireball	Evocation	—
Fly	Transmutation	C
Gaseous Form	Transmutation	C
Glyph of Warding	Abjuration	M
Haste	Transmutation	C
Hypnotic Pattern	Illusion	C
Leomund’s Tiny Hut	Evocation	R
Lightning Bolt	Evocation	—
Magic Circle	Abjuration	M
Major Image	Illusion	C
Nondetection	Abjuration	M
Phantom Steed	Illusion	R
Protection from Energy	Abjuration	C
Remove Curse	Abjuration	—
Sending	Divination	—
Sleet Storm	Conjuration	C
Slow	Transmutation	C
Speak with Dead	Necromancy	—
Stinking Cloud	Conjuration	C
Summon Fey	Conjuration	C, M
Summon Undead	Necromancy	C, M
Tongues	Divination	—
Vampiric Touch	Necromancy	C
Water Breathing	Transmutation	R

		Level 4 Wizard Spells
Spell	School	Special
Arcane Eye	Divination	C
Banishment	Abjuration	C
Blight	Necromancy	—
Charm Monster	Enchantment	—
Confusion	Enchantment	C
Conjure Minor Elementals	Conjuration	C
Control Water	Transmutation	C
Dimension Door	Conjuration	—
Divination	Divination	R, M
Evard’s Black Tentacles	Conjuration	C
Fabricate	Transmutation	—
Fire Shield	Evocation	—
Greater Invisibility	Illusion	C
Hallucinatory Terrain	Illusion	—
Ice Storm	Evocation	—
Leomund’s Secret Chest	Conjuration	M
Locate Creature	Divination	C
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound	Conjuration	—
Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum	Abjuration	—
Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere	Abjuration	C
Phantasmal Killer	Illusion	C
Polymorph	Transmutation	C
Stone Shape	Transmutation	—
Stoneskin	Transmutation	C, M
Summon Aberration	Conjuration	C, M
Summon Construct	Conjuration	C, M
Summon Elemental	Conjuration	C, M
Vitriolic Sphere	Evocation	—
Wall of Fire	Evocation	C

		Level 5 Wizard Spells
Spell	School	Special
Animate Objects	Transmutation	C
Bigby’s Hand	Evocation	C
Circle of Power	Abjuration	C
Cloudkill	Conjuration	C
Cone of Cold	Evocation	—
Conjure Elemental	Conjuration	C
Contact Other Plane	Divination	R
Creation	Illusion	—
Dominate Person	Enchantment	C
Dream	Illusion	—
Geas	Enchantment	—
Hold Monster	Enchantment	C
Jallarzi’s Storm of Radiance	Evocation	C
Legend Lore	Divination	M
Mislead	Illusion	C
Modify Memory	Enchantment	C
Passwall	Transmutation	—
Planar Binding	Abjuration	M
Rary’s Telepathic Bond	Divination	R
Scrying	Divination	C, M
Seeming	Illusion	—
Steel Wind Strike	Conjuration	M
Summon Dragon	Conjuration	C, M
Synaptic Static	Enchantment	—
Telekinesis	Transmutation	C
Teleportation Circle	Conjuration	M
Wall of Force	Evocation	C
Wall of Stone	Evocation	C
Yolande’s Regal Presence	Enchantment	C