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.
Choose A or B: (A) 2 Daggers, Arcane Focus (Quarterstaff), Robe, Spellbook, Scholar’s Pack, and 5 GP; or (B) 55 GP
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.
Level 1: Arcane Recovery
You can regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. When you finish a Short Rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level equal to no more than half your Wizard level (round up), and none of the slots can be level 6 or higher. For example, if you’re a level 4 Wizard, you can recover up to two levels’ worth of spell slots, regaining either one level 2 spell slot or two level 1 spell slots.
Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
Level 1: 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.
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 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 2: Field of Study
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.
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see chapter 5) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Wizard levels 8, 12, and 16.
Level 5: 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.
Level 18: 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.
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can study your spellbook and replace one of those spells with an eligible spell of the same level from the book.
Level 19: Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat (see chapter 5) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. Boon of Spell Recall is recommended.
Level 20: Signature Spells
Choose two level 3 spells in your spellbook as your signature spells. You always have these spells prepared, and you can cast each of them once at level 3 without expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can’t cast them in this way again until you finish a Short or Long Rest. To cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Wizard Class Features | Cantrips | Prepared Spells | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | +2 | Arcane Recovery, Ritual Adept, Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll | 3 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2 | +2 | Field of Study | 3 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
3 | +2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
5 | +3 | Memorize Spell | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
6 | +3 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
7 | +3 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | |
8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
9 | +4 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
10 | +4 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | |
11 | +4 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | |
12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
13 | +5 | 5 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | |
14 | +5 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | |
15 | +5 | 5 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | |
16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
17 | +6 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
18 | +6 | Spell Mastery | 5 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
19 | +6 | Epic Boon | 5 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
20 | +6 | Signature Spells | 5 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
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 |
| Level 6 Wizard Spells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell | School | Special |
| Chain Lightning | Evocation | — |
| Circle of Death | Necromancy | M |
| Contingency | Abjuration | M |
| Create Undead | Necromancy | M |
| Disintegrate | Transmutation | — |
| Eyebite | Necromancy | C |
| Flesh to Stone | Transmutation | C |
| Globe of Invulnerability | Abjuration | C |
| Guards and Wards | Abjuration | M |
| Magic Jar | Necromancy | M |
| Mass Suggestion | Enchantment | — |
| Move Earth | Transmutation | C |
| Programmed Illusion | Illusion | M |
| Sunbeam | Evocation | C |
| True Seeing | Divination | M |
| Wall of Ice | Evocation | C |
| Level 7 Wizard Spells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell | School | Special |
| Delayed Blast Fireball | Evocation | C |
| Etherealness | Conjuration | — |
| Finger of Death | Necromancy | — |
| Forcecage | Evocation | C, M |
| Mirage Arcane | Illusion | — |
| Plane Shift | Conjuration | M |
| Prismatic Spray | Evocation | — |
| Project Image | Illusion | C, M |
| Reverse Gravity | Transmutation | C |
| Sequester | Transmutation | M |
| Simulacrum | Illusion | M |
| Symbol | Abjuration | M |
| Teleport | Conjuration | — |
| Level 8 Wizard Spells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell | School | Special |
| Antimagic Field | Abjuration | C |
| Antipathy/Sympathy | Enchantment | — |
| Clone | Necromancy | M |
| Control Weather | Transmutation | C |
| Demiplane | Conjuration | — |
| Dominate Monster | Enchantment | C |
| Incendiary Cloud | Conjuration | C |
| Maze | Conjuration | C |
| Mind Blank | Abjuration | — |
| Power Word Stun | Enchantment | — |
| Sunburst | Evocation | — |
| Level 9 Wizard Spells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell | School | Special |
| Astral Projection | Necromancy | M |
| Foresight | Divination | — |
| Gate | Conjuration | C, M |
| Imprisonment | Abjuration | M |
| Meteor Swarm | Evocation | — |
| Power Word Kill | Enchantment | — |
| Prismatic Wall | Abjuration | — |
| Shapechange | Transmutation | C, M |
| Time Stop | Transmutation | — |
| True Polymorph | Transmutation | C |
| Weird | Illusion | C |
| Wish | Conjuration | — |
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