The Magician

"Seeker of Forgotten Wonders."

Class Overview

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per magician level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per magician level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None

Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

Class Features

LevelProf. BonusFeatures 1st2nd3rd4th5th 6th7th8th9th
1+2Grimoire 2--------
2+2Arcane Salvage 3--------
3+2Magician's Art 42-------
4+2Ability Score Improve.43-------
5+3Flash of Insight 432------
6+3Tradition Feature 433------
7+3- 4331-----
8+3Ability Score Improve.4332-----
9+4- 43321----
10+4Arcane Instinct 43332----
11+4- 433321---
12+4Ability Score Improve.433321---
13+5- 4333211--
14+5Tradition Feature4333211--
15+5- 43332111-
16+5Ability Score Improve.43332111-
17+6- 433321111
18+6Grand Trick 433331111
19+6Ability Score Improve.433332111
20+6Master of Miracles433332211

Spellcasting (1st Level)

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

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the magician spell list. You learn additional magician cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Magician table.

Spellbook

At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level magician spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the magician spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.

The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil magician's chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.

Copying a Spell into the Book

When you find a magician spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the magician who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.

For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

Replacing the Book

You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and 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 spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many magicians keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.

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.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Magician table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your magician spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of a spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of magician spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of magician spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your magician level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you're a 3rd-level magician, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it using a 1st- or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of magician 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 magician spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a magician spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a magician spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your magician spells.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a magician level, you can add two magician spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Magician table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.

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 magician level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.

For example, if you're a 4th-level magician, 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.

Magician Abilities

Level 1: Grimoire

At 1st level, you own a Grimoire — a collection of patched-together spells, rituals, and arcane shortcuts. You begin with six 1st-level spells of your choice from the Magician spell list. Each time you level up, you may add one spell to your Grimoire, drawn from any level you can cast. Important: Copying spells is extremely rare and may require special quests or ancient tomes found in the world.

Level 2: Arcane Salvage

Starting at 2nd level, you can "patch" spells on the fly. Once per long rest, you may cast a spell you do not have prepared by expending a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Level 3: Magician's Art

At 3rd level, you choose a Magician Tradition, shaping your path of magical study. You gain the first feature granted by your chosen Tradition.

Level 5: Flash of Insight

At 5th level, when you miss with a spell attack or an enemy succeeds on a save against your spell, you can reroll one attack roll or impose disadvantage on one saving throw. Usable once per short rest.

Level 6: Tradition Feature

You gain the 6th-level feature of the Magician Tradition you chose at 3rd level.

Level 10: Arcane Instinct

At 10th level, you gain an uncanny sense of magic's flow. You add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls and have advantage on saving throws against magical traps.

Level 14: Tradition Feature

You gain the 14th-level feature of the Magician Tradition you chose.

Level 18: Arcane Echo

Arcane Echo: Once per long rest, when you cast a spell of 5th level or lower that targets at least one creature or creates an area of effect, you can amplify its power immediately. Choose one of the following effects:

  • Extra Target: Target one additional creature for a single-target spell without expending a spell slot or requiring additional components.
  • Expanded Echo: Increase the area of effect of an area spell by 10 feet in radius, still centered on the original point.

This echo occurs instantly, within the same turn as your original casting, using your spell save DC and attack modifiers. Once used, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Level 20: Master of Miracles

At 20th level, once per long rest, you may instantly succeed on a saving throw, cause an enemy to automatically fail a saving throw against one of your spells, or cast any one Magician spell you know without expending a spell slot or material components.

Spellcasting

Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence

Preparation: Intelligence modifier + Magician level - 2 (minimum 1).

Magician Traditions

You may choose any tradition from the Wizard subclasses or from below

School of Pyres

  • 3rd: Scorching Manipulation: When you cast a spell that deals fire, force, lightning, or psychic damage, you can add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of that spell.
  • 6th: Shattered Force: When you hit a creature with a damaging spell, you can spend your reaction to unleash a shockwave of broken energy. All creatures within 5 feet of the target must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
  • 14th: Arcane Cataclysm: Once per Long Rest, when you cast a single target damaging spell of 3rd level or higher, you can choose to unleash an aftershock:
    • Each enemy within 15 ft of the original target takes damage equal to your Intelligence modifier + the spell's level.
    • Damage type matches the original spell

School of Ash and Memory

  • 3rd: Ashen Remnants:
    • Gain the Speak with Dead spell and Gentle Repose spell; they don't count against your spells prepared.
    • Once per turn, if you kill a creature with a spell, you regain Hit Points equal to twice the Spell Slot level used - thrice if it's a Necromancy spell. Undead and Constructs are unaffected.
  • 6th: Embers of the Past:
    • You add the Animate Dead spell to your Grimoire if it is not already there. When you cast Animate Dead, the target gains temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Magician level.
    • When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a necromancy spell, you conjure a fleeting undead (zombie) from its remains. Fleeting undead starts with 10 hit points and loses 1 hit point per turn
    • As a reaction, summon a spirit wisp that grants you or an ally within 30 feet advantage on the next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check before the end of the next turn.
  • 14th: Funeral Pyre: As an action, you can unleash a storm of burning memories. Choose a point within 60 feet. Each creature in a 20-foot radius must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 6d8 psychic damage and be frightened until the end of your next turn. Half damage on a successful save.

Spell List Highlights

Cantrips

  • Mage Hand
  • Minor Illusion
  • Prestidigitation
  • Light
  • Message
  • Fire Bolt
  • Ray of Frost

1st Level

  • Charm Person
  • Disguise Self
  • Feather Fall
  • Silent Image
  • Sleep
  • Tasha's Hideous Laughter
  • Mage Armor
  • Shield
  • Detect Magic
  • Identify
  • Magic Missile
  • Comprehend Languages

2nd Level

  • Blur
  • Invisibility
  • Mirror Image
  • Misty Step
  • Phantasmal Force
  • Memory Flicker (Unique)
  • Scorching Ray
  • Suggestion
  • See Invisibility
  • Flaming Sphere

3rd Level

  • Counterspell
  • Dispel Magic
  • Hypnotic Pattern
  • Major Image
  • Phantasm Step (Unique)
  • Fireball
  • Animate Dead

4th Level

  • Greater Invisibility
  • Phantasmal Killer
  • Dimension Door
  • Relic Surge (Unique)

5th Level

  • Dream
  • Modify Memory
  • Wall of Force
  • Telekinesis

6th to 9th Level

  • Mass Suggestion
  • Programmed Illusion
  • Project Image
  • Forcecage
  • Mind Blank
  • Maze
  • Foresight
  • Weird

Unique Magician Spells

Memory Flicker (2nd Level)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You reach into the mind of one creature within range, briefly unraveling the threads of its consciousness. The target must make an Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is Confused until the start of its next turn, unable to take reactions and suffering disadvantage on the first attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes before the end of its next turn.

For the duration, you can use your bonus action on each of your turns to renew this mental disruption, forcing the creature to repeat the saving throw or remain Confused until the start of its next turn.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Phantasm Step (3rd Level)

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: 1 round

You teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. In your previous location, a fleeting illusory image of yourself lingers until the end of your next turn. Creatures within 15 feet of where you teleported from must succeed on an Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be fooled by the illusion. Creatures that can clearly see where you teleported to have advantage on this saving throw. A fooled creature may waste its action, attack, or spell targeting the illusion, believing it to be you. The illusion has AC 10 and dissipates if it is successfully hit by an attack or physically interacted with.

Relic Surge (4th Level)

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You awaken a hidden potential inside a magic item you touch. Choose one non-consumable magic item you are holding or touching:

  • If the item has charges, it immediately regains 1/5 expended charges rounded up.
  • If the item grants a passive bonus (such as to attack rolls, AC, or saving throws), that bonus increases by +1 for the duration (maximum +3).
  • If the item has an activated magical effect, the next activation requires no charges or resource cost.

An item cannot benefit from Relic Surge again until you finish a Long Rest.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can target one additional item for each slot level above 4th.