Loremaster¶
Theurgy¶
Theurgy
A number of deities claim arcane magic as their domain, for magic is as much a part of the fabric of the cosmos as wind, fire, lightning, and all other primal forces. Just as there are deities of the sea and gods of warfare, the arcane arts feature their own divine patrons.
Such deities often have clerics, but many gods of magic bid their followers to take up the study of wizardry. These religious magic-users follow the arcane tradition of Theurgy, and are commonly known as theurgists. Such spellcasters are as dedicated and scholarly as any other wizard, but they blend their arcane study with religious devotion.Divine Inspiration
When you choose this tradition at 2nd level, choose a domain from your chosen deity’s list of eligible domains see appendix B, "Gods of the Multiverse," in the Player's Handbook for examples. The Knowledge and Light domains are especially appropriate choices for a theurgist.
Arcane Initiate¶
Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, whenever you gain a wizard level, you can replace one of the wizard spells you add to your spellbook with a cleric domain spell for your chosen domain. The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
If you add all of your domain spells to your spellbook, you can subsequently add any spell from the cleric spell list instead. The spell must still be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Any cleric spell you gain from this feature is considered a wizard spell for you, but other wizards can’t copy cleric spells from your spellbook into their own spellbooks.
Channel Arcana¶
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel arcane energy directly from your deity, using that energy to fuel magical effects. You start with two such effects: Divine Arcana and the Channel Divinity option granted at 2nd level by your chosen domain. You employ that Channel Divinity option by using your Channel Arcana ability.
When you use your Channel Arcana, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Arcana again.
Some Channel Arcana effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect, the save DC equals your wizard spell save DC.
Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Channel Arcana twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
If you gain additional Channel Divinity options from your domain, you can employ them by using your Channel Arcana feature.
Channel Arcana: Divine Arcana¶
As a bonus action, you speak a prayer to control the flow of magic around you. The next spell you cast gains a +2 bonus to any attack roll you make for it or to its saving throw DC, as appropriate.
Theurgy UA: Arcane Acolyte¶
At 6th level, you gain your chosen domain’s 1st-level benefits. However, you do not gain any weapon or armor proficiencies from the domain.
Theurgy UA: Arcane Priest¶
At 10th level, you gain your chosen domain’s 6th-level benefits. Your faith and your understanding of magic allow you to delve into your god’s secrets.
Theurgy UA: Arcane High Priest¶
At 14th level, you gain your chosen domain’s 17th-level benefits. Your academic nature and understanding of magic and doctrine allow you to master this ability sooner than a cleric of your domain.
School of Nethermancy¶
Do you fear the dark? You should, you know. The shadows hide the most delicious secrets, the dark the most terrible revelations. Listen! I can hear them. Can you? --Zora the Shadowwalker
You focus your studies on shadow magic, a method for extricating the magical substance of primordial shadow from various environments, then blending it with arcane forces to create magical effects. Among other manifestations, such spells excite or dull the senses, spin creatures from raw shadow, and punch holes through reality. Many are quick to distrust a wizard who uses the substance of shadow, but shadow magic’s apologists defend their art by claiming that the spells are no more evil than a hammer or a knife. The spells are simply tools or weapons, depending on how they are used—it is the misapplication of any magic that makes it evil. Yet the association between darkness and evil is so strong in the minds of most mortal creatures that nethermancers face mistrust and hostility regardless of their true inclination.
Umbral Sight¶
Beginning at 2nd level when you choose this arcane tradition, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Casting Shadows¶
Starting at 2nd level, nearby shadows assist you in concealing your spellcasting and scaring your enemies. When you are in dim light or darkness, spells you cast do not require verbal components, and you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Step into Darkness¶
At 6th level, you add the darkness spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. Whenever you cast darkness, for 1 hour you also gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You can take the Hide action as part of the same bonus action.
Unraveling Shadows¶
Beginning at 10th level, you can sense and sometimes direct a silent malevolent awareness in the magical currents of shadow magic, a presence that seeks out weakness. When you cast a spell that inflicts necrotic or psychic damage, you can choose one target of that spell. If the target has vulnerability to any damage types, the damage is of those types. If the target has no vulnerabilities, you inflict extra damage on that target equal to your Wisdom modifier. You know how much extra damage you inflicted, but you cannot tell what damage types the target is or is not vulnerable to from this effect; the hungry shadows hide what kind of damage they inflict, even from you.
Shadow Summoning¶
Starting at 14th level, you can choose to substitute shadowy apparitions for creatures you would conjure with magic. Whenever you summon or create a creature with a conjuration spell, you can choose for the space in which that creature appears to be heavily obscured by magical darkness until the end of your next turn. When you summon or create a creature in this way, if that creature can see, it also gains 15 temporary hit points, darkvision out to a range of 60 feet for 1 minute, and advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks until the end of its next turn. However, while in sun-light, creatures you summon or create in this way have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Guild Wizardry¶
GREAT WIZARDS ARE FORGED, NOT BORN. --SALVAR BRIX, FORMER CLOAK OF MULMASTER
Natural talent and a quick mind are only the bare beginning of being able to wield the arcane arts. Achieving true mastery requires personal dedication and self¬discipline, rigorous training, and access to libraries full of ancient grimoires and crumbling scrolls. In many places no special organizations or traditions exist to guide wizards and other arcane spellcasters along their way; magic-users come to their full powers and wield their spells as they see fit. But in other lands, magic is regarded as too important—or too dangerous—to be left in the hands of the self-taught dabblers. In these lands, magic is taught and practiced by members of special orders, guilds, societies, brotherhoods, and cabals who jealously guard access to their powers and seek to control their use.
These guilds arise for many reasons. Some exist to preserve arcane traditions and instruct new spellcasters in arcane powers. Others organize the efforts of their members in the service of a worthy (or sometimes not so worthy) cause. For example, the Cloaks of Mulmaster are sworn to serve the High Blade Selfaril Uoumdolphin, and are granted extensive authority as officers of the city and enforcers of the Arcane Edict. The Watchful Order of Magisters and Protectors in Waterdeep is more independent, just one of many guilds in the city, and it does aid in many municipal matters, unlike the Cloaks it does not have an exclusive legal monopoly on arcane spellcasting. Luskan’s Arcane Brotherhood seems to have no larger agenda other than the advancement of its members’ grasping ambitions, though many whispers suggest a secret purpose pursued by its leadership. In all cases, part of their purpose is to pool their resources to more quickly advance in the Art.
Some guilds are large, formal hierarchies in which members are expected to obey the orders of their superiors, while others are small fellowships in which no one member is considered superior to his or her fellows.
A wizard’s guild might operate openly or exist as a hidden society. Members of openly active orders typically proclaim their allegiance with a highly recognizable garment or symbol; for example, wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood wear robes of similar cut and style, but each is a different color or special pattern, Many organizations in Faerun—wizardly and otherwise—mark the membership with special pins, brooches, or clasps, whether they are worn openly or in a hidden place. Other orders favor such identifiers as tattoos, unique hairstyles or grooming, or implements of a particular design. Members of secret orders avoid any outwardly distinguishing marks, of course, but often have secret signs they can use to prove their identity to others of their group—for instance, a pendant worn under one’s shirt, a ring that isn’t very obvious to a casual viewer, or a brand hidden beneath robes.
The same archetype presented here can also easily create a graduate or faculty member from a formal school of wizardry. A good academy of magic to which such a character might be connected is Master Salvor’s Academy of Spellcraft and the Arcanist’s Art, in the rough-and-tumble rebuilt frontier town of Ylraphon. Master Salvar Brix was formerly an influential Cloak of Mulmaster, who had the foresight to flee the city with many resources intact before its undoing by elemental cultists. As more and more refugees from Mulmaster crowd around Ylraphon’s gates each day, Salvar sees training a new generation of arcansist as vital to their safety, and his long experience with the Cloaks serves him well in organizing such an endeavor.
Arcanist’s Education¶
At 2nd level when you choose this arcane tradition, you gain proficiency in the Arcana and History skills. Choose one of those two skills. When making ability checks for the chosen skill, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the roll in place of your normal proficiency bonus.
Grimoire Library¶
Beginning when you select this arcane tradition at 2nd level, your guild membership allows you to access to its vast library of spellbooks. Whenever you gain a wizard level, in addition to the normal spells you learn, you can choose any wizard spell listed in the Player’s Handbook and copy it into your spellbook for half the usual price in gold.
Signature Technique¶
Starting at 2nd level, you know an especially impressive spellcasting technique that is either distinctive to your guild or your own method for distinguishing yourself within it. When you gain this feature, choose one wizard spell of lst-level or higher you know that has a casting time of 1 action, Whenever you use your action to cast the chosen spell, as a bonus action, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot cube originating from you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn.
Whenever you gain a level, you can change the spell you use for this technique, choosing a new spell of lst-level or higher to replace the old one.
Far Reaching¶
At 6th level, when you cast a spell that has a range of touch or a range of 5 feet or greater, you can extend the range of that spell beyond its normal limit. If the spell that has a range of touch, you make the range of the spell 30 feet. If it has a range of 5 feet or greater, you double the range of that spell.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Spellpool¶
At 10th level, when you prepare your spells each day, you can make use of a spellpool, a magical reservoir of spells that can be drawn upon by members of your wizardly guild or magical academy. To so so you must purchase a special arcane focus, which can be of any type you wish, but for which the cost is 25 gp higher than normal. This arcane focus allows you (and only you) to access the spellpool from any distance.
When accessing the spellpool, you attempt to prepare a spell that is not in your spellbook. To do so, you must use an action to check to see if the spell is available by making rolling percentile dice. The chance of a particular spell being available is 65% minus 5% per level of the spell. If the spell is available, you may prepare it normally, even if it is not in your spellbook; if not, you cannot prepare that particular spell using this feature until the next time you finish a long rest, at which point you must check for this spell’s availability again. There is no limit to the number of spells you can check for availability, but the maximum number of spells you can prepare with this feature at one time is equal to your proficiency bonus. For each spell you prepare with this feature, you must loan out a spell of the same level or higher from your spellbook to the spellpool. A spell you loan out is treated as if it were not in your spellbook at all until the next time you finish a long rest.
Arcane Analysis¶
Starting at 14th level, you’ve spent so much time interacting with other mages that you can quickly analyze situations and bring your past experience to bear on solving problems. Whenever you make an Intelligence check that does not include your proficiency bonus (such as the ability check for counterspell or dispel magic), you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to that roll.
Master Wizard¶
At 14th level, you are elevated to your guild’s trusted inner circle of wise, experienced masters. As a master, you can speak for your order; your order backs you to the greatest extent possible. You are expected to be careful about taking stands or making promises that are difficult for your guild to support, but your fellow members trust you to know when difficult tasks are necessary.
Many arcane guilds are arranged as hierarchies, with adepts of greater seniority and status holding important offices in the organization. High-ranking masters often have the authority to assign missions to lesser members and review their activities. Holding an office gives you significant power to influence your order’s actions, but requires your time and commitment. Many masters choose to avoid these responsibilities and prefer to busy themselves with their own affairs. Whether you agree to take a position in your order’s leadership or remain a free agent is up to you.
Every tenday, if you wish to maintain your office, you must spend 1 day dealing with guild business. (When you spend downtime, you must spend 1 extra day of downtime for every 10 downtime days you spend.) If you do so, for the next ten days, you gain a bonus on all your Charisma checks with other spellcasters equal to half your Intelligence modifier (rounded down, minimum 1).