![[wizardClass.png]] ## What Is a Wizard? The Wizard is a powerful spellcaster who learns to manipulate magic through study, practice, and an understanding of its underlying principles. While Sorcerers possess an innate connection to magical power and Warlocks gain supernatural abilities through pacts with otherworldly beings, Wizards devote themselves to learning how magic works and mastering its many applications. At first glance, a Wizard might appear to be a scholar who has spent years studying ancient books and practising complicated spells. Although this is true for many Wizards, their abilities extend far beyond academic knowledge. Through dedicated study, they gain the power to manipulate the forces of nature, summon creatures from distant planes, uncover hidden information, alter physical reality, and unleash devastating magical attacks. Wizards are among the most versatile spellcasters in Dungeons & Dragons. Their extensive spell list provides access to an extraordinary range of magical effects, allowing them to prepare different abilities depending upon the challenges they expect to encounter. Some Wizards become respected scholars, magical advisers, or researchers dedicated to uncovering forgotten knowledge. Others serve as battlefield spellcasters, explorers, investigators, or ambitious individuals who seek greater understanding of the forces that shape existence. What unites them is their belief that magic can be understood through knowledge and disciplined practice. A Wizard does not simply possess magical power. They study it, preserve it, and develop the ability to wield it through carefully learned techniques. --- ## Scholars of the Arcane Most Wizards spend years studying magical theory, practising spells, and developing their understanding of the supernatural forces that influence the world. Some receive formal instruction at magical academies, where experienced spellcasters teach the principles of spellcasting, magical history, and the various schools of magic. Others study under private mentors, learning through apprenticeships that may last many years. Not every Wizard receives a conventional education. Some are self-taught scholars who uncover magical knowledge through experimentation, while others acquire their abilities by studying forgotten spellbooks, ancient inscriptions, or magical traditions preserved by isolated communities. The pursuit of arcane knowledge can lead Wizards into dangerous situations. Ancient ruins may contain spells that have been forgotten for centuries, while abandoned laboratories and hidden libraries might preserve discoveries made by powerful spellcasters of the past. A Wizard seeking such knowledge may become an adventurer simply because the information they require cannot be found within the safety of an ordinary library. Many develop interests beyond spellcasting. A Wizard might study history to understand a vanished civilisation, investigate religious traditions associated with divine magic, or examine natural phenomena that reveal unusual magical properties. Others become experts in magical creatures, planar travel, ancient languages, or the construction of supernatural objects. Although Wizards are commonly portrayed as elderly scholars, age and appearance have little to do with their abilities. A young researcher with exceptional determination may become a capable Wizard, while an experienced adventurer might begin studying magic later in life. Their greatest strength is not necessarily intelligence alone, but the willingness to keep learning. --- ## Arcane Spellcasting Wizards are full spellcasters with access to one of the largest and most versatile collections of spells available to any class. Their magic encompasses nearly every major application of arcane power, including destructive elemental attacks, protective barriers, illusions, enchantments, divination, teleportation, summoning, and the transformation of creatures and objects. Unlike spellcasters whose abilities are largely determined by a limited selection of known spells, Wizards can gradually expand their magical knowledge by adding spells to their spellbooks. Their spellcasting uses **Intelligence**, representing the understanding and precision required to manipulate complex magical forces. A Wizard must learn the particular methods needed to produce each spell. These might involve spoken incantations, carefully performed gestures, or physical components possessing specific magical properties. Although different Wizards may record and practise their magic in distinctive ways, their spellcasting follows principles that can be studied and reproduced. At first level, a Wizard begins with three cantrips and a spellbook containing six first-level spells. They can prepare a selection of those spells for use during an adventuring day. As they gain experience, their spellcasting becomes increasingly powerful. They eventually gain access to spells of ninth level, allowing them to produce extraordinary magical effects that can reshape battlefields, transport creatures across vast distances, and alter reality in ways ordinary magic cannot accomplish. Wizards also possess unusual flexibility with their cantrips. After completing a Long Rest, they can replace one of their Wizard cantrips with another from the class spell list. This allows them to adapt even their simplest magical techniques to changing circumstances. Their greatest advantage is the ability to combine extensive magical knowledge with preparation, selecting spells that provide the most useful answers to the challenges ahead. --- ## The Spellbook The defining possession of a Wizard is their **spellbook**. Unlike spellcasters who rely exclusively upon spells they have committed to memory, Wizards preserve their magical knowledge in written form. A spellbook contains the formulas, symbols, calculations, incantations, and other information required to prepare spells. Each Wizard develops their own methods of recording this knowledge, making spellbooks deeply personal collections of arcane research. Some resemble traditional books filled with handwritten notes and complicated diagrams. Others might consist of carefully bound parchment, engraved metal sheets, or other materials suited to the Wizard's particular traditions. A Wizard's spellbook begins with six first-level spells. Whenever they gain another Wizard level, they add two additional Wizard spells to the book, representing the results of their continuing research. However, gaining experience is not the only way to expand their magical knowledge. When a Wizard discovers a suitable spell recorded in another spellbook or upon a spell scroll, they can attempt to copy that spell into their own collection. This process requires both time and money, representing the effort involved in understanding the original notation, experimenting with the spell, and recording it using the Wizard's own methods. Under the normal rules, copying a spell requires two hours and 50 gold pieces for each level of the spell. Once successfully copied, the spell becomes part of the Wizard's collection and can be prepared like their other spells. This makes the discovery of magical knowledge particularly rewarding. A forgotten spellbook recovered from an ancient ruin may be just as valuable to a Wizard as a powerful magical weapon is to a Fighter. The spellbook also serves as a spellcasting focus, allowing its owner to channel magic through the very object containing their accumulated knowledge. Losing a spellbook can be a serious setback. Although a Wizard retains their prepared spells, recovering the remainder of their lost magical collection may require locating previous records or discovering those spells again. For this reason, many experienced Wizards maintain backup copies of their most important magical research. A spellbook is not simply a tool used to cast spells. It represents the knowledge, discoveries, and accumulated experience of its owner. --- ## Ritual Adept One of the Wizard's earliest advantages is **Ritual Adept**, a feature gained at first level. Ritual magic allows certain spells to be cast through a longer, more deliberate process without expending a spell slot. Unlike many spellcasters, Wizards do not need to have a ritual spell prepared to cast it in this way. As long as the spell possesses the Ritual tag and is recorded within their spellbook, they can read from the book and perform the ritual. This makes Wizards particularly effective at using utility magic without exhausting the resources they need for combat. A Wizard might cast Detect Magic to investigate an unusual object, Identify to examine a magical item, or Comprehend Languages to understand an unfamiliar text. Other rituals may provide magical protection, summon useful servants, or help the party overcome obstacles during exploration. Although casting a ritual requires additional time, the ability to conserve spell slots can be extremely valuable during long expeditions. Ritual Adept rewards players who collect useful spells and consider how those spells might solve problems outside combat. For a Wizard, not every magical challenge requires the immediate expenditure of power. Sometimes patience and the correct knowledge are enough. --- ## Arcane Recovery Casting powerful spells requires considerable magical energy. Although Wizards possess extensive magical knowledge, their ability to cast spells of first level or higher is limited by the spell slots available to them. Through **Arcane Recovery**, gained at first level, Wizards can regain some of their expended magical energy after completing a Short Rest. By studying their spellbook and reviewing the principles of their magic, they recover a limited number of spell slots. The combined levels of the recovered spell slots cannot exceed half the Wizard's level, rounded up. The feature also cannot restore spell slots of sixth level or higher. For example, a fourth-level Wizard can recover one second-level spell slot or two first-level spell slots. This ability can be used once before requiring a Long Rest to become available again. Arcane Recovery makes Wizards more capable of enduring a demanding adventuring day. A Wizard who has already used several important spells may recover enough magical energy to remain effective during another encounter. However, the ability does not remove the need for careful resource management. Powerful spells remain limited, and a Wizard who exhausts their highest-level spell slots must still consider how to overcome future challenges without them. Arcane Recovery rewards characters who balance preparation, resource management, and the effective use of their available magic. --- ## Scholar At second level, Wizards gain **Scholar**, representing expertise developed through years of dedicated study. Although spellcasting is central to their abilities, Wizards often possess considerable knowledge in fields that extend beyond the direct use of magic. Through Scholar, a Wizard gains Expertise in one skill with which they are already proficient, chosen from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, or Religion. This doubles the proficiency bonus applied to checks using the selected skill. The choice reflects the Wizard's particular academic interests and the knowledge they have developed through their training. A Wizard specialising in Arcana may possess an exceptional understanding of magical phenomena, enchanted objects, and supernatural traditions. A historian might recognise the significance of ancient ruins or identify the origins of forgotten symbols. Others may be accomplished investigators, physicians, natural philosophers, or scholars of religious traditions. This knowledge can prove valuable throughout an adventure. A successful Investigation check might reveal a concealed mechanism, while expertise in Religion could help identify the practices of an unfamiliar cult. Scholar reinforces the Wizard's identity as an intellectual specialist whose knowledge can be as valuable as their magical power. --- ## Masters of Preparation One of the Wizard's greatest strengths is the ability to prepare different spells according to the challenges they expect to encounter. Unlike classes with relatively fixed selections of spells, Wizards can change their prepared spells after completing a Long Rest, choosing from the spells recorded in their spellbook. This allows them to adapt their magical capabilities to different environments and situations. Preparing for a journey through dangerous wilderness might involve spells that improve travel, provide protection, or help detect hidden threats. An expedition into ancient ruins may require magic capable of identifying enchanted objects, overcoming magical barriers, or investigating mysterious phenomena. A Wizard expecting to confront a powerful enemy might instead prepare offensive spells, defensive barriers, and magic designed to restrict an opponent's movement. At fifth level, Wizards gain **Memorize Spell**, further improving their flexibility. After completing a Short Rest, they can replace one prepared Wizard spell of first level or higher with another eligible spell recorded in their spellbook. This means that a Wizard does not always need to wait until the following day to adjust their magical preparations. If the party encounters an unexpected obstacle, a Wizard may be able to study their spellbook during a rest and prepare a more suitable spell. This makes a well-maintained spellbook an exceptionally valuable resource. However, preparation still requires judgement. A Wizard cannot prepare every spell in their collection at once, and having access to a large number of spells does not guarantee that the correct one will be available when needed. The class rewards players who enjoy anticipating dangers, collecting useful magic, and considering how different spells can work together. For an experienced Wizard, victory often begins long before the first spell is cast. --- ## Spell Mastery and Signature Spells As Wizards become more powerful, their understanding of magic eventually allows them to cast certain spells with extraordinary ease. At eighteenth level, they gain **Spell Mastery**, representing an exceptional level of familiarity with particular magical techniques. Through this feature, a Wizard chooses one first-level and one second-level spell from their spellbook, provided each normally requires an action to cast. These spells are always prepared and can be cast at their lowest level without expending spell slots. This allows the Wizard to use familiar magical techniques repeatedly without exhausting their ordinary reserves of spellcasting energy. The chosen spells can also be changed through additional study after completing a Long Rest, allowing the Wizard to adapt their mastery to different circumstances. At nineteenth level, Wizards gain an **Epic Boon**, representing an extraordinary achievement appropriate to characters approaching the height of mortal capability. At twentieth level, they gain **Signature Spells**. This feature allows a Wizard to select two third-level spells from their spellbook that become permanently available as part of their prepared magic. Each of these spells can be cast once at third level without expending a spell slot, with the free use becoming available again after completing a Short or Long Rest. These abilities represent the culmination of a Wizard's magical education. Spells that once required careful preparation and considerable effort become familiar techniques that can be performed almost instinctively. Although Wizards never abandon the importance of study, the experience gained throughout their adventures allows them to wield familiar magic with remarkable efficiency. At the height of their abilities, the boundary between scholarly knowledge and extraordinary magical power becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish. --- ## The Wizard's Role in an Adventuring Party Wizards are among the most versatile members of an adventuring party. Their extensive spell selection allows them to contribute in many different ways, although their effectiveness depends heavily upon which spells they have prepared. In combat, Wizards can serve as powerful damage dealers, unleashing elemental attacks capable of striking multiple enemies. They can also specialise in battlefield control, using magical effects to restrict movement, interfere with enemy actions, or create obstacles that divide opposing forces. Other Wizards focus upon defensive magic, protecting companions through magical barriers, countering dangerous spells, or reducing the effectiveness of hostile attacks. Their abilities are equally valuable outside combat. A Wizard may uncover hidden information through divination, overcome physical obstacles through teleportation, disguise companions through illusion, or manipulate objects and environments through transmutation. Their knowledge can also help identify supernatural threats, investigate ancient magical traditions, and understand unfamiliar creatures or enchanted locations. However, Wizards possess important weaknesses. They use a d6 Hit Die and do not normally receive armour training, making them physically more vulnerable than many martial characters. Their survival often depends upon careful positioning, protective spells, and the support of their companions. Maintaining Concentration is also important when using spells that remain active over time. Taking damage or becoming incapacitated can interfere with these effects, potentially changing the course of an encounter. For this reason, Wizards often benefit from companions who can protect them while they manipulate the battlefield through magic. Their greatest contribution is flexibility. A Wizard may not be the strongest warrior or the most durable adventurer, but their knowledge and spellcasting can provide solutions to problems that other characters may struggle to overcome. --- ## Arcane Traditions As Wizards develop their magical abilities, they may dedicate themselves to a particular discipline or tradition of arcane study. At third level, a Wizard chooses a subclass that reflects their preferred approach to magic. Many of these traditions are associated with the established schools of magic, each representing a different category of supernatural effects. Other traditions focus upon specialised methods of spellcasting, such as combining magic with martial combat or developing an unusually close connection with a spellbook. Each tradition provides abilities that complement the Wizard's ordinary spellcasting while encouraging a distinctive approach to the use of magic. ### School of Evocation Evokers specialise in manipulating magical energy to produce powerful elemental and destructive effects. Their studies focus upon spells capable of creating fire, lightning, thunder, cold, acid, and other forms of supernatural energy. Many Evokers become battlefield spellcasters, using their magic to overwhelm groups of enemies or destroy dangerous opponents from a distance. Others develop their abilities for defensive purposes, using powerful magic to protect settlements or confront threats that conventional weapons cannot overcome. At third level, Evokers gain **Evocation Savant**, granting additional spells from the Evocation school as their magical knowledge develops. They also gain **Potent Cantrip**, allowing their damaging cantrips to inflict partial damage even when an attack misses or a target succeeds on its saving throw. At sixth level, **Sculpt Spells** allows them to create pockets of safety within their Evocation spells, protecting selected creatures from effects that might otherwise harm allies. As their abilities improve, **Empowered Evocation** increases the damage of certain spells through their Intelligence modifier. At higher levels, **Overchannel** allows them to maximise the damage inflicted by qualifying spells, although repeatedly doing so can inflict dangerous Necrotic damage upon the Wizard. Evokers are particularly effective when dealing magical damage while limiting the danger their spells pose to nearby companions. For players who enjoy destructive magic, powerful elemental attacks, and controlling large areas of the battlefield, the School of Evocation offers a direct and effective approach to spellcasting. ### School of Illusion Illusionists specialise in manipulating perception, creating magical effects that deceive the senses and distort how creatures understand their surroundings. Their spells can produce convincing images, sounds, and other sensory experiences, allowing them to conceal important information or encourage enemies to react to things that do not truly exist. Unlike Evokers, who often confront opponents through overwhelming magical force, Illusionists rely heavily upon creativity and deception. A carefully placed illusion might distract a guard, conceal an escape route, or convince an enemy that a dangerous obstacle blocks their path. At third level, Illusionists gain **Illusion Savant**, expanding their collection of Illusion spells. They also gain **Improved Illusions**, strengthening their ability to cast illusion magic. This includes casting Minor Illusion using a Bonus Action and removing the need for Verbal components when casting Illusion spells. At higher levels, **Phantasmal Creatures** allows them to summon magical creatures associated with their illusion magic, gaining access to Summon Beast and Summon Fey through specialised abilities. Their mastery eventually allows them to manipulate illusions with extraordinary precision, changing the properties of existing effects and creating convincing manifestations of imaginary objects. Through **Illusory Reality**, an experienced Illusionist can temporarily make part of an illusion physically real, allowing their deceptive magic to influence the world in a more tangible way. The effectiveness of an Illusionist often depends upon imagination and an understanding of how creatures interpret their surroundings. For players who enjoy deception, creative problem-solving, and manipulating encounters without relying entirely upon damage, the School of Illusion offers exceptional flexibility. ### School of Abjuration Abjurers specialise in protective magic, defensive wards, and the disruption of hostile supernatural effects. Their studies focus upon preventing harm, resisting magical attacks, and maintaining barriers against dangerous forces. Unlike Wizards who dedicate themselves primarily to destructive magic, Abjurers often serve as guardians, protectors, and specialists in magical defence. Their defining ability is **Arcane Ward**, gained at third level. This feature creates a protective magical barrier that absorbs damage before the Wizard's own Hit Points are affected. The ward can be replenished through appropriate magical effects, and an experienced Abjurer can restore its strength by expending spell slots. Abjurers also gain **Abjuration Savant**, allowing them to expand their knowledge of protective spells. At sixth level, **Projected Ward** allows them to extend the protection of Arcane Ward to another creature, helping companions survive dangerous attacks. Their mastery of magical defence also improves their ability to counter hostile spellcasting. Through **Spell Breaker**, Abjurers gain access to Counterspell and Dispel Magic as permanently prepared spells, becoming particularly effective at disrupting supernatural effects. At higher levels, **Spell Resistance** grants improved protection against spell damage and Advantage on saving throws against spells. This makes experienced Abjurers exceptionally capable of surviving magical encounters. For players who enjoy protective magic, defending companions, and confronting powerful spellcasters, the School of Abjuration provides one of the strongest defensive approaches to Wizard spellcasting. ### School of Necromancy Necromancers study the magical forces governing life, death, and undeath. Their abilities allow them to manipulate necrotic energy, animate the dead, and investigate the supernatural processes that separate living creatures from lifeless remains. Although necromancy is commonly associated with sinister practices, the school itself does not require a particular moral outlook. Some Necromancers pursue forbidden knowledge for personal ambition, while others seek to understand mortality, investigate supernatural diseases, or use their abilities against dangerous enemies. Their distinctive powers often involve the creation and command of undead servants. Through **Necromancy Spellbook**, Necromancers develop a particularly close relationship with the magic of undeath. This grants access to an undead familiar, such as a magically animated Skeleton or Zombie, and improves their ability to sustain undead creatures through Necromancy spells. They also gain resistance to Necrotic damage, reflecting their growing familiarity with supernatural forces associated with death. As they become more experienced, **Grave Power** strengthens their ability to overcome resistance to Necrotic damage while providing additional benefits through Arcane Recovery. Through **Undead Thralls**, Necromancers become especially effective at creating and empowering undead servants, granting them improved durability and additional offensive capabilities. At higher levels, **Harvest Undead** allows them to draw life force from undead creatures they control, recovering their own vitality when necessary. Their ultimate ability, **Death's Master**, further enhances their command of the undead, allowing them to strengthen their servants and unleash destructive necrotic energy when those creatures are destroyed. The School of Necromancy offers a distinctive approach to magic built around controlling undead servants, manipulating life force, and understanding the supernatural boundaries between life and death. ### School of Conjuration Conjurers specialise in magic that summons creatures, creates objects, and manipulates the movement of matter across distances and planes of existence. Their discipline includes both summoning and teleportation, allowing them to bring creatures into the battlefield or transport themselves and others between different locations. To a Conjurer, the apparent distance between two places is a problem that magic can overcome. Their abilities are particularly valuable when positioning, mobility, and access to supernatural assistance become important. Through **Conjuration Savant**, these Wizards expand their knowledge of spells associated with their chosen school. Their defining mobility ability, **Benign Transposition**, allows them to teleport over a short distance or exchange places with a willing creature. As they become more experienced, **Distant Transposition** improves the range of this ability and provides additional ways to recover its use. Conjurers also develop techniques that strengthen the creatures they summon. Their magical abilities can provide summoned creatures with Temporary Hit Points and damage resistance, allowing them to remain effective during dangerous encounters. At higher levels, Conjurers become particularly skilled at maintaining Concentration upon their summoning spells, reducing the danger of losing control over a summoned creature after taking damage. Their ultimate ability, **Splintered Summons**, allows them to alter certain summoning spells to create two creatures instead of one, although the resulting summons possess reduced individual durability. This provides greater opportunities to control the battlefield through multiple magical servants. For players who enjoy teleportation, magical summoning, and directing supernatural allies during combat, the School of Conjuration offers considerable versatility. ### School of Divination Diviners specialise in uncovering hidden knowledge, recognising supernatural patterns, and gaining insight into events that have not yet occurred. Their magic can reveal information about distant locations, identify unseen dangers, and provide glimpses of possible futures. Some Diviners dedicate their lives to understanding destiny, while others use their abilities for investigation, exploration, or protecting companions from unexpected threats. Their defining ability is **Portent**, gained at third level. Through Portent, a Diviner rolls two d20s after completing a Long Rest and records the results. These rolls can later replace certain attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks, allowing the Wizard to influence the outcome of important events. A favourable result might ensure that an ally succeeds at a dangerous task, while an unfavourable result can be imposed upon an enemy attempting an important action. Diviners also gain **Divination Savant**, expanding their knowledge of spells associated with gathering information and perceiving hidden truths. At sixth level, **Expert Divination** allows them to recover a lower-level spell slot after casting certain Divination spells using a spell slot, encouraging the frequent use of their specialised magic. At tenth level, **The Third Eye** grants enhanced supernatural perception, including access to powerful Darkvision and the ability to cast See Invisibility without expending a spell slot. At higher levels, **Greater Portent** improves the number of Portent rolls available to the Wizard, giving them additional opportunities to influence important events. Diviners are particularly effective when preparation, investigation, and understanding possible outcomes are more valuable than direct magical force. For players who enjoy predicting danger, influencing fate, and supporting companions through supernatural foresight, the School of Divination offers a unique approach to spellcasting. ### School of Enchantment Enchanters specialise in manipulating thoughts, emotions, and behaviour through magical influence. Their abilities allow them to charm creatures, interfere with an opponent's judgement, and influence decisions that might otherwise lead to conflict. Unlike Wizards who rely primarily upon physical destruction, Enchanters often seek to overcome their enemies through psychological manipulation. Their magic can be subtle or overwhelming, ranging from briefly influencing someone's attitude to exerting supernatural control over their actions. At third level, Enchanters gain **Enchantment Savant**, expanding their knowledge of spells associated with mental influence. They also develop **Enchanting Conversationalist**, improving their ability to interact with others through social skills supported by magical knowledge. Their early abilities include techniques that can Charm and Incapacitate nearby creatures, temporarily preventing those enemies from participating effectively in combat. As they gain experience, **Split Enchantment** allows them to improve the effectiveness of certain Enchantment spells without necessarily expending a higher-level spell slot. Through **Instinctive Charm**, Enchanters become capable of redirecting attacks, using supernatural influence to encourage enemies to target someone other than the Wizard. At higher levels, their mastery extends to manipulating memory. An experienced Enchanter can cause creatures affected by their Enchantment magic to forget particular interactions, concealing evidence of the Wizard's involvement. These abilities make Enchanters particularly powerful during social encounters, although their magic also raises important questions about consent, manipulation, and the consequences of overriding another creature's will. For players who enjoy persuasion, deception, and magical control over the minds of others, the School of Enchantment offers a distinctive alternative to destructive spellcasting. ### School of Transmutation Transmuters specialise in altering the physical properties of creatures, objects, and materials. Their magic focuses upon transformation, allowing them to change appearances, modify physical capabilities, and manipulate the composition of matter. To a Transmuter, the physical world is not fixed. Objects and creatures possess properties that can be changed through sufficiently advanced magical knowledge. Their defining creation is the **Transmuter's Stone**, a magical object imbued with transformative energy. The stone provides its holder with improved Constitution saving throws and a choice of additional benefits, such as enhanced movement, Darkvision, or resistance to a particular damage type. Transmuters can also use **Alter Self** through specialised abilities, temporarily modifying their bodies without relying entirely upon ordinary spellcasting resources. As they become more experienced, their understanding of transmutation allows them to improve certain spells by increasing their effective level without expending a correspondingly higher spell slot. Their mastery of personal transformation also improves. Through enhanced applications of Polymorph, experienced Transmuters can adopt new forms while retaining greater control over their mental faculties and certain magical abilities. Their Transmuter's Stone becomes more adaptable as well, gaining additional benefits and allowing its properties to change when the Wizard uses Transmutation spells. At higher levels, **Master Transmuter** allows them to expend the magic stored within the stone to produce extraordinary effects. These can include major transformations of nonmagical objects, removing harmful conditions, restoring the dead to life, or reversing certain effects of ageing. The School of Transmutation rewards players who enjoy altering their surroundings, improving physical capabilities, and finding unconventional solutions through transformation. ### Order of Scribes The Order of Scribes represents Wizards who study the written foundations of magic rather than dedicating themselves exclusively to one school. These scholars understand that spellbooks are more than collections of magical instructions. They are repositories of knowledge capable of preserving and communicating the discoveries of generations of spellcasters. Members of this tradition develop an unusually close relationship with their written magic. Through **Wizardly Quill**, they can summon a magical writing instrument that produces its own ink and allows them to copy spells into their spellbooks far more quickly than ordinary Wizards. Their defining ability, **Awakened Spellbook**, grants a measure of supernatural awareness to their spellbook. This allows the Wizard to manipulate aspects of their spells, including changing the damage type of certain magical effects when suitable spells are recorded within the book. It also improves their ability to perform rituals, reflecting the extraordinary connection between the Wizard and their collected magical knowledge. As members of the Order become more experienced, they learn to manifest the consciousness of their spellbook beyond its physical pages. Through **Manifest Mind**, they can create a spectral representation of the book's awareness, allowing them to perceive distant surroundings and cast appropriate spells from its position. At higher levels, **Master Scrivener** improves their ability to create magical spell scrolls, allowing them to preserve spells in a form that can be used later. Their ultimate ability, **One with the Word**, allows the Wizard to sacrifice spells recorded within their awakened spellbook to protect themselves from otherwise devastating harm. For members of the Order of Scribes, magical knowledge is not simply something to be collected. It becomes a living connection between the Wizard, their spells, and the extraordinary power contained within written magic. ### Bladesinger Bladesingers practise a magical tradition that combines wizardry with elegant martial combat. Originating among the elves of ancient realms such as Myth Drannor, this discipline blends swordsmanship, intricate movement, and arcane spellcasting into a distinctive fighting style. Unlike most Wizards, who rely heavily upon maintaining distance from dangerous enemies, Bladesingers are capable of engaging opponents directly through a combination of magical protection and carefully practised weapon techniques. Their defining ability is **Bladesong**, a supernatural fighting discipline that enhances movement, defence, concentration, and martial precision. While Bladesong is active, a Wizard moves with extraordinary grace, combining magical energy with the movements of their weapon. Their Intelligence becomes particularly important during combat, allowing them to rely upon magical knowledge and precision rather than physical strength alone. Through **Training in War and Song**, Bladesingers gain additional martial proficiencies and learn to use suitable weapons as spellcasting focuses. As they become more experienced, they gain **Extra Attack**, allowing them to combine weapon attacks with cantrips during the same action. This makes them unusually effective at weaving martial combat and spellcasting together. At higher levels, **Song of Defense** allows Bladesingers to expend spell slots to reduce incoming damage, helping them survive attacks that might overwhelm a conventional Wizard. Their ultimate ability, **Song of Victory**, further strengthens the connection between magic and martial combat. Through this feature, they can follow the casting of a spell with a weapon attack, allowing magical and physical techniques to flow together during a single turn. Although Bladesingers remain Wizards with comparatively limited physical endurance, their specialised abilities allow them to approach combat in ways most other arcane scholars cannot. For players who enjoy magical swordsmen, agile combatants, and the combination of spellcasting with elegant weapon techniques, the Bladesinger offers a distinctive approach to Wizardry. --- ## What It Feels Like to Play a Wizard Playing a Wizard is about possessing an extraordinary range of magical options and learning how to use them effectively. Unlike classes whose abilities revolve around a relatively small number of specialised techniques, Wizards can develop extensive collections of spells capable of addressing many different situations. The class rewards players who enjoy preparation, experimentation, and understanding how different magical effects interact. You might begin an encounter by controlling the battlefield, preventing enemies from reaching your companions. During another battle, you might rely upon powerful elemental attacks or defensive spells that protect the party from supernatural danger. Outside combat, your spells may provide solutions that ordinary skills and equipment cannot reproduce. You might uncover hidden information through divination, transport companions through teleportation, manipulate the appearance of objects through illusion, or transform the environment through powerful magic. The spellbook creates an additional sense of progression. Discovering an unfamiliar spell can be just as rewarding as finding a valuable magical item, particularly when that spell provides a capability previously unavailable to the party. Your subclass also has a considerable influence on your preferred style of play. An Evoker might specialise in destructive attacks, while an Abjurer focuses on magical protection. A Diviner attempts to influence the outcome of events, while an Illusionist manipulates perception to overcome obstacles. A Necromancer may command undead servants, a Conjurer summons magical allies, and a Transmuter alters physical reality through transformation. Other traditions, such as the Order of Scribes and Bladesinger, provide approaches to magic that extend beyond the conventional study of a single school. However, the Wizard's greatest strength also creates one of its greatest challenges. You cannot prepare every spell in your spellbook simultaneously, and possessing the wrong spells during a dangerous encounter can leave you with fewer useful options than expected. Wizards also require careful positioning and protection, particularly at lower levels when their physical durability and available spell slots remain limited. As your character grows stronger, you gain access to increasingly extraordinary magic, eventually becoming capable of producing effects that can transform the outcome of entire adventures. For players who enjoy planning, experimentation, and mastering complicated magical systems, the Wizard provides an exceptionally rewarding style of play. --- ## Should You Play a Wizard? The Wizard is an excellent choice for players who enjoy extensive spellcasting, magical knowledge, and the freedom to approach challenges through many different techniques. You may enjoy the class if you like: - Learning and collecting a large variety of spells - Intelligence-based spellcasting - Magical research and ancient arcane knowledge - Planning and preparing for different encounters - Powerful elemental and destructive magic - Illusions, enchantments, divination, and supernatural investigation - Summoning creatures and controlling the battlefield - Solving problems through creative spellcasting - Customising a character through specialised magical traditions - Developing into an exceptionally powerful spellcaster You may prefer another class if you are looking for straightforward martial combat, heavy armour, simple resource management, or a character whose abilities require very little preparation. Wizards possess tremendous magical potential, but making effective use of that power requires an understanding of spellcasting rules, spell preparation, Concentration, and the limitations of individual spells. Their physical vulnerability also makes positioning and cooperation with companions particularly important. Although Wizards can become extraordinarily powerful, their greatest strength does not come simply from casting the most destructive spell available. It comes from understanding which spell is needed, when it should be used, and how magical knowledge can transform seemingly impossible challenges into opportunities. For players who want to master the arcane arts through study, experimentation, and an ever-expanding collection of magical knowledge, the Wizard remains one of the most versatile and powerful classes in Dungeons & Dragons.