The 5e Wizard Class
Reworked
Scholars, court mages, and backwater dabblers. Wizards study magical spells from other wizards, employing a massive variety of spells.
This version of the wizard class moves to a simpler method of spell selection, allowing for greater flexibility for players and removing the reliance on magic scrolls. The high level abilities are also reworked to give the greatest benefit at level 20. Existing 5e subclasses will all work mechanically with this form of the wizard class, though they may include outdated references to scribing scrolls, which wizards using this revision cannot do. Click here for a summary of changes.
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Navigation
Class Features by Level*
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*For abilities that appear at multiple levels, only the first case is listed. eg. Ability Score Improvement is only listed at level 4.
Spell Slots
Recommended Ability Scores
When you make a level 1 character, you can take these recommended ability scores rather than roll or assign them yourself. You can switch any two ability scores, but you do not add any further bonuses (they're already included).
Strength: 9 Dexterity:14 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 14 Charisma: 8
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Strength: 8 Dexterity:15 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 17 Wisdom: 12 Charisma: 8
Hit Points
At First Level: 6 + Constitution Modifier
At Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d6 per wizard level
When you create a level 1 wizard, you gain the following:
Proficiencies
Armor: none
Weapons: Clubs, Daggers, Darts, Light Hammers, Slings, Quarterstaffs
Tools: one of: Alchemist's Tools, Calligrapher's Tools, Herbalism Tools, Navigator's Tools, Tinker's Tools
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: two of: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion
Languages: one magical language
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Items
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a sling and 20 bullets -OR- a quarterstaff -OR- a dagger
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one set of tools, which you gained proficiency with as part of the wizard class
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a component pouch -OR- an arcane focus
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a scholar's pack -OR- an explorer's pack
Optionally:
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a spellbook -OR- an equivalent way of recording spells
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Class Features​
Class features here are sorted by level. When you reach a level as indicated by the icons on the left, you gain all feature or feature improvements listed between the red lines. For example, at first level wizards gain the Wizard Spellcasting and Arcane Tradition: School Specialization abilities.
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Wizard Spellcasting
You studied magic in order to cast spells. Most wizards study from old tomes and magic scrolls, learning to mimic the abilities of more powerful spellcasters by repeating magical words of power, waving their hands in ritualistic fashion, and sprinkling magical components where they want their spells to take effect. Unfortunately, spells don't usually work the same way for everyone, so a great deal of trial and error is required for any wizard to find a version of the classic spells that works for them. This also means that some wizards find unorthodox ways of casting spells. Where most wizards write their painstaking processes in spellbooks, some wizards are able to channel magic through runestones, magical tattoos, or folk rituals.
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Spell Slots
The Wizard Progression Table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st level spell Charm Person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Charm Person using either slot.
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Cantrips
Cantrips are the simplest and weakest of spells, and can be casted without expending Spell Slots. You know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn more cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Wizard Table.
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Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At level 1, you know six 1st-level spells of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn two more wizard spells for each level beyond level 1, as indicated on the spells known column of the Wizard Table. Each spell you learn must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, when you reach level 3 in this class, you can learn two new spells of 1st or 2nd level, or one of each.
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Switching Spells
When you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the cantrips or wizard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the wizard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since all your spellcasting ability comes from your ability to memorize tons of tiny details in how you cast spells. A slight change in your procedure can change how effective your spell is, so the smartest wizards tend to have the most consistent results.
You use your intelligence score whenever a wizard spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard 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​
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Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus or component pouch for casting your spells. To do so, you need a free hand to hold your focus or access your components. Your arcane focus or component pouch replaces the need for you to have specific material components to cast spells, unless that material component costs 1 gold or more, in which case you must use the specific component instead.
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If you have one, your spellbook contains your spells, but it can also be used as a spellcasting focus. If you use a spellbook or something similar and you lose it, you can make a new one by using raw materials usually worth 50 gold and by taking 2 hours during a long rest or downtime.
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Arcane Tradition
You commit yourself to a particular school of thought within wizardry. Your choice of arcane tradition represents your general specialization when it comes to casting spells. Your tradition grants you features at this level and again at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th level, also listed below.
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Arcane Traditions published elsewhere are compatible with this version of the wizard class.
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Tradition of the Evoker
Wizards who choose to become evokers specialize in spells from the school of evocation. Evokers are the most powerful wizards in terms of offensive magic, and are often employed in military organizations. Besides their raw offensive power, they are able to protect their allies from the destructive impact of their own spells.
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Evoker: Evocation Specialization
All evocation spells on all class lists are treated as being on the wizard spell list for you, and you can choose them when picking wizard spells.
This only applies to spells on one of the class spell lists. Eg. no wizard can choose Divine Smite, because it is a class feature and not on any spell list.
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Other Tradition: School Specialization
Choose this option if you'd like to use an Arcane Tradition that comes from a source that isn't Elkan 5e. If you choose an arcane tradition that has you specialize in a school of magic, all spells of that school of magic on all class lists are treated as being on the wizard spell list for you, and you can choose them when picking wizard spells. This replaces the savant features, such as 'Evocation Savant'. If you chose an arcane tradition that doesn't specialize in a school of magic, you don't gain any features until level 3.
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This only applies to spells on one of the class spell lists. Eg. no wizard can choose Divine Smite, because it is a class feature and not on any spell list.
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Arcane Recovery
During a Short Rest - Self - 1/Long Rest
You have learned to regain some of your magical energy through rest. Choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.
For example, if you're a 4th-level wizard, 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.
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Expertise
Choose any two of your skills. You have expertise (you add double your proficiency bonus) with checks made with these skills.
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Evoker: Sculpt Spells
You can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your evocation spells. When you cast an evocation spell, you can choose up to five creatures. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.
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Other Tradition: Level 3 Feature
At this level, your Arcane Tradition grants you one or more new features. If using a tradition not from Elkan 5e, your tradition's feature is likely listed at level 2.
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Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
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Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice. You are eligible for general feats and wizard feats by default.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Evoker: Potent Cantrips
You add your intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage of any damaging cantrip. You cannot gain this benefit at the same time as any other feature that adds an ability score modifier to the damage of cantrips.
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Other Tradition: Level 6 Feature
At this level, your Arcane Tradition grants you one or more new features.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Ability Score Improvement
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2 or increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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Feat
You gain a feat of your choice.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Evoker: Empowered Evocation
Once per turn, you can add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage roll of any spell of 1st level or higher that you cast.
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Other Tradition: Level 10 Feature
At this level, your Arcane Tradition grants you one or more new features.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Ability Score Improvement
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2 or increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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Feat
You gain a feat of your choice.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Evoker: Overchannel
When you cast a wizard spell of 1st through 5th level that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell.
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The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 2d12 damage for each level of the spell immediately after you cast it. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the damage per spell level increases by 1d12. This damage cannot be reduced or avoided.
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Other Tradition: Level 14 Feature
At this level, your Arcane Tradition grants you one or more new features.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Ability Score Improvement
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2 or increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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Feat
You gain a feat of your choice.
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You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Wizard Table to see new spell slots. As usual, you learn two more spells.
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Spell Mastery
You have a special reserve of energy reserved for two powerful spells. Choose two spells you know: one of 5th level or lower, and one of 3rd level or lower. You can cast each of them once at their base level without expending a spell slot. For each spell, when you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
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By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same level.
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Superior Ability
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2, to a maximum of 22.
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Signature Spells
Two of your simplest spells are now so easy for you to cast that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level wizard spell and a 2nd-level wizard spell you know. These spells must be on the standard wizard spell list. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
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By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same level.
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