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Wizard Arcane Traditions
When a wizard reaches 2nd level, it chooses an arcane tradition. The following options are available to a wizard in addition to those normally offered: Wizard School Dropout and Teacher. Both represent potential paths that wizarding school graduates can take after completing their education.
Teacher
There’s an old saying, “Those who can, do; and those who can’t, teach.” Of course, that saying is completely erroneous when applied to those who practice the mystic arts. Wizard teachers are often considered to be some of the most powerful practitioners around. Typically, they are feared by those who recognize their relationship with magic. Wizard teachers use their coaching powers to boost other spellcasters and improve the abilities of those around them.
Teacher Features
| Wizard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Magical Expertise, Advanced Studies |
| 6th | Master and Student |
| 10th | Aura of Concentration |
| 14th | Aura of Magical Resistance |
Magical Expertise
Starting when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you learn two languages of your choice. You also become proficient in the Arcana and History skills.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.
Advanced Studies
At 2nd level, your knowledge of magic extends beyond the arcane. Choose two 1st-level spells to learn from any spell list. You can cast each of these spells once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence.
Master and Student
Starting at 6th level, your coaching bolsters your allies’ spellcasting abilities. When a friendly creature that you see within 30 feet of you casts a spell, and the creature can hear you, you can use your reaction to give the creature advantage on its ranged spell attack roll or to give the target of the caster’s spell disadvantage on its saving throw against the spell.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Aura of Concentration
At 10th level, while you or friendly creatures within 10 feet of you are concentrating on a spell, you and the creatures have advantage on Constitution saving throws to avoid breaking your concentration.
Aura of Magical Resistance
At 14th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against spells.
Wizard School Dropout
Wizarding schools are tough. After all, the average graduation rate for most is below 85%. Of course, just because someone fails at a wizarding school, doesn’t mean that they still can’t try to wield arcane power, even if they do so poorly.
If you are partaking in an Evadimus’ School for Gifted Spellcasters campaign, at your GM’s discretion, you can take this option even if you flunk out of the school.
Wizard School Dropout Features
| Wizard Level | Feature |
| 2nd | Improvised Spell, Supplementary Abilities |
| 6th | Ability Score Increase |
| 10th | Combat Magic Tactics |
| 14th | Reflexive Magic |
Improvised Spell
Starting when you choose this arcane tradition at 2nd level, you’ve learned creative ways to cast spells that most arcane scholars consider “sloppy.” Once per turn, you can use your action to expend one spell slot to create an improvised magic spell. The spell is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 ft and deals 2d10 force damage on a hit. For each spell slot you expend above 1st, you can add one of the following features:
- The spell’s range increases by 30 feet, to a maximum of 150 feet.
- The spell’s damage increases by 1d10, to a maximum of 5d10.
- The spell can target one additional target within range, to a maximum of 5 targets. You must make a separate ranged spell attack roll for each target.
You may not cast another spell, including cantrips, on the same turn that you use this feature.
Supplementary Abilities
Also at 2nd level, you’ve learned to supplement your magic with abilities that rely on your physical tenacity more than your intellect. You gain one of the following features of your choice:
Danger Sense. You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Jack of All Trades. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
Mobility. On each of your turns, you can a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only take the Dash or Disengage action.
Ability Score Increase
At 6th 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.
Combat Magic Tactics
At 10th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Rapid Fire. When you cast a ranged spell attack of 1st level or higher that targets only one creature, you can have it target a second creature. You must roll a separate ranged spell attack roll for each target.
Spell Tag. When you hit a creature with a spell attack, you have advantage on ranged spell attacks against that creature and the creature has disadvantage on saving throws against your spells until the end of your next turn.
Reflexive Magic
At 14th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Retaliatory Spell. When you take damage from a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to expend a 1st-level or higher spell slot. The creature immediately takes 2d10 force damage.
Self-Preservation. You can your action to end one spell on yourself.
New Cantrips
The following cantrips are available on the spell lists for sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards in addition to those normally offered.
Blades
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Two daggers appear in front of you. You can direct the daggers at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate ranged spell attack for each dagger. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage. The daggers then disappear.
The spell creates more than two daggers when you reach higher levels: four daggers at 5th level, six daggers at 11th level, and eight daggers at 17th level.
Distraction
Enchantment cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 15 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a distracting sound or image, causing a creature of your choice that you see within range and that can perceive the distraction to make a Wisdom saving throw. A creature that can’t be charmed succeeds on this saving throw automatically, and if you or your companions are fighting the creature, it has advantage on the save. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on its Wisdom (Perception) checks until the start of its next turn.
Keyhole
Divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a copper key)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You touch a non-magical door. An invisible, magical keyhole that only you can perceive appears somewhere on the door. For the duration, you can look through the keyhole to see what is on the other side of the door. Because of the relatively small size of the keyhole, you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks to perceive anything on the other side of the door.
A spell that magically locks or wards the door (such as the knock and guards and wards spell, etc.) prevents this spell from working.
Magesword
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a drop of steel polish, a piece of cloth cut from a wizard’s robe, and a steel tool such as a fork or butter knife)
Duration: 1 minute
The steel tool you are holding transforms into a longsword. You are proficient with this sword, even if you aren’t normally proficient with longswords. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using the sword. The sword is magical. The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the sword.
Odd Mutation
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 15 feet
Components: V, S, M (a toad’s eye, a mushroom, and a pinch of paprika)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
One target that you can see within range must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed saving throw, you create one of the following magical effects:
- The target’s skin changes to a color of your choice for the duration.
- You alter the appearance of the target’s eyes for the duration.
- A mushroom, patch of grass, or rough tuft of hair appears on the target’s skin and remains for the duration.
- The target’s voice deepens or softens for the duration.
- The target appears ten years older or ten years younger for the duration.
None of the changes have an adverse effect on the creature, although, another creature that witnesses the transformation may see the sudden change as odd.
Repel Projectile
Abjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You raise your palm in the air. The next time you are hit by a ranged weapon attack before the start of your next turn, the damage that you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your spellcasting ability.
Scream
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, M (a tuning fork)
Duration: Instantaneous
You emit a high-pitched scream, causing damage to creatures and objects in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d6 thunder damage on a failed save. A creature made of inorganic material such as stone, crystal, or metal has disadvantage on this saving throw.
A nonmagical object that isn’t being worn or carried also takes the damage if it’s in the spell’s area.
The spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
Skull Bomb
Necromancy cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a Small or Medium humanoid skull, which is consumed)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You touch a non-magical, non-sentient humanoid skull, imbuing it with necromantic energy. You can throw the skull as a ranged spell attack with a range up to 60 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 necrotic damage and the necrotic energy leaps from the target to a different creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of it. The second creature takes necrotic damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. If someone else attacks with the skull, that attacker adds your spellcasting ability modifier, not the attacker’s to the attack and damage rolls. Whether the attack hits or misses, the spell ends on the skull.
If you cast this spell again, the spell ends on any skulls still affected by your previous casting.
This spell’s damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the skull deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target and the necrotic damage to the second creature increases to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier. Both damage rolls increase by 1d6 at 11th level and 17th level.
Sluggish
Transutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a living slug and a pinch of salt)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You target one creature that you can within range. For the duration, the creature’s speed is reduced by 5 feet.
Encounter Difficulty for Zero-Level Characters
In addition to the actual rules for creating the characters for the Evadimus’ School of Gifted Spellcasters themselves, GMs will need rules to help balance their encounters. Here is the supplemental Encounter Difficulty XP per Character table.
Encounter Difficulty XP per Character (Supplement)
| Level | Easy | Medium | Hard | Deadly |
| 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| 1/8 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 |
| 1/4 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 30 |
| 1/2 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 50 |
Additionally, here is a supplement for the Adventuring Day XP.
Adventuring Day XP (Supplement)
| Level |
Adjusted XP per Day per Character
|
| 0 | 10 |
| 1/8 | 35 |
| 1/4 | 75 |
| 1/2 | 150 |
New NPC: Student
Before a wizard becomes a mage, they must learn the basics of magic from a wizarding school. Use the following stat block for the apprentice wizards studying at Evadimus’ School for Gifted Spellcasters.
[su_note note_color=”#ececec”]
Student
Medium humanoid (any), any alignment
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 4 (1d8)
Speed 30 ft.
Abilities Str 10 (+0), Dex 10 (+0), Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 11 (+0)
Skills Arcana +3
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. The student can cast mage hand at will, requiring no components. The student’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence.
Actions
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage when wielded with two hands.
[/su_note]
This article is a preview for the content in BroadSword Monthly #1, due out in August. Learn more about BroadSword Monthly #1 (and get 10% off the price!)
Art by Wizards of the Coast.