School of Arcane Mastery

Many Wizards choose to focus on a single school of magic or type of spellcasting. Some even choose to master specific elemental magics. Students of the School of Arcane Mastery focus their efforts on the manipulation of raw arcane power as a weapon to harm their enemies, an aegis to protect themselves, and a method to implement lasting effects on the world around them.

Early in their studies, Arcanists learn to manipulate the weave in subtle ways such as causing it to alert them to harm or bring forth a small spiritual familiar. As they master the use of such ritual spells, their practice rewards them with the ability to cast a plethora of spells without expending their own precious arcane energy. Instead, they manipulate material components and the weave to cast ritual versions of many spells other Wizards are unable to cast in the same way. This ability covers everything from Flock of Familiars at a basic level all the way to the impressive Control Weather and dastardly Clone spells.

Due to their focus on lasting effects on the world, most Arcanists have little time to master spells that cause immediate positive or harmful effects. However, all Arcanists are practiced at amplifying the power of the humble Magic Missile and Shield spells for use in combat.

Expert Ritualist

2nd-level School of Arcane Mastery feature

You have dedicated your studies to the usage of spells that require extended amounts of time to cast but provide lasting effects. You gain the following features:

• Any Wizard spell with a casting time of 1 minute or more counts as a ritual spell for you.
• The gold and time you must spend to copy a ritual spell into your spellbook is halved.

Missile Mastery

2nd-level School of Arcane Mastery feature

Whenever you cast the Magic Missile spell, you fire an additional dart per level of the spell slot expended in addition to the number associated with the slot expended. For example, a 1st level Magic Missile will fire four darts while a 5th level version will fire twelve. 

Arcane Aegis

6th-level School of Arcane Mastery feature

You can weave arcane energy around yourself as a barrier. When you cast Absorb Elements or Shield, you can simultaneously use a strand of the spell’s magic to create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has a hit point maximum equal to twice your wizard level + your Intelligence modifier. Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If this damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage.

While the ward has 0 hit points, it can’t absorb damage, but its magic remains. Whenever you cast Absorb Elements or Shield, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Once you create the ward, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest.

Efficient Ritualist

10th-level School of Arcane Mastery feature

You have mastered the art of weaving arcane spells over extended periods of time while using less resources and cause a greater duration. As such, you gain the following features:

• You may extend the casting time of any ritual you cast by 1 hour. If you do so, you may double the amount of time that spell is in effect.
• If a ritual requires a material with a gold cost that is consumed by the spell, you may reduce that cost by 100 gold. This may reduce its cost to 0 gold.
• Once you reach 14th level in this class, you may reduce that cost by an additional 100 gold.

Expedient Ritualist

14th-level School of Arcane Mastery feature

You may cast any ritual spell you have in your spellbook using only a single action.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.