Red Wizard

Long the nemesis of the Western Heartlands of Faerûn, the Red Wizards rule the magocracy of Thay in the Unapproachable East. For hundreds of years, the Red Wizards were famed for being cruel, wicked slavers. While Thay has rejected slaves in favor of mindless undead to do their mundane work, the Red Wizards still do their utmost to manipulate events in the outside world and conquer the kingdoms around them. They were said know the darkest secrets of the strongest magic, and would sell their skills to the highest bidder. The strongest practitioners of each school of magic—the zulkirs—also ruled the nation, each part of the Council of Zulkirs.

Red Wizards practice magic much like any other wizard of Faerûn, with some notable differences: dedication to a particular school of magic, the use of magic tattoos, and cooperative circle magic. In so doing, they set themselves apart from other users of the Weave, and increase their own magical powers.

As a Red Wizard of Thay, you might be a staunch adherent of Szass Tam, making your way outside Thay on some errand for the Council of Zulkirs. Perhaps, although you never lived through Thay's history of slavery yourself, your family did, and your disgust at the vile practice drives you to work against the zulkirs. You might have broken all ties with the land of your birth, disgusted at their nefarious plans, vowing to turn your life to altruistic pursuits. Perhaps you’re pretending to be the latter while actually you’re the former. In any case, you are a scion of an ancient magical tradition.

School Specialization

When you take this tradition at 2nd level you must select two schools of magic. One of these is your Favored school, the other is your Forbidden school. You can’t cast spells from your Forbidden school, and you can’t write them into your spellbook, either through increased wizard level or through copying spells you find. You can copy spells of your Favored school into your spellbook as if they were your own (1 hour and 10 GP per spell level).

Favored Abjuration

Your Favored school of magic is Abjuration.

Favored Conjuration

Your Favored school of magic is Conjuration.

Favored Divination

Your Favored school of magic is Divination.

Favored Enchantment

Your Favored school of magic is Enchantment.

Favored Evocation

Your Favored school of magic is Evocation.

Favored Illusion

Your Favored school of magic is Illusion.

Favored Necromancy

Your Favored school of magic is Necromancy.

Favored Transmutation

Your Favored school of magic is Transmutation.

Forbidden Abjuration

Your Forbidden school of magic is Abjuration.

Forbidden Conjuration

Your Forbidden school of magic is Conjuration.

Forbidden Divination

Your Forbidden school of magic is Divination.

Forbidden Enchantment

Your Forbidden school of magic is Enchantment.

Forbidden Evocation

Your Forbidden school of magic is Evocation.

Forbidden Illusion

Your Forbidden school of magic is Illusion.

Forbidden Necromancy

Your Forbidden school of magic is Necromancy.

Forbidden Transmutation

Your Forbidden school of magic is Transmutation.

Specialist Defense

Starting at 2nd level, you have advantage on saving throws against spells from your Favored school.

Furthermore, you have resistance against the damage of spells from your Favored school.

Spell Power

Starting at 6th level, when you deal damage with a cantrip from your Favored school, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll (minimum 1). In addition, when you cast a spell from your Favored school that forces a creature to make a saving throw, you can impose a disadvantage on the saving throw of a single creature affected by the spell. If the spell requires you to make a spell attack roll, you can grant yourself advantage on the roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Scribe Tattoo

Starting at 6th level, whenever you finish a long rest, you can create one magic tattoo and place it on yourself or one willing creature, causing one spell from your spellbook to be etched onto the target's skin.

The target must be within 5 feet of you when you make the tattoo. The chosen spell must be of 1st or 2nd level and must have a casting time of 1 action. Once in the tattoo, the spell’s power is enhanced, counting as one level higher than normal. The target can cast the spell from the tattoo as an action. The spell vanishes when the target casts it or when it finishes its next long rest.

You are also adept at crafting spellwrought tattoos, which are described in page 135 of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The gold and time you must spend to make such a tattoo is halved.

Circle Magic

Beginning at 10th level, you can lead a number of friendly arcane spellcasters in a Circle. When you use an action to cast a spell, any number of friendly creatures within 30 feet of you up to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of 1) can use their reaction and expend a spell slot to increase the level at which you cast your spell. This can increase the level of the spell beyond what you have spell slots to cast normally, but can't exceed 9th level.

For example, a 10th-level Red Wizard casting fireball at 3rd-level uses Circle Magic with 2 other 5th-level casters, each of whom donate a 3rd-level spell slot. In this way, the Red Wizard can cast fireball as though they used a 9th-level spell slot.

Zulkir