School of Transmutation Pioneers

One of the core principles of Transmutation magic is the creation of new things that the world has never seen before built out of the bones of what has come before. Students of this school tend to be driven by creative passion, curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge and dive toward innovation in the fields of magic. 

Retreading the old becomes tiresome and cliche for students of this school, while creating something new and innovative brings them an intellectual satisfaction that few sensations may rival. The students of this school often see themselves as arcane scientists and researchers bent on a mission to innovate the fields of Transmutation magic. In doing so, they will not change not just the subjects of their spells but also the multiverse itself.

You will start by learning new magics beyond the scope of current wizard society, then you will begin to empower your spells to create new and unique effects, and finally, you will craft new spells based on the old magics but breed new life by the inclusion of your transmutation capabilities.

 

Note: This subclass is intended for advanced players who want to build something new and creative with their characters.

Expanding Breadth of Knowledge

Many things drive Transmutation Pioneers to expand their breadth of understanding of magic. Thirst for knowledge, bold ambition, and insatiable curiosity, to name a few. What they all have in common is a need to learn and gather abilities outside of the scope of the current knowledge held by the wizard community.

Starting at the 2nd level, you may add transmutation spells and cantrips to your spell book from any class spell list. However, to do so, you must first study the application of the spell in the field and write a minor thesis on it or be taught by another wizard that already knows the spell. Only then will you be able to replicate the magic of the spell exactly, or at least be able to create a facsimile or knockoff that is functionally similar enough that most might be fooled into believing it is the same as the original.

If you like, you may describe how your spell differs from the original and give it a new name.

These spells may be taught to other wizards.

Dual Transmutation

Starting at 2nd level when you select this school, your mind and fingers can work fast enough that you perform 2 displays of transmutation at the same time. When you cast a transmutation spell of 1st level or higher level you may also cast a transmutation cantrip as a bonus action. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Minor Transmutation Innovation

Starting at 6th level, your understanding of transmutation magic finally begins to catch up to your ambition, and you can weave new transmutation effects into the magics you work to create entirely new and unique effects.

You may either embellish a magic effect or experiment with it as a free action. If you choose to embellish, select 1 beneficial or detrimental feature from the table below that will be woven into your magical effect. If you choose to experiment, roll 2d8 and continue to reroll 1 one of the dice each time you come up with doubles. Then select either 2 beneficial or 2 detrimental features from the corresponding row in the table below.

Designate one creature that the features you have selected may affect.

The next time you cast a transmutation spell or a cantrip on this turn, the effect or effects chosen will be woven into the spell.

If you chose a beneficial feature(s), if your magic directly affects the creature you designated, it will also receive the benefits of the feature(s) you have woven into the spell or cantrip.

If you chose a detrimental feature(s), if the creature you designated fails a save against your spell or cantrip, or fails a save against an effect created by your spell or cantrip created before the end of your next turn, it will also suffer the feature(s) you have woven into the spell or cantrip.

These feature effects occur after the standard spell or cantrip effects have been applied.

The feature effects will last until the end of the target's next turn after they are applied.

You can use this feature twice before you finish a long rest.

When using this feature, you may name the modified spell or cantrip and describe how it works.

#	Beneficial Feature	Detrimental Feature
1	If the creature is restrained or grappled, that effect ends, and the creature can not be affected by that condition again, and it can move 25 additional feet by taking a move action on its next turn. The creature also has advantage on dexterity saves and skill checks.	The creature becomes restrained.
2	If the creature is blinded, that effect ends, and the creature can not be affected by that condition again. The creature gains [Tooltip Not Found] and 2+ to it's attack rolls.	The creature becomes blinded.
3	The creature gains damaged estistance to Piercing Damage, Slashing Damage and Bludgeoning Damage. The creature also gains advantage on strength saving throws.	The creature gains Damage Vulnerability to Piercing Damage, Slashing Damage and Bludgeoning Damage until the first time it receives damage of one of those types each round. The creature also gains disadvantage on strength saving throws.
4	You may immediately move a willing small or medium creature up to 20 feet. It can not take damage from being moved through damaging effects but can not move through anything solid. If the creature is prone, you may end that effect.	You may immediately move a small or medium creature up to 20 feet but can not move through anything solid. You may not willingly end this movement in the air. You may cause the creature to become prone.
5	The creature gains advantage on intelligence saving throws and checks as well as a +4 to its intelligence.	The creature gains disadvantage on intelligence saving throws and checks as well as a -4 to its intelligence.
6	If the creature is charmed, that condition ends and the creature can not be affected by that condition again. The creature also gains advantage on charisma saving throws and checks and a +4 to charisma.	The creature becomes charmed until the end of your next turn. The creature also gains a disadvantage on charisma saving throws and checks.
7	If the creature is frightened this effect ends and the creature can not be affected by that condition again. The creature also gains advantage on wisdom saving throws and checks and +4 to wisdom.	The creature becomes frightened until the end of your next turn. The creature also gains a disadvantage on wisdom saving throws and checks.
8	If the creature is poisoned this effect ends and the creature can not be affected by that condition again. The creature also gains advantage on constitution saving throws and checks and +4 to constitution.	The creature becomes poisoned until the end of your next turn. The creature also gains a disadvantage on constitution saving throws and checks.

 

 Examples:

• If you cast gust and apply detrimental features, those features will take effect if the target you designate fails their save. If you apply beneficial features, those also would only take effect if the target you designate failed their save (otherwise, they would not be affected by the magic).
• If you cast message and apply detrimental features, those features will not take effect because the target of the spell does not have a save they could fail. If you apply beneficial features, those will take effect automatically on the target you designate as they would be affected by the magic.
• If you cast heat metal with beneficial or detrimental features, you have affected an object and not a creature, and the effect it creates does not have a save, so neither beneficial nor detrimental features would affect your designated target.
• If you cast investiture of flame with beneficial features, those features will affect only you since you are directly affected by the magic. If you cast the same spell with detrimental features, those features will affect creatures who fail a save against the flame effect that the spell allows you to create only if the designated target fails a save against the effect before the end of your next turn.
• If you cast catapult with beneficial features, those features will have no effects because they are not targeting a creature. If you cast the same spell with detrimental features, those features will affect creatures who fail a save against the flying projectile effect that the spell allows you to create only if the designated target fails a save against the effect before the end of your next turn.

Major Transmutation Innovation

Starting at the 10th level you have researched the ways in which you can enrich your magics so fully that you can instill even more powerful versions of your transmutation features in the spells you cast.

When you cast a  transmutation spell of 1st level or higher, you may weave into it advanced versions of your Minor Transmutation Innovation effects. The effects work the same as Minor Transmutation Innovation, with a few exceptions.

You may either embellish a magic effect or experiment with it as a free action. If you choose to embellish, select 1 beneficial or detrimental feature from the table below that will be worked into your magical effect. If you choose to experiment, roll 2d8 and continue to reroll 1 one of the dice each time you come up with doubles. Then select either 2 beneficial or 2 detrimental features from the corresponding row in the table below.

The next time you cast a transmutation spell on this turn, the feature or features chosen will be woven into the spell.

Unlike Minor Transmutation Innovation features, however, these features are more powerful.

Instead of just one creature, all creatures directly affected by your magic will gain benefits when you apply beneficial features.

Instead of just one creature,  all creatures that fail a save against the spell or an effect created by the spell suffer the additional features when you apply detrimental effects.

If the spell requires concentration, then as long as you maintain concentration on the spell,  the selected features will continue to apply to all creatures still affected by your spell. You may also apply them again to an effect created by your spell on your turn, and if creatures fail their save against such an effect, the feature effects will be applied to them until the end of their next turn. Otherwise, the feature effects end at the end of the creature's next turn after they have been affected.

These feature effects occur after the normal spell, or cantrip effects have been applied.

You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

You may name the spell when using these features and describe how it works.

Examples:

• If you cast jump and apply detrimental features, those features will not take effect because there is no save for the creature to fail. If you apply beneficial features, those will take effect automatically (since your designated target was affected by the spell), but the effect would only last until the end of the target's next turn because the spell does not have concentration.
• If you cast barkskin and apply detrimental features, those features will not take effect because the target of the spell does not have a save they could fail. If you apply beneficial features, those will take effect automatically on the target and last as long as the concentration is maintained on the [Tooltip Not Found] spell and the target continues to be affected by the spell.
• If you cast polymorph with beneficial effect and the creature your designated target is willing, those effects will take place automatically (since they were directly affected by your magic). If you apply detrimental features, they will only affect the designated target if they fail their save against your spell. Either way, the feature's effects will last as long as you concentrate on the [Tooltip Not Found] and the creature is still affected by it.
• If you cast investiture of flame with beneficial features, those features will affect only you since you are directly affected by the magic, and they will last as long you are affected by the spell and maintain concentration on it. If you cast the same spell with detrimental features, those features will affect creatures who fail a save against the flame effect that the spell allows you to create only if they fail a save against the effect. In this case, the detrimental effects will only last until the end of their next turn.
• If you cast catapult with beneficial features, those features will have no effects because they are not targeting a creature. If you cast the same spell with detrimental features, those features will affect creatures who fail a save against the flying projectile effect that the spell allows you to create only if the designated target fails a save against the effect before the end of your next turn.

Transmutation Invention

Starting at 14th level, you have done so much research and experimentation that you are ready to make your own spell creations.

You may make 2 spells of a level you can cast.

Choose a transmutation spell you can cast of any level as your base spell and choose 1 or 2 beneficial or 1 or 2 detrimental features from the table below.

If you chose 1 feature choose a spell of 8th level or below, your new spell will be considered 1 level higher than the base spell. If you chose 2 features choose a base spell of 7th level or below, your spell will be considered 2 levels higher than the base spell.

When you cast the spell it will have the same effects as the base spell, but the features you have chosen will also be woven into the spell.

The features woven into the spell will have the same effect as those described in Major Transmutation Innovation.

You may name the spells and describe how they work.

You may teach the spells to other wizards.

You may cast the spells created at the same level as the base spell, consuming a slot of that level, you may do so twice before completing a long rest.

Write the spells you have chosen, along with the features you have chosen, and the final level of your spells down on your character sheet and give it a new name.

You may create one new spell in this same manner at 18th wizard level, and another one at 20th wizard level.