Base Class: Wizard
PREFACE:
The features in this subclass are intended for players who are looking for:
- A fresh new spellcasting experience.
- Weird and janky options for wacky spells.
- Customized spells to match the flavor of their character, or campaign setting.
- Ways to give some of the less-than-useful spells in 5e a second chance.
The Spellcrafter Wizard is a subclass designed for intermediate to experienced players who are already familiar with the Wizard spell list and know their way around a spellbook. The options are meant to be balanced to a certain extent, but just like regular dnd, players may be able to use these features to break the game. That brings us to the next topic:
This subclass requires a high level of communication with the DM. To reflect the flavor of studying during downtime that the subclass evokes, it is highly recommended that the player works on spell customization between sessions, preparing modified spells that they might wish to add to their character in a future session when in-game circumstances allow the use of the features in this subclass. Potential modified spells should be submitted to the DM before or at the start of a session for approval.
Balanced spell creation is a complex subject. The restrictions and uses for spells in this subclass’s features aim to reflect that complexity and provide a comprehensive system for spell modification that makes up for its wordiness (as I see it, a necessary evil,) with clarity and flexibility.
Create Spell
Create Spell is a subclass ability that allows a Spellcrafter Wizard to modify an existing spell within their spellbook, based on a specific ruleset. The modified spell is created as a new spell, and replaces the original spell. The number and complexity of each modified spell is limited by the number of special spellbook pages, called Draft Pages, the wizard has available in their spellbook. The modification options are further described in detail below.
Spell Modification Requirements:
Using the Create Spell feature requires at least 1 day, during which time you must have conditions similar to that of a long rest, in a comfortable and studious environment. During the time period, you must successfully make an arcana check. The DC of the check is equal to 20, plus the level of the spell you attempt to modify (for example, a level 2 spell would require a DC 22 arcana check for a successful modification). The check can be made no more than once per day. If you fail the check, you may extend the time period up to 2 additional consecutive days before you must take a break from your studies. If the maximum period of three days passes, and no successful check is made, the attempt is unsuccessful, and a spell is not modified or created.
- A special environment, such as a Wizard’s Tower, Arcane Laboratory, Library, or Magic School, or a special magically trained assistant, may be able to give you advantage on your Arcana check (at the DM’s discretion).
Restrictions:
- Creating your own spell is a huge undertaking- a rare and exciting event. As a Spellcrafter, you join the ranks of legendary wizards, such as Mordenkainen, Tasha, and more. After using Create Spell, it cannot be used again for 1d10 days, or a similar condition may be provided at the DM’s discretion. This restriction applies even if a successful Arcana check is not performed, and a spell is not modified or created.
- Create Spell modifies an existing spell in your spell book, consuming the original spell, and replacing it with the modified spell.
- You may NOT choose the same modification more than once on any modified spell.
- You may NOT modify the level of a spell- it remains the same level before and after modification.
- You cannot use Create Spell on a spell that has already been modified.
- Create Spell cannot be used on another creature or object. Modified spells are very personal creations and therefore cannot be shared with another creature (DM’s Discretion).
- Create Spell cannot be used with a cantrip.
- A Modified spell must be prepared just like any other Wizard spell.
- Create Spell can only be used with spells from the Wizard spell list.
- Each modified spell must have a unique name.
Drafting Pages:
Modified Spells are written on special ‘Drafting Pages’ in your spellbook. A spell with a single modification can be written on one Drafting Page. A spell with two modifications requires two Drafting Pages, and so on. A spell may not have more than 5 modifications.
Starting at Wizard level 2, you may have 2 Drafting Pages in your spell book.
At Wizard level 6, gain an additional Drafting Page.
At Wizard level 10, gain an additional Drafting Page.
At Wizard level 14, gain an additional Drafting Page.
At Wizard level 20, you may copy your Drafting Pages to share your modified spells with other creatures.
If your Drafting Pages in your spellbook are full, you may erase one or more of your existing modified spells to fit a new modified spell. Erasing one page of a modified spell that is written on multiple pages removes that entire spell from the spellbook.
Alternative methods to acquire Drafting Pages:
Instead of gaining Drafting Pages by level, you may discuss with your DM the option to gain additional Drafting Pages from quest loot, milestone rewards, magical equipment shops, or other means depending on the campaign setting. Whatever method you and your DM choose, it is recommended to follow the chart above as a general guide.
Modifications:
Modifications are the options you choose from when modifying a spell using the Create Spell feature. Each modification has a name, number, and description. The number is the Modifier Level for that modification. As Modifier levels increase, the underlined text in the description may also change.
Modification Upgrades:
As you advance in your adventure, you will find ways to enhance your spell creation. As you level up, higher modification levels will be available to you. These higher levels have alternative text that replaces the underlined portions of text in the base modification description, allowing for more powerful modification options. When gaining higher levels of a modification, all previous lower levels are still available to you. Once you learn a modification, it is available to you forever.
The following is a list of modifications in their base forms (Modifier Level 1). Below each modification are the alteration options to the base forms. Use the Modifier Level Table to determine what Modifier Levels of each modification are available to you.
Modification List:
Ritual 1: The spell must be cast only as a ritual. The time to cast the spell as a ritual is 1 hour. Casting the spell requires conditions conducive to focus, similar to that of a short rest. A spell cast this way cannot be cast more than 3 times per day.
- At Modifier Level 2, the underlined text in the description becomes “30 minutes”.
- At Modifier Level 3, the underlined text in the description becomes “10 minutes”.
- At Modifier Level 4, the underlined text in the description becomes “1 minute”.
- At Modifier Level 5, the underlined text in the description becomes “10 minutes, and the spell can be cast once as a ritual during a long or short rest”.
Delay 1: On a successful casting, choose a location in range in accordance with the spell’s text. The effects of the spell are delayed by 6 or 12 seconds (Choose 1 option when modifying spell). After the delay is over, the spell’s effects occur at the specified location. If the spell was cast on a target, and the target moves out of the spell’s range during the delay, the spell ends and no effects occur.
- At Modifier Level 2, the underlined text in the description becomes “6 or 12 seconds (Choose 2 options when modifying the spell).”
- At Modifier Level 3, the underlined text in the description becomes “No Delay, 6, or 12 seconds (Choose 2 options when modifying the spell).”
- At Modifier Level 4, the underlined text in the description becomes “6 or 12 seconds, or 1 minute (Choose 2 options when modifying the spell).”
- At Modifier Level 5, the underlined text in the description becomes “No Delay, 6, or 12 seconds, or 10 minutes (Choose 2 options when modifying the spell).”
Flexible Upcast 1: If the spell can be upcasted, the spell must always be upcast, but multiple slots can be added together for the additional upcast cost. (For example, to upcast a level 3 spell to level 5, you may use a level 3 spell slot, and a level two spell slot OR a level 3 spell slot and two level one spell slots.) A spell cast in this way may not be upcast to level higher than spell level 2.
- At Modifier Level 2 and above, the underlined text in the description becomes “A number equal to the Modifier Level, plus one”.
Dice Swap 1: Swap one instance(s) of dice mentioned in a spell’s text with two smaller dice according to the following options: 1d8 becomes 2d4. 1d10 becomes 2d6 (but re-roll all sixes). 1d12 becomes 2d6. If a spell requires you to roll more than one die, (say, “4d8 damage”), you may only swap one of those die, (in this example, becoming 2d4 + 3d8).
- At Modifier Level 2 and above, the underlined text in the description becomes “A number equal to the Modifier Level”.
Transmute Elements 1: A damage type referenced in the spell’s text is replaced with one of the following types: Thunder, Cold, Fire, or Poison damage.
Choose the type during spell modification.
- At Modifier Level 2, the underlined text in the description becomes “Lightning, Thunder, Cold, Fire, Poison, Piercing, Slashing, or Bludgeoning”.
- At Modifier Level 3, the underlined text in the description becomes “Lightning, Thunder, Cold, Fire, Poison, Piercing, Slashing, Acid, Psychic, Necrotic, or Bludgeoning”.
- At Modifier Level 4, the underlined text becomes “Lightning, Thunder, Cold, Fire, Poison, Piercing, Slashing, Acid, Psychic, Necrotic, Radiant, or Bludgeoning”.
- At Modifier Level 5, the underlined text becomes “Lightning, Thunder, Cold, Fire, Poison, Piercing, Slashing, Acid, Psychic, Necrotic, Radiant, Force, or Bludgeoning”.
Range 1: If the spell’s range is not Self or Touch, the spell’s range increases by 30 ft times the Modifier Level. If the spell’s range is Self or Touch, or the casting time is 1 Reaction, the range increases by 5 ft times the Modifier Level.
- At Modifier Level 2, the underlined text in the description becomes “If the spell’s range is not Self”.
- At Modifier Level 3, the underlined text in the description is removed.
Radius 1: If the spell has a shaped area of effect, the size of the area is altered.
- Sphere and Cylinder: Shape becomes a Cube with the same dimensions.
- Cube: Edges increased or reduced in length by the Modifier Level times 5ft in length.
- Line: Length increased or reduced by the Modifier Level times 5ft.
- Cone: Length increased or reduced by the Modifier Level times 5ft.
- At Modifier Level 2 and above, the underlined text in the description becomes “Shape becomes a Cube, but with edge lengths increased or reduced by the Modifier Level times 5ft.”
Reduced Cost 1: The cost of the spell is reduced by 1 spell slot, but the spell cannot be upcast. A spell that is modified in this way may only be cast one time(s) per short rest, up to a maximum of two casts total per day. Reduced Cost cannot be used on spells of level 8 or above.
- At Modifier Level 2 and above, each underlined number in the description increases by one for each Modifier Level above Level 1. For example, at Modifier Level 2, each underlined number becomes “two”, and “three”, respectively.
- At Modifier Level 4, the cost of the spell is reduced by an additional spell slot.
Concentration 1: Spend an extra spell slot of level 1 or higher when casting this spell to gain advantage on concentration checks with this spell, but using your reaction breaks your concentration.
- At Modifier Level 2, the underlined text in the description becomes “gain advantage on concentration checks while casting this spell”.
- At Modifier Level 3, the underlined text in the description becomes “remove the concentration requirement of this spell. You must expend an additional spell slot of level one or higher each round the spell is active at the beginning of your turn, or the spell ends”.
Modifier Level Table:
Level 2: Delay 1, Range 1
Level 3: Dice Swap 1
Level 4: Ritual 1, Transmute Elements 1
Level 5: Flexible Upcast 1, Range 2
Level 6: Delay 2, Reduced Cost 1
Level 7: Radius 1, Dice Swap 2, Range 3, Concentration 1
Level 8: Ritual 2, Transmute Elements 2, Flexible Upcast 2
Level 9: Reduced Cost 2, Delay 3, Dice Swap 3
Level 10: Radius 2, Range 5, Flexible Upcast 3, Ritual 3
Level 11: Transmute Elements 3, Concentration 2
Level 12: Flexible Upcast 4, Ritual 4
Level 13: Delay 4, Dice Swap 4, Reduced Cost 3
Level 14: Radius 3, Range 6, Ritual 5
Level 15: Transmute Elements 4, Reduced Cost 4, Dice Swap 5
Level 16: Delay 5, Flexible Upcast 5, Concentration 3
Level 17: Radius 4, Dice Swap 6
Level 18: Transmute Elements 5
Level 19: Dice Swap 7, Flexible Upcast 6, Radius 5
Level 20: Flexible Upcast 7, Radius 6
Alternative Methods to Acquire Modifier Levels:
You and your DM may wish to use alternative means of providing modifications Or modification upgrades for your character in a more personal or thematic way for the character or campaign. If you chose alternate methods, make sure you communicate with your DM the value and power of modification upgrades, and that some modifications may be more powerful than others depending on which base spells the Wizard chooses, and depending on the situations the party may face.
Second Drafting Page
Add an additional Drafting Page to your spellbook.
Third Drafting Page
At Wizard Level 6, add an additional Drafting Page to your spellbook.
Arcane Innovation
Creativity Points:
Beginning at 10th level, you have learned to channel magic sparks of creativity to add extra modifications to your modified spells. When you use the Create Spell feature, you may add a number of 'Creativity Points' to your modified spell during the modification and creation process. Each modified spell can have a maximum of five Creativity Points. These Creativity Points should be marked next to the name and level of the spell when you write your spell on paper for reference.
For each creativity point, you may add an extra modification to the spell. These extra modifications do not count towards the number of Drafting Pages occupied by the modified spell in your spellbook. For example, a modified spell with two modifications and two creativity points has four modifications total, but occupies only two Drafting Pages.
When casting a spell that has Creativity Points, you must make a Constitution check without advantage. The DC of the Constitution check is equal to eight plus the spell's level, plus the total number of Creativity Points on the spell. On a failed check, you gain a level of exhaustion. It may be helpful to write the CON check DC on the spell when you write your spell on paper for reference.
Restrictions:
- Creativity Points cannot be removed from a modified spell.
- To use this feature, you must create a modified spell that occupies at least one Drafting Page in your spellbook.
- After a modified spell is added to your spellbook and the modification process has ended, it is too late to apply Creativity Points.
Fourth Drafting Page
At Wizard Level 10, add an additional Drafting Page to your spellbook.
Fifth Drafting Page
At Wizard Level 14, add an additional Drafting Page to your spellbook.