School of Academia

While many wizards, in their education, reach the pinnacles of their field, many more are caught by a web of bureaucracy, student loans, and despair. For those trapped in such circumstances, the options are death or adaption. Wizards who train in the school of academia have learned a cutthroat brand of magic, refined through years of resentment, passive aggression, and team-building exercises. Though often underestimated, they can be some of the most dangerous forces in all the multiverse, using a concoction of enchantment, divination, abjuration, and the purest rage.

Arcane Rhetoric

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, you have learned the tools of your trade. You gain proficiency with calligraphers tools and one skill of your choice. Additionally, when conveying information through writing, you may add your Intelligence modifier to any deception, persuasion, or intimidation checks you make.

Anything You Can Do...

Beginning at 2nd level, Dealing with the many spells of lesser wizards has taught you to cut them off as soon as they start. when a hostile creature casts a spell within 60ft of you, you may use your reaction to cast a spell first. the spell must require a higher spell slot and take an action to cast. If you target the initial spellcaster with your spell, they must make a Wisdom saving throw to maintain concentration. If they fail, their spell is lost and any spell slot they used is still expended. After you take this reaction, the only spells you can cast your next turn are cantrips.

Thaumaturgical Bias

Starting at 6th level, you have manipulated the chronomancy that other academics use to maintain their reputation and weaponized it. When you cast a spell that requires an attack roll, you can cancel the spell and retrieve the spell slot after you see the roll but before you know the outcome of the spell. You expend the action, bonus action, or reaction you used to cast the spell but may continue through the rest of your turn. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Tenured Casting

Beginning at 10th level, you have tied the weave of your spells to the souls of various senile wizards, grabbing their abjuration magic as your own. Whenever a spell you cast would be canceled before its time elapses, roll a d20. If the spell was canceled through another spell such as dispel magic, the spell continues if the roll is equal to or greater then 10. If you lose focus due to taking damage, you maintain concentration if the roll beats a 16. If you are incapacitated the role must be 20 for the spell to continue.

Publish or Perish

Starting at 14th level, you have mastered the magic system, trapping even the most resilient minds in soul-crushing enchantments. You can spend a spell slot of 5th level or lower as an action. Once you spend a spell slot in this way, every creature of your choice within 60ft must expend spell slot equal to or greater than the spell slot you used. Any creature that fails to expend a spell slot that fits the requirements immediately takes 10d8 psychic damage plus an additional d8 damage for every spell slot expended by the action. You can use this ability once and regain it when you finish a long rest.