Scholarship Mage v. 1.1

Some wizards earn their place at prestigious magical academies through years of disciplined study, exceptional intellect, and an unwavering devotion to the arcane arts.

You had other talents.

Scholarship Mages are the magical academy's athletes, duelists, charming underachievers, and perennial group-project partners. They learned enough magical theory to stay eligible, discovered which classmates were willing to share their notes, and developed an uncanny ability to reproduce things they had seen more talented students do.

A Scholarship Mage may struggle to explain why a spell works, but that doesn't necessarily stop them from casting it.

Usually.

 Version corrects radial button tracker for limited use abilities.

***created with AI assistance

Athletic Scholarship

Your talents outside the classroom are largely responsible for getting you this far.

You gain proficiency with light armor and with medium armor that does not impose disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

You also gain proficiency with martial weapons that do not have the Heavy property.

You gain proficiency in your choice of Athletics or Acrobatics. If you are already proficient in the chosen skill, your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks you make using that skill.

In addition, you can use a non-Heavy weapon with which you are proficient as an arcane focus for your wizard spells.

Casting in Medium Armor

You can move well enough in flexible armor to cast spells, but the additional weight and restriction make your already-questionable technique even less reliable.

While wearing medium armor, your Just Enough to Stay Eligible feature triggers a Magical Screwup on a roll of 1–4 on the d10, rather than 1–3.

Light armor does not increase your chance of a Magical Screwup.

Medium armor that imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks is too restrictive for your improvised spellcasting technique, and you are not proficient with it through this subclass.

Acrobatics

You gain proficiency in Acrobatics. If you are already proficient in Acrobatics, your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks you make using that skill.

Athletics

You gain proficiency in Athletics. If you are already proficient in Athletics, your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks you make using that skill.

Level 6: Practice Makes Perfect

You may never have completely understood the theory, but repetition has its advantages. Like any good athlete, you've learned that if you practice the fundamentals often enough, eventually you can perform them without thinking.

6th Level

Beginning at 6th level, when you cast a 1st-level wizard spell using a spell slot, you no longer need to roll for your Just Enough to Stay Eligible feature. The spell functions normally.

When you cast a 2nd-level wizard spell using a spell slot, you have advantage on the d10 roll made for your Just Enough to Stay Eligible feature. When you have advantage on this roll, roll two d10s and use the higher result.

10th Level

Beginning at 10th level, your Practice Makes Perfect feature improves:

1st- and 2nd-level spells: You do not roll for Just Enough to Stay Eligible. The spell functions normally.

3rd- and 4th-level spells: You have advantage on the d10 roll made for Just Enough to Stay Eligible.

5th-level and higher spells: You make the d10 roll normally.

14th Level

Beginning at 14th level, your Practice Makes Perfect feature improves again:

1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-level spells: You do not roll for Just Enough to Stay Eligible. The spell functions normally.

4th- and 5th-level spells: You have advantage on the d10 roll made for Just Enough to Stay Eligible.

6th-level and higher spells: You make the d10 roll normally.

Medium Armor

While wearing medium armor, your Casting in Medium Armor rules still apply. Whenever a Just Enough to Stay Eligible roll is required, a Magical Screwup occurs on a roll of 1–4 rather than 1–3.

I Saw Someone Do This Once

Practice Makes Perfect applies only to wizard spells you cast normally. It does not apply to spells attempted using I Saw Someone Do This Once, which still require their normal Intelligence (Arcana) check.

Level 10: Go-To Play

Every successful athlete has something they can execute almost automatically when it matters most. You've finally developed the magical equivalent.

When you finish a long rest, choose one 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level wizard spell in your spellbook. That spell becomes your Go-To Play until you finish your next long rest.

Once before your next long rest, you can cast your Go-To Play without expending a spell slot. You must have the spell prepared and provide any components normally required by the spell.

The spell is cast at its lowest level and cannot be upcast when cast using this feature.

Casting your Go-To Play still interacts with Just Enough to Stay Eligible normally. However, because 1st- and 2nd-level spells automatically succeed through Practice Makes Perfect and you have advantage on the roll for a 3rd-level spell, your more thoroughly practiced plays are considerably more reliable.

Once you cast your Go-To Play without expending a spell slot, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Level 14: Professional Copier

You may still struggle to explain the finer points of advanced magical theory, but after years of borrowing notes, studying other spellcasters, and reconstructing their work, you've become exceptionally efficient at reproducing magic once you've gotten your hands on it.

Beginning at 14th level, when you copy a wizard spell into your spellbook, you do not need to expend gold to copy the spell, and the time required is reduced to 1 hour for each level of the spell.

This benefit applies both when copying a spell from a normal written source and when reconstructing a spell using your Eyes on Someone Else's Paper feature.

When reconstructing a spell using Eyes on Someone Else's Paper, you must still make the required Intelligence (Arcana) check for each separate day on which you work on the spell. On a failed check, the time spent that day does not count toward completing the reconstruction, but you lose no gold or materials.

All other restrictions of Eyes on Someone Else's Paper, including Losing Your Place, continue to apply.

Level 14: Career Highlight

Sometimes everything comes together at exactly the right moment. You attempt magic you still haven't completely mastered, somehow execute it correctly, and then manage to do something with it that even the people who actually studied might have trouble explaining.

When you cast a wizard spell of 4th level or higher, make a roll for your Just Enough to Stay Eligible feature, and successfully avoid a Magical Screwup, you can make that spell your Career Highlight.

Choose one of the following benefits:

Above Your Level. Treat the spell as though it were cast using a spell slot one level higher than the slot you expended, to a maximum of 9th level.

Everything Clicked. If the spell deals damage or restores hit points, after rolling, you can reroll a number of those dice up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.

Perfect Execution. If the spell requires a saving throw, choose one creature affected by the spell. That creature has disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes against the spell. If the spell instead requires a spell attack, you have advantage on the first spell attack roll you make for the spell.

Locked In. If the spell requires concentration, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws you make to maintain concentration on that spell for its duration.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Level 10: Big Mage on Campus

Your accomplishments have begun to attract attention. Whether people admire your magical talent, your athletic prowess, your confidence, or simply the stories told about you, you've learned how to use your growing reputation to your advantage.

You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion), Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Intimidation), and Charisma (Performance) checks made against a creature that recognizes you or knows of your reputation.

A creature need not admire you for you to gain this benefit. Fame, rivalry, resentment, and notoriety can be every bit as useful as admiration.

The DM determines when a creature is familiar enough with your reputation for this feature to apply.

Level 6: Just Hit It

You've learned that complicated magical problems become considerably easier when you remember that hitting things is also an option.

Beginning at 6th level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can attack twice, instead of once.

In addition, when you cast a wizard spell of 1st level or higher on your turn and successfully avoid triggering a Magical Screwup from your Just Enough to Stay Eligible feature, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

You must use a weapon with which you are proficient that does not have the Heavy property to make this bonus attack.

A spell cast using I Saw Someone Do This Once also qualifies for this bonus attack if you succeed on the Intelligence (Arcana) check required to cast the spell.

Level 2: Just Enough to Stay Eligible

ou learned magic, although your grasp of the finer points remains questionable.

Whenever you cast a wizard spell of 1st level or higher using a spell slot, roll a d10.

On a 4–10, you remembered enough of the lesson. The spell functions normally.

On a 1–3, something has gone wrong. Roll a d20 on the Magical Screwup table below and resolve the result instead.

While wearing medium armor through your Athletic Scholarship feature, a Magical Screwup occurs on a 1–4 instead.

Cantrips do not trigger this feature.

If another Scholarship Mage feature specifically instructs you to roll on the Magical Screwup table, you do so without making this d10 roll.

Magical Screwup Table

Unless a result states otherwise, the spell slot used to attempt the spell is expended.

d20	Result
1	That's Not Supposed to Happen
2–3	Wrong Target
4–5	Delayed Reaction
6–8	Close Enough
9–11	Guessed Correctly
12–14	I Meant to Do That
15–17	Extra Credit
18–19	Better Than the Notes
20	Task Failed Successfully

1 — That's Not Supposed to Happen

You don't merely get the spell wrong. The magical energy you were attempting to control collapses violently back into you.

The spell fails, and you take 1d10 force damage for each level of the spell slot expended.

In addition, if you are concentrating on a spell, your concentration on that spell immediately ends.

2–3 — Wrong Target

The spell works. Unfortunately, you seem to have gotten confused about where it was supposed to go.

The spell is cast normally, but its target or point of origin is determined randomly from among the valid targets or locations within the spell's range.

If the spell targets one or more creatures, the DM randomly determines the spell's target or targets from among creatures that could normally be targeted by the spell.

If the spell instead affects an area, the DM randomly determines a valid point of origin for the spell within its range.

If there is no valid alternative target or location, the spell fails.

4–5 — Delayed Reaction

Nothing happens.

You're pretty sure something was supposed to happen.

At the start of your next turn, the spell takes effect using the targets, choices, and point of origin you selected when you originally cast it. The spell functions normally and does not trigger Just Enough to Stay Eligible again.

For an area spell, the original point of origin remains fixed in place even if you move before the spell takes effect.

For a spell targeting one or more creatures, an original target must still be a valid target when the spell takes effect. If it is no longer a valid target, that portion of the spell fails.

6–8 — Close Enough

The spell works.

Mostly.

The spell takes effect normally, but its effectiveness is reduced. Halve any damage, healing, temporary hit points, or numerical bonus or penalty produced by the spell. If the spell does not produce one of these effects but has a duration longer than instantaneous, halve its duration instead.

Round down when necessary, to a minimum of 1.

In addition, you immediately shrink by one size category for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot you expended.

Your equipment shrinks with you. This change does not alter your ability scores, Armor Class, hit points, speed, weapon damage, or other statistics; your size category simply changes.

At the end of the final round, you and your equipment return to your normal size.

9–11 — Guessed Correctly

You were certain something had gone wrong.

Apparently, you were wrong about that too.

Despite triggering a Magical Screwup, the spell functions normally.

The spell slot is expended as normal, and the spell has its normal targets, effects, duration, and other properties.

12–14 — I Meant to Do That

The spell works exactly as intended.

What you do immediately afterward does not.

The spell functions normally.

Immediately after casting it, you must move directly toward the nearest hostile creature you can perceive, spending as much of half your speed as necessary to reach it, or the full amount if you cannot reach it. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

You must then attempt to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

If the creature is within your reach, make the attack normally.

If the creature is not within your reach after you move, you nevertheless swing your weapon enthusiastically in its general direction, accomplishing nothing.

If you cannot perceive any hostile creatures, you instead move up to half your speed in a direction determined randomly by the DM and make an equally enthusiastic melee attack against nothing in particular.

This movement and attack require no action or bonus action.

15–17 — Extra Credit

Not only did the spell work, but somehow you ended up with more magical energy than you started with. You're not entirely sure where it came from, and asking questions seems unwise.

The spell functions normally.

In addition, choose one of the following benefits:

Get That One Back. You immediately regain the spell slot you expended to cast the spell.

I Think I Have Some Left Over. You immediately regain two expended spell slots. Each recovered slot must be of a spell level for which your Practice Makes Perfect feature allows you to cast a wizard spell without making a Just Enough to Stay Eligible roll.

If you do not have two expended spell slots that qualify, you regain as many qualifying expended spell slots as are available.

18–19 — Better Than the Notes

Something went wrong with the spell.

Whatever it was, you should probably start doing it on purpose.

The spell functions normally.

In addition, choose one of the following benefits:

Better Results. You can reroll a number of dice you roll as part of the spell up to your proficiency bonus. You choose which dice to reroll after seeing their results. A die can be rerolled only once using this effect, and you must use the new roll.

Feeling Pretty Good. You gain temporary hit points equal to three times the level of the spell slot expended.

Beginner's Luck. You gain a +2 bonus to your Armor Class for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot expended. If you are not in combat when you gain this benefit, its duration does not begin until you next roll initiative.

Once its duration begins, it lasts for the indicated number of rounds, even if combat ends before all of those rounds have elapsed.

If you gain Beginner's Luck again before the previous benefit has ended, the durations do not stack. Instead, use whichever remaining duration is longer.

20 — Task Failed Successfully

Against all reason, your mistake somehow works out better than what you were trying to do.

The spell you attempted fails, but the spell slot you expended is immediately restored.

You can then immediately cast any wizard spell in your spellbook of the same level or lower as part of the same action, without expending another spell slot. The spell does not need to be prepared.

This replacement spell automatically succeeds and does not trigger Just Enough to Stay Eligible.

You must provide any material components normally required by the replacement spell.

Level 2: I Saw Someone Do This Once

Your understanding of magical theory may leave something to be desired, but you've always been remarkably good at watching someone else do something and convincing yourself you can do it too.

When you see a creature cast a spell, you can attempt to memorize enough of its technique to imitate it yourself.

The spell must be of a level for which you have a wizard spell slot, and you must be able to see the creature as it casts the spell. You do not need to have the spell prepared, have it in your spellbook, or even have it on the wizard spell list.

You remember the observed spell until you finish your next long rest. You can remember only one spell at a time with this feature. Observing another spell does not replace the spell you are currently remembering unless you choose to replace it.

Trying It Yourself

While you remember the spell, you can attempt to cast it by expending a spell slot of the spell's level or higher.

You provide the spell's normal components and use Intelligence as your spellcasting ability for it.

When you attempt to cast the spell, make an Intelligence (Arcana) check. The DC equals:

10 + the spell's level

On a success, you cast the spell normally.

On a failure, the spell slot is expended, but you don't quite reproduce what you saw. Roll on the subclass's Magical Screwup table to determine what happens instead.

Whether the attempt succeeds or fails, you continue to remember the spell and may attempt to cast it again, provided you have an appropriate spell slot.

"Wait, I Think I've Got It"

If you successfully cast a wizard spell using this feature, that spell becomes eligible for your Eyes on Someone Else's Paper feature.

Successfully imitating a spell does not otherwise teach you the spell, add it to your spellbook, or allow you to prepare it.

Level 10: Good Footwork

You've spent enough time practicing footwork to know that sometimes the best defense against an incoming attack is simply not being where it lands.

Beginning at 10th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Rules Note: This feature functions identically to the Evasion feature; Good Footwork is simply the Scholarship Mage's name for it.

Level 14: Second Nature

After years of combining physical training with improvised spellcasting, the distinction between fighting and casting has become almost instinctive.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with the casting of a wizard cantrip that has a casting time of 1 action.

In addition, when you cast a wizard spell of 1st level or higher using your action and successfully avoid a Magical Screwup from Just Enough to Stay Eligible, you can make two weapon attacks as a bonus action, instead of the one weapon attack normally granted by Just Hit It.

If you cast a spell using I Saw Someone Do This Once, you gain this benefit if you succeed on the Intelligence (Arcana) check required to cast the spell.

The weapon attacks granted by this feature must be made using weapons with which you are proficient that do not have the Heavy property.

Level 2: Eyes On Someone Else's Paper

You have a remarkable talent for copying the work of more capable spellcasters, even when you don't entirely understand how they did it.

When you successfully cast a wizard spell that is not in your spellbook using your I Saw Someone Do This Once feature, you retain enough of the spell's structure to attempt to reconstruct it.

You must begin copying the spell into your spellbook before you finish your next long rest. Once you begin, you can continue working on the spell on subsequent days even after completing a long rest.

The spell must be a wizard spell of a level you could normally add to your spellbook.

Reconstructing the Spell

Reconstructing the spell requires the same total time and gold normally required to copy a wizard spell into your spellbook: 2 hours and 50 gp for each level of the spell.

For each separate day on which you work on reconstructing the spell, after spending at least 2 hours working on it, make an Intelligence (Arcana) check. The DC equals:

10 + the spell's level

On a success, the time you spent that day counts toward the time required to copy the spell.

On a failure, you make no progress that day. Any time and materials expended that day are lost, but you retain any progress made on previous days and may try again on a later day.

Once you accumulate the required amount of successful work, the reconstruction is complete and you add the spell to your spellbook.

Losing Your Place

You can have only one spell being reconstructed using this feature at a time.

If you begin reconstructing a different spell before completing your current one, all progress on the previous spell is permanently lost. Your incomplete notes, half-remembered gestures, and improvised magical shorthand no longer make enough sense for you to resume the work.

You cannot return to that incomplete reconstruction or continue from where you left off. To attempt to reconstruct that spell again, you must successfully cast it again using I Saw Someone Do This Once, begin a new reconstruction before your next long rest, and start the copying process over from the beginning.