Arcane Tradition

The following is an Arcane Tradition option available to wizards in addition to those in the Player’s Handbook.

Lore Mastery

Lore Mastery is an arcane tradition fixated on understanding the underlying mechanics of magic. It is the most academic of all arcane traditions. The promise of uncovering new knowledge or proving (or discrediting) a theory of magic is usually required to rouse its practitioners from their laboratories, academies, and archives to pursue a life of adventure.

Known as savants, followers of this tradition are a bookish lot who see beauty and mystery in the application of magic. The results of a spell are less interesting to them than the process that creates it. Some savants take a haughty attitude toward those who follow a tradition focused on a single school of magic, seeing them as provincial and lacking the sophistication needed to master true magic. Other savants are generous teachers, countering ignorance and deception with deep knowledge and good humour.

Lore Master

Starting at 2nd level, you become a compendium of knowledge on a vast array of topics. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion skill if you are proficient in that skill.

In addition, your analytical abilities are so well-honed that your initiative in combat can be driven by mental agility, rather than physical agility. When you roll initiative, it is either an Intelligence check or a Dexterity check for you (your choice).

Spell Secrets

At 2nd level, you master the first in a series of arcane secrets uncovered by your extensive studies.

When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell deals acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder damage, you can substitute that damage type with one other type from that list (you can change only one damage type per casting of a spell). You replace one energy type for another by altering the spell’s formula as you cast it.

When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell requires a saving throw, you can change the saving throw from one ability score to another of your choice. Once you change a saving throw in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Metamagic

At 6th level, you learn to augment spells in a variety of ways. You gain two Metamagic options of your choice chosen from the options presented at the end of this class description. You gain another one at 10th and 14th level. Each Metamagic option adjusts the effective level of the spell it modifies. The effective level of the spell cannot exceed the highest level spell that you can cast.

Casting a spell at a higher level in this way does not trigger other benefits for casting spells at higher levels. For example, if you were to cast the scorching ray spell as a 2nd-level spell

and use the Subtle Spell Metamagic option, you would not create an additional ray as you would if you were to have cast the spell using a 3rd-level spell slot without using a Metamagic option.

You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.

Prodigious Memory

At 10th level, you have attained a greater mastery of spell preparation. As a bonus action, you can replace one spell you have prepared with another spell from your spellbook. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Master Erudite

At 14th level, you have become a true savant of arcane lore. You add two additional spells to your spellbook, and every time you gain a level in the wizard class you add three spells to your spellbook instead of two.

Additionally, you add your proficiency bonus to the total number of wizard spells you can prepare for the day.

Metamagic

If a Metamagic option has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. You must declare that you are using a Metamagic option on a spell before you cast it.

Careful Spell

When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, increase the effective level of the spell by 1 and choose a number of those creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Distant Spell

When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 1 to double the range of the spell.

When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 1 to make the range of the spell 30 feet.

Empowered Spell

When you roll damage for a spell, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 1 to reroll a number of the damage dice of that spell up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You must decide to use the new rolls.

You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.

Extended Spell

When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 1 to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Heightened Spell

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 3 to increase the spell’s save DC by 2.

Alternatively, you may increase the effective level of the spell by 3 to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

Quickened Spell

When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 2 to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

Subtle Spell

When you cast a spell, you can increase the effective level of the spell by 1 to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.

Twinned Spell

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can double the spell’s effective level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (or cast the spell at 1st level if the spell is a cantrip).

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.

Credits

This version of the Lore Mastery arcane tradition is heavily based on the original version that appeared in the official Unearthed Arcana, with some notable changes.

Many thanks go to the creative minds of Reddit for feedback on this version.

Art Credits

• “140203 S” by Park Jiwan, re–edited by Taylor Reisdorf
• “Magic Book” by Indre “Freeminds” Bankauskaite, re–edited by Taylor Reisdorf