School of the Split Mind

Wizards of this school learn to partition their mind, and focus on multitasking in extreme situations. Mastery of this skill grants a flexibility that most other wizards can not reach, but at the cost of straining the user's mind to the extreme.

A rare school, candidates have to go through a harsh selection process to ensure that their minds would withstand the strain of the rigorous training needed.

Arcane multitasking

At 2nd level, you have learned to focus different segments of your mind on different tasks. This enables you to cast a spell with a cast time of 1 action as a bonus action instead.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Spells as bonus actions:

When you cast a spell as a bonus action, you can’t cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

Extreme concentration

Starting at 2nd level, your ability to partition your mind enables you to maintain concentration on two spells at the same time. You can choose whether or not you use this ability when casting the new spell.

When you cast your second concentration spell you take damage equal to the level of the spell slot used. This damage may not be reduced in any way, and bypasses temporary health points.

If you succeed at the subsequent concentration check, you cast the new spell and maintain concentration on both spells. If you fail, you lose concentration on the old spell but cast the new one.

While maintaing concentration on two spells, you have disadvantage on concentration checks. You either maintain concentration on both or lose it on both.

Photo-Illustration: by Preeti Kinha; Photos: Getty

Mind palace

Starting at 6th level, you command your imagination to such an extent that you create a space of your choosing you can retreat your consciousness to. While you are in your mind palace, you gain the following benefits and drawbacks:

• You gain expertise in all (Int) skills you are proficient with.
• You can store notes and information in your mind palace, which you can perfectly recall whenver you seek them later.
• You can spend a quarter of the time required to transcribe a spell studying it in your mind palace. Upon exiting your mind palace, you can transcribe the new spell in your spellbook in a minute. This does not alter the financial cost of transcribing new spells.
• You are blinded and deafened to external stimuli, but can still feel physical contact.

Contingency plans

At 6th level, you are able to retreat to your mind palace in combat situations to restrategize.

You can spend your entire turn to retreat to your mind palace in order to swap a number of spells from your prepared spell list equal to a quarter of your Wizard level - rounded down. with other spells from your spellbook. You can not take reactions until the start of your next turn, when you leave your mind palace with an updated list of prepared spells.

Note: Swapping out a spell you are concentrating on dismisses its effects the moment you perform this action

You can only use this feature once per long rest.

Your mind palace:

Your mind palace can take any form you choose, but may not exceed the size of a 50ft sphere. Traditionally mind palaces are convoluted libraries, but your keen mind can navigate them at ease.

If some creature peers into your mind, it is likely to see your mind palace, rather than the visions it is accustomed to see in other creatures.

Entering your mind palace through any means requires concentration, and is therefore subject to the same rules as concentration spells. Attempting to enter your mind palace while maintaining a concentration spell using extreme concentration triggers 5 damage.

Durable mind

At 10th level, you learn to steel your mind from external intrusions.

• You gain resistance to psychic damage.
• You are aware when targeted by mind altering or intruding spells (e.g Detect thoughts) at the discretion of your DM You are aware of this effect before having to roll any saving throw.
• Once you detect the spell being cast against you, you can use your reaction to force an intelligence saving throw on the caster against your spell DC, taking 6d10 psychic damage on a failed save, half on a successful one.

Sovereign of the mind palace

Starting at 14th level, you can meditate in your mind palace to further sharpen your focus. After spending an hour in your mind palace, you have advantage on Concentration checks for the following 3 hours. You may use this feature as part of a short or long rest.