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In each group of classes, the primary class reflects its “mega-class”. Fighters are Warriors without the bells, Clerics are Priests with Turn Undead, etc. No more is this true than the Mage, which brings nothing to the table that the group didn’t already provide: it’s a Wizard given another new title (yes, the Magic-User got renamed twice), in order to differentiate it from a more focused spellcaster. (It’s also one of my primary motivations for doing away with the group system; if there is no practical difference between your main class and its container group, why keep the group?) So, even though they’re known as a Mage in 2e, I’ll constantly refer to them as a Wizard.
Normally at this point, I’d direct you to an overly in-depth History of the Class article set for more information on the changes that this class has gone through over 50+ years. Alas, he didn’t write one for the Wizard, so you’re on your own.
The challenge with this entry is that the Wizard class is not much more than its spells, and I haven’t reached the point where I’m ready to manufacture a hacked magic system. Let’s see if I can get through this without accidentally creating one.
1. Spellcasting
The Wizard has access to spellcasting, which as noted above, is their one and only true feature. In the case of this default version of the Wizard, they’re not restricted in what spells they can access or which schools of magic they can study; it’s a free-for-all, assuming you can find the spell to scribble into your spellbook. Schools are a subject for the Specialist Wizard, while spellbooks will be discussed shortly.
1.2. Spell Progression
While I’m a proponent of removing tables when warranted, it’s a requirement here. At the moment, I don’t see a need to alter this table.
I have stated in the past that I would love to remove the confusing “spell level” moniker from the system, so that you don’t have 2nd level spells become available at 3rd level, but that may be a fool’s errand.
1.3. Casting in Armor
Since we’ve opened all classes to wearing all armor, Wizards will need a reason not to. 2e handily already provides this by forbidding spellcasting if you’re wearing any. That’ll do.
1.4. Vancian Casting
Casting is Vancian, meaning that the Wizard needs to memorize their spells “after a restful night’s sleep,” spending 10 minutes per spell level to memorize any one spell. Once the spell is cast, it’s gone, wiped from memory. This means that if you want to cast Magic Missile twice, you’ll need to memorize it twice. Vancian casting was a staple of D&D up until 4e flipped the table; when 5e arrived as a return to form, it didn’t return this style of spellcasting, but instead introduced ‘spell slots’ which reset after a long rest. This has resulted in a decade’s worth of players who expect a ‘prepared spell’ to stay prepared.
While I think this type of spellcasting has a place in the hack (foreshadowing for the Cleric), I really like the gameplay challenge present in Vancian casting. It requires the Wizard’s player to make tactical decisions about what type of spells might be useful in the course of an adventure, and to ‘stock up’ on those spells much as they might choose some equipment over others before delving deep. It also makes the spellbook a more essential item.
In short, Vancian casting must remain an integral component of how the Wizard uses their one ability.
1.5. Cantrips
My only beef with this old-school method of spellcasting is that Wizards are not very magical at early levels. This is not to say that I think they should be slinging a dozen spells at first level. The powerlessness of the low-level Wizard is a big part of its design, as this class will eventually become the most powerful of all the classes during any sufficiently long campaign – the Quadratic Wizard and all that.
However, by walling all magic behind the Vancian system, this means the beginner Wizard is just a normal person except for one moment a day. To get the workaday magical effects of the Wizard, such as creating tiny light shows, puffs of wind, tinkling of music, and the like, you’ll need to cast the 1st level spell Cantrip. Memorizing a goofy spell designed to “amuse children” over something like Sleep is a wild choice, one which nobody is going to choose unless they have ample memorization slots, and even then, it’s a bad choice. Of course, there are other ‘minor’ spells which require this same memorization, leading them to be overlooked when your Wizard could serve themselves better by stocking up on the spells that make things explode.
3e opened this up a bit with the concept of 0-level spells (also
called Cantrips) with their own memorization allotment, and 5e blew the door open
by making Cantrips an unlimited feature. Both versions of this Cantrip feature
provide the Prestidigitation spell, which is just the renamed Cantrip
spell because the designers reused that name for the category. Included in this
new category are some utility spells with limited use, and which would rarely
be something you’d ‘prepare’ to use, such as Mending, Message, and
Wizard Arcane Mark. Added to these utilities are those spells
which you would just imagine a Wizard should be able to shoot off without
having to memorize them earlier in the day, such as Detect Magic and Read
Magic. While it does remove the need for torches if you’ve got a Wizard in
the party, Light makes it into the group, as well.
However, these Cantrips also include a number of damage-dealing spells (Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, etc.), which I think goes too far; Cantrips should be the minor stuff that Wizards do to be vaguely wizardly, not an alternate option to getting one’s hands dirty in a fight. If I’m going to give Wizards the ability to do magic outside of the Vancian system, which is what this section is clearly leading to, it should be restricted to the minor utilities that have no impact on combat.
For this hack, let’s give the Wizard the Cantrip feature at 1st level, allowing unlimited use and automatic access to Prestidigitation, Read Magic, and Detect Magic, along with one other from the list of Light, Mending, Message, and Wizard Mark. They can find or learn the rest along the way.
This may be too much, and if so, it can be pared back to just be an unlimited use of the Cantrip spell as written.
2. Spellbooks
The spellbook in the Vancian system is a brilliant mechanic, as it is the only source for a Wizard to replenish their used spells, rather than being a tool to reorganize a list of prepared spells after a nap. As a result, it is made into a precious, one-of-a-kind item that the Wizard will want to protect at all costs. It becomes an item to hide back at base, to keep safe from other Wizards, and to never, ever lose.
Spellbooks don’t require a deep dive in the Wizard’s class entry; that’s a job for the Magic chapter. Technically, most of the Wizard’s features are a job for the Magic chapter. The class entry just needs to note that they have access to it.
2.1. Starting Spells
Wizards start with as many spells as the DM says they do. The DMG offers three options: either the player picks whatever they want but has to roll for the possibility of not learning each spell, or the DM just picks, or the player and DM negotiate.
Modern editions definitely have an edge, in simply allowing players to pick their own spells without any input from the DM. The 2e DMG suggests some problems that come from giving the player the full spread: they’ll only pick the good stuff so that all Wizards will look the same, and they might overlook spells they really should have. The former isn’t borne out in my experience with a decade of 5e Wizards, while the latter doesn’t apply when I’ve handed over Read Magic and Detect Magic wholesale.
Let them pick their spells. Instead of messing with die rolls, they get half their Intelligence score worth of starting spells. Whatever they don’t pick becomes fodder for treasure.
2.2. Rituals
The 4e/5e DM in me wants to provide a way to use spellbooks to cast “rituals”. Rituals allow magic users to cast certain spells without expending their spell slots, which requires 10 minutes of faffing about to accomplish. In other words, it’s a way to let the player use utility spells without having to prepare them. Spellbooks could accomplish this, allowing you to read the magic directly off the page in the same amount of time that would be required to memorize the spell. This would allow more access (and use) of utility spells, while also creating an incentive for the Wizard to put their precious spellbook in danger, or to purchase and create (at great cost) a travel spellbook for that purpose.
As much as I like that, I really need to be careful about making the Wizard even more powerful than they already are. If Cantrips threaten to be a bridge too far, Rituals land well across the Rhine. As such, it will likely not make it to the final version.
3. Learning Spells
Wizards learn spells by finding them, then rolling against a Chance To Learn Spell stat; if they fail, they need to wait a level to learn the spell. I like this system, rather than the more modern system of letting the player pick whatever they want every level. It makes the Wizard work for it, requiring them to make discoveries, spend treasure, or chase down leads. Spells become valuable treasure.
As determined in the Intelligence entry, a basic Ability Check can replace the derivative Chance to Learn Spell value. That entry also amends the optional rules of spell learning limits, which replaces the Intelligence table column values with the character’s Intelligence score per spell level.
4. Researching Spells
Undoubtedly the coolest feature in the eyes of the 5e player, the Wizard can devise new spells from 1st level, as long as they have time, money, and a well-stocked laboratory. Implementation of the feature needs many detailed rules and a boatload of guidance, but the result is completely worth it. In my last game, the Wizards created a spell that perfectly copies any document (but which vanishes after a number of days equal to level) and a spell that makes a target’s shoes act like tap shoes (with a resulting loss of Dex-based AC). I mean, c’mon.
The core rules note that you can’t use this to create existing spells, which is a bit dumb. If the Wizard can’t find a listed spell they want in the wider world, why not let them try to build it themselves? It’ll cost them gold and time, so it’s not exactly a freebie. The Spells & Magic splatbook recognized this; it explicitly makes existing spells or “look-alike” spells available for spell research.
The rules and guidance go in the Magic chapter, and the class gets a note that they have access to it.
5. Creating Magical Items
In addition to making spells, they can also magic their stuff. The Wizard can create scrolls and potions starting at 9th level, and any magical item at 11th level. The rules are long, varied, and purposefully difficult; they boil down to an attempt to make the player put in serious work if they wish to create a permanent magic tool, which is probably the right call.
Interestingly, by the book, Wizards can’t brew healing and curing potions. They are “beyond the ken of wizards.” That ken is provided to the Cleric. Sure, it’s a nice way to keep the Cleric unique, but I don’t see the problem with letting the Wizard make a health potion; it can just be easier to make for the Cleric.
We’ll get to the Cleric later. For now, like spell research, the Wizard gets the magic item creation feature and some directions to the Magic chapter.
6. Spellcraft
This isn’t part of the Wizard’s collection of 2e features; it’s a Nonweapon Proficiency, one that you’d think the Wizard should already have. With the creation of Knowledge: Spellcraft in the Skills post, this seems like something to hand to the class.
7. Final Wizard
Wizard
Ability Requirements: Intelligence 9
Alignment: AnyWizards are practitioners of magic. They can cast spells, which they have spent years studying and recording in their spellbooks. With enough experience, they can craft unique spells and magical items.
Student of Magic: Gains the Knowledge: Spellcraft Skill, even if not using the optional Ability Skills rules.
Spellcasting: Can cast spells from all schools of magic. Must study and memorize spells from the Wizard’s spellbook to be able to cast them. Can memorize a number of spells per level as shown on the Wizard Spells table; after casting, that one memorized instance of the spell is erased from the Wizard’s mind. Cannot cast spells while wearing armor. See Magic: Spellcasting.
Cantrips: Has permanently memorized some minor spells and can cast them without limit. Starts with Prestidigitation, Read Magic, and Detect Magic, and may choose one other Cantrip listed in Spells: Cantrips.
Starting Spells: At 1st level, choose a number of 1st-level spells equal to half the Wizard’s Intelligence score. These spells are already recorded in the Wizard’s spellbook.
Spellbook: Has a spellbook containing the Wizard’s starting spells, which can be used to record new spells. See Magic: Spellbooks.
Spell Research: Can create new spells or research existing ones. See Magic: Research.
Magical Item Creation: At 9th level, can create scrolls and potions. At 11th level, can create magical items. See Magic: Item Creation.
Finally, the Wizard Spells table would be appended to this entry.
8. Conclusion
While I avoided creating an entire magic system here, this class gives some indication as to how that system may look. Spells now have Cantrips, which eliminates a spell tax while giving more access to the utilities that make one feel wizardly. The Magic chapter will need to cover spellcasting, spellbooks, research, and item creation. Vancian casting is firmly entrenched in the rules, and the spellbook remains an essential component of the system rather than a roleplay totem.
I’ve attempted to lay out the basics of how to use the class, rather than throw the full spellcasting rules into the class. As previously stated, that all belongs in the Magic chapter, and therefore the class rules simply point you to that.
Next, I need to determine how to present the Specialist Wizard as a kit.
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