The Magister pursuit reflects a desire to understand the theoretical workings of magic. Rather than the applied practice of the wizard schools, magisters pursue magic from philosophy and first principles, seeking to learn the workings of the Weave itself. What magisters lack in raw power, they more than make up for in understanding and interdisciplinary magical expertise.
Arcana Expertise
Beginning at 3rd level when you select this pursuit, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make using it.
Theoretical Arcanist
Also at 3rd level, you gain access to new maneuvers which reflect the progress of your magical research. Whenever you learn a new maneuver, you can choose from any of the following as well. The maneuvers are listed in alphabetical order.
- Arcane Assessment. You can expend a superiority die to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check as a bonus action, or as a reaction to seeing a creature cast a spell to attempt to identify the spell, adding the number rolled to the check.
- Bolstering Words. As a reaction when a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, you can expend a superiority die to add the number rolled to that creature’s saving throw. You can use this maneuver before or after the saving throw is made, but before any effects of the saving throw are determined.
- Defensive Ward. As a reaction when you are hit by a spell attack, you can expend a superiority die to add the number rolled to your Armor Class against that attack, potentially causing it to miss.
- Elemental Strike. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to charge your weapon with magical power. Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. The weapon attack deals extra damage of the chosen type equal to the number rolled.
- Force Bolt. As an action, you can expend a superiority die to make a ranged spell attack using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability against a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. If it hits, it deals force damage equal to two rolls of your superiority die to that creature.
- Measured Casting. When you make an ability check or a saving throw as part of the effect of a spell you control, or a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell, you can expend a superiority die to add to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the roll, but before any of its effects are determined.
- Read Magic. You can expend a superiority die as a bonus action to cast the comprehend languages spell without expending a spell slot. When cast this way, the spell lasts a number of minutes equal to the number rolled.
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Small Wonders
As an action, you can expend a superiority die to spontaneously use your magical knowledge to create minor spell effects. Depending on the number rolled, you cast the following spell/s as part of this action, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability:
Spellcasting
Finally at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells.
Interdisciplinary Spell List
Choose two spell lists from the following:
bard,
cleric,
druid,
sorcerer, and
wizard. The chosen spell lists are your concentrations.
Cantrips
You learn one cantrip of your choice from your first concentration and another cantrip of your choice from your second concentration. You learn an additional cantrip from either at 10th level.
Spells Known
You learn 3 spells of your choice. At least one spell must come from each of your concentrations, and the last can come from any spell list.
You learn more at higher levels, as shown in the Spells Known column of the Magister Pursuit Spellcasting table. You may not learn a spell of a level higher than your Max Spell Level. All spells you learn with this feature are considered to be scholar spells for you.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any spell list.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace a spell you know with another spell of your choice. The new spell must be of a level less than or equal to your Max Spell Level, and it must be from one of your concentrations, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any spell list. If you have only one scholar spell remaining from a concentration, you cannot replace it.
Spell Slots
The Spellcasting table below shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You regain all the expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level spells. At least one must come from each of your concentrations, and the last can be from any spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Magister Spellcasting table shows when you learn more spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be from at least one of your concentrations, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. All spells you learn with this feature are considered to be scholar spells for you.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any spell list.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace a spell you know with another spell of your choice. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be from one of your concentrations, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any spell list. If you have only one scholar spell remaining from a concentration, you cannot replace it.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your concentration spells, since you learn your magic through unorthodox studies of the Weave. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a scholar spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Intelligence modifier.
Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
your Intelligence modifier
Magister Spellcasting
| | Spell | slots | per | Spell | Level |
---|
Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
3rd | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
4th | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
5th | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
6th | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
7th | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
8th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
9th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
10th | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
11th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
12th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
13th | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
14th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
15th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
16th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
17th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
18th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - |
19th | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
20th | 3 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Applied Magical Studies
At 6th level, your understanding of the Weave allows you to intuitively manipulate its flow. You can cast the
Counterspell and
Dispel Magic spells without expending spell points. When you reach 17th level, you can also cast the
Control Magic spell this way. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. These do not count against the number of spells you know.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your scholar level divided by 3, rounded down. Casting
Counterspell or
Dispel Magic this way consumes one use, while casting
Control Magic this way consumes two uses. You regain all uses of this ability when you finish a long rest.
Consummate Wielder
At 11th level, your studies grant you incredible versatility. You can attune to all magical items that require attunement by a spellcaster, ignoring all specific class, race, and alignment requirements.
Additionally, choose a spell from one of your concentrations that is 3rd level or lower as your arcanum spell. You can cast it once without expending spell points, and you must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for any spells you cast this way.
You can replace your arcanum spell with a new one from either of your concentrations when you level up. When you reach 13th level in this class, your arcanum spell can be 4th level or lower. When you reach 19th level, it can be 5th level or lower.
Unified Weave Theory
At 17th level, your mastery of magical theory has led you to reverse-engineer the secrets of your field. You gain another arcanum spell. You can cast each arcanum spell once without expending spell points, and you regain the ability to cast both your arcanum spells when you complete a long rest.
Whenever you could replace an arcanum spell with another one, you can replace either of them, but you may only replace one of them at a time.
Arcane Thesis
Additionally at 17th level, if both your arcanum spells are available to cast, you can expend both of them to cast a spell of 6th level or lower of your choice from either of your concentrations. You need not know the spell. When you do so, you immediately gain two levels of exhaustion, regardless of whether the spell succeeds or fails.
You can only cast a spell using this feature if you have not done so within the last seven days.
Magister Discoveries
When you select this pursuit, you gain access to new discoveries which reflect your specialization in magic. Whenever you learn a new discovery, you can choose from any of the following as well. The discoveries are listed in alphabetical order.
Gish Training
Prerequisite: 12th level
You learn one scholar maneuver from among those available to you that requires you to make or hit with a weapon attack. Once per turn, you may use a maneuver you know that requires you to make or hit with a weapon attack when you make or hit with a spell attack, treating the spell attack as the weapon attack required by the maneuver.
Improvised Metamagic
You learn one Metamagic option of your choice from the sorcerer class. You can use the chosen Metamagic option without expending sorcery points by expending a number of superiority dice equal to the sorcery points you would have spent.
Once you use the chosen Metamagic option this way, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Magical Studies: Arcanist
Prerequisite: 9th level
Choose a wizard arcane tradition. You gain that tradition’s 2nd-level benefits, though you don’t gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies. Any spells you gain from it are scholar spells for you, and any features that reference or are affected by your wizard level instead reference or are affected by your scholar level.
If you already have another Magical Studies discovery, you must be at least a 12th-level scholar to gain this discovery. If you have two, you must be at least a 15th-level scholar to do so.
Magical Studies: Bardic
Prerequisite: 9th level
Choose a bard college. You gain that college’s 3rd-level benefits, though you don’t gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies. Any spells you gain from it are scholar spells for you, and any features that reference or are affected by your Charisma modifier or bard level instead reference or are affected by your Intelligence modifier or scholar level.
As a bonus action, you can expend a superiority die to give a Bardic Inspiration die of equal size to a creature within 60 feet of you who can hear you, as per the Bardic Inspiration feature. Additionally, if a feature you gain from your chosen bard college requires you to expend a use of Bardic Inspiration, you may expend a superiority die instead. You may only expend a superiority die using this feature once, and you regain the ability to do so after completing a short or long rest.
If you already have another Magical Studies discovery, you must be at least a 12th-level scholar to gain this discovery. If you have two, you must be at least a 15th-level scholar to do so.
Magical Studies: Theurgist
Prerequisite: 9th level
Choose a cleric domain. You gain that domain's 1st-level benefits, though you don’t gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies, and that domain’s domain spells are added to the scholar spell list for you. Any spells you gain from it are scholar spells for you, and any features that reference or are affected by your Wisdom modifier instead reference or are affected by your Intelligence modifier.
If you already have another Magical Studies discovery, you must be at least a 12th-level scholar to gain this discovery. If you have two, you must be at least a 15th-level scholar to do so.
Graduate Studies
Prerequisite: 17th level
You may now cast spells at 4th level twice between long rests.
Ritualist
Prerequisite: 9th level
You gain a ritual book and the Book of Ancient Secrets eldritch invocation, except your spellcasting ability is Intelligence for any spell you cast as a ritual from your ritual book. You can cast any scholar spell you know as a ritual if it has the ritual tag.
Mana Recovery
During a short rest, you can choose to recover an number of spell points equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Shatterpoint Spellwork
Prerequisite: 7th level
When the target of your Critical Analysis makes a saving throw or an ability check as part of the effect of a spell you control, you can expend a superiority die to give it disadvantage on the roll.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all uses after you complete a long rest.