Students gifted with a keen intellect and unwavering discipline may walk the path of the mage. The arcane magic available to magi is both great and dangerous, and thus is revealed only to the most devoted practitioners. To avoid interference with their spellcasting, magi wear only cloth armor, but arcane shields and enchantments give them additional protection. To keep enemies at bay, magi can summon bursts of fire to incinerate distant targets and cause entire areas to erupt, setting groups of foes ablaze. Masters of ice can command blizzards that tear into flesh and limit movement. Should enemies manage to survive this assault, the mage can shrink them into harmless sheep in the blink of an eye.
As a mage, you gain the following:
Hit Dice : 1d6 per Mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level : 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels : 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Mage level after 1st
Armor : None
Weapons : Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows
Tools : None
Saving Throws : Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills : Choose 2; Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion
As a student of arcane magic, you can cast powerful spells and incantations.
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the mage spell list. You learn additional mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Mage table.
At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level mage spells of your choice. This book holds the mage spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.
The Mage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your mage 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 slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of mage spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of mage spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your mage level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you're a 3rd-level mage, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of mage spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your mage spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. 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 mage 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
You can cast a mage spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your mage spells.
Each time you gain a mage level, you can add two mage spells of your choice to your spellbook for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Mage table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.
You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your mage level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.
For example, if you're a 4th-level mage, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.
When you reach 2nd level, you choose an arcane tradition that will shape your practice of magic through an elemental specialization. Choose one of the following:
Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
At 3rd level, your brilliant intellect allows you to achieve feats of staggering genius. You can expend a use of this feature to do any of the following:
You can cast a spell in your spellbook even if you don't have it prepared, but otherwise following the normal rules for casting it.
When you cast a mage spell as a ritual, you can use the spell's normal casting time, rather than adding 10 minutes to it.
When you make an Intelligence check but before the outcome is determined, you can choose to make the roll again, using the better result.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 11th level, when you finish a short rest, you regain one expended use of this feature.
Also at 3rd level, you learn the finer arts of magic and have learned to alter the spells at your will. You have a number of Meta Points equal to your Mage level, and regain all expended Meta Points on a long rest. When you cast a spell, you can expend a number of Meta Points to utilize a Metamagic, which the options are below.
You learn two of the Metamagic options listed below. You gain an additional Metamagic option at 10th and 17th level.
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, you spend 1 meta point and choose a number of those creatures up to your spellcasting modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
Chilled Spell : When casting a spell that deals cold or necrotic damage, you may spend 2 meta points to cause creatures that took damage from that spell to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained until the end of your next turn. This metamagic cannot be used on spells that already have restraining effects.
Clinging Spell : When you can cast a spell that deals acid or fire damage, you can expend 2 meta points to inflict a damaging debuff on that target. At the start of their turn, that creature takes 1d6 damage equal to the spell's damage type. This effect lasts until it, or another creature, uses their action to end the effect.
Distant Spell : When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 meta point to double the range of the spell.
When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 meta point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.
Empowered Spell : When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 meta point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your spellcasting modifier (minimum of one). You must 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 spend 1 meta point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.
Forceful Spell : When casting a spell that deals thunder or bludgeoning damage, you may spend 2 meta points to cause creatures that were hit by, or failed the save against the spell to make a strength saving throw. Those who fail the save are knocked prone. This metamagic cannot be used on spells that already knock creatures prone.
Heightened Spell : When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 meta points 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 spend 2 meta points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Seeking Spell : If you make an attack roll for a spell and miss, you can spend 2 meta points to reroll the d20, and you must use the new roll.
You can use Seeking Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
Siphoning Spell : When you cast a spell that deals acid, poison, or necrotic damage, you can spend 2 meta points to heal yourself by an amount equal to half the damage dealt to a single target, rounded down.
Smiting Spell : When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 3 meta points to expend a spell slot and add the damage and/or effect of one of your spells capable of targeting a single creature cast at the level of the expended slot to the weapon attack's damage. Any attack roll for the chosen spell is considered an automatic success due to the successful weapon attack, and any saving throw for the chosen spell is made with disadvantage.
Subtle Spell : When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 meta point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.
Transmuted Spell : When you cast a spell that deals a type of damage from the following list, you can spend 1 meta point to change that damage type to one of the other listed types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder.
Twinned Spell : When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of meta points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 meta point 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.
At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level mage spell and a 2nd-level mage spell that are in your spellbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.
When you reach 20th level, you gain mastery over two powerful spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 3rd-level mage spells in your spellbook as your signature spells. You always have these spells prepared, they don't count against the number of spells you have prepared, and you can cast each of them once at 3rd level without expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
This section will list off all the spells the Mage can utilize, as well as link off to the various spells on the list.