When you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you may use a reaction to capture that element. You have resistance to the triggering damage type immediately and until the start as your next turn.
The first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the absorbed type. This damage scales normally.
Sometimes, the ward gets overloaded and leaks. Naturally, Archmage Kottar decided this was a feature and standardized it.
-Abjurist Ovtuch Irieya
A door, window or 20-foot cube triggers an alarm when touched or entered. When cast, you can choose creatures that won't trigger the alarm, and choose whether the alarm is a mental ping (you must be within a mile) or a ten-second handbell audible within 60 feet.
Seriously? He warded the mouseholes?!
-Novice Happlestaff Reddlepop Gumbarrivon, failing his thirtieth prank
You alter yourself. You can become aquatic, profoundly change your appearance, or gain natural weapons that augment your unarmed attack.
See the Player's Handbook for exact rules.
Somehow, druidic imitation fell into my department, making me the main contact for Orcs in the university. Of course this happened to the Halfling. Of course.
-Archmage Wendel
Magically lock a closed door, window, gate, container or hatch. It cannot be unlocked by any nonmagical means. You may designate creatures when you cast the spell that can open and close the object, or set a password that unlocks the object for a minute when spoken within 5 feet of it.
The trick is to make the password something they cannot vocalize.
-Abjurist Ssssylkxzhsaa
Immediately spend one or two hit point dice, regaining the roll plus your spellcasting modifier in hit points. The number of dice scales normally.
The Royal University can finally teach healing like the temple clerics!
-Royal University Propaganda Department, now defunct due to constant false advertising
Receive an omen from from an otherworldy entity regarding something you're just about to do. The will respond with weal and/or woe. The results are not set and you may change the outcome.
Every time you cast this spell before taking a long rest, the chance of receiving no response increases by 25%.
See the Player's Handbook for exact rules.
Remember, Kul-Gartha Kchuvathra, Eater of Worlds and Stalker of the Dreamscape isn't actually all-knowing, but don't let him know that you know it.
-Eudoria Hackett, Royal professor
Force a creature you can see in range to roll a constitution save. The number of targets scales normally. On failure, the targets are blinded or deafened for the duration. They may reroll the save at the end of their turns to end the spell on itself early.
Sense-blocking is a surprisingly useful spell for upsetting the campus instructors with. Nothing like finding out your lecture is falling on literally deaf ears.
-Archmage Julian
Blur your body, giving attack rolls against you disadvantage unless the attacker sees you with blindsight or truesight.
It's like one of Archmage Wendel's watercolor paintings, but in real life.
-Illusionist Chao Xinwon
Throw a sheet of flames. All creatures in a 15 foot cone sourcing from you roll a dexterity save, taking 3d6 fire damage if they fail the save. The damage scales normally. On a success, they take half damage.
Loose flammable items in the cone start burning.
Take the fire in your blood and make it everyone else's problem.
-Evoker Metjen Oraha
Make a humanoid you see in range roll a Wisdom save. It rolls with advantage if fighting you or your allies. The number of creatures you can target scales normally. On a failure, it is charmed and friendly to you until the spell ends or you or your allies damage it. When the spell ends, it knows you charmed it.
Well, aren't you just the most winsome apprentice I have ever met!
-Qemuel Fridson, Royal professor, shortly before failing the apprentice in question for unethical enchantment use during an examination
Conjure spinning daggers in a 5-foot cube centered in range. All creatures in range take 4d4 slashing damage once per turn when the cube moves into their space, when they enter the cube, or end their turn there. The damage scales, adding 2d4 per level. You may teleport the cube up to 30 feet on later turns as a magic action.
Sometimes, one dagger won't do. Thankfully, the weave allows us to use a couple dozen.
-Eudoria Hackett, Royal professor
Flash all creatures in a 15-foot cone originating from you with colorful light. They must roll a constitution save to avoid being blinded until the end of your next turn.
The colors...
-Novice Heeka, reinforcing standard goblin stereotypes
Fill a 15-foot-radius sphere centered in range with magical darkness. It cannot be illuminated natually and darkvision cannot see through it.
You may instead cast the spell on a loose object, making it the source of the darkness, which fills a 15-foot emanation. Covering the object blocks the darkness.
This spell's area dispells any spell of level 2 or lower that produces bright or dim light.
No one was more surprised than I to find out that casting negative light actually works... and extremely well, to boot.
-Archmage Julian
Give a willing creature you touch darkvision for the duration. The vision range is 150 feet.
An invaluable part of studying through the night, without angering your dormmates.
-Transmuter Ulric Halverson
Detect whether magical effects are within 30 feet of you for the duration. You may use a magic action if they are present to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object bearing the magic, and if it is a spell effect, you learn the spell's school of magic. The spell is blocked by a foot of stone, dirt or wood, as well as an inch of metal or a sheet of lead.
The spell isn't that useful on the campus. Everything lights up like Sendurea's temple.
-Novice Bending Willowbranch Polliwog Pool
Sense the presence of thoughts within 30 feet of creatures that share a language with you or are telepathic. You don't read the thougnts. The spell is blocked by a foot of stone, dirt or wood, as well as an inch of metal or a sheet of lead.
Alternatively, you may instead target one creature within 30 feet of you that you can see or detect to learn its dominant thoughts. You can use a magic action to switch between sensing generally and targeting a creature.
As a magic action while targeting one creature, you may attempt to probe deeper ihto their thoughts. It makes a wisdom save to avoid this.
See the Player's Handbook for the exact rules.
Remember, use of this spell counts as cheating on tests.
-Branson Ottewell Anderson, Royal professor
Change the appearance of your person and belongings for the duration. You can adjust your height by 1 foot, as well as your weight. You must have the same arrangement of limbs.
Changes will not hold up to physical inspection, and creatures that study you and succeed on an investigation check against your spell save will realize you are disguised.
This one! This is the spell that will take my pranks to the next level!
-Novice Happlestaff Reddlepop Gumbarrivon, shortly before social disaster
Summon a medium hand made of soil into an unoccupied space on the ground in range. It attempts to seize a creature you can see within 5 feet of it. The target rolls a strength save to avoid 2d6 bludgeoning damage and being restrained for the duration.
As a magic action, you may make the hand release a target and grab at another, release a target and move somewhere in range, or crush a restrained target, who rolls a strength save, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failure and half that on a success. A restrained target may roll a strength check against your spell save to escape the hand's grasp.
You will go no further.
-Archmage Wendel catching a prankster from across the courtyard
Make the ground tremble in a 10-foot emanation around you. Other creatures in the area roll a dexterity save to avoid taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage and being knocked prone. The damage scales normally. Loose dirt and stone in the area becomes difficult terrain.
Not in class. Not in class! Nine Hells, what is wrong with the lot of you?
-Branson Ottewell Anderson, Royal professor
Take the dash action. You may keep taking it as a bonus action for the duration.
Oh, hells! Let's get out of here now!
-Novice Happlestaff Reddlepop Gumbarrivon, fleeing the scene of another failed prank
Gain 2d4 + 4 temporary hit points. These scale by 5 per level.
You still feel like you're gonna throw up, but the pain recedes for a while.
-Necromancer Gero Sutiri
When you or a creature you can see in range falls, you may magically catch them as a reaction. Choose up to five falling creatures in range and slow their descent to 60 feet per round for the duration. If a creature lands during the duration, it takes no damage from the fall and the spell ends on it.
In the event of emergency, we've made it so spudents may just fling themselves off the spires and they'll be perfectly fine.
-Abjurist Ovtuch Irieya
Summon a familiar to your service. The spirit takes the form of a CR 0 beast, such as a raven, cat, lizard, weasel, or spider. It appears in an unoccupied space in range. It has the stat block of its chosen form, but is your choice of a celestial, fey, or fiend rather than a beast. It acts on its own, but obeys you.
The familiar has a telepathic connection to you, and can deliver touch-range spells for you using its reaction. It cannot attack, but behaves as an ally in combat.
You can have one familiar at a time, further castings change its form.
See the Player's Handbook for exact rules.
Are you really a wizard without an ominous animal?
-Conjurer Anette Colsdottir
Create a horizontal disk of force, 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch thick, hovering 3 feet above the ground in an unoccupied space in range for the duration. It can hold 500 pounds, with the spell ending if it's overloaded.
When you move more than 20 feet away from the disk, it follows you to stay within 20 feet. It can cross uneven terrain and float up and down stairs, but it cannot navigate sudden elevation changes of 10 feet or more. If you manage to get more than 100 feet from the disk, the spell ends.
People hear that we conjure things, and start thinking of hellspawn and warlock nonsense. In reality, it's a bunch of lazy know-it-alls conjuring brainless packhorses to carry their tomes around the campus.
-Conjurer Kelton Pepperkeep
Create a 20-foot-radius sphere of fog centered on a point in range. The area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration unless it is dispersed by a strong wind.
Sometimes, you need to set the mood as bluntly as possible.
-Novice Alora Eltikeerin
Touch a corpse or other remains. It stops decaying and cannot become undead for the duration. This also stops the timer on its time spent dead, giving more time for spells to resurrect it.
Decay is inevitable, but it may be delayed.
-Archmage Tenoch
Cover a 10-foot square of ground within range with nonflammable grease for the duration. It is difficult terrain. Creatures that are present on casting, as well as when they enter or end their turn in the area, must roll a dexterity save to avoid falling prone.
Watch, this will be really funny!
-Novice Happlestaff Reddlepop Gumbarrivon, shortly before being reprimanded for ruining the seasonal banquet
Make a creature you can see in range roll a wisdom save to avoid falling prone and incapacitated, laughing uncontrollably if it can. It cannot get up for the duration. The number of targets scales normally.
The target may repeat the save at the end of its turn, and may repeat it immediately with advantage if damaged, ending the spell on itself on a success.
A kind reminder that hideous laughter is a poor substitute for actually learning a few jokes.
-Archmage Ieliana
Force a Humanoid you can see in range to roll a wisdom save to avoid being paralyzed for the duration. The number of targets scales normally. The targets repeat the save at the end of its turns to end the spell on itself.
Apprentice Matherson, don't take another step!
-Enchanter Mugrunden Bhenkumbyrznaax, forcefully saving an apprentice
Touch an object or creature for the entire casting time. You learn what spells are affecting it. If it's a magic object, you learn what it does, how to use it, if it needs attunement, and how many charges it has. If the object was created by a spell, you learn which one.
Sorry, it doesn't appear you've had a malevolent spell placed on you, you seem to just have indigestion.
-Diviner Elton Elderwick
Make a creature invisible for the duration, or until the creature makes an attack roll, deals damage, or casts a spell. The number of targets scales normally.
Students ask on arrival rather often why there are magic wards on the latrines. As usual, one pervert ruined ward-free latrines for everyone.
-Archmage Wendel
Attempt to magically unlock, unstick or unbar a door, container or other object in range. If it has multiple locks, only one unlocks. Arcane Locks are suppressed for ten minutes. On casting, a loud knocking sound can be heard up to 300 feet away.
It's amazing how many young apprentices seem to think no one will notice the skull-rattling knocking sound.
-Archmage Moritz
Levitate a creature or loose object weighing up to 500 pounds that you can see in range up to 20 feet in the air. Unwilling creatures can roll a constitution save to resist.
The target can only move by being pushed or by pushing or pulling against fixed objects or surfaces as if they are climbing. You can change the target's altitude by 20 feet on your turn as a magic action, or as part of your movement if you are the target. When the spell ends, the target floats down gently.
It has a wonderful but underrated extra use as a method of catching fleeing students clean off their feet.
-Archmage Wendel
Describe or name an object familiar to you. You sense the direction to the object's location if it's within 1000 feet of you, including the direction of its movement.
The object you choose must be one you have seen within 30 feet of you at least once. Alternatively, it can seek the nearest of its kind, such as jewelry, or a kind of tool.
The spell cannot find any object where any lead blocks the direct path to the object.
Where did I put my spectacles now?!
-Archmage Kottar, one spell away from finding his spectacles
Increase a creature's walking speed by 10 feet for the duration. The number of targets scales normally.
Yes, I know I'm short. You don't have to rub it in.
-Regis Dapplewood, halfling novice, after having the spell cast on him by his impatient human hiking partner
Increase the AC of a willing creature without armor to 13 + its dexterity modifier. The spell ends early if the target dons armor.
I am wearing my leathers!
-Ex-abjurist Kano, the most hated guard of Tirkut, obviously not wearing his leathers
Throw three glowing darts of magical force. The number of darts scales by 1 per level. The darts strike creatures you choose that you can see in range simultaneously, and you can hit the same creature multiple times. The darts deal 1d4 + 1 force damage.
Archers may posture, but at least these shots never miss.
-Evoker Tengfei Wen
Infuse a nonmagical weapon, making it magical with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus scales to +2 at level 3 and +3 at level 6. The spell ends if you cast it again.
This... this witchery legal here!?
-Kumarzh'niit the Weaponsmith, Orc transmuter
Disappear in silvery mist and teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
You can tell Archmage Julian's mood by how big the spray is when he vanishes in a puff of mist.
-Novice Balvur Kingshorn
Craft an illusion that fits a 10-foot cube in the mind of a creature you can see in range. It rolls an intelligence save to avoid falling for the phantasmal illusion. The illusion is only perceivable by the target and includes sound, temperature, and similar stimuli. The target can take a study action to roll an investigation check against your spell save to end the spell.
While affected by the illusion, it treats it as real and rationalizes any illogical outcomes. A hazardous phantasm can cause 2d8 psychic damage if the creature is within 5 feet of it.
See the Player's Handbook for exact rules.
Punishment for more severe rule-breaks usually consists of the apprentice sitting in an empty room, hallucinating vividly.
-Archmage Tenoch
Protect a willing creature against all aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. Such creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target, and it cannot be possessed, charmed, or frightened by them. If the target is already possessed, charmed, or frightened by such a creature, it has advantage on rolls made to end those effects.
Vira is writing her thesis on the implications of attributing evil or good to elementals. We are increasingly worried about her.
-Archmage Kottar
Shoot a creature with enervating energy. It rolls a constitution save. On a success, it has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes until the start of your next turn. On a failure, it has disadvantage on all strength-based D20 tests for the duration, and it loses 1d8 off all its damage rolls.
The target repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the spell on a success.
It feels like getting very, very old for a horrible moment.
-Necromancer Ignominy
Make a ranged spell attack against a creature in range, shooting them with a greenish ray. On a hit, it takes 2d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of your next turn. The damage scales normally.
The enemy keel, say pah! Pah! True coward's spell. But... works.
-Argran son of Fissure-Teeth Clan, Orc necromancer
You hurl three fiery rays. The number of rays scales normally. You can hurl them at one target in range or several. Roll a ranged spell attack for each ray, dealing 2d6 fire damage on a hit.
Personally, I prefer my magic missiles to be on fire.
-Transmuter Varis Teinithra
See creatures and objects that are invisible as if they were visible, and see into the ethereal plane, which appears ghostly.
It's a fine spell to have on hand, although people get very jumpy every time you go to the latrines. I can't see through walls, people.
-Diviner Aleksandr Miiran
Cause a loud bang to happen at a point in range. All creatures in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point roll a constitution save, taking 3d8 thunder damage on a failure and half that on a success. The damage scales normally. Constructs have disadvantage on the save. Loose nonmagical objects take the damage as well.
Best to not let this one leave the campus. The commonfolk get... jumpy when they know you can break everything they own with a sneeze.
-Archmage Wendel
When you are hit by an attack roll or targeted by a magic missile, you may raise an imperceptible shield as a reaction. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to your AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from magic missile.
Clansmen call Hurakt coward for using tongue-wards. Hurakt alive now. They not.
-Hurakt the Coward, Orc abjurist
Create an image of your choice that fits in a 15-foot cube in range for the duration. The image is only visual with no other sensory effects. As a magic action, you can make it move somewhere else within range. The movement can look natural.
Physical interaction reveals the illusion as things pass through it. A creature may study the illusion and roll an investigation check against your spell save to see through it, making the illusion faded to that creature.
See the Player's Handbook for exact rules.
And with a bit of empowerment and concentration, you can maintain your illusions for much longer, making them far more useful than mere parlor tricks.
-Eudoria Hackett, Royal professor
Put creatures you choose in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered in range to sleep. They roll a wisdom save to avoid becoming incapacitated. It must then roll the save again at the end of its next turn to avoid falling unconscious for the duration. The spell ends on the target if they take damage or another creature within 5 feet of it takes an action to shake it awake.
Creatures that don't sleep or are immune to exhaustion automatically succeed on this spell's saves.
I love this one. It's great for getting people in class into trouble.
-Conjurer Kelton Pepperkeep
Give a willing creature the ability to move up, down and across vertical surfaces and along ceilings without using its hands. It gains a climb speed equal to its speed. The number of targets scales normally.
It's especially fun for scaring your friends with in the dead of night.
-Transmuter Hanano Kulpii
Suggest a course of action within 25 words to a creature you can see in range. If it can hear and understand you, and the suggestion seems reasonable and not obviously dangerous to the creature or its allies, it rolls a wisdom save to avoid being charmed for the duration, or until you and your allies damage them.
It will pursue the suggestion as well as it can, with the spell ending early if it achieves the desired result early.
No one wants to clean the latrines, but somehow, Archmage Ieliana always finds a volunteer.
-Enchanter Fonkin Zaffrab Leffery Pingun
Create an invisible, mindless, shapeless, medium force in an unoccupied space on the ground in range. As a bonus action on your turns, you can command the servant to move up to 15 feet and interact with an object. It can do simple tasks that a human could do, like fetch, clean, serve food, and the like. If it completes the task, it waits for another task.
It has AC 10, 1 hit point, a strength of 2, and can't attack. If it drops to 0 hit points or you command it to do something that would move it out of range, the spell ends.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, the School of Conjuration runs on the fact that the archmages don't like folding their own clothes.
-Conjurer Kelton Pepperkeep
Surround yourself with a strong wind in a 10-foot radius that moves with you for the duration.
You and other creatures in the wind are deafened. The wind extinguishes unprotected torch-sized flames or smaller, it hedges out and disperses gasses, the area is difficult terrain to other creatures, and ranged weapon attacks passing in or out of the wind have disadvantage.
Not all wards are abjurative. My favorite is just blunt-force application of wind.
-Archmage Julian
Conjure sticky webbing filling a 20-foot cube in range for the duration. The webs are difficult terrain, and the area in them is lightly obscured. If there are no anchor points, the webs collapse and the spell ends at the start of your next turn. You may instead layer them 5 feet deep on a flat surface.
Once per turn when a creature enters the webs or starts its turn there, it rolls a dexterity save to avoid being restrained. It can break free by using an action to roll an athletics check against your spell save.
If set aflame, the webs burn away in 5-foot cubes over 1 round, dealing 2d4 fire damage to creatures that start their turn in the flames.
No thanks, I've never wanted to know what bugs feel when caught.
-Diviner Elton Elderwick
Fill a 20-foot cube with silly magics. On casting, the cube is filled with a random magic effect. At the start of your turns for the duration, a new effect occurs. You may move it 10 feet first.
Possible effects mostly involve creatures rolling saves to avoid a condition until the start of your next turn. The smell of apple pie requires a wisdom save to avoid being charmed, spray-flowers require a dexterity save to avoid being blinded, and giggles require a wisdom save to avoid being incapacitated and moving in a random direction. Alternatively, molasses may make the cube difficult terrain.
See Fizban's Treasury for exact rules.
Do not teach this to that one Gnome novice, I beg you.
-Illusionist Chao Xinwon