Arcane Tradition: The School of Sortilege
Practitioners of the School of Sortilege are not particularly well organized or well respected (except in rare cases of small institutions, specific clans, and individual practitioners that have a vested interest in the study of spell formulas and cantrips). There is no official “School of Sortilege” and much of the practice is composed of commoners, former charlatans, or masters of sleight of hand that accidentally discovered they have some slight spark of arcane talent of enough note to merit pursuit. As such, Sortilege Wizards (also known as Sortilegiers if formally educated) primarily focus on mastering and empowering the most basic and fundamental spells that most other Wizards rarely bother remembering. This often leads to the mistaken impression that Sortilege Wizards cannot use the more powerful spells other Wizards might focus on. In actuality, they simply choose to improve their magic through refining the basics instead of recklessly pursuing greater depths of the Arcane, as other mages are prone to do.
You gain the following features at 2nd level:
Fledgling Fundamentalist
Your dedication to the study of the fundamentals of Wizardry has allowed you to master a far wider range of the most basic spells of all.
All cantrips become Wizard cantrips for you. Additionally, you may prepare up to 3 additional cantrips, and these cantrips will not count against your number of known cantrips.
You may instead prepare 4 cantrips starting at your 7th level of Wizard, 5 cantrips starting at your 12th level of Wizard, and 6 cantrips starting at your 17th level of Wizard. You may change what cantrips you have prepared over the course of a Short Rest.
You may record such cantrips in your spellbook and use them in the process of creating scrolls, imbuing enchantments, and other similar processes, but other Wizards that are not from the Sortilege Arcane Tradition may not copy cantrips that do not count as Wizard cantrips for them from your spellbook into their spellbooks.
Arcane Escamotage
Your mastery of basic magic is so peerless and intuitive that you gain flexibility in your casting that resembles that of a Sorcerer.
You may select one Cantrip Technique from your list of Cantrip Techniques and benefit from the effects listed by that Cantrip Technique.
You may instead select 2 Cantrip Techniques starting at your 8th level of Wizard, 3 Cantrip Techniques starting at your 12th level of Wizard, and 4 Cantrip Techniques starting at your 16th level of Wizard. You may change what Cantrip Techniques you have prepared over the course of a Short Rest.
If you have at least 20 levels of Wizard, you may permanently learn 1 Cantrip Technique. You permanently benefit from the effects of that Cantrip Technique and that Cantrip Technique no longer counts against your prepared Cantrip Techniques. This selection cannot be changed.
Legerdemain Magecraft
Your mastery of basic spells allows you to instinctively cast them in response to certain stimuli.
Whenever you would make an Attack of Opportunity, you may cast a cantrip instead of making a melee attack. That cantrip must have a Casting Time of 1 Action or 1 Bonus Action and must be able to deal damage.
If the cantrip can target more than 1 creature due to having multiple Spell Attack rolls, all the Spell Attack rolls must be made against the target of the Attack of Opportunity and only that target.
You may not use cantrips that target an Area of Effect instead of a specific creature(s) with this feature. Regardless of the range of the cantrip you cast, the range of an Attack of Opportunity made in this way is 15ft.
The Legerdemain Magecraft feature cannot be used in tandem with the "Beguiling Cantrip" Cantrip Technique.
You gain the following features at 6th level:
Lesser Arcana Mastery
Your knowledge of basic magic allows you to more precisely cast certain spells and gives you unique insight on the art of casting magic.
You become proficient with the Arcana skill, or if you were already proficient with that skill, you gain expertise with it, allowing you to add double your Proficiency Modifier to any Arcana checks you make.
Surging Cantrip
Your mastery of basic spells allows you to quickly weave them into the formulae of more complex spells to great effect.
Whenever you cast a spell of 3rd level or higher, if you critically succeed on the Spell Attack roll(s) or the target(s) critically fails the Spell Saving Throw(s), you may immediately cast 1 cantrip you have prepared against that target(s). That cantrip must deal damage to a single target upon that target failing a Spell Saving Throw. You may ignore the range of the cantrip when you do so.
If there are multiple creatures that would be targeted by this effect, you must cast the same cantrip against all of them. Any cantrips cast as a result of this feature are considered as part of the spell that activated this feature, and therefore do not count as separate spells or separate castings and remain part of the same Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction used to cast the spell that activated this feature.
If the spell involves multiple Spell Attack rolls and/or Spell Saving Throws, this feature is activated by each individual Spell Attack roll or Spell Saving Throw made as part of the spell rather than once for the entire spell.
Additionally, whenever you cast a spell of 3rd level or higher with a spell slot at least 1 level higher than the spell’s level, you may activate this effect if the spell’s Spell Attack roll(s) succeed even if the success is not a critical success, and you may activate this effect if the spell’s target(s) fails their Spell Saving Throw(s) even if the failure is not a critical failure.
You gain the following features at 10th level:
Fully Fledged Fundamentalist
You have studied basic spells to the point where you have near total mastery of cantrips and are now ready to study somewhat more advanced spells.
All 1st level spells become Wizard spells for you. Additionally, you may prepare up to 3 additional 1st level spells, and these spells will not count against your prepared spells.
You may instead prepare 5 additional 1st level spells starting from your 13th level of Wizard, 7 additional 1st level spells starting from your 16th level of Wizard, and 9 additional 1st level spells starting from your 19th level of Wizard. You may change what 1st level spells you have prepared over the course of a Long Rest.
You may record such spells in your spellbook and use them in the process of creating scrolls, imbuing enchantments, and other similar processes, but other Wizards that are not from the Sortilege Arcane Tradition may not copy spells that do not count as Wizard spells for them from your spellbook into their spellbooks.
You may not use spells that were not originally Wizard spells with the Spell Mastery feature.
Condensed Cantrip
Your mastery over basic magic allows you to purposefully weaken certain spells to facilitate their casting.
Whenever you cast a 1st level spell that counts as a Wizard spell for you, you may cast it as a cantrip instead. When you do so, that spell does not consume a spell slot and its Casting Level is treated as 0 for the purposes of resolving Dispel Magic, Counterspell, and applying any benefits the spell might have for being cast with a spell slot of a higher level than the spell’s level. It will also count as a cantrip for the purposes of applying the features of this class. You cannot attempt to use this feature with a particular turn component (Action, Bonus Action, Reaction) again until the start of your next turn.
You may not use this feature with spells that have Healing Dice when outside of initiative.
When using the Condensed Cantrip feature in tandem with the Legerdemain Magecraft feature, you must apply the effects of the Condensed Cantrip feature first. When you do so, the turn component used by the spell is considered as a Reaction for the purpose of applying the effects of the Condensed Cantrip feature, but remains an Action or Bonus Action for the purpose of applying the effects of the Legerdemain Magecraft feature.
You gain the following features at 14th level:
Hastened Cantrip
You have learned how to abridge the formulae of basic spells to cast them more quickly.
Whenever you cast a cantrip with a Casting Time of 1 Action, you may cast it with your Bonus Action instead. If you do so, you may still cast both cantrip and non-cantrip spells with your Action and Reaction.
Any cantrips cast through this feature have all their Damage Dice and/or Healing Dice reduced by 1 order of magnitude to a minimum size of d4, including any such dice that would be added to that cantrip by any features, abilities, equipment, magical effects, or otherwise. Dice listed by the cantrip that are not Damage Dice or Healing Dice are unaffected.
When using the Hastened Cantrip feature in tandem with the Condensed Cantrip feature, you must apply the effects of the Condensed Cantrip feature first. When you do so, the turn component used by the spell is considered as a Bonus Action for the purposes of applying the effects of the Condensed Cantrip feature, but remains an Action for the purpose of applying the effects of the Hastened Cantrip feature.
Lesser Arcana Resistance
Having worked with basic spells for so long, it has become difficult for basic spells to harm you.
Any cantrips and 1st level spells that are cast against you automatically do minimum damage to you. Additionally, you automatically succeed on Saving Throws against spells and spell effects that are 3rd level or lower, even if they are cast with a spell slot of a higher level.
List of Cantrip Techniques
Piercing Cantrip
You learn how to cast basic spells as piercing rays.
Whenever you cast a cantrip with a range greater than Touch that would deal damage upon succeeding on a Spell Attack roll(s) against a creature(s) or a creature(s) failing a Spell Saving Throw(s), you may treat the range of that cantrip as a line. Any creatures within that line will be targeted as if the cantrip was cast against them normally. All creatures within the line take the same amount of damage, which must be rolled when the cantrip is cast. If the cantrip deals damage upon succeeding on a Spell Attack roll, you must roll the Spell Attack roll and use that roll for all creatures within the line. If the cantrip involves multiple Spell Attack rolls (or multiple attacks, such as with Magic Missile), each Spell Attack roll is considered a new line, and you must roll damage and a Spell Attack roll for each line. You may not use this feature with cantrips that target an Area of Effect rather than a specific creature(s) or with any cantrips cast as an Attack of Opportunity.
You may not use the "Piercing Cantrip" Cantrip Technique with the Surging Cantrip feature, or with the "Stray Cantrip", "Duplicitous Cantrip", or "Echoed Cantrip" Cantrip Techniques.
Duplicitous Cantrip
You learn how to lower your casting accuracy to cast basic spells faster.
Whenever you would cast a cantrip, if your Spell Attack roll(s) has advantage or the target(s) has disadvantage on their Spell Saving Throw(s), you can instead cast that cantrip twice at the same target(s) with the Spell Attack roll(s) or Spell Saving Throw(s) becoming regular rolls. Both cantrips still count as part of the same casting.
If the cantrip used with this feature would require multiple Spell Saving Throws or Spell Attack rolls, each Spell Saving Throw made as part of the cantrip must be made with disadvantage to apply this feature to that cantrip, and each Spell Attack roll made as part of the cantrip must be made with advantage to apply this feature to that cantrip.
If the cantrip would target more than 1 creature, the conditions of this feature must be met for each target that would be affected in order to apply this feature’s effects.
When using the "Duplicitous Cantrip" Cantrip Technique in tandem with the "Focused Cantrip" Cantrip Technique, you must meet the conditions of and apply the effects of the "Focused Cantrip" Cantrip Technique first. Otherwise, the "Duplicitous Cantrip" Cantrip Technique may be used whenever the conditions to activate it are met.
Fervent Cantrip
You learn to easily cast basic spells in harsh conditions.
Whenever you would make a Spell Attack roll at disadvantage as part of a cantrip, it becomes a regular roll.
Frugal Cantrip
You learn how to abridge casting requirements for basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip, you may ignore any Vocal and Somatic components of the cantrip. You may ignore the Material requirements of a cantrip even if those components would be consumed or have a gold cost so long as you cast the cantrip with an Arcane Focus.
Echoed Cantrip
You learn how to optimize basic spells to capitalize on openings in combat.
Whenever you cast a cantrip and critically succeed on a Spell Attack roll(s) against a target(s) and/or the target(s) critically fail a Spell Saving Throw(s) against you, you may immediately cast another cantrip against that target(s). That cantrip must deal damage against a single target upon that target failing a Spell Saving Throw. Cantrips cast as a result of this feature may still trigger the effects of this feature. All cantrips cast through this feature are considered part of the same casting.
Beguiling Cantrip
You learn how to increase of the range of basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip, you may double the range of that cantrip. If the range is Touch, it becomes 10ft. If the range is Self, it becomes Touch. If this feature is used with a cantrip that targets an Area of Effect rather than a specific creature(s), it will not increase the Area of Effect that the cantrip can target.
Focused Cantrip
You learn how to concentrate the effects of basic spells by casting them carefully.
If you only cast 1 cantrip during your turn, that cantrip benefits from one of the following effects of your choosing: your Spell Attack roll(s) has advantage, or your target(s) must make their Spell Saving Throw(s) with disadvantage. You may still cast a non-cantrip spell during your turn if you use this feature, and if you have the ability to do so, you may still cast a cantrip during an Attack of Opportunity.
Cunning Cantrip
You learn how to best use basic spells in combat.
When casting a cantrip, your Spell Attack rolls are not affected by cover. You may add extra damage equal to your Proficiency Modifier + your Spell Casting Modifier to any cantrips you cast that deal damage upon the target(s) failing a Spell Saving Throw(s).
Provident Cantrip
You learn to surpass adverse conditions with basic spells.
You may dismiss a cantrip you are concentrating on to end 1 condition on yourself or a target within 30 ft of you.
List of Cantrip Techniques (Cont.)
Diametric Cantrip
You learn to lessen blows with basic spells.
Whenever you take damage, you may use your Reaction to cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 Action that can deal damage. You may subtract the damage done by your cantrip from the damage you would taken.
Harassing Cantrip
You learn to deal glancing blows with basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip that can deal damage, you may apply one of the following effects: the target(s) are automatically hit, no Spell Save is required to activate the full effects of your cantrip. If you apply one of these effects, any Damage Dice listed by the cantrip must be rolled with disadvantage.
Homing Cantrip
You learn to improve the impact of certain basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip that automatically hits a target(s) without requiring a Spell Attack roll or automatically damages a target(s) without requiring a Spell Saving Throw, you may roll a d10. Upon rolling a 10, you may treat the cantrip as a Critical Success.
Strafing Cantrip
You learn to move well while casting basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you may use a Bonus Action to gain one of the following benefits until the start of your next turn: Your AC is increased by 2, you gain 20ft of additional movement, you gain advantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks, you gain +5 to Dexterity Saving Throws, you are unaffected by difficult terrain, attacks made against you have disadvantage, leaving the prone state takes no movement, your movement does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity.
Facetious Cantrip
You learn how to apply your training to advanced spells.
You may attempt to apply a Cantrip Technique to non-cantrip spell. You must succeed on an Arcana check with a DC of 11 + the spell's Level (not the level of the spell slot). You may make this check with advantage if you attempt to apply a Cantrip Techique you currently have prepared. You automatically succeed if the Cantrip Technique is one you permanently know. Once you successfully use this Cantrip Technique, you may not use it again until you have completed a Short or Long Rest.
Fierce Cantrip
You learn how bolster the potency of basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip that has Damage Dice or Healing Dice, you may treat any roll of 3 or lower as the maximum possible die value.
Unrelenting Cantrip
You learn to forcibly inflict the effects of basic spells.
Whenever a target(s) succeeds against a Spell Save of a cantrip you have cast, you may expend a Hit Die to force the target to fail instead. This does not affect abilities such as Legendary Resistances and may not be used on Critical Successes.
Banal Cantrip
You learn to reflect basic spells back to their source.
Whenever you would take damage from a cantrip that would not render you unconscious, you may use your Reaction to redirect that damage to the source of the damage as untyped damage (you take no damage).
Tyrant Cantrip
You learn to forcibly draw out the latent power of basic spells.
Whenever you cast a spell as a cantrip, if that spell would have additional effects (such as additional Damage Dice) upon being cast with a Spell Slot of a higher level, you may expend 1 Hit Die to forcibly activate those effects. Solely for the purposes of resolving this Cantrip Technique, you may treat the level of the spell as 3 + your Proficiency Modifier (to a maximum of 9).
Ravenous Cantrip
You learn to imbue basic spells with your life force.
Whenever you cast a cantrip, you may take any amount of damage that will not render you below 1 Hit Point. You may add a d4 Damage Die (Necrotic or any damage type within the cantrip's description) for every point of damage you take. This damage affects all targets of the cantrip.
Flippant Cantrip
You learn to harness probability when casting basic spells.
Whenever you Critically Fail a Spell Attack roll you make as part of a cantrip, call a coin toss. If heads, you may instead treat the Spell Attack roll as a Critical Success.
Vehement Cantrip
You learn to imbue basic spells with your vitality.
Whenever you cast a cantrip that does not deal damage, you may take any amount of damage that will not render you below 1 Hit Point. You may add a d6 Healing Die for every 4 points of damage you take. This healing affects all targets of the cantrip.
List of Cantrip Techniques (Cont.)
Miraculous Cantrip
You learn to focus your will on survival over concentration.
When you would be rendered unconscious by damage while concentrating on a cantrip, you may dismiss that cantrip and remain conscious with 1 Hit Point remaining.
Zealous Cantrip
You learn to focus your will solely on basic spells.
You cannot lose concentration on cantrips except by being rendered unconscious or killed. Sleep (both magical and non-magical) do not count as being unconscious for the purposes of this Cantrip Technique.
Sacrificial Cantrip
You learn to bolster the will power of allies.
When an ally within 30 ft of you loses concentration on a spell, you may dismiss 1 cantrip you are concentrating to restore that ally's concentration. That ally cannot lose concentration on that spell until the end of their next turn unless that spell is dismissed or dispelled, or that ally is rendered unconscious.
Martyr's Cantrip
You learn to aid other's will to survive.
When an ally within 30 ft of you would be rendered unconscious by damage, you may dismiss 1 cantrip that you are concentrating on to allow that ally to remain conscious with 1 Hit Point remaining.
Enrapturing Cantrip
You learn to defy mental attacks by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Charmed or Confused.
Intrepid Cantrip
You learn to defy cowardice by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you are immune to Fear and Sleep effects.
Bantam Cantrip
You learn to defy fatigue by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Stunned and Exhaustion does not affect the casting of cantrips.
Dauntless Cantrip
You learn to defy restraints by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Grappled or Restrained.
Assiduous Cantrip
You learn to defy lethargy by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Paralyzed or Petrified.
Audacious Cantrip
You learn to ignore lost senses by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Silenced, Deafened, or Blinded.
Auspicious Cantrip
You learn to anticipate attacks by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Flanked (no effect) or Surprised.
Brazen Cantrip
You learn to ignore poisons by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you cannot be Poisoned and are immune to Poison and Acid damage.
Temerarious Cantrip
You learn to defy curses by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you are immune to the effects of Curses and Diseases.
Mortal Cantrip
You learn to resist death by focusing on basic spells.
If you would be instantly killed by damage or an effect while concentrating on a cantrip, you are instead reduced to 1 Hit Point.
Defiant Cantrip
You learn to resist vitality loss by focusing on basic spells.
While concentrating on a cantrip, your Maximum Hit Points cannot be reduced and you are unaffected by effects that would reduce or nullify healing.
Covetous Cantrip
You learn to engage in contests of will with others.
While concentrating on a cantrip, you can dismiss that cantrip to break the concentration of a target within 30 ft of you.
Prodigal Cantrip
You learn to assist allies with your knowledge of basic spells.
Once per Long Rest, you may use your Reaction and expend a Hit Die to apply a Cantrip Technique to a spell cast by an ally within 30 ft of you.
List of Cantrip Techniques (Cont.)
Dual Cantrip
You learn how to divide your focus when concentrating on different effects.
You may simultaneously concentrate on a cantrip and one other spell or cantrip. Additionally, you may dismiss any number of cantrips or cantrip effects as a Bonus Action or Reaction.
Enforced Cantrip
You learn how to strengthen the impact of your basic spells.
Whenever you cast a cantrip that would deal no damage if the target(s) succeeds its Spell Saving Throw(s), it takes half damage instead. Additionally, whenever you cast a cantrip that would deal damage upon the target(s) failing a Spell Saving Throw(s), you may treat the damage as Critical damage if the target(s) Critically Fail their Spell Saving Throw(s).
Presage Cantrip
You learn how to greatly extend the duration of basic spells.
If a cantrip has a duration of at least 1 minute, you may double its duration (to a maximum of 24 hours) or increase its duration to 1 hour. Additionally, whenever you cast a cantrip whose effects would end upon casting that cantrip again, they instead end when you cast it again while you already have 3 or more instances of that cantrip active.
Stray Cantrip
You learn how to fire basic spells into crowds effectively.
Whenever you cast a cantrip and fail a Spell Attack roll while there is at least 1 other creature within 5 ft of the original target of the Spell Attack roll, you may add 1d4 to your Spell Attack roll and target a new creature within 5 ft of the previous target (you do not reroll the Spell Attack roll). You may continue to target new creatures (adding 1d4 each time) until you successfully hit a creature or fail the Spell Attack roll without a creature you have not targeted already within 5 ft of the current target. You may not target a creature farther than 10 ft from the original target with this effect. If you use this feature with a cantrip that has multiple Spell Attack rolls, you may apply the effects of this feature to each Spell Attack roll.
Empowered Cantrip
You learn how to reinforce your basic spells to make them more resilient.
Solely for the purpose of resolving effects that disrupt spells and magical effects (such as Counterspell and Dispel Magic), the Casting Level of any cantrips that you cast is changed from 0 to 3 + your Proficiency Modifier (to a maximum of 9).
School of Sortilege - Feature Guide
CT = Cantrip Techniques, EC = Extra Cantrips, ES = Extra 1st Level Spells
| Level | CT Known | EC Known | ES Known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ─ | ─ | — |
| 2nd | 1 | 3 | ─ |
| 3rd | 1 | 3 | ─ |
| 4th | 1 | 3 | ─ |
| 5th | 1 | 3 | ─ |
| 6th | 1 | 3 | ─ |
| 7th | 1 | 4 | ─ |
| 8th | 2 | 4 | ─ |
| 9th | 2 | 4 | ─ |
| 10th | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 11th | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 12th | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| 13th | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 14th | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 15th | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 16th | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| 17th | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 18th | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 19th | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 20th | 5 | 6 | 9 |
Credits
- Authored by u/ResidentZeldaBau5z
- Inspired by u/surrealistik’s post on the Unearthed Arcana subreddit.
- Source: Hedge Magic, 3rd UA Draft