Magical Scholar Wizard Subclass

[JNAProductions]

Magical Theorist-At level 2, you halve the time and costs of copying any spell into your spellbook, owing to your greater understanding of magical theory compared to your counterparts. In addition, you may learn one extra spell each time you level up.

Arcana Master-At level 2, you also gain proficiency in Arcana. If you already had proficiency, gain Expertise.

Arcane Efficiency-At level 6, you are able to use magic with greater efficiency than others. Up to Intelligence modifier times per long rest, when casting a spell from a higher level slot, you may treat the slot as one higher than it actually is, up to a maximum of the highest level slot you can cast.

Theory Applied-At level 10, you may, once per short rest, apply your Intelligence modifier to one of the following attributes of a spell you cast:
-Damage
-Range (can only be applied to spells that have a range greater than Touch, increases range by 5' times your intelligence modifier)
-Duration (add your Intelligence modifier in rounds)

Efficient Magicks-At level 14, you may downgrade magical effects. Any spell which is capable of being upscaled in slot, you may now downgrade to a lower level slot. When doing so, invert and double the bonus for going up a level. (For instance, Fireball, a 3rd level spell, does 8d6 fire damage in a radius, and increases by 1d6 for every level higher. To cast it as a 2nd level spell, you would take the bonus, double it, and apply it as a penalty-so decreasing damage by 2d6, for a total of 6d6 fire damage.)

Spoiler: Efficient Magicks

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Can basically only be applied to damaging spells, since most single target spells simply scale up in number of targets they can hit. Still, it gives you that many more options.

[clash]

I like the idea but without even getting into balance, the biggest problem with this is that it is boring.

You basically have two subclass features:
Expertise in arcana and Arcane thesis. and both of those are just flat bonuses. Niether gives you any new abilities or allows you to do something that another wizard cant. It just let you do some things better than another wizard.

I think it would be really cool if this subclass allowed you to customize your own spell. I would use a format something like this:

Level 2 Arcane Thesis: Through careful study of an existing spell. You begin creation of a spell of your own making. Choose 1 1st level spell as a starting point and alter the spell in some way:
Distance
Duration
Target
Damage die
all with restrictions

Level 6 Efficient casting: Whenever you cast your custom spell you may cast it as if it used one spell slot higher then what it actually uses.

Level 10 combined effect: You may add the effects of another spell of 5th level or lower to you custom spell. When combining the effects the spell uses the spell slot cost of each spell. Ie 1st level effect + 5th level effect = 6th level slot - efficient casting = 5th level slot. Something like that.

Level 14 Master Thesis: Some more universal effect.

[JNAProductions]

I like the idea but without even getting into balance, the biggest problem with this is that it is boring.

You basically have two subclass features:
Expertise in arcana and Arcane thesis. and both of those are just flat bonuses. Niether gives you any new abilities or allows you to do something that another wizard cant. It just let you do some things better than another wizard.

I think it would be really cool if this subclass allowed you to customize your own spell. I would use a format something like this:

Level 2 Arcane Thesis: Through careful study of an existing spell. You begin creation of a spell of your own making. Choose 1 1st level spell as a starting point and alter the spell in some way:
Distance
Duration
Target
Damage die
all with restrictions

Level 6 Efficient casting: Whenever you cast your custom spell you may cast it as if it used one spell slot higher then what it actually uses.

Level 10 combined effect: You may add the effects of another spell of 5th level or lower to you custom spell. When combining the effects the spell uses the spell slot cost of each spell. Ie 1st level effect + 5th level effect = 6th level slot - efficient casting = 5th level slot. Something like that.

Level 14 Master Thesis: Some more universal effect.

That's legit. It's (obviously) based on the old Arcane Thesis of 3.5, but I hear you saying it's boring. I don't want to get into the mess that is custom spellmaking, so do you have any other suggestions?

Edit: Completely changed subclass.

[clash]

The Arcane thesis feat originally dealt with metamgic. Have you thought about making this a sorcerer subclass?

[AvatarVecna]

The Arcane thesis feat originally dealt with metamgic. Have you thought about making this a sorcerer subclass?

That would miss the point of what inspired this subclass, which was giving Wizards a native "Arcana expertise" option. Although giving Wizards metamagic is certainly a thing this sub-class could do, come to think of it...

[clash]

All wizards need to get arcana expertise is the half feat in the skill feats ua: http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/do...SkillFeats.pdf

[AvatarVecna]

All wizards need to get arcana expertise is the half feat in the skill feats ua: http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/do...SkillFeats.pdf

I'm fully aware, as is the OP. That doesn't change why this got created.

[JNAProductions]

Thanks to AV for the new 6th level ability.