A History of Magic: Eddies in Time and Space (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Divination Subschools and Selected Spells

A History of Magic: Divination Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Divination

The Subschools of Divination: Gnosis, Revelation, Scrying, Spacial, Temporal

Gnosis: A gnostic spell calls information from far sources. The links formed are similar in nature to scrying links. However, instead of connecting to a given place or time they connect to pools, streams, and eddies of information. The sense of whether these contacts are other-planar entities, messages from future selves, or some disembodied wellspring of universal knowledge varies from caster to caster, spell to spell, and even casting to casting. Throughout history it appears, much to the frustration of specialists diviners accustomed to drawing answers from the universe, never to have been definitively resolved.

Revelation: The original practice of formalized magic, revelatory spells detect, uncover, or perceive directly. These are detection spells. Often described as a sense or sight, they can reach through most types of matter to some degree, uncovering things that might otherwise be hidden.

Scrying: A scrying spell creates an extradimensional link to a distant place. Where the link reemerges into the real world it opens an invisible portal, a magical “sensor” that sends information back directly to the caster’s mind.

Spacial: Both scrying and gnostic spells rely on the manipulation of the fabric of reality to create extradimensional linkages. It is the students of the spacial and temporal sub-schools who have pushed the understanding of magical power over space and time through their efforts to understand these links. Spectacular failures in their intended goal, which would behave in a manner similar to the Arcane Gate spell, they have instead provided advances in magic. This subschool forms extradimensional spaces (eg Demiplane, Rope Trick, and Mordankainen’s Magnificent Mansion) 
Temporal: Similar to the spacial subschool, by overpowering extradimensional links such as those used in gnostic and scrying spells, the spells of this subschool create eddies and effects in time (Slow, haste, contingency, temporal stasis, time stop).

A History of Magic: The History of Divination (D&D)

Contents

Previous: Introduction

The first recorded acts of formalized magic were divinatory, granting the ability of mortals to extend their perceptions beyond their purely physical senses. While I hope, some day, to discover the origins of these abilities I suspect that, initially, they were much like the limited arts of the sorcerer or warlock; instinctual or granted through outside influence rather than learning, research, or practice. They initially provided little in the way of increased awareness. However, the exertions of those who dedicated themselves to learning about these gifts, and turning these gifts to learn about the universe around them, proved these abilities sufficient for their recipients to make the fundamental discoveries necessary to set us on the path to our modern understanding of the art. Two of those discoveries stand out among the rest.

New Spells; Knowledge Skill Bonuses (D&D 5e)

Arcane Memory

1st level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Component: V, S, M (minor divinatory tools which may be consumed, such as burned incense or tea which is drank, but may not be, such as casting runestones.)
Duration: Instant
If presented with an Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion skill check a character who knows this spell may use this spell as a reaction.
When you perform this spell you pull from the universe minor signs and portents that help fill in a particular piece of information. You can add your proficiency bonus to the skill roll. If you are already trained in the relevant skill this doubles your effective proficiency bonus for that skill for the duration.
If cast as a ritual this spell's duration becomes 8 hours. During that time the caster may benefit from the effect as if they cast the spell from memory once. After the roll is made the spell ceases to be active. A character can benefit from no more than one suspended version of this spell at a time.

Arcane Tutor
1st level conjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Component: V, S, M (a small item of interest or value to the summoned creature which they take)
Duration: Instant
When you perform this spell you call up a small creature and exchange some small token or service for pieces of information and clues about a puzzle. You can reroll an Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion skill check you have made, so long as you did not already benefit from Advantage on the initial roll.

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New Spells: the Wizard's Armory (D&D 5e)

New Cantrips; Non-combat skill bonuses (D&D 5e)

New Spell: Premonition (D&D 5e)

1st-level Divination (Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (an amethyst)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You experience a brief but intense vision of an event that is about to happen, using that knowledge you can shape the next few moments.
While this spell is active you may force any one action to be rerolled. All bonuses, penalties, and other effects are repeated exactly as before. If an event or action requires more than one roll only one roll is rerolled per intervention from this spell. If you force a reroll with this ability you must accept the results of the new roll and this spell expires.
You may benefit from no more than one casting of this spell at a time.
At Higher Level. If you use a spell slot of second level or higher, you increase the duration and amount of change you can impose during that time. For each level above first you add one minute to the duration of the spell and can force one additional action to be rerolled before the spell expires. Even at higher levels, you may force no action to be rerolled more than once through the use of this spell.

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New Spell: Rend the Veil (D&D 5e)

4th level divination (wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Component: V, S, M
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Every divination spell has the potential to unleash a torrent of uncontrolled information spilling across the user's mind. For the best of such spells the difficulty is filtering and safeguarding the information being poured into the caster. Most diviners consider this spell a failure, an aberration created by

You point to a single target and open their perceptions to a wellspring of information, releasing an unfiltered, uncontrolled torrent of divinatory visions into their mind. At the beginning of each of their turns the target makes an Intelligence save. If they fail they are unable to process the information filling their mind, suffering 3d4 psychic damage and being stunned until the beginning of their next turn.
On a successful save the subject clings to a thread within the prophecies filling their mind. They take half damage and are not stunned. Moreover, the thread they wrest may prove useful, for each successful save they get a luck point, which may be used per the Lucky feat.
At Higher Level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the maximum duration increases by 1 round.

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New Spell: Sharpen Mind (D&D 5e)

Level 1 Divination (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Various casters describe this spell in different ways. You might experience a sudden strong memory of where you saw some desired information previously, find your memory palace snap into supernatural focus, or suddenly feel connected to a deep well of memory beyond your understanding. There may actually be several versions of this basic invocation.
When you fail a Intelligence skill check you may immediately cast this spell as a reaction and reroll the check. All bonuses and penalties which applied to the first roll still apply, but not advantage or disadvantage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, after this spell effect is complete, you regain a first level spell slot if you have expended any.

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New Spell: Clear Sight (D&D 5e)

divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Component: V, S
Duration: 1 hour
For the duration you can add your proficiency bonus to Perception rolls. If you are already trained in the Perception skill this doubles your effective proficiency bonus for that skill for the duration.

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New Spell: Pierce Shadows (D&D 5e)

Divination Cantrip (Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (an amethyst)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.

You gain Darkvision out to 40' for the duration.

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