Arcane Tradition: Discovery

The rugged outskirts of the world hold more knowledge and mystery than could be contained in a thousand tomes, and none know this fact more intimately than wizards that follow the tradition of Discovery. Driven by wanderlust, you do not shirk worldly knowledge or unfamiliar magic. The skilled traveler learns to make use of every trick at their disposal.

By bringing to light the lost and undiscovered secrets of the world, your adventures bring you to the forefront of historical and arcanological research. What you do with this knowledge is up to you.

Deft Scrutiny Beginning at 2nd level, you can quickly analyze and reverse engineer magical effects. You do so either as a reaction when a creature you can see within 60 feet of you casts a spell, or as an action when you investigate an ongoing magical effect within 120 feet of you. Make an intelligence check with a DC equal to 10 + the level of the spell. You identify the spell on a success, and if it's a wizard spell you can magically capture its formula. You can copy a captured spell into your spellbook. Not all magical effects are created by spells, but the DM might allow you to uncover the formula for a spell that acts similarly to the effect. For example, a magical barrier might reveal the wall of force spell, and a displacer beast might reveal the blur spell.

Impromptu Preparation Starting at 2nd level, if you have access to your spellbook, you can cast spells from your spellbook as if they were prepared. Once you've cast spells this way a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier, you must complete a long rest before doing so again.

Jack of All Trades By 6th level, keen memory, sharp mind, and a small pinch of magic allow you to prevail no matter the situation. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Mystical Dissection Starting at 10th level, your analysis reveals how to quickly deconstruct magical effects. When you identify a spell with Deft Scrutiny, you can expend a spell slot to cast a countermeasure targeting it as part of the same action: counterspell if you identified as a reaction or dispel magic if you identified as an action. If the countermeasure requires a skill check, use the result of your Deft Scrutiny roll. You add the counterspell and dispel magic spells to your spellbook. If one of them is already in your spellbook, you may add a different wizard spell of a level for which you have spell slots. Counterspell and dispel magic always count as prepared spells for you, and don't count against the number of spells you can prepare.