In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, Wizards have a reputation for being the most versatile spellcaster. It is true that they have access to many things, but the only feature which is unique to them is their most iconic feature: Spellbooks. Every other feature is something another class does better or more interestingly. Every spell can be gained by other classes, and every iconic feature can be duplicated via feat, class, or subclass features. I could write about this at length, but a better use of time is to explore how to make the use of the spellbook for every other caster by taking a single level of Wizard. 

In the Player’s Handbook (both the 2014 and 2024 editions), the spellbook feature has very specific requirements for adding spells to your collection. The spell must be a Wizard spell of level 1 or higher, and you must have spell slots of a level which would allow you to cast that spell. Importantly, this does not require the spellcaster to have levels in wizard beyond level 1. This allows you to prepare 4 spells of any level from the game’s most expansive spell list so long as you find a copy and have the time and money to copy the spell over to your own spellbook. 

Every spell in the Wizards spell list can be learned through various means, including the feat Magic Initiate: Wizard and a Bard’s Magical Secrets feature. But the downside to these features is that you only gain access to a small number of total spells learned.  Taking a single level of Wizard lets your caster gain as many spells as they can track down while leveling up in their primary class. For Bards, this leaves the Magical Secrets feature open to gain useful Cleric and Druid spells and Magic Initiate: Wizard still has value for providing access to useful cantrips. Further levels in Wizard come with a surprisingly disappointing number of features. This is because a Wizard’s class flavor and versatility comes from their spellbook feature, and they gain relatively little power from further levels in Wizard specifically.

While your main class will still need to progress to higher levels to prepare spells from that class (for example, one must be level 5 in a class to gain access to its 3rd-level spell slots), you are able to prepare Wizard spells which use a 3rd level slot as soon as your total level of spellcasting classes is 5. So a level 4 Druid/1 Wizard gains access to 3rd level spell slots, but they cannot cast 3rd level spells in the Druid class. But, if they have collected some 3rd-level spell scrolls, they can immediately add those spells to their spell book and prepare them to cast using the 3rd level spell slots. 

Your character will need to navigate this situation. If you have proficiency in the right skills or tools, your spell caster can create spell scrolls, so you can always offer to replace the scrolls you hold on to for your spellbook. There may always be situations where a spell scroll is needed to survive or escape a situation, so be willing to use scrolls when your party really needs them. After all, the scroll won’t make it into your spellbook if your character dies. 

Always discuss your play style, rules, and norms at your table with other players and DMs. If this interaction makes it really un-fun for another Wizard in your party, or if your DM is having a hard time preparing around your extreme spell versatility, they might ask you to reign in this feature, despite it being Rules-As-Written if they decide to block it as Rules-As-Intended. In Adventurer’s League Game, RAW gameplay is required, so you can always play with this at those games. 

There are many ways to take an option or feature in the game that are flavorful. Perhaps you’re playing a Wizard who doesn’t know they are a Sorcerer, and thinks their Sorcerer abilities are just masterfully prepared spells. Or you might combine the Warlock’s Book of Shadows from their Eldritch Invocation feature with the spellbook, having a single book for their spells, unknowingly gaining power from a Patron. My personal favorite is a Druid with the Magician Primal Order who is trying to find a balance between studying magic and preserving and utilizing nature. 

Always remember that your character should be the driving force behind your interactions in the game. That said, if you are playing in an especially small party (1-3 players with a DM), it may be prudent to use some level of this to ensure that your group has coverage for many roles. So, if you have a Barbarian, Monk, and a Druid, having the Druid take a level in Wizard can cover a huge amount of utility that otherwise wouldn’t be available to your party. If you have a dedicated Wizard in your party, there is room for both fun and friction when collecting spells. It’s important to remember to share spells (as you can both copy each spell into your spell list) and to collaborate to make sure you’re preparing different spells, so you’re not always making their character redundant.

Every class has its own interactions with the Wizard Spellbook feature. Bards and Sorcerers greatly increase their ability to swap out spells, Warlocks gain a separate type of spell slot, and Clerics and Druids get damage and utility not normally available to their class. No matter which class you choose, you should remember that many class features enhance spells from that class, but not spells you gain as a Wizard. For example, Druids have “Potent Spellcasting: Add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any Druid cantrip.” This feature cannot increase the damage of cantrips you gain from your dip into Wizard, so you might prefer to choose utility spells for your Wizard Cantrips if you’re planning on using a class with this hiccough. 

 A single level of Wizard allows you to collect every Wizard spell in the world over the course of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Your DM has to make this possible, and you might need to consider how other players feel about your use of resources to build your spellbook, but you can gain utility and unique game play options to enhance the game for everyone. This may be considered an exploitation of Rules as Written, and your DM may refuse it as Rules as Intended, but it can’t hurt to ask, right?  Enjoy, and remember to thank your DM (and ask if you’ve leveled up).

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Source: geekdad.com