Spells may be the most powerful features available to a character in Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, there's a reason most people say (correctly) that a spellcaster is always stronger than a fighting character because they can do things beyond anyone's imagination – depending on their level of course.
All that said, why leave all the fun to the magicians? There are other ways to access spells. Primarily, you can get them through subclasses, your kind, or through feats. We'll focus on the latter now, as feats allow any character to easily acquire a repertoire of spells – or expand the ones they already have.
The initiation of magic
2024 Player's Guide
In 2024, all environments now provide a feat, from a selection called Origin Feats. Among them we have the classic Magic Initiate. Here you can get two cantrips and a level one spell from druids, clerics, or wizards. All three spells must be of the same class, and you can use the spell once per long unspell rest.
While the older version allowed you to choose from multiple classes, the 2024 version allows you to choose which ability score (within Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) to use for these spells, making this feat extremely versatile. Even if all three of your ability scores are soaked, it's the perfect opportunity for some support spells.
Fey touched
2024 Player's Guide
This feat gives you two spells, Misty Step, and one first-level spell of your choice—as long as it comes from either the Divination, Spell, or Magic schools. You can also choose to use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma for these spells.
Misty Step alone is a strong reason to get this feat, even if its use is limited, just because of how useful it is. Additionally, you have a large selection of spells you can get with these two schools of magic as well, such as Command, Bless, Dissonant Whispers, Hex, Hunter's Mark, Identify, and many, many more.
Shadow Touched
2024 Player's Guide
Shadow Touched is based on a very similar premise to Fey Touched. The difference is that you gain invisibility versus the Misty Step, and the first level spell of your choice must come from either the Necromancy or Illusion schools of magic.
While we'd say Fey Touched is better, Invisibility is also a powerful spell, and you can get spells like Ray of Sickness, Wrathful Smite, False Life, Inflict Wounds, Silent Image, Color Spray, Disguise Self, and more.
Ritual caster
2024 Player's Guide
Ritual spells can be quite useful, though not in combat. So the power a couple of them will give you is very useful. You can gain a number of first-level ritual spells equal to your proficiency bonus, and if you have ten minutes available, you can use them at any time.
Plus, you have the ability to cast it quickly (also with its normal cast time, which is probably one action) once per long rest, so if you're in a hurry, this feat can handle you.
Telepathic
2024 Player's Guide
Telepathic isn't as grandiose as the others since all it does (on the magic front) is give you Detect Thoughts. Still, it's a very useful spell, so it's worth mentioning.
Along with this, you can communicate with people telepathically if they are within 60 feet (18 m) of you. They can't answer, but it's a good way to talk to allies, or even annoy your enemies by constantly mentally screaming or getting a cheesy song stuck in their head.
Strixhaven Initiate
Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos
In keeping with the Magic Initiate trend, this one also gives you two feats and a level one cantrip. However, the selection is more limited. Strixhaven is based around five different houses, and depending on the house you choose, it offers you cantrips and spells to acquire.
Why bother when Magic Initiate gives you free choice? Mainly because depending on which list you choose, you can get spells from classes that Magic Initiate doesn't allow, like bard and wizard spells. Still, it works pretty much the same.
On the plus side, if you're playing by the 2014 rules, the 2014 Magic Initiate doesn't let you choose between Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, and instead forces you to use the same spellcasting ability as the class you chose (if you're choosing wizard spells, you have to use Intelligence, for example). Strixhaven Initiate allows you to choose an ability score and is a valid initiative for games under the 2014 rules.
Drow High Magic
Xanatar's Guide to Everything
Xanathar's Guide has several features that are exclusive to certain species, including a feat for each elven lineage. There's no point talking about the high or wood elves because the 2024 rules give them the same spells, so those two are useless. If you're a drow, then that's a different conversation.
Drow characters already have innate uses of Dancing Lights, Faerie Fire, and Darkness. But if you get Drow High Magic, you get Detect Magic (and can cast it at will rather than once per long rest), and you also get Levitate and Dispel Magic. These are glued to your Charisma, but outside of Dispel Magic it won't be a big deal if your Charisma is bad.
Adept at Eldritch
Tasha's cauldron of everything
If you're not a wizard but want to play with their toys, the Eldritch Adept is interesting. It doesn't necessarily give you a spell, but allows you to choose one of their Eldritch Invocations, many of which include the ability to freely cast certain spells like Mage Armor, Alter Self, etc.
This feat predates the 2024 rules, where some invocations state that you have to be a warlock of a certain level to get them, so it's worth talking to your DM if you really need to be a warlock, if you need to be the same level, or what have you. Still, it's a good move.
Rune Shaper
Glory Of The Giants
This one comes with Comprehend Languages for free, as well as a list of runes to know, each of which allows you to inscribe them on an item and cast the spell once per long rest.
The list is limited, but what makes it interesting compared to the other feats here is that you can change runes that are written during a long rest, so you can change spells. And the number of runes you know is half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, meaning that number will increase over time.
Aberrant Dragonmark
Eberron — Rebellion from the Last War
This feat only allows you to gain one cantrip, but it also allows you to gain a first-level spell, and both must come from the wizard's spell list, so your choices may differ from ones like Magic Initiate.
You can also spend a hit die when using a spell, which can also give you temporary hit points or randomly injure a nearby creature. The feat also has optional rules to become more powerful at higher levels, but that only applies if the DM wants to use them.
- Original release date
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1974
- Number of players
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2+
- Length per game
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From 60 minutes to hours.
- Age recommendation
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12+ (although younger can play and enjoy)
- Franchise name
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Dungeons & Dragons
- Publishing Co
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Wizards of the Coast
