Prerequisite: Elf (drow)
You learn more of the magic typical of dark elves. You learn the Detect Magic spell and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot. You also learn Levitate and Dispel Magic, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast the spell in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Drow High Magic: Dark Powers
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
Feats that offer spells typically are giving you one first level spell with a “free” slot, and either some cantrips or a second level spell with a free slot. That’s the floor. These are universally exceptional, especially in the low tiers of play, and especially on characters looking for a bit more stuff to do. Drow High Magic makes those feats look like CHUMPS (kind of) by giving you an at will 1st level spell (but it was a ritual anyway), and a free cast of Levitate, a second level spell, and Dispel Magic, a THIRD level spell. Fourth level drow characters can have 3rd level spells before nearly any other character in the game, and they get an absolute banger of a spell to boot.
Racially, drow come with Superior Darkvision, Drow Magic (which equates to Faerie Fire, Darkness, and Dancing Lights), and some excellent free weapon proficiencies (rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows). Paired then with a +2 Dex (often considered the best ability score in the game) AND a +1 Charisma (an ability score used by the majority of caster classes) and you’re set up to build nearly any character you want with solid magical options out the gate. Tack on Drow High Magic and now you’re looking at a class’s worth of spellcasting options and weapon proficiencies that keep you open to basically any class you want outside artificers, druids, clerics, and wizards. Even just a regular thief rogue with Drow High Magic will have access to Dancing Lights and Detect Magic at will, and Faerie Fire, Darkness, Levitate, and Dispel Magic all once per long rest. That’s a juicy well of options equivalent to one first and third level spell slot and two second level spell slots, all before casting is ever considered.
The specific spells in question do vary in utility. It lines Drow characters up to be excellent at reconnaissance, infiltration, and exploration. Detect Magic and Dispel Magic put them up as anti-mages, capable of detecting and breaking magic regardless of potency. Darkness and Levitate both have in and out of combat utility, and pair exceptionally with warlock builds leveraging Devil’s Sight to see through magical darkness. Dancing Lights will feel mainly cosmetic; oftentimes it’ll be actively detrimental to use, and directly competes with Levitate and Detect Magic for your concentration slot, which is a bummer. Faerie Fire is the last little bonus here, and while I don’t love using it most of the time, getting a free use for a 20 ft. cube of potential advantage can come in handy from time to time, especially on characters who have time to set up from stealth (like rogues/rangers).
Dispel Magic is in a league of its own here, though. If this feat just gave you a free use of Dispel Magic I’d still consider it. Dispel Magic can break any level of spell effect, and this gives you a free chance at that once per long rest. Giving any character an extra chance to knock a charm off an ally or dispel a massive damaging area can open up routes to victory otherwise closed off, and it’ll scale with your growing proficiency bonus and Charisma modifier. It's an excellent tool to have, and you’re getting it in addition to the equivalent of a warlock invocation, Eldritch Sight, and a once per long rest Levitate.
If you’re a drow, Drow High Magic can be an amazing boon for your character. Getting access to three spells, one at will and two once per long rest, has a ton of potential. If you want to just have more resources, this is an easy way to get more.
Thank you for visiting!
If you’d like to support this ongoing project, you can do so by buying my books, getting some sweet C&C merch, or joining my Patreon.
The text on this page is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a.
‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0.
A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
