Arcana (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition)
Definition
Arcana is the Intelligence skill for everything magical: recognizing a rune-scribed ward, naming the school of an enchantment, or knowing what a wand of fireballs does before someone waves it. It comes up when the group finds a strange glyph, meets a creature from another plane, or needs to understand a ritual before interrupting it. GMs use it to hand players clues that a wizard would reasonably know.
How it works
Tips
Frequently asked questions
Can Arcana identify a magic item?
The core rules identify items through the identify spell or a short rest spent handling the item. Arcana can tell you what kind of item it probably is and how similar items work, but the GM decides how much it reveals.
Do I need Arcana to cast spells?
No. Spellcasting uses your class's casting ability. Arcana is knowledge about magic, not the ability to perform it.