Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition skill
Arcana
Arcana is a skill in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition: Recalling lore about spells, magic items, magical traditions, and the planes of existence.
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Key facts
- Ability
- INT
Overview
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
Ability: Intelligence Common checks: Recalling facts about spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, and the planes and their inhabitants. Typical DCs: 10 for common knowledge such as what a healing potion looks like, 15 for the purpose of a specific rune, 20 or more for obscure planar lore or a forgotten tradition. Proficiency: On the class lists for Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. Common house rule: Many tables let you identify a spell as it is cast with an Arcana check; this is a GM option, not a core rule.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Wizards first, then any Intelligence-heavy character who wants to be the party's answer to "what is that?" Character concepts: Scholar of the arcane, planar traveler, sage, magic item appraiser, former apprentice. Synergies: Pairs with Investigation for dissecting magical traps and with History for understanding ancient magical empires.
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.