Borrowed Knowledge 5E Guide | New Spell for Strixhaven
Borrowed Knowledge is a useful spell that is also a great thematic fit for Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. This spell gives you the opportunity to temporarily gain proficiency in a skill you would not have otherwise. Whiel situational, there are many times when a spell slot is worth gaining a proficiency bonus for a ksill check. If this interests you, keep reading our Borrowed Knowledge 5E Guide to learn all about this spell.
Borrowed Knowledge 5E Guide
- Level: 2nd
- School: Divination
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: V,S,M, a book worth at least 25 gp
- Duration: 1 hour
- Class: Bard, Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
You draw on knowledge from spirits of the past. Choose one skill in which you lack proficiency. For the spell’s duration, you have proficiency in the chosen skill. The spell ends early if you cast it again.
Spell Breakdown
This is a simple, straightforward spell that offers a lot of utility for casters that lack skill proficiencies. You can get proficiency with any one skill for up to an hour at the cost of one spell slot. This isn’t a concentration spell, so you don’t have to worry about the effects getting cut off early.
The downsides of this spell are minimal. For starters, it could be a situational spell that is fairly redundant depending on the makeup of your party. If the other players cover a broad range of skills, you might not use this much. If you have an unusual party build that is light on skill proficiencies, this might be a stronger option.
To me, the major knock on the spell is the level. While the spell is useful, a second-level slot seems a bit steep. If it were up to me I’d have made this a first-level divination spell.
Conclusion: Borrowed Knowledge Guide
This spell isn’t bad, but it is also situational. I would have preferred to see it as a first level spell, as I think the tradeoff for a second level spell slot is a bit high. That said, Borrowed Knowledge could be very useful in a pinch depending on your party makeup.
