Alternatives to Wizard School Savant?

[Diamondized]

I love the flavor of specializing in a school of magic, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by the X Savant abilities (half time and cost to scribe spells of your school into your book), especially compared to the second abilities Bladesingers and War Mages receive at the same level. Does anyone have any reasonable ideas to buff Savant or maybe replace it with something more specific to the individual schools? (I'm currently playing a Conjurer but I'd love to hear ideas for any school.)

Alternatively, am I wrong about this? How often can I expect to find spells of a given school in a first party campaign? Enough for that discount to even make a difference?

 

[Hawk Diesel]

That particular ability is somewhat both designed to be a ribbon ability while also demonstrating that you expertise in that school has some impact in the way you understand spells of your chosen school.

Since there is no War Mage or Bladesinger magic specifically, that particular ribbon ability would not apply, hence why it is not used.

That said, if you wanted to change it, I would suggest something along the lines of a school specific prestidigitation effect. For conjuration, perhaps you can create an object that can fit within the palm of your hand, or teleport and unattended object into your hand no larger than a coin. For necromancy you can give people the sense that someone is "walking over their grave" or animate a single creature at a time no larger than a mouse. Little prestidigitation like effects specific to your chosen school.

 

[Blue]

I love the flavor of specializing in a school of magic, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by the X Savant abilities (half time and cost to scribe spells of your school into your book), especially compared to the second abilities Bladesingers and War Mages receive at the same level. Does anyone have any reasonable ideas to buff Savant or maybe replace it with something more specific to the individual schools? (I'm currently playing a Conjurer but I'd love to hear ideas for any school.)

Alternatively, am I wrong about this? How often can I expect to find spells of a given school in a first party campaign? Enough for that discount to even make a difference?

Okay, both PHB wizards and bladesingers get two abilities at 2nd level. If the "powerful" one from the PHB - Abjuration Ward, Portent, etc. is around the same as Bladesong, then we're looking at Savant vs. proficiency in light armor and one one-handed weapon. Yes, Savant is less powerful - light armro saves you a Mage Armor slot - but neither is particularly overwhelming.

If you want to give something of low power for each class instead it would be in okay. Since we're talking some proficiency for blade singer, the equivalent for a Wizard would be prepared spells. Maybe Savant can also allow a 1st level wizard spell in their school that always counts as prepared. That's also a nod the to Signature Spell capstone which makes two 3rd level spells always prepared (and able to be cast once per day)/