Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e | Full Subclass Guide (2024)

It’s little wonder why a Wizard who specializes in controlling the force of gravity is an attractive option. After all, of everything that arcane magic can affect, gravity is by far the most inescapable!

However, mastering this arcane tradition takes a great deal of dedication.

But what else would you expect from a school of magic that seeks to harness the very force that draws bodies of matter together or forces them apart?!

Find something to hold on to, my friend…

This is the full guide to the Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e!

What is the Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e?

As the name suggests, Graviturgy Wizards specialize in manipulating gravity and other forces of physics to control the battlefield and support their allies.

Graviturgy Wizards have access to several unique spells and features that allow them to alter the movement speed of creatures, move objects/creatures around, and even create pockets of intense gravity that can damage enemies or restrain them.

Additionally, they also have the ability to control gravity in a way that increases the damage enemies take from melee attacks or from falling!

Graviturgy Magic finds its roots in the complex and primal magic of Dunamancy that comes from the Critical Role Wildemount setting. At its core, Dunamancy is about anticipation and the force of potential.

In this case, it’s the potential and force of gravity itself!

Just as gravity works as a constant in the world around us, manipulating that constant can create no shortage of opportunities for those who are capable of achieving such a feat.

The Graviturgy Wizard appears alongside the Chronurgy Wizard (another Dunamancy-based Wizard subclass) in The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount campaign setting.

Role in the Party

The Graviturgy Wizard’s role in an adventuring party can vary depending on your preferences and specific character build. Wizards are very versatile characters, after all!

But Graviturgy Wizards particularly excel at controlling the battlefield and supporting their allies.

One of the key strengths of Graviturgy Wizards is their ability to manipulate the movement of creatures and objects through features like Gravity Well and Event Horizon.

This can be incredibly useful in combat for repositioning enemies, moving allies out of danger, or creating chokepoints to funnel enemies into advantageous positions for your party.

Additionally, the Graviturgy Wizard’s ability to alter dice rolls can be a powerful tool for turning the tide of battle, especially when combined with spells like Slow or Haste.

In terms of party dynamics, Graviturgy Wizards can be a valuable addition to any group.

Their ability to control the battlefield and support allies can make them a great asset in combat, while their utility spells and abilities can be useful for solving puzzles and navigating tricky terrain outside of combat.

Graviturgy Wizard Features 5e

So, let’s now get into the details and look over the features you gain as a Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e.

There are some very good features here, though they do tend to be fairly situational. This makes it even more important to stay on the lookout for or create situations where you can use these features.

When the opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready!

So, let’s assess the gravity of the situation, shall we?

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Adjust Density (Level 2)

Things start out a bit strange for the Graviturgy Wizard.

Adjust Density is a very situational feature that is fantastic in situations where it applies but somewhat forgettable otherwise.

As an action, you can magically alter the weight of one object or creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The object or creature must be Large or smaller. The target’s weight is halved or doubled for up to 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell).

While the weight of a creature is halved by this effect, the creature’s speed increases by 10 feet, it can jump twice as far as normal, and it has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

While the weight of a creature is doubled by this effect, the creature’s speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Upon reaching 10th level in this class, you can target an object or a creature that is Huge or smaller.

Of course, the big draw here is that using this feature doesn’t require any resources. You can quite literally do this all day long if you’re so inclined (and can maintain concentration!)

Each option with Alter Density offers both a buff and a debuff. It’s up to you to recognize when the right time to use this is and how to best apply it.

Let’s look at both applications…

Alter Density as a Buff

Let’s start in a positive light by looking at how this feature works as a buff!

Maybe you’ve got an agile party member like a Monk or Rogue in your party.

Faced with a trap that sees them having to jump onto a series of small platforms over a bottomless pit of death to grab an important item on the other side, it’s a tense situation.

Giving them that extra speed and doubling their jumping distance would certainly be incredibly helpful! However, you might want to drop concentration on this if they need to make any Strength checks…

This is also handy for giving an extra boost to slower-moving characters in situations where time is of the essence.

Maybe the party has to rush towards a rapidly descending stone door or risk getting trapped forever. Giving that extra 10 feet of movement to your gnome friend (who typically has a movement speed of 25 feet) might help ensure that they can safely escape as well!

Similarly, maybe the party is in combat, and you want to give your brawny Barbarian friend advantage on their Strength checks for things like grappling and shoving.

If your friend doesn’t have to do a lot of moving (enemies are coming to them, small combat area, etc), the movement speed reduction isn’t a big sacrifice.

Alter Density as a Debuff

Now let’s look at the more punishing side of the Graviturgy Wizard’s Alter Density feature.

If you’re playing tactically and working with your team, this can ruin an enemy’s day when it comes to their saving throws against spells and features.

Let’s say you know that your party’s Ranger is about to try to hit an enemy with an Ensnaring Strike next turn. Using Alter Density, you give that enemy an extra 10 feet of movement (which won’t matter) and disadvantage on its Strength saves to resist and break out of the Ensnaring Strike’s vines.

Similarly, you can instead increase an enemy’s density to give them disadvantage on their save against a spell like Burning Hands or Fireball if you REALLY want to make sure they take the brunt of that spell’s damage.

But there might be situations where saving throws matter less than affecting your enemy’s movement speed.

Perhaps you’re being chased by a hungry Umber Hulk. The advantage it gains to its Strength checks won’t matter if it can’t even catch up to you!

Or maybe an enemy is trying to make a run for it. Perhaps they’re trying to sound the alarm and alert everyone to your presence, or maybe it’s the BBEG making a run for it.

Either way, reducing their movement gives you much more time to act.

Sure, they’ll be harder to restrain until you drop concentration on this, but something tells me you might have other plans for them…

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Gravity Well (Level 6)

When maintaining tactical control over the battlefield, sometimes all it takes to make a huge difference is a little push.

That’s where Gravity Well comes in!

Whenever you cast a spell on a creature, you can move the target 5 feet to an unoccupied space of your choice if the target is willing to move, the spell hits it with an attack, or it fails a saving throw against the spell.

Gravity Well combos very nicely with certain environmental perils or spells on the field. You might knock the enemy into a pit, off the side of a boat, or directly into a nasty AoE effect like Wall of Thorns or Hunger of Hadar.

Just keep in mind that forced movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity!

On the downside, you can’t use this to give your nearby allies an extra chance to wallop an enemy that you force to move.

But on the bright side, this extra movement can help you safely get yourself or an ally out of an enemy’s threatened space or grapple!

Gravity Well may be a situational feature, but even 5 feet of extra movement can prove incredibly useful when used tactically!

Violent Attraction (Level 10)

It’s time to turn up the Newtons and bring the pain with the Graviturgy Wizard’s level 10 feature, Violent Attraction!

When another creature that you can see within 60 feet of you hits with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to increase the attack’s velocity, causing the attack’s target to take an extra 1d10 damage of the weapon’s type.

Alternatively, if a creature within 60 feet of you takes damage from a fall, you can use your reaction to increase the fall’s damage by 2d10.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Both uses of Violent Attraction serve to increase the damage being dealt by yourself and your allies.

The first use is pretty straightforward. When your ally is hitting the enemy with a weapon attack, you use your reaction to add an extra 1d10 to the damage.

But you’ll get the most extra damage by combining this feature with falling damage…

Spells like Reverse Gravity or Gravity Sinkhole (positioned above your foe) are going to be your best friend here. Unless, of course, there is a nearby pit, cliffside, or other hazard that you and your allies are able to push enemies off of.

You’ll almost certainly have more opportunities for the first use, but keep your eyes open for opportunities to combine this with falling damage and really bring the pain!

Also, be sure to stay extra mindful of your action economy when you use Violent Attraction.

Because it uses your reaction, you want to be extra sure you won’t need that reaction to cast defensive spells like Shield or Counterspell before your next turn!

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Event Horizon (Level 14)

Finally, at level 14, we come to the Graviturgy Wizard’s powerful capstone feature: Event Horizon.

Used strategically, this can be incredibly impactful but it does require a great deal of strategy and teamwork to really pull it off.

As an action, you can magically emit a powerful field of gravitational energy that tugs at other creatures for up to 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell).

For the duration, whenever a creature hostile to you starts its turn within 30 feet of you, it must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC.

On a failed save, it takes 2d10 force damage, and its speed is reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage, and every foot it moves this turn costs 2 extra feet of movement.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher on it.

Trapping enemies within your orbit, those that fail their Strength saves are left stuck in place while being crushed by the gravitational force around you.

Regardless of whether enemies are behind cover or not, you can potentially keep them all stuck in place for this feature’s duration. From there, they’re sitting ducks for your allies to come in and clean up!

But as high-impact as this feature is, it does have a huge risk attached to it…

Event Horizon requires you to maintain concentration which has a couple of very important implications that you need to be mindful of:

1. Any spell effects that you’re currently concentrating on end. Additionally, you can’t cast any other concentration spells without ending Event Horizon.
2. Between Event Horizon’s massive effect and the fact that you’ll want to have as many enemies within 30 feet of you as possible, you’re a major target.
3. Any damage you take can potentially cause you to lose concentration, losing both your capstone feature and still leaving you in a risky position.

You’ll have an easier time maintaining concentration with a solid Constitution score, as well as if you’ve taken the War Caster feat.

Of course, ideally, you can get some cover for yourself or use spells like Ray of Frost to make it even harder for enemies to get to you.

If your allies are quick to pounce on the enemies, Event Horizon can be deadly. However, don’t ignore the risk-reward nature that comes with using it!

Connections

Wizards of all specializations come from a wide range of backgrounds. When looking for opportunities to connect a Wizard to the story, it’s best to start with their topic of study.

Graviturgy Wizards might be particularly drawn to the immense calculations and problem-solving that come with working with a force as powerful as gravity.

But to what end?

Maybe your Graviturgy Wizard and their peers dream of venturing into the reaches of space (which would be particularly useful in a campaign that dips into the Spelljammer setting!). This ambition could stem from a desire to explore new frontiers, discover ancient cosmic secrets, or even find new sources of magical power.

Another angle could be a personal quest for knowledge.

Perhaps your Graviturgy Wizard has uncovered ancient texts hinting at lost gravitational magics or artifacts and is determined to recover them. This pursuit could lead them to forgotten ruins, hidden libraries, or even other planes of existence.

Alternatively, your character might have a more grounded motivation.

They could be a scholar seeking to revolutionize transportation and architecture in their home city by applying their gravitational expertise. This could involve working with local governments or guilds, leading to political intrigue and alliances.

For a more dramatic twist, consider a backstory where the Graviturgy Wizard’s powers manifested during a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster or a magical catastrophe. This experience could drive them to prevent such incidents in the future, making them a protector of sorts, using their abilities to safeguard others from the forces of nature and magic.

Incorporating these elements into your Graviturgy Wizard’s story not only provides depth to your character but also creates numerous hooks for the Dungeon Master to integrate into the campaign, ensuring that your character is an integral part of the unfolding narrative.

Is the Graviturgy Wizard Good?

I love the concept behind the Graviturgy Wizard and had hopes of magically body-slamming foes left and right when this subclass was originally announced.

However, in practice, the Graviturgy Wizard is more on the “niche” side of things.

Now, being niche doesn’t mean it’s bad. However, it relies very heavily on specific situations and big tactical plays that create those situations to really shine.

When those situations do apply, the Graviturgy is a ton of fun. (Or should I say a NEWTON of fun?)

But at some point, enemies are going to stop standing near cliffs, pits, and other hazards for you to yeet them off of.

There is some major potential here, though.

In a group that favors a highly strategic game and is good at working together to pull off elaborate combos, the Graviturgy Wizard can fill an interesting chessmaster kind of role for the party.

After all, features like Gravity Well and Event Horizon in particular can pay off in a major way with enough group coordination. However, that’s a very specific type of group playing a very specific type of D&D game.

In a more “general” kind of D&D game group, it’s hard to justify picking this subclass instead of a Wizard subclass with more regularly useful features that can still learn some nifty gravity-based spells.

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Conclusion – Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e

I hope you’ve found this guide to the Graviturgy Wizard in D&D 5e helpful!

As you can see, the Graviturgy Wizard offers a wealth of opportunities for creative storytelling and dynamic gameplay. Whether you’re manipulating the battlefield or exploring the far reaches of space, this subclass is sure to add a new dimension to your adventures.

We’d love to hear how you’ve incorporated the Graviturgy Wizard into your campaigns.

Have you discovered any unique ways to use their abilities, or do you have any memorable stories to share? Don’t let this opportunity slip through your gravitational pull—share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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