What Is Borrowed Knowledge

Borrowed Knowledge Guide for 5e D&D (5th Edition)

What is Borrowed Knowledge?

Borrowed Knowledge is a 5e D&D spell that allows the caster to tap into the knowledge of spirits from the past. It is a very useful spell for characters who need to learn new skills or who need to improve their proficiency in a specific skill.

Components

Verbal: The caster speaks words of power. Somatic: The caster gestures with their hands. Material: A book worth at least 25 gp.

Duration

The spell lasts for 1 hour.

Effect

The caster chooses one skill in which they lack proficiency. For the duration of the spell, the caster has proficiency in the chosen skill.

Example

A wizard who is trying to learn how to play the lute could use the Borrowed Knowledge spell to gain proficiency in the Performance (Lute) skill. This would allow them to play the lute as if they had been practicing for years.

Is Borrowed Knowledge a good spell?

Borrowed Knowledge is a very useful spell for characters who need to learn new skills or who need to improve their proficiency in a specific skill. It is especially useful for characters who are multiclassing or who are playing a character with a low Intelligence score.

Tips for using Borrowed Knowledge

Here are a few tips for using the Borrowed Knowledge spell effectively:

Choose a skill that you need to use soon. The spell only lasts for 1 hour, so you won't have much time to practice the skill once you cast it.

If you are playing a character with a low Intelligence score, you can use the Borrowed Knowledge spell to improve your proficiency in a skill that you would normally be bad at.

The spell can be used to learn new languages. This can be very useful for characters who are traveling to new places or who need to communicate with people from different cultures.