Portent Dice

Portent dice are the signature feature of the School of Divination and is widely considered one of the most powerful subclass abilities in D&D 5e. They let you replace any d20 roll with pre-rolled dice.

Part of the Wizard class

At a Glance

Class
Wizard
Level
2nd (School of Divination)

How It Works

<p>When you finish a <strong>long rest</strong>, roll <strong>two d20s</strong> and record the numbers. You can replace <strong>any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check</strong> made by you or a creature you can see with one of these rolls.</p> <p><strong>Key Rules:</strong></p> <ul> <li>You must declare using Portent <strong>before the roll is made</strong></li> <li>Works on ANY creature you can see - allies or enemies</li> <li>The creature uses your die instead of rolling - no modifiers change</li> <li>At 14th level (Greater Portent), you roll <strong>three d20s</strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>Strategic Value:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>High rolls (15-20):</strong> Save for critical moments - important saves, key attacks</li> <li><strong>Low rolls (1-5):</strong> Force enemy failures on saves against your best spells</li> <li><strong>Mid rolls (6-14):</strong> Use situationally - sometimes a 10 guarantees success</li> </ul> <p><strong>High Portent Dice:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Guarantee a saving throw against a deadly effect (dragon breath, Dominate Person)</li> <li>Ensure the rogue's Sneak Attack hits</li> <li>Auto-succeed on crucial ability checks (Counterspell check, grapple)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Low Portent Dice:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Force failed saves on Hold Person, Polymorph, or Banishment</li> <li>Make the BBEG fail a concentration check</li> <li>Ensure enemy attacks miss (before they roll)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Combat Combo Example:</strong> Roll a 3 on Portent. Cast Hold Monster on the boss. Before they roll their save, declare you're using Portent. They get a 3 on the save and are paralyzed. Your entire party gets advantage and auto-crits in melee.</p>

Sources & Further Reading