Initiate of High Sorcery 5e — Which Moon Should You Choose?

Introduction

Initiate of High Sorcery is the entry point to Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen's three-order mage feat chain, and most spellcasters who take it never spend a feat slot on it. The Mage of High Sorcery background grants it through Dragonlance's bonus-feat system, the same way the Knight of Solamnia background grants Squire of Solamnia.

This guide breaks down all three moon options, the spell lists each one unlocks, and the one detail this chain gets backwards from the Knights of Solamnia chain: none of it carries an Ability Score Increase, not even at 4th level.

What the Feat Does

Prerequisite: Dragonlance Campaign; Sorcerer or Wizard class, or Mage of High Sorcery background.

Choose one of the three moons of Krynn: Nuitari (black), Lunitari (red), or Solinari (white). You learn one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list, plus two 1st-level spells chosen from your moon's list below. Each of those two spells is castable once per long rest without a spell slot, and normally with spell slots the rest of the time. Your spellcasting ability for this feat's spells is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, chosen when you take the feat.

Initiate of High Sorcery carries no Ability Score Increase - and unlike Squire of Solamnia's chain, none of its three 4th-level follow-ons do either. The entire Mages of High Sorcery branch trades every ASI for spell access.

The Moon Choice Locks Your Follow-On Branch

Your moon choice does two jobs at once: it sets which pair of 1st-level spells you can pick from, and it determines which of the three Adept feats you're eligible for at 4th level. Nuitari unlocks Adept of the Black Robes, Lunitari unlocks Adept of the Red Robes, and Solinari unlocks Adept of the White Robes - there's no universal follow-on the way Planescape's Planar Wanderer works for any plane choice. Decide roughly which branch you want before committing to a moon. For the three orders themselves, the Test of High Sorcery, and what a renegade actually is, see Mages of High Sorcery in the Dragonlance guide.

Which Moon Should You Choose?

● Nuitari — the offensive pick

Dissonant whispers and ray of sickness are both direct damage options, and hex adds sustained extra damage to a weapon-attack-heavy ally or your own cantrips. False life is a small early buffer. This moon fits a build planning to lean into damage output, and it unlocks Adept of the Black Robes, whose Life Channel feature converts a failed enemy save into bonus damage funded by your own Hit Dice.

● Lunitari — the utility pick

Color spray is a strong early crowd-control option against low-HP groups, disguise self and feather fall cover common utility gaps, and longstrider adds minor mobility. This moon fits a build that wants flexible problem-solving over raw damage, and it unlocks Adept of the Red Robes, whose Magical Balance feature turns any roll of 9 or lower on a d20 into a 10 - a consistent floor-raiser on attack rolls and ability checks alike.

● Solinari — the support pick

Shield is the strongest single spell across all three lists for sheer defensive reliability, and comprehend languages plus detect evil and good plus protection from evil and good round out a support-and-information kit. This moon fits nearly any build that values not getting hit, and it unlocks Adept of the White Robes, whose Protective Ward reaction converts a spent spell slot into real damage reduction for you or a nearby ally.

For how this feat fits alongside the rest of the book's backgrounds, feats, and setting material, see the Dragonlance guide.

Common Mistakes

Assuming any of this chain grants an Ability Score Increase. None of the four feats in the Mages of High Sorcery branch do - not Initiate of High Sorcery, and not any of the three Adept feats. Compare this against the Knights of Solamnia chain, where the reverse is true, before assuming the pattern carries over.

Picking a moon without checking its follow-on. Unlike some feat chains, there's no universal 4th-level option here - your moon choice determines exactly one Adept feat you're eligible for.

Forgetting the free-background interaction. A Mage of High Sorcery character already has this feat from the bonus-feat system - check before planning to spend an Ability Score Improvement on it.

Verdict

Free for most Mage of High Sorcery characters via the Dragonlance bonus-feat system, which makes the moon choice the only real decision. Solinari is the safest generalist pick thanks to shield's raw defensive value. Nuitari suits a damage-focused build willing to spend Hit Dice for extra hits through Adept of the Black Robes. Lunitari rewards a build that wants consistency across both combat rolls and skill checks via Adept of the Red Robes' d20 floor.

FAQ

Do I have to spend a feat slot on this? Usually not - the Mage of High Sorcery background grants it free through Dragonlance's bonus-feat system.

Does it give an Ability Score Increase? No - and neither do any of its three follow-ons, unlike the Knights of Solamnia chain.

Which moon should I choose? Nuitari for offense, Lunitari for utility and consistency, Solinari for defense - each locks a different 4th-level Adept feat.

Does this work outside a Dragonlance campaign? No - the prerequisite is literally "Dragonlance Campaign." Confirm with your DM first.