[RPG] Can you use Magic Initiate to cast a spell you already know, and still learn another spell

dnd-5efeatsspellswizard

I have a wizard PC who wants to gain the feat Magic Initiate and use free 1st level spell to use mage armour once a day. He already knows Mage armour, so:

  1. Can he use the Feat to gain a free casting of Mage armour once each day?
  2. Should he get another 1st level spell but not get to freely cast it once a day?

Best Answer

So, assuming your player chooses Wizard as their Magic Initiate class:

If their chosen Initiate 1st-level spell is Mage Armor, they learn the spell (add it to their spellbook) and also can cast it for free once a day. However, to cast it with spell slots, they must also prepare it as one of their spells for the day. This does allow them to pick other spells for their starting spells known, and still have the ability to prepare Mage Armor if they wish.

However, if they already know Mage Armor, taking the feat does not automatically allow them to learn a different spell for free; if they did, they would cast that one 1/day instead of Mage Armor.