Arcana

Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures your ability to recall lore about spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and the inhabitants of those planes. Identify a Spell or Spell Effect: You can identify a spell effect that is in a fixed location with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 15 + spell level. If you are not proficient with the Arcana skill, you have disadvantage on checks for this skill use. If you are proficient with the Arcana skill and see the components used, you gain advantage on this skill use.

You can identify a magic item with an Intelligence (Arcana) check depending on the rarity of the item. If you are not proficient with Arcana, you suffer disadvantage on this skill use.

On a failed roll, the character must wait at least 24 hours before attempting a new Arcana check to identify the item.

Identify Magical Materials: You can identify materials manufactured by magic with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 15 + spell level. If you are not proficient with the Arcana skill, you have disadvantage on checks for this skill use.

Planar Lore: You can recall general lore about the planes of existence with an Intelligence (Arcana) check DC 15. If you are not proficient with the Arcana skill, you have disadvantage on checks for this skill use.

Identify Supernatural Creature: You can identify aberrations, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, monstrosities, oozes and undead with a DC of 15 + their challenge rating. If you are not proficient with the Arcana skill, you have disadvantage on checks for this skill use. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that creature. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.

Analyze Magic Trap: After you (or an ally within 30 feet) discover a magic trap using the Perception skill or by other means, you can attempt to determine the exact nature of the trap using detect magic and the Arcana skill. The DC of this check equals 20 + the trap’s challenge rating. If you succeed, you know what spell the trap triggers. If the trap triggers more than one spell, check separately for each one. This knowledge grants you no advantage for disarming the trap, but it does tell you what to expect should the trap go off. If you are not proficient with the Arcana skill, you have disadvantage on checks for this skill use.

Determine Spellcaster Power: Observing an opponent cast a spell or use a spell-like ability in action, you can, as a reaction, with a successful Arcana check, identify the opponent’s caster level and the highest spell level they can cast with a DC 20 skill check. If the spellcaster uses a feat or special class ability, that too can be identified with a successful Arcana check DC 20.