The Apprentices: A 1st level all-wizard one-shot

[JPL]

Just kicking this idea around . . . would it work? A mid-level wizard is training a number of apprentices . . . when he's out of town, the kids have to do a little bit of adventuring.

I'm thinking that with such an intelligent but vulnerable party, I'd need to emphasize brains over firepower and discretion as the better part of valor.

Might fudge the premise a bit and allow something like a swordmage . . . he's not a pure wizard like the others, but is still studying ritual magic and alchemy and general arcana with the same instructor.

 

[Roger]

I imagine it could be made to work. Even when one-shots don't "work" per se, they often fail in spectacularly amusing ways.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[QuaziquestGM]

what system?

It may be amusing to plant some higher level scrolls, and watch them try to use them.

 

[roguerouge]

Check out Redhurst Academy: Human Head Studios - Redhurst Academy of Magic - Welcome, Student!

Tons of free stuff online and I've heard that the book is remarkable.

 

[Logan_Bonner]

You can probably make it work, especially if you encourage a lot of multiclassing, plus taking Toughness and armor feats.

Still, it might be easier if you wait for Arcane Power.

 

[malraux]

So instead of being killed, do you instead tell the PC "You're Fired!"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think it could work quite well, assuming:

1) The DM tailors the challenges to the PC capabilities very carefully- you don't want to send 5 1st level mages into a battle against 5 half-orc barbarians, after all- not in a stand-up open field battle, anyway. If they have the right spells plus some cover, OTOH...

2) The players are on board and stoked. If they all play cookie-cutter mages, it the game could get stale quickly.

And there are all kinds of models for this kind of thing- the Tim Hunter stories, Harry Potter books, some of the Diskworld stories...even, in a sense, the entirety of the X-Men comic book historic plotline wherein the apprentices (the X-Men) take on the forces their mentor (Professor X) is unable to.

 

[Verys Arkon]

You can probably make it work, especially if you encourage a lot of multiclassing, plus taking Toughness and armor feats.

Still, it might be easier if you wait for Arcane Power.

Any hints, or do you mean that with Arcane Power there is more choice of powers, so the wizards won't seem so similar?

 

[JackSmithIV]

So instead of being killed, do you instead tell the PC "You're Fired!"

Beat me to it

 

[Logan_Bonner]

Any hints, or do you mean that with Arcane Power there is more choice of powers, so the wizards won't seem so similar?

More choice and variety in general, but there are also more conjuration and summoning options to put down that "front line" the PCs might not have otherwise.

I'd also recommend making the apprentices at least 2nd level. Having shield or expeditious retreat will help out wizards a lot.