Why wouldn't Someone Learn Magic...

[Scribble]

In a world where magic really does exist, and can do the things it does in D&D, why would someone ever choose not to learn how to cast spells? Even just one level... For everyday purposes some of the 0th level spells seem pretty darn handy.

It almost seems like not learning to cast spells would be the equivalent of not learning to read...

 

[Crothian]

It takes longer then a day to learn and requires a certain Intellegence. Also, I doubt every farmer has access to a magic school and the funds to do it.

 

[BadMojo]

In a world where magic really does exist, and can do the things it does in D&D, why would someone ever choose not to learn how to cast spells? Even just one level... For everyday purposes some of the 0th level spells seem pretty darn handy.

It almost seems like not learning to cast spells would be the equivalent of not learning to read...

Why is that everyone doesn't attend college, art school, trade school, etc. in real life? In an average D&D game, the typical NPC may not have the money, inclination or even intelligence to learn to cast spells.

It would most likely be expensive to have somone teach even a few spells. Those without the money wouldn't be able to afford to learn magic, while those with enough money may chose to just pay someone else to cast for them.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

In a world where magic really does exist, and can do the things it does in D&D, why would someone ever choose not to learn how to cast spells? Even just one level... For everyday purposes some of the 0th level spells seem pretty darn handy.

It almost seems like not learning to cast spells would be the equivalent of not learning to read...

Lack of talent.

Learning to read is as easy as learning to speak, if your parents know how to read. If you don't learn to read at home, you learn to read at school, possibly before you even remember things (eg many, if not most people here don't remember how they learned to read). That happens all the time nowadays, but most commoners couldn't read, and so couldn't teach their children to read, plus it just wasn't important to them. The commoners form the large majority of the population.

Learning to read (in DnD) takes one or two skill points (for barbarians). I figure it's the same for the NPC classes that don't automatically get the ability to read.

Learning to cast spells takes a lot more effort. It's like learning to fight with a sword. In some cultures (eg aristrocratic warriors in Europe, China and Japan), you learned to fight as early as twelve. You might be training until you're sixteen to eighteen, when you go on your first campaign. If your lord isn't at war, you hire yourself out as a mercenary, not just to get paid, not even just to get glory, but just to ensure you're skilled enough to last on a battlefield.

If learning to use a sword takes up to six years to get good at it, why would one expect learning to cast spells to be easier than that?

Learning to fight is a useful skill in a setting where banditry and even rebellion are coming, and where (during a war) knights might burn down your farm, kill your son and rape your daughter and wife... yet most commoners don't become warriors, much less fighters. They're too busy trying to scratch a living out of the soil; even if offered weapons training for free, it's just not reallly available to them.

I think taking your first level in a class is actually supposed to be pretty difficult (and most people just can't do it), but you start with your 1st PC class level so you're actually capable of doing things.

Furthermore, there's the issue of talent. PCs, important NPCs and villains might have the right talents for things like spellcasting, but most of the population isn't so lucky. An NPC with Int 16 might go to a mage school and find they have absolutely no talent for arcane spellcasting even though there's nothing in the rules preventing them from becoming a mage, whereas a PC with Int 15 might have the right talent and can either start as a mage or quickly learn from another mage (multi-classing).

 

[Victim]

Well, learning magic does confer a number of handy benefits. But it also costs a class level - being able to toss some minor spells around might be convienent, but not lifesaving for many people.

Also, looking at the time it takes to learn magic (starting age for wizzies), it's a rather time intensive profession. It takes an average of 7 years to learn magic as a 1st level guy. Why doesn't everyone get a masters degree?

 

[Scribble]

Well, learning magic does confer a number of handy benefits. But it also costs a class level - being able to toss some minor spells around might be convienent, but not lifesaving for many people.

Also, looking at the time it takes to learn magic (starting age for wizzies), it's a rather time intensive profession. It takes an average of 7 years to learn magic as a 1st level guy. Why doesn't everyone get a masters degree?

What about the adept?

But outside of the existing rules, it seems like since magic is pretty beneficial, they would create some sort of lower powered wizard... sort of like the bachelors degree of wizardry... Maybe you'll never learn the high power spells, but you would learn the stuff that would be beneficial to society...

Take mending for example... hire a couple guys who can mend stuff and set up shop repairing stuff.

Sure you cost a little more, but time is money, and your guys are guaranteed to have that broken thing repaired faster then the craftsman ever could!

 

[Stone Dog]

A Magewright is pretty slick for that sort of thing. The arcane answer to the Adept. But it is STILL like asking why doesn't everybody learn auto repair or computer programming or plumbing since it is so usefull. People have different priorities and interests in life.

 

[Scribble]

A Magewright is pretty slick for that sort of thing. The arcane answer to the Adept. But it is STILL like asking why doesn't everybody learn auto repair or computer programming or plumbing since it is so usefull. People have different priorities and interests in life.

Hrmm... maybe. I guess I can see that. perhaps then it seems more likely that there would be many more mages learning spell casting, not for adventuring purposes, but instead for just everday tasks...

Like the mending company, or the guys who cast arcane mark on your stuff, or your documents when they need to be notorized...

 

[Scribble]

A Magewright is pretty slick for that sort of thing. The arcane answer to the Adept. But it is STILL like asking why doesn't everybody learn auto repair or computer programming or plumbing since it is so usefull. People have different priorities and interests in life.

Actually thinking about it, it's a bit different...

Learning how to be a plumber or auto repair is a trade that allows you to do just what it says...

But magic I see more as say, a computer.

You don't have to be a computer programer to use a computer... And pretty much every area in life is being influenced by computers...

Seems like magic would be the same, with knowledge of at least low level spells being all but essential since they make so many tasks so much quicker/easier and therefore more proffitable...

 

[Gold Roger]

Qualification for something isn't only a matter of attributes. I assume that in a D&D world there's many qualifications PCs just have that many other people in the world just don't have. This may be an appitude for magic or a certain class or simply a complete lack of potential. No matter how much many people study or train, they just can't reach past level 1, 5 or 10. Even if they have an Intelligence of 16, they'll never be able to cast 5th level spells.

Under the right circumstances a PC can reach level 20 in one year. PC's just don't have that kind of potential and desteny. They advance more slowly and cap out faster.