D&D General How Old Are Your Wizards?

[CreamCloud0]

adolescent, somewhere in their twenties or late teens, typically spent a good chunk of their early life in schooling or research and are just now taking their fledgling steps as an actual adventurer

 

[MoonSong]

Please refrain from arguments about who is or isn't actually a Wizard, but is instead a Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Avatar, or what have you!

But it is kind of relevant? Is the question about spellcasters in general or Wizard in particular? In the first case I'd think it is teen/young or relatively younger adult. In the latter, it skews older, like middle aged at least. These seem like very different kinds of fantasy.

 

[Stormonu]

Ranges from young adult (ala Raistlan) to Old (ala Gandalf, Ringlerun). Generally in my homebrew Wizardry require training and even when apprenticeship starts at 8-years-old, beyond cantrips it takes a few years to even master a 1st level spell - normally not sooner than a 13-year-old, but rare exceptions do occur. Other casters (Sorcerers, Warlocks) may have innate abilities that can arise at birth, adolescence or whatnot.

 

[Clint_L]

Whatever age makes sense in the current story.

 

[TwoSix]

Every old wizard was a child wizard once.

 

[greg kaye]

Every old wizard was a child wizard once.

 

[Vaalingrade]

'Class' wizard: any age. Young children are taught things like prestidigitation as part of the equivalent to scouts.

'Profession' wizard: 40+ due to education requirements.

 

[James Gasik]

But it is kind of relevant? Is the question about spellcasters in general or Wizard in particular? In the first case I'd think it is teen/young or relatively younger adult. In the latter, it skews older, like middle aged at least. These seem like very different kinds of fantasy.

When I'm talking about the trope in general, I'm using "wizard" generally as "traditional non-armored arcane caster" since we haven't always had the other classes, or if we did, not necessarily in their current form. It's not that I really mind someone wanting to say "my warlocks are young, my wizards are old", but I was more thinking of my examples, lol. I've been in too many "Gandalf is a celestial being/Merlin is a Cambion Warlock" debates than is healthy.

 

[Mort]

Every old wizard was a child wizard once.

Plus magic seems to age wizards a bit fast:

1927:

1938:

While this is obviously the movie team not paying attention (or maybe not caring) re: chronology. I kind of like the concept of the wizard hitting the "old person" look quickly and then staying there. So most just remember wizards as Old because that's what they see for the majority.

 

[Stormonu]

I do like the idea of magic "burning out" the mortal frame to be an interesting idea.

It would be an irony that those seeking out magic that makes them long-lived or immortal have shorter lifespans in the first place due to their contact with magic.