Grogg of the North
Adventurer
Introduction to Necromancy
Chapter 1: The Shovel
Would warmages be the equivalent of an ROTC program?
Chapter 1: The Shovel
Would warmages be the equivalent of an ROTC program?
Course ideas for Wizarding Academy
- Thread starter Alan Shutko
- Start date
Starfox
Hero
As to why wizards don't fumble their spells (except when Concentration rolls are required), I've always seen DnD prepared spells as spells that have been cast except one or two final words and gestures, much like what Merlin uses in the second Amber series by Roger Zelazny. Most of the casting is already done during spell preparation, and the final release of the spell is pretty fast and simple - more like running an app than making a Pavarotti performance.
I find wizard-style spell preparation to be much more Zelazny that Vance. If I recall, the exact description in the rules has varied between editions, with 3E being close tho what I am describing here, renaming it spell preparation from the earlier spell memorization.
So the big thing to train at wizard academies would be spell preparation. That is what is hard and takes time.
I find wizard-style spell preparation to be much more Zelazny that Vance. If I recall, the exact description in the rules has varied between editions, with 3E being close tho what I am describing here, renaming it spell preparation from the earlier spell memorization.
So the big thing to train at wizard academies would be spell preparation. That is what is hard and takes time.
steeldragons
Steeliest of the dragons
Sample Academy of Arcane Arts
First year Curriculum:
1. The History of the Magic I & II: Both semesters mandatory. What "arcane magic" is in this world. Where it came from. What the accepted/known "schools/disciplines" are. Who were the first, most powerful, best known practitioners and their achievements/contributions/breakthroughs to the Craft.
2. Delving into the Arcane: Mandatory. Learn Read Magic (either as a spell or, simply, as the "language of magic" as appropriate for the setting), Detecting Magic and identifying magical items or effects.
3. Herbalism I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Plants and plant derivatives that are useful and/or needed for spell use, basic potion making, medicinal applications.
4. Astral Studies I: Mandatory. Basic astrology and astronomy, identifying heavenly bodies, their use and/or importance for casting various magics, anticipating positions throughout the year and what, if any, meaning that might hold.
5. Fundamentals of Casting I & II: Both semesters mandatory. FC1: Meditation, concentration, identification of basic ("low level") Spell craft, focusing the mind and useful cantrips. FC2: Continuation and expansion of the practices of FC1 with a final exam of successfully casting a 1st level spell.
6. Defensive Casting I & II: Both semesters mandatory. More spellcraft/identification of "incoming" spells, anticipating appropriate responses, and other protective techniques (like holy water against undead, cold iron against faye, etc...) against magical or supernatural creatures and effects. Culminates in exams for basic abjurations: Resistance spells, Shield and [the biggie] Protection from Evil/Magic.
7. Magikal Tongues I & II: Both semesters mandatory with the options of: Draconic, Elvish, or <other spell-using/magic-heavy beings of choice appropriate to the setting>.
8. Potions & Elixirs I: Elective. Prereq: Herbalism I. Learn the fundamentals of potion brewing and potion identification (by color, smell, viscosity, etc...). Potions for Healing, Resisting Fire, Resisting Cold, Growth and Shrinking.
9. Geography of the Realms: Elective. Identifying and memorizing the known nations, notable geographic/geological places, their rulers, known alliances etc...
10. Introduction to Magikal Beasts: Elective. Identifying various known magical creatures, general anatomy, and parts of creatures (magical or not) that may have spell or ritual applications or general magical properties (unicorn horns neutralizing poison, for example).
Second Year Curriculum:
1. Introduction to Planar Astrometrigraphy: Both semesters mandatory. Basic primer on the material, ethereal and elemental [all of the "inner"] planes, their inhabitants and known creatures and magics that stem from them.
2. Spell Casting III & IV: Both semesters mandatory. Continuation of the studies from Fundamentals of Casting. Primarily/all 1st level spells.
3. Magical Tongues III & IV: Both semesters mandatory. Continuation of your studies from Magikal Tongues I & II.
4. Fauna & Familiars I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Identification, anatomy and uses of "normal" [non-magical] animals and their various parts which may be useful/needed in magical work, how and why one might want a familiar, tending to normal animals (including those that might be used as a familiar), the various overt and subtle connections and strengths/weaknesses different animals possess as a familiar.
5. Basic Scrivening I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Writing [in the various setting appropriate tongues], the accepted formats for various types of correspondences and record keeping, transcribing [spells or otherwise], illumination and translation.
6. World Religions I & II: Only the first "I" semester is mandatory. The religions, deities, and mythologies known throughout the world.
7. Ancient History I & II: Only the first "I" semester is mandatory. The birth of the world and subsequent ages.
8. Faye Diplo-mancy: Elective. Identifying the various creatures of Faerie and techniques to successfully deal with them.
9. Phantasmal Magiks I: Elective. Basic primer to use, identification and overcoming illusion magic.
10. Astral Studies II: Elective. Prereq; Astral Studies I. A more in depth study into astrology and astronomy, maybe dipping a little bit into some "reading the stars"/augury.
Third Year Curriculum
1. Magikal Tongues V & VI: Both semesters mandatory. Finishing your mastery of your chosen "magic language" requirements.
2. Advanced Casting Techniques: Full year course, mandatory. Completes the required curriculum begun with Fundamentals of Casting, Spell Casting III & IV, and Defensive Casting. Course includes casting in battle and seige conditions, wizard duels, and further abjurations. The second semester focuses on how to properly indentify and use the full spectrum of magical items and devices (beyond just scrolls, potions and wands).
3. "Mastering the Unseen". Both semesters mandatory. Identifying basic extraplanar creatures, their strengths and weaknesses, spells, items and basic diagrams for protecting oneself from conjured/extraplanar creatures [NOT conjuring them!].
4. Potions & Elixirs III & IV: Elective. Prereq for III: Potions & Elixirs II; Prereq for IV: P&E3. More advanced potion brewing including Speed, Change Self, Invisibilty and Water Breathing. P&E4 also introduces identifying and counteracting the various known, natural and concocted, Poisons.
5.. Principles of Flight: Elective, full year course. The principles and basics of magical flight. Learning Featherfall and Levitation spells, practice with actual flight (via potions), identifying and proper use of flying items.
6.. Phantasmal Magiks II: Elective. Continuing study of illusion magics.
7. Introduction to Lich-erature: Elective. The histories, writings and fates of known Liches of the realms.
8. Transverse Planar Astrometrigraphy: Elective. Prereq: Intro to Planar Astrometrigraphy. Continuing studies of the planes and their inhabitants, includes/introduces the Astral and "outer" planes.
9. Advanced Magical Beasts: Elective, full year course. More indepth studies of magical creatures. Semester II splits the students into specific groups for "Dragons, Giants, Faye or Elemental creatures."
10. Basics of Conjuration: Elective. Principles, protections and minor magics of conjuration. Final includes a successful Find Familiar or small elemental conjuration.
Fourth Year Curriculum.
All courses are elective but 20 credits are needed for the year to complete one's requirements for graduation.
1. Alchemy (a.k.a. Advanced Potions & Elixirs).
2. Scrying & Seeing: basic divination techniques.
3. Advanced Lich-erature.
4. Sage Studies (4 credits needed, each semester is 1 credit.)
--History
--Languages
--Religion
--Political Systems and Sciences (current world politics)
--Advanced Fauna
--Advanced Flora/Herbalism
--Advanced Planar Studies
5. Spell-cialty: Delving into the particular schools of magic, their spells, history, past and present practitioners of note, etc...
--Illusion: Prereq. Phantasmal Magiks II.
--Enchantment
--Abjuration
--Conjuration: Prereq. Basics of Conjuration.
--Transmutation
(Necromancy and Evocation are considered too dangerous and not taught. Divination is covered in Scrying & Seeing.)
6. Introduction to Item Crafting and Enchantment
7. Movement Theory: The finer mathe-magical points of using magic for travel, including the geometry of Dimension Dooring and interspacial inversion formulae for calculations in the use of Teleport and Planar-translation. the class is entirely immersed in the maths and completely theoritical...no students are actually dim-dooring or teleporting.
8. Introduction to Thaumaturgy: incorporating divine energies into your ceremonial magics.
9. Basic Ritual Construction.
10. Advanced Scroll Scribing. Prereq: Basic Scrivening II. Focuses on the writing/transcribing of spell scrolls.
You graduate as anywhere from a 1-3rd level mage (possibly with a specialty school) with all of the basics + lots of knowledge about a few things or a little knowledge about a lot.
First year Curriculum:
1. The History of the Magic I & II: Both semesters mandatory. What "arcane magic" is in this world. Where it came from. What the accepted/known "schools/disciplines" are. Who were the first, most powerful, best known practitioners and their achievements/contributions/breakthroughs to the Craft.
2. Delving into the Arcane: Mandatory. Learn Read Magic (either as a spell or, simply, as the "language of magic" as appropriate for the setting), Detecting Magic and identifying magical items or effects.
3. Herbalism I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Plants and plant derivatives that are useful and/or needed for spell use, basic potion making, medicinal applications.
4. Astral Studies I: Mandatory. Basic astrology and astronomy, identifying heavenly bodies, their use and/or importance for casting various magics, anticipating positions throughout the year and what, if any, meaning that might hold.
5. Fundamentals of Casting I & II: Both semesters mandatory. FC1: Meditation, concentration, identification of basic ("low level") Spell craft, focusing the mind and useful cantrips. FC2: Continuation and expansion of the practices of FC1 with a final exam of successfully casting a 1st level spell.
6. Defensive Casting I & II: Both semesters mandatory. More spellcraft/identification of "incoming" spells, anticipating appropriate responses, and other protective techniques (like holy water against undead, cold iron against faye, etc...) against magical or supernatural creatures and effects. Culminates in exams for basic abjurations: Resistance spells, Shield and [the biggie] Protection from Evil/Magic.
7. Magikal Tongues I & II: Both semesters mandatory with the options of: Draconic, Elvish, or <other spell-using/magic-heavy beings of choice appropriate to the setting>.
8. Potions & Elixirs I: Elective. Prereq: Herbalism I. Learn the fundamentals of potion brewing and potion identification (by color, smell, viscosity, etc...). Potions for Healing, Resisting Fire, Resisting Cold, Growth and Shrinking.
9. Geography of the Realms: Elective. Identifying and memorizing the known nations, notable geographic/geological places, their rulers, known alliances etc...
10. Introduction to Magikal Beasts: Elective. Identifying various known magical creatures, general anatomy, and parts of creatures (magical or not) that may have spell or ritual applications or general magical properties (unicorn horns neutralizing poison, for example).
Second Year Curriculum:
1. Introduction to Planar Astrometrigraphy: Both semesters mandatory. Basic primer on the material, ethereal and elemental [all of the "inner"] planes, their inhabitants and known creatures and magics that stem from them.
2. Spell Casting III & IV: Both semesters mandatory. Continuation of the studies from Fundamentals of Casting. Primarily/all 1st level spells.
3. Magical Tongues III & IV: Both semesters mandatory. Continuation of your studies from Magikal Tongues I & II.
4. Fauna & Familiars I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Identification, anatomy and uses of "normal" [non-magical] animals and their various parts which may be useful/needed in magical work, how and why one might want a familiar, tending to normal animals (including those that might be used as a familiar), the various overt and subtle connections and strengths/weaknesses different animals possess as a familiar.
5. Basic Scrivening I & II: Both semesters mandatory. Writing [in the various setting appropriate tongues], the accepted formats for various types of correspondences and record keeping, transcribing [spells or otherwise], illumination and translation.
6. World Religions I & II: Only the first "I" semester is mandatory. The religions, deities, and mythologies known throughout the world.
7. Ancient History I & II: Only the first "I" semester is mandatory. The birth of the world and subsequent ages.
8. Faye Diplo-mancy: Elective. Identifying the various creatures of Faerie and techniques to successfully deal with them.
9. Phantasmal Magiks I: Elective. Basic primer to use, identification and overcoming illusion magic.
10. Astral Studies II: Elective. Prereq; Astral Studies I. A more in depth study into astrology and astronomy, maybe dipping a little bit into some "reading the stars"/augury.
Third Year Curriculum
1. Magikal Tongues V & VI: Both semesters mandatory. Finishing your mastery of your chosen "magic language" requirements.
2. Advanced Casting Techniques: Full year course, mandatory. Completes the required curriculum begun with Fundamentals of Casting, Spell Casting III & IV, and Defensive Casting. Course includes casting in battle and seige conditions, wizard duels, and further abjurations. The second semester focuses on how to properly indentify and use the full spectrum of magical items and devices (beyond just scrolls, potions and wands).
3. "Mastering the Unseen". Both semesters mandatory. Identifying basic extraplanar creatures, their strengths and weaknesses, spells, items and basic diagrams for protecting oneself from conjured/extraplanar creatures [NOT conjuring them!].
4. Potions & Elixirs III & IV: Elective. Prereq for III: Potions & Elixirs II; Prereq for IV: P&E3. More advanced potion brewing including Speed, Change Self, Invisibilty and Water Breathing. P&E4 also introduces identifying and counteracting the various known, natural and concocted, Poisons.
5.. Principles of Flight: Elective, full year course. The principles and basics of magical flight. Learning Featherfall and Levitation spells, practice with actual flight (via potions), identifying and proper use of flying items.
6.. Phantasmal Magiks II: Elective. Continuing study of illusion magics.
7. Introduction to Lich-erature: Elective. The histories, writings and fates of known Liches of the realms.
8. Transverse Planar Astrometrigraphy: Elective. Prereq: Intro to Planar Astrometrigraphy. Continuing studies of the planes and their inhabitants, includes/introduces the Astral and "outer" planes.
9. Advanced Magical Beasts: Elective, full year course. More indepth studies of magical creatures. Semester II splits the students into specific groups for "Dragons, Giants, Faye or Elemental creatures."
10. Basics of Conjuration: Elective. Principles, protections and minor magics of conjuration. Final includes a successful Find Familiar or small elemental conjuration.
Fourth Year Curriculum.
All courses are elective but 20 credits are needed for the year to complete one's requirements for graduation.
1. Alchemy (a.k.a. Advanced Potions & Elixirs).
2. Scrying & Seeing: basic divination techniques.
3. Advanced Lich-erature.
4. Sage Studies (4 credits needed, each semester is 1 credit.)
--History
--Languages
--Religion
--Political Systems and Sciences (current world politics)
--Advanced Fauna
--Advanced Flora/Herbalism
--Advanced Planar Studies
5. Spell-cialty: Delving into the particular schools of magic, their spells, history, past and present practitioners of note, etc...
--Illusion: Prereq. Phantasmal Magiks II.
--Enchantment
--Abjuration
--Conjuration: Prereq. Basics of Conjuration.
--Transmutation
(Necromancy and Evocation are considered too dangerous and not taught. Divination is covered in Scrying & Seeing.)
6. Introduction to Item Crafting and Enchantment
7. Movement Theory: The finer mathe-magical points of using magic for travel, including the geometry of Dimension Dooring and interspacial inversion formulae for calculations in the use of Teleport and Planar-translation. the class is entirely immersed in the maths and completely theoritical...no students are actually dim-dooring or teleporting.
8. Introduction to Thaumaturgy: incorporating divine energies into your ceremonial magics.
9. Basic Ritual Construction.
10. Advanced Scroll Scribing. Prereq: Basic Scrivening II. Focuses on the writing/transcribing of spell scrolls.
You graduate as anywhere from a 1-3rd level mage (possibly with a specialty school) with all of the basics + lots of knowledge about a few things or a little knowledge about a lot.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
[MENTION=92511]steeldragons[/MENTION]: You left out Muggle Studies, but otherwise I think that's a pretty outstanding school construct.
[h=2]Ability Scores and Other Traits for Children[/h]A child’s eventual ability scores are determined at birth (see below). As newborn infants, they have ability scores of 1 in all respects. Every year, their ability scores increase by 1 until they reach their eventual ability score, at which point they no longer increase. A child with an eventual ability score of 17 or 18 in a given ability gains an extra point to that ability at the ages of 5 and 10. So, a child with an eventual Intelligence of 18 would have an Intelligence of 1 at the age of one year, 6 at the age of 5 years, 12 at the age of 10 years and finally reach his eventual Intelligence score of 18 at 16 years of age.
The child’s gender should be determined randomly, with equal likelihood of the child being of either gender. There are some substances that can influence the gender of a child, such as the preparation called ‘mother’s milk’ (see The Slayer’s Guide To Amazons by Mongoose Publishing for further details).
To determine which of the parents the child most resembles, roll 1d6, adding 1 for a male child and subtracting 1 for a female child. This is not only additional character depth for the child, it has a bearing on inherited influence and reputation. Those that admired your father are much more likely to give you the same respect if you look like he did, irrespective of whether or not you have any of the qualities that made him great.
this is third party but so far it is the only thing ive read even remotely describing the process. its how i would handle it in my game and makes a lot of sense.
The child’s gender should be determined randomly, with equal likelihood of the child being of either gender. There are some substances that can influence the gender of a child, such as the preparation called ‘mother’s milk’ (see The Slayer’s Guide To Amazons by Mongoose Publishing for further details).
To determine which of the parents the child most resembles, roll 1d6, adding 1 for a male child and subtracting 1 for a female child. This is not only additional character depth for the child, it has a bearing on inherited influence and reputation. Those that admired your father are much more likely to give you the same respect if you look like he did, irrespective of whether or not you have any of the qualities that made him great.
this is third party but so far it is the only thing ive read even remotely describing the process. its how i would handle it in my game and makes a lot of sense.
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