WayneLigon said:
No, not 'vanilla'... though they could be.
What I want to hear are the various ways you add flavor to your arcane casters.
Do wizards form Guilds? Are there restrictions on what they can and cannot do with their powers? If there are restrictions, what are the penalties for breaking them? Can they be broken?
How do you become a wizard? Who can become a wizard? Are wizards born to their power, or does it come from study, or from some ritual? Can you make someone 'not a wizard' anymore?
This ties in with a few other threads, really, about how wizards and the world interact.
Arcane casters come in two types IMC
Wizards-- There magic is based on a combination of science, computer programming and meditation
They prepare spells by using complicated formulas to cast their mind into the first creation (Cuthuloid land more or less) then finding and imbedding fragments of the meta language of creation into their the mind -- These fragments when released act are "spells" Each spellbook has a different mantra or formula for finding the desired results -- hence it requires time to decipher and understand a system of magic you weren't trained in
The mantras are very complicated and unless spell mastery is taken require a spellbook to remember them -- All Wizards have spell mastery for Read Magic and most have it for several other spells. Note that if INT increases (naturally only) spells known with Spell Mastery increases retroactivly. Thus a high level mage with 2 feats in Spell Mastery and INT 20 will have Read Magic and 10 other mastered spells
It isn't possible to deWizard someone -- if they have eschew componenents and spell mastery all they have to do is have a few minutes to relax and viola -- they have spells again.
If they have other Metamagic feats and more slots than mastered spells they can fill up the slots with improved versions. They lose versitility but not all power
Magic Items are created ONLY with power components-- It isn't possible to spend XP on items. This lets me control what items are in the camapign
My game world has plenty of magic - I assume everything can be bought as per the rules and being a Wizard is regarded about the same as being a college graduate - A mark of distinction but not supernatural
Wizrds are loosely organized along 6 lines --
Traditionalist -- 1 Wizard and 1-4 apprentices. They consider this to be the best way to learn magic. The traditionalist of 21st level and higher are organized into the "council" a group of Wizards who theoretically oversee all Wizards but in practice are more of a social club
Academic-- These are trained in Wizard School -- ala Redhurst or any of the other zillion ideas out there. The usually have the Educated feat and may have a variety of knowledges as well. I haven't decided yet but I might allow them to get Bardic Knowledge instead of a Familiar as well
Military-- Since IMC anyone who has an INT of 12 or better (full 33% of the population) can eventually learn to cast Fireball -- many nations have an army Wizards college. Army Wizards may have Fighter or Eldritch Knight levels or even other militant PRC's. They are almost always Officers
Guild-- There are Guild Wizards in some areas. The Guild function as fraternal and regulatory organizations
Self Taught-- Anyone with access to spellbook can learn spells if they have the INT for it. It is rare but folks have taught themselves Arcane Magic from time to time
Tutored-- It is possible in most areas to hire a magic teacher. Many Folks know a cantrip or two (this is a feat that becomes spell mastery if any Wizard levels are taken)
Sorcerers use a different system
