Help Deciding how a Wizard went into spelcasting

[johnsemlak]

What are some suggestions on different ideas as to how a wizard goes into the wizard profession. How do they end up under the tutelage of other wizards?

I'm deleveping a wizard character an am looking for ideas. My initial idea is to say he started working as an assistant for a local merchant, who turned out to also be a low-level wizard.

Any other original ideas on how Wizards get into the profession, or ways to flesh out the idea in the above paragraph?

 

[Buttercup]

Hmm. Here are a few off the top of my head:

Wizard's sibling dies, and he is forced to take in the sibling's child. He decides to put the kid to work and shortly discovers the kid has magical aptitude.

Promising child of poor parents is "bought" by wizard, & becomes apprentice.

Child is caught stealing from a wizard. The wizard takes pity on the child, or alternatively the wizard places the child under a geas. Either way, the child ends up learning magic.

A bookish child convinces the local wizard to teach him/her.

A young man is a trainee in the city guard. There is a minor skirmish between guards and a band of _____ which goes horribly wrong. The young man is injured and must find a new career. The local wizard takes pity on him and agrees to teach him.

Same as above but the town wizard is the one who injures the lad, and to make it up to him takes him as an apprentice.

Dunno if any of those are useable.

 

[johnsemlak]

Thanks, BC

Whether or not I use one of those ideas, they'll be good to have in the future.

 

[Softwind]

Manditory testing and enrollment in Academy/Militia/Elite Guard for anyone with potential. (Dictator/Magocracy Governments)

Rite of passage to become leader/shaman in local tribe.

Fascinated by sleight-of-hand show, joins a circus, learns *real* magic.

Finds spellbook, inate talent allows him/her to read it. Self taught enough to draw attention of wizard(s) in area.

Fails apprenticeship of other professions, convinces hermit/hedge-wizard to take him/her on out of pity.

Apprentice to a seller of material components - "figures out" how to cast spells, gets training from customers.


Some of these depend on whether you are running/are in a High Magic or Average Magic campaign. It would be harder to describe why someone in a low-magic world would get training, unless they come from a prestige caste (royalty, merchant class, etc)