Where is the Wild Mage
kingpaul
First Post
Sean Reynolds posted his version here: http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/prestige/wildmagic.htmlKal Vito said:
Creeping Death
First Post
Wild Mage
There are two products that offer different types of wild mages. Mongoose publishing produced a supplement called 'Chaos Magic' which allows pretty much total customization of spells and there are drawbacks for failures. (US 14.95)
Natural 20 Press, owned by the illustrius Morrus and I think Ranger wickett, put a pdf supplement called 'Wild spellcraft' which has a version of the wild mage which is much closer to the 2e wild mage but better IMNSHO. (US 5.00)
Hope this helps. I have both and think they are well done.
There are two products that offer different types of wild mages. Mongoose publishing produced a supplement called 'Chaos Magic' which allows pretty much total customization of spells and there are drawbacks for failures. (US 14.95)
Natural 20 Press, owned by the illustrius Morrus and I think Ranger wickett, put a pdf supplement called 'Wild spellcraft' which has a version of the wild mage which is much closer to the 2e wild mage but better IMNSHO. (US 5.00)
Hope this helps. I have both and think they are well done.
Psion
Adventurer
Re: Wild Mage
Adding a few more details here:
Mongoose's Chaos Mage is a base class, i.e., you can take the class at 1st level. It is pretty much a whole new system of magic. All of the effects are improvised. The system seems really promising/interesting, but it seems rather demanding on the DM. The system has some quirks and holes that the author has been promising a web supplement for, but last time I checked, it hadn't arrived.
I rather like it myself. The appraoch of wild spellcraft is different. First off, it is a toolkit type of approach, where it is incumbent on the GM to decide just how spellcasters get to be wild mages. However, there are several suggestions, and good ones, on what you can do. For example, the GM might decide that certain races are better at certain types of magic, or can become tainted or cursed.
The system uses two mechanisms for wild magic. First, there is a template called wild spellcaster, which can be applied to any spellcaster (even clerics) with no modifications to character level.
Second, it has prestige classes that specialize in certain aspects of wild magic.
Overall, it is an excellent supplement packed with ideas.
Adding a few more details here:
Creeping Death said:
Mongoose's Chaos Mage is a base class, i.e., you can take the class at 1st level. It is pretty much a whole new system of magic. All of the effects are improvised. The system seems really promising/interesting, but it seems rather demanding on the DM. The system has some quirks and holes that the author has been promising a web supplement for, but last time I checked, it hadn't arrived.
I rather like it myself. The appraoch of wild spellcraft is different. First off, it is a toolkit type of approach, where it is incumbent on the GM to decide just how spellcasters get to be wild mages. However, there are several suggestions, and good ones, on what you can do. For example, the GM might decide that certain races are better at certain types of magic, or can become tainted or cursed.
The system uses two mechanisms for wild magic. First, there is a template called wild spellcaster, which can be applied to any spellcaster (even clerics) with no modifications to character level.
Second, it has prestige classes that specialize in certain aspects of wild magic.
Overall, it is an excellent supplement packed with ideas.
Psion
Adventurer
Yeah, well, I think I learned something about various ex-WotC authors over the last two years:
Monte is bold. Spells that dominate your opponent with no save? No problem!
SKR is skittish. Two feats that do the same thing but have different entry requirements? Oh no, you can't do that! Infravision!? Not on my watch!
But they are still both great creators. Frex, check out SKR's poison rules and adaptations of Barsoom/Mars. Cool stuff!
Monte is bold. Spells that dominate your opponent with no save? No problem!
SKR is skittish. Two feats that do the same thing but have different entry requirements? Oh no, you can't do that! Infravision!? Not on my watch!
But they are still both great creators. Frex, check out SKR's poison rules and adaptations of Barsoom/Mars. Cool stuff!
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RangerWickett
Legend
As author of Wild Spellcraft, I will gladly answer any questions you might have. First off, if you don't want to substantially change the way magic works, I would advise not just jumping into Mongoose's Chaos Magic. It's a fair system if you want to be really experimental, but the results on your character can be a little hard to deal with. Read the reviews of each before you make your decision.
Wild Spellcraft: Available as a $5 pdf file at RPGNow.com, or in about a month for $13 as a book in your local gaming store. See reviews at http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=N201
Chaos Magic: Available for $15 at your local gaming store. See reviews at http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=ENCM
As for the myriad of fan-made versions online, I believe that though many of them have some nice ideas and inspiration, none of them are fully detailed to cover the wide array of events that might occur in-game. If you just want a very brief set of rules to play by, I can upload some of the more basic Open Gaming Content portions of Wild Spellcraft, but overall I think you're better off getting a full book.
Can I ask a little about who this player's character is going to be, and why he wants to play a wild mage? If he wants to explore the dangerous side of magic and risk his life, you might want to look at Chaos Magic, but I'd say Wild Spellcraft is better if you just want to inject a little variety and spice into your character's spellcasting.
Chaos Magic is best when used for it's main purpose: to be a flexible spell-design system (albeit with a lot of risk). Wild Spellcraft is best suited to represent wild and unpredictable magic. Get whichever one you think fits the style you'd prefer. Of course, as the author, I'm definitely biased, but I'd like it if you could get both, and compare.
Mr. Sprange or Mr. Witt, feel free to chime in.
Wild Spellcraft: Available as a $5 pdf file at RPGNow.com, or in about a month for $13 as a book in your local gaming store. See reviews at http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=N201
Chaos Magic: Available for $15 at your local gaming store. See reviews at http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=ENCM
As for the myriad of fan-made versions online, I believe that though many of them have some nice ideas and inspiration, none of them are fully detailed to cover the wide array of events that might occur in-game. If you just want a very brief set of rules to play by, I can upload some of the more basic Open Gaming Content portions of Wild Spellcraft, but overall I think you're better off getting a full book.
Can I ask a little about who this player's character is going to be, and why he wants to play a wild mage? If he wants to explore the dangerous side of magic and risk his life, you might want to look at Chaos Magic, but I'd say Wild Spellcraft is better if you just want to inject a little variety and spice into your character's spellcasting.
Chaos Magic is best when used for it's main purpose: to be a flexible spell-design system (albeit with a lot of risk). Wild Spellcraft is best suited to represent wild and unpredictable magic. Get whichever one you think fits the style you'd prefer. Of course, as the author, I'm definitely biased, but I'd like it if you could get both, and compare.
Mr. Sprange or Mr. Witt, feel free to chime in.
I don't understand, Psion. Two feats with the same entry requirement and that do the same thing - well, one of them is probably by definition redundant and therefore doesn't need to exist - unless each can only be taken once, and you want it taken 2 times max, as opposed to an uncapped number of times, I suppose. Even then, it's an inelegant solution.
And as far as infravision goes, I never liked it's implementation and implications very much (few groups I played with used it the way it was written), and I agree with SKR's arguments on it for the most part. Too bad a bit of flavour broke with it, but I reckon it was worth the payoff.
I fail to see how these particular examples make his rules preferences "skittish", but if it's an overall perception you've had through your reviews experience, fair enough...
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