Wizard seeking Wizard

[Nate Jones]

One of my player's expressed interest in taking levels in the Master Specialist PrC. As per normal in my campaign, I told him that he'd need to find some one to study under - in this case, apprenticing himself to a powerful wizard. But I need help developing that persona.

Due to campaign requirements, the wizard shouldn't be higher than 13th level (Although if a good idea comes along, exceptions can be made). We play in Forgotten Realms, and I'd be interested not only in defining wizard's personality, but perhaps also adding a touch of FR flavor through organizations or things similar.

Some other requirements are:
- Needs to operate (mostly) alone
- Must have an isolated base of operations
- Must be largely unconcerned with affairs of the world (Or at least those that don't directly affect him)
- Must be Forgotten Realms compatible

Should I try to make the mage a foil for my player's wizard? Should he be an embodiment of archtypical wizardly virtues? I've been tossing around the idea that he be an independent Red Wizard seeking magic for ultimate power, if my player's wizard is a LG devotee of Mystra, how might this play out?

What type of character should this Master Wizard be, and who should he be connected to?

 

[QuaziquestGM]

Yoda!, You seek Yoda!

Naw, really, make him a dwarf who uses magic to mine by himself.

 

[Volaran]

What sort of specialist is the PC?

(I don't have Complete Mage handy, but I seem to remember either spell focus in the actual school or being a base specialist is necessary. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.)

While I don't think that the NPC Mentor's specialization should be the only basis for his personality, I do think it would contribute. A Master Abjurer would likely have completely different reasons to isolate themself than say, a Master Necromancer.

Edit: I just re-read the initial post and noticed something else I'm not clear on. Will it be likely that this mentor will have that prestige class, or do you just require a higher level wizard?

 

[Olaf the Stout]

When I read the title of this thread I wondered if EN World had some sort of dating service going!

Olaf the Stout

 

[Kae'Yoss]

When I read the title of this thread I wondered if EN World had some sort of dating service going!

Olaf the Stout

That's what I thought, too.

"Middle-leveled male conjurer with PC wealth seeking lower-level enchantress or illusionistress for romantic scry-buff-strollonthebeach. Apply with character sheet to #lonemagelord#"

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I actually like the Yoda idea -- Yoda is a goblin or a gnome, for sure -- but I also think, given the nature of the PrC, basing his persona on his specialization makes the most sense. The player isn't seeing Ed the Enchanter, he's seeing a master specialist who lives and breathes his speciality.

 

[Nate Jones]

Here's what I posted over on the Wizards of the Coast Board:

The character seeking tutelage is a Transmutation specialist. He was an average joe, middle aged farmer until his home and family were taken by raiders and he descended into all manner of illicit activities. However, he was visited by Mystra in a dream, who let him know how displeased she was that he wasted his powerful innate abilities doing menial labor. Stricken with an incurable disease from his days of debauchery, he set out to refocus his magical talents. He soon discovered that he was a wielder of the rare Spellfire, and has just arrived in town seeking someone to instruct him.

He's the kind of guy who does things because they 'ought to be done,' he views adventurers as cocksure mercenaries risking their lives for little more than gold. He's penitent, and somewhat pious, holding that nature usually has a way of meting punishment to the deserving. He's one to talk first, flee second, and only as a last resort, turn to the powers of magic (Which he is still distrustful of).

Since he can't be too picky on who teaches him (I doubt there are many high level Master Trasmutators running around in the Western Heartlands), I thought it might be interesting to set him up with a teacher who is antithetical to his philosophy, that way, he can more starkly define his character. A power hungry Red Wizard who had taken a curiosity to the PC's ability to channel Spellfire I thought might fit the bill, however, I'm a little bit unsure about how frequently Red Wizards run about alone. If I go the evil wizard route, I don't want him too heavily invested in an organization. I want the emphasis to be on the master/apprentice relationship, not the apprentice/organization relationship. Still, I do would want the master to be vaguely associated with a recognizable evil, power seeking entity. I'm not dead set on this train of thought, however, and would still appreciate suggestions for other personalities.


I also like Whizbang's idea of emphasizing the Master in Master Specialist. How could I deveop this further?

 

[lazarus1020]

I once played a mage/cleric and was required to find a master to be able to have easier access to spells. The campaign world was only inhabited by a handful of master wizards. In an unusual twist of fate I ended up being appenticed to a Silver Dragon. They are extremely powerful spellcasters and it fits the bill for what you desired of a master. She operated alone from her mountain keep/lair. The affairs of humans are minor compared to Dragons due to their long lives. My character was required to do a serice to prove my fidelity and was made for an interesting character.

 

[jefgorbach]

Dont have my copies at hand, but the Encyclopedia:Nymphology or Book of Erotic Fantasy might be useful sources -- given his condition and speciality, he might realize in 20/20 hindsight that one/some of his prior debauchery companions/contacts was a mid-level mage whom might mentor him (at least agree to an exchange of knowledge/spells).

During the process of learning how to compenstate/undo his condition, he develops previously unthought of applications of his Transmutational speciality

 

[Goblyn]

In the OP it sounds like a snag in the development is your sudden introduction of a very powerful and thus notable spellcaster that the characters reasonably should have heard of before. I have a suggestion if this is true.

The would-be mentor in question once was a very powerful wizard, but at one point in his/her career got feebleminded and thus lost his spellcasting capabilities. Since then, he/she has manged torestore all the stats to 10, but hads been soured on the dangerous life of an adventurer and has settled down.

Thus, this mentor retains all the required knowledge and skills required to be a high-level spellcaster, but not the complications of a sudden font of magical power. Possibly a few story hooks, too. IDHTBIFOM, so there may be rules holes in this.

Just a thought.