3.5e qualifications to be a member of the Thousand Wizards of Alphatia
by redkingThe Grand Council of Alphatia is also known as the Thousand Wizards of Alphatia. The Grand Council serves as a house of lords or senate under the reigning imperial monarch (its at times like this I wish we had a wiki like Fraternity of Shadows has for Ravenloft - would simplify much).
In OD&D, membership of this body was confined to those wizards that had reached 36th level. In 3.X, this isn't feasible. Unfortunately, the guidance given to us that all 36th level characters are 20th level isn't really feasible either. Even in OD&D, many had scoffed at the idea that there are really 1000 36th wizard members of this body. What to do?
Fortunately, in 3.X we have some indicators of what, in the 3.X system, is considered a powerful spellcaster. We can use the prerequisites of the Archmage prestige class as a general guide. The relevant perquisites for our purposes are: Ability to cast 7th-level arcane spells, Caster Level 13 (inferred).
From this we can say that Alphatia has as members of this body one thousand arcane spellcasters (not necessarily only wizards but inclusive of sorcerers, warmages and other arcane casters) that can cast 7th level spells and have a Caster Level of 13 - at the least! Nor does this imply that this is the sum total of powerful arcane spellcasters in Alphatia. In fact, the inverse is true. The more powerful the arcane spellcaster, the harder it is get the arcane spellcaster to volunteer for the Grand Council. Here are some suggestions for specific numbers by character level.
500 13th level arcane spellcasters
250 14th level arcane spellcasters
125 15th level arcane spellcasters (*8th level spells)
65 16th level arcane spellcasters
30 17th level arcane spellcasters (*9th level spells).
15 18th level arcane spellcasters
10 19th level arcane spellcasters
5 20th level arcane spellcasters
*Sorcerers are a level behind
From 17th level on, most of these arcane spellcasters are casting 9th level spells (sorcerers get 9th level spells at 18th level).
All this isn't to say that Alphatia does not have a thousand wizards of over 20th level. Perhaps there that many Alphatian arcane spellcasters of high level. The problem for the Alphatian government is that arcane spellcasters of 20+ level are uncontrollable and can't be forced to participate in anything. As we see from the war against Glantri, even a major war is not enough to stir the wizards of Alphatia, especially the most powerful ones. One of the privileges of living in Alphatia as a powerful arcane spellcaster is that you can do what you want, when you want, and no-one can gainsay you.
In roleplaying terms, membership of the Grand Council of Alphatia isn't exactly sought after and it takes appeals to patriotism and the financial incentive of a Grand Council member sinecure to get mages to join (magic is expensive!). As for the Thousand Wizards aspect of the Grand Council, that is the militarization of the Grand Council in an emergency, it has only happened once to my knowledge, and that was at the end of the Wrath of the Immortals, after Sundsvall was nuked. The Thousand Wizards is a powerful deterrent to any invasion to the Alphatian mainland, but it isn't an aggressive force. Certain members of the Grand Council served during the Great War, but the Grand Council itself was not militarized until the final days of the war when the survival of Alphatia itself was at stake. Here is how it went down, from Wrath of the Immortals.
Winter, Year 1009: Thousand Wizards Convene
News Events: Empress Eriadna and Prince Zandor, her son and heir-apparent, were in the Imperial Palace of Sundsvall when the storm destroyed it. During the following days, servicemen digging through the rubble under the command of Eriadna's daughter, Queen Eldrethila of Theranderol, are unable to find them.After a week, magic returns and Eldrethila is able to find Eriadna and Zandor within minutes by casting a locate object spell to find a jewel her mother was wearing. When found, Zandor is trapped and near death from starvation and dehydration; Eriadna died of old age, her magically enhanced youth having been dispelled.
Zandor is returned to health within days. He "temporarily postpones" any wish spell that could revive the Empress and immediately seizes the Imperial Throne. Despite this coup, his mood remains as grim as Thanatos, the Immortal of Death. From his new headquarters in Aquas, his father's undersea city kingdom, he convenes the council known as the Thousand Wizards of Alphatia, which consists of the most powerful magic users of the empire. Many of its members perished in the Week Without Magic, torn apart by conjured monsters, hunted down by old enemies, or lynched by angry mobs who blamed them for the disaster; the survivors come prepared to hear Zandor announce his intention to accept d'Ambreville's offer to end the war.
Instead, he shocks them all by ordering them to prepare for an all-out assault against Glantri. Some accept his argument that they must destroy Glantri before d'Ambreville can use his weapon against them again; others, including Master Terari (a secret identity of his grandfather, ex-Emperor Tylion), think he is simply inviting disaster. The new Emperor is in no mood for discussion, and gives the dissenters an ultimatum: obey him or face immediate exile or imprisonment. Most cave in, but others, including Terari and many Shiye-Lawr elves, accept exile instead. Terari and those who are like-minded leave for Karameikos to establish the School of Magic there, while the Shiye-Lawr set out for Wendar by way of Norwold.
We can wrap this up by saying that 3.5e mechanics blended with Alphatian culture explains why Alphatia did not steamroll Thyatis and finish the war in a week in a 3.5e Mystara campaign.