Nonhuman members of the Secret Crafts
by GreenbrierInteresting and scary idea...one way to look at it could be comparing the rules for magic-users and spell-casting dragons. The Rules Cyclopedia limits dragons to 5th level spells (pg. 169, and only reds & golds get that high), which I'd call equivalent to a 10th level magic-user (pg. 19; the highest level before 6th level spells become accessible, although the dragon gets to cast more spells per day than the 10th level mage.) Gaz 3 then would limit the dragon then to the 3rd Circle of a Secret Craft (pg. 69, 10th level required to study for 3rd circle and 15th for 4th). A 3rd circle draconic necromancer would still be terrifying though, they'd have the ability to both control & create undead...
I guess my big question would be could they attend the Great School, and thus be in the pool of potential invitees to the Secret Crafts? I'd be inclined to say dragons wouldn't benefit like other casters from attending a magic school, since their spellcasting seems to be tied solely to their size rather than increasing in level. They could surely learn some new spells they didn't already know though, and maybe even join a Secret Craft if invited? A spellcasting dragon could potentially become a noble in Glantri as well, if the dragon was interested and the Princes thought it was in the nation's best interest...once you've opened the door to the humanoids, why not ennoble the Red Baroness, Amanth herself from Who's Who Among Dragons?
This all makes me wonder about other nonhuman members for the Secret Crafts, especially with Kol's people starting to attend the GSoM in the later almanacs. Gaz 3 says 5th level is required to learn 1st Circle and 7th for 2nd Circle, and Rules Cyclopedia (pg. 216) or the PC series gives the racial maximum wicca/wokan levels. I left the following races from the RC off for the listed reason - Faerie (PC1 gives fairies a distinct and separate magic) and Gremlin (PC2 gives them innate spell-like abilities instead). So looks like the following races could potentially achieve these levels in a Secret Craft -
1st Circle -
Actaeon
Centaur
Djinni
Djinni, Greater
Efreeti, Greater
Giant, Cloud
Giant, Fire
Giant, Frost
Giant, Hill
Giant, Stone
Giant, Storm
Gnome
Goblin
Hobgoblin
Manscorpion
Medusa
Merman
Pegataur (PC2 pg. 32)
Sphinx, male only (PC2 pg. 26)
Spider, Planar
Vampire (RC says 9th level, I assume this applies to a vampire who only learns magic after the bite, or is lower than 9th level MU when they become undead. Otherwise they should retain the level they had in life)
2nd Circle -
Actaeon
Centaur
Djinni, Greater
Efreeti, Greater
Giant, Cloud
Giant, Storm
Gnome
Medusa
Merman
Pegataur (PC2 pg. 32)
Sphinx, male only (PC2 pg. 26)
Spider, Planar
Vampire
3rd Circle -
Djinni, Greater
Giant, Cloud
Giant, Storm
Gnome
Pegataur (PC2 pg. 32)
Sphinx, male only (PC2 pg. 26)
No monster spellcasters are listed as being able to attain the 15th level required to study 4th Circle abilities, although if you allow them to ascend higher by using the Personal Sacrifice Table from Gaz 10 (pg. 6) then that opens up new possibilities for 4th Circle attainment, as well as allowing exceptional members of more races to achieve the lower circles. Many of these races I don't see being admitted to the GSoM anytime soon, but there are some interesting possibilities.
It also shows me that as Kol starts to push candidates for nobility, goblins & hobgoblins are going to have the best chances as they are able to achieve higher levels of wizardry than the other humanoids. No other humanoid would even be able to join a Secret Craft, unless they are an exceptional individual who has gained higher level than normal via the Personal Sacrifice Table. And I think the Secret Crafts are the best path to political power in Glantri, in Gaz 3 of the 40 nobles listed almost 90% are either members of a Secret Craft, or of the even more exclusive Brotherhood of the Radiance.