...does a wizard who passes the tests and wants to remain in the orders of sorcery have to take the wohs prestige class?
Nope.
The Towers of High Sorcery clarifies things a lot.
Nope.
The Towers of High Sorcery clarifies things a lot.
You don't have to take the Wizards of High Sorcery prestige class to be in the order?
I know in Dalamar the Dark wizards are identified by the spells they cast. Dalamar presented a plan to use illusions to overcome dragon armies. Other mages said no, that illusions were "red magic", and not to be used by practitioners of white magic.
Also, are there no sorcerers at all in the Fourth Age? Or just no non-renegade sorcerers above 4th-lvl (i.e., with 3rd-lvl arcane spells)?
Mortal creatures who do not have innate spellcasting power cannot take levels of sorcerer (or bard, or any other spontaneous casting class) prior to the Age of Mortals, except possibly in the ancient ages before High Sorcery was revealed by the gods of magic. However, creatures with innate casting ability (fey, dragons, some draconians, etc.) can take levels of sorc, representing them working to increase their natural talent.
You do not need your character to take levels of WoHS prestige class in order to be a wizard of high sorcery, no. That would be backwards - one of the prerequisites to take the class at all is to be a member in good standing of the Orders.
I previously thought "in good standing" just meant you were not a renegedare, you were willing to follow the order, no previous infractions, etc.
Is there much advantage to being a WoHS over just a mage? Not losing an extra school of magic, if you were not to take the WOHS prestige class, seems a massive advantage.
If one wanted to be on the council of 21, 3, or tower master, would you need ranks in WOHS?
Mortal creatures who do not have innate spellcasting power cannot take levels of sorcerer (or bard, or any other spontaneous casting class) prior to the Age of Mortals, except possibly in the ancient ages before High Sorcery was revealed by the gods of magic. However, creatures with innate casting ability (fey, dragons, some draconians, etc.) can take levels of sorc, representing them working to increase their natural talent.
Cool. Is that spelled out anywhere? I went looking for this type of answer but couldn't find it anywhere...
Cool. Is that spelled out anywhere? I went looking for this type of answer but couldn't find it anywhere...
It's discussed in one or two DLCS sidebars (especially 'Changing Focus'), but made clearer (I hope) in Towers of High Sorcery and Holy Orders of the Stars.
Cheers,
Cam
I previously thought "in good standing" just meant you were not a renegedare, you were willing to follow the order, no previous infractions, etc.
That's the long and short of it.
If one wanted to be on the council of 21, 3, or tower master, would you need ranks in WOHS?
One way to think about the WoHS class is that it represents a character's commitment to the Orders. I think it'd be unlikely that any wizard that's politically powerful within the Orders would have no ranks in the class.
Don't you need to take at least one level in WizHS?
No. To be a Wizard of High sorcery all you need to do is to take the test of high sorcery and pass. Once you take the test you are a member. Think of it as getting a bachelor's degree in mathemathics and then teaching english in college. You are qualified to work\teach in a field where math is the main requisite but you do not have to. It would make sense that if you wanted to become an accomplished mathematician that you would continue in your math career but you are not required to. If it helps think of it this: two people have bachelor's in math. One decides to teach in high school (base-line wizard), the other decides to get his master's degree and teach at the college level (WoHS). The college professor continues his studies and eventually get a PH.d in math (do no know it this is actually possible so just play along) and continues to interact with other mathemathicians in order to exchange ideas. This is basically and very simplified the difference between a wizard who has passed the Test of Sorcery and a wizard who not only passed the test but continued his progression.
Originally posted by wolffenjugend
Also, are there no sorcerers at all in the Fourth Age? Or just no non-renegade sorcerers above 4th-lvl (i.e., with 3rd-lvl arcane spells)?
Officially - NO, there are no spontaneous casting classes whether arcane or divine. This is explained as the chaos energies that were in the world prior to the establishment of the orders were somehow depleted (sorta like a battery) and not restored (even though the greygem was still lose in the world and could have been putting out these enrgies).
After the Orders of magic were established all spontaneous arcane casting classes were declared renegades and ruthlessly stomped out by the WoHS. Why the Divine spontaneous casters (if there ever were any or not) disappeared have not really been explained (as far as I can recall), they also may have been declared renegades by the WoHS and hunted down. This is not to say that all renegades were spontaneous casters. Some regular wizards whose got to big for their breeches (any wizard who could cast 3rd level spells) were also declared renegades (unless their presented no threat to the world), hermits living on the fringes who never revealed themselves to anyone.
Of course the scions were created before the orders were established and for all intents and purposes they are immortal as their are beings of pure magic. Whether they are spon-casters or not has not really been explained, in fact nothing about the scions have been explained.
Now of course the really interesting answer to your question. If the DM says their are spon-casters in the 4th age then they are. Now I would not think that they would be a dime a dozen more like 1 in a million (more than likely only the character who is playing the spon caster). As to why he exists that is the more interesting question. :D :D :D :D :D