Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 20:41:15	We know from many references in the DL source material that there are some wizards who, for whatever reasons, decline to take the Test of high sorcery, but who make a career out of being minor spellcasters - performers, fortune-tellers, artisans, political advisors, jacks-of-all-trades, scholars etc. The only way of representing this in a Dragonlance game at the moment is taking 4 levels of Wizard, then multiclassing into something more appropriate such as expert, rogue, fighter etc. It struck me, however, that the Birthright 2nd ed setting used to have something similar - the Magician class, a lesser spellcaster restricted to cantrips, 1st and 2nd level spells, but who still gained power and skill in other areas. Could this idea work in DL games, especially for NPCs or a low-powered PC party? A "Lesser Magician" DL class could look something like this : Medium BAB; d6 HP; 1 poor and 2 good saves; 6+INT skill points / level; add Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform, Sleight of Hand, Use Magic Device to class skills; simple weapons; Magician Lore, Summon Familiar and Scribe Scroll at 1st level; "Cantrip Mastery " feat at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th level; daily spell slots as a Wizard of equivalent level ( 3rd level and higher spell slots may only be used to prepare existing 1st and 2nd level spells ); true 3rd level and higher spells are beyond the grasp of the Magician, unless said character undergoes an epiphany to renegade Wizard, or passes the Test of High Sorcery and undergoes an epiphany to Wizard. "Cantrip Mastery" : at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter the Magician gains this unique feat. The character selects a number of cantrips ( 0-level spells ) equal to his/her intelligence modifier. These cantrips may now be manifested as spell-like abilities, 1/round, at will. "Magician Lore" : as per the bard / loremaster abilities of the same name. What do people think of such an option, especially perhaps for a high-civilization Age of Might campaign where societies are peaceful, prosperous, and sophisticated enough to have plenty of demand and career niches for the services of minor mages, and where the sorcerer class is not an alternative for non-WOHS, non-renegade PCs / NPCs.
#2 Dragonhelm May 23, 2004 21:09:44	Interesting idea, although simple multi-classing fits this role as well. I'm having difficulty imagining such a role, where you can't be a sorcerer, WoHS, or typical renegade for this role. However, it might fit a character like Gilthanas in a non-Age of Mortals campaign. I'm not sure how a class like this would shape up. If you use a spell progression, the progression would be a bit odd. Most spell progressions go up to 4th, 6th, or 9th levels. This would only go up to 2nd, which isn't much of a progression for a base 20-level class. If you go with your "Cantrip Mastery" feat, you might as well leave that as a feat and not make a class out of it. You have precedent on this in d20 Modern, especially in Urban Arcana. There are various feats in there that allow you to use a 0-level psionic power (Wild Talent) or a 0-level spell (arcane and divine heritage, IIRC). Essentially, you either gain one 0-level spell/power and use it 3 times per day, or you gain three 0-level spells/powers usable once per day each. Theoretically, you can gain the same concept you have here (even moreso) if the feat is taken multiple times as one advances. You could go with both the feat by itself and a class option which gives you the feat for free plus some other goodies. There needs to be something unique to the class to entice people to use it. Why take this class which takes several levels to get a few cantrips, when one can simply take a few levels of wizard and have more? (That's not meant to knock the class, merely to illustrate the point.) Beyond the mechanics of the class, consider the flavor. What role does this class fill in the game? Again, what can it do that other classes can't? How does it fit into Dragonlance? It's an interesting concept, but I feel it needs more development. Think about the role it fills, whether the feat alone can accomplish for you what you want or whether you need a class as well, and think about what this class gives you that other classes don't. Give it a bit more "oomph". Hope that helps.
#3 zombiegleemax May 23, 2004 22:46:56	Hmm...i was thinking...maybe give them some higher level slots, but not any higher level spells. Also, give them a bunch of bonus metamagic feats. That way, they could cast, say, an enlargened quickened acid scorching ray. A pretty powerful spell...but not terribly powerful for the level it would take up. I htink. Don't quote me on this one.
#4 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 4:42:23	Originally posted by Jacen Solo 5007 Hmm...i was thinking...maybe give them some higher level slots, but not any higher level spells. Also, give them a bunch of bonus metamagic feats. That way, they could cast, say, an enlargened quickened acid scorching ray. A pretty powerful spell...but not terribly powerful for the level it would take up. I htink. Don't quote me on this one. Actually, I noted in my initial outline that the Magician would get the full progression of higher-level Wizard spell slots, but only be able to utilize such slots for holding extra 1st and 2nd level spells, metamagicked spells, etc.
#5 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 5:30:44	Originally posted by Dragonhelm You could go with both the feat by itself and a class option which gives you the feat for free plus some other goodies. There needs to be something unique to the class to entice people to use it. Why take this class which takes several levels to get a few cantrips, when one can simply take a few levels of wizard and have more? (That's not meant to knock the class, merely to illustrate the point.) Beyond the mechanics of the class, consider the flavor. What role does this class fill in the game? Again, what can it do that other classes can't? How does it fit into Dragonlance? Hope that helps. Firstly a "hedge mage" character who takes a few levels of Wizard in order to gain 1st and 2nd level arcane spells, then multiclasses out, will never be able to improve his mastery of those spells. He will never be able to cast such magic at higher than the 4th-level of effect. This is quite appropriate for a former apprentice mage who declines the Test and moves on to a different career, simply using his handful of spells as a useful fallback or to make his life easier. There will be, however, those mages who for whatever reason, be it fear of death in the Test, family ties, a dislike of authoritarian structures, or a lack or sufficient ambition, choose not to access the "restricted" spell levels of 3rd-9th, but still wish to improve their mastery of lesser magicks and utilize such power in their careers. In the Age of Mortals, where the authority of the newly reformed Orders is very weak, there would be little to stop an itinerant caster simply embracing sorcery or renegade wizardry, true, but such options do not exist in the last 1,000 or so years of the Age of Might, which is the period when I see there being a niche for Magician-type characters, who would be tolerated by the monolithic WOHS of the time because of their highly-specialized, and non-threatening pursuit of lesser magic. Raistlin and other mages often referred disparagingly to "hedge wizard" types who made careers for themselves in the mundane world outside the Towers, as simple healers, artisans, apothecaries or even street-magicians and entertainers. Such mages could become very accomplished in their area of specialty ( 1st-2nd level magic and its applications ), while eschewing the forbidden spells of the Orders in favour of broader life-skills ( i.e more skill points and class skills, better combat ability, higher HPs etc ). Since these minor spellcasters have often been referred to in DL sources, and seem to devote themselves to magic-related ( albeit low-powered ) career roles, I think there is enough of a niche to justify a separate class, just as there was in the Birthright setting a few years ago.
#6 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 7:54:01	the adept npc class.
#7 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 8:37:31	Originally posted by CNEFD the adept npc class. Not ideal in this case, since the Adept is a divine, wisdom-based spellcaster. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone - its all been helpful input, especially Dragonhelm's commentary. I've had some new ideas on this concept and will re-work my proposed Hedge Magician ( for want of a better name at the moment ) as an arcane PrC. Will post the new version when its done.
#8 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 10:25:58	What your describing sounds more like an npc class than a heroic class, in my opinion at least. I don't think that a magician base class has much of a place in DL, it takes away from the flavor and history of the sorceres and wizards- so much went into those. What might fit better, if you think a magician class is necessary, is the magewright npc class from the Eberron Campaign Setting. You can find the magewright class progression in Dragon Magazine (though I'm not sure which issue).
#9 The_White_Sorcerer May 24, 2004 12:22:05	Originally posted by Shadowalk Nimblefeet (though I'm not sure which issue). Issue 319. I love the magewright. I especially like the way they learn spealls: Spell Mastery at levels 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20. They get 3rd-level spells at level 8, so they won't have to worry about the WoHS bothering them too much.
#10 zombiegleemax May 25, 2004 16:36:51	I agree that a hedge wizard NPC class would be ideal, actually. It would take the place of he adept, as they are not around in DL.