Wizards are the geeks of the fantasy realm. They spend quite some time in books, prefer to spend time in a library instead of with other people, and they are frequently imagined as wearing glasses. They are the studious ones, the one that went to a university and can bend the universe with a gesture of their hand, words of power on their tongue, the right magical material within their grasp and an investment of power from their mind. The road to become a wizard or wizardess is far from easy and many burn out along the way. You are one of the lucky ones that was able to achieve such a lofty goal without losing your mind or worse.
Experiences that you had while learning to harness such power will shape your outlook on the world, and these questions will help you define that outlook. Previously we had similar questions for fighters, clerics, monks, bards, rogues, and paladins.
1) Why Did You Start Learning Wizardry?
Did your parents scrimp and save in order to send you to wizarding school? Did you exemplify some basic talent and a traveling wizard took you on as their apprentice? Are you from a rich family and going to wizarding school was always in your future whether you wanted it or not? Were you a blacksmith that wanted to learn to enchant your swords because enchanted swords sell so much better? Did you simply decide that that is what you wanted to do with your life? Did you follow someone you were in love with? There are all kinds of answers to this question and yours should be both unique and interesting.
2) How Did You Learn to Wield Arcane Power?
The two most obvious answers to this questions are at an arcane college/university or as an apprentice to a great wizard. Other less common answers include self taught, a tutor as part of your upbringing in a great wizarding family, and other similar examples. The important distinction in this answer is that you are taught from another source as opposed to a sorcerer where the magic was always inside them.
Describe what your schooling was like. Did you learn illusion magic quickly so you could make an image of yourself taking notes while you cut class? Did you have to perform hundreds of menial tasks for your teacher in exchange for them teaching you the basics? Did you take up mud artistry in addition to leaning transmutation magic so you can change your clay statue into stone?
What where your classmates like? In a sizable school you’d have dozens, hundreds of peers. As an apprentice, you’d have only two or three. Do you have close friends or bitter rivals? Come up with a memory involving classmates that happened during your schooling years that you remember fondly and another one that still causes you pain.
3) Why Did You Leave?
If you start off as a 1st level wizard, you are far from accomplished. Sure you can cast cantrips all day and a few 1st level spells, but there is so much you cannot do yet. First year Hogwarts students could levitate a troll’s club. While a first level wizard could levitate the feather with a cantrip, the club is out of the question. Nor can you locate your lost keys, unlock a door because you lost your keys, nor walk on the walls to get to the open second floor window which you wouldn’t have to do if you could find those dang keys. Like I said, you’re barely competent as a wizard, yet you left your studies behind. Why did you do that?
4) How Do Others Perceive You?
As I said above, wizard are the nerds of the fantasy world, and nerds are not known for their popularity. So how do others see you? Does your family get you and what you are doing, or do they just not understand what you study and why you do it? Do the people that you grew up with respect you or fear you? At the same time, do you hold a grudge against those that picked on you when you were young and now seek revenge now that you wield immense power? Do you make friends easily, or do people risk getting blasted by magic just to punch your face within ten minutes of meeting you?
5) What Have You Learned From Your Fellow Adventurers?
The thing about wizards is that they never stop trying to learn. Every moment is an opportunity to learn something new. So what is it you learned from your fellow adventurers? Do you learn to always expect an ambush from the ranger or how to secure your belongings from the rogue? Did the monk teach you that meditating can help focus your mind? Or rather is it that your fellow adventurers inspired you to learn something new? Did you learn to make someone large to help make the fighter more deadly in combat? Did the bard teach you the value of enchanting someone?
Luis is our signature halfling wizard. He learned wizardry from his tribal mage because he was one of the clever people in his tribe and wanted to learn arcane secrets. When the tribe was taken over by a priest that wanted to return to the old ways, he and the others well schooled were thrown out of the tribe. Being a halfling, he was able to make friends faster than other wizards. From his fellow adventures, he learned to accept himself for who he is since he no longer had to hide his intellect to appease religious extremists.
Deadly Delves: Reign of Ruin features Luis blasting a black dragon with ice. Help us bring you more great role playing game posts by downloading Deadly Delves: Reign of Ruin for Fifth Edition, Pathfinder, 13th Age, and Swords and Wizardry. Use the “holiday2017” coupon code to get 30% off your order today.
