HP/level: 1d4
Required Stats: wizard: 9 int sorcerer: 9 cha
Bonus proficiencies: Alchemy, Spellcraft (arcane), Reading and Writing of all spoken languages that have writeable characters (subject to DM discretion in all cases)
Weapon proficiencies: 1 +1/6 levels
Non-weapon proficiencies: 4 +1/3 levels
Both Wizards and Sorcerers inflict saving throw penalties against those trying to save versus their spells as their levels increase, as listed;
Level – penalty
1-9: no penalty
10-14: +1
15-19: +2
20-24: +3
25-29: +4
30: +5
Wizards are the most common form of arcane spellcaster, memorizing their spells from specially prepared tomes wherein which they are inscribed. Sorcerers are those types that by some quirk have an intimate connection to the essence of magic and are thus able to call it forth without needing such things as spellbooks and the like.
Components for spells are not needed unless the DM specifies such. Verbal and Somatic (gesture) components are always needed. Obviously, for some spells, there are material components that the spell is useless without, and the DM ALWAYS has final say in whether a spell needs components or not.
Wizards:
Wizards must spend time memorizing their spells after a good rest (usually 8 hours, although only 4 for elves, who do not actually sleep). It takes 10 minutes per spell level to memorize a spell. If a wizard wishes to “re-memorize” spells before they have rested, they can do so, but can only re-memorize 1/3 their Con score in spell levels before they can tax themselves no further. Thus, a wizard with a 12 Con could re-memorize 4 spell levels worth of spells once each day before having to rest. This tends to give low level wizards just enough extra “edge” so that, after they burn up their few spells, they can possibly memorize another rather than having to hide behind the nearest warrior until s/he can rest. For high level casters, this doesn’t add much of anything at all, for high level wizards seldom cast all of their memorized spells in a given day, and further, often have scrolls and the like prepared for such events. In any case, the wizard has to actually sit and take the time to re-memorize a spell before s/he can cast it.
Wizards may memorize their level +3 in 0th level cantrips per day. Rememorizing a cantrip takes one minute rather than 10, and a wizard may re-memorize 1 cantrip per point of con s/he possesses before having to rest, although doing this does constitute having used their ability to rememorize spells for the day. If the wizard is mixing the re-memorization of cantrips with actual spells, think of cantrips as being one-third the value of a 1st level spell. So, the wizard with a 12 con could rememorize 12 cantrips in a day, 4 first level spells, or perhaps 6 cantrips and two first level spells, or three cantrips, a 1st level spell and a 2nd level spell (totaling up to 4 spell levels worth of magic, cantrips being worth 1/3rd of a spell level each). When a wizard attains 18th level, they no longer need to memorize cantrips, and may cast them at will as often as they would like. This is a mark of an Archmage amongst those who know as it represents consuming mastery of the energies of magic to the degree that the wizard can shape them by sheer force of will, even though they are very small cantrips. Most wizards view it as becoming very slightly divine, as only gods can so freely shape and use energies, even very small amounts of energy. Some don’t worry about it. The DM is free to explain this however s/he sees fit and however fits in their campaign.
Wizards do not get bonus spells no matter what their intelligence is. Their limit on memorization is not there because the mage isn’t able to memorize any more. S/he simply does not have the skill to “hold” more stored magical energy within themselves than their level allows for.
Wizards can be specialists in the various Schools of Magic. The Schools of Magic are the different types of magic that all magic is derived from. The DM must decide what these schools of magic are, or consult with the listing below for a standard list. In any case, specialist wizards can memorize one extra spell per day from the school they are specialized with, and gain a +15% to their Learn Spell checks from spells of their school, as well as to scrollmaking checks wherein which a spell of the school they are specialized in is being scribed. Saving throws against their spells of the school they are specialized in receive a –1 penalty, in addition to any other modifiers the specialize might have based on level or other outside forces.
Schools of Magic:
Abjuration spells are a group of specialized protective spells. Each is used to prevent or banish some magical or nonmagical effect or creature. They are often used to provide safety in times of great danger or when attempting some other particularly dangerous spell.
Alteration spells cause a change in the properties of some already existing thing, creature, or condition. This is accomplished by magical energy channeled through the wizard.
Conjuration/summoning spells bring something to the caster from elsewhere. Conjuration normally produces matter or items from some other place. Summoning enables the caster to compel living creatures and powers to appear in his presence or to channel extraplanar energies through himself.
Enchantment/charm spells cause a change in the quality of an item or the attitude of a person or creature. Enchantments can bestow magical properties on ordinary items, while charms can unduly influence the behavior of beings.
Divinations are more powerful than lesser divinations (see below). These spells enable the wizard to learn secrets long forgotten, to predict the future, and to uncover things hidden or cloaked by spells.
Illusions deal with spells to deceive the senses or minds of others. Spells that cause people to see things that are not there, hear noises not made, or remember things that never happened are all illusions.
Invocation/Evocation spells channel magical energy to create specific effects and materials. Invocation normally relies on the intervention of some higher agency (to whom the spell is addressed), while evocation enables the caster to directly shape the energy.
Universal spells are learnable by all wizards, regardless of their affiliation. This school includes the most basic and vital spells of the wizard--those he needs to practice other aspects of his craft. Universal spells include read magic and detect magic.
Necromancy is one of the most restrictive of all spell schools. It deals with dead things or the restoration of life, limbs, or vitality to living creatures. Although a small school, its spells tend to be powerful. Given the risks of the adventuring world, necromantic spells are considered quite useful.
Specialists cannot cast spells from the schools that oppose them diametrically. The Universal school is not a true school, and can neither be specialized in nor opposed by any other.
Invo/Evo opposes: Enchantment/Charm, Conjuration/Summoning
Divination opposes: Conjuration/Summoning
Abjuration opposes: Alteration and Illusion
Conjuration/Summoning opposes: Greater Divination (spells beyond 3rd level), Invo/Evo
Illusion opposes: Necromancy, Invo/Evo
Enchantment/Charm opposes: Invo/Evo, Necromancy
Alteration opposes: Abjuration, Necromancy
Necromancy opposes: Illusion, Enchantment/Charm
So, as can be seen, to be a specialist in one field is to lose one or two others for greater power in their specialty field.
All wizards have access to divination-school magic of 3rd level and lower.
In addition, a type of wizard that the DM might allow is an Elementalist. Fire, Air, Earth and Water are the elemental sub-types, and elementalists are treated as Specialists with spells of their elemental affinity. They cannot cast spells of their opposing elements.
Fire opposes Water
Air opposes Earth
In addition to the –1 they inflict on saving throws versus their chosen element’s spells, they add +1 to each die of damage done by spells from their chosen elemental field and receive a +2 to all saves versus their field’s magical or normal damage type. They suffer a –2 to saves versus magic from their opposing element, however.
Wizards can, and often do, research spells. Be it a completely new spell of their own devising or a variant on a spell known to others, spell research is both costly and time consuming. Not to mention, as no wizard fails to note when they set about researching their first spell, lengthy. For every level of the spell to be researched, one week is required. This is, of course, assuming that the wizard has access to a library capable of supporting research of magicks of that school and spell level. Libraries can range from meager (single school, no higher than 1st level spells) to bogglingly vast (all schools up to 9th level spells). This is for the DM to adjudicate. Most libraries tend to know what they have, and further, know that they can get away with charging wizards a great deal to use their facilities to research spells in (in fact, most of the large libraries are probably owned by a wizard or organization of wizards, depending, again, on the DM’s decision).
In any case, it should take one week per spell level to research a spell at a cast of right around 100 gp per spell level per week. The DM is also free to determine if a laboratory is needed for spell research. If so (as would be the case for most any necromantic spell, not to mention a lot of others), the cost would triple due to the cost of lab materials and such. Like libraries, laboratories are rated by what schools of magic they can support the research of and to what degree, measured in maximum level of spell researchable with that particular facility. Rare and expensive indeed is a library and laboratory both, in one place, that can support research of all schools, all the way to 9th level magicks. Such a thing, if a PC wizard wanted to make one for him or herself, would cost millions of gold pieces. Possibly even tens of millions. Not, I repeat, NOT a task for the faint of heart or light of purse!
Then again, who ever accused high-level PC’s of being either?
Arcane Item Crafting-
Wizards of the proper levels, with the right materials and enough money can make things. Some things they can make require certain spells, some require proficiencies to be trained to certain ranks. Most everything requires money, or some means of procuring the materials the DM adjudicates are necessary.
Scrolls:
A wizard can pen a scroll of any spell known to them if they are at least two levels higher than the minimum level they could cast the spell on. Thus, a first level spell, being castable by a first level mage, would require a 3rd level or better to scribe onto a scroll. It takes one hour per spell level to pen a scroll, and costs 1d4*10 gold pieces per spell level in materials (special paper, inks, required materials to be laid into the paper, etcetera). Success is not always guaranteed!
The base chance that a scroll comes out without error is 60%. For every point of intelligence over 9 the wizard has, another 5% is added to this. Further, 5% for each level of the spell being penned is subtracted from the base. Beyond even that, 2% is added per caster level beyond the minimum required to pen the scroll. Thus, a 3rd level mage with a 13 int is trying to pen a 1st level Magic Missile scroll. His base chance is 60%, plus 20% for the 4 int points he has beyond 9, for a base of 80%. The base is lowered to 75% for Magic Missile being a 1st level spell. Thus, the wizard has a 75% chance to successfully scribe the scroll. Failure in this depends on how badly the check is failed. Failure by a margin of 1% to 10% means only that the scroll doesn’t work and the caster realizes their error after they finish making it. Thus, if the mage from the above example rolled an 83% on his check, he has failed the check by 8%. The DM would then tell him that, as he looks the scroll over after completion, he sees some small error in it that would cause the spell to fail.
Now, let’s take a look at how a 20th level mage with an 18 int would do with a 1st level spell. The base is still 60%, but the wizard adds 45% for the 9 point int difference, plus another 2% per level beyond 3rd (the minimum caster level required for making 1st level spell scrolls), adding another 34%, and, finally, subtracting 5% for the spell being 1st level. The base is then 134%. The wizard can, literally, not fail. If a wizards percentile chance to scribe a scroll is or exceeds 100%, failure is all but ruled out; the wizard knows their stuff entirely too well to fail that attempt. Also, a wizard cannot fail a check by more than the difference between their overall base chance to succeed and 100%. Thus, if a wizard has a 90% chance to scribe a scroll, no failure can be more than 10% (resulting in what is shown below), reflecting that, even if the wizard fails, they are good enough to avoid most of the worse effects of scroll failure. In all cases of failure, the scroll must be re-made if the wizard wants a functional scroll.
Failure by 1% to 10% results only in a scroll that doesn’t work, and the caster is aware of this after the check is made.
Failure of 11% to 20% has the same effect, but the caster does not know s/he has failed. In such cases, only attempting to use the scroll (or using an Identify spell upon it) will reveal the scroll to be botched.
Failure of 21% to 30% is not only unknown to the caster, but the spell, rather than simply failing, targets a random subject in accordance with the DM’s whim, when it’s used. An identify spell can reveal the scroll to be botched, in this case. The spell may or may not function normally, as the DM desires.
Failure of 31% to 40% is unknown to the caster, and further, the scroll bursts into flames in its user’s hands, dealing 1d8 dmg per spell level to the unfortunate reader (save v-spell for half). This can, of course, be modified in whatever way the DM feels like, but should always result in damage to the caster, an ally or something equally detrimental. An identify spell can discover such scrolls as this to be falsely scribed.
Failures of 41% and beyond are tremendous failures indeed, and should usually have massively detrimental effects. Such an effect might come in the form of a curse, temporary insanity, temporary loss of levels, etcetera…whatever the DM adjudicates as appropriately fitting, depending on the power of the magic inscribed. Woe be to the poor sod who reads a massively botched 9th level spellscroll…
Wizards, being able to make scrolls, can also read them, be they of their own make or not. A Read Magic is required if the scroll isn’t of the wizard’s own make, however.
If the wizard is of sufficient level to cast the spell in question, there is no check. The wizard simply reads the scroll and that is that. However, if the wizard is not of sufficient level to cast the spell in question, there is a 5% chance per level of difference between the caster’s level and the required level to cast the spell that the spell has an effect similar to reading a botched scroll. Only, in this case, the scroll might not be botched; the caster might botch the reading. A 1st level mage trying to read a level 9 spell would have only a 15% chance to succeed, as s/he has an 85% chance to fail. (18th level being the minimum for casting 9th level spells, thus, 18-1=17; take the difference, being 17, and multiply it by 5). Such failures should consult the listings for botched scrollmaking for appropriate effects of failure as determined by the margin of failure.
Potions:
Wizards can make potions if they have the Alchemy proficiency with enough ranks applied to it. Most potions take 1 day per spell level to brew, costing 2d4*10 GP per day required. Any spell the wizard has that the DM adjudicates can be made into a potion/elixir/tincture or oil form can be made into a potion. The wizard must have 2 ranks in Alchemy for every spell level of potion being made. The wizard must also have the spell (or at least a scroll of it) and be able to cast it (or read the scroll successfully).
Wizards can work in conjunction with alchemists if their own alchemy skill is not high enough for a certain potion they’d wish to make. They do not need to make the thing themselves; only enchant it properly. A 1st level spell in potion form would only require 2 ranks in alchemy to make, in addition to one day of brewing at a cost of 20-80 GP (or whatever the Dm decides is appropriate). A standard 9th level spell in potion form would require 18 ranks in alchemy, take 9 days to brew and cost anywhere from 180-720 GP to produce. Note that the DM can freely adjust brewing times and costs; these are only suggested values. An alchemy check must be made at DC 15+ the spell level by the alchemist making the potion, and the wizard must make a Spellcraft check at DC 15+ the spell level. If either fails, the potion is ruined. If both succeed, voila! The wizard has a potion. For high-level characters, these checks only rarely fail if they’ve applied their skill points to Spellcraft and Alchemy, but can be more trying for low level characters.
Rods, Staves, Wands, Rings, Weapons, Armor, Cloaks, etcetera:
The bulk of magical items are in this category. Any object to receive enchantment must be a Masterwork item that has been specially made for the particular enchantments the wizard wishes to imbue it with. The costs and time involved are entirely subject to the DM’s decision, but the means of enchantment is easily laid out.
Enchant Item (the spell or a scroll) must be had to imbue an item with spell powers or effects. Enchant Weapon (spell or scroll) must be had to imbue an item with magical pluses (+1 to +5 being the range of enchantment mortals can imbue items with). Thus, let us use the example of a wizard wanting to craft a magical sword for his or her friend. The wizard knows that their friend is a fine swordsman, but has the Enchant Weapon spell, and will make their weapon as great as their skill. He also knows that his friend has been mauled in the past by enemy wizards’ magic missile spells, and is going to give him an edge against that in the future by imbuing the Shield spell into the sword. The DM asks the player what kind of magical weapon s/he is trying to make, and we’ll say that the player says that s/he wants a long sword +3 that can throw a Shield spell up one time per day. The DM then appraises the request and determines that, for a +3 sword that can cast Shield once per day, the wizard will need to have a Masterwork sword crafted (a given) that has had the blood of a powerful creature, noted for it’s innate magic (thus making the wizard research the ideal creature to garner blood from) hammered into it while it’s being made. The Dm might also decide that the sword must be made of a very rare type of steel, forged only in some far distant place or plane of existence. The methods the DM uses can vary greatly, but here’s the basic mechanics of it.
A wizard needs the DM adjudicated components
The wizard must cast Enchant Item one time for every power to be imbued in an item, and Enchant Weapon one time for every plus the weapon is to have.
The Wizard must have the Magical Engineering proficiency of sufficient rank (as determined by the DM) if the item is large or mechanical (like a flying ship, a magical clockwork mechanism that keeps perfect time, etc…)
A rule of thumb to follow is that +5 is the highest level of enchantment an item can have. Each power or plus imbued into an item should count as a +1 towards this limit. Like the +3 sword with Shield spell capabilities in the above example would count as a +4 weapon for all purposes, each power and plus should count towards this “normally attainable” limit. Anything beyond that (like a +5 sword of sharpness that can burst into flames) should qualify as Minor Artifact level magic, thus requiring the DM to sit and think very long and hard about this item and how the process of building it should be gone about and, of course, if such a thing is what s/he wants in his or her campaign. Obviously, such items can be made and do exist, but they are very rare (or should be, if the DM is worth his or her dice) and should be equally difficult to make as they are to find.
Note that, without the Permanency spell, these carefully woven magicks will fade after 1 week per caster level of the enchanting wizard. The weapon will always be able to be re-enchanted with the same magicks (and NO others) at any time, but the Permanency spell, as it’s name implies, makes the process of recasting all those spells go away.
Regardless, magical items should not be “easy” to make. The more potent the item, the more and more difficult to come by they are, and for a reason; the potent items are hard to make. A sword +1 might not be all that hard to make, but a +3 sword should be pretty difficult. The crafting of a +5 weapon would be considered a daunting challenge, fitting for characters between 13th and 18th level (depending on the party size and composition). The DM is a fool if s/he doesn’t take advantage of a PC wizard wanting to craft a rare and/or powerful magical item by putting them through an adventure or three to get the stuff to make it in the first place. Such things also give the item much more meaning for the characters and players alike; it is something their chars bled and fought (perhaps even died) for, and not simply rolled a few dice and erased a bunch of money off their character sheet to get.
Sorcerers:
Sorcerers are a type of wizard, using the same spells in more or less the same ways, but gaining them through radically different methods. Sorcerers, unlike wizards, do not memorize spells. They do not carry around spellbooks, nor do they often have the same “official” training in using magic as a Wizard. Most of what they learn, they teach themselves, for they can draw off the essence of magic just by “reaching out” to it by sheer force of personality and sense of “self” within the essence of magic, reflecting why Charisma is their primary stat.
Their spells are innate. This makes them both rare and rather powerful in several ways, compared to the more common Wizard. It might be that they have the blood of some magical creature in them, or are, themselves, magical creatures (elves in particular make great candidates for Sorcerers, as theirs is amongst the most magical of all PC races by leaps and bounds). It might be due to some sort of arcane accident in their past, or part of some prophecy surrounding their birth. The origins of a Sorcerer can (and should) be exotic and interesting to some degree, and the players of such are encouraged to work with the DM to come up with a sufficient back-story for their rare and wondrous character. Sorcerers, unlike Wizards, use Charisma as their prime requisite score, and can cast more spells in the form of bonus spells if their charisma is high enough.
Charisma score-bonus spells
9-12: none
13-15: 1st: 1
16-17: 1st: 2
18-19: 1st: 3 2nd: 1
20-21: 1st: 4 2nd: 2 3rd: 1
22-23: 1st: 5 2nd: 3 3rd: 2
24-25: 1st: 6 2nd: 4 3rd: 3 4th: 1
These spells are bonuses to castable spells per day, not additional spells to add to their list of those available to them.
Sorcerers cannot be specialists, although they can be Elementalists, receiving 1 extra spell to their lists of their elemental type. They add this spell directly to their list of spells available, not to the number of spells they can cast per day. They receive 1 such spell for each level of spell they can cast, choosing it like they do all others.
Like wizards, Sorcerers receive their level +3 in “free” 0th level spells per day that do not count against their normal castable limit. And, like wizards, when a sorcerer reaches 18th level, they may cast their 0th level spells freely, with no limit on the number per day they can use. Where wizards tend to marvel at this within themselves, most sorcerers wouldn’t even notice the difference. Such closeness with magic is, by 18th level, nothing new to them.
Sorcerers are limited in a number of ways, however.
They do not receive a large array of spells they have access to, to cast. On all levels, a sorcerer can cast more spells of each level than a wizard of equal level, but where the wizard can have potentially limitless (as determined by their intelligence) access to new and diverse spells, the Sorcerer picks new spells from the wizardly spell list at each level gain, and has only those few to choose from. As an example, at 4th level, a wizard can memorize up to 3 first level spells (thus being able to cast them). A sorcerer of 4th level can cast 6, plus bonus spells if applicable. However, the wizard might have 10 spells of first level to select from, where the sorcerer would have 3.
Where a Wizard needs to memorize their spells beforehand, however, a sorcerer simply selects which spell they are going to cast from their selection. Casting times are identical to a wizard’s, and though the sorcerer is limited in selection, they are very versatile, and a clever sorcerer can either focus on one sort of spells, becoming more than the match for any wizard of similar level in that field, or select a good smattering of crucially useful spells that make them as “rounded out” as possible. Sorcerers do not (and, indeed, cannot) research spells or copy them from spellbooks or scrolls in any capacity. When they advance a level, the player selects however many spells of whatever spell levels the character is entitled to gain and jots them down on his or her spell list, from which they are castable.
A sorcerer is always free to select a spell of lower level than they are entitled to choose. For instance, if a sorcerer attained 4th level, and thus, got their first 2nd level spell, they could elect to take another 1st level spell instead of taking a 2nd level spell to add to their list. Obviously, it is not an even trade-off, but it is something they are free to do, if they wish.
The true limitation of Sorcerers tends to become apparent in higher levels, where the Wizards enjoy a large number of spell slots to fill with memorizable spells as well as a vast assortment of spells. However, even in high levels, Sorcerers can truly shine in areas they’ve devoted themselves to. Sorcerers cannot pen scrolls, though they can read them if their Spellcraft proficiency is sufficiently high enough to allow for such. Where a wizard can simply pick up a scroll and read it (even if it’s far, far beyond them and they very well might botch the reading), a Sorcerer must make a Spellcraft check against a DC of 15 +level of spell to read a scroll. If they succeed the Spellcraft check, they can read the scroll. If it is of a spell beyond the highest level they can cast, they face the same chance for error (5% per level of difference between caster level and required level to cast the spell) as a wizard. Sorcerers can make potions and items just like wizards can, but their comparatively limited selection of spells means that, to take the required spells for item crafting is to NOT take other spells, which can limit their usefulness in other areas severely, as most of the item crafting spells are fairly high level spells, of which sorcerers receive all too few to be too frivolous in deciding what they are to be.
Sorcerers, like wizards, must rest to regain spellcasting potential. And where wizards can re-memorize a small number of spells, based on their Constitution, a sorcerer can gain bonus spells. And, also, where a wizard’s highest attainable, castable level of spells is based on their intelligence, a sorcerer’s is based on their Charisma. A sorcerer needs a charisma score of 9+ the spell level to even think about casting spells of that level, even if they are of high enough level to cast them. A 20th level sorcerer with a 9 charisma would, hilariously, be limited to 0th level cantrips, and never would have reached 20th level with a charisma score that low anyway. Wizards are not so heavily confined by their intelligence scores, so, even more than Intelligence is for wizards, Charisma is a very heavily required stat for Sorcerers.