Greater Mage

 

Ability Requirements	Intelligence : 18
	Constitution : 15
	Dexterity : 12
Prime Requisites	Intelligence
	Constitution
Races Allowed	Human
	Elf
	Half-Elf

 

Mages of the Greater Path are those who have chosen to devote their lives to the art of magic, not merely settling for the ability to cast spells which have been memorized the night before, but rather to understand the weave[1] and learn how to manipulate it at will.

Any Greater mage must start their tuition along the lesser path, achieving at least 5^th level as a lesser magician before they can begin to understand the weave and how to truly control it. The Greater magician progresses using the same experience table as a magician of the lesser path, except that no 10% experience bonus can be collected due to high ability scores.

 

Because of the Greater mages devotion to magic and need to keep their skills finely tuned, a greater mage can never be a multi-class or dual-class character.

 

The Greater mage casts spells by drawing upon the limitless energies of the weave and shaping them into the desired form at the time of casting. Focusing these energies however, puts great strain on the wizards physical body as well as his mind, requiring a minimum of 15 Con and 18 Int.

The wizard has a number of spell points which are used to cast spells; one point relating to one spell level. A Greater mage using 3 spell points, could thus cast a third level spell, a second and a first, or three firsts. Unlike a mage of the lesser path, these spells can be chosen at the time of casting.

The amount of energy which can be used before requiring rest is calculated as follows: Using the standard Magic-User spells available by level table, multiply the number of spells available for a level times the level of the spell and total those numbers up (column 1 – Lesser).  The subtract 1 for every 3^rd level the character has attained (3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, etc.).

 

The calculated Spell Points are shown on table 1, along side the equivalent number of spell points which a mage of the lesser path possesses.

 

Why does a ‘Greater Mage have fewer spell level points available to him than a lesser mage?  Because it takes a great deal extra energy to focus and cast spells from nothing.  A lesser mage sets his magic in motion and prepares them for casting before unleashing them.  The greater mage must evoke that power at the time of casting and thus will tire quicker.  While this may seem a disadvantage to the greater mage, at 5^th level he is able to evoke 3 fireballs or lightning bolts to the 1 available to a lesser mage.

 

When a lesser mage makes the decision to study the magic of the greater path, he must seek training from those who have already mastered the art. This intense training lasts 1 year + 1 year per three levels of the lesser mage (round fractions up), and will cost around 20,000gp per year (payable before training commences).

During the first year of the mages studies, his mind is conditioned for the learning ahead. He is put into a focused trance in which he will spend the remaining years of his study. If for any reason this trance is broken by contact with the outside world, the mage must spend an additional year in training while his mind is reconditioned.

After the mages training is complete, because of his lack of practice in physical combat, he receives only 1d3 hit points per additional level he gains. This is often made up for by the hit points gained from the high Constitution score required to become a Greater mage.

 

Table 1: SPELL POINT PROGRESSION

 

Level	Lesser	Greater
1	1	1
2	2	2
3	4	3
4	7	6
5	11	10
6	14	12
7	20	18
8	27	25
9	32	29
10	39	36
11	51	48
12	66	62
13	78	74
14	85	81
15	94	89
16	115	110
17	130	125
18	139	133
19	147	141
20	162	156

 

The wizard regenerates his level in spell points for every hour of sleep, or half his level in spell points (rounded up) per hour of meditation. Whilst meditating, the Greater mage must be in a relaxed, relatively quiet environment. He is aware of his surroundings, but can not perform any actions without breaking his meditation.

 

If it is necessary, the greater magician can draw upon forces deep within his own being. The magician can draw upon extra spell points equal to his strength and constitution added together. This however is risky, each time the magician draws from these points, he must make a system shock roll to stay conscious. Failure means that the magician falls into a coma lasting 4d6 hours (the spell is still cast successfully). When these points are used, an equal number of points is subtracted from each ability score, if the number of points to be subtracted is an odd number, the greatest value is subtracted from the lowest of the two scores.

For example, a Greater mages life depends upon casting the 5^th level spell Teleport to escape from the Shadow Dragon, who’s lair she has just stumbled into. Usually the Shadow Dragon would be no match for this particular mage of the greater path, but at the end of a long day, she finds herself with only 2 spell points remaining. She digs deep within herself and finds the power to cast the spell, expending her last two spell points and subtracting 2 points from her Con of 15 and 1 point from her strength of 11. The spell is cast and she rolls 86% on her system shock roll. Again, 86 would usually be a passed system shock roll for her, but her Con has been reduced by 2 points, meaning that she has failed by 1%. This is not her day, she awakes 14 hours later at home, away from the bothersome dragon, but very annoyed at the prospect of having to spend the next week in bed to regenerate from her ordeal.

If either of these scores reaches zero, the magician will fall into a coma lasting a number of hours equal to his level, after the duration of the coma has expired, he will die. Only the Heal spell can prevent death, restoring ability scores of zero to but one point. Complete rest will replace lost ability scores at a rate of one per day. Until the lost ability scores are replaced, natural healing will be at half the normal rate and no spell points will be replenished.

 

When the Greater mage learns a new spell, it is added to his spell book in a similar way to the lesser mage, although the Greater mage does not require the spell book to memorize his spells from. A Greater mages spell book is kept only for reference, this is usually taken while out adventuring to study from, but is not required for the casting of spells.

 

Part of the Greater mages training includes the teaching of two extra abilities; The wizard can use ESP and Levitate with the same effect as the spells of the same names (Levitate can only be used by the wizard on himself in this way), except that these abilities can be used at will, not requiring verbal, somatic or material components, and each costing 1 spell point per turn. Other spells can be cast or actions taken once these abilities are in effect.

 

The Greater mages THAC0 progresses using the same table as other wizards, although a Greater mage is never proficient with a weapon of any kind, and as such has a -5 penalty to hit using any weapon. If the mage was proficient with a weapon before his training, these skills are not lost, but the wizards ability to use it will never progress (a lesser mage that crosses over to greater mage at 5^th level will always melee as a 5^th level wizard with that weapon).

Wizards of the Greater path often carry staves with them, even though they are of little use to them in melee combat. The wizards staff is seen as an identifying feature of his skills. For higher level mages, these are often very ornate, and magical more often than not.

Although Greater magicians are able to use the same wide range of magical items as any Lesser magician, they disdain from using any item which replicates a spell effect they could create with their own powers. Wizards using magical items on a regular basis is viewed very dimly by the Greater mage, seen as an obvious sign of weakness. For this reason the Greater mage, although he may have many magical items in his laboratory to study from, will never take more than four magical items out adventuring, and likewise will never carry more than this with him on a regular basis.

Addendum....

A spell caster can follow the traditional crossover path from 'lesser' to 'greater' mage as described in the article. Optionally they can choose to 'double study' as a Lesser and Greater Mage simultaneously. The extra training requires an additional month of training at each level and the typical cost is 1000 gp per level.

There is a level limit on this type of cross training. The spell caster must decide on their path before reaching 6th level. Upon attaining the experience necessary to advance to 6th level a specific training path MUST be selected. This decision is irrevocable for magic-users that have cross trained.

Traditional cross over training remains as described for Lesser to Greater Mage, 1 year plus 1 year for every 3 levels attained.

The magic ability of a Greater Mage operates in the same manner as it does for a Lesser Mage. The defining difference is a Greater Mage needs not memorize a list of spells to be memorized or etched in to their active memory, able to be cast when the memory is unleashed. A Greater Mage studies in such a manner where all known spells are available to use at any time. This is the equivalent of ICE memorization versus BATTERY powered.

As a Greater Mage they still require the defined V,S,M to cast a spell as indicated in the spell description. They are merely able to cast anything in their known spell book as long as there is strength remaining in their battery.

If a battery has been depleted there is a method available for a wizard to cast from their 'reserves' as defined in the character class description tapping the figures Strength and Constitution. Should a Greater Mage opt to cast from their reserve they must follow the rules set forth in the class description with this addendum : An equal number of points are deducted from the Strength and Constitution for the points of reserve tapped, if it is an odd number the higher stat (this is misstated as the lower stat in the description based on the example provided) is reduced the extra point. A System Shock roll is required, using the statistic for the currently reduced Con, for EACH POINT of reserve tapped. Here begins the expansion of the rule : Should any of these rolls fail the character will drop in to a coma of 4d6 hours and the spell cast in this manner is erased from the memory of the Greater Mage who will be unable to cast that spell again. They will be unable to read and/or study the version in their spell books, including by any magical means. The Greater Mage may attempt to research the spell to discover another method for casting the same or similar spell. Should the research fail the spell and any forms or derivatives of that spell are no longer available to the Greater Mage. Any failed roll requires a second System Shock roll. If this roll fails the Greater Mage has the applicable stat permanently reduced by one.

While they DO have spell books from which they learn how to cast in the Greater Mage method they are not able to use these as a Lesser Mage might. A Greater Mage can never cast from his spell book. Once committed to and converted all spells are cast in the Greater Mage manner.

The class description includes details for handling when a stat is reduced to 0 in this manner and the process for recovering reduced points.

Cantrips are cast at a charge of 1/4 spell level per cantrip.

All spells cast by a Greater Mage fall under the same spell cast rules governed by die rolls. Success or failure of the specific cast determined by the die roll. Should a Greater Mage fail a casting roll the points intended to be spent for the spell chosen are lost just as if the spell were successful.

The description of how and where the magic is drawn from is still in effect. When casting the wizard opens within themself a small 'pin hole' in to the appropriate plane of existence. The words, components and gestures shape that energy to the form the spell intends. A Lesser Mage etches the steps in to their mind to be opened and released when casting the spell forming the framework where the pin hole is opened to be used. A Greater Mage has an inner reserve of strength that allows them to open the appropriate pinhole to draw energy that is shaped by the spell casting and the Greater Mage version of a spell that does not require the fixed method of tapping the appropriate energy.

 

 

By Matthew Karl.

Edited and adapted by Aaron Robinson.

Further edited by Michael Giordano and Bob Senkewicz