Wizard

Overview

Wizards are supreme magic-users, defined and united as a class by the spells they cast. Drawing on the subtle weave of magic that permeates the cosmos, wizards cast spells of explosive fire, arcing lightning, subtle deception, and brute-force mind control. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or turns slain foes into zombies. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call meteors down from the sky, or open portals to other worlds.

Only a select few people in the world are wielders of magic. Of all those, wizards stand at the pinnacle of the craft. Even the least of them can manipulate forces that flout the laws of nature, and the most accomplished among them can cast spells with world-shaking effects.

The price that wizards pay for their mastery is the most valuable of commodities: time. It takes years of study, instruction, and experimentation to learn how to harness magical energy and carry spells around in one's mind. For adventuring wizards and other spellcasters who aspire to the highest echelons of the profession, the studying never ends, nor does the quest for knowledge and power.

Scholars and practitioners of what they call "the Art", wizards are the most disciplined spellcasters in Aravid. They need to be, as their powers come from years of careful study and practice. Some wizards apprentice and study with an experienced master, while others attend formal academies or universities of wizardry.

With the intensity of their study and practice, wizards tend to become increasingly solitary as they advance in their Art, having fewer peers with whom they can share their insights, if they choose to share them with anyone at all. Thus great wizards often take up residence in isolated towers or strongholds, exhibiting ever more eccentric behavior as time goes on. Some say this is a mark of madness brought on by delving too deeply into arcane lore, but they never say it too loudly anywhere a wizard might overhear.

The greatest wizards of Aravid find means of extending their lives far beyond the span of any race except the elves. Archwizards may be centuries old, having seen civilizations rise and fall across Aravid. Other wizards seeking this longevity turn into liches, dwelling in isolated tombs and strongholds as they withdraw from the world in body as well as mind.

Scholars of the Arcane

Wild and enigmatic, varied in form and function, the power of magic draws students who seek to master its mysteries. Some aspire to become like the gods, shaping reality itself. Though the casting of a typical spell requires merely the utterance of a few strange words, fleeting gestures, and sometimes a pinch or clump of exotic materials, these surface components barely hint at the expertise attained after years of apprenticeship and countless hours of study.

Wizards live and die by their spells. Everything else is secondary. They learn new spells as they experiment and grow in experience. They can also learn them from other wizards, from ancient tomes or inscriptions, and from ancient creatures (such as the fey) that are steeped in magic.

The Lure of Knowledge

Wizards' lives are seldom mundane, The closest a wizard is likely to come to an ordinary life is working as a sage or lecturer in a library or university, teaching others the secrets of the multiverse. Other wizards sell their services as diviners, serve in military forces, or pursue lives of crime or domination.

But the lure of knowledge and power calls even the most unadventurous wizards out of the safety of their libraries and laboratories and into crumbling ruins and lost cities. Most wizards believe that their counterparts in ancient civilizations knew secrets of magic that have been lost to the ages, and discovering those secrets could unlock the path to a power greater than any magic available in the present age.

Spellbook

A wizard's most prized possession - their spellbook - might be an innocuous-looking volume whose covers show no hint of what's inside. Or they might display some flair, as many wizards do, by carrying a spellbook of an unusual sort.

Ambition

Few aspiring wizards undertake the study of magic without some personal goal in mind. Many wizards use their spells as a tool to produce a tangible benefit, in material goods or in status, for themselves or their companions. For others, the theoretical aspect of magic might have a strong appeal, pushing those wizards to seek out knowledge that supports new theories of the arcane or confirms old ones.

Eccentricity

Endless hours of solitary study and research can have a negative effect on anyone's social skills. Wizards, who are a breed apart to begin with, are no exception. An odd mannerism or two is not necessarily a drawback, though; an eccentricity of this sort is usually harmless and could provide a source of amusement or serve as a calling card of sorts.

Features

As a wizard, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d6 per wizard level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per wizard level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion

Equipment

• A quarterstaff or a dagger
• A component pouch or an arcane focus
• A scholar’s pack or an explorer’s pack
• A spellbook