Guild Mage
A graduate of the Arcane Order of Magecraft and Wizardry.
Qualifications
Must graduate from the Arcane Order of Magecraft and Wizardry.
When an apprentice has gained the requisite power and knowledge, the opportunity to become a full guild wizard presents itself. Not many would pass up the benefits offered by this rank within the college of wizardry, but not all who apply are up to the task. After achieving the experience needed, but before being confirmed, the apprentice must research the ritual of renewal.
A task, known as the Last Trial, must be performed by the apprentice. If the Last Trial is successfully completed, the Wizard’s Oath is given to the applicant.
The Last Trial is fairly straightforward. The applicant wizard must provide the college with a new spell to be entered into the spell books kept in the Grand Library or donate a new magical item to the guild as a whole. The most common way for the apprentice to complete this portion of the trial is to adventure forth into unknown lands in search of scrolls, forgotten spellbooks, or magical paraphernalia lost in ancient ruins.
Those who fulfill the obligation of the Last Trial are offered the Wizard’s Oath to become full guild wizards. The Wizard’s Oath covers a number of points.
Wizard’s Oath
The apprentice agrees to enter into the guild wizard rank of the Arcane Order.
A guild wizard agrees to teach one class per year to apprentice wizards, to take on a role as an Advisor to assigned apprentice wizards, or to perform commensurate duties as the Chancellor and Regents may direct.
A guild wizard agrees not to knowingly betray the Arcane Order, on pain of death.
A new guild wizard agrees to support the college for a minimum of 10 years.
The new guild wizard is then given access to the Spellcrux, better quarters, and is allowed to furnish a private (albeit small) research laboratory at the college. An informal party is often given by the guild wizards to welcome the new member into the fold.
Responsibilities
Guild wizards within the Arcane Order are required to give some of their time to teach the next lowest rank, the apprentices, the subtleties of higher level magical arts. This requirement of time also includes the requirement to act as an advisor to a group of upcoming apprentices.
As long as the Guild Wizards contribute to the ongoing operation and goals of the college, they retain the benefits of full membership. Guild wizards of the Arcane Order pay monetary dues and accept various duties in return for member benefits. Failure to complete one's duties can result in having membership revoked, stripping the mage of all benefits, including losing access to the Spellpool.
Reinstating membership is possible. Any past dues and debt (including Spellpool Debt) must be repaid and depending on the circumstances of the discharge, may require a vote from the Regents
Dues are 30 gp per month.
Unless a guild wizard seeks the added responsibility accorded a regent, the only constraint on a guild member’s time include putting in an appearance on campus at least once every six months which includes teaching at least one course per year on a specific application of magic to a class of apprentices and to act as an Advisor to a smaller group of the same. A course often lasts for only three months and might meet only three times during the entire period. (Of course, the wizard could go the other extreme, having year-long classes meeting every day, but this is rare).
In addition to teaching a course, the guild wizard is also expected to act as Advisor to a group of selected or assigned apprentices. As Advisor, the guild wizard is expected to answer the questions and guide the study of the apprentices to greater heights of understanding. During the 2nd Test of Aptitude, where an apprentice seeks to display the requisite skill and magical prowess to qualify as a guild wizard, the preparation given by the advisor, as well as the advisor’s final opinion of the apprentice, go a long way to determine if the apprentice will achieve guild wizard status.
Occasionally, Guild Wizards will be given special commissions handed down by the Regents.
Mages that draw from the Spellcrux must repay the debt in a timely manner or be cut off. Failure to repay a Spellpool Debt within a year results in expulsion from the Order. If enough Spell Levels are not present, as determined by the Chancellor and Keeper of the Spellcrux, the onus to recharge the Spellpool is parceled out by the chancellor among guild wizards and apprentices of the appropriate levels. Usually, this results in a particular mage being required to “donate” a spell of the highest level they can cast.
Benefits
The benefits of membership in Arcane’s Order are myriad and significant, especially to those who have themselves invested a significant amount of effort in the college. Simply put, the higher one rises in the hierarchy of the working magical academy, the more one can expect in the way of resources, including: lodging and similar support, guild contacts and access to other information sources, the use of common component stores, the assistance of initiates and laboratory space for the creation of new magical items and spells, and a share in the college’s prized possession - the Spellcrux.
Their remaining time is spent in personal research on new spells, magical items, or in the study of dweomers. Some of the guild wizards also pursue personal esoteric projects of their own, which are tangential to standard magical research.
Guild wizards hold enviable positions within the Order. Guild wizards receive the major benefits of full membership while at the same time are charged with the most important responsibilities. Alumni in good standing who no longer live at the college can expect lodging when they return for a visit or for research, and may receive other professional courtesies as well.
Those guild wizards who have come up through the ranks often feel that their greatest benefit is free time.
A member in good standing can board at Mathghamhna, paying only 5 sp per day for common-quality meals and lodging.
Guild wizards have more resources to work with as well. At his leisure, he can browse the Order’s Grand Library, which is stocked with tomes on both mundane and arcane lore.
Guild wizards can apply to the regents for access to the Sealed Archive. This exalted library contains tomes contributed by Japheth, the regents, and other guild wizards. The tomes found in the Sealed Archive generally contain the more powerful dweomers and specifically requested rare texts may be made available as well. Access to the Sealed Archive eliminates the need to maintain a personal library for research of spells of 4th level and higher.
Guild-level members can use the Order’s common laboratory facilities when creating magic items (although material costs remain out-of-pocket).
Guild-level members are free to read and post notices to the “job board,” a mundane medium whereby fellow members of the Order pass information, advertise their interest in a research topic or adventure, or attempt to sell an interesting oddity, magical or otherwise.
Last but not least, members can form professional ties with their fellow wizards, possibly leading to lasting friendships or alliances.
Full member of the Arcane Order gain access to the Spellcrux equal to Spellpool I. Higher levels are available with higher ranks of membership.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Cassock of Precaution, Spellcrux Focus
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
As long as the Guild Wizards contribute to the ongoing operation and goals of the college, they retain the benefits of full membership. Guild wizards of the Arcane Order pay monetary dues and accept various duties in return for member benefits. Failure to complete one's duties can result in having membership revoked, stripping the mage of all benefits, including losing access to the Spellpool.
A guildmage who falls into arrears on his dues by more than three months has his membership revoked.
Failure to repay a Spellpool Debt within a year results in expulsion from the Order.
Reinstating membership is possible. Any past dues and debt (including Spellpool Debt) must be repaid and depending on the circumstances of the discharge, may require a vote from the Regents
Form of Address
Magister
Alternative Naming
Mage
Source of Authority
Council of Regents
Length of Term
Lifetime
Current Holders
Reports directly to
Related Locations
Related Organizations
Comments