Character Creation Diliema Warning: Long Post [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character Creation Diliema Warning: Long Post [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Daxen
11-15-06, 03:34 PM I have been working on a character for an upcoming campaign for a while now. I started with the idea of a specialized wizard. I chose Conjurer as a starting point, but as I wrote my backstory it became unclear to me if that accurately refelected the character. Transmutation is now vying for school of choice.

It was much easier to pick his forbidden schools. He has an 8 Charsima due to extensive burns from a childhood fire and a 10 year Apprenticeship with a single master. Let's just say that he didn't get out much, and when he did people did not react to him well, nor he them. Enchantment out the window. This character would find the negative energy wielded and gorey research involved in Necromancy distateful.

The son of a potter and his wife, (who died in the aforementioned fire; not caused by him), and a street urchin for about a year, he has learned to work with what is at hand. This, to me, screams Transmutation magic. That taken into account would such a person instead though turn to Conjuration magic so that he could bring forth whatever wasn't at hand.

Malachai truley wishes to help people with his art. There are evil creatures in the world that prey on the weak. He was once one of those weak people and swears to never be again. When he is casting magic he feels the power that was denied to him in his physical form. He believes that intelligence is absolutely important as intelect can imitate brute strength far better than brawn can imitate cunning.

Which would be more in character with this, empowering himself and other's to face their foes overcoming their weaknesses, or summoning external forces to aid in the same vein. I think I may have just answered my own question, but it helped to write it out to get my thoughts straight. Please chime in with your thoughts though. I would appreciate any ideas. Why would YOU pick one or the other, or do you think I am completely off base and have another school that you reccomend?

Thanks,
Daxen
Need_A_Life
11-15-06, 03:56 PM he has learned to work with what is at hand. This, to me, screams Transmutation magic
Hmm... so half-orc rangers are the traditional transmuters? I'll keep that in mind. Seriously, everyone (despite class or training) can fall on hard times and adapt to them, it's what made **** Sapiens smart enough to even invent the game you're preparing for.

Why would YOU pick one or the other, or do you think I am completely off base and have another school that you reccomend?
Well, I've always been partial to either enchantment or necromancy, but I guess that's out.
That being said, it does not have to be his decision, it is rare for a spellcaster to exist within the standard fantasy community and even more rare for such a spellcaster to accept students, so if your character came to study as a wizard and found his master to be a specialized Conjurer, then he would have little say in the matter, his master would be teaching him what he knew, not the principles of things he hardly understands himself (i.e. cannot channel his arcane energies into spells of certain schools).
Daxen
11-15-06, 04:25 PM That being said, it does not have to be his decision, it is rare for a spellcaster to exist within the standard fantasy community and even more rare for such a spellcaster to accept students, so if your character came to study as a wizard and found his master to be a specialized Conjurer, then he would have little say in the matter, his master would be teaching him what he knew, not the principles of things he hardly understands himself (i.e. cannot channel his arcane energies into spells of certain schools).

Somewhere along the line someone has to find certain aspects easier than others. His master is not a specialist. There were just some aspects of magical training that Malachai took to and some he did not. I understand your point and it makes sense. However few students, become carbon copies of their teachers, each individual has strengths and weaknesses. I look at it a lot like school. I was really good at some subjects and horrible at others, so I focused my class schedule to emphasise my strengths. A teacher can be as adept at teaching a subject as they want, if the student just doesn't get it, they just don't get it. The math honor student who just can't draw. The shop class artisan who would faint in a public speaking course. That sort of thing.

P.S. The Orc Ranger was a cute comment, but I was thinking within the scope of Arcane shools of magic. Of those eight schools transmutation seems to be the most "work with what you've got" school.
Need_A_Life
11-15-06, 04:37 PM His master is not a specialist. There were just some aspects of magical training that Malachai took to and some he did not.
Simple then, he understood Conjuration better than any of the other subjects.

I understand your point and it makes sense. However few students, become carbon copies of their teachers...
Few students learn how to throw fireballs at graduation.

...each individual has strengths and weaknesses. I look at it a lot like school. I was really good at some subjects and horrible at others, so I focused my class schedule to emphasise my strengths.
Again, I can't see why that'd mean that he was automatically predisposed to transmutation, I won't be using english in my future profession, but I'm getting straight A+'s in it. I will be using danish in the profession, but I'm getting the equivalent of B's and C's in that. Just because something makes sense, doesn't mean it works that way.

A teacher can be as adept at teaching a subject as they want, if the student just doesn't get it, they just don't get it. The math honor student who just can't draw. The shop class artisan who would faint in a public speaking course. That sort of thing.
That's not the spirit I use, but I'll accept this point of view.

P.S. The Orc Ranger was a cute comment, but I was thinking within the scope of Arcane shools of magic. Of those eight schools transmutation seems to be the most "work with what you've got" school.
I prefer to see arcane magic as a luxury rather than a tool.
Daxen
11-17-06, 03:09 PM No other opinion's om this at all huh? I would like to thank Need-A-Life for his input on this topic. I was really hoping for more opinions. Such is life eh?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Daxen 11-15-06, 03:34 PM	I have been working on a character for an upcoming campaign for a while now. I started with the idea of a specialized wizard. I chose Conjurer as a starting point, but as I wrote my backstory it became unclear to me if that accurately refelected the character. Transmutation is now vying for school of choice. It was much easier to pick his forbidden schools. He has an 8 Charsima due to extensive burns from a childhood fire and a 10 year Apprenticeship with a single master. Let's just say that he didn't get out much, and when he did people did not react to him well, nor he them. Enchantment out the window. This character would find the negative energy wielded and gorey research involved in Necromancy distateful. The son of a potter and his wife, (who died in the aforementioned fire; not caused by him), and a street urchin for about a year, he has learned to work with what is at hand. This, to me, screams Transmutation magic. That taken into account would such a person instead though turn to Conjuration magic so that he could bring forth whatever wasn't at hand. Malachai truley wishes to help people with his art. There are evil creatures in the world that prey on the weak. He was once one of those weak people and swears to never be again. When he is casting magic he feels the power that was denied to him in his physical form. He believes that intelligence is absolutely important as intelect can imitate brute strength far better than brawn can imitate cunning. Which would be more in character with this, empowering himself and other's to face their foes overcoming their weaknesses, or summoning external forces to aid in the same vein. I think I may have just answered my own question, but it helped to write it out to get my thoughts straight. Please chime in with your thoughts though. I would appreciate any ideas. Why would YOU pick one or the other, or do you think I am completely off base and have another school that you reccomend? Thanks, Daxen
Need_A_Life 11-15-06, 03:56 PM	he has learned to work with what is at hand. This, to me, screams Transmutation magic Hmm... so half-orc rangers are the traditional transmuters? I'll keep that in mind. Seriously, everyone (despite class or training) can fall on hard times and adapt to them, it's what made **** Sapiens smart enough to even invent the game you're preparing for. Why would YOU pick one or the other, or do you think I am completely off base and have another school that you reccomend? Well, I've always been partial to either enchantment or necromancy, but I guess that's out. That being said, it does not have to be his decision, it is rare for a spellcaster to exist within the standard fantasy community and even more rare for such a spellcaster to accept students, so if your character came to study as a wizard and found his master to be a specialized Conjurer, then he would have little say in the matter, his master would be teaching him what he knew, not the principles of things he hardly understands himself (i.e. cannot channel his arcane energies into spells of certain schools).
Daxen 11-15-06, 04:25 PM	That being said, it does not have to be his decision, it is rare for a spellcaster to exist within the standard fantasy community and even more rare for such a spellcaster to accept students, so if your character came to study as a wizard and found his master to be a specialized Conjurer, then he would have little say in the matter, his master would be teaching him what he knew, not the principles of things he hardly understands himself (i.e. cannot channel his arcane energies into spells of certain schools). Somewhere along the line someone has to find certain aspects easier than others. His master is not a specialist. There were just some aspects of magical training that Malachai took to and some he did not. I understand your point and it makes sense. However few students, become carbon copies of their teachers, each individual has strengths and weaknesses. I look at it a lot like school. I was really good at some subjects and horrible at others, so I focused my class schedule to emphasise my strengths. A teacher can be as adept at teaching a subject as they want, if the student just doesn't get it, they just don't get it. The math honor student who just can't draw. The shop class artisan who would faint in a public speaking course. That sort of thing. P.S. The Orc Ranger was a cute comment, but I was thinking within the scope of Arcane shools of magic. Of those eight schools transmutation seems to be the most "work with what you've got" school.
Need_A_Life 11-15-06, 04:37 PM	His master is not a specialist. There were just some aspects of magical training that Malachai took to and some he did not. Simple then, he understood Conjuration better than any of the other subjects. I understand your point and it makes sense. However few students, become carbon copies of their teachers... Few students learn how to throw fireballs at graduation. ...each individual has strengths and weaknesses. I look at it a lot like school. I was really good at some subjects and horrible at others, so I focused my class schedule to emphasise my strengths. Again, I can't see why that'd mean that he was automatically predisposed to transmutation, I won't be using english in my future profession, but I'm getting straight A+'s in it. I will be using danish in the profession, but I'm getting the equivalent of B's and C's in that. Just because something makes sense, doesn't mean it works that way. A teacher can be as adept at teaching a subject as they want, if the student just doesn't get it, they just don't get it. The math honor student who just can't draw. The shop class artisan who would faint in a public speaking course. That sort of thing. That's not the spirit I use, but I'll accept this point of view. P.S. The Orc Ranger was a cute comment, but I was thinking within the scope of Arcane shools of magic. Of those eight schools transmutation seems to be the most "work with what you've got" school. I prefer to see arcane magic as a luxury rather than a tool.
Daxen 11-17-06, 03:09 PM	No other opinion's om this at all huh? I would like to thank Need-A-Life for his input on this topic. I was really hoping for more opinions. Such is life eh?