magic-obsessed [Archive] - Wizards Community

magic-obsessed [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
cada
10-25-05, 11:31 AM I'm thinking of playing a magic obessed character (probably mystic theurge), who's only goal in life is to unlock as many secrets of magic in his life (possibly for his deity), and I'm looking for some interesting details that could further enhance this character, like considering non-magicwielders to be pathetic or something. Does anybody of you have a great idea?
erbmjw
10-25-05, 11:58 AM Why would he want to unlock secrets magic for his deity?

What are the secrets of magic in your characters mind? Spells? Feats? Combination of the two?

If it's spells then why not have him set a goal of making the greatest known encyclopiea of spells ever. Or the greatest known research book of spells ever

Of course then he should look at taking ranks in profession scribe and/or research.

And likely he would need a patron of some sort which would also give your GM a good hook

******

Why would he think non-spell users are pathetic?

He's going to be talking to many non-spell users in order to track down rumours of unusual/old spells? He should be tracking down old fables, etc as ways of finding forgotten magic.

Feel free to think one type of spell caster is pathetic - but make it an unusual choice. Choose to look down your nose at {paladins/rangers/whatever} because their spells are so pathetic in comparision to other PC spell casters

"You have the ability to be a cleric, why would you choose to stay a lowly paladin?"

Paladins would be forced to walk away or try to peacefully change your mind

And think of the in game fun of saying that to paladins ... you might even get your GM so freaked out he would bounce his head off of the table. ;)
Sluagh
10-25-05, 12:10 PM You could also be striving to become one with magic... to wield the weave as no other; constant research, experimentation, exertion of will... all others are either there to pass on their knowledge to you, or to be used to acquire knowledge for you if they have nothing to offer. Basically you're completely self-obsessed, others are tools, especially those without magical knowledge or skill.

As for why you have become this way... have fun with your history... there will have to be events to twist your psyche.
Setherial
10-26-05, 02:52 AM I'd go for something like loremaster, or a pure researcher class. The encyclopedia is a good idea, I would drop the diety idea because what could a mortal teach a diety ? Just make him have a lifetime obsession, his life goal is in that book he is writing. He'll protect it with his life and every moment he's got he'll be sitting in a corner somewhere writing new stuff into it or reading old stuff over.
I'd give him pretty low wisdom to emphesise his obsessive and distracted nature, he's always thinking about his work and not so much about adventuring. Adventuring is just that nesessary evil he has to face in order to obtain new knowledge. Then again that's where his companions come in, they'll protect him.
He might also have grand visions about the perfect society ruled by scolars and mages, where the lives of the commoners are steered into the perfect design of visionaries like himself.

example 1st level
- Human Male Wizard NE (he doesn't want to kill people kind of evil, he just wants a society where mages rule and the commen, dumb people are told what to do so they wouldn't mess up all the time.),
- STR 8 (lifting books is about the heavist duty he knows), DEX 15 (he's used to jumping for cover), CON 14, INT 18, WIS 8, CHA 12 (his well educated manner give him a certain appeal, he has potential to become a diplomat or a leader even)
- backpack full of books, scrolls, maybe a wand or two for minimal protection (wand of shield, wand of camouflage (+10 to hide)), pens, ink, paper... everything a scolar needs and nothing an adventurer needs.

Just to make him fun I'd really play him like the researcher/academic who has never actually seen a wilderniss or a dungeon. Everything is theory. If you've seen that crappy movie "Van Helsing", the reasearcher that accompanies him is a good example of what I mean.
dog45
10-26-05, 08:47 AM I'm thinking of playing a magic obessed character (probably mystic theurge), who's only goal in life is to unlock as many secrets of magic in his life (possibly for his deity),

If I'm a magic obessed guy who's only goal in life is as stated above, then i wouldn't restrict myself to just two flavors of magic (wizard/cleric). Play an Artificer. Through study, experimentation and creation you become the master of all magic, be it arcane or divine.

You look down on traditional spellcasters because they limit themselves to one area of study. They don't see the bigger picture that (apparently) only you can vision. Your resentment towards them eventually leads you to pity them as you either conquer/crush them or allow them to serve under you in hopes they can better themselves. [Evil/Good]
cada
10-26-05, 10:06 AM Thank you, I especially like the encyclopedia, and I'm looking forward to the first paladin he'll meet,.. :D I'll problaby have to drop the deity, but have to decide if he consideres his party to be only his protectors, and they are of now other use (especially the puny ranger with his limited spells,...... ;) ) or that they would be fellowresearchers (willingly or not)
Quenditar
10-26-05, 03:56 PM If I'm a magic obessed guy who's only goal in life is as stated above, then i wouldn't restrict myself to just two flavors of magic (wizard/cleric). Play an Artificer. Through study, experimentation and creation you become the master of all magic, be it arcane or divine.

You look down on traditional spellcasters because they limit themselves to one area of study. They don't see the bigger picture that (apparently) only you can vision. Your resentment towards them eventually leads you to pity them as you either conquer/crush them or allow them to serve under you in hopes they can better themselves. [Evil/Good]
I have an egotistical artificer with a similar philosophy. Why spend your life learning to memorize and recite a few set phrases of magic, when you can learn the whole language? Admittedly, it takes time and effort to put together your own phrases, but true understanding of magic is worth it.
Max the Immortal
11-04-05, 02:50 AM You could make the character very worldly. He travels the globe in search of spells from various cultures. He learns the customs of each nation he visits to better interact with the locals (and convince them to give/trade/sell him their magical knowledge). He learns their stories and myths in hopes of locating ancient ruins of temples and wizard academies. He's always ready to tell a fable or legend from a far-off land, whether it's to a crowd of strangers in a tavern, a group of children in the town square, or to his fellow party members in the middle of a dungeon crawl. He knows at least a smattering of words from virtually every language.

If your campaign is in the Forgotten Realms, his lust for arcane knowledge could take him all over Faerun.

Make sure to consider the Archivist class from Heroes of Horror: they live to collect spells.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
cada 10-25-05, 11:31 AM	I'm thinking of playing a magic obessed character (probably mystic theurge), who's only goal in life is to unlock as many secrets of magic in his life (possibly for his deity), and I'm looking for some interesting details that could further enhance this character, like considering non-magicwielders to be pathetic or something. Does anybody of you have a great idea?
erbmjw 10-25-05, 11:58 AM	Why would he want to unlock secrets magic for his deity? What are the secrets of magic in your characters mind? Spells? Feats? Combination of the two? If it's spells then why not have him set a goal of making the greatest known encyclopiea of spells ever. Or the greatest known research book of spells ever Of course then he should look at taking ranks in profession scribe and/or research. And likely he would need a patron of some sort which would also give your GM a good hook ****** Why would he think non-spell users are pathetic? He's going to be talking to many non-spell users in order to track down rumours of unusual/old spells? He should be tracking down old fables, etc as ways of finding forgotten magic. Feel free to think one type of spell caster is pathetic - but make it an unusual choice. Choose to look down your nose at {paladins/rangers/whatever} because their spells are so pathetic in comparision to other PC spell casters "You have the ability to be a cleric, why would you choose to stay a lowly paladin?" Paladins would be forced to walk away or try to peacefully change your mind And think of the in game fun of saying that to paladins ... you might even get your GM so freaked out he would bounce his head off of the table. ;)
Sluagh 10-25-05, 12:10 PM	You could also be striving to become one with magic... to wield the weave as no other; constant research, experimentation, exertion of will... all others are either there to pass on their knowledge to you, or to be used to acquire knowledge for you if they have nothing to offer. Basically you're completely self-obsessed, others are tools, especially those without magical knowledge or skill. As for why you have become this way... have fun with your history... there will have to be events to twist your psyche.
Setherial 10-26-05, 02:52 AM	I'd go for something like loremaster, or a pure researcher class. The encyclopedia is a good idea, I would drop the diety idea because what could a mortal teach a diety ? Just make him have a lifetime obsession, his life goal is in that book he is writing. He'll protect it with his life and every moment he's got he'll be sitting in a corner somewhere writing new stuff into it or reading old stuff over. I'd give him pretty low wisdom to emphesise his obsessive and distracted nature, he's always thinking about his work and not so much about adventuring. Adventuring is just that nesessary evil he has to face in order to obtain new knowledge. Then again that's where his companions come in, they'll protect him. He might also have grand visions about the perfect society ruled by scolars and mages, where the lives of the commoners are steered into the perfect design of visionaries like himself. example 1st level - Human Male Wizard NE (he doesn't want to kill people kind of evil, he just wants a society where mages rule and the commen, dumb people are told what to do so they wouldn't mess up all the time.), - STR 8 (lifting books is about the heavist duty he knows), DEX 15 (he's used to jumping for cover), CON 14, INT 18, WIS 8, CHA 12 (his well educated manner give him a certain appeal, he has potential to become a diplomat or a leader even) - backpack full of books, scrolls, maybe a wand or two for minimal protection (wand of shield, wand of camouflage (+10 to hide)), pens, ink, paper... everything a scolar needs and nothing an adventurer needs. Just to make him fun I'd really play him like the researcher/academic who has never actually seen a wilderniss or a dungeon. Everything is theory. If you've seen that crappy movie "Van Helsing", the reasearcher that accompanies him is a good example of what I mean.
dog45 10-26-05, 08:47 AM	I'm thinking of playing a magic obessed character (probably mystic theurge), who's only goal in life is to unlock as many secrets of magic in his life (possibly for his deity), If I'm a magic obessed guy who's only goal in life is as stated above, then i wouldn't restrict myself to just two flavors of magic (wizard/cleric). Play an Artificer. Through study, experimentation and creation you become the master of all magic, be it arcane or divine. You look down on traditional spellcasters because they limit themselves to one area of study. They don't see the bigger picture that (apparently) only you can vision. Your resentment towards them eventually leads you to pity them as you either conquer/crush them or allow them to serve under you in hopes they can better themselves. [Evil/Good]
cada 10-26-05, 10:06 AM	Thank you, I especially like the encyclopedia, and I'm looking forward to the first paladin he'll meet,.. :D I'll problaby have to drop the deity, but have to decide if he consideres his party to be only his protectors, and they are of now other use (especially the puny ranger with his limited spells,...... ;) ) or that they would be fellowresearchers (willingly or not)
Quenditar 10-26-05, 03:56 PM	If I'm a magic obessed guy who's only goal in life is as stated above, then i wouldn't restrict myself to just two flavors of magic (wizard/cleric). Play an Artificer. Through study, experimentation and creation you become the master of all magic, be it arcane or divine. You look down on traditional spellcasters because they limit themselves to one area of study. They don't see the bigger picture that (apparently) only you can vision. Your resentment towards them eventually leads you to pity them as you either conquer/crush them or allow them to serve under you in hopes they can better themselves. [Evil/Good] I have an egotistical artificer with a similar philosophy. Why spend your life learning to memorize and recite a few set phrases of magic, when you can learn the whole language? Admittedly, it takes time and effort to put together your own phrases, but true understanding of magic is worth it.
Max the Immortal 11-04-05, 02:50 AM	You could make the character very worldly. He travels the globe in search of spells from various cultures. He learns the customs of each nation he visits to better interact with the locals (and convince them to give/trade/sell him their magical knowledge). He learns their stories and myths in hopes of locating ancient ruins of temples and wizard academies. He's always ready to tell a fable or legend from a far-off land, whether it's to a crowd of strangers in a tavern, a group of children in the town square, or to his fellow party members in the middle of a dungeon crawl. He knows at least a smattering of words from virtually every language. If your campaign is in the Forgotten Realms, his lust for arcane knowledge could take him all over Faerun. Make sure to consider the Archivist class from Heroes of Horror: they live to collect spells.