Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Mist-Bound Sep 22, 2008 18:33:35	Like many DMs, I'm attempting to put together a homebrew setting for my D&D games. In my current creation, I've kind of borrowed some inspiration from Diablo and made it that arcane magic is the provinence of a number of "mage-clans" (or claves, or guilds, or societies, or whatever you want to call them), which are as much different philosophical factions on the nature/usage of magic as they are academies and "mini-societies". Now, there's a place for the 'default', straight-out-of-the-PHB wizard in my setting as a kind of 'clanless' or 'rogue', but I'm interested in hearing people's opinions on what benefits, if any, I should allow a wizard specified as a member of a given mage-clan. My own current thoughts on the matter consist of... *Create a number of homebrew spells that can only be learned by a member of the mage-clan that created them Or... *Go through the list of existing spells and create restrictions (for example, you can only learn Prismatic spells if you belong to a specific clan) Or... *Apply a 'clan benefit' to the wizard akin to the "Region Benefits" of the FR Player's Guide. Does anyone have any better suggestions? I'll also need some advice in regards to Warlocks and Swordmages, but those are of secondary and tertiary importance to me right now- I want to focus on the Wizard class right now.
#2 leowulf Oct 05, 2008 19:07:10	I would have NPC Wizards and Warlocks of various clans known by their Implement, Alignment and Warlock Pact for flavor. PC Wizards and Warlocks can of course be whatever they want, but perhaps it would be good to let them know what clans match their choices of the above. It's definitely a good idea to have backgrounds like FR backgrounds for the clans, and perhaps have the various clans related to other backgrounds that can provide a tie between the Wizard or Warlock and her party members. I don't know enough about Swordmages to help associate them with clans, except perhaps that some clans might be more disposed to training Swordmages for some reason.
#3 doomsought Oct 05, 2008 19:47:02	mostly discounted goods.
#4 thegreatgalstaff Oct 11, 2008 9:14:12	One more thing you can try is to do something simple like energy substitution for some of the spells. like one guild specializes in Frost spells, so if you join them you have a choice to learn "Lightning bolt" Or "Bolt of Ice". this does not change the mechanics, just change the element. Another thing you can do adding on to this suggestion is to have a special implement. for example lets say that they use the longsword for a implement and they specialize in lighting; when they use their +1 longsword they get a +1 to hit +2 to damage and as a [Encounter] they can add 1[W] to one power that has the descriptor of lighting. and who says that they don't work together, hell if the wrong dragon shows up to this clan they are screwed. so you can get jobs or even training from other guilds by doing jobs for them. These may be simple tweaks but sometimes the simple things are the best
#5 krichaiushii Oct 11, 2008 12:27:50	Depending on how the rest of your campaign world background is set up, different clans may be revered or reviled in different parts of the world. This includes privileges and prejudices among the public, all the way up to political ramifications. Other role-playing aspects would include distinctive clothing/tattoos/jewelry to indicate which mage-clan you belonged too, as well as personality tendencies (kind of like what was done in Ars Magica - in fact, there was a time you could get a pdf of the Ars Magica rulebook for free - legally; mine it for ideas). Mechanically, spells exclusive to each mage-clan, as well as perhaps custom magic items (staves or amulets or rings) that grow in power with the wizard... kind of like an item familiar. EDIT: rpgnow does not have the free download. downloads for pay are at paizo's site.