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Sorcerous Roles

Unlike the Knights of Solamnia, who scorned to blend blade with magic, the Knights of Takhisis used mage-craft in their battles. Wizards were given rank and status equal to that of Warrior Knights.... But there was still occasional friction between the two groups, though Lord Ariakan tried his best to eliminate it. The practical soldier, who saw straight from point A to point B and nothing else, could not hope to understand the wizard, who saw not only A and B but all the shifting planes of existence between.

- The role of the Thorn Knight,
Dragons of Summer Flame

The recent history of Ansalon has been, to say the least, turbulent. Since the War of the Lance, social, political and geographic boundaries have shifted with disturbing regularity. The past sixty-odd years have seen no fewer than three major wars, the return of the gods of old, a literally earthshaking cataclysm, the withdrawal of the gods once more, and the introduction of a new breed of dragon larger than any known before. The Knights of Solamnia, whose reputation had fallen to the point that their members were practically social outcasts, returned to popularity and prominence, while the Knights of Takhisis took the organization and dedication of the Solamnics and perverted it to form an Order ded- icated to ruling the world in the name of the Dark Queen. Ancient races have been wiped from the face of Krynn; others - like the afflicted kender - have been so warped as to be practically unrecognizable. Dragons rule the lands of man, and everywhere the lingering effects of Chaos can be seen and felt.

No one - not any race, culture, or profession, has escaped the turmoil of recent years. Still, no group has had its beliefs, practices, and sense of belonging shattered more than the magic users of Krynn. Whether they were practitioners of High Sorcery or clerics serving one or another member of Krynn's pantheon, the departure of the gods left the spellcasters ofAnsalon completely powerless. Years of study, practice, and devotion, the basis of all magical power, suddenly became obsolete. The focus of hundreds of lives, in some cases of several generations of families, became trivial, no more useful than the ability to name all the Emperors of Ergoth.

The priests at least had their faith to fall back on; the power of belief in the gods, whether they were on Krynn or in some unguessable other realm, did a great deal to ease their transition to a magic-deprived world. Wizards had no such source of succor. The three moons of Krynn had provided them with power and faith, but practitioners of High Sorcery did not have a unifying moral precept or code to live by. Magic itself was their sovereign, not the gods who provided it. Without magic, the wizards found they had lost all direction and purpose. While most wizards continued their studies of the arcane, searching desperately for some way to access their lost powers, only those of extraordinary character were able to avoid the pitfall of despair. The knowledge that their lives' work had been rendered meaningless and the weight of having to find completely new goals and livelihoods sent most wizards into a dangerous torpor.

The Last Conclave's announcement of the "discovery" of sorcery gave new hope to disconsolate wizards across the continent. Rather than provide a new way to access their old powers, however, this "new magic" instead turned out to be a completely new method of spellcasting. While knowledge of High Sorcery did give former wizards experience in the abstract thinking necessary to explain and teach the theories of sorcery, it did nothing to aid them in actually using and manipulating this new power. In fact, many former wizards found that they had little or no aptitude for using sorcery, while many completely untried novices had what seemed to be a natural predilection for it and quickly rose to take their places among the most powerful magic users in Ansalon (apart from the dragons and other innately magical creatures).

As a result, sorcerers of the Fifth Age come from a much wider range of backgrounds than in years past. It is no longer necessary for an aspiring magic user to study specific teachings, languages, and gestures. In fact, it is quite possible for a naturally gifted individual to amass a large repertoire of spells simply by having a natural affinity for sorcery. To be certain, studying is still the only way to truly excel as a sorcerer, but the brotherhood of adepts is not nearly so exclusive as it was in ages past.

Sorcerers come from all walks of life. Some are educated, sophisticated, city-dwelling conjurers, others are simple, backwoods magicians. Some use their skills for the betterment of those around them, others to secure power and fortune for themselves. Still others remain almost unaware of their abilities and simply use them instinctively over the course of their otherwise mundane lives.

The roles presented in this chapter, therefore, are meant to be applied to a broad spectrum of sorcerers. Assumptions cannot be made as to the racial, educational, or economic background of a potential sorcerer. The roles speak more to personal motivation and goals than to where the hero specifically fits into the world of Krynn.

Choosing and Using Roles

The hero sheet of any DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE hero contains a series of ability scores and ability codes along with a few other notations. These scores and codes define the hero's capabilities; they will determine the success or failure of all the myriad things he might attempt in the course of his adventures. They illustrate whether a particular hero can lift heavy objects, outrun an enemy, or cast sorcerous spells. This information tells everything about what the hero can do, but says nothing about why he does what he does. It says nothing about his motivation.

In a setting as character-driven as Krynn, a hero's motivation is just as important as his actual Physical and Mental abilities. Honor and courage, romance and revenge, hopes and dreams-these are the things that breathe life into the characters of the DRAGONLANCE novels, and they are what will give the heroes in any campaign incentive to face the dangers that lie ahead of them.

What Is a Role?

Roles under the SAGA rules are archetypes, broad categories which describe a hero's purpose in life. They give a general sense of what things a hero will know and possess, as well as what situations are likely to appeal to, repulse, or even enrage him. Examples of roles in their most basic form include "warrior," "sorcerer," and "mystic." However, roles can be broken down further into specific examples of these categories. This chapter looks at roles for sorcerers: different sets of backgrounds, goals, and beliefs common among the practitioners of magic in the Fifth Age.

The roles detailed in this chapter take a hero one step further down the road of development. Instead of being simply generic sorcerers, heroes created using these roles begin play with a certain amount of history. They have more "shape" to them (with certain motivations, fears, and allegiances already decided), but they are not fully defined; every Legionnaire sorcerer, for example, will share certain beliefs about the nature of Good and Evil, and goals for the common good, but they are not indistinguishable drones. Heroes developed using roles end up as unique individuals, with loves, hates, desires, and tragic flaws all their own. Selecting a role is perhaps the most important part of hero creation. After all, ability scores and codes can be altered given time, but a hero's personal motivations will guide him through every encounter and adventure he ever faces.

Selecting a Role

It is never necessary to select a role more specific than "sorcerer." That term really describes all that is necessary to know about a hero at the start of play. The world of Krynn is a very colorful place, though, and those familiar with it may want to base their heroes on specific characters or cultures found in the DRAGONLANCE Saga. Why define a hero merely as a "sorcerer" when he can be a "Khurrish Battle Mage?"

Before selecting a role, a player should think carefully about who the hero is. What does he want from life? What is the one thing he cherishes above all others? Are there any beliefs or credos which are anathema to him? What is his preferred weapon? Food? Is he particularly superstitious? The answers to these questions and many more should already be considered before choosing a role for a hero.

Each of the sample roles provided in this chapter is designed to give a basic background and a rudimentary framework for role-playing a hero with the role. If these roles are still too generic, a player can further define a hero by attaching him to a specific culture in Ansalon. While picking a particular culture is easier for those familiar with the DRAGONLANCE novels, it is not necessary to absorb all these volumes before beginning play. The Dusk or Dawn book in the FIFTH AGE boxed set provides an excellent overview of the cultures of Ansalon. If it is not clear as to exactly what the people of a certain culture are like, the Narrator might be able to provide additional insight.

Several of the available roles have requirements (usually minimum or maximum ability scores or codes). In order to play one of these roles "officially," a hero must meet all the requirements. However, the path of the aspirant is always an option (see "Playing a Role," below).

While some of the roles presented in this supplement (and others) have certain bonuses attached to them, they likewise have penalties built in which bring the role back into balance. A hero should never be given a role solely to gain an extra ability. This strategy is completely contrary to the nature of roles and the SAGA rules themselves. Roles are role-playing aids, not skill boosters. Narrators should assess strict penalties on players whose heroes take full advantage of bonuses gained from their roles while failing to role-play their disadvantages adequately.

Playing a Role

A role describes the underlying motivations of a hero; it should affect every scene of every adventure he takes part in. It is important, then, to create a hero whose role is both fun and rewarding to play. Once a player selects his hero's role, the Narrator will expect the hero to stay "in character" throughout the course of the DRAGONLANCE campaign. Players who are unsure of exactly what a role entails should discuss the role with their Narrators.

It bears repeating that a player is never required to select a detailed role for his hero. If the hero is searching for his place in life, he is likely to think of himself as "just a sorcerer" rather than any particular type of sorcerous specialist. It is also quite possible that he knows exactly what role he wants to fill, but finds that his ability scores or codes are not high enough to allow him to adopt that role "officially." In this case, he might choose the path of the aspirant.

Aspirants

It often happens in life that people have goals which are beyond their current ability to perform. That is the way of the world. Only the most inconstant of them give up their dreams because they cannot immediately fulfill them. They set their sights on their goals and work to improve themselves to the point where they can achieve their goals. The phrase "anything worth having is worth working for" is as true on Krynn as it is anywhere else. If a player is creating a hero with a specific role in mind, but his Hand of Fate isn't good enough to allow him to adopt the role, the hero can become an aspirant.

Aspirants are heroes who, although they have not been accepted into a specific position or organization, live their lives according to the precepts those positions require. An example would be a sorcerer who wishes to join the Solamnic auxiliary but, upon examination by a knightly council, fails to prove himself devoted enough to the Solamnic ideal (in game terms, perhaps his Endurance code is too low or his demeanor score too high). This hero could simply give up and set his sights on a new goal, but that would simply prove the council correct in its decision. On the other hand, he could accept the council's decision, but live his life according to Solamnic principles, hoping that while he improves his physical prowess he will also be proving his devotion and value to the Order. By swearing to live his life by Solamnic ideals without being accepted into the auxiliary, this sorcerer has become a Solamnic aspirant.

When an aspirant improves himself to the point that he fulfills the requirements for his desired role, the Narrator should allow him to attempt any actions necessary to enter the role. In the above example, the sorcerer would have to face a knightly council and succeed at a Knight's Trial action, similar to the one described in the Heroes of Steel dramatic supplement (see "The Solamnic Auxiliary Sorcerer" on page 26 of this book). The Narrator may make the task more difficult if the player has failed to role-play the aspirant properly. In this way, the role of an aspirant can be used to simulate almost any type of trainee position or apprenticeship.

Creating Roles

The listing below is necessarily brief (a full catalog of possible roles for sorcerers could fill this entire volume), but it provides examples of the different ways roles can give heroes depth and focus from the very start. Still, it may not have exactly what a player is looking for to breathe life into his specific sorcerer. Narrators and players are encouraged to work together to further refine the roles presented in this supplement and also to create roles of their own. If a certain type of sorcerer would add depth to a DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE campaign, they can spell it out in the same detail used in the examples here. There are a few guidelines to consider when doing this, though.

- Role-playing first: Obvious though it may seem, the purpose of a role is to aid in role-playing. The description should include information which will be useful to players. Cultural or historical facts are interesting, but if they do not directly affect the role-playing of a hero, then they probably don't belong in the description of a role.

- Generalize: Within their categories, roles should be as widely applicable as possible. The descriptions should remain true of all heroes who assume the role. Special cases and exceptions to the rule are fine (if approved by the Narrator). However, they really have no place in the general description of a role.

- Some restrictions apply: Certainly each role needs at least one defining point to differentiate it from other sorcerer roles, but players and Narrators shouldn't overload roles with strict requirements. If an archetype is so exclusive that only the most perfect of heroes can aspire to it, gaming the role should be the focus of a quest (or a series of quests) rather than something available to beginning heroes.

- All things in balance: Role designers should use bonuses and special abilities only when absolutely necessary, and then always balancing them with penalties or restrictions. The listed advantages and disadvantages should be role-playing guides rather than rules loopholes.

Role Descriptions

The loss of High Sorcery and the rise of the new magic has swollen the ranks of those who can claim to be mages. Many of the sorcerers of Krynn, having been trained before the Summer of Chaos (or having taken those mages as role models), still bear the outward trappings of the practitioners of High Sorcery, but they are quickly being outnumbered by new breeds of sorcerer. The future belongs to magic users trained without the restrictions of hundreds of years of institutionalized magical rituals. They are more creative with their powers, more willing to try something different simply because it has never been tried before, and less likely to accept restrictions and rebukes based on the argument "It just isn't done that way!"

When creating heroes of sorcery, players should consider not only their relationships with the current source of magical power, but their attitudes on the now-defunct ways of High Sorcery. Sorcerers are free to act in ways that mages of past ages would never consider. They can even be undisciplined, impetuous rowdies if they want (something the demanding nature of High Sorcery made nearly impossible for earlier mages). They should be aware, though, that danger lies along that path. The power that Fifth Age sorcerers wield may be easier to access, but it also far harder to control. Modem magical mishaps have the potential to be much more devastating than in times past (see "Magical Mishaps" in Chapter Four).

All the roles below have a profusion of possible interpretations and extrapolations (racial, cultural, and temperamental) with the only universal requirement being that the heroes qualify as sorcerers (which requires a Reason code of "A" or "B"). They are starting points from which heroes can grow, not containers they must squeeze into. If used well, they can make an entire DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE campaign richer and more enjoyable.

The Academy Student

Of all the places to study magic in Ansalon, the Academy of Sorcery is surely the most prestigious. One could not hope for a more inspirational environment than the Academy, founded by Palin Majere and located just south of Solace. Academy Students have access to one of the most complete collections of sorcerous knowledge on Krynn (for details on the Academy of Sorcery, see Chapter Three in this book or page 86 in Dusk or Dawn from the FIFTH AGE boxed set).

Those who are serious about learning sorcery, and have the aptitude to be accepted, can find no better place to study than the Academy of Sorcery. Being a student is a challenging enterprise, however. Everyone at the Academy is considered a student - even the founder, Palin Majere himself - and everyone is expected to devote himself to his studies and consistently add to the pool of knowledge. Only those who are serious about sorcery as a way of life should consider enrolling in the Academy. It is too demanding a lifestyle to be entered into without absolute resolution.

Emma Xela, described in Chapter Five, is one Academy student.

Role-Playing

Academy students are very serious about sorcery - some might say too serious. They have devoted their lives to plumbing the depths of this new type of magic, experimenting with the application of sorcery (improving effects and durations), casting spells using two or more different schools of sorcery, and even attempting to combine sorcerous spells with mystical ones. Many people feel that the students at the Academy are too involved with their studies and don't spend enough time interacting with people outside their field. Although this is not universally true. Academy students do tend to think of sorcery and the study of magic in general as more important than most other, more mundane topics.

Life at the Academy is not easy. Practically every minute of the day is filled with practicing, researching, or teaching sorcery. To help students avoid being consumed by their lessons, the Academy has a policy which requires them to spend at least six weeks of the year away from the Academy itself. Despite this push for them to lead more complete lives, most students remain fixated on their studies and use the time away to engage in outside research or, if they are more daring, go on adventures and quests to put their theories to practical tests. The stereotypical Academy student may "have his nose buried in his spellbook," but student heroes can be of any temperament and academic inclination. They simply must live with the fact that being associated with the Academy will cause many folks, particularly those in Solace, to make various assumptions about them; mostly others think them aloof and somewhat disconnected from "things that really matter."

Heroes choosing this role are not required to be of what is generally considered "school age." Because sorcery is a new art which many of the old practitioners of High Sorcery are trying to master, and because everyone associated with the Academy is considered a student regardless of age or ability, this role can be used for a hero of any background and can be maintained as a role throughout a hero's entire career.

Note: There are two variant roles based on the Academy student. First is the aspirant Academy student - one who wishes to enter the Academy but, for some reason, has not been accepted. Perhaps he does not yet meet the requirements for entrance, or perhaps a political problem keeps him out; this should be a Narrator-controlled plot device pitting the hero against some aspect of the Academy bureaucracy and should be the focus for a series of adventures which culminate either in the hero's acceptance to the Academy or a change in his life goals.

The other variant is the former Academy student. This is a hero who, at one point in his life, studied at the Academy of Sorcery, but has since left. There are any number of reasons for leaving the school, but this hero left in such a way that he is no longer welcome at the Academy (details are left to the player and Narrator to decide). Former Academy students have the same requirements as Academy students, but the advantages and disadvantages of independent sorcerers (see page 14).

Requirements

The Academy will accept as students those of any race who demonstrate sorcerous ability. To become an Academy student, a hero must have a Reason score of at least 4 and a code of at least "B." Those with lower scores simply do not possess what the Academy considers the minimum intellect to understand the nature of sorcery. Those with lower codes are aspirants. They are not considered Academy sorcerers until they improve their understanding of sorcery (represented by increasing their Reason code to at least a "B").

Advantages

There are many benefits to be gained from enrollment at the Academy of Sorcery, not the least of which is the resources of the school itself. The Academy's Governing Council allocates the school's discretionary funds to projects deemed to be of superior merit. If a hero/student needs money, manpower, or other support for an adventure which may provide useful information or material for the Academy, he need only make a formal request for support from the Governing Council. This request is a challenging Presence action, but the difficulty may be modified by the attitude of the council, reputation of the petitioner, current events, or other factors the Narrator deems appropriate. Should the request be accepted, the Academy will lend whatever aid and support it can afford, based on the significance and urgency of the project.

Academy students also have the advantage of always having experienced colleagues to consult before casting difficult spells. Since the Academy is home to one of the largest collections of sorcerous knowledge on Krynn, it can serve as a superb source of aid for research and study. A hero/student can increase his chances of success at any spell if he first seeks out the advice of his mentor or a sorcerer who specializes in the school of magic he is working with. Such advice will gain the hero a +1 bonus to his spell action. Alternatively, if the spell the hero plans to cast is too dangerous or difficult, the Narrator can choose to have the sorcerer character advise the hero against the attempt (telling the player that the action is doomed to failure).

Heroes can enroll in the Academy during play.

Disadvantages

There are many responsibilities associated with being an Academy student, not the least of which are the obligations to add to the reservoir of knowledge the school represents and to help in the education of less skilled students. For every week they spend in residence at the Academy of Sorcery, students must spend at least ten hours teaching less advanced students, and at least fifteen hours doing research or participating in experiments in one of the schools in which they have proficiency. Furthermore, they are required to write detailed accounts of the results of all research and demonstrate any successful spell innovations before a Council of Peers.

A less acknowledged drawback to being an Academy student is that the school and its residents are significantly removed from the day-to-day problems of Ansalon. The Academy itself, located on a plateau overlooking but separated from the town of Solace, is like a world of its own. While the students go into town on a regular basis for entertainment, food, and supplies, they are not considered part of the local population. This physical isolation, when combined with the skittishness many folks feel around magic users, can cause students from the Academy to become somewhat detached and even uninterested in significant events of the day. Because of this "disconnectedness," many normal folk find it difficult to relax around or indeed even to trust the students. As a result, hero/students may never gain the benefit of trump cards during Presence actions with characters who (in the Narrator's estimation) are not used to dealing with sorcerers or other academic types. (This disadvantage does not apply to actions made to resist mysticism.)

The Battle Mage

While most sorcerers immerse themselves in the world of the arcane, researching, studying, and testing the boundaries of the new magic known as sorcery, a few find themselves drawn into military service. They discover their ability to wield sorcery is best suited to the battlefield, preferring the sound of clashing steel and the chaos of war to the contemplative silence of the library and the tranquility of meditation.

After the Knights of Takhisis proved the value of magic users in an army, every fighting force of any significance has included sorcerers among their ranks if at all possible. Some battle mages devote their talents to the success of a particular army or organization while others merely sell their talents to the highest bidder. A mercenary battle mage is in many ways an offshoot of the spell broker role (see page 29). Narrators are free to use any of the requirements, advantages, or disadvantages of that role that they consider applicable to battle mages in their campaigns.

The war wizard Magius represents an early variant of a battle mage.

Role-Playing

Battle mages come from every culture, religion, and region in Ansalon. There are very few generalities one can draw about their habits, goals, or beliefs. About the only thing that all heroes with this role have in common is a passion for the art of war. They are warriors born and bred and have more in common with the roles in Heroes of Steel than the ones in this book.

These heroes will be found in the courts of kings, advising generals, and among the ranks of almost any army on the face of Ansalon. They excel at sorcery, but are well trained in the more common weapons of war as well. Although they are well-educated, battle mages tend to be more earthy and in touch with the opinions of the average man than do other sorcerers.

Like all soldiers, these heroes risk death as a way of life. This is a little unusual considering the time and effort necessary to train as a competent sorcerer. Players should consider their heroes' motives for becoming battle mages. Perhaps the death of a loved one or the capture of a home town prompted, them to put aside their studies and devote themselves to a military career.

Requirements

Because fortunes on the field of battle change as swiftly and suddenly as the wind, a battle mage must be prepared for anything. He must be trained in several ordinary weapons of war, understand battlefield tactics, and be able to switch from sorcery to personal combat at a moment's notice. Physical conditioning is infinitely more important for him than it is for any other type of sorcerer. Beginning heroes of at least Adventurer reputation must have Strength and Endurance scores of 6 or higher and codes of at least "C" in these two abilities. Heroes who change roles and become battle mages sometime after hero creation (or those beginning play as raw recruits - with a reputation of Rabble or Novice) may, at the Narrator's discretion, waive these requirements. They must devote themselves, however, to increasing their ability scores and codes to these levels as soon as possible. No commander wants soldiers (sorcerous or not) who put other troops in danger because of poor physical training.

Advantages

While some might say that sorcerous skill alone is a huge advantage in a battle, there are one or two other points at which battle mages excel. Because sorcerers generally have had more education than the average soldier, they have had more exposure to Krynn's history, including military history. This gives battle mages, who have also specialized in military exercises, a solid grip on military theory. While this does not help much in the middle of a skirmish, it does give these heroes an edge when making battle plans (though it does not necessarily make them qualified generals). When organizing an attack or defense involving twenty-five or more people, a battle mage gains a +3 bonus to any action involving acoordinated attacks or to evade such an attack (see the actions to make or evade a coordinated attack, described in Heroes of Steel).

Another benefit battle mages can count on is an increased level of respect from the troops they serve with. While soldiers often feel in awe of sorcerers and the magical forces they wield, they have little or no real respect for them. A battle mage, however, has mastered not only the unbridled forces of sorcery, but also his own body; he is a fighter any soldier would be proud to have at his side in a battle, and if there is one thing that professional soldiers prize in their comrades, it is versatility. With the range of knowledge and abilities a hero with this role brings to a unit, it should come as no surprise that they are among the most respected soldiers in any army. This gives them an automatic trump bonus to any card played for a Presence action to rally, motivate, or command a military unit they serve. This bonus, however, may be increased or decreased depending on the recent actions and interactions between the sorcerer and the other soldiers (subject to Narrator interpretation).

Heroes with just cause can adopt the role of battle mage during play.

Disadvantages

At first glance, having a role which encompasses the skills of both a warrior and a sorcerer might seem slightly incongruous. Still, there is plenty of precedence for such an occupation, such as the Thorn Knights. However, becoming competent in two fields is sure to leave gaps in a hero's knowledge and skills.

While most sorcerers spend much of their time researching, experimenting, and improving their spells, battle mages have more practical matters to attend to. Their need for action and love of battle makes it very rare that a hero with this role will spend any appreciable time developing new spells. In the heat of battle they will rely on the ones they know will work. Since they are not used to devoting themselves to hours in the library or laboratory, when they do perform research, it is not nearly so effective as that of more academically minded sorcerers. For this reason, battle mages never gain an action bonus to their spellcasting by doing research on a new spell effect, no matter how much time they devote to the task. They should still spend some time hitting the books before attempting a new spell, though, since doing so can negate the penalties suffered when casting a new spell without any research (for details on the effects of studying, see Chapter Four).

A failing that battle mages suffer from, but usually do not see as a true hindrance, is their reputation within the general brotherhood of sorcerers. Nonmilitary mages usually consider a battle mage to be either a bloodthirsty clod or an honorless mercenary. While most sorcerers accept and understand the usefulness of sorcery in war, and would willingly use their abilities in battle for a righteous cause, they are shocked and often offended by a hero with this role squandering his magical abilities by devoting them wholly to death and destruction. As a result, battle mages become objects of ridicule and scorn. They never gain a trump bonus when attempting Presence actions with other sorcerers, except other battle mages or sorcerers currently attached to a military unit. (This drawback does not apply to Presence actions used to resist mystic magic.)

Narrators are free to assess further restrictions to battle mages, or any other heroes whose roles span more than one occupation. However, they should inform the players of these restrictions at the time their heroes adopt the role.

The Independent Sorcerer

In this Age of Mortals, there is a growing spirit of independence. Whole races of people are forging new paths, separating from their traditional places in the scheme of things in Ansalon and moving off in directions all their own. This trend also can be seen among individuals in smaller groups, such as magic users. With the discovery of the new sorcery, many mages are distancing themselves from the conclaves and councils so common in the days of High Sorcery. Since magical power no longer comes from strict adherence to arcane techniques tied to devotion to a specific god of magic, but relies on an individual's innate connection to the magics flowing through the land, a growing number of sorcerers reject the fraternal environment of the Academy of Sorcery in order to pursue their own private objectives. Some independent sorcerers open their own magic schools, taking on small numbers of students for highly specialized training. Others disappear into the wilderness, seeking complete solitude in which to master their new powers. Most, however, simply go about their lives normally, running businesses, raising families, and using their sorcerous abilities to make their lives easier.

In the Fifth Age, the Shadow Sorcerer is perhaps the best known independent sorcerer. (See his description in Chapter Five.)

Role-Playing

The independent sorcerer is the most common role for a sorcerer hero. It denotes nothing more than that the hero has sorcerous abilities, but has not sworn these skills to the service of any organization or order. A hero who is unsure of what path he wishes to follow, or who merely wants to walk a path of his own choosing, is likely to declare himself independent.

A hero who chooses this role takes his powers every bit as seriously as those associated with large organizations (such as the Academy of Sorcery or one of the knightly Orders). However, he does not believe that his aptitude for sorcery should force him to surrender all his dreams and ambitions to the objectives of such a group. He often has strong opinions about the various magical organizations, and may well hold strict views of his own on the proper use of sorcery. Most instructors at smaller schools of sorcery are independent sorcerers.

Role-playing will depend completely upon the hero's background. Since independent sorcerers can be anyone from landed nobles to destitute beggars, there is no unifying theme to these heroes other than their ability to use sorcery and their reticence to join an organized group.

Note: A variant on the independent sorcerer is the former Academy student (listed under "The Academy Student" role). There is no such thing as an aspirant independent sorcerer.

Requirements

Because this is the broadest advanced role available to sorcerers, it has no requirements other than the hero actually be able to use sorcery. If the hero has become independent after belonging to a large organization, though, the Narrator may require him to meet the requirements of that group.

Advantages

As with requirements, it is difficult to generalize as to specific advantages enjoyed by all independent sorcerers. Each case will be different, but Narrators are encouraged to find some benefits for the hero to draw from the location he has chosen as his home. A hermit, for example, would have an intimate knowledge of the land around his retreat (allowing him to find food, water, shelter, and escape routes where others see only wilderness).

Independent sorcerers living in more civilized environments, however, are more likely to draw advantages from their relationships with their neighbors. Because of the respect and awe many will have of their powers and abilities, these heroes find that any card they play when performing a Presence action involving local folk automatically becomes trump (except when resisting the effects of mystic magic). Another advantage is that these heroes don't stand out the way more regimented sorcerers do. They find it easier to blend in with their neighbors and seem like just one of the crowd - a distinct advantage for "retired" members of Orders such as the Knights of Takhisis.

Heroes can adopt this role during play, especially those who have only just come upon their sorcerous talents. On the other hand, an independent sorcerer may be a hero who used to belong to one of the previously mentioned groups (if the Narrator approves) but left after a dispute of some kind. In this way, a sorcerer hero can switch to this role in the middle of a campaign. However, it should be noted that many sorcerous organizations are hesitant to allow their members to leave, particularly if the group has some kind of specialized knowledge not known to other groups. A hero who leaves one of the more possessive groups, such as the Knights of Takhisis, may spend the rest of his life a hunted man. Independence has a price, but for those with strong spirits, there is no other way to live.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage to being an independent sorcerer is, ironically, the lack of contact with other sorcerers. Unless the hero has cultivated a group of likeminded associates, he must undertake all his research, experimentation, and theorizing completely on his own. This can be a monumental disadvantage, for many things can go wrong while exploring the limits of sorcery (see "Magical Mishaps" in Chapter Four). It is a foolish sorcerer who dismisses the value of having a partner standing by for support when testing new sorcerous processes.

Furthermore, many of the sorcerous organizations are insular. They consider anyone not belonging to the group to be a competitor (or possibly even an enemy). At best, they are cool and aloof to independent sorcerers, rarely, if ever, willing to discuss things magical in their presence. At worst, they are openly hostile and will chase outsiders off by any means necessary. Independent sorcerers find that no card they play, no matter what the suit, can ever be trump when attempting a Presence action involving members of sorcerous organizations. Attempts to resist mysticism are an exception.

The Itinerant Mage

Sorcerers are often pictured as social outcasts. They spend so much time dealing with forces beyond the ken of ordinary folk that they seem alien and unfathomable to the common man. Still, sorcerers have their own communities, places like the Academy of Sorcery, and are integral parts of all three of Ansalon's major military orders. What happens to a sorcerer who, for one reason or another, remains an outsider among outsiders? No group will claim him, and nowhere is his home.

An itinerant mage is a sorcerer who has been rejected by (or has himself rejected) all the usual organizations to which sorcerers might belong and who cannot find a niche to fill. He has forsaken the councils and conclaves but has no place to call home. He walks the roads of Ansalon, resting when he can, rubbing elbows with the farmers, merchants, and vagabonds of Krynn. Although he is different from other magic users, he is still not a commoner. He is a traveler, walking from town to town, realm to realm, looking for a situation that suits him, for a place to fit in. Sadly, this often becomes a lifelong search.

This is the role most often chosen by former Wizards of High Sorcery who find they cannot adapt to the facts of life after the withdrawal of the gods of magic and their resulting loss of the power. They may have retained some of their magical abilities, but they do not understand why the focus of their lives - the chants, spells, and arcane lore - no longer work. Suffering from despondency similar to that which holy men must have felt when the gods retreated, former wizards do not as a rule have the faith of the clerics to see them through. They believed in the gods of magic because of the powers they received; without those powers, they question their entire existence.

Finkle of the Green Robes, described in Chapter Five, is one example of an itinerant mage.

Role-Playing

Itinerant mages come in many different forms, but they are by and large vagabond loners. Many of them are disillusioned sorcerers who, for one reason or another, have been rejected by the various groups they have tried to join. Others have suffered some kind of great personal loss and chose to run away rather than face it. These sorcerers invariably find that no matter where they go, their troubles follow, so they remain on the road, vainly trying to outrun the grief and pain they carry within their hearts. Some itinerant mages are simply students who feel they can learn more from walking the land than from studying at any school.

While all of these sorcerers seem as though they might fit into the role of independent sorcerer, they differ in temperament. Itinerant sorcerers are on some type of quest, looking for something to make their existences complete (or at least answer some great personal question). It is this feeling of emptiness, the constant need to travel, looking for fulfillment, that separates the two roles.

Former Wizards of High Sorcery

These heroes take the theme of loss to its extreme. They have lost not only an important part of their lives, but their entire foundation. Many have chosen to carry on the old traditions, going through the motions of memorizing spells, praying to their particular god of magic, and collecting material components, because that is the only way they know to live. Many still attempt pilgrimages to the Tower of Wayreth and spend hours studying spells now worth less than the paper they are inscribed on. They consider modern sorcerers to be renegade wizards, blasphemers who have abandoned the ways of the gods of magic, and may even be moved to violence when they see sorcery in use.

Requirements

Traveling the highways and byways of Ansalon is not a life for the frail. Itinerant mages must be able to carry their lives on their backs and survive alone in the wilderness for weeks at a time. Heroes must therefore have Endurance scores of 6 or higher to prove hardy enough to take on this role.

Furthermore, the life of a wanderer has little or no room for anything but basic necessities. Fresh clothing, meticulous personal hygiene, fine food, and a warm bed are all things with which itinerant mages are only passingly familiar. Because of this fact, heroes playing this role must accept the stigma of a low social rank regardless of their actual background. If he lives the life of an itinerant sorcerer, a hero must lower his Wealth score to no higher than 2.

Former Wizard of High Sorcery

More than thirty years have passed since the withdrawal of the gods and, consequently, the end of High Sorcery. Anyone just beginning his study of these arts during the Second Cataclysm would, in time, be able to refocus his life and find a new occupation. The heroes who would find this transition too jarring are those who had already committed their hearts and minds to one of the magical Orders and who had reached full adulthood by the Second Cataclysm. By the time DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE campaigns begin, these heroes have been through the prime of their lives. Remember, Palin Majere (who was in his twenties during the Summer of Chaos) is now past fifty. Any hero playing this role who once was a wizard of one of the Orders of High Sorcery must, in addition to the requirements for all itinerant mages, be at least fifty years old.

Former wizards are different from every other role in this book in one aspect: they do not have to qualify as sorcerers (in other words, they can have Reason codes of"C" or lower). This reflects that knowledge and ability to wield one form of magic does not necessarily translate into skill in another. It is perfectly feasible for a powerful wizard of the Fourth Age to be completely inept in magic since the departure of the gods.

Of course, such heroes will believe that they still have the basic ability to cast magic, but they will usually try to rationalize their lack of success (most commonly by believing that a powerful curse has been cast on them). They will continue to practice the rituals and expressions of their former occupation, but they might never understand sorcery well enough to cast a spell again.

Because of their long history of study in the methods of High Sorcery, these heroes must have a Reason score of at least 5.

Advantages

Spending so much of his time on the road, an itinerant mage must learn many of the same skills as hunters, trappers, and yeomen (as described in Heroes of Steel). He will daily have to seek food, water, and shelter, not to mention finding his way amid the wilderness of Ansalon. If a hero begins play with this role, it is assumed that he has spent enough time traveling already to have mastered these abilities. Any card he plays in an attempt to secure nourishment or cover from the elements is automatically trump. Heroes who acquire this role after play has begun do not automatically gain this ability. They must play with only their normal foraging abilities until they raise their reputation by one category. From that time on, they have the same trump bonus as newly created heroes with this role.

While the life of a traveler leaves these heroes outside what most people of Krynn would consider "normal" social circles, they are not without friends and acquaintances. Along the dusty roadsides of Ansalon, in the depths of its wilderness, and in the musty nooks and crannies of its cities, lives a hidden population - a covert culture, a brotherhood of vagabonds. Itinerant mages are part of this family, and it is from here that they draw their strength and support. In any place which an itinerant mage hero has visited before, he will have one or two contacts among the "street folk." The details of exactly who these characters are and what useful skills or information they have is left up to the Narrator, but it is recommended that at least one character has in-depth knowledge of the city (or area) he lives in and an accurate understanding of local politics rumors, and one or two juicy secrets.

Heroes with the proper background can adopt this role during play.

Former Wizard of High Sorcery

Besides the advantages all heroes with this role garner, former wizards also have the knowledge of their magical Order. While this information is not at all useful in a practical, spellcasting way, it proves handy if the heroes find artifacts from earlier ages. In addition, wizards have a superb knowledge of history and an easier time communicat ing with some of the longer-lived races and creatures of Krynn. Their expertise in the bygone era earns heroes with this role a +3 bonus to any attempt to identify and figure out the purpose of artifacts, read ancient languages, or recall useful facts from history.

Another gift from the past is the former wizard's own possessions. While his spellbooks, scrolls, and potions may have become worthless curios, he likely has one or two items which still function. The Narrator and player should get together before the game and decide exactly what bits of history the wizard has been carrying with him all these years. For Narrators, this is an excellent way to give players important clues or items on which adventures or even whole campaigns may hinge. On the other hand, it is a wonderful way to give them useless junk that they will spend hours trying to figure out how to use.

Disadvantages

There are many things itinerant sorcerers must learn to live without. The life they lead is sparse, and heroes with this role must make do without many of the aids other sorcerers take for granted. They do not have access to research facilities other than any tomes they carry on their backs. They do not have the luxury of consulting other sorcerers to get information on new spells, developments in spellcasting, or advice on new sorcerous experiments. This handicap is not reflected in any penalty to card play, but the Narrator should take it into account as a hero proceeds with his life. The player should maintain the aura of isolation this role carries with it. Narrators may feel free to disallow attempts at acts beyond any hero's knowledge or experience (not just an itinerant sorcerer).

The one constant in an itinerant sorcerer's life is the road. He never knows what town, city, or burg he will awake in from week to week, nor what people he will find traveling alongside him - but he knows the road will always be there. As a result, heroes with this role come to feel a kind of security in moving from place to place. In fact, they become nervous and irritable when forced to remain in one location for too long. The call of the road eventually becomes too strong for them to resist. If an itinerant sorcerer stays in the same locale for a number of days greater than his Spirit score, he must make an average Spirit action to resist the urge to move on. Should the hero successfully resist his wanderlust, this action must be repeated every day with the difficulty rating increasing by one point (not one degree) each time. If the hero wishes to change roles, he may do so only after he successfully resists the urge for ten consecutive days (up to a difficulty rating of 18!).

Former Wizards of High Sorcery

Heroes with this role must accept several handicaps due to their outdated ways. Any former wizard who now practices sorcery must adhere to the limitations of his former Order, including allowable schools of magic.

- Former Wizards of the White Robes may not learn spectramancy, and if they are capable of using mystical magic, may not learn necromancy.
- Those who were members of the Order of the Red Robes are not able to learn magic of the school of divination, and, like their brethren in the Order of the White Robes, are forbidden the mystical sphere of necromancy.
- Former Black Robed Wizards have the fewest restrictions; they are precluded only from learning spectramantic magic.

Having lost everything that used to give their lives meaning, it should come as no surprise that former wizards are out of touch with life in the Fifth Age. They do not really understand the problems and issues of today's Ansalon. The new breed of Great Dragons, the political turmoil, the withdrawal of the gods, and particularly the new magic is too much change for them to accept. As a result, heroes with this role may never gain a trump bonus for Mental ability actions which rely on a basic understanding of modern events. They find it very difficult to pick up information couched in the subtleties of dress, language, protocol, and politics of contemporary life.

Another side effect of being disconnected with modern life is that many former wizards have some habit or mannerism which affects their social interactions. Every hero with this role should choose one such foible - a mild eccentricity or one which annoys others consistently. The Narrator and player should determine this mannerism in keeping with the nature of the game and the personality of the hero.

Former Wizards of High Sorcery cannot adopt this role during play.

The Knight of the Thorn

The Order of the Thorn is the division of the Knights of Takhisis dedicated to mastering sorcery and using it to advance the cause of the Knighthood. Although these wizards have have a code of honor at least as strict as that followed by the Solamnic Knights, Thorn Knights have sworn their hearts and souls to Evil.

Like all Knights of Takhisis, Thorn Knights have sworn the Blood Oath, "Submit or die." However, they also live by the special credo, "One who follows the heart finds it will bleed. Feel nothing but victory." As a result, the sorcerer Knights have developed some of the most devastating spells known. Their purpose in life is to find ways to incorporate sorcery into the Knighthood's one driving goal: the utter conquest of Krynn. Complete details on the Knights of Takhisis, including the Order of the Thorn, can be found in Chapter Two of the Night and Day book in Heroes of Steel.

Theo Drawde, detailed in Chapter Five, leads the Order of the Thorn.

Role-Playing

Of all the possible roles for sorcerers to play, this is the one least likely to blend smoothly into a group of adventuring heroes. Not only are the Thorn Knights - also known as Gray Robes or Gray Knights - totally committed to their Knighthood and their goddess, most other heroes will be loath to trust them at all and many will despise them outright; Knights of Solamnia are even honor-bound to challenge them to single combat to the death. Narrators are advised to think carefully before allowing a Knight of the Thorn into a mixed group of heroes.

Before they can join the Order of the Thorn, sorcerers must first be accepted into the Knights ofTakhisis a regular members of the Order of the Lily. All sorcerers in the Knighthood, therefore, are also fully competent warriors. They are also completely devoted to the Code. It is practically unknown for a Knight to make it through the Order of the Lily and then be accepted into the Order of the Thorn only to decide to devote himself to a goal other than conquering Krynn with his knightly brothers.

Still, it is certainly possible for a hero to have a sudden revelation (as clear as his version of the Vision) which tells him that what he is doing is wrong and that he should abandon the Knighthood. Once he did, though he would be a wanted man. The Knights of Takhisis would certainly try him in absentia, find him guilty, and sentence him to death. Any other heroes he joined (if they were role-playing properly) would be suspicious of him and his motives. It likely would take a long time for him to be accepted as a friend. A single hero with this role will have a lonely existence and may, in the end, find that, with no one to call comrade, the call of Evil is too strong to resist.

An entire talon of Knights of Takhisis might undergo a similar change of heart and turn rogue together. This would be the easiest way to incorporate Thorn Knights into a campaign, and would give them all friends and comrades to count on when the rest of the world stands against them. Of course, the Knighthood would consider them deserters and put out an order for their deaths, while others will be slow to believe their conversion authentic.

Because of the divisive nature of this role, no player should select it for his hero without first getting approval from the Narrator.

Requirements

The Knight of the Thorn is the most difficult sorcerer role to follow. The hero must first qualify for a warrior role (Knight of the Lily) before advancing into the Order of the Thorn. As a result, these sorcerers will be tougher than most of their brethren. Of course, they also will likely be somewhat rarer than sorcerers who are associated with other groups.

In order to enter the Knights of Takhisis at all, a hero must be a human or half-elf. He is initially trained in all the elementary arts of war, so he must have Strength and Endurance scores of at least 6. Furthermore, since the Order demands the utmost loyalty and conviction from its Knights, he must also have Spirit and Presence scores of 5 or higher.

The training they endure in the Order of the Lily means that even Knights of the Thorn must have Strength and Endurance codes of "A." They also should have a Spirit code of "C" or less, due to their decision to pursue the sorcerous arts rather than the mystic arts (unless switching to the Thorn Knights from the Order of the Skull).

Finally, the hero must be careful which cards he uses when determining his personality. He may not have a demeanor chosen from a card with a value greater than 5, and his nature must come from a card with a value of 4 or higher.

To create a hero with this role, a player can simply assume the hero has already gone through the Order of the Lily and an apprenticeship in the Order of the Thorn. In this case, the hero must possess a Reason score of at least 5 and a code of at least "B." To represent the minimum experience necessary to join the Order, the hero also must have undertaken a minimum of five quests.

All Knights of the Thorn are encouraged to study the divination school of sorcery. Therefore, any hero taking on this role who has a Reason code of "B" must succeed at a challenging Presence (Presence) action, opposed by the highest-ranking member of the panel from his Test ofTakhisis (see page 23), to be allowed to study any school other than divination. All Knights of the Thorn with a Reason code of "A" must take divination as one of their three schools. With the importance of accurate assessments of events around Ansalon, divination is a sorcerous skill the Knights use on a regular basis. For the good of the Knighthood, they insist that all members with the skill to use this tool hone their ability to its finest edge.

Advantages

Once again, because being a Thorn Knight is a subsequent step from being a Knight of the Lily, these heroes maintain the martial advantages all Knights of Takhisis have. Any card played to close with the enemy during battle is automatically trump. Any card played for melee attack while the Knight is riding a mount is automatically trump.

The hatred the Dark Knights feel for members of the Legion of Steel, however, manifests itself differently in Thorn Knights. They do not get bonuses for melee combat as do Lily Knights. Instead, any cards played for sorcerous actions against Legionnaires are automatically trump. Furthermore, because of the emphasis the Knighthood places on divination spells, all attempts to cast spells from this school are automatically performed with a +1 bonus to the caster's Reason score.

Finally, each Gray Knight receives, during his initiation, a personal version of the Vision, which shows him his place in the Knighthood and its plans. He can communicate with his superiors through the Vision, and also may use it to renew his sense of purpose and determination during times of personal turmoil. The workings of the Vision are described more fully in Heroes of Steel.

Disadvantages

There are many restrictions and disadvantages associated with joining the Knighthood. Because of the rigorous mental examination that they were forced to undergo during training for the Order of the Lily, Knights of the Thorn never receive a trump bonus when resisting mysticism.

Knights of any order are required to obey their commanding officers at all times (on pain of death) and are allowed no leeway in deciding the details of their lives. They are completely at the whim of martial necessity and must devote between forty and sixty days' service to the Knighthood each year. In addition, failure to paw a Test of Takhisis for advancement results in death.

The greatest disadvantage, though, is probably the fact that joining the Knighthood is a lifelong commitment. Any hero who decides to leave the Order must do so clandestinely and has essentially signed his own death warrant, for the Knights will now hunt him wherever he goes for the rest of his life.

Because the Knighthood places such an emphasis on the divination school of sorcery. Knights of the Thorn are less skillful with their other magical abilities than they otherwise might be. As a result. Thorn Knights must attempt all other spellcasting (sorcerous or mystical) with a -1 penalty.

There is an often overlooked drawback to being a Knight of Takhisis: the reputation of this dark Order. The Knights are known across Ansalon as the servants of the Dark Queen, who is bent on dominating Krynn. As such, the Knights are looked upon with awe and fright. Everywhere they go, the common folk avoid them whenever possible. Of course, this fear means that, as often as not, the Knights get absolute cooperation from civilians (who fear that opposing them will get them swiftly executed), but they can never count on unsolicited aid or support from anyone other than fellow Knights.

It is difficult to adopt this role during play, for such a hero must first become an apprentice in the Order of the Thorn. This requires that a hero have at least a 5 score and a "C" code in Reason. Once accepted into the Order of the Lily, and after he has completed one quest as a Knight of that order, he may apply for official acceptance into the Order of the Thorn with a Test of Takhisis action. The Narrator may decide to require that all heroes, even newly created ones, pass the Test of Takhisis before becoming Knights of the Thorn.

Test of Takhisis
Difficulty: Average (8)
Action ability: Presence
Opposition ability: Presence

Comments: Before being allowed to advance within the Knights of Takhisis, a hero must give an accounting of himself before a panel consisting of one ranking Knight from each order. The Knight with the highest rank (or the Adjudicator, if he is present) provides the opposing score for this action.

To advance, the applicant must succeed at this Test. Should he fail, he will be summarily executed. There is no appeal. The Order has no use for power-hungry Knights who grab for glory which is beyond their reach. Understandably, few Knights attempt this action before they are absolutely convinced of their ability.

Mishap: The Test has gone so badly that the hero is seen to have blasphemed in the name of the Dark Queen. This denies him the honorable funeral he otherwise would have received as a failed applicant.

Once a Knight of the Lily has been accepted into the Order of the Thorn, he begins his training in sorcery. This consists of a year or more of apprenticeship to a Knight of the Thorn, at the end of which time the Knight's Reason code improves to a "B," but he must lower one of his Physical codes by one grade, to reflect the lack of continued arms practice.

The Legionnaire Sorcerer

The third military order on Ansalon, the Legion of Steel provides a middle ground between the extremes of the Solamnic and Dark Knights. The Legion's motto, "All we have is each other," gives this group a wider appeal than the older Knighthoods. It is often seen as the defender of the common people, battling Evil and oppression, but also supporting the poor, rebuilding communities devastated by war or natural disaster, and teaching anyone interested the skills needed to survive in this unforgiving age.

The Legion is made up of people from all walks of life, although warriors fill the majority of the ranks (it was founded by disaffected members of the Knights of Takhisis), and they are always looking for qualified sorcerers to join up. Legionnaire sorcerers are called upon to train both Legion recruits and civilians in the ways of the new magic. Their powers are of great use during battles and times of crisis, but the more people who have access to some level of sorcerous ability, the more self-sufficient the people will become.

If the mission of the Legion of Steel were to be summed up in one word, that word would be "justice." In the estimation of its members, the Knights of Takhisis are too involved in their plans for conquest for their "honor" to mean anything, and the Knights of Solamnia are too bound to meaningless tradition and ceremony for them to do any actual good.

Legionnaires' actions are guided by the Legacy, which they must constantly examine and reinterpret, for they believe that no set of rules, no matter how well-intentioned, can cover all possibilities all the time. However, if a Legionnaire accepts the principles of the Legacy and uses them as a framework for his decisions, he can make equitable judgments in most situations he faces. The most widely accepted version of the Legacy has six tenets: Have the courage to do right, know yourself, stay alert, respect virtue, everyone deserves justice, and never give up. (For a more detailed examination of the Legion of Steel, see Chapter Two in the Night and Day book of Heroes of Steel.)

Jacynth Tauranta, a Legionnaire in Sanction, is a sorcerer with this role.

Role-Playing

A Legionnaire sorcerer commits his life to teaching. Of course, he is involved in all the other activities that Legionnaires perform, but his main function is to pass knowledge on to as many needy people and groups as possible. Throughout his career in the Legion, a sorcerer constantly has an apprentice to train both in magic and in the ways of the Legion. When one apprentice leaves, another will be assigned. For this reason, and the fact that the "traditional" sorcerer values privacy over all other things (and often considers his spells and abilities private things, to be shared with only those who earn his trust) there are fewer sorcerers than any other occupation among the ranks of the Legion of Steel.

This role includes full members of the Legion as well as apprentices and those who aspire to join (there is no aspirant Legionnaire sorcerer role). The Legion of Steel is a very public organization, with a headquarters in Solace; however, it also operates in lands where membership has been deemed a capital crime. Many Legionnaires live a covert life, running businesses or farming while covertly advancing the Legion's agenda. There are few regions of Ansalon in which the Legion is not represented, although local rulers or military leaders may say otherwise. In most lands, Legionnaires find themselves welcomed and well respected.

Some tension exists between the Legion of Steel and the other chivalric orders. While the Knights of Solamnia officially support the Legion, many Knights feel that Legionnaires are undisciplined rowdies who simply did not have the strength of character or purpose to live by the Solamnic Measure. The organizations maintain a friendly relationship, supporting one another whenever possible, but there is a rivalry and tension between individual Knights and Legionnaires. Many a bar brawl has broken out over the debate of which group does more good.

The Knights of Takhisis, on the other hand, consider the Legion of Steel to be a band of renegades who went back on their oaths to serve the Dark Queen. They believe all Legionnaires are honorless scum to be killed without remorse. Needless to say. Legionnaires keep a very low profile in lands controlled by the Dark Knights.

Requirements

The vast majority of Legionnaires are of human, dwarf, or half-elf stock, but any race may join.

Although obviously the Legion would prefer to acquire sorcerers who are strong both of mind and body, the only requirements levied on prospective applicants is that they possess a Reason score of at least 4 and a code of at least "B." In addition, a Legionnaire may not have a wealth score greater than 5, since those who join the group are assumed to be more interested in helping others than amassing wealth. A member's demeanor and nature descriptions may not come from cards of a value higher than 6.

Full Legionnaires must have a reputation of Adventurer or better, while those with lower reputations are apprentices overseen by a mentor. Every full-member Legionnaire sorcerer must take on an apprentice, a less-skilled magic user who wishes to join the Legion of Steel but needs to hone his skills and learn the ways of the Legion.

Apprentices are characters of Unknown reputation whose ability scores and codes are all at least 1 point or rating lower than the hero's (a hero with a Reason of 7A would have an apprentice with a Reason of no better than 6B). The apprentice might not have any sorcerous abilities at all (if the hero has a code of'B"). In this case, the hero's job is to train his apprentice to a level of basic aptitude. An apprentice can be of any race (provided the character's ability scores and codes meet the racial requirements) and of either gender. The hero is completely responsible for his apprentice, and will face serious investigation should he let him be seriously injured or, worse, killed. An apprentice gains quests at the same rate the hero does, and travels with the hero until his reputation increases to Novice level. At this point he is experienced enough to undertake quests of his own. When an apprentice leaves, the Legion usually assigns the hero a new one within two months (the exact time is left up to the Narrator).

Advantages

A Legionnaire feels as much hatred toward the Knights of Takhisis as the Dark Knights feel toward the Legion. Any time a Legionnaire sorcerer enters sorcerous combat with a Dark Knight, all cards he plays for spellcasting are automatically trump. Furthermore, he gets an automatic trump bonus for any sorcerous defense in fights with Knights of Solamnia, due to the intense rivalry between the two Orders.

While having an apprentice is a huge responsibility, it also means an extra pair of hands when things get tough. An apprentice will do almost anything his mentor tells him to (although he may balk at obviously suicidal orders) and is anxious to prove his worth.

Since the hero himself was once an apprentice, he also has a mentor, although he has long since left his care and struck out on his own. Still, the relationship between teacher and pupil lasts a lifetime. The Narrator should create a sorcerer character who was once the hero's mentor. This character should have a higher reputation than the hero, but his own unique ability scores and codes (unrelated to those of the hero). In times of difficulty, the hero can seek out his mentor to ask for advice or support (whether or not he gets it is up to the Narrator).

Heroes can adopt this role at any time, although those with reputations below Adventurer must play as apprentices to other Legionnaire sorcerers until they become Adventurers.

Disadvantages

The relationship between the Legion of Steel and the other chivalric orders is the cause of several disadvantages. Legionnaires in lands ruled by the Dark Knights must constantly be on their guard. The enmity the Knights of Takhisis bear toward the Legion means that any Legionnaire hero they capture will be put to death. In addition, Legionnaire sorcerers usually find themselves imprisoned by the Gray Robes and subject to their unique attentions before their executions.

A Legionnaire's apprentice can, at times, be a burden on the hero. The mentor is expected to take his charge everywhere with him, even into battle or other dangerous situations (how else will the apprentice learn to be self-sufficient?). If the Narrator thinks the hero is overprotecting his apprentice, the player must attempt an average Presence (Presence) action, opposed by the apprentice, to prevent the apprentice from quitting the Legion. Failing at this action forces the player to immediately draw one card from the Fate Deck, then reduce his hero's Presence score by one-third the value of the card, rounded up. If the card drawn is from the suit of Dragons, the hero also loses one category of reputation.

However, the sorcerer is also expected to guarantee his student's safety. This adds to the confusion of any situation he faces, as it gives him one more thing to worry about - a serious handicap in battle. A Legionnaire whose apprentice dies in the line of duty suffers a significant loss of honor and must make the random draw described above.

The Solamnic Auxiliary Sorcerer

The Knights of Solamnia are Ansalon's oldest and most respected Order of chivalry (the Order is examined in detail in Heroes of Steel). Although the Order itself is composed exclusively of warriors, the Knights have learned the value of having members from more diverse backgrounds (the events of the Summer of Chaos particularly proved the value of sorcerers in martial activities). While the Knights did not actually open their ranks to all types of heroes, they did create an auxiliary which anyone who follows the Solamnic ideal can join. Solamnic auxiliary sorcerers gain many of the privileges of the newest members of the Order of the Crown: respect, support (both moral and financial), and the satisfaction that comes from representing the forces of goodness and mercy.

Palin Majere, as a young man, traveled with his Knight brothers as an unofficial auxiliary sorcerer.

Role-Playing

Members of the Solamnic auxiliary are expected to follow the same principles as the Knights themselves. They must all swear the Solamnic Oath, Est Sularus oth Mithas ("My honor is my life") and follow the Measure, a set of rules which tell how to put the Oath to use in daily life. An auxiliary sorcerer must obey the orders of his superiors in the auxiliary at well as those of all Knights of Solamnia (Knights automatically outrank auxiliary members). He must remain faithful and true to all those who have earned his loyalty, and is required to protect and make sacrifices in the name of the poor, weak, oppressed, and falsely imprisoned. The Solamnics' main goal in the Fifth Age is to protect the people ofAnsalon from the Great Dragons and the Knights of Takhisis, but their honor demands that, even in this endeavor, they not overlook smaller transgressions against the people.

The Solamnic ideal not an easy one to follow. Heroes who choose this role will have to be shining examples of honor, virtue, and chivalry. They might not actually be Solamnic Knights, but they do wear the kingfisher crest, and the Order is particular about exactly how and by whom it is represented. The Knights expect nothing short of perfection from themselves, and they are equally demanding of their auxiliary members.

Requirements

While the Knights themselves admit only civilized human and half-elf warriors into their ranks, the auxiliary is open to anyone who meets the rigid chivalric standards for entrance. Sorcerer heroes are more likely to encounter aloofness among the Knights because of their profession than from any kind of racism, for the Knights are not entirely comfortable with sorcery yet.

Auxiliary members need not meet all the physical requirements demanded of Knights, but there is a level of martial discipline the Order demands of all its representatives. Since they are not likely to engage in physical battle, sorcerer applicants have no combat requirements; however, they will be expected to accompany Knights on maneuvers and keep up with them, should hostilities break out. Therefore, auxiliary sorcerers must have Endurance scores of no less than 6, the same as a member of the Order.

More important than physical ability or martial prowess, however, is an auxiliary member's character and personality. People all across Ansalon will be able to recognize instantly these heroes as representatives of the Solamnic Order, even if they see them only in passing. It is therefore of the utmost importance that these heroes embody the same beliefs and principles the Knights do. They are thus held to the same temperamental restrictions as are candidates for the Order. During hero creation, an auxiliary sorcerer may not select a demeanor from a card with a score higher than 4, nor may he have a nature taken from a card with a score higher than 5.

Advantages

Members of the Solamnic auxiliary gain many benefits from their association with the Order. One whose value is often overlooked is the boost that association with the Solamnics gives to their reputation. The kingfisher crest will open many doors that otherwise would be barred to the heroes. When dealing with Knights, or any character or group subordinate to the Order, heroes who belong to the auxiliary are treated as though their reputation was one quest higher than it is. This may increase the maximum size of his Hand of Fate. If this is the case, however, the player should not draw an extra card. Every time the hero attempts an action with his increased reputation, he should draw a bonus card and look at it; he now has the choice of playing the bonus card or one from his normal hand. If he chooses to use the bonus card, he does not draw a replacement. If he chooses to use a card from his hand, he discards the bonus card as well and then draws from the Fate Deck to replenish his hand. The bonus card must either be used or discarded; it may not be added to the hero's permanent hand.

Of course, the Order itself, with its resources, is a great advantage to those working in its name. While auxiliary members do not have the automatic right to draw upon the Knights' treasury, they can count on substantial support (in terms of both money and manpower) for any officially sanctioned endeavor in which they are involved. Heroes on a quest for the Solamnics will always be properly equipped.

Disadvantages

There are, naturally, also some responsibilities which come with membership in the Solamnic auxiliary. The Measure itself can seem like a terrible burden to heroes not wholeheartedly committed to Solamnic ideals. The life of a Knight is never truly his own. He is always expected to put others (particularly the poor and downtrodden) before himself. Things are not quite so rigorous for auxiliary members, but they are expected to devote at least forty days a year to direct service to the Order.

A drawback of joining the auxiliary which few applicants consider is the might of the Knights' adversaries. Being the most powerful force for chivalry and honor on Ansalon, the Solamnic Knights face the collected animosity of nearly every Evil creature on the continent, and as sanctioned representatives of the Order, so do all auxiliary members. This should not shock heroes who choose this role. After all, part of their job is to seek out and battle Evil wherever it hides. However, they may not have realized that the Evil forces of the world will be hunting them at the same time. With Great Dragons, the Knights of Takhisis, and all manner of magical monsters in their ranks, the forces of darkness on Krynn are more cunning and dangerous than ever before.

It is possible, though a challenge, for sorcerer heroes to join the Solamnic auxiliary during play. This requires one extra step after meeting all the requirements listed above. (At the Narrator's discretion, this step may be required as well of beginning heroes planning to play this role.) In order to be accepted into the auxiliary, the hero must first stand before a knightly council and face a Knight's Trial to prove his worthiness and devotion to the principles he will be asked to embody. If the hero succeeds at this action, the council has found him worthy and he is immediately recognized as a member of the Solamnic auxiliary.

Knight's Trial
Difficulty: Average (8)
Action Ability: Presence
Opposition Ability: Presence

Comments: To be accepted into the Solamnic auxiliary, an applicant must succeed at the Knight's Trial action. This is opposed by the member of the presiding knightly council with the highest reputation. The trial consists of the applicant formally presenting himself for consideration (stating his name, lineage, and any accomplishments of note), answering an arduous series of questions designed to root out attitudes and beliefs which run counter to the Solamnic Measure, and finally defending himself against a direct attack against his character (taken from facts gleaned earlier in the interview). The final segment is notorious for leaving even the most stout-hearted applicants demoralized.

If the hero fails at the Knight's Trial, he may attempt it again as many times as he wishes. However, between each attempt, he must complete a quest assigned to him by the knightly council.

Should the interview reveal that the hero has, in the past, behaved in ways inappropriate for a Solamnic representative, the council may require him to perform a task or complete a quest to prove his honor.

Mishap: The hero has made a terrible faux pas, an embarrassing fact about his past has come up, or a council member believes he is not remotely qualified. For the purpose of any interactions with representatives of the Order (Knights or auxiliary members), the hero permanently loses 1 point of Presence.

The Spell Broker

Not all sorcerers will be happy with either joining a magical order or merely asserting their independence. Some will have less idealistic goals, being content merely to set up shop and use their sorcerous abilities to earn a living. Academic mages call them parasites, military mages call them weaklings, but all they really are is businessmen.

Anyone from a street corner prognosticator to an adviser to the Solamnic High Council can be counted as a spell broker if he does his job for money rather than out of some moral or ethical compulsion. Spell brokers own magic shops, aid in the construction of great edifices, tell fortunes, apply and remove curses, and hire out as sentries or bodyguards - any service that can be done with sorcery and which people are willing to pay for.

Mistress Jenna, who runs a mage ware shop in Palanthas (see Chapter Five) could be considered a spell broker.

Role-Playing

Many of the points made about the independent sorcerer role are true about spell brokers as well. These heroes are very closely related to the independents, but where they find motivation in individualism and devotion to the art of sorcery, a spell broker finds money to be the most important incentive in his life. His sorcerous ability is, to him, mostly a tool to use in the pursuit of riches.

Of course, not all heroes who take up this role will seem blatantly avaricious. Most are simply professionals, selling their wares at whatever price the market will bear. Spell brokers are not miserly villains; they are men and women who want to guarantee a secure future for themselves and their families. There certainly is charity in their hearts, and they will likely use their sorcery to do a good turn when they see someone in real need. However, they are not likely to volunteer their services for a job they know they could be paid for. Compassion is one thing, but no one ever got rich giving away the store.

As a merchant in a market where sorcery might potentially become more commonplace - something that anyone might dabble in - a spell broker must sell himself as much as he does his services. A good reputation is the best thing a hero with this role can cultivate. The more prominent he is in his community, the more people talk about his latest sorcerous feat, the more bards sing tales of his deeds, the better his business will be. A spell broker should constantly be concerned about how the public perceives him. He does not need to be popular or beloved, but he needs to pick a persona to portray to the world at large, then do everything he can to promote that image.

Requirements

Because spell brokers devote so much of themselves to the pursuit of monetary success, they generally spend less time thinking about such lofty ideas as honor, morality, and devotion. With a life so rooted in material gain, these heroes suffer from a lack of faith and may never have a Spirit score greater than 6 or a Spirit code higher than "C."

What they lack in spirituality, though, these heroes more than make up for in showmanship. For their enterprises to succeed, they must know how to present themselves in just the right light, attracting the attention of potential customers. Very often their demeanor is merely a facade, but one calculated to project a specific image. Whatever his particular style, a spell broker knows how to use it to best advantage. This means that a hero who pursues this role must have a Presence score of at least 4 and a code of no lower than "B." It also means that spell brokers tend not to have natures drawn from cards with values lower than 4, although this is not a requirement. With this role, though, the number of the card used for the hero's nature will come into play regularly (see "Disadvantages").

Note: At the Narrator's discretion, heroes with Presence codes of"C" and lower may take this role with the understanding that, while such a hero may hope to use his sorcerous powers to achieve prosperity, he has yet to develop the business acumen needed to succeed. Such a hero may not have a starting wealth score higher than 3.

Advantages

Successful spell brokers are consummate showmen. Whether chatting privately in a small pub or on stage addressing a crowd of potential customers, these heroes know how to work an audience. They know the right questions to ask, the best answers to give, and the most impressive gestures and poses to strike. Whenever a spell broker speaks with the intention to promote himself or his business, he receives an automatic trump bonus to any Presence actions he is required to make (outside of those attempted to resist the effects of mystic magic).

Every hero with this role also has a "signature spell," one he uses as his trademark. When people think of this spell, they will think of the hero, and vice versa. This trademark is a very important part of a spell broker's arsenal. A signature spell is showy - it should draw attention to itself and the caster, but not necessarily be of any practical use. It is merely a way to impress upon people what type of magic the sorcerer specializes in. It will rarely be a particularly powerful offensive spell; it does a spell broker no good to impress potential customers by destroying their property. The Narrator and player should work together to pick a signature spell for the hero before play begins. Whatever the spell, the spell broker always gets a +3 bonus when attempting that particular casting.

Disadvantages

Spell brokers may be popular with nonmagical folk, but they have an awful reputation with other sorcerers. As stated in the opening description, they are reviled by both academic and military mages, neither of whom consider them to be "real sorcerers." This antipathy means that spell brokers cannot turn to their brother sorcerers in times of trouble. Although they may get some aid from other spell brokers, there is a danger in publicly admitting that one of their competitors is more capable than they are, for in the future their customers may simply go to him instead. This causes an unspoken rivalry to exist between all spell brokers. As a result, heroes with this role never receive a trump bonus for Presence actions if they are performed for the benefit of any other sorcerer (the one exception being Presence actions attempted to resist mysticism).

Another difficulty that spell broker " heroes must face is their own avaricious nature. Their love of money is sot deep-seated that they often base their daily decisions on monetary consequences rather than any moral or ethical implications. Greed can cause these heroes to act in ways that are detrimental not only to themselves, but to those around them as well. When the Narrator rules that a spell broker is faced with a decision where the choices are pretty much in balance, with one solution being "the right thing to do" and the other being profitable, he may require the hero to succeed at a point of principle action. This action is required only if the decision is particularly difficult or if the Narrator feels that hero has been acting against his nature.

Point of Principle
Difficulty: Average (8) + nature score
Action ability: Spirit
Opposition ability: None

Comments: A point of principle is used whenever a hero is faced with a decision in which one choice is the "right thing to do" and the other appeals to his baser instincts. If the hero is, for example, a mercenary mage who must choose between defending a deserving, poor family or accepting a small fortune to evict them from their home, he must succeed at this action if he wants to turn down the money and support the destitute family.

This action should be used to enhance role-playing, not replace it, in those situations in which the decision to be made is clear to the player, but ambiguous to the hero himself. If the player has been doing a good job of role-playing his hero, the Narrator may allow him to skip this action.

The base difficulty rating is average. However, it is modified by the value of the card used to determine the hero's nature. Therefore, two heroes with similar natures could have very different sets of principles. Even if both heroes have "thoughtful" natures (one from the 2 card, the other from the 8 card) they may still have very different chances of succeeding at a point of principle action (required action score of 10 for the first and 16 for the second).

Mishap: Not only does the hero choose money over principle, but stories of his unscrupulous behavior begin to spread. Wherever he goes, people have heard that he will do anything for pay and is not to be trusted. (Alternatively, if no one was around to see the action and spread rumors, the hero is afflicted with an inexplicably guilty conscience over his deed.) The player should flip the top card of the Fate Deck and read the number on it. That is the number of weeks his hero's reputation is tarnished (or his self-worth lowered). During that time he may not receive a trump bonus for any Presence action he attempts (except for actions to resist mysticism).

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