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).