New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    So i want to create a Gnome Wizard who is about 150 years old and somewhere between age 25-75 was an adventurer. His time away from his craft has deprived him of his skills and as he sets forth on this new adventure the knowledge will return as to how to call forth the magics of his craft.
    That being said Id like to see if there is a a way to flavour things to already have spell, lets say to level 13 in his spell book although he cant call on them. Obviously you normally have to pay and/or find each new spell to learn. This is all in the name of flavour not gaming the system. Also how many spells (of each level) would he have had at level 13 (20 Int) in his spell book?
    Would it be ok for the DM to not necessarily scatter the campaign with spells but instead inform me when ive finally regrasp an old spell?

    Any ideas?
    Last edited by KyleG; 2019-04-22 at 09:27 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    SolithKnightGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2018

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    This is easy. Just write out your spellbook in advance. Then each level when your would get to 'add new spells to your spellbook' (I believe wizards get 2 per level, no?) You instead just say your abilities have regrown to the point you can use these spells again. Then your DM just drops new spells as normal and if it's not in your list your can add it per the normal methods. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?? :P
    Last edited by Galithar; 2019-04-22 at 09:31 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Quote Originally Posted by Galithar View Post
    This is easy. Just write out your spellbook in advance. Then each level when your would get to 'add new spells to your spellbook' (I believe wizards get 2 per level, no?) You instead just say your abilities have regrown to the point you can use these spells again. Then your DM just drops new spells as normal and if it's not in your list your can add it per the normal methods. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?? :P
    Thats cool, but would you say that they therefore never found any other spells beyond their standard per level number on their first 13 levels of adventure?
    I would think not so its probably these extra spells that i need to flavour into the book without negating the impact of the cost of them that would normally apply some how.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    SolithKnightGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2018

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Quote Originally Posted by KyleG View Post
    Thats cool, but would you say that they therefore never found any other spells beyond their standard per level number on their first 13 levels of adventure?
    I would think not so its probably these extra spells that i need to flavour into the book without negating the impact of the cost of them that would normally apply some how.
    If it's really important you could ask your DM to let you have a 'magic fund'. A portion of the loot that is never physically there. It goes into an 'imaginary pool' of money that funds the spells you added as 'extra' before. Then when you have the appropriate amount in your imaginary fund the DM drops the spell as loot and you spend the appropriate amount of time 'relearning and practicing' the spell. Them you subtract it's cost from your magic fund.

    This magic fund would need to be taken as part of your share of the loot. So for example if a party of 4 would have gotten 400 gold (100 to each member) your DM says you get 350 and KyleG also gets 50 gold into his magic fund. It's a bit weird but let's the concept work with 0 mechanical advantage for you.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Orc in the Playground
     
    BlackDragon

    Join Date
    May 2018
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Quote Originally Posted by KyleG View Post
    Thats cool, but would you say that they therefore never found any other spells beyond their standard per level number on their first 13 levels of adventure?
    I would think not so its probably these extra spells that i need to flavour into the book without negating the impact of the cost of them that would normally apply some how.
    There's an even simpler explanation here.

    It's been 50+ years for this wizardly gnome, and a lot can happen in that time- including damage to valuables. Maybe an alchemy incident burned certain chapters of his spellbook up before he swatted the flames out. Maybe he dropped it in the inky blood of an eldritch creature on his last adventure. Maybe he forgot to feed his familiar.

    Either say it's damaged and missing bits, or the whole thing was destroyed and all he's got now is an outline he jotted down for himself. He can remember the names of several of his favorites, but not all the steps. And he's out of practice with everything except the basics (cantrips).

    Whenever you find a spell, it's up to you whether it's familiar or entirely new to your guy. Maybe he's excited to find something he's never dabbled in, sometimes, and for others...

    Well. If he gets teary-eyed looking over a spell tied to a memory he'd nearly lost, who can blame him?

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    May 2015

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Quote Originally Posted by Galithar View Post
    This is easy. Just write out your spellbook in advance. Then each level when your would get to 'add new spells to your spellbook' (I believe wizards get 2 per level, no?) You instead just say your abilities have regrown to the point you can use these spells again. Then your DM just drops new spells as normal and if it's not in your list your can add it per the normal methods. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?? :P
    I think this is the best you'll get. Don't flavor your 2 spells per lvl as "researching something new", it is instead, having deciphered what you wrote almost a century ago, and regaining that knowledge.

    For comparison, about a month ago I was checking some old 3.x builds I did, and I don't get half the things I wrote there. Back then I had all the books in my head, so just writing acronyms for feats, PrCs n items was more than enough. If I wanted to understand them now, I would have to sit a read for a while.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Librarian in the Playground Moderator
     
    LibraryOgre's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    San Antonio, Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Quote Originally Posted by dragoeniex View Post
    There's an even simpler explanation here.

    It's been 50+ years for this wizardly gnome, and a lot can happen in that time- including damage to valuables. Maybe an alchemy incident burned certain chapters of his spellbook up before he swatted the flames out. Maybe he dropped it in the inky blood of an eldritch creature on his last adventure. Maybe he forgot to feed his familiar.

    Either say it's damaged and missing bits, or the whole thing was destroyed and all he's got now is an outline he jotted down for himself. He can remember the names of several of his favorites, but not all the steps. And he's out of practice with everything except the basics (cantrips).
    Or, as works for a lot of adventurers, he barely survived a TPK, and his spellbook did not. It took him a while to recover (he took an arrow to the knee), but now he's back out there... but he's out of practice.

    I also developed rules for playing a formerly-high-level character, though you'd need to make some changes for 5e from SAGA.
    The Cranky Gamer
    *It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
    *Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
    *Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
    *The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
    Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
    There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Re: Gnome Wizards Second Chance Life.

    Some solid suggestions thanks. And what about school? Ive been leaning towards War Magic, i think age has given him a sharper mind for these things perhaps. He has spent the intervening years as a private tutor for 3 generations of a noble family (sage or noble background)... this new adventure will be the result of one of one of his young charges going missing and setting off to find them i think.
    He is by no means cowardly but i think it might be fun to play him as a little jumpy.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •