The Scholar-Sorcerer

Sorcerer-Scholars are sorcerers who are devoted to studying and exploring the magic of Krynn. While this description fits any person who wields magic to some extent, the scholar-sorcerer is not content to merely cast balls of flame at every goblin that walks by. The scholar-sorcerer revels in searching through ancient tomes for hours as well as traipsing through dark ruins to search for lost secrets. They are not concerned with the final destination as they are with the journey itself. A scholar-sorcerer is an adventurer in the noblest sense of the word, searching for answers both in body and in mind. Role-Playing Scholar-Sorcerers often seem bookish and reserved to most people. People tend to see them as thinkers, not doers. Since many adopt the belief that the Fifth Age is the time for the Sword and the Lance, not the pen and book, scholar-sorcerers are looked down upon. Scholar-sorcerers value knowledge above all else. The mundane affairs of everyday life are usually too trivial for them to bother with. In fact, many scholar-sorcerers seem absent-minded since they forget simple matters in favor of pondering complex ideas. However, whenever magic is involved in anything, they become very excited. New magical discoveries are what scholar-sorcerers live for, and the very prospect of one sends a scholar-sorcerer into a frenzy. The only people who can identify with scholar-sorcerers are gnomes. Gnomes can understand how expanding the mind is more important than whacking a dragon. Fellow sorcerers can also see the value of scholar-sorcerers and envy their quest for knowledge. The other races though, dwarves, kender, elves, humans, etc., find scholar-sorcerers to be bookish and useless. Requirements A scholar-sorcerer needs to have sharpened wits in order to plumb the depths of magic. Therefore, a scholar-sorcerer needs a minimum score of 7 in Reason and Perception. However, a scholar-sorcerer bookish demeanor does not endear others, imposing a maximum score of 5 in Presence. A scholar-sorcerer also does not have time for the useless physical pursuits that may attract others. Therefore, they have a maximum Strength and Endurance scores of 7. A scholar-sorcerer has studied magic for most of his life. Therefore, a scholar-sorcerer must have a minimum Reason code of "B." Since a scholar-sorcerer has no time to learn the art of war, all Physical scores have a maximum code of "C." Advantages A scholar-sorcerer constantly researches and experiments with new spells. Therefore, any attempt to research or experiment with new magic is an automatic trump bonus. Also, any attempt to improve a scholar-sorcerer's Reason score or code gets a +1 bonus. A scholar-sorcerer also gets an automatic trump bonus to identifying magical items and spells of the Fourth Age. Disadvantages A scholar-sorcerer delves into the depths of magic, but he does so to expand his knowledge, not to learn how to kill something. Therefore, all spells designed to inflict damage are one degree more difficult than normal (add four to the spell point total).

The Delvers Guild The Delvers Guild is a well-known sorcerer's guild located in Haven. The Guild is made up of a collection of Scholar-Sorcerers who swap spells and magical items, and sponser expeditions to explore ruins and discover lost magicks. The Guild has mostly noble intentions, although certain unscrupulous mages have wormed their way into the organization. The leader of the Guild is a powerful sorcerer named Glenn Firestoke (Human middle-aged adult male, studious demeanor, Champion) who studied with Palin Majere at the Academy of Sorcery. The Guild meets on the first of every month to discuss business. Spells are swapped and new magical items are displayed during this time. Also, member mages must support official Guild expeditions once every four months. While some powerful and rich mages may simply donate money or hire others to join the expedition, the majority of the sorcerers actually join the expedition. The Guild also hires various warriors and mystics as bodyguards and healers. Every expedition has at least one Guild member present to appraise the artifacts found. The Guild has many patrons, especially among the nobility and government officials of Haven. The Guild generates most of its revenue by performing minor magical tasks for their patrons and for helping the government deal with magical threats and situations. The Guild's headquarters is actually a large tower in the center of Haven's financial district. The tower is huge, nearly a hundred feet in diameter with four levels. The first contains a large meeting hall that extend into the second level. A small mess hall, scullery, and storage room also occupies the first level. The remaining second level holds the Tower's vast library full of spells and magical tomes. The third level holds many laboratories and the Vault, where the Guild keeps its records and magical items. The fourth floor holds the sleeping quarters of Glenn Firestoke as well as the sleeping quarters for several Guild members. Adventure Nuggets The heroes can be hired as bodyguards for various Guild expeditions. Guild members might try to get a sorcerer hero to enter the Guild. The Guild may hire the adventurers to discover the fate of an missing group of Guild members lost on a dangerous expedition to Skullcap.