how to build a wizard's tower and school

7/29/2019 How to Build a Wizard's Tower and School

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TheMysticCollege

appellation of Chancellor, as in sorcererchancellor, wizard-chancellor, etc.

Selecting the proper location for theschool of magic is a critical decision forthe magic-user involved. Many towns andcities arent excited about having a schooof magic located in the midst of their

communities. The results of an unfortu-nate accident or experiment gone awrycould be catastrophic a situation notunlike living down the road from a nuclear power plant. In spite of this, a goodlynumber of municipalities wont deny amagic-user the right to open a school ofmagic within their jurisdiction, providedsufficient guarantees of safety have beenmade. This usually includes some sort ofinsurance payments to the community.Some municipalities might even encouragthe magic-user to set up a school of magiwithin their environs. Such places arepopulated by people who can appreciate

the potential advantages (increasedwealth, power, and security) of havingsuch an establishment within their com-munity; they might even go so far as tooffer the magic-user some inducement tolocate in their community: perhaps a taxbreak or lower construction costs for theschool itself.

On the magic-users part, he may con-sider the hustle and bustle at the center oa thriving community an inappropriatelocale for the school of magic. The time-consuming and mentally taxing researchand study that goes on in such an institu-tion requires a great deal of peace and

quiet for those involved. However, theschool requires a steady supply of foodand other necessities, and being located ior near an urban center can facilitate thiThen there is the problem of security; aschool of magic situated behind a stoutcity wall, protected by a competent watcor militia, has considerably less need forguards and other security measures thanschool located in the wilderness. It isbecause of these overriding concerns thamost magic-users are compelled to con-struct their schools of magic in or near aestablished community. Only the mostpowerful wizards (or the most foolhardy,

desperate, or secretive lesser magic-userswould dare to attempt the establishmentof a school of magic isolated deep in thewilderness.

After the location of the school of magihas been determined, the magic-user munext decide upon the general size of theinstitution he intends to found. Does heplan to organize an intimate academy topass on his arcane knowledge to a selectfew, or a medium-sized college that mighattract the attention of the surroundingcommunities? Perhaps he intends to founa great university which will spread hisfame throughout the land! The general

Magical academies

for AD&D game sorcerersby James A. Yates

Even in the fantastic multiverse ofAD&D games, there comes a day wheneach person must pause and considerwhat lies ahead. What does the futurehold in store? At 8th level, a cleric canconstruct a place of worship and attract abody of fanatically loyal followers; at 9thlevel, he can set up an ecclesiastical state.At 9th level, a fighter can establish a free-

hold and attract a force of men-at-arms. At10th level, a thief can organize a thievesguild and draw in a group of lesserthieves. A humble monk of only 8th levelcan open a monastery and attract a fewlesser monks for his disciples. At higherlevels, the rangers, druids, and assassinsmay gain special followers, while cavaliersand paladins commence attracting retain-ers or men-at-arms as low as 4th level. Butwhat about the magic-user?

A magic-user cant begin to carve out aholding until he attains 12th level. Thisgoal requires 750,001 experience points,many times more than most other classes

must have before they can attract fol-lowers or begin territorial development;only the assassin requires more experi-ence points before he can organize hisguild. And the magic-user still doesntattract any followers. Granted, magic-users should not be permitted to attractmen-at-arms in the same manner as fight-ers or clerics, but why not a few of theirown kind, as thieves, assassins, and monksdo among themselves? A remedy to thissituation would be to give the magic-useran interim goal to work on before hebegins any territorial development. Thusis born the school of magic.

16 JULY 1987

The school of magicThe notion that educational centers exist

for the training of magic-users is a fairlycommon theme in fantasy literature, be ita school of magic, college of wizardry,academy of sorcery, university of necro-mancy, or whatever thaumaturgical insti-tutional combination the phrase-fertilemind can produce (see the twoDBAGONLANCE trilogies for a specificexample). Many PCs and NPCs have theiralleged origins in such establishments, and

it isnt so far-fetched an idea to supposethat some of them might wind up runningsuch institutions later in their careers. Infact, establishing a school of magic couldturn out to be the wisest career move thatany magic-user could ever make.

At any time after reaching 9th level(sorcerer), a magic-user may opt to estab-lish a school of magic. Ninth level wasselected as the minimum level for thispurpose because it is low enough to bewithin grasp of most magic-users (135,001xp), yet it is sufficiently high to commandrespect and to be a challenge to attain.Establishing a school of magic is com-

pletely voluntary; no magic-user is everrequired to become a pedagogue.

Once a magic-user has decided to estab-lish a school of magic, he or she discoversthat quite a task lies ahead. First, a suitablelocation for the school must be found,which might entail obtaining permissionfrom the local residents to allow theschool to be built. Once this has beenaccomplished, the actual construction,furnishing, equipping, and advertising ofthe school must be undertaken. After allof this has been accomplished, the magic-user attracts the faculty and students forhis school of magic, and he adopts the


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Furnishing the school of magic involvesmuch more than simply purchasing and

The schools educational needs shouldinclude at least three laboratories: one forthe chancellors personal use, at least onefor the faculty and students (the size of

the school should determine this number),and one for the alchemist attracted to theschool. The school may require twolibraries: one for the faculty and students,containing as much universal knowledgeas possible (and as many duplicate vol-umes as can be reasonably obtained); anda private library for the chancellor, con-taining his private collection of thosetomes which he isnt prepared to sharewith the entire school. The school shouldcontain at least three classrooms, one foreach grade of students.

The design of the school of magic issomething that DMs and players mustwrestle with themselves. Nevertheless,here are a few parameters which mightprove helpful. The building should haveseparate living quarters for every member

of the faculty, plus a few extra quartersfor possible future expansion of the fac-ulty or guests. Individual living quartersfor the maximum number of studentsallowed by the schools size are alsorequired.. This insures each student andfaculty member the isolation and quietthey must have for proper study andmeditation, Living quarters for any guardsand servants who reside at the schoolmust also be taken into account.

Once the size of the school of magic hasbeen set, the magic-user can begin totackle the problems of constructing andfurnishing the building, along with har-nessing the considerable costs of theseoperations. The person controlling any PCmagic-user, or the DM operating any NPCmagic-users, is responsible for selecting

the form the school of magic takes. Theacademy could be housed in a large stonebuilding, a tower, a moat house, or even asmall castle. A plan of the school must bedrawn up, which may be as simple or asdetailed as those involved can agree upon.Cost for the construction of the buildingcan be determined by consulting pages106-108 of the DMG.

size chosen for the school of magic has aprofound effect upon its cost and the sizeof its student body. While it is best left toDMs and players to determine the actualsize of any schools of magic in their cam-paigns, some reasonable limits must beestablished. If the system set forth later in

this article is used to advance studentsthrough the school of magic, the book-keeping for even a few dozen studentscould easily become a major chore. Table 1sets down some general guidelines forestablishing a school of magic. All of itsentries are explained later.

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arranging the furniture. Numerous booksand tomes have to be obtained for theschools library, and massive quantities ofmagical supplies and other paraphernaliamust be procured for its classrooms andlaboratories. Then there is the matter ofpackaging the school and advertising its

existence near and far, in order to attractthe faculty and students. Again, this is amatter best left to DMs and players;numerous adventures could come as aresult of this one step!

Table 1 lists basic outfitting costs basedupon the size of the school of magic inquestion. Establishing a school of magicshould be a very expensive undertaking even for a small school. Considerable costsare incurred over and above the mereconstruction of the building itself.

Residents of the school

After the magic-user has fulfilled all ofthe requirements for establishing a schoolof magic, he takes the title of chancellorand enlists an alchemist, a number oflesser magic-users, and a body of studentswhose number is determined by the sizeof the school built. These followers areconsidered a special type of henchman,and do not count against the limit on thenumber of henchmen allowed by thechancellors charisma score. All of thesefollowers (except the students) must bepaid a monthly wage commensurate withtheir class and level; the details of this areleft to the discretion of DMs and players

(100 gp per month per level of the NPC issuggested at minimum). This and thetreatment meted out to them by the chan-cellor chiefly determine the sort of loyaltythese characters have for their chancellor.Any guards, servants, or other hirelingsmust be sought out and engaged by thechancellor or his henchmen in the normalfashion.

The alchemist is an important, indeedvital, member of the faculty of the schoolof magic. Considering the amount of magi-cal research and study that goes on insuch an institution, the chancellor wouldbe hard-pressed to keep it operating with-

out an alchemist. The DM has threechoices in this matter, depending upon thesources available to him. The easiest meth-od is to use the alchemist described onpage 29 of the DMG. A DM may also usethe more detailed alchemist presented inDRAGON issue #45 (NPCs for Hire, byGeorgia and Roger Moore) or in issue #49(A Recipe for the Alchemist, by LenardLakofka). If the last version is used, thealchemist should be of a level equal to two-thirds that of the schools chancellor(rounding l/3 down and 2/3 up), with aminimum level of 6th and a maximum of11th. Using these guidelines, a 10th-level

Finally, a number of students are alsoattracted to the school of magic. Table 1

lists the numbers of students initiallyattracted to each size of school. The fig-ures given assure that the faculty wont beteaching to empty classrooms, but allowspace for later enrollment. Some mightstill argue that the number of students istoo small; however, aside from the afore-mentioned bookkeeping obstacle, it shouldbe remembered that the toughest modernlaw or medical school would be a breezecompared to any school of magic. Only asmall percentage of the population possessthe necessary gifts to qualify for theschool of magic; these students require theutmost attention of the faculty, which they

After determining the highest-levellesser magic-user received, the chancelloralso attracts one additional magic-user forevery level below that. For example: a 9th-level sorcerer receives a 5th-level thauma-turgist, plus a 4th-level theurgist, a3rd-level conjurer, a 2nd-level evoker, anda lst-level prestidigitator. This gives eventhe lowest of chancellors a fair number ofsupporting faculty with a good spread ofpowers.

Of no less importance to the school ofmagic are the lesser magic-users attractedto it. It is these lesser magic-users who arethe principle instructors of the schoolsstudents. The highest level of any lessermagic-user attracted to the school of magicis equal to half the level of the schoolschancellor (rounding any fractions up),but never higher than 6th level if a PC isestablishing the school (the reason for thisis explained shortly). Using this system, an11th-level PC wizard would receive a 6th-level magician (half of 11 is 5, roundedup to 6) as his highest ranking lesser

magic-user. A 16th-level NPC mage wouldattract an 8th-level warlock. The level ofthis top-ranking lesser magic-user wasintentionally kept low, in relation to thechancellor, so that he could not pose anyserious threat to the chancellors positionas headmaster. At the minimum of 9thlevel for a chancellor and 5th level for hishighest-ranking lesser magic-user, this gapis not so pronounced, but as chancellorsgo up in level, the difference in powerbecomes quite overwhelming. High-levelmagic-users of evil alignment can bestappreciate this limitation, for they mustconstantly remain on guard against the

hazards posed by having a powerfulmagic-user for an assistant.

necromancer-chancellor would attract a7th-level alchemist (two-thirds of 10 is 6 2/3,rounded up to 7); while a 24th-levelwizard-chancellor would attract only an11th-level alchemist, because that is ashigh as he can go. The alchemist comes tothe school of magic for a secure place to

practice his trade at good pay.


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Benefits and obligationsThus far, a neat picture has been

sketched of the school of magic and itsresidents. About now, someone is surely

It might appear to some people that

Table 2 is slanted in favor of humans; it is.Humans form the bulk of characters inany campaign, and are thus the majorityof inhabitants of any school of magic. Thesmaller numbers of half-elves and elves,and the low birthrate and great longevityof the latter race in particular, dictate thathumans dominate schools of magic just asthey dominate all other aspects of thegame.

The age of any teacher or studentattracted to the school of magic is entirelyup to the DM in each case. Far too manyvariables exist to be able to give any soundadvice on the subject. Are all of the stu-dents just starting out in life? Have somebeen around for many years and are onlynow taking up magic? Are the facultymembers young Turks whose careers haveblazed from the beginning, or are theyolder types who have spent long yearsclimbing in levels? The addition of demi-human magic-users only complicates thematter more.

The race of lesser magic-users and stu-dents is determined by consulting Table 2,determining the appropriate line for thechancellor in question, and rolling percen-

tile dice. The alignment of lesser magic-users and students attracted to the schoolof magic is up to the DM, although it isreasonable to assume that most would beof the same morals as the chancellor, if notnecessarily the same ethics. Consequently,good attracts good and evil attracts evil.Chancellors of extreme alignments, suchas lawful good or chaotic evil, might bevery restrictive about who is allowed toenroll. Those of neutral alignments are notso pedantic; they permit both good andevil initiates to join them, although thiscould well lead to friction between thesefactions within the school.

All students attracted to a school ofmagic established by a PC are zero-levelneophytes. This should also apply to anyschool founded by an NPC of less than12th level. Schools founded by NPCs of at

least 12th level are assumed to have beenestablished some years past, and havestudents of higher grade (initiates andapprentices). The ratio of students in suchschools should be along the lines of threeneophytes for every two initiates for everyone apprentice. Thus, the school of a 14th-level wizard-chancellor with 18 studentswould have nine neophytes, six initiates,and three apprentices. This ratio can bealtered to suit personal tastes.

could not receive in a school with hun-dreds of students.

asking: So what? Why would any magic-user expend so much time and money justso he can call himself chancellor? Whywould the lesser magic-users and studentsbe willing to tie themselves down in such aplace for years on end? What do they getout of it?

The chancellors primary motive inestablishing the school of magic is proba-bly to use it as a means of increasing andextending his power. The chancellor canuse the lesser magic-users and students asextensions of himself, enabling him toproject his power to more than one placeat the same time. A desire for securitymight also be behind the founding of aschool of magic. Many a high-level magic-user whos been resurrected once toooften would leap at the opportunity tosettle down and surround himself with acircle of fellow magic-users. Then again,some chancellors may have a genuine

desire to pass on the mystic secrets theyhave acquired over the years to a newgeneration of magic-users.

Power is also a strong lure for the lessermagic-users attracted to the school ofmagic. The sorcerer, necromancer, orwizard who founded the school is muchmore powerful than they, and he hasmany spells that the lesser magic-userswould want to add to their own spellbooks. These lesser magic-users mighteven have some spells the chancellor lacks,so the association could prove mutuallybeneficial on that count alone. Some ofthese lesser magic-users might also have

found the adventuring life a tad too stren-uous for them; thus, the prospect of teach-ing in a safe, warm school of magic couldhave substantial appeal. Others might feelthat a few years association with a schoolof magic might be a good career move one that could bring potions, scrolls, andperhaps even magical items their way, forfaithful service to the chancellor.

These are motives for NPC lesser magic-users. If a DM is operating a school ofmagic, PC lesser magic-users of the properlevels might be permitted. In such cases,PCs have their own motives. Being part ofa school of magic, but not actually running

it, could prove an interesting change ofpace, and would get the PCs away fromoverly familiar dungeon or wildernessadventures for a time.

Students join the school of magicbecause they wish to learn the art andscience of magic. Once again, power is thekey motivation: the considerable powerbestowed by mastering magic. Some mayfind themselves enrolled in the school ofmagic to serve the purposes of others oras a last resort for a career. Parents maycommit their children (young adults, actu-ally) to schools of magic because, for rea-sons of birth, tradition, or physical

Any lesser magic-users attracted to theschool of magic are bound to its chancellountil they attain 7th level (enchanter). Atthis point, most lesser magic-users departfrom the school to further their own inde-pendent careers. There is a base 70%chance at 7th level that any lesser magic-user will depart from the school of magic,but this inclination to go solo drops offrapidly at higher levels: 50% at 8th level,30% at 9th level, and only 10% at 10th

All lesser magic-users attracted to aschool of magic must prove their commit-

ment to the project by paying the chancel-lor a one-time entry fee of 500-1,000 gpper level of each lesser magic-user. Theexact amount of this faculty assessment isdetermined by the DM or player operatingthe chancellor of the school of magic.Alignment may play a part in this decisionLesser magic-users wont be rejected outof hand simply because they cant come upwith the money. Any reasonable deal (oreven unreasonable ones) can be worked-out between the chancellor and a poverty-stricken potential faculty member. Such acontract could stipulate forfeiture of sal-ary until the fee has been paid, a cut in

salary until the fee is paid, a longer com-mitment to the school of magic in lieu ofthe fee, or a payment of something besidemoney (such as spells or magical items).

Aside from these basic financial obliga-tions, the chancellor wears many hats. Heis the final arbitrator of what is taught inhis school. The chancellor oversees theeducation and discipline of the studentsand looks out for the welfare of all con-cerned, although a chaotic-evil chancellormight have some unique views on thesematters. The chancellor also has the pri-mary responsibility for any relations theschool has with the outside world.

The chancellor of the school of magichas the hardest job of all: He must see to itthat the school continues to function. He iin charge of every aspect of the schoolsoperation, and he is the one who must paythe bills. The chancellor must provide allthe lesser magic-users, alchemists, andhirelings with a monthly wage. In addi-tion, the chancellor must pay an annualcost for upkeep as determined on Table 1.This upkeep cost is a percentage of thetotal original cost of the school of magic,including all construction and originaloutfitting costs. The actual amount varies

for the size of the school and may fluctu-ate from year to year.

makeup, these children are unable tobecome fighters or clerics. Towns mightsponsor students so that they may laterreturn and use their magical skills in theservice of the community. Some studentsmay be attracted because of their insatia-ble thirst for knowledge of matters

arcane.

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When not teaching, the chancellor can

concoct potions, pen scrolls, go on adven-tures, and possibly fabricate magicalitems. Most lesser magic-users are limitedto adventuring in the months they areaway from teaching duties. During thattime, they are not truly free; the chancel-lor still has authority over them and mayrequire that they perform other servicesfor the school of magic. It is up to the DMor player running the school to devise ateaching schedule showing which instruc-tors (chancellor and all lesser magic-users)are on and off duty during each month ofthe year. The only restriction is that theremust always be at least one instructor for

How does the faculty spend its time?The following system is suggested. Whilebound to the school of magic, most lessermagic-users must spend eight months outof every year doing nothing exceptinstructing students. These lesser magic-users are the ones who must hammerhome the fundamentals of magic, whilethe chancellor tutors the students on thefiner points of the mystical arts. Lessermagic-users of higher than 6th level do nothave to spend as much of their time teach-ing. Those of 7th and 8th level need spendonly six months each year teaching, and

those of 9th level or higher need teach foronly four months each year. This lightenedteaching load, which grants these higher-level, lesser magic-users more time fortheir own research or adventures, is amajor reason for why lesser magic-usersremaining at the school of magic beyond6th level are increasingly likely to continuetheir own research or adventures, is amajor reason why the lesser magic-usersremaining at the school of magic beyondalthough he probably teaches more thanthat if he wants his students to progressquickly.

level. Any magic-user remaining at theschool of magic at 10th level continues tostay there unless events force him toleave. This illustrates the likelihood thatthe longer a magic-user remains with theschool of magic, the less likely he is tomove on. It also explains why an NPC

chancellor can initially attract a lessermagic-user of higher than 7th level; such amagic-user would represent a characterwho rose above 6th level but decided toremain at the school of magic. Theseguidelines can, of course, be modified tosuit any situation that might arise. A lessermagic-user might abandon the school ofmagic before reaching 7th level if mistreat-ed by the chancellor. Another lessermagic-user might have his chance of leav-ing the school of magic greatly reduced, oreven eliminated altogether, if the chancel-lor offered him sufficient inducement tostay (such as naming him as the chancel-

lors eventual successor).

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each grade of students neophytes, initi-ates, and apprentices that the schoolcurrently has (most schools wont haveinitiates and apprentices until later on).The alchemist has a year-round job, butany reasonable leave of absence should begranted by the chancellor.

All new students attracted to the schoolof magic have to pay a one-time tuition feeof 100-500 gp. The actual amount dependsupon the size of the school, the alignmentof its chancellor, and the whims of theperson playing the chancellor. As with thelesser magic-users, lack of money doesntnecessarily deny any student enrollmentin the school of magic. Scholarships couldbe offered for a few promising students,and the chancellor might accept the occa-sional charity case for a variety of reasons:a desire to show his magnanimity, a likingfor the student in question, etc.

Upon enrolling in the school of magic,

each student is assigned to a lesser magic-user of at least 3rd level. This lessermagic-user becomes the students principleinstructor and advisor his mentor, inessence. Exactly how the students areapportioned among these lesser magic-users is another problem for DMs andplayers. The mentors might pick the stu-dents, the students could select their men-tors, it could be decided by lots, and so on.In a small school of magic, each mentorshould have no more than three or fourstudents assigned to him; in a large school,each could have a dozen or more. Thechancellor usually selects a few of the

most promising students (usually no morethan 2-5, depending upon the size of theschool of magic) and acts as their personalmentor himself.

The minimum requirement of 3rd levelto qualify as a mentor was chosen so thatthe mentors would be magic-users of someexperience. Any magic-users of less than3rd level at the school of magic cannotbecome mentors until they attain 3rdlevel. At that point, all new students areassigned to the newly promoted mentoruntil he has a number of students roughlyequal to the other mentors. Should anymentor leave the school of magic, his

students are reapportioned among theremaining mentors.

A close and special relationship quicklydevelops between a student and his men-tor. The mentor is the one who takescharge of the student and oversees thebulk of his magical education, although allof the magic-users at the school have ahand in this. After all, the mentor is notlikely to be present all the time. The men-tor is also the one directly in charge ofseeing to the discipline and well-being ofthe students in his charge. Again, thealignment of the schools chancellor setsthe tone for these activities; thus, doings

Upon enrollment in the school of magithe beginning student becomes a zero-level neophyte. To reiterate, the neophystarts with a deficit of -2,000 xp, has bu1 hp (plus any constitution bonus), andmakes all saving throws as a 1st-levelmagic-user, but with a penalty of -3. Evwith this penalty, the neophytes savingthrows are superior to an ordinary zerolevel human in almost every case a goindication as to how well suited he is to

All students of the school of magic begwith a negative experience-point total, inmuch the same manner as the two classeof zero-level cavaliers (horsemen andlancers). Like the zero-level cavalier, themagic student must reduce this negativeexperience-point total to zero beforebecoming a 1st-level character. For themagic student to do this, he must passthrough the three grades of zero-levelmagic students described in Table 3. Pro

motion through the three grades is baseupon experience points earned fromstudying the mystic arts and from possibadventuring later on.

Student advancement

Students attending the school of magicare pretty much stuck there, as the schois a year-round endeavor for them. Still,

most schools of magic dont operate asprisons. A student could be granted ashort leave of absence (usually no longerthan a fortnight) from time to time, toreturn home for holidays, to attend reli-gious festivals, or to handle importantfamily matters. Of course, any prolongedabsence from the school affects the stu-dents studies. Students who leave theschool without permission, as well asthose who remain away longer than theallotted time, had best have a good excufor their actions. Such delinquent studencould face fines, expulsion, corporal punishment, or worse, depending upon the

intentions, goals, and alignment of theschools chancellor.

To the student, a mentor is a sort of bibrother or sister, as well as being a pri-mary instructor and guidance counselor

The students attend their mentors asservants, assist them in their research anexperiments, and may even join them onadventures as they progress. No singleperson at the school of magic, aside fromthe chancellor, has a more profound effupon their future, and a good relationshwith ones mentor is a prime requisite fothe success of any student of magic.Unfortunately, this relationship can beruined or perverted by even good studeand mentors.

that could result in expulsion from aschool of magic with a lawful-good chancellor might be tolerated or even encouraged by a chaotic-evil chancellor.


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a magic-user. Neophytes, and all zero-levelmagic students for that matter, attack incombat as if they were zero-level humans(which the combat tables show is just asgood as a 1st-level magic-user).

Shortly after admission to the school ofmagic, each neophyte is presented with

his book of cantrips, which can hold amaximum of 36 of these simple spells. Aneophyte can learn as many cantrips ofeach type as the number of spells of eachlevel he can learn due to his intelligencescore. For example, a student with anintelligence of 12 could learn a minimumof five and a maximum of seven cantripsin each category of useful, reversed, leger-demain, person-affecting, and hauntingcantrips. Magic students with high intelli-gence are capable of learning most, if notall, of the cantrips in each category.

Cantrips must be learned just as spellsare, though they are far less complicatedthan even the simplest 1st-level spell.Because of this, all students add 20% totheir percentage chance to know eachcantrip based on their intelligence. Thismeans that a student with an intelligenceof 9 has a 55% chance of learning eachcantrip, instead of the normal 35% chanceto know each spell. The maximum chanceof knowing each cantrip is 95% for stu-dents with an intelligence of 17 or more;there must always be a chance for failure.Cantrips may be learned at the rate of oneper month for neophytes and two permonth for initiates and apprentices. Highintelligence has no affect upon this,although it does help determine how rap-idly students rise from one grade to thenext. Neophytes use one cantrip per day.

The framework of the school of magic isnot as rigidly structured as the medievalor modern college, and the students arenot as strictly regimented in their scholas-tic endeavors. Students of the school ofmagic do not attend classes at regularhours on a daily basis. Instead, they attendirregular lectures and symposia held bythe schools chancellor and lesser magic-users two or three times per week. Addi-tionally, the students meet with their

mentor several times a week, sometimesfor a very short while, at other times forhours on end.

Basic indoctrination of the neophytes isassigned to the schools lst- and 2nd-levelmagic-users. They have the often tedioustasks of teaching the neophytes the vari-ous theories of magic and the fundamen-tals of spell-casting, the verbalizationsrequired, proper somatic gestures, andcorrect use of spell components. Theembryonic knowledge gained from theselectures is expounded upon by the men-tors during their frequent meetings withtheir students. Here, students put into

practice what they have learned, and the2 2 J U L Y 1 9 8 7

brilliant elven magic student who everlived, attending a small school of magicrun by the most dedicated chancellor of alltime, could glide through the three grades

of magic students and reach 1st level in

For example: In his first month studying

at the school of magic, Nicomedes theneophyte rolls a 3 on ld6, which is multi-plied by his intelligence score of 14 for atotal of 42. Add + 5 to this because Nico-medes is a half-elf, another +5 because heattends a small school and + 10 becausethe chancellor taught that month Thisgives Nicomedes a total of 62 xp, whichdrops his negative experience-point totalfrom -1,990 to -1,928.

Using this system, the luckiest, most

The bonuses for elves and half-elvesreflect those races natural affinity towardmagic. The school modifiers represent thelikelihood that students in a small schoolreceive more attention from their instruc-tors than those in a large school. Thebonus for the chancellor teaching reflectsthe fact that students tend to learn morefrom his instruction. Whether this is dueto his greater experience and teachingability or the students awe or fear isirrelevant.

personally taught the student.

+5 points if the student is a half-elf;+10 points if the student is an elf; and,+10 points in any month the chancellor

+5 points if the student attends a smallschool;

-5 points if the student attends a largeschool;

At the end of each month, all students ofthe school of magic can reduce their nega-tive experience-point totals by a variablenumber of points gained from studyingand practicing the arcane sciences. Thisnumber is determined by rolling 1d6,multiplying the result by the studentsintelligence score, and applying any of thefollowing bonuses or penalties which areappropriate:

In some respects, passing beyond the

grade of neophyte is the most difficult stepin graduating from the school of magic.Aside from attending lectures and meetingwith their mentors, neophytes must domuch studying on their own time, as wellas help keep the school of magic clean andtidy, and perform any other menial taskswhich they might be assigned. Also, sincethey are restricted to the general confinesof the school, it is virtually impossible forneophytes to reduce their negativeexperience-point totals by any meansother than studying.

mentor helps them to overcome any diffi-culties which might arise. The mentor alsoinstructs his students in any generalknowledge that he feels appropriate totheir education (if it is allowed by thechancellor).

only 15 months! The densest, most pathet-ic human student of all time might spend25 years or more plodding through a largeschool with an indifferent chancellor. Astudent of average luck and intelligence,attending an average school with an aver-age chancellor, might make it through the

school of magic by study alone in aboutfour years. Fortunately, students in thetwo higher grades (initiates and appren-tices) can earn experience points by meansother than studying.

Once a student has reduced his negativeexperience-point total to -1,000, hebecomes a zero-level initiate. Initiates have2 hp, make all saving throws as 1st-levelmagic-users at -2, and can use two can-trips per day. During this secondary stageof their education, the schools 3rd- and4th-level magic-users take over their week-ly lectures, sometimes assisted by thealchemist. This instruction comprises thebasics of more complicated spell-casting,elementals of magic reading, the chemistryof magic, and location and identification ofspell components found in nature. Thementor also continues the personal tutor-ing of any of his students who becomeinitiates.

At this grade, initiates are permitted toleave the school for brief outings of nolonger than a week, in the company of a3rd- or 4th-level magic-user, their mentor,or the chancellor. These jaunts, which arenot normally worthy of the title adven-tures, are not unlike the modern classfield trip. Often, the students might also beaccompanied by a druid or ranger friendlyto the school of magic, who sometimesassists in fulfilling the purpose of theouting. Sometimes these outings take theform of testing, such as having the initi-ates locate and obtain a certain spell com-ponent. At other times, these trips arestaged to visit local fighters or clerics, whodemonstrate to the students the positionheld by magic-users in the world aroundthem, and expose them to the duties thatmight one day be expected of them.

During these short trips, initiates maysupplement their study by earning experi-

ence points in the field. Normal points areawarded for any monster killed or defeat-ed, but the magic-user in charge of theouting has complete control over anydistribution to students of any treasureacquired during the trip, and is notrequired to give any initiate so much as asingle copper piece. Fair-minded instruc-tors usually dole out some monetary trea-sure or other minor tokens to thestudents, to whet their appetites and givethem a glimpse of their possible future.Common sense must prevail in these deal-ings; should the members of the outing, bysome stroke of fortune, come across sev-

eral thousand gold pieces worth of trea-


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Apprentices may go on outings likeinitiates and may accompany their men-tors on short adventures during the men-tors months off from teaching. Suchadventures should be no longer than a

fortnight in length, although some leeway

At this stage, apprentices also study andpractice something else which will be ofuse to them in their later adventuringlives: a nonweapon proficiency. Uponenrolling at the school of magic, all stu-dents have only two nonweapon proficien-cies. These represent knowledge or skillsgained by the student in his previous life.If the DM wishes, any of these proficien-cies may be higher than normal. For exam-ple, Fionulla is a human who decided tobecome a magic student at age 27. How-ever, before that she was a gemcutter ofsome repute and has a skill level of 3 in

that nonweapon proficiency. An appren-tice begins work on his third nonweaponproficiency and becomes proficient in itupon attaining 1st level. This third non-weapon proficiency must be an adventur-ing or wilderness proficiency requiringonly one slot. Aside from these restric-tions, it may be any nonweapon proficien-cy the DM feels the apprentice couldacquire at the school of magic.

When a magic student has reduced hisnegative experience-point total to -500,he becomes a zero-level apprentice.Apprentices have 3 hp, make all savingthrows as 1st-level magic-users at -1, andcan use three cantrips per day. The finalstage of the magic students education isconducted by the schools lesser magic-users of 5th level or higher, the mentors,and the chancellor. Apprentices are

allowed to work in the laboratory, assist-ing the magic-users in research and exper-iments. At this point, they are exposed tothe formulae for concocting potions, theprocess of penning magic scrolls, andmuch more. During this time, the appren-tices are inundated by the chancellor, theirmentors, and all the other magic-userswith as much of the legends and lore thatthey possess and are willing to share withothers. The magic students must absorb asmuch of this as they can, for it will assistthem later to have as much knowledge aspossible concerning everything from thelowliest potions to the most powerful

artifacts.

to give any initiate enough treasure tomake 1st level. Even within these restric-tions, the fortuitous find of a few smallgems or some other valuable piece ofmerchandise could be worth more to aninitiate than a couple months of intensestudy. A DM could logically declare thatmagic students receive no experience fortreasure found, as they have no opportuni-ty to spend or use it.

sure, the magic-user in charge is not going

24 JULY 1987

could be granted concerning this. If anyapprentice is away from the school ofmagic for more than a week, he may notroll for experience points earned fromstudying during that month. Because ofthis penalty, the apprentice must carefullyweigh the possible gains of adventuringagainst the lost study time. Of course,most students will jump at the chance togo adventuring, and few will ever trulyexamine the consequences. The mentorretains absolute control of any division oftreasure to apprentices, but due to theirspecial relationship, he is likely to besomewhat more generous than with aninitiate.

Once a student has reduced his negativeexperience-point total to zero, he is consid-ered a graduate of the school of magic andbecomes a 1st-level prestidigitator. He thenrolls 1d4 for hit points but ignores the rolland retains the hit points he had as anapprentice unless a four is rolled. Theschool holds a celebration in his honor, atwhich the chancellor congratulates him,welcomes him as the newest member ofthe faculty, and presents the newly pro-moted prestidigitator with his book offirst-level spells. This first spell book isalong the lines of those described on page39 of the DMG and page 79 of Unearthed

Arcana, with certain changes. The spellbook cannot contain any spell which is notcurrently known by at least one memberof the school of magic. Logic also dictatesthat the prestidigitator would have

reviewed its contents with those whoprepared the spell book, to insure that heis capable of knowing each spell placed inthe book.

The prestidigitator is now considered a1st-level magic-user in all respects, and hemay cast one 1st-level spell (or four can-trips, if he requested to retain them inplace of one of his initial allotment of 1st-level spells) per day. However, upon gradu-ation from the school of magic, thestudent is not yet free, as the school ofmagic demands service from its graduates.All 1st-level prestidigitators who havegraduated from the school of magic are

required to remain there for a period oftwo years to assist in the teaching of thestudents, just like any other lesser magic-user. The chancellor pays them a monthlysalary; in their off months, they might beallowed to go adventuring. At the end oftwo years, these graduates are free to dowhat they will, including remaining at theschool of magic, if that is their wish.

The rules presented here for advancinga student through the school of magicwere designed primarily for NPCs. As itcan take four years or more for the aver-age student to graduate, it was felt thatmost players would be reluctant to oper-

ate such a character. However, should

magic, including the chancellor but exclud-ing the alchemist (his teaching is veryminimal), earn experience each month that

they teach equal to 10% of the total num-ber of experience points earned by all thestudents at the school of magic. For exam-ple, a school of magic has 32 students whoearned a total of 1,620 xp in a givenmonth, which means that every memberof the faculty who taught that monthwould earn 162 xp (round all fractions tothe nearest whole number). Additionally,each mentor, including the chancellor,gains an additional 10% for the experienceearned by his circle of students duringeach month he teaches. Using the aboveexample, seven students belonging to onementor earned 387 of the 1,620 xp, result-

ing in another 39 xp for their mentor, who

There are two methods by which facultymembers of the school of magic can gainexperience points and rise in level: teach-ing and adventuring. Teaching can be slowand laborious, but can be spiritually (if not

financially) rewarding. Adventuring ismostly what the AD&D game is about; thebold who survive gain a great profit in ashort time. The school of magic creates abalance between the two, enabling wearyadventurers to recuperate in the relativesafety of the classroom while still earningexperience, yet allowing the bored peda-gogue the opportunity to cut loose, ven-ture forth into the world, and get someexcitement.

All faculty members at the school of

Faculty advancement

Whenever a student is promoted to thefaculty of the school of magic, the wordgets around, and there is a chance that anew student soon arrives to fill the vacan-cy. Also, at the start of each new year,there is a chance that one or more newstudents are attracted to the school ofmagic. The exact percentage chance ofthese events occurring, and the number ofstudents involved, are determined byconsulting Table 4. The only restriction onresults from Table 4 is that the school maynever have more students than the maxi-mum number allotted for its size on Table1. Should the school of magic find itselfwith fewer than its minimum requirementof students, one new student is automati-cally attracted each month until the mini-mum requirement is met.

someone wish to play a student of theschool of magic, here are a couple of ideaswhich could speed up the process. First,give the student a PC bonus of +25 xpeach month, which could knock a year ormore off the time required to graduate.The second method is to assume the stu-dent had some prior private tutoring inmagic, and can qualify for enrollment inthe school of magic as a 2nd-grade initiate.


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earned a total of 201 xp for teaching thatmonth.

This could add up to a lot of paperworkfor a large school with a great many stu-dents, but you were warned. It could alsobe argued that it is wrong to give experi-ence points to magic-users for sitting inthe comfort of the classroom and teaching,but characters should be able to earnexperience from activities other thankicking the door and killing the orc. Thefaculty members of the school of magicspend three to eight months each yearteaching, performing a valuable serviceand honing their magical skills, and it isonly right that they gain from this experi-ence. Adventuring remains the primesource of experience points; those gainedby teaching are few in comparison tothose gained from adventuring, and itwould take all but the lowliest of magic-

users many years of teaching to gainenough experience to rise even a singlelevel.

The chancellor of the school of magichas a great influence upon the adventur-ing activities of his faculty. It is he whodecides who may leave the school of magicto go adventuring and for how long. Atany rate, no more than one-third (roundfractions of up or down to the nearestwhole number) of the schools lessermagic-users may be absent from theschool at any one time. Thus, the chancel-lor of a school of magic with six lessermagic-users would normally require four

of them to be present at all times. Also, inmost cases, the highest-ranking lessermagic-user is expected to remain at theschool of magic whenever the chancelloris absent.

The right to go adventuring is a privilegefor which lesser magic-users must paytheir chancellor. After all, he providesthem with bed and board, a monthly sal-ary, protection, and the benefits of his vastknowledge of magic. It is only fair andproper that these lesser magic-users givetheir chancellor something in return. Achancellor of good alignment oftendemands no more than one-third of any

monetary treasure gained by his lessermagic-users on their adventures. A neutralchancellor might insist upon one-third orone-half of any treasure gained, dependingupon his bent. An evil chancellor claimsup to two-thirds of any treasure. Ofcourse, these figures are suggestions; anydeal could be worked out between a chan-cellor and his lesser magic-users.

The chancellor also has the right ofaccess to any magical treasure obtained byhis lesser magic-users during their adven-tures. This does not mean that the magicaltreasure is simply handed over to the headof the school of magic. On the contrary;

no henchman would ever be willing to just

2 6 J U L Y 1 9 8 7

As with the school of magic, the costs of

Starting at 12th level (wizard), or any-time thereafter, a magic-user may elect toestablish a magical freehold or weirdinghold, as it is often called. In order to dothis, the wizard must construct a strong-hold of some sort (a school of magic isideal for this) and clear the surroundingterritory of hostile creatures for a radiusof 10-20 miles (or an area of 300-1,250

square miles, if irregular in shape). Itshould be clearly understood that nowizard is ever compelled to establish aschool of magic before he sets out to orga-nize a weirding hold, although doing theformer first would probably make thelatter task much easier. Either of theseprojects may be undertaken independentlyof each other, without each other, in anyorder, or simultaneously. However, shoulda wizard decide to establish both a weird-ing hold and a school of magic at the sametime, he is forced to establish his school ofmagic at some distance from the nearestcommunity.

The cost of maintaining a school ofmagic, in day-to-day running expenses andthe annual upkeep payment, can get veryexpensive. Some chancellors could findthemselves hard-pressed to pay the billsunless they and their lesser magic-usersundertake a considerable amount of

adventuring. Another possible way toaugment the chancellors income is withtax revenue. In order to do this, the chan-cellor must first establish a magical free-hold similar to that described on page 25of the Players Handbook.

Territorial development

The changing of ownership of thesetreasures between the lesser magic-usersand their chancellor is a matter for DMsand players to resolve. However, no chan-cellor is going to hand over all his spellsand secrets to his lesser magic-users sim-ply because they have gained a few levels.Besides, a newly acquired magical itemcould well be the key that unlocks thechancellors spell books for a highly covet-ed spell. Evil lesser magic-users couldconceivably attempt to hold out on their

chancellors in this matter, but they mustbe prepared to suffer the consequencesshould he learn of their deception. Similar-ly, a chancellor might just take a magicalitem he wants. Again, the ramifications ofthis could be unpleasant for all concerned.

hand over his hard-won spoils to anymaster, nor should be expected to do so.What the chancellor does get is the rightto examine the magical items captured byhis lesser magic-users, perhaps to readover (and possibly copy) a scroll containinga spell the lesser magic-user could notnormally use or to attempt the discoveryof the powers of some unusual item.

constructing the wizards stronghold canbe determined by consulting pages 106-108 of the DMG. To this must be addedanother 1,000-4,000 gp (exact amount atthe DMs discretion) to advertise in thesurrounding lands for a wizards swordarm, a fighter who becomes the chiefmilitary officer of the weirding hold. If awizard has already established a school ofmagic, he can move the school to his newstronghold in the weirding hold if the holdwas designed to contain it. This entailsmoving most of the equipment and para-phernalia from the old school, but there isalso a minor outfitting cost added on tothe basic construction of the new stronghold. This outfitting cost is equal to 10% ofthe total cost of the new stronghold and isadded to form the new total upon whichthe wizard-chancellors annual upkeep forhis school of magic is based.

A wizard takes this major step for avariety of reasons. Chancellors may findthe school of magic has lost some of itschallenge, and they may desire anothergoal to work for. Some do it to expandtheir power and to give them subjects torule, thereby gaming a population base formilitary forces. Certain wizards see this asa single step towards greater conquest;others might take over an area in anattempt to prevent its conquest by otherforces. Whatever the reasons, success inestablishing a weirding hold makes a wiz-ard far more powerful than his level mightindicate.

Once the wizard has fulfilled therequirements for establishing a weirdinghold, he gains the right to collect taxesfrom every person residing within histerritory. The wizard also attracts a typeof fighter known as the wizards swordarm, who has come to join him inresponse to his expensive advertisingcampaign. The wizards sword arm maybe drawn to the weirding hold for anynumber of reasons of his own. Perhaps heis old and tired, and seeks what he thinksis a comfortable position. It may be thewizards magic or the thought of futureconquests emanating from the weirding

hold which lure him. Then again, thewizards sword arm may have some deep,dark reason of his own for coming to theweirding hold.

The wizards sword arm must be a fight-er, ranger, or cavalier. He is considered acastellan (see page 34 of the DMG) in allrespects except that his command is theentire weirding hold. Depending upon hisclass and level, the wizards sword armmay not have any followers or men-at-arms, and the wizard must provide suchtroops or send his sword arm out torecruit them. This is another theme whichruns through much of the literature of

swords and sorcery: the story of the great


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Table 1Guidelines for Schools of Magic

Size of schoolS m a l l

MediumLarge

Outfitting costs10-30,000 gp

30-50,000 gp50-80,000 gp

Annual costfor upkeep

2-5%

3-6%5-10%

Maximum no.students allowed

15

3050

Initial no. ofstudents attracted

7-12 (1d6 + 6)

17-24 (1d8 + 16)31-40 (1d10 + 30)

Table 2Race of Lesser Magic-Users and Students

Chancellor is:Good humanNeutral humanEvil humanHalf-elfElf

Percentile dice score01-85 human; 86-95 half-elf; 96-00 elf1

01-80 human; 81-90 half-elf; 91-00 elf01-95 human; 96-98 half-elf; 99-00 elf01-60 human; 61-80 half-elf; 81-00 elf01-30 human; 31-50 half-elf; 51-00 elf

1 All elves and half-elves who are faculty have a 25% chance of being double-classed,and a 10% chance of being triple-classed. It is up to the DM to determine any otherclasses possessed by such demi-human magic-users. The exact alignment of theschools chancellor should be considered in this decision; a lawful-good chancellorisnt likely to attract very many lesser magic-users with the other class of thief. An elf received by an evil human is actually a drow, but only if a lesser magic-useris being rolled for. If no drow exist in the campaign, or if rolling for a student, treatthis result as a half-elf. Some may object to giving an evil chancellor a half-elvenassistant or student, yet there is nothing that prevents a half-elf from being evil, nora neutral half-elf from serving certain evil chancellors.3 Half-elves are included as chancellors on this table due to the changes made onpages 8-9 of Unearthed Arcana, which now enable exceptional half-elven magic-users to rise as high as 10th level more than enough to qualify as a chancellor fora school of magic.

Another way in which the wizardssword arm differs from a normal castellanor other mercenary officer is that he is

considered a normal henchman and may

The wizards sword arm is of a levelequal to two-thirds that of the wizardestablishing the weirding hold, plus orminus one level. Simply multiply the levelof the wizard in question by 2/3 (roundingfractions up or down to the nearest wholenumber), then roll percentile dice. A scoreof 01-40 means the level drops by one, 41-

80 means it remains the same, and 81-00means it goes up one level. For example, a14th-level wizard attracts a base swordarm of 9th level (two-thirds of 14 is 9 1/3,rounded down to 9). Percentile dice arerolled, resulting in a score of 17, whichmeans the wizards sword arm is droppeda level to 8th level. This method of deter-mining the wizards sword arm assuresthe wizard of getting a sword arm worthyof his level, while adding a bit of uncer-tainty and variety.

wizard who makes an alliance with afighter to brandish the sword that hecould not wield. The classic version of thisis that of Merlin and King Arthur.

2 8 J U L Y 1 9 8 7

continue to gain experience and levels.This enables PCs to get into the act andbecome a wizards sword arm, which isactually an excellent position for an ambi-tious fighter or cavalier. The sword arm isthe man or woman in charge of the day-to-day administration of the weirding hold,thus freeing the wizard for more impor-tant magical activities. He is charged withthe security of the realm, the collecting oftaxes and other tributes, and enforcing thewizards will. This choice position could

possibly have more than one claimant;when a PC applies for the job, the DMmight decide to make him earn it byfighting for it.

When the wizards sword arm is an NPC,use Tables 5 and 6 to determine his raceand class. For the purposes of the wizardssword arm, all demi-humans have only a15% chance of being double-classed andonly a 5% chance of being triple-classed,where appropriate. The reasoning behindthis is the fact that the wizards sword armmay be required to be quite high in level;also, operating in more than one classgreatly restricts the ability to rise to high

levels for all but the most exceptional

While magic may be the driving forcebehind the weirding holds basic philoso-

phy, it is still the ruling wizard who deter-mines the policies under which it isgoverned. These policies are simplifiedstatements of how the wizard views hissubjects, his neighbors, and the world ingeneral. A wizards policies can affectevery facet of life in the weirding hold,but the most apparent influence is in theareas of taxation and population growth.The policies and their effects upon thosetwo subjects are listed in Table 7. Theseare admittedly very basic pronouncementsupon a great variety of possible policies.Even so, these policies tend to capture theessence of any possible outlook a wizard

might have.

The basic fact that the ruler of theweirding hold is a mighty wizard has apowerful influence upon every aspect oflife within the holding, and it might evenaffect its relations with its neighbors. Awizard with a weirding hold, and especial-ly one with a school of magic within theholding, is far more likely to rely heavilyupon magic than upon the sheer bruteforce of men-at-arms. This is even moreevident when the wizard is an elf or half-elf, or has a large population of elves orhalf-elves residing in the weirding hold.

Policies and growth

Any sword arm attracted who is a cava-lier or paladin has his normal complementof retainers or men-at-arms, who arerequired to swear allegiance to the wizardwhom their master has decided to serve.This holds true for any rangers of a highenough level to have attracted their bandof followers.

demi-humans. It is up to the DM to decideif any wizards sword arm can fit into hiscampaign. If he doesnt fit, the DM may

just roll again. For example, lets say that a19th-level arch-mage attracted a high-elvensword arm, who turned out to be a cleric/fighter/magic-user. Even with a strength of20, the highest level a high elf can attain asa fighter is 11th, yet the arch mage isentitled to a 13th-level fighter for hissword arm. In this case, the DM could rollfor another sword arm, or he could decidethat being a cleric and a magic-user wassufficient compensation for being a levelor two short as a fighter.


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Table 4Enrollment of New Students

Size of school Replacement student Annual new enrollment

Small 25% 60% for 1Medium 35% 70% for 1-2Large 50% 80% for 2-4

T a b l e 3Grades of Zero-Level Magic Students

Accumulated Saving Cantrips Cantripshit throw usable learnable

XPS Grade title points penalty per day per month

- 2,000 to - 1,001 Neophyte 1 - 3 1 1- 1,000 to - 501 Initiate 2 - 2 2 2-500 to -1 Apprentice 3 - 1 3 2

1 Remember to add any constitution bonus. Zero-level magic students make all saving throws as a 1st-level magic-user, with the indicated penalty. In no case is their savingthrow ever worse than that for a zero-level human.

People who object to government play-

ing too large a part in their lives could be

Indifferent wizards are those who dontreally care about their subjects (or muchelse for that matter, except magic). All theyare truly interested in is magical research

and study; the weirding hold is establishedonly as a means for providing additionalfunds and security for their endeavors. Anindifferent wizard delegates most of theadministration of the weirding hold to hissword arm. In such a holding, this warriormay become the most important figure inthe state, as far as the subjects are con-cerned. Relations with neighboring statesmay fluctuate because the wizard has nodesire to offend them nor to curry theirfavor. Any wizard may select this policy,although it is difficult to envision a lawful-good wizard choosing it.

No restrictions should be placed on whomay select this policy. Any good wizardcould select it, as well as any neutral one.A lawful-evil wizard may well be benevo-lent towards those he rules, as long asthey remain in their place. Even a chaotic-evil wizard could choose this policy, if itsuits some purpose he has in mind.

There is much in a weirding hold toattract new settlers. Some people may bedrawn by an interest in magic or anappreciation of what magic may providefor them. (Elves and half-elves can appreci-ate this more than most other races.)Others might be attracted by the low tax

rate and the knowledge that their futureliege is a benevolent ruler who is attempt-ing to make life easier for them.

the wizard and any neighboring rulersmight determine otherwise.

inely care about the subjects they havecome to rule. Such wizards take an activerole in the many mundane affairs of theweirding hold. They truly desire promot-

ing the well-being of their subjects andnormally levy only enough taxes to helpthem maintain their stronghold and schoolof magic (if they have one). Relations withmost neighboring states could be cordialor even close, although the alignments of

Table 5Race of Wizards Sword Arm

Wizard is: Percentile dice scoreGood human 01-85 human; 86-90 half-elf; 91-95 elf; 96-00 dwarfNeutral human 01-80 human; 81-90 half elf; 91-00 elfEvil human 01-85 human; 86-95 half-orc; 96-98 half-elf; 99-00 elfElf 01-30 human; 31-50 half-elf; 51-00 elf

This elf is actually a drow; if no drow exist in the campaign, treat this result as ahalf-elf.

attracted to a weirding hold run by anindifferent wizard. The key here is howthe wizards sword arm runs things,because the indifferent wizard has givenhim free reign to do much as he wills.Others could be drawn here to harborunder the protection of a powerful wiz-ard, and conduct affairs that might not bewelcomed under the rule of a benevolent

wizard, assuming the wizards sword armis amenable.Malevolent wizards are those who actu-

ally prey upon their subjects and neigh-bors. Their sole purpose in life is toincrease their personal power, and they dotheir utmost to crush anyone or anythingthat stands in their way. Malevolent wiz-ards burden their subjects with high taxesand oppress them with their harsh rule.Neighbors are viewed only as potentialthreats or as stepping stones to evengreater power. Only evil and certain neu-tral wizards should be allowed to selectthis policy.

Few settlers are attracted to a weirding

No wizard is committed to the same

policy forever, and he may change hispolicy at the beginning of any new year. Achange of policy is a serious matter,though, and there should be a sound rea-son for any change. The initial policyselected by a wizard tends to affect thesort of creatures attracted to the weirdinghold, and a radical change in policy couldresult in some unpleasantness, to say theleast. Take the case of an evil wizard withhordes of humanoids dwelling in hisweirding hold. If he were to wake up onebright morning and decide to become abenevolent autocrat, he might well findhimself besieged by these erstwhile allies

by lunchtime. On the other hand, an indif-

mostly evil humans and humanoids.These creatures risk throwing in their lotwith the malevolent ruler because theydesire much the same as he does, andhope that he will use them to oppressothers.

hold ruled by a malevolent wizard. Thosethat are are of the same ilk as the wizard

DRAGON 2


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Table 6Class of Wizards Sword Arm

Sword arm is: Percentile dice score

Human 01-75 fighter; 76-85 ranger1; 86-00 cavalier2

Half-elf 01-85 fighter; 86-95 ranger; 96-00 cavalier3

Elf 01-80 fighter; 81-90 ranger; 91-00 cavalierDwarf/Half-orc 01-00 fighter

1 If the wizard is evil, treat all results of rangers as fighters.2 If the wizard is lawful good, there is a 25% chance that any cavalier attracted isactually a paladin.3 See notes in text regarding demi-human sword arms.

Table 7Weirding Hold Policies

Wizards policyBenevolentIndifferentMalevolent

Basic tax rate

5 sp6 sp8 sp

Population growth modifier+1%0%- 1 %

ferent wizard who knows his weirdinghold is in the path of a barbarian migra-tion might change to a benevolent policy(in order to attract more new settlers andto rally the support of his neighbors) with-out unduly upsetting his subjects.

The basic tax rate is exactly that: the

basic amount of taxes which may be col-lected from each individual residing within,the weirding hold per month. The wizardhas the option to raise or lower this rateby 1 or 2 sp, although few malevolentwizards are inclined to cut taxes. Thisvariable tax rate gives the wizard someroom to maneuver, enabling him to reactto any situation that might arise.

Most populations tend to grow, andthose of the weirding hold are no excep-

+ 1% if the weirding hold is in themountains or on the coast, due to thehealthy climate; or,

tion. During the time frame of the typicalAD&D game campaign, it would take aseries of calamitous natural disasters,continuous warfare on a massive scale, ora real maniac for a ruler to actually causethe population of a state to decline. Oncethe original population of the weirding

hold has been determined for tax pur-poses, the DM has the base number fromwhich to determine population growth.The basic annual growth rate for a weird-ing hold is 2-5%. This figure may be modi-fied by the wizards policy in force duringthe previous year, and the followingterrain modifiers:

- 1% if the weirding hold is in a marshor desert, due to the unhealthy climate.

Use of all modifiers can result in anannual population growth for a weirdinghold of 0-7%, depending upon the wizardpolicy and terrain.

Example 1: A benevolent wizard rules aweirding hold in the mountains with apopulation of 2,240. At the start of thenew year, 1d4 is rolled, resulting in 2,which is raised to 3 for the basic growthrate; + 1 is added for the wizards benevo-lent policy and another + 1 because theweirding hold is located in the mountainsThis results in a total population growth o+5%, meaning 112 new babies or immi-

grants are added to the population of theweirding hold.Example 2: An indifferent wizard has a

weirding hold in a forest with a populatioof 1,700. The 1d4 roll results in a score of

3, which is increased to 4, but no morebecause there are no additional modifierswhich apply to this situation. The popula-tion of this weirding hold rises by 4%,adding 68 new residents.Example 3: A malevolent wizard rules

his desert weirding hold of 4,500 soulswith an iron hand. The 1d4 roll is 2, whicis increased to 3, then reduced to 2because of the wizards malevolent policy,and finally reduced to 1 because theweirding hold is in a desert. Populationgrowth is 1%, or 45 new inhabitants.

As the population of the weirding holdgrows over the years, the wizard might

decide to increase his armed forces byenrolling some of his subjects into a standing militia. (This is another matter thatmust be worked out between DMs andplayers.) Wizards are not meant to bewarlords, however; any build-up ofdomestic military forces should be keptquite small. Foreign mercenaries may stillbe hired in any number.

Incorporating schools of magic andweirding holds into a campaign is a goodway to liven up the magic-user class.These institutions give higher-level magic-users something to work for other thanthe creation of magical items. They also

open new vistas for lesser magic-users aneven fighters. DMs find that whole newareas of campaigning open up beforethem. The chancellor of a new school ofmagic might discover that he has inadver-tantly infringed upon the territory ofanother school of magic, resulting in possble friction, competition, or even hostilitybetween the two schools. The attempt toestablish a weirding hold could be thecenter of a battle between good and evilfor control of a certain area. Indeed, apenultimate battle between two weirdingholds, each with its own school of magicand opposing alignment, gives the term

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how to build a wizard's tower and school

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