Magicians are a social lot who dwell in schools. They must have a lot of intelligent adepts to help in the very ritualistic magic they work. They create the more powerful magic items that are found, as well as all of the simple or weaker items.
Magicians will freely accept any adept into their school and teach them their art. The catch is that they are then bound to that school until they reach upper graduate status. No school will accept a rogue magician without a formal letter of release by his former Master Magician and a magician cannot gain a level unless he returns to a school. A magician must be Lawful (any).
As a
rule, magicians (NPC only) have little personal power. They are very
poor spell casters and usually only have spells in books or memory
which will aid them in the creation of items. Because they are poor
spellcasters and cannot possess the secondary skill Spellcraft, they
rely on magic items.
To create any items of magic, the magicians needs four things.
1.
COMPONENTS
The components of a magic item are to be gathered by the lesser magicians in the school. This is how they gain their experience and pay for their tuition (ie Training for next level). Many of the components are mundane but their must be one "special" component for every 500 xp of the item ( always round up ). This component must relate to the item to be created. For example, a Girdle of Storm Giant Strength ( xp 1200 ) would require the entire bicep of a Storm giant, a girdle of mithril weave by a master elven weaver, and a Rod of Lordly Might. The Rod may lose some charges but would not be consumed. These three items would satisfy the requirements ( 1200/500-2.4 rounded up is 3). It is usually a requirement of items of greater than 1000xp to need another magic item in the ritual. The school must also expend the listed cost of the item in money for mundane components.
2. MAGICIANS
To fabricate an item, the Magician must have a certain number a magicians present to help with the ritual. One level of magician is needed for every 100 xp of the item to be created. Thus a Master Magician could create any magic item of 1200xp, but would need other magicians to create greater items. They must be magicians, not just magic users.
3. TIME
A set amount of time is needed to make any item. It takes one hour per experience point of the item, and a maximum of ten hours per day can be spent. During this time magician can do nothing else other than defend his school and himself. The magicians involved.in the process must also remain at the school. No scrolls may be written nor spells developed. Restudying of spells is reduced to 3 hours per day maximum. Normally schools of magic are protected by magic and large contingents of guards. Also, anyone that has hired the magicians to make an item usually (it is customary and smart) see to their protection.
It is during this time the magicians are doing the exacting rituals required to produce the item. The time is not 9 am to 5 pm but vary from day to day, depending on the planets and schedule.
4. KNOWLEDGE
A magician can only make items of 1000xp level for every level he possesses. Thus a tenth level magician can make 10,000 xp item, and a master magician has no xp limit. Once a ritual for a specific item has been created, the P.C. must keep track of the components he used, time it took, and value. If this information is not recorded and cannot be provided to the D.M., the P.C. cannot remake that item again, as the ritual will always go wrong!
A special note, a magician can be involved in as many projects as he has levels of experience. Thus a master magician can have 12 projects going at once. But the limiting factor here is that the Ist level magicians can only be part of one, and 2nd level only part of two projects, etc. Schools are busy places, and magicians hate to be disturbed.
Another special note, magicians cannot produce those things that come under an alchemist's area. Thus, no pigments, elixirs, potions, dusts, etc. can be produced. Not only this, but magicians and alchemist magic is so different, the find it hard to work together.
It varies from school to school, but usually private projects are not allowed until 3rd level. Private journeys not involving school business allowed only on special basis, and freedom to establish new school only upon mastery. Upper classman have more rights than lower classman.
Below is
a list of titles by level and the magicians % chance to identify an
item. He must carefully touch and review it to deduce its nature, but
has a % chance immediately if he sees a flashy item being used Hey, I
bet that's a Wand of Fireballs!
1 Adept Magician 0
2 Adept Magician 3
3 Freshman Magician 6
4 Sophomore Magician 9
5 Junior Magician 12
6 Senior Magician 15
7 Journeyman Magician 18
8 Senior Journeyman Magician 21
9 Magician 24
10 Magician 27
11 Magician 30
12 Master Magician* 35
Finally, Master Magicians gain a 1% per intelligence point immunity to Magic. This Magic Resistance is not adjustable.