Magic-User

The ability to wield arcane magic is a powerful one. Unlike those blessed with divine abilities, magic-users gain their power through study, routine, and sheer force of will. Magic is not a mysterious force to them, but instead a tool used to shape and mold the world, like a blacksmith uses a hammer to forge metal. While a magic-user may not fully understand the powers he wields, his ability to wield them show a great amount of tenacity, will, and intelligence.


Arcane magic is often looked up with suspicion and fear, those who study the art often do so in secret. Unlike the guilds dedicated to teaching fighters and delvers or the great temples where clerics train, magic-users do their study in secret. The amount of focus and training involved means that most magic-uers are taught individually, conducting private lessons away from prying eyes. Rumors persist, however, of great cabals or magic-users teaching groups of students in hidden places far from civilization. Common folk speak of these places in secret, in fear of a great army of spell-casters intent on ruling the world through magical power. Most magic-users are not power hungry however, but are instead inquisitive, seeking to discover the deeper meaning to magic and its place in life.

Magic-users are usually not welcome among the common folk. The powers of their abilities and the mystery in which that power comes from is the exact opposite of the religious qualities of divine magic. To most people, magic-users are trafficking with dark creatures, manipulating powers that were not made for them, or simply too powerful to be trusted. Most magic-users avoid civilized places whenever possible and when they must travel there, they do little to reveal their abilities. Even those that travel with other adventurers will hide themselves in plain site, often pretending to be a hireling or guide for the party so not to bring down unjust paranoia and prejudice against the group.

Why They Adventure: Because there is no unified teaching for magic-users, nor, seemingly any limit to their power, much of the secrets of arcane casting has been lost to time. There was a point in history when magic wasn’t so feared and many ruins that dot the landscape are rumored to contain magical secrets. Many magic-users travel among more physically hardy adventurers to seek out these places and new avenues of study. Magic-users are often inquisitive as well, the ability to manipulate magic and power beyond the physical realm requires such a mind and dungeons, with their many secrets and hidden threats often offer a challenge to such minds.

Role-Playing Tips: Magic-users wield a great deal of power, of which few fully understand. Most magic-users seek to understand why however, meaning they are inquisitive and often curious to a fault. Most magic-users are taught that magic is a powerful force and not to be used lightly, indeed, the fact that most magic-users cannot handle the ability the power to cast more then a few spells a day, means most respect the power they have and do not waste it. Magic-users are also feared by most common folk and though they are no match for a caster, especially one among an adventuring party, eventually numbers always win out and a whole town turned against a magic-user can make it a very unpleasant stay. Often other adventurers do not fully trust a magic-user either, either due to growing up among the same tales the common folk have or because of the magic-user’s lack of understanding their abilities, as opposed to the understanding the other classes have on their unique gifts. This mistrust often means that magic-users are withdrawn and quiet, either trying to avoid attention, or dealing with the emotional weight of having a world against them.