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[personal profile] bluegargantua
Hi,

So there's an old saw about D&D where people point out that the magic-user can cast fireballs, cause earthquakes, summon horrific monsters, but doesn't really have anything like "build a shack", "ensure good crops", "dig a well" or any other spell that a local community would really have a need for. Basically, magic-users are walking bundles of barely contained destructive arcane energies and who really needs that? Clerics have more useful spells in this regard, but they've got a built-in framework to be part of a community. Wizards are better off in towers far away.

I was thinking about Ritual Spells in 4th. ed. Ritual spells are mostly spells of long duration and/or questionable utility. By way of example, one of the ritual spells is "magic mouth". There's been a lot of complaining that Rituals are taking all of the quirky "cool" spells while the magical powers the Wizard can actually use on the fly are all blaster-type spells good only for combat. But frankly, I'm OK with that -- most magic-users simply stock up on attack spells anyway. Are you really going to take Magic Mouth over Magic Missile?

Ritual spells also solve the early problem of a wizard's place in a community. Now a "wizard" can simply be a guy who's got the Ritual Caster feat and has a bunch of Rituals. The Rituals all do useful, community-oriented things. Without delving into dungeons, this guy can hang out a shingle and provide useful services. I think that's pretty neat.

later
Tom

Date: 2008-08-12 02:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dirkcjelli.livejournal.com
There are some economic difficulties, though... Rituals are pretty expensive. Real "court of the king" stuff, for the most part.

(I mean, do you want a couple of Tensers floating disks, or some plate mail for the imperial guards?)

Date: 2008-08-12 03:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kadath.livejournal.com
That's just the adventurer markup. Locals can smell the PC on ya, and they jack up the prices.

Date: 2008-08-12 03:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dirkcjelli.livejournal.com
The PHB deliberately tried to make "a wizard did it" economically disadvantageous as compared to hiring Jack's team of mules-- to prevent the formation of an advanced magic-centric economy.

That stick you pick up off the ground-- improvised weapon.

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