Optional Abilities

A customized wizard is built from a slate of optional abilities, ranging from schools he may cast spells from to game mechanics such as THAC0 improvement rate, Hit Die size, and weapons and armor allowed. The available abilities are listed below.

Delayed Acquisition of Abilities: A character can reduce the cost of a special ability by choosing to delay it to a higher level. For example, a character may select the ability of reduced casting time, but then delay the acquisition of the ability to 4th or 5th level. An ability that is not acquired until 3rd level is 1 point cheaper than the listed cost; an ability delayed to 5th level is 2 points cheaper; an ability delayed to 7th level is 3 points cheaper; an ability delayed to 9th level is 4 points cheaper than listed; and an ability delayed to 11th level is 5 points cheaper than normal. No ability can be reduced to zero or less points—everything costs at least one character point, no matter how long the wizard waits for the power.

Access to schools (5+): A customized wizard pays 5 character points (CPs) for each school he may learn and cast spells from. A standard mage would pay 40 CPs to gain access to the eight schools of philosophy: abjuration, alteration, conjuration/summoning, divination, enchantment/charm, illusion, invocation/evocation, and necromancy. Customized wizards may choose to have access to thaumaturgical schools or schools of effect if they wish.

Armor (5/10/15): With this ability, a wizard may ignore the normal restriction against using armor. As a 5-point ability, the wizard may wear padded armor; for 10 points, the wizard may wear leather, studded leather, hide, or brigandine armor; and for 15 points, the wizard may wear any armor he chooses. Note that a wizard may not use any kind of shield.

Automatic spell acquisition (2/5): The wizard may add a new spell of his choice to his spell book every time he gains a level, without having to pass a learn spells check. The wizard need not have a copy of the spell but must have seen the spell used at least once. As a 2-point ability, the wizard can acquire spells from one school only; as a 5-point ability, he can choose from any school he has access to. The wizard must be able to cast the spell he chooses.

Bonus spells (10/15): A wizard with this ability increases the number of spells of each level that he can memorize by one. For example, a 1st-level wizard may memorize two 1st-level spells instead of just one. For 10 points, the wizard may select spells of one school as bonus spells; for 15 points, the bonus spell can be any spell the wizard can cast.

Casting time reduction (2/5): Spells cast by the wizard are unusually swift and have a casting time of 1 less than normal. For 2 points, the wizard may accelerate spells of only one school. For 5 points, all spells are faster.

Combat bonus (8/10): A wizard with this class ability is much better in combat than normal. For eight CPs, the wizard’s THAC0 advances as if he were a rogue of equal level. For 10 CPs, the wizard’s THAC0 advances as a priest’s.

Constitution adjustment (5): The wizard may use the Constitution-based hit point bonus of warriors, gaining +3 or +4 hp per Hit Die with a Constitution of 17 or 18 instead of the normal maximum of +2 hp per die.

Detect magic (10): A wizard with this power may use detect magic once per day per two levels (twice a day at 3rd level, three times at 5th, and so on). The wizard doesn’t need to memorize the spell, but in all other respects the power operates as if it were actually cast by the wizard.

Dispel (10/15): This power allows a wizard to dispel one kind of effect or spell once per day, or three times per day for 15 CPs. The range of this power is 30 yards, and it requires nothing more than one round of concentration. The base chance of success is 50%, ±5% for each level difference between the dispeller and the creator of the effect to be dispelled. The type of effect that may be dispelled must be a group of linked spells in the same school; for example, charm spells, polymorph spells, or shadow magic and monsters are all good examples.

Enhanced casting level (10): A wizard with this ability may cast spells of one school as if he were 1d4 levels higher than his actual level (roll each time used). All level-based effects of the spell are altered, including damage, range, duration, and area of effect. This power may only be invoked once per day.

Extended spell duration (10/15): Noninstantaneous spells cast by the wizard last an additional time unit (round, hour, day, etc.) per two levels. The exact time unit depends on the normal duration of the spell—if the duration is noted in hours, a 5th-level wizard’s bonus would be an extra three hours. As a 10-point power, extended duration applies to spells of one school. For 15 points, it applies to all spells cast by the wizard.

Followers (10): Normally, wizards do not attract loyal followers at high levels like other characters do. A wizard who selects this ability automatically attracts 20 to 200 0-level men-at-arms at 8th level if he establishes a castle, keep, tower, or other place of strength. In addition, 1d6 low-level wizards (1st to 3rd level) will also appear and request permission to study beneath the PC wizard. These loyal apprentices can undertake minor errands or research on the wizard’s behalf, as long as they are treated well.

Immunity (10+): A wizard with this power gains complete immunity to one particular spell, at a cost of 10 CPs plus 1 CP per spell level. The wizard ignores the effects of the spell and cannot be directly damaged or harmed by the spell, although he could be indirectly harmed—a wizard immune to charm person could be beaten senseless by a charmed fighter, for example. The character may gain immunity to a group of related spells by spending CPs to become immune to the highest-level spell in that group, so a wizard who wanted immunity to all charms would spend 18 CPs for immunity to mass charm—charm person and charm monster are included with immunity to mass charm. The DM may disallow any immunity that he feels is too powerful.

Improved Hit Die (10/20): For 10 character points, the wizard uses a d6 for a Hit Die instead of a d4. For 20 points, the wizard uses a d8.

Learning bonus (5/7+): The wizard gains a +15% bonus to his chance to learn spells of one school; for seven points, this increases to +25%. The wizard may apply the bonus to learning spells of all schools by doubling the point cost.

No components (5/8): With this talent, a wizard may designate one spell of each level as a spell that requires no material components. For 5 points, the wizard may select spells of one school only; for 8 points, the wizard may select spells from any school. The wizard may not choose spells from the schools of alchemy or artifice for this advantage.

Persistent spell effect (15 +2/spell level): The wizard may select one spell that he knows (and can cast) to have a persistent, permanent effect. He must give up one spell slot of the appropriate level, so a wizard who wants to have ESP as a persistent power must leave one 2nd-level spell slot empty. Only spells with noninstantaneous, nonspecial durations may be selected as persistent powers, and the spell must be one which affects the caster. By concentrating, the wizard may invoke the power and maintain it for as long as he continues to concentrate. Changing the persistent spell requires a full week of uninterrupted work. If the wizard is struck by a dispel magic, the persistent effect fails. First-level spells that are appropriate for persistent effects include: change self, chill touch, detect undead, feather fall, gaze reflection, jump, protection from evil, shield, spider climb, and ventriloquism.

Priestly wizard (10+): A wizard with this talent may select one minor sphere of access for 10 points or one major sphere for 15 points. The wizard must still use wizard spell slots to memorize these spells; in effect, they’re translations or adaptations of priest spells the wizard knows through special training. Priest spells must be learned normally and count against the wizard’s maximum number of spells per level.

Proficiency group crossovers (5+): Normally, a wizard may select proficiencies from the wizard and general groups, and must pay a penalty in character points or proficiency slots for choosing proficiencies out of these groups. At a cost of 5 CPs each, the wizard may select another character group for a NWP crossover.

Range increase (5/7+): All ranged spells from one school known to the wizard have their range increased by 25% for 5 CPs or 50% for 7 CPs. For example, the 1st-level spell hold person has a range of 20 yards per level, but with this power the range could increase to 25 or 30 yards per level. The wizard can gain this bonus to all ranged spells regardless of school by doubling the CP cost.

Read magic (5): This power allows the wizard to use read magic once per day per two levels. The wizard doesn’t need to memorize the spell, but in all other respects the power operates as if it were a read magic actually cast by the wizard.

Research bonus (5+): When the wizard is performing spell research, spells of one school are treated as if they are one level lower, just like the standard specialist wizard ability. If the wizard doubles the cost to 10, he may apply this bonus to all schools.

School knowledge (5/8): This is a standard benefit for a specialist wizard. Due to the wizard’s extensive knowledge of one school of magic, he gains a +1 bonus to saving throws versus spells of that school, and inflicts a –1 penalty to the saving throws of his opponents when casting spells of the school. For 8 CPs, the saving throw modifiers increase to +2 and –2, respectively.

Thief ability (10+): A wizard with this talent possesses one thief ability of his choice. For every 5 additional points he spends, he may choose another thief ability. (Note that backstab is included as a thief ability.) The wizard’s percentage scores increase as noted in the DMG on Table 19 : Thief Average Ability Table. Modifiers for race, armor worn, and exceptional Dexterity score all apply.

Weapon selection (10/15): For 10 CPs, the wizard may expand his selection of weapons to either the cleric or thief lists (player’s choice). For 15 points, the wizard is completely unrestricted in his choice of weapons and may gain proficiency in any weapon he spends a slot to learn.

Weapon specialization (15): With this power, the wizard gains the ability to specialize in a weapon. Choosing this ability doesn’t confer specialization—it merely makes it available for the wizard, who is still required to spend the necessary CPs or proficiency slots to actually specialize.

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