Humans, elves and spellcasters

[Gary V. Foss]

Ryan B. Caveney wrote:

> Thus, even counting the fact that
> being a human wizard requires a bloodline, which only one person in a
> hundred has

I've seen a couple of people use the 1/100 number for the amount of Cerilians
who have a bloodline. I thought it was one in one thousand. I could have
sworn the population statistics in the Muden sourcebook bear me out, but I
don't much feeling like digging through my stuff to find my print out of it.
Am I off my nut on this?

- -Gary

[veryfastperson@juno.com]

>I've seen a couple of people use the 1/100 number for the amount of
>Cerilians
>who have a bloodline. I thought it was one in one thousand. I could
>have
>sworn the population statistics in the Muden sourcebook bear me out,
>but I
>don't much feeling like digging through my stuff to find my print out
>of it.
>Am I off my nut on this?
>
>-Gary

i think it was the rulebook that said that 1% of the population has a
bloodline.

>
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[Pieter A de Jong]

At 07:38 PM 5/15/98 -0700, Gary V. Foss wrote:

>Personally, I like to think of the elven use of magic as being more similar
to our
>modern outlook towards technology. We're used to its presence around us,
we toy
>around with it from time to time and use it to our advantage, but
relatively few
>of use could take apart a microwave oven and explain exactly how it works.
That's
>what a mage would be in an elven community. A pointy-eared techie with
flowers in
>his hair and a penchant for green hosiery.
>
Yes, few of us could take apart a microwave oven, but just about everyone
can use one, or a shotgun, or a radio. Or at least can be taught to use one
in 15 minutes. Also, such an attitude implies a rather large supply of
magic items if the individual elves don't cast spells.

>> > greater population uses their magic in what could be described as an innate
>> > ability, using it without much thought. Such spells as Cantrips, Feather
>> > Fall, light, etc.. ( I hope you get where I'm trying to take this).
>>
>> The drow innate spell list, slightly modified. A good plan.
>
>Hmmm. I like the idea of elves having a few more powers than the "mundane"
ones
>listed in the Rulebook, but I don't know if I want them to actually be able to
>cast spells by their very nature.
>
>> Given their interests, I think
>> for every Sidhelien archmage who knows a battle spell, there are several
>> who only use their spells to do topiary. If there were a major war on,
>> they could be taught combat magic, but would be much more inclined to
>> develop spells of their own that caused a whole army's weapons to turn
>> into musical instruments and bunches of flowers, or just drop everything,
>> have a big party, and go home magically drunk without actually having
>> fought at all (a la the giant joint scene in "History of the World").
>
>Ha! Oh, man! Ryan, you slay me! I about laughed myself sick at that image.
>Elven kingdoms filled with poodle-trees and swan-bushes! That's killer funny.
>
>In fairness, however, I don't see why elven mages wouldnt' have come up with
>battle magic before human ones. Part of what I like about the BR setting
is that
>it reinterprets elves, making them allied with nature but not necessarily the
>flitty, faerie-like creatures that some folks like to portray them. BR
elves can
>be pretty dark, nasty folks which is just fine by me.
>
Yes, another person who agrees! Elves are not neccesarily peacenik hippies.
Don't forget it might just not be normal topiary, see various wierd plants
back in issue ?87? of dragon magazine. Not to mention sundews, vegepygmies,
mold men, assorted other dangerous plants, hangman tree anyone?

Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

[Pieter A de Jong]

At 11:57 AM 5/17/98 +0200, Ramus Juul Wagner wrote:
>Ryan B. Caveney wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, 15 May 1998, Rasmus Juul Wagner wrote:
>> >
>> > Among elves, 1 in 100 becomes a magician, and 1 out of 10 magicians
>>
>> Elves don't become magicians (the class is listed as human only,
>> but goblins are also allowed according to the goblin card), because they
>> don't need to.
>
>Silly me...well, it's been a long time since I read that part of the
>rulebook. Anyways, IMC, more elves are magicians than wizards, as it is
>simpler to be a magician. Apart from that, many elves learn a spell or
>to which they can cast in magic-rich areas, such as their native
>forests.
>
Actually, as wierd as it seems, it is easier for an elf to be a wizard
(requirements, Int. >= 9) as opposed to a magician (requirements, Int. >=
12, Wis. >= 13, Dex. >= 12)

Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

[Gary V. Foss]

Pieter A de Jong wrote:

> At 07:38 PM 5/15/98 -0700, Gary V. Foss wrote:
>
> >Personally, I like to think of the elven use of magic as being more similar
> to our
> >modern outlook towards technology. We're used to its presence around us,
> we toy
> >around with it from time to time and use it to our advantage, but
> relatively few
> >of use could take apart a microwave oven and explain exactly how it works.
> That's
> >what a mage would be in an elven community. A pointy-eared techie with
> flowers in
> >his hair and a penchant for green hosiery.
> >
> Yes, few of us could take apart a microwave oven, but just about everyone
> can use one, or a shotgun, or a radio. Or at least can be taught to use one
> in 15 minutes.

I don't know, I think the analogy still holds. Casting a spell to me is more like
the process of building the aforementioned microwave oven, shotgun or radio from
scratch. In a D&D context, just about anybody could probably do the last few things
that are required to cast a spell during the few segments that make up its casting
time....

"That's right, Og. Stand on one foot, wave your right hand in the air, chant 'Boom
shalak lak boom!" and rub the bit of fur against the piece of steel. That's how you
cast a Lightning Bolt spell."

What differentiates a mage from a fighter is the ability to memorize a spell. It
requires an understanding of magic itself, the rituals and energies involved, and
whatever else it takes to memorize a spell that a "normal" person lacks and a mage
has. That's what makes a spellcaster a spellcaster. The understanding of magic
itself.

> Also, such an attitude implies a rather large supply of
> magic items if the individual elves don't cast spell

Well, I don't mean to imply that there are a lot of magic ITEMS in elven
communities. Rather, elves live their lives in a more magical environment. They
work with it more. The earth itself is magical in a BR setting, right? Elves are
more in touch with that. As individuals they may not have the ability to manipulate
it (like mages) but as a community they are attuned to it.

> >In fairness, however, I don't see why elven mages wouldnt' have come up with
> >battle magic before human ones. Part of what I like about the BR setting
> is that
> >it reinterprets elves, making them allied with nature but not necessarily the
> >flitty, faerie-like creatures that some folks like to portray them. BR
> elves can
> >be pretty dark, nasty folks which is just fine by me.
> >
> Yes, another person who agrees! Elves are not neccesarily peacenik hippies.
> Don't forget it might just not be normal topiary, see various wierd plants
> back in issue ?87? of dragon magazine. Not to mention sundews, vegepygmies,
> mold men, assorted other dangerous plants, hangman tree anyone?

I really like the dark, brooding image of elves in BR. It's still kinda funny to
poke fun at elves, though. Particularly since they get such a cutsey portrayal in
almost every other campaign setting and in the fantasy literature that comes out.
If I read the words "songs of unearthly beauty" again I think I'm going to toss my
_lembas_.

Gary