Wizard Wars

[Elton Robb]

What do you guys think? Could there have been wars among wizards over sources? Could sources be contested between two wizards? Would the contest be decided with realm spells and wizard magic? I was wondering how to write the Wars of Taeghan succession and wizard wars seems most likely for some of the wars of Taeghan Succession.

Seems to be a point of discussion.

[Magian]

The Rogr Aglondier and High Mage Aelies (HMA) write ups and maybe something in the Book of Magecraft in HMA's section have a hint at a battle of sources for future gameplay when HMA decides to kick the upstart out of his stomping grounds.

Not sure how it would play out, but I can imagine Rogr wanting to keep it at the RP contest/invest level rather than face a 16th level wizard. Postponing that sort of encounter would be in his best interest till he can gain more experience.

A long drawn out struggle of the arcane in the forgotten past into the invisible force of Mebhaighl that ignores political boundaries and is the life blood of True Mages. Many adventures could be sparked for such a campaign for certain. Imagine Rhoubhe and other nearby wizards in play as opportunists or supporting actors for their friends. Research at the College of wizardry for some lost secrets. Perhaps some intrigue and mystery that could lead to finding lost artifacts and traversing the span of Cerilia and possibly beyond. Avoiding having to take the oaths of those crazy Basarji wizards when seeking their wisdom. Creating a unique spell in hope of gaining an advantage in the contest in this corner of the world known as the Western Coast. The effects of this struggle will change the face of the Empire forever.

[Elton Robb]

Well, Rogr and the High Mage are rivals. Both need sources for their realm spells, and HMA wants full control of the Eriebannen. RA has to prepare for a war for his sources, and HMA is stronger than the Count of Ilien when it comes to spellcasting. RA knows a few realm spells, and HMA might have learned them all (including poison source).

Their political posturing for sources might spill over for real world politics. Marlae Roesone may be forced to take sides as RA has helped her against Ghoere before. HMA's true reason for having control over the Eriebannen might be cause of the Magian.

[AndrewTall]

If you have the source represented by local fae, elementals, etc so that the contest is a matter of winning the favour of the locals (much as a temple contest could be about persuading a temple to favour one political group over another) then a fast talking low level wizard who courts the source might have a very good chance against a distant high level mage who merely ries to bend the source to their will.

[Magian]

@AndrewTall interesting ideas for the RP aspects of investing and creating sources. It led me to imagine the spirit of a Dragon lingering over its corpse in some Mebaighl spectral form acting as the gate keeper to access to the local source. It provides a character with which to interact for the player. Perhaps there is some negotiation, deed or service that the PC is required to do in order to gain the favor of the source. The reward of such an action by the PC is +1 source level (or other condition for certain circumstances that could also apply) depending on the results of the roll or if it is so played out in RP maybe the roll is circumvented. So we have the option of domain action or adventure.

My apologies if I am merely acting as captain obvious here.

[AndrewTall]

No apology required.

All sorts of spirits can be used to either give the wizard some servants/spies, gather mebhaighl for realm spells, help build a ley-line etc.

By making the wizard have a 'court' of 'people' and having a magical 'population' that is larer and more complex as the source level grows you effectively replicate the politics etc from the other holdings into a wizard holding.

The issue is in using this sort of approach not to pump the wizard (although expanding adventure opprtunities to permit the poor wizard to take the standard 3 actions a turn rather than saving RP to convert via alchemy into GB to them pay for their one aciton a season makes some sense) but in using this expanded/alternate view of source holdings to interact with other holding types - if the local stone spirits oppose a guild expansion the wizard could intercede and perhaps persuade the spirits to stop tormenting the miners but instead help them to find good ores/stone for example. It takes a bit of getting your head into the medieval worldview, but if you are in a world where every housewife leaves out a saucer of milk to feed the house elves and farmers ask permission of the field before tilling it to avoid offending the field, the wizard being able to strongly influence 'real people' via interceding with the local spirits makes sense - and gives them a lot more to do with the other regents.

[Elton Robb]

No apology required.

All sorts of spirits can be used to either give the wizard some servants/spies, gather mebhaighl for realm spells, help build a ley-line etc.

By making the wizard have a 'court' of 'people' and having a magical 'population' that is larer and more complex as the source level grows you effectively replicate the politics etc from the other holdings into a wizard holding.

The issue is in using this sort of approach not to pump the wizard (although expanding adventure opprtunities to permit the poor wizard to take the standard 3 actions a turn rather than saving RP to convert via alchemy into GB to them pay for their one aciton a season makes some sense) but in using this expanded/alternate view of source holdings to interact with other holding types - if the local stone spirits oppose a guild expansion the wizard could intercede and perhaps persuade the spirits to stop tormenting the miners but instead help them to find good ores/stone for example. It takes a bit of getting your head into the medieval worldview, but if you are in a world where every housewife leaves out a saucer of milk to feed the house elves and farmers ask permission of the field before tilling it to avoid offending the field, the wizard being able to strongly influence 'real people' via interceding with the local spirits makes sense - and gives them a lot more to do with the other regents.

The wizard's influence grows as he gets more sources. According to the Birthright Rulebook, a Wizard can muster armies and do all the things a regular regent does as he increases the source level. Perhaps his armies are not of this world?

[Sorontar]

The wizard's influence grows as he gets more sources. According to the Birthright Rulebook, a Wizard can muster armies and do all the things a regular regent does as he increases the source level. Perhaps his armies are not of this world?

A better interpretation of when "Birnham Wood comes to Dunsinane", ala the Ents battling the forces of Saruman in Isengard?