Magical Life in Worminghall

[sir_pudding]

Joe Clodkicker the laborer probably doesn't get to go to university. Medieval universities weren't easy to get into without connections and prior education. Some level of natural talent and hard work may have invited patronage to overcome these obstacles, but a guy with none of the above probably isn't a student at wizard school.

Looking at Bill's suggestion, you might get away with lower than average ST, DX, and HT. You might not be Wealthy (although if you are significantly less you will have to work extra hard to keep up with the material requirements and maintenance of the student lifestyle; not that historical students didn't manage to make do). You might even have IQ 10 or 11 (but you will be struggling to keep up with studies I think). Otherwise the traits seem to be required to be a student at all (for, I think, a minimum of [29] points).

[hal]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Joe Clodkicker the laborer probably doesn't get to go to university. Medieval universities weren't easy to get into without connections and prior education. Some level of natural talent and hard work may have invited patronage to overcome these obstacles, but a guy with none of the above probably isn't a student at wizard school.

Looking at Bill's suggestion, you might get away with lower than average ST, DX, and HT. You might not be Wealthy (although if you are significantly less you will have to work extra hard to keep up with the material requirements and maintenance of the student lifestyle; not that historical students didn't manage to make do). You might even have IQ 10 or 11 (but you will be struggling to keep up with studies I think). Otherwise the traits seem to be required to be a student at all (for, I think, a minimum of [29] points).

Ok, I see your point. But then the issue that I usually have when trying to create a fantasy society from scratch is this:

I adhere to the concept that magery is an inborn trait, one that can't be learned. If you have Magery 0, great, you have magery 0. Short of a Great Wish gaining you a single advantage worth up to 20 points, or some great adventure such as mages in Raymond Feist's series Magician: Apprentice, where you can undertake a quest and gain in magical ability, but run the risk of insanity etc.

The D&D style ability to raise Magery just by putting character points in it just bothers me for some odd reason.

So, when I work at this from that particular bias (and I freely admit it is a bias), there have to be the lesser fortunate ones who are mageborn, but of lesser mental capacity, there are those who are average, and there are those who are lucky enough to be brighter than average. Imagine the frustration of someone with IQ 14, but magery 0, and that's all he ever will have? Imagine the teachers who find a dense student with that rare Magery 3 capacity to cast the hardest of spells beyond the reach of those with Magery 2. IQ 8 plus Magery 3 could statistically happen. Legends will always tell the stories of the IQ 14, Magery 3 mages who move mountains, vanquish demons without a problem, etc - and those are supposed to be RARE.

So, the goal here is to try and find a happy medium between the "adventurers" and the "stay at home workers". We an always ENJOY the story of the heroes. But civilization isn't built by heroes, no - it is built by the stolid hard working type.

If we used the rule from GURPS CLASSIC MAGIC regarding using time for skill for enchantments, then even a skill 12 enchanting mage is viable. If we don't use that rule, then all mages MUST reach a skill of 15 before being able to create viable magic items.

[sir_pudding]

Humans don't have fixed IQ, even if Magery is fixed.

[Flyndaran]

That's debatable, especially with how expansive IQ is in Gurps.
Regardless, super rare mages with anything other than default or lower IQ doesn't lend itself to university taught magic anyway.

Unless we're talking one per heavily populated planet and loads of scholarships.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

That's debatable, especially with how expansive IQ is in Gurps.

Fixed IQ is a Feature, humans don't have it. Besides if IQ was fixed and Magery is fixed then there's little point to a general magical education since you can't actually benefit from it. Instead of a university you should have a trade education program, like guilds.

[Flyndaran]

I don't understand that line of reasoning. Learning is the whole point of school in the real world. Why would it not be so in a magical world?
Spells as skills, and actual skills that may help casting seem kind of useful. Not to mention history and esoteric use of magic that don't directly benefit it.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Spells as skills, and actual skills that may help casting seem kind of useful.

If you are only teaching rote practical skills then a general education program is a waste of time.

Not to mention history and esoteric use of magic that don't directly benefit it.

If general knowledge can't be improved, or applied widely, these things aren't very useful, and are probably at best hobbies.

[hal]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Fixed IQ is a Feature, humans don't have it. Besides if IQ was fixed and Magery is fixed then there's little point to a general magical education since you can't actually benefit from it. Instead of a university you should have a trade education program, like guilds.

Um...

Let's see if I get this straight.

GURPS indicates that most people (average) will be around a 10. Yes, IQ can be improved. Yes, education benefits people to some extent. Would you expect the IQ of an individual to go up one or two levels after say, 4 years in college, or would you expect that his "IQ" as GURPS measures it, has already more or less reached its potential as a result of actual experience up to the time the individual has reached college and is putting finishing touches on it?

Irrespective of the sidebar here... *teasing grin*

For every "Adventuring guy" out adventuring, there are going to be those homebodies who stay, well, home. Those who aren't blessed with the super high IQ and super high Magery. Either civilization has its ordinary people doing ordinary work, or it doesn't.

Would you rather see life as postulated in Worminghall, or would you rather see it from the "adventurer's" eyes and dismiss the more normal guys doing the work no adventurer wants to be caught dead in?

[sir_pudding]

I am fairly sure that I read in either Worminghall or the more general Back to School how general education relates to IQ improvement.

At any rate a student who can't read and speak Latin and answer questions to the satisfaction of the masters won't pass examination. Even extreme wealth and connections won't be enough for really unsuitable students because universities tried to be as independent as possible and of course wealth and connections cost points too anyway.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by hal

For every "Adventuring guy" out adventuring, there are going to be those homebodies who stay, well, home. Those who aren't blessed with the super high IQ and super high Magery. Either civilization has its ordinary people doing ordinary work, or it doesn't.

Would you rather see life as postulated in Worminghall, or would you rather see it from the "adventurer's" eyes and dismiss the more normal guys doing the work no adventurer wants to be caught dead in?

None of what I wrote up was designed for "adventurers." The only stat that's above average is IQ, and that's because you're going into a program that demands serious study of grammar, logic, mathematics, and astronomy; people who take the equivalent majors in current universities also run brighter than average. Magery 0 is obviously essential for students of magic; Magery 1 and IQ 12 make you a *talented* mage—something most players would like their characters to be—but you could end up as a healer or an entertainer as plausibly as a battle wizard. Wealthy and Status 2 go with your family being able both to pay your fees and to do without your work during seven years of study. In short, you're a bright young fellow from an upper middle class background with a definite talent for the field you're studying. You could go on to become an adventurer, but the predestined heroes probably start out 25 points higher.