Spell categories

[hcobb]

I'm automating the random character generator on ITL14 and my next step is to go from "and 4 spells" to actually picking the spells.

I'm tempted to throw out the three random kinds of wizards and roll on the Jobs table on page 59 to determine type of wizard.

Other than combat, non-combat, thief, what other categories do people put various spells in?

ITL page 59's "spells that can (in GM’s opinion) be used to entertain an audience." leaves a lot of ground to search.

[Shadekeep]

Some of the general classes I use are:

Summoner - Specialises in Summon spells (scout/myrmidon/giant etc)

Illusionist - Specialises in Illusion spells and perception spells (Blur, Darkness)

Conjurer - Specialises in Create spells (fire/wall/slippery floor etc)

Necromancer - Zombie, Detect Life, Drain Strength

Sorceror - Lightning, Mage Sight, Flight, Control Person

Enchanter - All Staff levels, Create Magic Item, Alchemy/Chemistry talent

Diabolist - Summon Demon, Pentagram, Curse

Druid - Control Animal, Pathfinder, Soothe, Naturalist talent

Oracle - Scrying, Insight, Eyes-Behind, Staff-to-Snake

[platimus]

Originally Posted by Shadekeep

Some of the general classes I use are:

Summoner - Specialises in Summon spells (scout/myrmidon/giant etc)

Illusionist - Specialises in Illusion spells and perception spells (Blur, Darkness)

Conjurer - Specialises in Create spells (fire/wall/slippery floor etc)

Necromancer - Zombie, Detect Life, Drain Strength

Sorceror - Lightning, Mage Sight, Flight, Control Person

Enchanter - All Staff levels, Create Magic Item, Alchemy/Chemistry talent

Diabolist - Summon Demon, Pentagram, Curse

Druid - Control Animal, Pathfinder, Soothe, Naturalist talent

Oracle - Scrying, Insight, Eyes-Behind, Staff-to-Snake

Wow. I really like those!

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by platimus

Wow. I really like those!

Thanks! Warriors already have a bunch of distinct archetypes - Knight, Archer, Berserker, Assassin, Barbarian, Martial Artist, Fencer - that conjure up a typical set of skills and weapon proficiency pretty readily for most players. So I find it useful to have the same for the various wizardly types. And it gives them more "flavour" in a campaign setting, instead of just calling them all wizards.

[hcobb]

I split Tracker Wizards (who work for the Army) from Hedge Wizards (who don't).

http://www.hcobb.com/tft/squad.php

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by hcobb

I split Tracker Wizards (who work for the Army) from Hedge Wizards (who don't).

That works for simple classification. I categorise the former as Martial Wizards, and the latter are very much in the Gandalf school of peripatetic mage. They typically have a grab-bag of various spells.

Other wizard classes I use are Witch/Warlock, Shaman, Court Wizard, and Thaumaturge. One can go as broad or as fine as one needs to.

[David Bofinger]

Originally Posted by Shadekeep

Some of the general classes I use are:

Rather than making this a wizard-only thing, I think it's better to have categories that might be accessed by wizards or heroes, and then let the categories take the place of the distinction. So instead of a druid category have an outdoorsy category with Alertness, Naturalist, Woodsman, Animal Training, etc. and maybe some spells. A hunter has taken a ranged or thrown weapons category and the outdoorsy category. A druid is a character who has taken a magic category and the outdoorsy category. And so on. It might lead to more variety of characters.