Types of Wizards

as per AD&D rules

This section is to tell the different types of magic users there are out there. You do not have to pick one. This is purely optional for your particular magic user since each one is unique. If you do wish to follow any one of these, please be sure to stay as close as possible. If you don't follow any of these, no problem what so ever.

Each type mentioned here will have a description of what it is, the prefered specialist schools (if you choose to be a specialist), the barred schools, their role in their particular society, equipment some types prefer to use, benfits, and hinderances. Remember, these are only suggestions, not the rule. You may adjust these to fit your character as you see fit.

ACADEMICIAN ******** Description:
The academician is a learned scholar whose love of knowledge is matched only by his preoccupation with research. He is facinated by magic in all its forms and enjoys nothing more than poring over arcane texts and experimenting with exotic magical devices.
The academician spends so much time involved in intellectual pursuits that he tends to neglect physical skills. He is not a particularly good fighter and avoids combat when he can, preferring negotiation and parley to violence. Still, he recognizes the neccessity of combat in certain instances, and will fight valiantly when required.
Academicians can be found in virtually any culture, but they are most likely to come from large urban areas that provide ready access to libraries, museums, laboratories, and other resources.

Preferred Schools:
The Academicain is intrigued by all schools of magic, but is especially drawn to schools with a wide range of spells, including alteration, illusion, and invocation/evocation.

Barred Schools:
There are no barred schools for this type of magic user.

Equipment:
Most academicians prefer to use small weapons such as a dart, dagger, sling, or knife.

AMAZON SORCERESS ******** Description:
Amazons belong to matriarchal societies that thrive in a world otherwise dominated by males. Women occupy all important positions in amazon societies-they are the rulers, artisians, soldiers and scholars. Most Amazon societies have existed unchanged for thousands of years, living in relative isolation from the rest of the world, but others have more recent origins. Some were established by disgruntled women who tired of their sub-serviant roles in male dominated cultures and decided to rule themselves, while others were created by dieties sympathetic to the plights of women.
Men are second class citizens in amazon cultures, occupying positions of menial servitude to their female superiors. In some societies, men are kept as slaves, treated only marginally better than domestic animals. Still others have eliminated men entirely. Amazons from totally male free societies make occassional forays into neighboring communities to fraternize with men. Others perpetuate their civilization by being extremely friendly with male adventurers passing through their territory; when the amazons are tired of their company, the adventurers are sent on their way or killed.
The only requirement to be an amazon, is that you must be female. Nothing else is needed.

Preferred Schools:
Amazons tend to be drawn to the schools of conjuration/summoning and invocation/evocation; both are especially useful on the battlefield. Diviners are also common, as they make excellent administrative advisors and counselors.

Barred Schools :
Amazons shun the dark forces associated with the school of necromancy. Because of its percieved uselessness in combat, they also shun the school of illusion.

Equipment:
When an amazon starts out, she usually carries a bow and a knife, and most often, a spear. After she's journeyed a while, she'll pick up other weapons.

ANAGAKOK ******** Description:
The Anagakok is a wizard from a primitive society that occupies the world's most extreme climates. Primarily concerned with survival, the Anagakok uses his magical skills to help his fellow tribesmen locate food, plan for dangerous shifts in weather and rival tribes who are in competition for the same limited resources. An Anagakok also brings good fortune to his tribe; many believe he is possessed by a guardian spirit (though there is no actual evidence of this). The Anagakok is known by a variety of names which depend on his society of origin; other names for an Anagakok include magician, phylacterist, veronincan, scarabor, and obeahist.
Although Anagakok can originate from any number of hostile environments, two are considered in this section. The first is the Anagakok from a climate where the temperature never rises above 0 degrees F, which is called the Frigid Cold Anagakol, or Artic Anagakok. The second is from a climate where the temperature never goes below 100 degrees F. This one is called the Torrid Climate Anagakok.
Females are as common as males in this type and are just as respected among their tribes. Although Anagakok can renounce their tribal ties, they can not abandon this type since it is an inborn trait and very permanent.

Preferred Schools:
The preferred schools for the Anagakok are abjuration, alteration, enchantment/charm, invocation/evocation, and greater divination.

Barred Schools:
Anagakok are barred from the schools of illusion and necromancy because of their spells' relative uselessness for surviving in hostile environments.

Equipment:
Anagakoks usually carry a spear, knife, and a sling, and almost always carry a pouch filled with items in which to set snares for food.

MILITANT WIZARD ******** Description:
The Militant Wizard is skilled in both magical and military arts, making him extremely formidable opponent. They can come from aggressive, warmongering cultures bent on the conquest of weaker nations, or from cultures continually under seige from their more warlike neighbors, making military preparedness vital to their defense. In any case, the Militant Wizard considers a trained body as important as a trained mind, and prides himself on keeping his combat skills as sharp as his magical talents. Renouncing this type of magic user is difficult unless he's risen three levels and lost two weapon skills, and has renounced his citizenship from his country.

Preferred Schools:
Militant Wizards prefer schools with an excess of offensive and defensive spells, such as abjuration, alteration, conjuration/summoning, invocation/evocation, and necromancy.

Barred Schools:
Militant Wizards are barred from specializing in the schools of enchantment/charm and illusion, as their cultures tend to consider them relatively useless in combat. Though greater divination has uses on the battlefield, particularly in the areas of reconnaissance, Militant Wizards are discouraged, but not barred, from divination specialization.

Equipment:
A militant wizard uses which ever weapons he wants, but tends to use a particular one which he has a special affinity for.

MYSTIC ******** Description:
Thoughtful, reserved, and extremely introspective, the Mystic is devoted to self enlightenment and sees the study of magic as the key to spiritual awareness. The Mystic enjoys nothing more than spending long hours contemplating the mysteries of the universe and attempting to become more in touch with his inner self. The Mystic is not necessarily a student of religion or philosophy; he seeks an awareness that can only be found intuitively.
The Mystic is by no means a reluctant magic user. In fact, the Mystic believes that the casting of each spell and acquisition of each new magical technique brings him closer to perfect awareness. The mental discipline necessary for the mastery of magic is the perfect compliment to self knowledge.
The Mystic can come from any culture, but he is usually from a society that places a high value on philosophy and scholarship. He is most likely to leave his home so that he can broaden his outlook, discover new things about himself, and use magic in new, enlightening ways.
When a Mystic feels that he has reached the pinnicale of self awareness, or tires of the contemplative life, he can simply move on to explore another type of magery.

Preferred Schools:
The Mystic prefers the schools of illusion, divination, and enchantment/charm.

Barred Schools:
Because the Mystic is predisposed against magic that harms other living things, he is barred from specializing in the schools of necromancy, invocation/evocation, and conjuration/summoning. He is not prevented from learning spells from these schools - he simply prefers to limit his association with them.

Equipment:
A Mystic tends to carry weapons which are small and generally considered non-lethal unless used properly. Normally, you'll find one carrying daggers, darts, knives, and slings.

PATRICIAN ******** Description:
The patrician is a wizard of noble birth, a member of his culturer's aristocracy. Born into a life of wealth and privilege, the patrician considers himself an arbiter of good taste and a connoisseur of the finer things in life. He looks down his nose at working men and women, as well as all others he considers to be inconsequential rabble. If anything, his mastery of magic makes him even more arrogant than other members of the ruling class, since he sees his talent as clear proof of his superiority over common folk.
The Patrician may leave his homeland out of a sense of duty to his people or to promote the common good - in spite of their snobbery, good aligned Patricians have strong moral codes. A Patrician might have grown weary of his pampered life and sought to explore the world so he could add a touch of excitement to his otherwise dreary life. Alternately, his parents might have ordered him to leave to teach him humility. Leaving this mage type could mean being disowned by the family and banned from their homeland's nobility.

Preferred Schools:
The Patrician can specialize in any school he chooses, but prefers those that he percieves as most powerful, such as conjuration/summoning, alteration, and invocation/evocation.

Barred Schools:
The Patrician will not specialize in necromancy, a school he considers disgusting and repulsive.

Equipment:
A Patrician is always seen with a riding beast (not always a horse in CH) with the best money can buy in saddles, reins, bridles, horshoes and blankets along with what ever weapons he choses.

PEASANT WIZARD ******** Description:
The Peasant Wizard is a spell caster of modest means whose exceptional skills and matchless courage have made him a champion of the masses. Though his talents have set him apart and made him a legend in his homeland, he will never forget his roots. An advocate of the commoner, the Peasant Wizard devotes himself to the promotion of equality and justice. The Peasant Wizard is the most frequently encountered of all the wizard types.

Preferred Schools:
There are no preferred schools for Peasant Wizards, though illusionists, abjurers, and invokers are among the most frequently encountered.

Barred Schools:
There are no barred schools for the Peasant Wizard, however, there are fewer necromancers and diviners than any other specialists.

Equipment:
The Peasant Wizard can use any weapon he choses as long as he can afford it.

SAVAGE WIZARD ******** Description:
The savage wizard is the spell caster of a remote tribe, culturally and technologically primitive by the standards of the rest of the world. Although these tribes commonly maintain themselves for thousands of years, their traditions, dress, and customs are so simple that most outsiders consider them unsophisticated brutes.
There are a variety of savage tribes around the world, ranging from pacifistic societies of farmers and herders, to blood thirsty headhunters and barbarians. All, however, are sharply attuned to the natural world, sharing a deep respect for animal and plant life and an inate understanding of the mysteries of nature.

Preferred Schools:
Savage Wizards tend to excel in the schools of conjuration/summoning and invokation/evocation.

Barred Schools:
Savage Wizards lack the natural aptitude for mastering the schools of abjuration and enchantment/charm.

Equipment:
The main weapon the savage wizard uses is his tribal weapon, generally a spear or bone knife. Also, he usually carries the things he'd most normally have in his tribe, fishing nets and handmade twines for snares, as well as pouches filled with herbs, nuts and berries.

WITCH ******** Description:
The witch is a wizard whose powerful magical abilities are extraplanar in origin. Though wizards generally learn the basics of spellcasting at magic acadamies or from learned mentors, witches learn their magical skills from entities and their minions from other planes of existance, or from other witches. Occassionally, these extraplanar entities contact youthful beings for magical instruction; other times the entities are sought out through arcane rituals and petition them for instruction. The entities agree to such instruction for a variety of reasons - some hope to train their students to eventually become emmisaries, some hope to use them as conduits for various forces, some hope to seduce them as consorts, and simply share their magical ability for their own amusement.
What ever the motives of the extraplanar entities, they exude a powerful directing influence over their students. However, a few witches with particularly strong wills are able to maintain their own drives while using their magical skills to further their own goals. Such witches face a lifelong struggle with the forces who relentlessly strive to direct their spirits.

Preferred Schools:
The most appropiate school for witches is enchantment/charm. Conjuration/summoning, and necromancy are also good choices.

Barred Schools:
There are no barred schools for witches.

Equipment:
A witch usually starts out with a dirk or dagger, knife, sling and/or staff.

WU JEN ******** Description:
The wu jen is a wizard from the far east cultures. He is a sorcerer of mysterious power and uncertain fealty. Unlike the samurai, the wu jen seldom answers to a lord or master. His primary allegiance is to himself and to his craft.
The wu jen seldom lives among the masses, preferring instead to dwell in the wilderness where he can contemplate the secrets of nature without interruption. Living the life of a hermit, the wu jen concentrates on purifying his body and mind, thus making him more receptive to the supernatural forces of the world.

Preferred Schools:
Wu Jen prefer the schools of conjuration/summoning, alteration, and invocation/evocation.

Barred Schools:
There are no barred schools for the wu jen.

Equipment:
A wu jen carries no other weapon except for a staff, bo stick, boku-toh, jitte, or shuriken.

*as per AD&D rules*

as per AD&D rules