Post by blakeryan on Apr 1, 2016 23:07:52 GMT
Regarding the Food Mage -
Aside from the comedic value, the Food Mage serves as an excellent example of giving your character style without getting bogged down in game mechanics.
Describing your caster performing their tasks gives flavor and individuality to the character, which adds to the ongoing story.
- Here are some alternatives using this concept, usable for ANY caster.
=Blacksmith - has a chunk of metal and works it while holding it in front of him with various tools-hammer, chisel etc from tool belt. Maybe he uses different metals for divination/evocation/conjuration spells. Maybe he wears a leather apron and sings a dwarven smithing song while casting. He is looking for new smithing plans, metals and blacksmithing secrets (eg how to forge adamantine weapons and obsidian golems)
=Carpenter - similar to Blacksmith, the caster points a block of wood at target and then uses tools (different shaped/sized knives and saws) from tool belt while envisioning the spell sigils. If its a healing spell maybe they smooth off a rough section. Maybe they wear a flannel shirt and whistle while they work? Maybe they want to work with a variety of woods, or create siege equipment/houses without metal (there are houses in st petersburg that have no nails, all wooden pieces carved to slot in with the other parts). www.loghome.com/russian-logs/
=Dancer - they dance to cast their spells, transmutation spells are fast, divination involve spinning-either on spot or around the object, conjuration involves pulling towards you gestures. Silence spell would act like static noise to the music in the casters head. They adventure to seek inspiration by new people and places, or perhaps they want to dance-dual at every tavern in the realm?
=Elementalist - Has 3 tokens for each element, air/earth/fire/water/void, uses combination of tokens as part of the casting for each spell. So maybe 1 water and 1 earth for cure wounds, then 1 air and 2 fire for flaming sphere. they would seek out elemental items and creatures, they see creatures, objects and the world as made up for combinations of elements. Maybe they work with Genies/Arch Elementals to return them to their former glory.
=Fortune Teller - using bones or cards - they shake/shuffle and bring them forth, announcing the affects on the target, this would work well if they use a different voice from their regular voice when prophesying. they could be scared of constructs since they are created and don't have a 'life path'. Maybe they are seeking more powerful cards/bones that some person/creature has, this allows higher level spells. You could look at astrology daily notes from magazines/online sites to check the language and frequent phrases etc. Seeking crystal balls, deck of many things, magic that augurs fate like legend lore.
=Play Director - Like a film director coaching an actor, they peer at their target and say 'you feel yourself getting cold, like blocks of ice have slid down your spine' and while they say this the caster shivers and rubs their hands as if they were cold, to show the target this is what will happen. They could spend time writing and watching plays, if they losing a battle or are not given enough information they can say 'no I don't like this story-we need more!'. They could keep a journal in the form of a script - 'You need healing? of course you do! you got injured in scene 2 at the goblin caves' but you're a great hero and will not be held back' (healing spell is cast by his narration)
=Scribe - cast either writes on a scroll, a very long one or one new one for each school of magic, or even writes them in the air, with different sigils representing different affects, a sigil for 1 target and another for area of effect, another sigil for healing, another for knowledge. This caster loves to read and learn new languages, active member of each library and calligrapher guilds etc. They may be a teacher or translator in their spare time but on a quest to find an ancient library.
Ideally the DM will throw in two things, one-a rival that has the same or similar style, for you to meet 2-3 times and play off against. And two-a magical item that adds to your casters style.
Aside from the comedic value, the Food Mage serves as an excellent example of giving your character style without getting bogged down in game mechanics.
Describing your caster performing their tasks gives flavor and individuality to the character, which adds to the ongoing story.
- Here are some alternatives using this concept, usable for ANY caster.
=Blacksmith - has a chunk of metal and works it while holding it in front of him with various tools-hammer, chisel etc from tool belt. Maybe he uses different metals for divination/evocation/conjuration spells. Maybe he wears a leather apron and sings a dwarven smithing song while casting. He is looking for new smithing plans, metals and blacksmithing secrets (eg how to forge adamantine weapons and obsidian golems)
=Carpenter - similar to Blacksmith, the caster points a block of wood at target and then uses tools (different shaped/sized knives and saws) from tool belt while envisioning the spell sigils. If its a healing spell maybe they smooth off a rough section. Maybe they wear a flannel shirt and whistle while they work? Maybe they want to work with a variety of woods, or create siege equipment/houses without metal (there are houses in st petersburg that have no nails, all wooden pieces carved to slot in with the other parts). www.loghome.com/russian-logs/
=Dancer - they dance to cast their spells, transmutation spells are fast, divination involve spinning-either on spot or around the object, conjuration involves pulling towards you gestures. Silence spell would act like static noise to the music in the casters head. They adventure to seek inspiration by new people and places, or perhaps they want to dance-dual at every tavern in the realm?
=Elementalist - Has 3 tokens for each element, air/earth/fire/water/void, uses combination of tokens as part of the casting for each spell. So maybe 1 water and 1 earth for cure wounds, then 1 air and 2 fire for flaming sphere. they would seek out elemental items and creatures, they see creatures, objects and the world as made up for combinations of elements. Maybe they work with Genies/Arch Elementals to return them to their former glory.
=Fortune Teller - using bones or cards - they shake/shuffle and bring them forth, announcing the affects on the target, this would work well if they use a different voice from their regular voice when prophesying. they could be scared of constructs since they are created and don't have a 'life path'. Maybe they are seeking more powerful cards/bones that some person/creature has, this allows higher level spells. You could look at astrology daily notes from magazines/online sites to check the language and frequent phrases etc. Seeking crystal balls, deck of many things, magic that augurs fate like legend lore.
=Play Director - Like a film director coaching an actor, they peer at their target and say 'you feel yourself getting cold, like blocks of ice have slid down your spine' and while they say this the caster shivers and rubs their hands as if they were cold, to show the target this is what will happen. They could spend time writing and watching plays, if they losing a battle or are not given enough information they can say 'no I don't like this story-we need more!'. They could keep a journal in the form of a script - 'You need healing? of course you do! you got injured in scene 2 at the goblin caves' but you're a great hero and will not be held back' (healing spell is cast by his narration)
=Scribe - cast either writes on a scroll, a very long one or one new one for each school of magic, or even writes them in the air, with different sigils representing different affects, a sigil for 1 target and another for area of effect, another sigil for healing, another for knowledge. This caster loves to read and learn new languages, active member of each library and calligrapher guilds etc. They may be a teacher or translator in their spare time but on a quest to find an ancient library.
Ideally the DM will throw in two things, one-a rival that has the same or similar style, for you to meet 2-3 times and play off against. And two-a magical item that adds to your casters style.
