Wild mage

NWN requirements

Base Class: Wizard.

General spell school (no specialization)

General information

A wild mage is much like any other spellcaster, specializing in the perusal of codices of arcane lore. But while wizards rely on their practiced discipline and sorcerers and warlocks on natural talent, the wild mage taps into the pure and unknown essence of magic itself to produce a result that even she doesn’t know beforehand.

The trademark trait of the wild mage is her ability to cause wild surges; seemingly random bursts of magic that can result in a plethora of, if not infinite, magical effects. From simply accelerating the wild mage as if replicating the effect from a Haste spell, to turning her into a wolf or summoning a rift demon forth to wreak great havoc on the prime. For good or ill, the wild surges follow the wild mage wherever she goes.

Whether attuned to the spectacular and always shifting forces of chaos, drawing their power from them or entirely unrelated, it remains to the wild mage in question. Reckless or careful, reluctant or willing, sane or insane, wild mages are as varied as the powers they hold, and potentially a walking disaster, or an unassuming hero. Or both.

For their ability to create great disaster, or simply being unpredictable, the wise knows to see them with wary eyes, and the fearful makes no distinction between the wild mage and the warlock. Both are equally dangerous, and both may be a threat after all.

Mechanical information

The wild mage is a wizard path. A character can become a wild mage at character creation, turning the wizard levels into wild mage levels, as long as they have no school specialization. A wizard may become a wild mage by finding the correct semi-secret NPC in the modules, but it will drop the character's level to below 6 (if above).

Wild Mage class abilities

• (Same as wizard)
• Automatically gains Wild Magic passive.
• Automatically gains Chaotic Affinity passive.
• Automatically gains Wild Surge command.
• At level 9, gains Chaos Shield command.
• At level 21, gains Fatidical Manipulation command.

Wild Magic

Whenever a wild mage casts an arcane spell, there's a natural 5% that a Wild Surge will trigger. Whenever this happens, both the spell and the surge will take place, and the spell used will be replenished.

• If the spell is casted from the sorcerer or bard spellbook, the spell will not be replenished.

Chaotic Affinity

The Wild Surges from the wild mage will scale with the level, potentially becoming more effective, lasting and dangerous as the wild mage grows in power. Also, whenever the wild mage casts the spell Prismatic Spray, she will roll twice, affecting the target twice.

• Only the Wild Surges that occur through the wizard spellbook will scale in power.

Wild Surge

-Surge

A wild mage can infuse the next spell with the chaotic energies of his Wild Magic, forcing a wild surge to trigger in the next casting.

• -Surge can only be used once per rest, with an additional use granted each 6 levels, receiving a total of 6 uses at level 30.

Chaos Shield

-Chaos

At level 9, the wild mage's understanding of her strange magic grows to the point she can create a medium defensive aura around herself. For the duration of 1 round/Wild Mage levels, all enemies that enter the aura have 20% to receive a negative effect, and this chance will increase each time it fails, resetting back to 20% once it triggers. The effects are saveless, but they can be negated with spell resistance, spell mantles and the Healer Path's crowd control. These effects are not identical to that of the Surge Table, and some do not scale, depending whether the target is a PC or NPC.

• -Chaos can only be used once per rest.

Fatidical Manipulation

-Fate [number]

At level 21, a wild mage's power has entered the epic threshold, finally gaining a glimpse of true comprehension of the seemingly entirely chaotic forces of her wild magic, taking it in her hands to shape her powers and limit the possible outcomes in the next surge. Using the table of wild magic as reference guide, you can input -fate and the number to get any effect from the number selected to the next seven. In example; using -fate 60 at level 21 would make the next surge be any between 60 to 67. Each wild mage level after 21 will reduce the range by 1, resulting in a perfect surge at level 28, removing all random factor.

• -Fate can only be used once per rest.
• If the selected value goes above 100, it loops back to 1 and so on.
• Gems, gold and teleport surges may not be -fated.

The Wild Surge table

1	Caster is struck with drunkenness.
2	Fireball on Caster.
3	Caster is Held for 3 rounds. No save.
4	Caster is Held for 3 rounds. No save.
5	Caster is polymorphed into a cow. No save.
6	Sunstrike on Caster.
7	Caster is set on fire!
8	A loud noise screams in the Caster's ears.
9	Caster is Held for 2 rounds. No save.
10	Target is Healed.
11	Target is Hasted.
12	Caster accidentally summons forth a demon.
13	Caster accidentally summons forth a Rift demon.
14	Caster is put to sleep.
15	Caster slips and falls.
16	Lightning strikes down on the Caster.
17	Thunderclap on the Caster.
18	Razor-sharp Spikes appear under the Caster's feet.
19	Mass Elemental Shield on Target.
20	Caster summons a rock. It's a nice rock.
21	Caster summons a stupid amount of heavy rocks on Target.
22	Target is sparkling.
23	Mass polymorph: Chicken on Caster.
24	Caster is Deafened. No save.
25	Caster is teleported to target location.
26	Imprisonment spell on Caster.
27	Caster is struck with hunger!
28	Caster is struck with thirst!
29	Random polymorph fog on Caster.
30	Half the Caster's gold is destroyed!
31	Caster summons forth a herd of while rothes!
32	Caster summons an exploding cow.
33	Target becomes invisible.
34	Caster sparkles. A lot!
35	Caster starts to glow.
36	Butterflies. Butterflies everywhere. Ah!
37	Target glows. Even more glow!
38	Caster summons a snow storm. But only if outside!
39	Caster is stuck by Mindfire disease.
40	Slow spell on Caster.
41	Caster summons an exploding cow herd!
42	Caster is put to sleep for 3 rounds. No save.
43	Caster is struck by panic!
44	Caster is cursed. No save.
45	Caster is silenced - mostly - for a random duration.
46	Caster temporarily forgets how to cast spells!
47	Caster starts to laugh. Laugh a lot.
48	Spell turning! The spell mirror backs to the Caster.
49	Strange noises echo.
50	Caster temporarily gets a random elemental immunity.
51	Fireball on Target. Caster Immune.
52	Slow on Target. Caster Immune.
53	Caster is polymorphed into a wolf!
54	Fear on Target. Caster Immune.
55	Hindsight! The Caster can see everything.
56	Super Improved Invisibility on Caster.
57	Gems! Caster makes gems rain!
58	Caster becomes a true fighter.
59	Caster is granted uber spell resistance.
60	Heal spell lands on Caster.
61	Target is turned into Stone.
62	Sunstrike on Target. Caster Immune.
63	Target is blinded!
64	Target is charmed!
65	Target is slowed! No save.
66	Target is polymorphed into a cow. No save.
67	Mass Daze on Target. Caster Immune.
68	Target is polymorphed into a zombie. No save.
69	Haste Spell on Caster.
70	Caster summons forth a Djinni (Make a wish!)
71	Gold rains on the Caster!
72	Mass Stun on Target. Caster Immune. No save.
73	Web on Target. Caster Immune.
74	Target is struck by Sleep. No save.
75	Lightning strikes down on Target.
76	Super Thunderclap Spell on Target.
77	Razor-sharp spikes appear under Target's feet!
78	Damage Shield on Caster.
79	Iceskin Spell on Caster.
80	Mass Polymorh: Chicken on Target! Caster immune.
81	Super Speed on Caster.
82	Super Mass Energy Buffer on Caster.
83	Caster is granted extra health!
84	Imprisonment spell on Target!
85	The nearest trap disarms itself!
86	Destroy half the Target's gold.
87	Lightning Storm spell!
88	Grease spell on Target. Caster Immune.
89	Harm spell on Target.
90	Caster summons forth a powerful Elemental Monolith!
91	Caster acquires phantomlike powers and form!
92	Caster summons forth a powerful Elemental Monolith!
93	Wrathful Castigation spell on Target!
94	Caster casts the same spell, again!
95	Double Surge! Double Effect!
96	A tiny volcano erupts from the ground!
97	Burst of Glacial Wrath spell on Target!
98	Disintegrate spell on Target.
99	Blasphemy Spell on Target.
100	Avascular Mass spell on Target.

Roleplaying Tips

The following are tips. Not rules, there's nothing mechanically enforced.

• Wild mages are not necessarily wizards. This can have many interpretations, as assuming they are wizards with Wild Mage on top of them as a prestige class, or being purely their own class.
• Be prepared to make things as you go, and roll with the punches. You are going to get punched... a lot.
• Other characters may see Wild Mages with wariness. If your character is secretive or careful, try to limit your spellcasting.
• But otherwise, don't be afraid to let your class truly show. Surge! Make mistakes! Hurt people! And always be prepared to deal with the consequences! You are a Wild Mage, keep the boat rocking and people at the edge of their seats with your unpredictability!

Wild Mage by the Books

The Wild Mages have appeared several times in many editions of Dungeon and Dragons. The Wild Mage path is not the same from the books; it is indeed based on it, but that's as far as the similarities go, and therefore the lore behind Wild Mages from the books is not to be taken as an actual reflection of Arelith's Wild mages.

For instance, in Complete Arcane, Wild Mages could be any arcane casting class, it was a prestige class, and required chaotic as alignment.

Wild Mages, by Complete Arcane

Magic is one of the most capricious and unpredictable of all natural or supernatural forces in the universe. Attempts to codify spellcasting through arcane formulas, or to impose order on magic through the force of will, are essentially pointless—or so wild mages believe. Instead, those who would truly master magic must forget what they know and abandon their willful control of the arcane. Within this paradox lies the awesome power of wild magic.

The wild mage aspires to cast spells without structure. By taking the risk of substituting an element of randomness, she gives up the safe predictability of other arcane spellcasters. This risk allows for the potential of power greater than other casters can hope for. Of course, she also risks the potential for less power, but what is magic if not risky? Chaos is strong, and her magic often carries her to heights of power that other casters cannot reach—but chaos is also fickle, and her spells sometimes fall short of her expectations. In addition, from time to time her spells unfold in spectacular wild surges that might prove catastrophic to the wild mage and her companions. The wild mage accepts this as the price of her convictions.

Sorcerers are naturally intrigued by the study of wild magic. The act of unchaining their spells from the safeguards and controls built into these time-honored formulas appeals to many of them. One might suppose that few wizards would be drawn to the spontaneity and unpredictability of wild magic, but in fact many wizards do become wild mages, seeking to explore and harness the power of chaos.

Wild mages tend to be solitary innovators. They have little contact with their fellow spellcasters, since wild mages can’t really learn from them. Rumors persist of a secretive Prismatic Cabal of wild mages who cloister themselves within the depths of Limbo to experience the power of chaos firsthand.

Capricious and powerful, NPC wild mages act much like chaotic sorcerers and wizards. Some are heroes who join parties crusading against tyranny and evil, while others are villains who revel in the chaos of destruction and disaster. A few wild mages (generally not good-aligned ones) believe that the power of their magic increases as the amount of chaos and uncertainty in the world around them rises, and therefore they bend their efforts toward instigating catastrophes of all kinds

Notes

• The Wild Surges are identical to the ones happening due to Faerzress interference, but only the ones from the Wild Mage will scale in power with the Wild Mage's level.
• Wild Surges can only happen through casted spells; never spells from items or abilities that replicate spells.
• Wild Surges can happen through any arcane spell casted, but their power is always tied to both the Wild Mage level and the wizard spellbook.
• For the Wild Surge table, surges between 1 to 49 are considered usually negative, and 50 to 100 usually positive.
• The used abilities will not reset with server jump - they will, however, do so with death.

External links

Table of wild magic.

Neverwinter Nights wikia wizard article.