The Sage

There are two ways to become a sage - the first - sitting in your tower and reading for the first 3/4 of your life is fine - if you are already rich or have access to a huge and impressive library or research facility. Most of us are not that fortunate and have to work for living - we have to acquire our information where ever we can.

Many sages, for example, started of as scribes and indeed many continue to work as scribes not only to maintain themselves, and their families, but to provide access to the information they crave and desire. Many Trainee Sages work in colleges, libraries or monasteries and work as copyist (making hand written copies of books). You can often see them in their lunch break, or after hours, making a second copy of the work for their own library (indeed many of the unilluminated scripts found in dungeons are eventually traced as the apprentice work of a sage)

Still other trainee sages act as the researcher for an established sage. Sure the sage hires a party of adventurers to find "Dalgarths tomb" but who does he r trust to write it down and make sure it is returned to him. Certainly not an adventuring Mage, he has the ability but is he really that reliable, the Priest could do it, but you can never be sure about the moral stance they will take or when their allegiance to the church will take over. The Thief or the Fighter?- no chance. The sage sends along his apprentice - just to make sure that it is properly returned to them. "By the way don't bother coming back without it" etc etc etc.

Some sages, particularly those who are interested in Flora, Fauna, other cultures or indeed many other areas might wish to collect, or check on the accuracy of, data for them selves. In most cases they are not prepared to spend time away from their other studies - so the send out an apprentice.

Still others, such as the cartographic trainee sage might be commissioned to map out a new area or territory or the geologist might be contracted to help prospect a parcel of land - all to learn (and to live and to eat etc) -

Sages Roll the following dice to determine Ability Scores

Ability

Dice

Range

Strength

d8+7

9-15

Dexterity

3d6

3-18

Constitution

2d6+3

5-15

Intelligence

d4+14

15-18

Wisdom

d6+12

13-18

Charisma

2d6+2

4-14

Perception

3d6

3-18

Sage progress table

Level

XP

spells*

hit dice d4+

1

   

1

2

1250

 

2

3

2500

1

3

4

5000

1

4

5

10000

1,2

5

6

20000

1,2

6

7

40000

1,2,3

7

8

70000

1,2,3

8

9

110000

1,2,3,4,

8

10

160000

1,2,3,4,

8

11

220000

1,2,3,4,5,

8

12

440000

1,2,3,4,5,

8

13

660000

1,2,3,4,5,6

8

Sages use the Wizard’s table for THAC0.

Sage Saving Throws

Level

Paralyzation, Poison, and Death Magic

Rod, Staff or Wand

Petrification or Polymorph

Breath Weapon

Spell

1-4

14

16

15

17

17

5-8

13

12

11

15

13

9-12

11

10

10

14

11

13

11

9

9

13

10

 

Magic

Sages only ever get one spell of each level, they can cast up to 6th level spells but not 7th or Higher. All Sages learn spells in the same way as a Mage does, by studying the spell in a book (this includes priestly spells). Sages will have 1-4 spells of available levels in their books (but possibly not collected together into one spell book).

The sage specialist Knowledge Table shows which schools and sphere a given sage might own spells from. For each Major or Minor field the sage has, she will be able to learn spells from a different school or Sphere. Some specialist Knowledge categories allow sages to add spells from yet another sphere.

Please note that the sage will never have access to more than 4 spells at any given level and can only learn one spell of a given level per day.

Weapons and Armour

Sages do not generally wear armour - but they are intelligent (and wise) enough to know that in some circumstances the wearing of armour could well save their life.

If a Trainee sage is encountered on a mission for their master (or travelling to collect information for themselves), they might well be discovered wearing Leather or Padded Armour. So long as it does not interfere to much with their work they may even be carrying a small shield or a buckler.

Sages often rely heavily on one particular tool - and in many cases become fairly proficient in its use as a weapon. Some sages have even been known to take lesson in the "Use of this Damned Thing" before setting out of a particularly troubling expedition.

They use the Mage’s combat tables

Proficiencies

Sages start with one Weapon proficiency and then progress as wizards. They start with Reading and Writing as a bonus and three other non-weapon proficiency slots. Thereafter they gain one extra non-weapon proficiency slot every 4 levels

 

Weapon Proficiencies

 

Non Weapon Proficiencies

Initial

#Level

Penalty

Initial

#Level

Sage

1

6

-5

3*

4+

* plus bonus proficiency of Read/Write.

+ The sage also gains one bonus non weapon proficiency skill per level, which must be spent according to their areas of interest. The Sage Specialist Knowledge category table shows these bonus NW proficiencies against some fields and some Specialist Knowledge Categories. The slot may be spent on any NWP described in the sage's major, or a minor, field. The sage does not have to wait until the can learn a specialised area before they can learn the NWPs listed against it.

Sages may learn any NW proficiency from the general group at base cost, s/he may also learn any proficiency for which the Relevant Ability is either Intelligence or Wisdom, at base cost, regardless of the proficiency group it is in. Other proficiencies always cost one more slot to learn.

Eg - Mining, Tracking and Herbalism all cost 2 slots for a sage to learn, but so do Pottery, Musical Instrument and Gaming.

Sage Abilities

Sages start with a Major field of interest and add Minor Fields and Special categories as they progress and then have a "Chance to Know" based on their level, or (in general situations) can use the bonus NWPs they have acquired.

Level

Minor Fields

Special Categories

1

 

0

2

 

1

3

 

1

4

 

1

5

 

2

6

 

2

7

1

2

8

1

3

9

1

3

10

2

3

11

2

4

12

2

4

13

2

4

Fields

Human Kind

Demi Human kind

Humanoids and Giant Kind

Physical Universe

Fauna

Flora

Supernatural and Unusual

Specialist Knowledge categories

Human Kind

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

 

Illusion [w]

Art & Music

Artistic Ability/Music

 

Biology

Healing

Healing [p]

Demography

 

 

History

Ancient/Local History

 

Languages

Modern Language

 

Legends & Folk Lore

 

 

Law & Customs

 

 

Philosophy and Ethics

 

 

Politics & Genealogy

 

 

Psychology

 

 

Sociology

 

 

Theology and Myth

Religion

 

 

Demi Human Kind

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

 

Illusion [w]

Art & Music

Artistic Ability or Music

 

Biology

Healing

Healing [p]

Demography

 

 

History

Ancient or Local History

 

Languages

Modern Language

 

Legends & Folk Lore

 

 

Law & Customs

 

 

Philosophy and Ethics

 

 

Politics & Genealogy

 

 

Psychology

 

 

Sociology

 

 

Theology and Myth

Religion

 

 

Humanoids and Giant Kind

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

 

Illusion [w]

Art & Music

Artistic Ability or Music

 

Biology

Healing

Healing [p]

Demography

 

 

History

Ancient or Local History

 

Languages

Modern Language

 

Legends & Folk Lore

 

 

Law & Customs

 

 

Philosophy and Ethics

 

 

Politics & Genealogy

 

 

Psychology

 

 

Sociology

 

 

Theology and Myth

Religion

 

 

Physical Universe

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

 

Elemental [p]

Architecture & Engineering

Engineering

 

Astronomy

Astrology or Navigation

Astral[p]

Chemistry and Alchemy

Alchemy

 

Geography

Direction Sense

 

Geology & Mineralogy

Mining

 

Mathematics

 

 

Meteorology & Climatology

Weather sense

Weather [p]

Oceanography

Sailing or Boating or Swimming

 

Physics

 

 

Topography & Cartogrophy

Navigation and Cartography

 

 

Fauna

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

Animal Lore

Animal[p]

Amphibians

 

 

Arachnids

 

 

Avians

 

 

Cephalopods & Echinoderms

 

 

Crustaceans and Molluscs

 

 

Ichthyoids

Fishing

 

Insects

 

 

Mammals

Animal Handling

 

Marsupials

 

 

Reptiles

 

 

 

Flora

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

Agriculture

Plant[p]

Bushes and Shrubs

 

 

Flowers

 

 

Fungi

Fungus Recognition

 

Grasses & Grains

 

 

Herbs

Herbalism

 

Mosses & Ferns

 

 

Trees

 

 

Weeds

 

 

 

Supernatural & Unusual

Non Weapon Proficiency

Spell Area

 

 

Greater Divination [w]

Astrology & Numerology

Astrology

 

Cryptography

 

 

Divination

Astrology

Divination [p]

Dweomercraft

Spell Craft

Any [w]

Heraldry, Signs & Sigils

Heraldry

 

Medicine

Herbalism

Healing [p]

Metaphysics

 

 

Planes (Astral, Ethereal & Elemental)

 

Astral[p]

Planes (Outer)

 

Astral[p]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sage Chance to Know Tables

For most formal situations sages should consult the tables below when they are asked a question. However, for general use, adventuring and basic questions it might be better for the mage to use the NWP skill s/he has acquired.

Level

Out of Field

Minor Field

Major Field

Special Category

G

S

E

G

S

E

G

S

E

G

S

E

1

4

1

0

6

4

1

8

7

3

10

10

8

2

8

3

0

12

8

3

15

14

7

20

19

15

3

12

4

0

17

12

4

23

21

10

30

29

23

4

16

6

0

23

16

6

31

29

13

41

38

31

5

19

7

0

29

19

7

38

36

16

51

48

38

6

23

8

0

35

23

8

46

43

20

61

57

46

7

27

10

0

40

27

10

53

50

23

71

67

53

8

31

11

0

46

31

11

61

57

26

81

76

61

9

35

13

0

50

33

13

65

58

28

85

80

65

10

39

15

0

54

35

15

69

58

30

89

84

69

11

42

16

0

57

36

16

72

59

31

92

88

72

12

46

18

0

61

38

18

76

59

33

96

92

76

13

50

20

0

65

40

20

80

60

35

100

96

80

G represents a general question, S a specific question and E and exacting question.

Sage Chance to Know modifiers.

Sages rely on time and research material to provide answers, and the percentages given above are correct for a sage who is not rushed and who has access to a complete library. The chances must be multiplied by the following factors when a full library is not present or where the sage is rushed, Library and rushed factors are cumulative. So long as the sage starts off with a chance his percentage can never fall below 1%.

Full Library 1

Partial Library 0.75

No Library 0.5

Rushed 0.75

Very Rushed 0.5

 

A Fifth level sage trying to answer a general question in a specialised knowledge category would normally have a 51% chance to answer correctly. If he was travelling and is deprived of his books his chances are 26% (51*0.5). If he party were attacked, but he was fairly safe his chances would fall to 19% (51*0.5*0.75). If he were in immediate danger it would fall lower still as he would feel very rushed.