Wizards and artifacts

[Magian]

Wizard artifact idea:

The Iron Throne - a large shard of Mt. Deismaar iron. Grant's a wizard regent connected to it 10+ domain power.

College of Wizardry - many artifacts gathered here lost to the destruction of blah blah blah some artifacts may remain, some warped, and openings in the shadow world rumored, and worse... good luck!

[AndrewTall]

Sweet!

Moving to artifacts would totally change wizard sources imho, I like the idea that wizards are very in tune with nature - they use natural magic of the world, plants, etc while temples use people. Moving to artifacts makes wizardry very disconnected from the world and almost technologicial in some ways - I like the "older" view of wizards as very much part of the world and the "primal" ones - I'd actually have the priests as the ones keen on artifacts and relics compared to the wizards who need nothing beyond the world about them and their will - it fits with my view of temples more (plus I can have them squabble over holy sites even more). Did anyone ever use mebhaighl stones? They're the canon source-artifacts (along with dragon-bones and suchlike).

I note that you could easily allow the druids to have sources equal to their temple level to give them a primal feel (and make it possible to have more than two domains in the highlands to add conflict) - I did that with Karamhul (back in 2e before they could be wizards).

I'd actually expand on BR powers if I had the time not avoid them. One type would have domain level impact, another would be a string of feats, abilities, etc for the blooded (only). That way a scion's blood could impact every level of play rather than being "realm only" or randomly impact one or the other.

[Jaleela]

I prefer the current Wizard attachment to nature, sources and ley lines. I thought that was the point, they had that connection that unblooded magic users didn't have. I look at the Magician class as those who might seek artifacts to boost their power to cast spells similar to realm spells.

To answer the question about mebhaighl stones, yes, I've used them. There are also ten stones beneath the college of sorcery which supply the college wizards their source holding, and one is tainted (shadow world connection). I drew on the work "Shadow Stone" for the chamber description - it was unfortunate that they pushed it from BR to Forgotten Realms.

[Magian]

I agree they shouldn't have moved that story to FGR setting.

Regarding the artifacts and wizards: I feel it is more of a way to "sell" 3e class system of magic-users to the BR player. Perhaps not necessarily so, but in so much as Mr. Baker seems to have bought into the make up of the class differences with 3e wizard and 3e sorcerer. It makes sense to me in this respect. He has spent many years working with that system and looking back at his old BR ideas it seems to be a logical fit.

I like exploring the idea further to see what we come up with.

I do like the idea that true wizards are like the Arthurian Merlin. The interpretation of that I got from the movie Excalibur and the 2nd AD&D Legends and Lore book. In the movie Merlin is mentioned as a necromancer, but more in a natural sense, not the dark foreboding lich type. In the book it gives him wizard and druid levels I think around 18-20th levels each. I haven't look at the book in years, so I could be way off on the levels. Anyway I think they have a connection to the land and nature like previously mentioned but including those elements of life, death, and magic.

There are different types of casters. Elves and dragons seem to be 3e sorcerers as they are natural magic users. The standard D&D wizard seems to use logic and reason and the sharp mind that can memorize. Priests use the divine. Regardless of our interpretations and levels of acceptance of certain systems of magic these basic principles are what BR begins with ranging from 2e to 3e+.

I think regardless of our class system and magic system the artifacts idea is something we can incorporate to any chosen way we play. I am not so much into the idea of using wizards as techno mages, but that doesn't exclude the notion that a particular wizard could travel down that path. Relics with priests seems like a really good idea. I think that artifacts can be expanded in the setting.

Druids I believe can be a mixture of arcane and divine to equate a primal source of magic. Thereby giving them access to temple and source holdings.

Elves and dragons having source access from the dawn of their race.

Wizards can still tap into sources imo, but each wizard can determine the style of their magic and methods used to employ it, therefore determining what kind of wizard they are. Like employing several different methods to arrive at a mathematical solution wizards come in all shapes, sizes, and styles.

Priests very similar to wizards in variety of styles, but focus on a particular deity or pantheon.

So with these foundational concepts pliable for the sake of argument we can attempt to play around with the artifact idea.

[Thelandrin]

In his blog (http://richard-baker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/birthright-campign-setting-reflections.html), Richard Baker wrote about how he would give sources to druids to power their spells and require wizards to use artefacts for realm magic. I think it makes for an interesting read.

[Jaleela]

I know. I don't agree with it. While I think that Druids are both primal and have aspects of divine spellcasters, I don't think that they should be given sole access to sources and ley lines. Sorcerers are natural spellcasters as well, or at least more in tune with the natural magic of the world.

I do like artifacts, but I don't think a MU's power should be completely tied to them.

I think that the Iron Throne could be an artifact, just like the Throne Throne is a living artifact. Perhaps they also act like "blood stones", augmenting the owner's abilities

RB also talked about making the system less about a game of numbers. I think sometimes game mechanics get in the way too much.