Complete A..

The DweomerlistThe single most iconic event of a tournament arcane is thedweomerlist, a test of arcane skill and combative mettlebetween mages. A dweomerlist is an open contest in whichall competing mages are paired against randomly chosenopponents for battle in nonlethal spell duels, to the delightand amazement of all onlookers. Dweomerlists are particularlycommon in feudal magocracies, lands in which themage’s strength is an emblem of her right to govern and herreadiness to serve her lord.A dweomerlist is often structured in several tiers of competitionso apprentices and archmages don’t face off against eachother. The format of the contest is usually a double-eliminationtournament with multiple rounds. While most dweomerlistsrestrict or forbid lethal spells, death and injury are not unheardof. A few notorious mages have gained reputations, in fact, forunwarranted savagery in their tournament duels.Dweomerlists are often seen by competitors and spectatorsalike as opportunities for fame and advancement, andambitious mages seeking wealthy or noble patrons oftenenter as a means of demonstrating their skills to prospectivelords. In some kingdoms, a great dweomerlist is held everyfew years to decide who will be appointed Archmage, RoyalWizard, High Spellguard, or to some similar post. In otherlands, dweomerlists are regarded as outdated and fatuousaffectations, empty of any significance other than determiningarcane bragging rights.ARCANE ORGANIZATIONSIn a world where a relative few possess the ability to slaywith a word, to bend the masses to their will, or to gather thesecret intelligence that might topple thrones, it’s only naturalfor others to seek to steal that power for themselves or suppressits spread. In response, wizards and other spellcastersoften find it advantageous to create associations dedicated tofurthering their art and skill.An arcane organization offers many advantages to a typicalspellcaster, including its availability as a resource for studyand research that allows wizards and other arcanists who keepspellbooks to acquire new spells at no (or low) cost. For arcanistsactive in magical trade, an organization offers a potentialnetwork of buyers and sellers for weapons, wondrous items,and valuable arcane lore. More important, an organizationcan provide a spellcaster with protection. Powerful wizardsguilds serve to shield mages from persecution by those whoresent or fear their power.Wizards GuildsIn general terms, a guild is a professional association whoseprimary concern is fostering the best possible environmentfor those who follow a particular trade. Skilled artisans andexperts of all kinds form guilds in various lands; while magesare fewer in number, their professional needs are much thesame. While people generally refer to such organizations as“wizards guilds,” the term is often a misnomer; many guildsmake no distinction between arcane spellcasters of differentclasses. Alternatively, some guilds are exclusively made upof a single type of nonwizard spellcaster, and are dedicatedto that class’s specific needs.Guilds usually charge a steep membership fee (often 10 to100 gp in monthly dues) in addition to a fee to join. In return,a new member gains the sanction of the guild when castingspells for pay, creating magic items for sale, and engaging inother commercial arcane enterprises. A guild often owns ahall, tower, or retreat where members can reside (at least ona temporary basis), store valuable but unwieldy laboratoryequipment, or make use of a common library. Any magebelonging to a guild can use the guild’s facilities (generallyat nominal cost) for magic item creation and spell research.Some of the most common sorts of wizards guilds includethe following.Protective Guilds: Guilds formed in order to protect arcanespellcasters against the suspicion and distrust of nonwizardsare dedicated to the preservation of knowledge and the studyof the art of magic. Guilds of this sort exist to check theotherwise overwhelming power that a crusading church orsuspicious tyrant might bring to bear against the practicingarcanists of a realm.pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrsWHOSE ILLUSION WAS BEST?To determine the winning effort in a grand illusion contest, His rival Therea is a 13th-level sorcerer who also has Spellassign each entry an artistic value equal to the contestant’s Focus (illusion). She uses major image (3rd level) to create acaster level + the spell level of the illusion (figment) spell used fanciful scene of winged mice dancing with fairies, accompanied+ the result of a Spellcraft check + the result of a suitable artistic by a lively tune. She gets a 24 on her Spellcraft check and a 19 onskill check +1 for Spell Focus (illusion) or +2 for Greater Spell her Perform (string instruments) check. The value of her illusionFocus (illusion). Suitable artistic skills include Craft (painting), is thus 13 + 3 + 24 + 19 + 1, or 60, and Therea is declared theCraft (sculpting), Perform for compositions with auditory components,or other skills as determined by the DM.The numeric value is simply an abstract measurement of howwinner.For example, Seras, a 10th-level illusionist with the Spell Focus impressive and artistically rendered the illusion was from the(illusion) feat, is participating in a grand illusion contest. He perspective of a neutral observer. Since grand illusion judges areuses persistent image (5th level) to recreate a famous dragon rarely neutral, though, hometown wizards often enjoy a significantadvantage over their rivals. The DM may decide to simulateslaying. He gets a result of 29 on his Spellcraft check and a 13on his Craft (painting) check, so the value of the illusion is 10 + this advantage by giving the hometown hero an additional bonus5 + 29 + 13 + 1, or 58.of +1 to +5.pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrsCHAPTER 7ARCANECAMPAIGNS179