Infamous 1e Class Guide: Magic-Users

 Introduction

Magic-Users, or Mages are typically the most iconic class of 1st edition D&D. 1st edition Magic-User is the reason why modern D&D games have the meme of the wizard dying to 1d4 anything damage, which is completely stupid in modern games, but I guess 1st edition Mages are just that legendary. You see, unlike in modern generations of D&D, the spells of the Magic-User increase in potency with the level of the Magic-User in question, whereas modern editions expect you to cast a spell simply using a higher spell slot level. In 1st edition, Fireball does 1-6 damage for each level of the Magic-User, so when its obtained at 5th level it deals 5-30 damage. Though their combat spells are quite powerful, such as Magic Missile, Strength, Haste, Fireball, and Lightning Bolt, the true power of the Magic-User lies within the utility spells found within the Players Handbook.

Infamous Magic-User: The Most Painful Level in the Game

In Infamous, Magic-Users are actively nerfed at lower levels, as they quickly become the most powerful class in the game later on. Upon closer inspection it may not actually be a complete nerf and more of a rework, but they definitely have their advantages and disadvantages compared to normal MU.

An Infamous Magic-User learns his spells by level in accordance with the number of spell slots achieved. This means a 1st level MU only knows 1 spell, and can prepare and cast that spell but once per day. The upside here is that unlike in standard games, the first spell may be selected without restriction. Remember that the Read Magic spell is not required for an Infamous Magic-User to cast spells. Level 1 undoubtably hurts to play, as your character is often borderline useless outside of making perception rolls. Just remember that the initial spell you select can be the difference between life or death in the party. Early on, Sleep is an amazing choice as its sort of a "Get out of wilderness combat free" card you can play at any given time. It allows for a group of low level monsters, (or NPC characters) to potentially fall completely asleep for 5 whole minutes per level of the Magic-User. another great option is Charm Person, a spell that does give the recipient saving throws periodically to break the spell, however characters with average intelligence, (this is a 7-9 in Infamous,) will only make one saving throw against the spell but once per month. This means the spell could potentially last several months, unless cast against highly intelligent characters. (This would be the opposing Magic-User for example.) Another great spell to take at level 1, though it is highly situational, is Nystul's Magic Aura. This spell allows the caster to place an enchantment on just about any object. The nature of this enchantment is simply that it appears as though it is highly magical, but is not identifiable as anything else. Characters holding the enchanted object in their hand are entitled to a saving throw versus the spell, but otherwise the enchantment is undetectable. It only lasts a day per level of the caster, but it has some potentially great uses. For instance, placing the spell upon the door of your tavern room would make it appear as though it had some magical trap upon it, or casting it upon your weapon will make you appear as though you are significantly more powerful than you really are. Finally, and perhaps the most obvious use for the spell would be to enchant something like a dagger and sell it to someone, claiming it to be magical. In 1st edition, you gain 1 experience point per gold piece acquired, and selling a magical dagger to someone might be very profitable, especially if that person is wealthy enough, though lacking sufficient knowledge of magic. This could potentially allow you to even skip the first level of Magic-User, going up to level 2 in only a few days of scamming people. The only drawbacks the morally questionable practice of scamming people, and the incredible consequences you may have to face should the scam fail.

Play It Right!

The more levels you gain in Magic-User, the more powerful you become. As you amass a greater collection of spells, you gain more and more ways to solve problems, tricks up your sleeves, and more methods of mass destruction. You will undoubtedly become one of, if not THE scariest threat your opponents have ever faced, and that's nothing to take lightly. However, one of the most important parts of playing this class is to NEVER let this go to your head. You're still just one character, even if you're capable of demolishing battalions on a whim. You are ONE PERSON, and though your power may be immense, you must realize that your team is just as crucial to your survival as your spellbook. Without Fighters on the front lines, YOU become an even bigger target than you already are (more on this later,) due to the lack of frontliners posing immediate threat. Without Clerics, you have no means of keeping your biggest threats in check, as without a Cleric, there's not a lot standing in the way of the opposing Magic-Users or archers to do away with you in a single round. Not to mention, without a Cleric, when you go down (and you inevitably will,) you'll need someone to get your frail body back on its feet. Your Thief is also excellent at making up for your potential lack of spells, as their skillset can easily function instead of a lot of your utility in a pinch. In addition, Thieves are great at getting places you could never dream of reaching, due to being much more willing to take risks that you can't afford to take. In addition to this, a Thief is still a great way to dispatch the opposing Magic-User, so bear that in mind when a distraction might be the best course of action!

The Spellbook, and Acquiring Spells

Magic-Users are well known and renowned for their mysterious and magical spellbooks. You will begin the game with a spellbook with any possessions roll over 10, so you will begin the game with your spellbook. If you do not begin the game with a spellbook, or you wish to obtain one later in the game, they often must be purchased from something like a magic shop, or from a particularly wealthy library. When you begin the game with a spellbook, it is assumed that the character has spent an extended time studying the sciences of magic. This spellbook will be filled with multiple incomplete spells, spells that you will gradually begin to compete as the game progresses. When you level up, it is assumed that you have completed one or multiple spells from your book, allowing for these spells to be prepared and cast. You also may copy spells into your book from elsewhere in the world. All Magic-Users have a different form of magical cypher that they write in, as all written spell follow a much more general form of magical study notes, rather than a concrete process on casting the spell. To copy a spell from another caster's spellbook, a Magic-User must first cast the Read Magic spell, or have a Reading Magic proficiency in order to translate the other casters' gibberish into your totally refined and sensical magic script. Then, a Write spell must be cast in order for the spell to be properly and reliably copied. The Write spell will cost the user an amount dependent on the spell's level, and dependent on how expensive your DM will make the special inks required to copy spells. In Farvion, the rate of "Tears of Milot" is often 15 gold pieces per vial, with one vial containing enough ink to copy one level of a spell. Higher level spells require further notes on casting, thus they require more ink.

Preparing Spells

Similar to their Clerical counterparts, Magic-Users must prepare all their spells in advance for the day. Each individual casting must be prepared by the Magic-User in advance before casting. This is because there is no simple formula for casting a spell. As stated above, each individual has his or her own special magic cyphers, which are often completely unique in their design to a Magic-User. Spells are fragile things, as even a single interruption in concentration will completely cease the casting of the spell. As such, great care must be taken in the casting of a spell. Even the slightest changes may make a spell cease to function, for instance, a difference in temperature, humidity, or climate. For these reasons, a Magic-User must prepare in advance each individual casting of each spell in order to account for these slight changes. This is the reason for a Magic-User having to re-prepare each individual spell each day.

The Outstanding Utility of Arcane Spells

Magic-User, as the name would suggest, is known for its use of magic. The powerful spells available to these classes would not only rival that of Clerical spellcasting, they often are outright more useful than Cleric spells, or at least they are more powerful out of combat. Clerics' ability comes into play during combat more often than not, and while Magic-Users do have powerful combat spells, they are by no means a combat-centered class. Of the many powerful and useful spells available, the ones that stick out the most will be mentioned here, as the correct choice of Magic-User spell alone could potentially make or break a party as the opportunity to pick a spell arises.

The first of these that shall be discussed is the 2nd level spell: Invisibility. This spell, as its name suggests makes its recipient completely invisible, along with the gear in the target's possession. Especially useful is the notion of permanent invisibility, the spell granting such near limitless potential. Invisibility is never dispelled until either (A,) it is dispelled through magical means, (B,) the spell is canceled by the Magic-User who cast it, or (C,) the recipient of the spell attacks any other creature, in any way. This spell, when cast upon even the simplest of things can be ludicrously effective, and is sure to bring open new opportunities for the party through its use. It's immense power leaves the Magic-User capable of much greater things than what was once possible before 3rd level, as the sheer utility of Invisibility is a force to be reckoned with on its own.

The second spell to be mentioned is another spell of 2nd level, Strength. This spell doesn't quite provide the endless ability that Invisibility provides, but it certainly makes up for it with the raw power it can provide. Simply put, this spell increases its recipients' Strength stat. The amount increased is dependent on the class it is cast upon, being most effective on Fighters. This could allow for your once-normal Strength Fighter to obtain Demigod levels of power, being able to even rip trees from their stumps. Another use would be to increase the Strength of a less combat oriented class, to provide that character more use in a combat scenario. This would be casting Strength upon a Charisma Fighter, Cleric, or even a sword-oriented Thief. These classes can quickly be brought from weaker classes not capable of fighting, to absolute powerhouses able to threaten even the more dangerous wilderness encounters.

Haste is another combat boost spell, being of 3rd level instead of 2nd. It's higher level is more than compensated for by the sheer terror of watching your fellow Fighter decent a hill at jaw-dropping speed, and taking out 2 orcs within the same round. Put simply, this spell allows affected creatures to function at double their movement and attack rates. It has two big drawbacks, being that characters with a low Constitution stat are likely to be killed by the shock of such power, as well as the accelerated flow of time immediately aging the recipient(s) one year. This is a risky spell to use, but can potentially save your party should it be required.

Suggestion is another 3rd level utility spell, being a very special spell that allows the caster to simply use hypnotic suggestion upon someone, allowing for the Magic-User to bend that persons mind to make them believe that an ordinary suggestion is a more valuable input than logic, or reason. In fact, that person (if they fail a saving throw) will always follow this command, unless is would be actively self-harming to do so. For instance, "Throw yourself onto a Spear!" won't work, but "The people you think are your friends are really planning to kill you. Act now, strike before they do!" would work just fine.

Another incredibly useful 3rd level spell is Protection From Normal Missiles, which simply protects the user and his party from ALL arrow attacks. This wouldn't be nearly as impressive if the Magic-User wasn't a class easily countered by archers, (Dexterity Fighters,) making this a great way to ensure one's safety.

The last spell to be mentioned here is the 4th level spell, Dimension Door. Simply put, this spell lets the Magic-User teleport a short distance with perfect accuracy. The Magic-User always will arrive in the spot desired, allowing for the caster to teleport out of trouble whenever necessary. This could be teleporting from a jail cell to a room in the Inn, teleporting out of a dangerous scenario, or simply getting somewhere you shouldn't be able to reach. The biggest benefit of this spell is simply that it only requires Verbal spell components. This means that should you cast this spell, all you need to pull it off successfully is to be capable of speech. This allows the character to escape being bound in chains, tied to a chair, etc. This spell has one downside, being that you (and any other living beings transported via this spell) are stunned upon teleportation, so you'll really need to plan out your destination with this spell. Nonetheless, this spell is immensely powerful, and is a very helpful addition to your team.

Fireball: A Taste of True Power

In the more modern editions of Dungeons & Dragons, Fireball is what spellcasters are known for the most. While in 1st Edition, Fireball specifically isn't strictly the only spell of its power, it is definitely one of the more versatile weapons of mass destruction available to an adventuring party. Simply put, if you've got 3 segments (18 seconds) to spare, you've got yourself a radius explosion at the ready, dealing XD6 damage, where X = the level you are as a Magic-User upon casting the spell. Unlike modern editions, the fact that it does take an entire 18 seconds to fully cast means you can't just cast it out of nowhere, but its damage can be absurd, both in hit points and in structural damage, to anything it hits. This kind of power is what many begin the game as a Magic-User hoping to obtain, and once you reach 5th level MU, and have attained your 3rd level spell, you have your little radius of pure hellscape.

The Weaknesses of Magic-Users
While it is clear that one of the greatest weaknesses of this class is its lower levels, it has great frailty even at its highest levels. For instance, Magic-Users have very little in terms of armor. They are allowed no armor or shielding, and they can't do much about this other than the Shield spell, which has a fairly short duration. They have a strong weakness to arrows, as their low hit points and lack of armor makes them a prime target for archers. They are undoubtably the most powerful class if they can get a strong build, but this also makes them the biggest target for any class. They are prone to the Thief's backstab, Cleric's Hold Person, even the Magic Missiles of other Magic-Users. Pick your battles carefully, as without your spells you don't have much going for you. You get the lowest number of proficiencies of any class, and cannot be relied upon nearly as much as a Fighter for out of combat proficiencies. This is where your spells should be coming in, as what you lack in skills you should be making up for with Spellcasting.

Magic-User: Research of the Arcane
Like the other classes, Magic-Users gain the ability to create classes and spells at higher levels. Spell research can be done at any point of the game, granted the Magic-User requires access to a great library, several expensive tools and components, and occasionally the use of a powerful Artifact of sorts will also be necessary. As for the creation of Magic-User classes, 11th level (Wizard) must first be reached in order for this to be possible. Access to some kind of magical Artifact on which the class is to be based is also a requirement, and can either be one of the easiest to complete, or the most difficult, depending on the abilities of the class to be created. As always, all spells, abilities, and everything else must first be run by your DM to make sure he's okay with this class being implemented. This class is also subject to change by the DM should certain things be deemed overpowered or in need of changes. Other than that, the sky's the limit with custom Magic-User classes.

 At Higher Levels...

When a Magic-User reaches the 11th level, one gains the ability to enchant items and scribe magical scrolls with the spells known and practiced by the character. This is rather unclear as to how long these take, with simply "weeks to months" being all the information given by the Player's Handbook. It is also mentioned that this is very costly, with no specific details given on cost. In Infamous, it is very hard to come across the materials required for scribing or enchanting, as items such as monster organs, special gems, and other oddities aren't exactly available at the local pawn shops. When coming across such rarities, it is advised that the Magic-User store and keep track of these, as they very well may become very useful later on. Upon taking the +Mystic Alchemy proficiency (with Basic Alchemy as a requirement,) these curiosities are further useful as components for the creation of magical potions, which the Magic-User specifically might be better at than other classes with this skill.

Conclusion
Magic-Users can be either the strongest class, or the weakest depending on the spells he has prepared, the situation at hand, and the creativity of the player. Use your spells wisely and sparingly, but never risk letting a team member die to save a spell slot. You are next to nothing without your party, so don't be afraid to let your other party members have the spotlight every once in a while. Be cautious, and have your spellbook ready at all times.