In this post, I’ll draw up a second/professional level wizard for players to use when they don’t have a character ready to play. Characters get to buy one of each type of character element per level, so we will add two more attribute points, skill points, and perks in each section. In addition, the PC will get two hero points to spend at the beginning of each day.

The character concept is a fun mental exercise; just make suggestions about a character you think would be interesting to play. It’s pretty easy to tie your character elements, which you determine later, to your concept, and you can come back and change your concept at any time.

Character concept: Merl the mage was a merchant’s son who, when the local master of magic found that Merl was the last remaining boy around who could count all ten fingers, became the master’s apprentice. The master’s previous apprentices had all met gruesome ends or fled his service. Unlike his peers, Merl easily learned the lessons that the master taught, and took the master’s place as sage-for-hire when his master completely disappeared one day. Since business has been slow, Merl has discarded the incorrect name given by his home village (Merl the Mage), he has taken up cause with the Guild, and renamed himself the Shadow Wizard.

Now we’ll shape some parts of the character concept into a goal, flaw, and heroic feature for hero points.

Goal: buy a landholding with Guild income and return to the “safe” practice of service as a sage.
Flaw: being a wizard’s apprentice made Merl socially awkward, and his magic draws attention in inconvenient ways.
Hero points: creates shadow to help him hide or “disappear.”

Now that we know who the wizard is, we can pick out the remaining character elements with relative ease.

Of his three attributes, Physical is probably the weakest (8). He’s quick to learn and he’s knowledgable, so his highest score goes to Mental (12), so the middle score is Metaphysical (10). We’ll add his two bonus points to Metaphysical to model his years of magic training.

Attribute Scores: P 8, M 12, MP 12
Bonuses: P -1, M +1, MP +1

It’s a good idea for wizards to know at least one spell, so Merl gets a skill point in Magic (Fog 1). Fog 1 has the effect of hampering vision, which is perfect for a shadowcaster. As a one-time sage, Merl probably knows a lot, so his second skill point will buy a point of Knowledge (Scholarship).

Skills: magic (fog 1), knowledge (scholarship)

Good perks for wizards are the ones that make spellcasting (power usage) easier, so Merl gets Mystic Ward to reduce his casting damage, and Spell Implement so he can use more spells without needing additional skill points.

Perks: mystic ward, spell implement (wand)

Merl probably has an assortment of small wizardly accoutrements, but his significant items (his Equipment) offer a little defense (dagger and buckler), and the last is his implement: a magic wand that lets him cast three more spells (at the cost of a conflict action).

Gear: short sword d6, buckler (parry 2), wand (armor 1, hold 1, telekinesis 1)

Now the “Shadow Wizard” has all of his character elements. He uses his keen intellect and scholarship skill to solve problems, especially if there’s a reward for it. He helps out in battle with his Armor and Hold spells, but won’t hesitate to use Fog or a Hero Point to escape situations that are better suited to warriors.

Character sheet:

Merl, “Shadow Wizard”, level 2
Concept: Merl the mage was a merchant’s son who, when the local master of magic found that Merl was the last remaining boy around who could count all ten fingers, became the master’s apprentice. The master’s previous apprentices had all met gruesome ends or fled his service. Unlike his peers, Merl easily learned the lessons that the master taught, and took the master’s place as sage-for-hire when his master completely disappeared one day. Since business has been slow, Merl has discarded the incorrect name given by his home village (Merl the Mage), he has taken up cause with the Guild, and renamed himself the Shadow Wizard.
Goal: buy a landholding with Guild income to be a sage again
Flaw: draws unwanted attention with his magic
Hero points: uses shadow to disappear
P 8, M 12, MP 12
Skills: magic (fog 1), knowledge (scholarship)
Perks: mystic ward, spell implement (wand)
Gear: dagger d4, buckler (parry 2), wand (armor 1, hold 1, telekinesis 1)