Wizard Wizards are a form of spellcaster who learn the art of arcane magic through research and learning . What wizards lack in combat prowess and armor they make up with a broad range of magical spell s and abilities learned through years of practice and training . Through their spellcasting ability powerful wizards can control the battlefield , using spells that affect wide areas , often hindering enemies , while also learning to use powerful ritual s of arcane power . Wizards are generally the best respected of all arcane spellcasters , since they usually have a measure of discipline that is uncommon among other arcane spellcasters , particularly sorcerer s or warlock s whose very nature makes them comparatively unruly . Not all wizards are deserving of this reputation , however , and wizards can be as easily chaotic or evil as any other class . Prior to the Spellplague , wizards as a whole were associated with the good goddess Mystra , whom many worshiped , though Mystra ' s death has ended this . Others worship Mystra ' s evil adversary , Shar , the goddess of darkness , giving them an entirely different reputation . Elminster Aumar , the Sage of Shadowdale , is by far the best - known example of a wizard . Abilities . Wizards have a wide variety of powers called spells available to them , fueled by the arcane energy of the universe . Prior to the Spellplague these powers flowed from the Weave , which was governed by the goddess Mystryl , followed by Mystra , and then by Midnight . Since the Spellplague , magic no longer requires a god ' s governance , though many gods remain associated with arcane magic . A wizard ' s spells differ from those of other arcane spellcasters usually in terms of usage or scale . While a warlock ' s spells are primarily malevolent and a swordmage might use defensive spells that empower themselves a wizard uses their power to control the nature of a battle , a landscape , or even the physical makeup of the universe itself . When in combat , a wizard favors spells that hinder many enemies at once , rather than attacking one or that empower themselves or allies . When casting spells , wizards often use magical implement s such as staff s , orb s , or wand s . These implements concentrate the arcane power in a spell , increasing its effectiveness . All wizards have a degree of specialization in implements , preferring one kind over another . Some take a liking to orbs , which they use to increase the duration of their spells ' effects . Others prefer using wands to enhance their accuracy or staffs to defend themselves . The most basic spells available to wizards are known as cantrip s and require little skill on the part of the wizard in order for them to be cast . Such spells are typically small tricks of magic such as creating a light source , a sound , or moving a small object telekinetically . Wizards are also skilled in the use of rituals , powerful spells that require a significant amount of time and energy to cast , thereby making them impractical in battle but immensely useful in non - combat applications . As with their daily spells ( spells which a wizard can only master once per day ) , wizards keep these rituals written in a spellbook , where each ritual takes up at least a page , with complexity and page length directly proportional to the power inherent in a ritual . Familiars . A familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a sorcerer or wizard . Spell preparation and casting . Wizards cast their spells by using their acquired magical knowledge and experience . In particular , they learn most new spells by seeking out magical writings and copying them into their spellbook s , a method that allows them , unlike bard s or sorcerers , to master any number of permissible spells once they find them , assembling a broad and versatile arsenal of power . Many wizards see themselves not only as spell casters but as philosophers , inventors , and scientists , studying a system of natural laws that are for the most part unknown and undiscovered . This is the common view of a wizard casting : voicing several strange words , utilizing some arcane component ( such as tossing pixie dust into the air ) and perhaps making some sort of quirky hand movement . In actuality every part of the sequence must be exact or else the wizard may miscast , misfire , cast an entirely different spell , or cast nothing at all . School specialization . Wizards may specialize in one or more of eight schools of magic , choosing their specialty early on in their training . This specialization is sometimes required in order to join the ranks of some of the world ' s most prestigious wizards , such as the Red Wizards of Thay , who require all initiates to be specialized in one of the schools of magic . Specialist wizards are treated and regarded as wizards by the world at large in spite of this specialization and many regard themselves as such , though sometimes distinctions are made for diviners , illusion ists , and necromancers . Some Elves , Half - elves and Gnomes in the past practiced " Dualism " , specializing exclusively in two opposing schools to the exclusion of all others . Nonetheless , all of the following are simply considered wizard variants by the magic casting community . Abjurer . Wizards who specialize in abjuration magic , spells which deflect or interact with other spells , are known as " abjurers " . These wizards are usually deliberate and prudent , seeing many other wizard specialists as reckless or wasteful . Abjurers like to be prepared , be it in research or adventuring , and often devote their free time to working out strategies for confronting other arcane spellcasters . Abjurers in battle are not as much a danger to those who forego magic for martial combat but those who use arcane or even divine spells will find abjurers deadly opponents . As aforementioned abjurers are often well - prepared for combating spellcasters of all stripes and are a valuable addition to any team intent on fighting wielders of supernatural abilities . Because of their propensity for deliberant action more abjurers are lawful than not , though any alignment is possible . While abjurer ' s care and disdain for reckless action makes many good some are drawn to their talents by promises of power over other spellcasters . Abjurers only reluctantly adventure and are most often found in small villages where they enjoy the trust and good regards of friends and neighbors . Conjurer . " Conjurers " are wizards who specialize in conjuration , the magical art of summoning and teleportation . Conjurers are often headstrong and disdainful towards other schools of magic , seeing most as weak or inconsequential , with the exception of necromancy , which they hold to be repulsive . Conjurers can be difficult companions since many are so independent - minded that only an unusually strong - willed leader can earn their respect . Stereotypes of conjurers and sorcerers are often similar , with the reputation of conjurers being that they tend to see magic as a blunt instrument . In battle , conjurers do tend to be unflinching in danger , confident in their summoned power to overcome any threat . The typical conjurer is chaotic in alignment and in a reversal of the wizard stereotype favor quick and easy solutions over long and carefully planned out ones . Many are also evil or neutral , unperturbed by paths to power that involve unsavory , evil or outright despicable methods . Most conjurers like isolation , as it means they can carry out their dangerous experiments undisturbed by others and only leave their enclaves either to accumulate more power or the necessary wealth to continue their research . Diviner . Those wizards who specialize in the anticipation of events through time and space , either in the future or a far away location , are known as " diviners " . Diviners are notable for possessing an unusually high wisdom for wizards , with strong and cautious judgment , preferring to use violence only as a last resort . Many diviners are also strong judges of character , with an insightful nature in all matters . Diviners are not necessarily cowards but exhaust all other options before proceeding into combat . While diviners can be useful due to their anticipation of others ' attacks some are irritatingly hesitant , making them nigh useless at times . When forced into battle , diviners are in natural opposition to illusionists , whose tricks they can unravel with their own spells . Because of their deliberate approach to matters most diviners are lawful , though their tendency towards inaction also makes many neutral . Diviners are not often adventurers , in part because of their loner nature , but when they are they are highly valued . Good diviners use their foresight to prevent harm from coming to others while evil ones can use it obtain control over others . Diviners of all stripes often cover their costs by serving as seers or fortunetellers . Enchanter . Enchantment , also known as charming , is the arcane art of influencing or controlling the actions of others and " enchanters " are those wizards who specialize in the school . More than a few enchanters have an unusually high charisma and degree of charm about them for a wizard , possessing a naturally outgoing and attractive personality . Even if they lack charisma however , enchanters can sway the opinions or actions of others - so long as they cast a charm spell first , which draws on their intelligence . Enchanters work with their allies more closely than some of the more single - minded wizard variants and this is one of their strengths . Enchanters use their spells to overcome social obstacles , convince enemies to lay down arms , or put foes into a daze . The most dangerous ability of an enchanter is their ability to turn an enemy into an ally , or vice versa , or to incapacitate an enemy in such a way that renders them as good as dead . Enchanters can be good or evil and have no overall strong alignment tendencies . Overall , enchanters are chaotic over evil , though only by a slim margin . Good enchanters are defined by their restraint when it comes to using enchantments to violate another ' s being ' s free will , while evil enchanters show little such restraint . Enchanters of all kinds enjoy company and typically are found in large cities rather than small communities where their talents are put to little use . Evoker . Evocation magic is a unique blend of arcane magic with the elemental power of creation and those who specialize in it are known as " evokers " . Evokers are often stubbornly determined by nature and have little use for distractions of the real world , living in very often spartan conditions . Many evokers are decisive and forthright , who are sure of what they must do , be it good or evil , giving them many qualities of strong leadership . Evokers are naturally adept at combat , making them some of the most common wizard adventurers . Most evocation spells have an immediately obvious combat application , such as " magic missile " or " fireball " and make evokers valued combatants who often serve as a form of magical artillery on the battlefield . Evokers have no strong tendencies towards law or chaos and both good and evil evokers are common . Good evokers perceive evil as a force that must immediately be opposed by their power and evil evokers find evocation magic a fast and comparatively easy way to power . In spite of the sheer lack of subtlety in many evocation spells , or perhaps because of it , most evokers live in small and quiet homes or even as hermits . This is perhaps for the best and many , sometimes rightly , fear the power evokers can wield . Illusionist . Wizards specializing in illusion magic , known as " illusionists " , are one of the most well - known wizard variants , valued as entertainers in the world . Many illusionists are flamboyant and outgoing , with a streak of hedonism . More creative than most other wizards or even other arcane spellcasters , illusionists as a rule enjoy art of all forms and are less interested in scholarly research and more so in a hands - on approach through experimentation . However , illusionists are not merely clowns and can be deadly adversaries when they choose to be . Illusionists use their power to play tricks on their enemies and toy with them , casting illusive images or sounds that confuse and befuddle the mind of a foe , turning their own senses into a weapon against them . Sometimes an illusion is so powerful and realistic it actually " fools " an enemy into death and injury . Evil illusionists are therefore a very real and often frightening menace . Illusionists are , like all skilled wizards , highly intelligent but they usually aren ' t very reflective . Pragmatically , most accept the impermanence of life in general and see efforts to adhere to a single strong philosophy as futile and as such have no strong alignment tendencies . Necromancer . While many who wield necrotic magic are practioners of shadow magic , necromancy is also a path open to many wizards . Often brooding and humorless these wizards are obsessed with death in a manner most other people find disturbing . Most necromantic wizards approach life with a stoic and thoughtful attitude and can , despite first impressions , be loyal and faithful companions though many prefer solitude . Necromantic wizards , while usually not very sociable , are valued party members . This is in large part due to the sheer lethality of powers wielded by a trained necromancer . Likewise , necromantic wizards have a generally fearless attitude towards death , though not all too often to the point of recklessness , which again increases their value as allies . Evil necromantic wizards by far outnumber good ones , as playing with the forces of death and undeath is hardly something to be done as lightly as many necromancers do . Necromantic wizards often feel an allure to order , but many chaotic examples do exist . Truly unaligned necromancers are extremely rare , since either a necromancer has a strong devotion to good or falls into evil . Most necromancers are loners by nature and when not adventuring prefer to immerse themselves in their research Transmuter . Transmutation is the ability to shape objects ' physical makeup through magic and " transmuters " are those who specialize in the art . Transmuters are typically more curious than other wizards , marked by a fascination with how things go together and are , likewise , torn apart . This makes many transmuters ardent collectors of magical items and artifact s , as well as clear thinkers , though they often lack an insight into " why " things are rather than just " how " . Transmuters have many useful combat applications for their spells , since they can transform the nature of virtually any object . A transmuter might , for instance , transform an enemy into a frog or an ally into a powerful monster . Transmuters can also use their spells to increase the abilities of their allies or themselves , giving them abilities that parallel in many ways those of artificer s , who likewise specialize in manipulating the physical world through magic . Many transmuters are chaotic , since chaos is the very essence of change and transmuters specialize in making things go through such a process . However , lawful transmuters do exist . Good , neutral , and evil transmuters are all roughly equal in number , with good transmuters viewing their abilities as a way to change things for the better and evil ones tend to see morality as an inherently changing and relative concept inconsequential to their work . Transmuters are more adventuresome than other wizards and can often be found exploring the world . Wizard generalist traditions . Some wizards , occassionally known as " generalists , " are less inclined to specialize in the various schools of magic . These individuals instead prefer to use a wide variety of spells , with no limitations on which spells they can or cannot cast other than lack of knowledge . These wizards tend to fall into a number of sub - categories , which are listed below . Control wizard . Favoring battle from as great of a distance as reasonable , control wizards prefer spells that hinder or restrict their enemies rather than those that are particularly deadly . Like all wizards , control wizards are highly intelligent , but they also put a high value upon possessing strong judgment and willpower , which can help control wizards to maintain their spells ' effects for longer periods of time , particularly if they happen to adept at using orbs as implements . Some control wizards prefer to use staffs for the purpose of defense and put an emphasis on their physical fortitude in addition to their mental faculties , so as to make them more durable against their enemies . Many of the spells used by control wizards are from the conjuration or enchantment schools , though not all . War wizard . War wizards , not to be confused with the well known War Wizards of Cormyr , are those non - specialized wizards who prefer power to delicacy . War wizards prefer to use spells that deal damage in large amounts . Many of their spells hail from the evocation school , though others are from the conjuration or transmutation schools . Like their fellow mages , war wizards are highly intelligent but dexterity follows very shortly thereafter in importance , particularly since many war wizards choose to use wands to enhance their accuracy . Other use staffs for the purpose of defense and put a high emphasis on their constitution .