Wandism

## **A Secret Whose Time Has Come**

Wandism is a skill, a talent, some would say a feat. It is definitely a class and a profession. There are thoughts that it rose after the 1465 release of ***Wands of Casting***. The truth is that Wandism started to *circulate* after 1465, but it had been used de rigueur in House Stonehearth for decades. Maybe longer.

The exact origin and story of Wandism, like that of Wands of Casting, may never be fully revealed. They won't say why, though it doesn't take a genius to figure out there are still secrets hidden in that story. Secrets that House Stonehearth and House Sid aren't yet ready to reveal.

What has been revealed has shaken the world. Perhaps that is enough, for now, as the world struggles to learn what it means. Just holding a Wand of Casting is enough to shake even the most jaded of mage.

Therein lies the true power of Primal Magic.

### **Three Modes of Assistance**

A Wand of Casting can be utilized by an arcane caster with just a few hours of acclimatizing to the nature of the raw magic held within the power crystal. For most mages who ever pick up such a wand in that way, the game is forever changed. They don't need, nor want, the noise of Wandism.

This was the original intent behind the Wands: to be a new form of primal power through which the art and science that mages had already studied could now be *unleashed*.

The second mode was what started as the accidental mode. This is the mundane person's sudden enlightenment. This is the ability to feel the magic in a wand and learn how to think through it. When thought passes through unfiltered magic, it listens. It is responsive. It follows commands in the way the Wandist orders.

This isn't learning "spells" in the traditional fashion. People *do* become sensitized to magic, but without the crystal, they don't command it. In that respect, the second mode of Assistance, the primary manifestation of "Wandism," counts as a very flexible, very powerful "spell-like ability."

The third mode of assistance is *something else*...

It is a kind of connection that a scholar or specialist achieves when their consciousness has attuned to the wavelength of raw magic. There are things in that connection that are still secret to the greater world, but what is known is that this isn't simply the extension of conscious thoughts, it's a fusion of *self* made of the same stuff as the *Ki* of monks or the *Psi* of mentalists.

This has led to the rise of Wandists as a class, a magical profession as steeped in the arcane as any mage or sorcerer. Even now, in the libraries and laboratories of Stonehearth, arguments between magical theorists come to blows over what this means.

## **Wandism**

In the last two decades, Wandism has seeped out of Houses Stonehearth and Sid to capture the imaginations of the Marquisate, the greater Commonwealth and most of Toril. It is a legitimate form of arcane practice, though it is tethered to a magically-powered device. Without inherent spellcasting, the 2m and 3m forms, there is question by some about validity – though that's admittedly a difficult question to answer (especially when the Wandists have a wand in hand).

The Second-mode form is quickly spreading among the non-arcane classes in the Marquisate, supplements to whatever they normally do as a profession. From farmer to metalsmith, 2m Wandism opens raw arcane power to get work done.

The Third-mode form is rare – but its existence is common knowledge. It can be learned at specialty schools throughout the marquisate, with students filling a similar capacity to wizards and sorcerers. 3m practitioners are coming known as "wandslingers" – and are finding a growing place among the Private Military Contractors serving the marquisate.

Like crystal-powered devices themselves, Wandism technically extends to any "[DEVICE] of Casting" – with rods, scepters, and staffs all filling similar (and often more powerful) capacities. How each device is used may vary depending on the spells cast, though for Wandists, a small acclimation will allow utilization.

### **Theory and Practice**

Technical Wandism, what will be discussed here, are the Second-mode (2m) and Third-mode (3m) forms. They are, in order, a demi-class and a prestige class.

Both 2m and 3m Wandism can be learned by *anybody*, but capacity is highly dependent on the ability scores of the character. It isn't traditional spell casting, but rather visualization propelled by intention through the power of the arcane crystal. The more the caster knows the science and/or physics behind what they want to happen, the more efficiently they can utilize their magic.

The visualization is provided by a character's Wisdom. The intention is provided by a character's Charisma. The efficiency is directly commensurate with their Intelligence. For both 2m and 3m Wandists, this combination of ability scores affects every aspect of their grasp and power.

## **1m Wandism**

This was what ***Wands of Casting*** (WoC) were originally designed for: to be a power source for Weave-based casters to be able to maximize their casting potential. Unlike dedicated-function wands, a *WoC* had no inherent programmed spells, but allowed trained arcane casters – *both Weave and Primal* – to cast whatever spells they've memorized through it. There are two key points:

* The power of the wand itself regulates the power of the cast spells. To be able to cast a level-2 spell, it has to be a level-2 wand.
* The recharge rate is one cast per round for most versions of the wand.
* For rechargeable wands, each wand has a maximum capacity that it can contain with its Arcane Energized Crystal.

Basic models of the wand can be produced inexpensively, especially for the quasi-magic version.

As long as the WoC has charges, the trained/attuned caster can cast their known spells through the wand.

### **Special Features**

Beyond durability and style/ornamentation, there are several factors which affect WoC price and availability.

* One Spell, Multiple Levels: A slightly more complicated build allowed lower-level spells to be cast at higher level. Similar to the common caster practice, such a wand had similar restrictions: to be able to cast a level-1 spell as a level-2, the wand has to be a level-2 device.
* There were a myriad of power methods: from mythallar-powered to the Arcane Energized Crystals, to permanently enchanted.
* Other expense factors include durability, style, and cast power and max charge power.
* Enhanced X models work with the attuned user to be a memory assist, allowing "X" number of additional cantrips to be memorized and cast exclusively through the wand.

## **2m Wandism**

Second-mode Wandism is a device-dependent casting adjunct to the primary class of the character. The traits come together to form the foundation, upon which the character draws on their overall experience for the total number of spells available.

There are two paths for 2m: *Untrained* or *Trained in* *Arcana*. 2m (Untrained) essentially amounts to a heavy-duty Feat, while 2m (Trained) equates to a demi-class.

Subjects born in the Marquisate are part of a system of compulsory education, and are trained in Arcana. Halruaa has a similar but less comprehensive system and is considering adopting Stonehearth best practices.

### ***Untrained***

A person untrained in Arcana, any of the myriad of immigrants, for instance, who purchase a *Wand of Casting* will be limited in what they can do, but most will never feel the need to move beyond the few cantrips available to them via the wand.

Upon purchase of possession of a wand, and a chance to experiment with it, the first exploration is always learning initial attenuation to the wand. This is essentially *feeling* through the wand. As such, the new wand user will figure out *Mage Hand* in [d6/INT modifier] hours. Learning *Mage Hand* does not count against the total number known.

* The untrained but well-practiced Wandist may reinvent cantrips upon personal experimentation.
	+ Experimentation focused toward a particular effect: d20/INT mod hours.
	+ Example: Wizzlefizz the Tinker has recently figured out *Mage Hand* and knows he can do more. He starts experiment on feeling the fire of his lamp through the wand. He has an INT of 15 and rolls a d20 for a <10>, and divides by 2. He figures out the *Produce Flame* cantrip in 5 intensive hours.
* **Number of spells learnable:** CHA bonus + WIS bonus \* existing class level/2.
	+ Example: Bob "The Battleaxe" Bastage, a Level-12 Fighter, is getting too for this [stuff]. He purchases a *Wand of Casting* as a utility tool for his adventures. His Wisdom is 9 and Charisma is 10. *0+0\*12/2*=*bummer.* Fortunately, there is a minimum capacity*.*
	+ Minimum capacity 1 new per 5 levels; i.e.: 2 spells at level 10, 3 at 15.
		- While Bob is new to operating a *Wand of Casting*, but he can leverage his life experience (level 12), to learn 2 additional cantrips. He feels the capacity to learn and practices *Mending* (because if that [EXPLETIVE] shield strap breaks again...) and *Prestidigitation* so he can easily light torches and campfires. Over the course of a few days, he'll pick those up.
* **Number of spells/day can cast:** unlimited, as long as they have a powered wand.

### ***Trained in* *Arcana***

A person trained in Arcana may not necessarily be a wizard, sorcerer or caster of any sort, but a little knowledge opens doors on *how to look for more*. Even those trained in Arcana may never feel the need to move beyond a handful of cantrips, but if they do... *they can*.

This, as a point of Earth pop-culture reference, would the rough equivalent to most of the J.K. Rowling Wizarding World who attended Hogwarts (and were trained in Arcana), while going on to a profession that may utilize magic but doesn't focus on it. Somebody who works at the Rosa Lee Teabag or Sugarplum's Sweets Shop would likely be a *Trained 2m Wandist*.

Upon purchase or possession of a *Wand of Casting*, and a chance to experiment with it, the first exploration is their initial attenuation to the wand. This is learning to *feel* *through the wand*. As such, the new wand user will figure out *Mage Hand* in [d4/INT modifier] hours. Learning *Mage Hand* does not count against the total number known.

* The trained 2m Wandist may discover/reinvent cantrips and evocation and transmutation spells upon personal experimentation.
	+ Experimentation focused toward a particular effect: d20/INT mod \* spell level (in days).
		- Max power=INT above 10, 1 level per point.
			* INT 1-10: cantrips
			* INT 11: level 1
			* INT 12: level 2 (etc)
* The trained Wandist may discover *other* spell-school classes spells upon personal experimentation
	+ Experimentation focused toward a particular effect: d20 \* spell level (in days). This could be hazardous.
	+ Max power=INT above 10, 1 level per point.
		- Example: Stormdrain McGee has had his *Wand of Casting* for a few years and *Mage Hand* has been invaluable. He wants to take it to the next level and learn *Bigby's Hand* as a 2m Wandist. As long as his INT is 15 or above, he can learn the spell and cast it through his wand all day.

* The trained Wandist may learn *any* spell with access to a standard scroll or spellbook.
	+ Evocation/transmutation spells are learned in Spell Level \* Hours
	+ Other spells are learned Spell Level \* Days.
	+ Max power=INT above 10, 1 level per point.
* Most trained 2m Wandists will maintain a personal spellbook.
	+ It's non-trivial to learn most spells, but once they're learned, they *never go away*.
	+ Most will keep a spellbook or similar record to remember how they memorized what they did, which may allow refinements in the future. It will also functions as "Learn This" list down the line, so when they feel the capacity and they have the time, they have the spell to learn ready to go.

* **Number of spells learnable:** CHA bonus + WIS bonus \* class level/2
	+ Example: Sir Robin, a level-12 Ranger, has run out of arrows one too many times. While recovering from his resurrection, he purchases a *Wand of Casting*. He can already cast spells (in the Weave method), so the wand already has ways to work with what he already knows. Death, however, has opened his eyes to a broader picture and he uses the month-long recovery time to take an intensive immersion class in Arcana while recuperating in North Point. His Wisdom is 14 and his Charisma is 10, so: 0+2 \* 12/2 = 12 spells.
	+ 12 spells?! Moral of the story: being trained in Arcana is indispensable. *Stay in school, kids!*
	+ **Minimum capacity:** 1 new spell per 4 levels; i.e.: 2 spells at level 8, 3 at 12.
* **Number of spells/day can cast:** unlimited, as long as they have a powered wand.

## **3m Wandism**

Full Wandism is a device-dependent, magic-casting character class. 3rd-mode Wandism is *extremely* powerful, but with the sensitive vulnerability of actually maintaining a device in touch possession. 3m Wandists do have certain ways around this vulnerability, but not all have those adjunct skills.

Other classes also do very well with cross-training levels into 3m Wandism.

For those getting a feel for a wand-based class in D&D through the J.K. Rowling lens, a reminder first: *the underlying magic-production mechanic here is different (though similar)*. That said, specialists at an Ollivander's equivalent would definitely be mode 3m Wandists. Albus Dumbledore would be a primary 3m wandist and cross-classed with some levels of Wizard.

* **The Wandist Class**