Wizard Skills
Ways for Wizards to contribute to their party when they run out of
spells.
Author: Ivan Richmond Artwork: Noah Fischer
Wizard Skills
Ivan Richmond
What is This?
This is an optional rules supplement for Wizards to have skills, which can be added, piecemeal,
to most tabletop fantasy roleplaying games, like Dungeons and Dragons or OSR games. Here
are some things you should know:
• Wizard Skills: This supplement provides various skills that Wizards can use, in addition
to spells.
• Works with Vancian Magic: It works best for games that use a Vancian magic system, in
which a spellcaster can only cast a certain number of spells a certain number of times
each day, but can be used as an addon to any TTRPG.
• Skill System: It assumes that the game has some sort of skill system. If it does not (or
you just like my system better), I've provided a simple skill system you can use.
• Character Levels: It assumes that the game uses character levels, but provides options if
it does not.
• Not More Spells: The contents of this supplement is not more spells (though some skills
are magical), but, rather, a list of skills that Wizards can use.
• Definition of Wizard: For purposes of this supplement, "Wizard" is defined as any user
of magic, but is not meant to encapsulate certain terms, like "Cleric", "Priest", "Bard," or
"Druid," which are character types in some games. "Clerics," "Priests," and "Druids"
derive their power from the divine, and are not properly performing magic, as much as
miracles. Bards use magic in a very different way and magic is not their only focus. It is
recommended that only characters whose professions focus almost exclusively on
proper magic be able to use these skills.
• Checkboxes: In order to facilitate the piecemeal approach, each skill has a round
checkbox next to it, so that GM's can check off which ones they will use in their game
and hand that out to their players.
o If you see a bullet like this, that means you can check it off.
• Open License: Please feel free to copy or alter them as long as (a) you give attribution
and (b) you don't make money off of it without negotiating royalties with the author,
Ivan Richmond, first.
• These rules are yours to use as you see fit.
Introduction
Wizards often have little to contribute at low levels, since they cannot cast very many spells.
They don't need to be powerful at low levels, because Wizard is an investment class, but
players often want their characters to be able to contribute to the success of the party
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throughout an adventure, rather than just cast their 1, 2, or handful of spells a day. This
supplement adds some extra abilities and skills that Wizards can use without casting spells. The
Game Master may rule that these require magical incantations, gestures, or even other
components, but they are not used according to the ordinary spell system.
Designer's Note
These skills are meant to be low-powered. Casting spells is a Wizard's main power, so they are
meant to be fairly close to skill systems used in many fantasy TTRPG's.
Lesser Magic Missile is only a little different from throwing a dagger. Read Magic and Detect
Magic differ from the spells by those names in that a Skill Check is needed for each and every
instance. A Skill Check is needed for every object the Detect Magic ability is used on and each
spell that Read Magic is used on.
Spells differ from Wizard Skill in that they have a larger scope. For example, the Detect Magic
spell works on anything within a certain area for a certain duration. This basically offers an
alternative way to do something similar without the Wizard needing to memorize or prepare
those spells. Most low level Wizards memorize more powerful spells like Sleep or Charm
Person instead of Detect Magic or Read Magic, because they can prepare so few spells that
they want to make sure they have the most powerful spells in their arsenal at the ready. This
allows them to still be able to read magical spells or detect magic without having to have those
spells memorized.
Starting Skills
At 1st level, a Wizard starts off with the following Wizard Skills (see below for each Skill):
1. Analyze Magic
2. Detect Magic
3. Read Magic
4. 1 additional Wizard Skill of their choosing.
Skill Checks
You have 2 options:
o Option 1: Use the skill system that your game uses.
o Option 2: Use my Optional Skill System, below.
Gaining Additional Abilities
Wizards gain additional Wizard Skills by going on adventures in which they can research magic.
They can be presumed to have been studying a Wizard Skill before learning it. You have 3
options for how this is handled:
o Option 1: Every time the Wizard completes an adventure in which that Wizard has had
an opportunity to learn something about magic, the Wizard makes a Skill Check. On a
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success, the Wizard may learn a new Wizard Skill. This is my preference, since it gives
Wizards an incentive to go adventuring. It's also a good option if your game doesn't
have character levels.
o Option 2: Wizards gain a new Wizard Skill every 3rd level (3, 6, 9, etc.). This is a good
option for an ongoing campaign, in which you plan to have character rise from low
levels to very high levels. It's also good for a game in which levels go fairly high, such as
up to 20 or 36.
o Option 3: Wizards gain a new Wizard Skill every level. This is a good option for shorter
games and games that, by design, only go up to a limited level, such as 10, 9, or even 6.
Wizard Skills
Here's a summary of Wizard Skills. The details are listed below.
# Wizard Skill Brief Description
1 Alchemy Non-magical chemistry
2 Analyze Magic Identify magic items; learn about magical objects
3 Astronomy Astronomy, astronomical navigation, and fortunetelling using
the stars
4 Detect Magic Determine if a single item is magical
5 Divination Fortunetelling with a single medium, such as cards or bones
6 Fabulous Languages Speak the languages of fabulous creatures
7 Familiar Acquire a small animal as a familiar
8 Herbalism Herb lore and medicinal herbalism
9 Lesser Magic Missile A magical weapon, equivalent to a dagger
10 Read Magic Read a single spell in a magic book or scroll
11 Stage Illusions Perform non-magical stage illusions, such as card tricks
o Alchemy
This is non-magic skill allows the Wizard to use medieval level chemistry, provided the right
ingredients and laboratory equipment are available. With it, they can make various different
types of substances. A small vial of each substance takes 1 day to make. Wizards start out with
1 of these as a starting character and must find the time, ingredients, and equipment to make
additional items. Each substance is optional.
o Acids
o Bases
o Black goo (possibly useful for characters with stealth abilities, but no special powers)
o Colored pigments and dyes
o Fireworks
o Flammable oils
o Gilded objects (objects coated in gold)
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o Making metal alloys (such as bronze) out of constituent metals (such as copper and tin)
o Oil slicks
o Smoke bombs
Options
o If this seems too powerful or open-ended, as is, optionally, the GM may rule that the
Wizard can have a number of these items on hand equal to their level.
o Wizards with this skill can prepare spells as potions. For example, instead of preparing a
Sleep spell, they could prepare a Sleep potion. Instead of preparing a fireball spell, they
could prepare a fireball flask that would create a Fireball when broken.
• These still come out of the number of spells of that level that they can prepare /
memorize each day.
• Each potion has a shelf life of 1 day and will not work after that.
• For each working potion, the Wizard may not memorize a spell of that level until
the potion is used or it expires, even if the Wizard has an opportunity to
memorize or prepare new spells. This prevents Wizards from making a potion,
taking some time out of a day to re-memorize spells, and then getting both
potions and spells. In other words, the total number of spells and useable
potions of each level should always be the ones on the Wizard's spellcasting
chart. Of course, this does not include other potions not made with this Skill, like
ordinary ones found in the course of an adventure.
• Any character can use a potion made in this way, including enemies.
o Analyze Magic
On a successful Skill Check, the Wizard can analyze a single magical object. If this is a magic
item, they can identify it. If it's something else, they will get clues about it. If their Skill Check
fails, they don't know anything. On a critical failure, the GM should feed them false
information. The check should be performed secretly by the GM.
o Astronomy
The Wizard is skilled in the science of astronomy, as it is known in the setting, and
fortunetelling using astrology. On a successful Skill Check, the Wizard can:
• Determine their position I the world, using a sextant and map. This is non-magical and is
done exactly as a navigator would.
• Predict astronomical events, such as eclipses, solstices, and equinoxes. This is also non-
magical.
• Perform fortunetelling by reading a horoscope, following the rules for Divination, below.
o Detect Magic
On a successful Skill Check, the Wizard can determine if a single item or object is magical.
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o This differs from spells that do the same thing in that it does not detect magic in an area,
nor does it have a duration.
o One Skill Check is needed for each separate item or object.
o Divination
The Wizard knows a form of fortunetelling. This could be reading cards, throwing the bones,
reading palms, or anything else.
o This can only be performed four times a month at the new moon, waxing quarter moon,
full moon, and waning quarter moon.
o Only one question can be asked during that period. (The GM might also substitute other
astronomical events or situations, to suit the setting, so long as the number of times the
skill can be used is limited to only a few times each month.)
o On a successful Skill Check, the GM should give a clue about the question asked.
o If the Skill Check is failed, the Wizard cannot ask the same question until gaining a new
level. The GM provide give a random or fake reading, which will have a mixture of truth,
falsehood, and Rorschach tests.
o The answer should be in the form that the fortunetelling takes. If Tarot cards are read,
the GM should simply give the clue by saying which cards were drawn, for example.
o If the same question is asked more than once, no further information should be given,
unless the answer has changed.
o The GM should make sure that this is a minor ability. It's mostly a way for the PC's to
gain general insight into the current adventure they're on and should not mimic any
spell in power.
o On a critical failure, the GM should provide a deliberately misleading reading.
Designer's Note
This is very similar to Divination or Fortunetelling skills in a lot of fantasy RPG's.
o Fabulous Languages
The Wizard can speak the languages of fabulous creatures, including dragons, griffons,
unicorns, and denizens of the elemental planes. If it's a written language, that can be read and
written, as well.
A successful Skill Check is need each time a creature whose language the Wizard knows is
spoken to, as the Wizard never gains 100% fluency in any of these languages.
One language can be spoken per level of the Wizard. If the game system does not have levels,
the Wizard must take this skill multiple times for each separate language.
o Familiar
The Wizard acquires a small animal as a companion called a familiar.
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o The animal is a normal, natural animal in every respect, except for what's specified here.
Examples include non-poisonous snakes, owls, ravens, crows, frogs, lizards, rats, and
mice. The exact animal will be determined by the GM or chosen by the player with GM
approval.
o The Wizard can perceive through this familiar, seeing through its eyes, hearing through
its ears, and so forth.
o The Wizard gains any heightened senses of the familiar. For example, since owls have
exceptional hearing, a Wizard with an owl familiar will also gain exceptional hearing.
o If the familiar dies or is banished, the Wizard instantly loses 1 point of Constitution (or
comparable attribute) permanently, unless the familiar is resurrected, and becomes
highly emotional for one month. The emotions are up to the player to determine. The
GM will likely want to warn the player to be very cautious in how they use familiars,
using them primarily for recon and the like, rather than for combat.
o A familiar will have 1d4 hit points and be of 0th level (or the equivalent in your game
system).
o Wizards who have this ability at 1st level (or as a starting character, if levels aren't used)
can be presumed to start play with their familiar. Those who acquire the ability later on
in their progression must perform an all-night ritual on the night of the full moon to find
their familiar. This ritual requires 100 gp worth of components, such as herbs, candles,
and incense, which are consumed during the ceremony.
o A Skill Check is only needed to acquire a new familiar. It is not necessary to start with a
familiar at 1st level. I this Skill Check fails, the Wizard must try again on another full
moon.
o A Wizard can only have one familiar at a time.
Designer's Note
This is very similar to the Find Familiar spell found in some popular fantasy RPG's.
o Herbalism
The Wizard is skilled in non-magical herbalism. On a successful Skill Check, the Wizard can…
o Find useful herbs in the wild and prepare them. These might be merely culinary,
medicinal, or might help identify certain detrimental plants.
o Heal 1d3 hit points per character per day using medicinal herbs. Any given character
can only receive this once in a day, though a Wizard can use it on innumerable
characters, provided they make a successful Skill Check.
Designer's Note
This is very similar to Herbalism skills in a lot of fantasy RPG's.
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Options
These options will make this Skill significantly more powerful. The GM may rule that Wizards
cannot use them until higher levels.
o With the right herbs, the Wizard can cure natural poisons and diseases, as well.
o This cannot be done until 2nd level.
o This cannot be done until _________ level (the GM can fill in the level).
o With the right herbs, the Wizard can drug people.
o This cannot be done until 4th level.
o This cannot be done until _________ level (the GM can fill in the level).
o The Wizard can use natural herbal poisons.
o This cannot be done until 6th level.
o This cannot be done until _________ level (the GM can fill in the level).
o Lesser Magic Missile
The Wizard can shoot a magical ranged attack at a single foe.
Damage 1d4
Range Same as Thrown Dagger
o Unlike the Magic Missile spell that many games have, the Wizard needs a to hit roll to
hit, just like any ordinary attack.
o This attack is magical, and will therefore injure creatures that are affected by magic, but
not by ordinary attacks.
o Although it is magical, it does not provide bonuses to hit or damage.
o Since a to-hit roll is required, no additional Skill Check is needed.
o Wizards can fire off a number of Lesser Magic Missiles equal to their Intelligence score.
Options
o If the GM allows, the Wizard could learn an elemental version of this, such as fire, ice, or
electrical, but they would only know one element when this Wizard Skill is taken and
must acquire the same Wizard Skill for a new element as a separate Wizard Skill.
o If an attribute system is used, which includes modifiers, the Wizard adds their
Intelligence mod or the equivalent instead of the mod from the attribute typically used
for missile weapons (Dexterity in most games) to their to hit roll. Example: Esmerelda
has an INT of 13 (+1) and a DEX of 10 (no mod). When throwing a dagger, she wouldn't
have a mod, because her DEX is average. However, when using Lesser Magic Missile,
she adds her INT mod of +1 to her to hit roll.
o The Wizard needs a channel, such as a staff or wand to use this Skill. The Lesser Magic
Missile is shot from this channel. If they lose this channel, they cannot use the Skill.
Designer's Note
This is little difference from this and throwing a dagger. It has very few advantages over a
normal dagger. Limiting it to their INT score for the number of times per day mimics
ammunition.
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o Read Magic
o On a successful Skill Check, the Wizard can read a single spell in a magic book or scroll.
o An additional Skill Check is needed for additional spells read.
o On a critical failure, they Wizard thinks they've read the spell correctly, when they
actually haven't.
o Stage Illusions
The Wizard can perform non-magical stage magic tricks, such as a stage magician would do.
o If the Skill Check is successful, no one watching spots anything that would tip it off as
being stage magic.
o If it fails, people can see enough of how the Wizard is doing it to know that it's fake.
o On a critical failure, the Wizard fumbles the whole thing, such as knocking over a hat
and letting the rabbit out of the hidden compartment in the table the hat's on.
Options
Here are some overall options for this system:
o The Wizard can only use Wizard Skills a number of times per day equal to the Wizard's
Intelligence (this is the actual score, not the modifier). This pool is for all Wizard Skills
not each Wizard Skill. If Lesser Magic Missile is used, this option, replaces the rule tha
the Wizard can only fire a number Lesser Magic Missiles equal to their level. Example: A
Wizard with an INT of 14 could use 14 Wizard Skills per day.
Optional Skill System
If your game does not come with a skill system, here's one you can use for Wizard Skills.
o Roll a d20.
o If the roll is at or under 10 + the Wizard's level, the Wizard succeeds. Example: a 3rd
level Wizard would have to roll a 13 or less on a d20 to use a Wizard Skill.
o 20's are always critical failures, regardless of how high the Wizard's level is.
Options
o If levels are not used in your system, you can calculate the Wizard's equivalent "level"
for purposes of Skill Checks by counting the number of adventures they've completed
and adding 1. Examples: a start Wizard must roll a 1 exactly, whereas a Wizard who's
completed 3 adventures must roll a 4 or less. Or, it's always just 10 or less.
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