Mage Guilds

Why there are Mage Guilds in Metamor City

Magic is carefully regulated in the Metamor Empire, for obvious reasons of safety. Magically adept children are identified at an early age and fitted with restraining bands (called leashes on the Street) that keep their talents from manifesting. Once they are "old enough", they can join any of numerous mages' guilds and begin learning to use their abilities, or they can choose to keep the restraint and not develop their magic. The age one can begin this training varies, since all children mature at different rates.

A restrained Talent, as those with magical aptitude are called, may choose to join a guild at any time in his life, and thus be free of the restraint.

While the idea of the restraining bands makes some folk uncomfortable, it is generally viewed as a necessary sacrifice of freedom in order to protect everyone. Just as you have to be trained in the use of a handgun before you are allowed to own it, mages must be trained in the use of their power before they can be allowed to wield it. Fortunately, the wide variety of guilds available means that there are plenty of options for mages, and no one has to feel like they're forced to go along with a particular guild's way of doing things — there are probably two or three others that teach the same magic in different ways.

Education

Magic education has two aspects; the training to use a magical talent provided by the guilds and the research into the nature of magic itself called Manaolgy that can be studied in universities. This template applies to both sorcerer and wizard guild, but the training for wizards will have more focus on Manaolgy and the history of magic than sorcerers (although a dedicated sorcerer may decide to study these topics of their own accord1).

Guild Ranking

Most mage guilds use the same system of ranks to classify their members. These ranks take into account inherent talent, learned skill, and overall power level, and determine a mage's place in the guild's hierarchy and what they are being taught by the guild.

Neophyte: A probationary member of a guild. At this stage young Talents are introduced to the basic concepts and philosophy of magic used by the school, and evaluated for their worthiness and compatibility with the school's practices. They are also usually assigned menial chores within the guild, as an exercise in humility. It is not uncommon for a Talent to become a neophyte at two or more guilds before deciding on the one she wishes to follow.

Apprentice: Here the program of study begins in earnest. There are four degrees of apprentice-hood, usually called zelator, theoricus, practicus, and philosophus. The names of the degrees reflect the apprentice's level of knowledge: the zelator has enthusiasm but little else; the theoricus has learned the basic underlying theory of magic; the practicus has begun learning how to put that theory into practice; and the philosophus has a more in-depth understanding of the school's philosophy of how and why magic is to be used. Apprentices are also taught the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind, though the exact nature of this training varies widely between schools. Each degree takes about a year to complete, though particularly talented individuals may progress more rapidly.

Actual spells are first taught in the third degree, beginning with simple cantrips. A graduating fourth-degree apprentice is roughly equivalent to a 1st-level caster in D&D terms.

Journeyman: At this point the mage has become skilled enough at his craft that he is able, without the need for guidance, to carry out his duties with relative skill. The important qualifications are the ability to (1) perform ritual magic, (2) craft minor talismans and enchantments, (3) write magic scrolls, and (4) demonstrate expert knowledge of magical theory. A journeyman should be able to do these things with little difficulty. Each degree of journeyman must also be able to prepare, in one sitting, a certain minimal number of spells for instantaneous casting (usually at least seven for the first degree, nine for the second degree and twelve for the third degree).

There are three commonly-used degrees of journeyman: Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major, and Adeptus Exemptus. To become an adeptus minor, or minor adept, one must display mastery in two of the four qualifications mentioned above, and a good working knowledge of the other areas. The adeptus major, or major adept, must display mastery in all four areas. To become an adeptus exemptus (also called an exempt adept or senior journeyman), the mage must then compose and present a thesis based on original magical research, essentially creating a new spell. At this point the journeyman is exempt from periodic testing, and is licensed to conduct independent magical research without the supervision of an advisor; she has essentially "graduated" from the guild's school.

A minor adept is equivalent to a 2nd- or 3rd-level caster in D&D, while a major adept equates to a 3rd- or 4th-level caster. An exempt adept is equivalent to at least a 5th-level caster; most mages never develop their talents much beyond this. About 2% of the population of Metamor City, or about 300,000 people, are registered as mages of exempt adept status or higher.

Master: While an exempt adept can practice magic on his own without supervision, he must be certified as a master before he may instruct others in the practice of magic (though senior journeymen often teach guild classes under the supervision of a master). The requirements for mastery vary between guilds, but they always involve a high degree of skill in enchanting and magical research.

Senior journeymen are eligible to become masters when they reach a level of proficiency equivalent to a 10th-level caster in D&D terms. There are typically three degrees of mastery, equivalent to 10th-11th, 12-13th, and 14th-level casters; the names of these degrees can be quite esoteric, and are usually based on the philosophy or iconography of the school in question. In practical terms, these are equivalent to associate faculty, junior faculty, and senior faculty within the guild's school. There are about 35,000 master mages registered in Metamor City.

High Master: This is the highest rank a mage can achieve, equivalent to a 15th-level caster or higher in D&D terms. High masters are the leaders of mages' guilds, deans of the guild schools, and may even found guilds of their own. A high master wizard is an extremely dangerous person to anger; a group of them working in concert could take down an avatar, or even one of the pantheon. There are no degrees at this rank — they are members of a very select group, all of whom are given great respect. There are only 38 of them in Metamor City, and probably no more than 300 in the entire world.

List of Known Mage Guilds

Author's Notes


Sources: magic, Rasmussen School of Illusion, Triskelion Order, Dreams of Change

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