The Self-Taught Mage Playbook

You were always a bright child, and loved stories of ancient wizards and sorceresses who mastered the arcane arts. Unfor-
tunately, there was no one around to teach you such things. In fact, sometimes you wondered if the stories of magic were
even true. When you came of age, you found an ancient tome and decided to find out for yourself.

You were the brightest child in the village. Your Intelligence begins at 12, and all of your other ability scores begin at 8.

What was your childhood like?

1d12 What did your parents do in the village? What did you learn from them? Gain

1 You are an orphan. Things were hard for you. +2 Wis, +2 Con, +1 Int

+2 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Con,

2 Your father was an outcast, rightfully or not.
Skill: Survival
+2 Dex, +1 Str, +1 Wis,
3 Your parents were fishermen and you grew up by the river.
Skill: Fishing
+2 Con, +1 Wis, +1 Cha,
4 Your family worked a small farm outside the village.
Skill: Farming
+2 Str, +1 Dex, +1 Cha,
5 Your father was the local smith and taught you both hammer and bellows.
Skill: Smithing

+2 Con, +1 Dex,
6 You led the sheep out onto the mountain like your father before you.
+1 Wis, +1 Str

+2 Cha, +1 Int,
7 Your parents ran the local inn. You grew up meeting many travellers and hearing their tales.
+1 Dex, +1 Wis

+2 Dex, +1 Int, +1 Cha,

8 You worked the loom, cutting and twisting as the Fates.
Skill: Weaving
+2 Int, +1 Cha, +1 Wis,
9 Your father or mother kept the old stories. Your head is filled with them.
Skill: Folklore
+2 Str, +1 Cha, +1 Con,
10 Your father was a watchman, stern but fair with child and stranger alike.
Skill: Athletics
+2 Wis, +1 Con, +1 Dex,
11 You went on journeys into the woods to gather herbs and berries.
Skill: Herbalism
+2 Cha, +1 Int, +1 Dex,
12 Your father was a local merchant. You learned to name your price and charm your customers.
Skill: Haggling

1d8 How did you distinguish yourself as a child? Gain

1 Children often fight, but you never lost. +2 Str, +1 Wis

2 There wasn’t a game you couldn’t win. +2 Dex, +1 Int

3 You were the toughest kid around. +2 Con, +1 Cha

4 No secret escaped you. +2 Int, +1 Dex

5 Your empathy made you a sought after confidant. +2 Wis, +1 Con

6 You never met someone who didn’t like you. +2 Cha, +1 Str

7 You solved everyone else’s problems, and never mentioned your own. +1 Str, +1 Con, +1 Cha

8 Everyone has something to teach, and you learned a little from them all. +1 Dex, +1 Int, +1 Wis

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 The other player characters were your best friends. Who else in the village
1d8 Gain
befriended you while you were growing up?

1 Laboring with the blacksmith took your mind off your troubles. +2 Str, +1 Cha

2 The fishermen took a liking to you and you swapped stories with them. +2 Dex, +1 Wis.

3 You went camping with the hunters. +2 Con, +1 Int

4 The village elders taught you the ancient game of chess. +2 Int, +1 Dex

5 You are about to marry into the Miller’s family. +2 Wis, +1 Str

6 You broke someone’s heart, or maybe they broke yours. +2 Cha, +1 Con

7 The old widow needed help around the house. +1 Str, +1 Int, +1 Cha

8 The grizzled mercenary who settled in town taught you a thing or two. +1 Dex, +1 Con, +1 Wis

You found the tome and began your studies. You become a level 1 Mage. You gain the class abilities Sense Magic and
Spell Casting, the skill Ancient History, and the cantrip Mage Light. The tables below will tell you your other spells.
What happened to you as you learned magic?

1d6 Who wrote your precious book of magic? Gain

+3 Int,
1 An old sage from the south.
Skill: Ancient History
+3 Cha,
2 A famous bard who traveled far and wide.
Skill: Survival
+3 Int, Skill: Forbidden
3 A great archmage from the sunken kingdom.
Knowledge
+3 Wis,
4 The head of a secret order from long ago.
Skill: Politics
+3 Dex,
5 A plunderer of forgotten tombs.
Skill: Trapping
+3 Con,
6 A mighty wizard who marched with great armies.
Skill: Command

1d6 What sort of mage was the author of the book? Gain

A clever illusionist. You learned the following magics: +2 Cha,

1
the spell Greater Illusion, the ritual Wizard’s Mark, and the cantrip Glamour Weaving. spells to left

A war wizard. You learned the following magics: +2 Con,

2
the spell Burning Hands, the ritual Mage Armor, and the cantrip Glamour Weaving. spells to left

A summoner of dark spirits. You learned the following magics: +2 Int,

3
the spell Abjuration, the ritual Circle of Protection, and the cantrip Second Sight. spells to left

A master of hidden secrets. You learned the following magics: +2 Int,

4
the spell Terrifying Presence, the ritual Witch’s Watchman, and the cantrip Conjure Sound. spells to left

A charming enchanter. You learned the following magics: +2 Cha,

5
the spell False Friend, the ritual Arcane Experiment, and the cantrip Hexing. spells to left

A traveling sorcerer. You learned the following magics: +2 Con,

6
the spell Feather Fall, the ritual Gather Mists, and the cantrip Blessing. spells to left

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 A spirit of Chaos was drawn by your power. How did you fight it off? The player
1d6 Gain
to your right was there with you.

You stood before it with steady hands. The friend to your right stood by your side and did not +2 Wis,
1
waver, and gains +1 Wis. Spell: Commanding Word

You called it by its true name and cast it back into the abyss. The friend to your right helped +2 Int,
2
you discover the name, and gains +1 Int. Spell: Magic Missile

Although you drove it off, it still waits for you just beyond the walls of sight. The friend to your +2 Dex,
3
right helped you slip its grasp, and gains +1 Dex. Spell: Magic Missile

Your clever words were enough to turn aside the worst of its trouble. The friend to your right +2 Cha,
4
also bandied words with the spirit, and gains +1 Cha. Spell: Petrifying Gaze

You stood behind the wall of your power until it grew weak. The friend to your right learned a +2 Int,
5
lot from your brave stand, and gains +1 Int. Spell: Mystical Shield

You withstood its blows, while your friend sealed it beneath the earth. Your stalwart friend to +2 Con,
6
the right saved the day, and gains +1 Con. Spell: Healing Touch

A real wizard from the south passed through the village when you came of age.
1d6 Gain
What did he think of you?
+2 Int, a book that you
1 You impressed him with your knowledge.
barely understand
+2 Wis, Ritual: Steed
2 He said he would brook no rivals and you fled from him in the night.
of the Sorcerer
+2 Con,
3 He performed a secret naming ceremony for you.
an engraved silver ring
+2 Cha,
4 He was amused by your first steps toward learning magic and taught you a trick.
Ritual: Unseen Servant
+2 Wis,
5 He inducted you into his secret order.
a wizard’s staff
+2 Dex,
6 You were warned of his coming, became afraid, and hid from him.
Ritual: Bind Familiar

Fill out Your Sheet!

1. Record your name, class, and level. 6. Your Initiative is equal to your level, plus your Dexterity
bonus, plus 0 for being a mage.
2. Record your ability scores. In the space beside each, re-
cord your ability score bonus using the chart on the back 7. Your Armor Class is 10, plus your Dexterity bonus, plus
of this booklet. the bonus of any armor you have.

3. Jot down your skills, class abilities, and starting equip- 8. Your Fortune Points are 3.
ment, as well as any other pieces of gear you may want
to buy. The Self-Taught Mage begins with the following 9. Your hit points are 6 plus your Constitution bonus.
equipment: a dagger, common robes, an ancient tome,
many pouches, the components for a single Level One rit- 10. Fill in your saving throws using the chart on the back
ual, and 4d6 silvers. of this booklet.

4. Pick an alignment. Your character may be Lawful, Cha- 11. Record the ‘to hit’ and ‘damage’ statistics for any weap-
otic, or Neutral. If you can’t decide, simply choose to be ons you think you might use. Your to hit bonus for a melee
Neutral; most people are. weapon is your BAB plus your Strength bonus, while you
use your Dexterity bonus instead for any missile weapons.
5. Your Base Attack Bonus comes from your class. As a Your Strength bonus also adds to the damage of any melee
level 1 mage, you have a BAB of +0. weapon.

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 Reference
Making Tests Fortune Points
Ability Score Checks: Roll a d20 and compare the re- A character may spend a Fortune Point in the follow-
sult to your score in the relevant ability. If the number on
the die is equal to your score or lower, you succeed. If it is ing ways:
higher, then you fail.
Help a Friend: Normally, a character may only help a
Saving Throws: Roll a d20. If the result is equal to the friend with an ability score check if he has a relevant
saving throw number or higher, the roll was a success. skill. By spending a Fortune Point, a character may
Combat Rolls: Roll a d20 and add the relevant attack lend a helping hand and thereby give his compatriot
bonus. Compare the result to the enemy’s armor class. If a +2 to his score for a single roll, even without having
the number equals that armor class or exceeds it, the at- an appropriate skill for the task at hand.
tack was successful. Otherwise, the attack missed.
Second Chance: A character may spend a Fortune
Class Abilities
Point to get a reroll on any failed roll during the
course of play, such as an ability score check, saving
Hit Dice: d6
throw, or to hit roll.
Initiative Bonus: +0
Armor: Mages may not wear any armor.
Cheat Death: A dying character may spend a Fortune
Spell Casting: Mages may harness the power of mag- Point to stabilize at 0 hit points and not continue tak-
ic in three different ways: cantrips, spells, and rituals. ing damage every round.
Your Playbook has given you your starting magics.
Ability Score Bonus
Sense Magic: Being naturally sensitive to the world
1 -4
of magic, Mages may determine if a person, place, or
thing is magical. Doing so requires concentration and 2-3 -3
a few minutes, so mages cannot tell if something is 4-5 -2
magical simply by being in its presence, and people 6-8 -1
tend to notice if a mage is staring at them intently 9-12 0
and ignoring his food during a meal. The GM may 13-15 +1
rule that, when in the presence of particularly intense
16-17 +2
sorcery, the mage notices such immediately.
18-19 +3

Base Breath
Attack Poison Weapon Polymorph Spell Magic Item
Level Experience Bonus Save Save Save Save Save
1 0 +0 14 15 13 12 11
2 2,500 +1 14 15 13 12 11
3 5,000 +1 14 15 13 12 11
4 10,000 +2 14 15 13 12 11
5 20,000 +2 14 15 13 12 11
6 40,000 +3 13 13 11 10 9
7 80,000 +3 13 13 11 10 9
8 150,000 +4 13 13 11 10 9
9 300,000 +4 13 13 11 10 9
10 450,000 +5 13 13 11 10 9
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