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Melshimber |
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Sage: Sages are a
very special case indeed, for they are the encyclopedias,
computers, expert opinions,
and sort of demi-oracles of the milieu all rolled into one.
Even in a quasi-medieval
fantasy world,
the sum of human
knowledge will be so great and so diverse as to make it totally impossible
for any one sage to know more than a smattering about many things, a fair
understanding of their overall field, and a thorough knowledge of their
particular specialty or specialties. The general fields of study for sages
are shown hereafter, with special areas of expertise listed under each
general category.
| Dice Score | Minor Fields | Special Categories in Major Field |
| 01-10 | 1 | 2 |
| 11-30 | 1 | 3 |
| 31-50 | 1 | 4 |
| 51-70 | 2 | 2 |
| 71-90 | 2 | 3 |
| 91-00 | 2 | 4 |
While any sage is capable
of carrying on a discussion in any field of knowledge,
what he or she actually
has expertise in is an entirely different matter.
Thus, any given sage will
know the general field of his or her chosen study well,
with expertise in two or
more special areas,
and in +addition+ he ||
she will be able to give reasonable advice in one or two other fields,
but have absolutely no expertise
in any of the special categories of the other fields.
Note that expertise in a
limited number of special categories does not imply that the sage is limited
in talent,
only that he or she has
devoted major effort into limited areas,
and his or her knowledge
of these special categories will be exceptionally good.
When taking the persona
of a sage,
it is therefore very important
for the DM to assume not only the role but also the overview and personal
dedication of the character.
The number of fields of
study (major and minor) and the specialization categories are determined
by use of the two tables given
hereafter.
Find the number of fields
of study first:
Sage Fields Of Study And Special Knowledge Categories:
| 01-30 | Humankind [spell use: clerical, usually] |
| 31-50 | Demi-Humankind [spell use: clerical, usually] |
| 51-60 | Humanoids & Giantkind [spell use: clerical, usually] |
| 61-70 | Physical Universe(s) [spell use: clerical] |
| 71-80 | Fauna [spell use: druidical] |
| 81-90 | Flora [spell use: druidical] |
| 91-00 | Supernatural & Unusual [spell use: magic-user or illusionist] |
To use the above information on the following table, first roll for (or choose) one field of study to be the sage’s major field, then choose the proper number of special categories within that field. Finally, roll (or choose) the indicated number of minor fields.
| <> | Humankind | Demi-Humankind | Humanoids & Giantkind | Physical Universes | Fauna | Flora | Supernatural & Unusual |
| 1 | Art & Music * | Art & Music * | Biology | Architecture &
Engineering |
Amphibians | Bushes & Shrubs | Astrology & Numerology |
| 2 | Biology | Biology | Demography | Astronomy | Arachnids | Flowers | Cryptography |
| 3 | Demography | Demography | History | Chemistry | Avians ** | Fungi *** | Divination |
| 4 | History | History | Languages | Geography | Cephalopods & Echinoderms | Grasses & Grains | Dweomercraeft |
| 5 | Languages | Languages | Legends & Folklore | Geology &
Mineralogy |
Crustaceans & Mollusks | Herbs | Heraldry,
Signs, & Sigils |
| 6 | Legends & Folklore * | Legends &
Folklore * |
Law
& Customs |
Mathematics | Ichthyoids | Mosses & Ferns | Medicine |
| 7 | Law &
Customs |
Law &
Customs |
Sociology | Meteorology &
Climatology |
Insects | Trees | Metaphyics |
| 8 | Philosophy &
Ethics |
Philosophy &
Ethics |
Theology &
Myth |
Oceanography | Mammals
|
Weeds | Planes (Astral, Elemental & Ethereal) |
| 9 | Politics &
Genealogy |
Politics &
Genealogy |
- | Physics | Marsupials | - | Planes (Outer) |
| 10 | Psychology | Psychology | - | Topgraphy & Cartography | Reptiles **** | - | - |
| 11 | Sociology | Sociology | - | - | - | - | - |
| 12 | Theology &
Myth |
Theology &
Myth |
- | - | - | - | - |
[* spell use: clerical or magic-user]
** 25
Birds of the Open Spaces (terrain: grasslands, TPL42:7th) (REF3.69)
*** Fungi
and Other Moldy Horrors (terrain: underground cavern, levels:
TPL15-20:3rd) (REF4.76)
**** Dinosaurs are not reptiles (cf. Dimetrodon)
<
MOSSES & FERNS: Ferns (Pteridophyta,
ddc576)
>
Chance of Knowing Answer To A Question:
| Question Is | General | Specific | Exacting |
| Out of Fields | 31-50% [30 + d20] | 11-20% [10 + d10] | - |
| In Minor Field | 46-65% [45 + d20] | 31-40% [30 + d20] | 11-20% [10 + d10] |
| In Major Field | 61-80% [60 + d20] | 57-60% [56 + d4] | 26-35% [25 + d10] |
| In Special Category | 81-00% [80 + d20] | 76-96% [74 + ?] | 61-80% [60 + d20] |
To use the above table each
time a particular question is asked,
[A]
first roll (d10 or d20, as applicable) to determine the sage's base percentage
chance (within the range shown) to know the answer.
[B]
When that is determined, roll to see if the sage does know the answer.
Rolling the indicated base
percentage or below indicates that the sage has the knowledge for that
particular question.
You must determine if any
given question is of general, specific, or exacting nature according to
the subject.
For example,
General: "Do giants
live on that island?" is a general sort of a question;
Specific: "Do fire
giants inhabit the volcanic region of that island?" is a specific question;
and
Exacting: "Do the
fire giants inhabiting the volcanic region
of that island possess the Artifact of Alamonzaliz?" is exacting.
Any question asked must be
within the scope of knowledge of the player character,
or his or her associates
at the time,
and such inquiries must
always be consistent with the learning of the milieu which you have designed.
Thus, if you have no gunpowder
in the milieu,
no questions regarding the
substance,
no matter how phrased,
would be possible,
as none of the inquiring
parties could possibly have any inkling that such a thing exists anywhere
in the multiverse.
Be certain to adhere to
this rule strictly!
Knowledge of any sage character
is not entirely contained within his or her brain.
As with any scholar,
sages will tend to collect
materials which pertain to the fields of study he or she pursues.
Thus, the sage must have
both living quarters as well as study and library and workroom --
a minimum of four rooms
of at least 200 square feet each,
and if the sage is kept
busy answering many questions,
then he ar she will need
more space for the additional materials
(books, equipment, life
forms, etc.) needed to fulfill the demands of the position.
(As DM,
make a point of asking for
for more than is actually needed, as any dedicated scholar-scientist will
desire acquisition of absolutely everything needed or imagined to possess
a virtual university and museum.
A sage who specializes in
flora, for example,
might request a root cellar,
greenhouse, fungi beds, several acres for growing various plants
-- all in addition to a
bed chamber, study, library, and workroom.)
Sage
Characteristics: As with any hireling of importance, abilities, alignment,
and even special skills will have to be determined.
STRENGTH:
d8 +7;
INTELLIGENCE:
d4 + 14;
WISDOM:
d6 + 12;
DEXTERITY:
standard 3d6;
CONSTITUTION:
2d6 +3;
CHARISMA:
2d6 +2;
ALIGNMENT:
(see below)
01-05 CHAOTIC
EVIL
06-10
CHAOTIC GOOD
11-20
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL
21-30
LAWFUL EVIL
31-40
LAWFUL GOOD
41-60
LAWFUL NEUTRAL
61-80
NEUTRAL
81-90
NEUTRAL EVIL
91-00
NEUTRAL GOOD
HIT POINTS: 8d4 + CON bonuses as applicable.
SPECIAL SKILLS: All
sages will have some abilities with respect to spells, for their studies
will have empowered them thus. Determine whether spell abilities will be
magic-user, illusionist, cleric, or druid by studies.
Flora
and fauna indicate druidical talents, supernatural or unusual indicates
either magic-user or illusionist ability
(if magic-user
talent is not obviously indicated, assume illusionist ability),
studies
of the physical universe indicate clerical talents
(as do
such studies as most categories of human, demi-human, and humanoid nature),
and art
& music and legends & folklore being either clerical or magic-user.
When some natural bent is
discovered,
find
the maximum level of the spells known to the sage by rolling a d4 + 2 to
find a level between 3 and 6, inclusive.
This
only indicates the ability to use spells of up to the level shown
-- it
does not mean that the sage is able to use any spell in particular.
Each sage will possess 1-4
spells of each level,
but at
any given time he or she will have no more than 1 of each level available
for actual use,
the rest
being contained in various source books.
Find specific spells by
random generation.
Spells
such as bless, chant, prayer, commune, raise dead, commune with nature,
and contact other plane
-- or
their reverse, if applicable, are not within the capabilities of a sage.
Naturally, the sage will
tend to keep his or her spell knowledge as highly secret,
and he or she will likewise
have those spells which seem applicable for activities likely to be pursued
during the course of the period the sage envisions.
Abilities will change due
to aging or special circumstances only.
Sages will not increase
in hit points, and their special abilities will not increase, either
-- although if they aquire
magic items which are usable by characters of the same profession as that
of their special spell ability, they will likely be able to use such items.
Spell use is at a level
equal to the minimum level at which such a spell could be employed if the
sage were of that class,
i.e. a sage with third level
spell use in magic casts spells at 5th level of ability
(the minimum level for a
magic-user to cast a third level spell).
All sages are middle-aged
ta venerable in age.
Hiring
A Sage: Only fighters, paladins, rangers,
thieves, and assassins are able to hire a sage.
(Other classes of characters
can consult them, however, as explained hereafter.)
Any character hiring a sage
on a permanent basis must have a stronghold with ample space for the sage,
as noted above.
A sage will accept service
only on a permanent, lifetime basis.
Location
Of A Sage: Sages will be found only in large towns and cities.
They are typically in or
near colleges, schools, universities, libraries, museums, forums, and public
speaking places.
Sages belong to a Brotherhood,
but as a general rule,
this association is informal
and not likely to have a headquarters at which a sage could be located.
(However, the employment
of a sage will become common knowledge to all sages within the area.)
Short-Term
Employment Of A Sage: Upon locating a sage,
any class
of character can ask him or her to answer one or more questions.
Such short-term employment
cannot last beyond one week's time,
and the sage will thereafter
not be available for at least one game month
-- as there are more important
and constructive things to be done than answering foolish questions, anyway!
Remembering the restriction
regarding time,
use the information found
under the Information Discovery section hereafter.
Costs for short-term employment
are 100 gold pieces per day
plus
the variable amount shown under Information Discovery for question difficulty
(reflecting
costs of obtaining research materials or the information proper through
fees, bribes, donations, etc.).
Long
Term Employment Of A Sage: If initial reaction of the sage is favorable
to the player character attempting to hire him or her, the sage will then
entertain any offers of employment on o permanent basis which the character
chooses to proffer.
As a sage will bring nothing
save thinking ability and knowledge, an offer of employment must consider
the following:
SUPPORT & SALARY PER
MONTH 200 to 1,200 g.p.
RESEARCH GRANTS PER MONTH
200 to 1,200 g.p.
INITIAL MATERIAL EXPENDITURE
20,000 g.p. minimum
Determine salary and grant expectations by random dice rolling of 2d6 for each.
Initial material expenditure
is a far more important matter, for even if the sage is otherwise satisfied,
[IF] this is not met and
exceeded
[THEN] the abiliity to asnwer
specific
and exacting quesitons will be sharply curtaild due to lack of reference
works,
experimental equipment,
and so on.
A 20,000 g.p. expenditure
will alow the sage to operate at 50% of normal efficiency,
and for
each additional 1,000 g.p thereafter, the sage will add 1% to efficiency
until
90% is reached (upon expenditure of 60,000 g.p.).
After
90%,
to achieve 100% efficiency the cost per 1% is 4,000 g.p.
(for the obviously erudite and rare tomes, special supplies and equipment,
etc. -- assuming such are available, of course.)
All told, expenditures must
be 100,000 g.p. for 100% sage efficiency in specific and exacting
question areas.
Note: Additional expenditure
on materials will increase sage question answering ability in the general
and specific areas as follows:
For each 5,000 g.p. and
1 month of uninterrupted study time,
the sage can increase hir
or her knowledge outside his or her fields of study by 1% to a maximym
of 5%.
At 10,000 g.p. cost and
1 month's time, sage ability in minor fields of study can be brought up
by 1% subject likewise to a 5% maximum gain.
Addition of another minor
field, three maximuum, requires 100,000 g.p. expenditure and two years
of time.
Addition of a major field
of study requires 2000, 000 g.p. and two years' time.
Payment must be made
in advance. No questions can be asked of the sag during the stated period
of time, or all is lost.
It will take only a relatively
short period of time, and no costs to speak of,
to discover information of a general nature, but as questions become more
difficult, the time and cost to give an answer becomes a factor.
This is shown on the following
table:
Information Discovery
Time And Cost Table:
| Question Is | General | Specific | Exacting | G.P. Costs |
| Out Of Fields | 1-6 r. | 2-24 d. | - | 100/d. |
| In Minor Field | 1-4 r. | 2-20 d. | 5-40 d. | 1,000/d. |
| In Major Field | 1-3 r. | 1-12 d. | 3-30 d. | 500/d. |
| In Special Category | 1-2 r. | 1-10 h. | 2-12 d. | 200/d. |
Note: All times assume
that the sage will be in a position to conduct reserach and obtain necessary
equipment within a day or two of the discovery of the need,
and the costs shown assume
these activities.
If a town or city is not
nearby, double times and costs
(or compute the sojourn
expenditure necessary to arrive at a locale where the needed materials
are to be had,
and determine other expenses
also).
However, if the percentile
dice score rolled for knowing the answer to the question is in the lower
20% of the spread,
then there will be no costs
incurred,
as the material is on hand.
Example: Thus, if
a sage has a 31% to 40% chance of knowing an question,
and the dice
indicate a 32% chance of knowing it,
a following roll of 32%
or less indicates knowledge,
but a roll of 06% or less
indicates that the sage has the information about the question available,
and there wil be no additional
expense.
Furthermore, in the special
catgory of study, and spread within the lower 80% has no cost,
as this area is where the
sage will have accumulated most of his or her materials.
As DM you must also use judgment
as to related questions,
so that if a closely related
query is made following one for which an expenditure was necessary,
you must determine whether
or not the further question or questions would be answerable from the some
materials
source which was formerly
obtained.
Naturally, all costs are
NOT for materials, some accruing as payments, fees, and bribes.
You may likewise extend the
time necessary to answer specific or exacting questions which you believe
that the sage would have great difficulty answering due to lack of information
available or the particular nature of the question.
For example, a query as
to how the henchman of the player character could construct an artifact
would never be able to be answered positively, but the sage might feel
obligated to continue a fruitless search for the knowledge.
Unknown information will
always require from 51% to 100% of the maximum time shown to determine
that the knowledge is beyond the ability of the sage.
All costs will accrue at
only half of the stated amount, however.
Thus, suppose a sage is
asked a question out of any of his or her fields of knowledge.
If the question is of general
nature,
the sage will hedge and
talk around the point, or just possibly sit and look wise for 4-6 rounds
before answering that the question is beyond his or her learning,
and there is no cost involved,
as a day was not spent researching.
Were the question specific,
he or she would require
13-24 days to discover that it was unanswerable and relate this to his
or her employer/master.
The cost would be 50 g.p.
per day, or from 650 g.p. to 1,200 g.p.
(in this case probably paid
out to others as fees, stipends, and the like trying to find someone with
the answer).
REST
And Recuperation: After spending more than 1 day of time answering
a question,
a sage will need at least
1 day to rest and relax for every 3 he or she spent in research.
During this time, he or
she will not be able to answer any further queries of anything other than
general nature,
and if the player-character
bothers the sage often during this "time off',
the sage will demand from
1-2 additional days of time for "special research",
and until such time is granted,
the sage will expend the
maximum amounts of time and expense in answering questions.
Non-Human Or Part Human Sages:
Most sages will be human,
but if your campaign milieu
seems right for sages of dwarven, elven,
or any other such race, feel free to use them.
However, old and venerable
category non-human sages will not be likely to be interested in employment
with humans,
just as human sages will
tend to favor employment with humans, unless their specialization dictates
differently.
Question: Why can’t
demi-humans be Sages?
Also, enclosed is a check
for an order.
Answer: Demi-humans
can be Sages.
However, they are not as
readily available as humans.
Demi-humans are especially
not interested in answering adventurers’ questions.
As for the check for the
order: DO NOT SEND ME ANY ORDERS OR MONEY.
I may work for TSR Hobbies,
but I don’t handle any money.
If you have an order for
The
Dragon, send it to TD at POB 110, Lake Geneva VJI 53147.
If it is an order for The
Dungeon Hobby Shop, send it to 772 Main Street, Lake Geneva WI 53147.
(Update: These addresses
are no longer valid. Sadly, TSR Hobbies is no more).
<(Update: TSR
is back. Send your gaming materials to Prespos. No money please. No gaming
materials, no answers.)>
Q. Is it possible
for a PC to
become a sage?
A. Not really. In
the AD&D Game, sages
are a formalised sub-variety
of that
useful creature, the Little
Old Man
(or the Little Old Lady),
which gives DMs
the opportunity to pass
on information
to the PCs without
speaking as the DM.
In other words,
sages can give out information
about
the Game world which varies
from
the entirely true (eg 'This
sword you
have shown me is OrcNibbler,
a
longsword +1, rumored
to slay orcs
with a single blow and to
have the
power of flight') to the
completely
spurious ('Beware of skeletons
with blue
noses').
They can also be the objects
of interesting quests, as
the PCs
may need to track down a
really esoteric specialist
at times.
There
is nothing to stop PCs
setting themselves up as
sages, but as they do not
(indeed,
should not) have access
to the DM's
campaign notes or any rule
books,
how can they give out anything
more
than the sketchiest information?
Sages spend most of their
time
researching in dusty libraries
and
thinking -- hardly the stuff
of exciting
adventures.....
(Imagine #27)
*template***template*
Now as to numerology, better
put it that I like numbers as tools and as evocotive additions to descriptive
text.
The connotations being more
important than the actual denotations.
*template***template*
