I have a dilemma. I am interested in playing a non-traditional wizard in a Dragonlance campaign. The character is a bladesinger. His backstory is that he was orphaned and adopted into an assassin's guild and subsequently trained as an arcane assassin. Accordingly, his original background was Criminal. Now the new Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen book has been published, and we are adopting its rules for our campaign. This creates a challenge for me. In DL, I understand that all (or nearly all) wizards are affiliated with the the Orders of High Sorcery. This implies that all wizards should take the Mage of High Sorcery background. While it is RAW that backgrounds can be modified to change languages, skills, and tools--so I could still build my character like a rogue while taking the Mage of High Sorcery background--it makes it a bit tough for me from an RP standpoint. As it stands, I am recrafting the character's backstory such that he was sent by the assassin's guild to take the Test of High Sorcery to finalize his training and serve as a "mole" in his chosen Order to gather information for the guild. However, this feels shoehorned since the character spent most of his upbringing with (and his primary allegiance remains to) the guild. It seems to me there should be a clear option for wizards who do not affiliate themselves with one of the three Orders. I have read online about renegade wizards wearing gray or brown robes, but all of these seem to have been isolated groups of evil wizards and not a general class.
After reading your question, I had to reread the full description again of the Bladesinger because nothing here made sense. And there are no such requirements of the subclass.
The Wizards of High Sorcery the most ancient, venerated, and fearsome of all the magical orders of Krynn. They draw their power from the three moons and the gods attributed to them, which is the basis for their three orders, the White, Red, and Black Robes.
Then there are the Mages of High Sorcery that are typically Bards, Wizards, or Warlocks and might have any subclass. Spellcasters who gain their magic through devotion or who possess innate magic are less likely to be welcomed among the traditionalist mages. Nevertheless, the Mages of High Sorcery are shrewd, and they rarely let unique opportunities or individuals pass them by. Even members of martial classes who train in magic might find a rare place among the group's three orders.
The Test of High Sorcery was created by the first Three mages, Corenthas, Eriane, and Shaud, in order to make sure that those who did not have self-control did not have access to High Sorcery. Those who wish to take the Test, must first be apprenticed to one who is a master in magic. Once the apprentice has gained enough knowledge, and usually about 25 years of age, they are invited by the Conclave to take the Test. Now realize this isn't the only way to learn higher magic. But if you want to learn that high magic from the 3 orders as your backstory, then it makes more sense to take the test.
I would suggest running it by your DM, and see how you can fit it into the story.
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I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
After reading your question, I had to reread the full description again of the Bladesinger because nothing here made sense. And there are no such requirements of the subclass.
The Wizards of High Sorcery the most ancient, venerated, and fearsome of all the magical orders of Krynn. They draw their power from the three moons and the gods attributed to them, which is the basis for their three orders, the White, Red, and Black Robes.
Then there are the Mages of High Sorcery that are typically Bards, Wizards, or Warlocks and might have any subclass. Spellcasters who gain their magic through devotion or who possess innate magic are less likely to be welcomed among the traditionalist mages. Nevertheless, the Mages of High Sorcery are shrewd, and they rarely let unique opportunities or individuals pass them by. Even members of martial classes who train in magic might find a rare place among the group's three orders.
The Test of High Sorcery was created by the first Three mages, Corenthas, Eriane, and Shaud, in order to make sure that those who did not have self-control did not have access to High Sorcery. Those who wish to take the Test, must first be apprenticed to one who is a master in magic. Once the apprentice has gained enough knowledge, and usually about 25 years of age, they are invited by the Conclave to take the Test. Now realize this isn't the only way to learn higher magic. But if you want to learn that high magic from the 3 orders as your backstory, then it makes more sense to take the test.
I would suggest running it by your DM, and see how you can fit it into the story.
Sorry for being unclear. The character's subclass is incidental. The notion of a bladesinger assassin is not unreasonable given access to at least one martial weapon, light armor, and appropriate skills.
So that being said, your original idea sounds great to me. Personally I would allow it at my table in a number of settings to include Dragonlance, although my Dragonlance knowledge is a bit old school and I haven't upgraded to 5E in that setting yet.
Actually the bladesinger is my definition of an assassin. Just one that is so niche that it blurs the line between skill and magic to a dizzying degree. Your use of the class in your backstory is spot on IMO! Putting a plant into the rotations of the order and the test would be a cunning move to say the least, and would require a descent amount of Wiz/Cha to convince the towers that you were loyal to the orders and the magic of the realm.
I guess I am not totally understanding what your end goal was. Did you want to take a feat that was questionable? Or is it about backgrounds? At my table, backgrounds are just fluff and color that helps a person to get a better feel of how to roll play, so almost anything goes there as long as the player can handle it, and sometimes that takes reminders. Or if you are just looking for a path to magic without the orders, research "Wild Sorcery" or "Warlock" by the dragonlance standard. Warmages, Acolytes of the skin, Blood Magus, and Wu-Jen might also be an interesting avenue for that as well.
If your campaign is being strict to DL lore, I believe that the Bladesinger subclass is something that would be forbidden by the Tower of High Sorcery, as IIRC they banned wizards from studying martial skills or wearing armor at all.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I think a lot of people have memories of the books and the lore it represents. I believe the Tower of High Sorcery controls who can cast magic so powerful magics aren't being used by undisciplined and dangerous people. I can't ever remember how vigorously they pursue renegade wizards but I think traditional lore wise you would need to join the union rather than be an independent magic user to avoid hiding your abilities or risk being captured or killed depending on the wizard who discovers you.
5e game wise though it seems like they are moving away from such a strict interpretation, like most other things, to open up more options for players. None of the feats or backgrounds are required to play an arcane caster. I have no idea if any of them are required to take the test or if you can take one of the other bonus feats and still take the test.
The Mages of High Sorcery hunt down and kill renegade magic users. People who've only learned a spell or two, they may not bother with, but anyone observed with much more than cantrips who hasn't passed the Test has a target on their back.
Here's the thing: in 5e, the Mages of High Sorcery Background does not mean you've passed the test. It means you're affiliated with the Towers and have the advantages that go with that. Passing the Test is an important part of the story in a 5e Dragonlance campaign. Your DM has final say, obviously, but you could take any background you want as long as you RP making yourself known to the Towers, pass their entry exam, and then take the Test when assigned.
Another thing we haven't discussed is the age your campaign is in. This would have bearing on _Amunsol_'s comment. During the different ages they have gone from extremes. At one time you could be in the middle of an "Inquisition" style age where they are actively rounding up everyone with a magic gift to. During times of war, resources and attentions won't be as prevalent to hunt down renegades, although there is someone hunting you. Or is it a time where the various robes have thinned out memberships, and can barely hold onto their towers, much less go hunting for renegades. And then their is the region you are in and how close you are to an active tower.
It really comes down to the DM's story of when and where within Krynn. And honestly, how much they want to make the Mages of High Sorcery part of your overall story.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
If your campaign is being strict to DL lore, I believe that the Bladesinger subclass is something that would be forbidden by the Tower of High Sorcery, as IIRC they banned wizards from studying martial skills or wearing armor at all.
We've adopted rules from the new 5e book, Shadows of the Dragon Queen. A lot of small changes have been made from the original books/1e to improve player QoL. Wearing armor is not an issue as warlocks are explicitly allowed to take the Mage of High Sorcery background and can wear light armor. Another weird thing is that one can start at 1st level with an "affiliation" for one of the three orders, where in 1e one did not choose an order/robe color until passing the test.
So that being said, your original idea sounds great to me. Personally I would allow it at my table in a number of settings to include Dragonlance, although my Dragonlance knowledge is a bit old school and I haven't upgraded to 5E in that setting yet.
Actually the bladesinger is my definition of an assassin. Just one that is so niche that it blurs the line between skill and magic to a dizzying degree. Your use of the class in your backstory is spot on IMO! Putting a plant into the rotations of the order and the test would be a cunning move to say the least, and would require a descent amount of Wiz/Cha to convince the towers that you were loyal to the orders and the magic of the realm.
I guess I am not totally understanding what your end goal was. Did you want to take a feat that was questionable? Or is it about backgrounds? At my table, backgrounds are just fluff and color that helps a person to get a better feel of how to roll play, so almost anything goes there as long as the player can handle it, and sometimes that takes reminders. Or if you are just looking for a path to magic without the orders, research "Wild Sorcery" or "Warlock" by the dragonlance standard. Warmages, Acolytes of the skin, Blood Magus, and Wu-Jen might also be an interesting avenue for that as well.
Thanks, I appreciate the support for my character background idea. In discussing with the DM, we've decided to create a new Zhentarim-like faction, the Dominari, that will be independent of the Dragonarmies, Knights of Solamnia, and Orders of High Sorcery. The new faction will operate behind the scenes with the motivation of controlling commerce, politics, and ultimately the social order. My character will have been adopted into the assassins wing of the organization and, as discussed, will serve as a mole in the Order of the Red Robes.
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I have a dilemma. I am interested in playing a non-traditional wizard in a Dragonlance campaign. The character is a bladesinger. His backstory is that he was orphaned and adopted into an assassin's guild and subsequently trained as an arcane assassin. Accordingly, his original background was Criminal. Now the new Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen book has been published, and we are adopting its rules for our campaign. This creates a challenge for me. In DL, I understand that all (or nearly all) wizards are affiliated with the the Orders of High Sorcery. This implies that all wizards should take the Mage of High Sorcery background. While it is RAW that backgrounds can be modified to change languages, skills, and tools--so I could still build my character like a rogue while taking the Mage of High Sorcery background--it makes it a bit tough for me from an RP standpoint. As it stands, I am recrafting the character's backstory such that he was sent by the assassin's guild to take the Test of High Sorcery to finalize his training and serve as a "mole" in his chosen Order to gather information for the guild. However, this feels shoehorned since the character spent most of his upbringing with (and his primary allegiance remains to) the guild. It seems to me there should be a clear option for wizards who do not affiliate themselves with one of the three Orders. I have read online about renegade wizards wearing gray or brown robes, but all of these seem to have been isolated groups of evil wizards and not a general class.
Ask your DM.
[REDACTED]
You lost me.
After reading your question, I had to reread the full description again of the Bladesinger because nothing here made sense. And there are no such requirements of the subclass.
The Wizards of High Sorcery the most ancient, venerated, and fearsome of all the magical orders of Krynn. They draw their power from the three moons and the gods attributed to them, which is the basis for their three orders, the White, Red, and Black Robes.
Then there are the Mages of High Sorcery that are typically Bards, Wizards, or Warlocks and might have any subclass. Spellcasters who gain their magic through devotion or who possess innate magic are less likely to be welcomed among the traditionalist mages. Nevertheless, the Mages of High Sorcery are shrewd, and they rarely let unique opportunities or individuals pass them by. Even members of martial classes who train in magic might find a rare place among the group's three orders.
The Test of High Sorcery was created by the first Three mages, Corenthas, Eriane, and Shaud, in order to make sure that those who did not have self-control did not have access to High Sorcery. Those who wish to take the Test, must first be apprenticed to one who is a master in magic. Once the apprentice has gained enough knowledge, and usually about 25 years of age, they are invited by the Conclave to take the Test. Now realize this isn't the only way to learn higher magic. But if you want to learn that high magic from the 3 orders as your backstory, then it makes more sense to take the test.
I would suggest running it by your DM, and see how you can fit it into the story.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
Sorry for being unclear. The character's subclass is incidental. The notion of a bladesinger assassin is not unreasonable given access to at least one martial weapon, light armor, and appropriate skills.
So that being said, your original idea sounds great to me. Personally I would allow it at my table in a number of settings to include Dragonlance, although my Dragonlance knowledge is a bit old school and I haven't upgraded to 5E in that setting yet.
Actually the bladesinger is my definition of an assassin. Just one that is so niche that it blurs the line between skill and magic to a dizzying degree. Your use of the class in your backstory is spot on IMO! Putting a plant into the rotations of the order and the test would be a cunning move to say the least, and would require a descent amount of Wiz/Cha to convince the towers that you were loyal to the orders and the magic of the realm.
I guess I am not totally understanding what your end goal was. Did you want to take a feat that was questionable? Or is it about backgrounds? At my table, backgrounds are just fluff and color that helps a person to get a better feel of how to roll play, so almost anything goes there as long as the player can handle it, and sometimes that takes reminders. Or if you are just looking for a path to magic without the orders, research "Wild Sorcery" or "Warlock" by the dragonlance standard. Warmages, Acolytes of the skin, Blood Magus, and Wu-Jen might also be an interesting avenue for that as well.
Here is a link to a great blog on the subject.
https://dragonlancenexus.com/complete-arcane-and-dragonlance/#:~:text=Warlock: The warlock represents a,of creation, i.e. wild sorcery.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
If your campaign is being strict to DL lore, I believe that the Bladesinger subclass is something that would be forbidden by the Tower of High Sorcery, as IIRC they banned wizards from studying martial skills or wearing armor at all.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I think a lot of people have memories of the books and the lore it represents. I believe the Tower of High Sorcery controls who can cast magic so powerful magics aren't being used by undisciplined and dangerous people. I can't ever remember how vigorously they pursue renegade wizards but I think traditional lore wise you would need to join the union rather than be an independent magic user to avoid hiding your abilities or risk being captured or killed depending on the wizard who discovers you.
5e game wise though it seems like they are moving away from such a strict interpretation, like most other things, to open up more options for players. None of the feats or backgrounds are required to play an arcane caster. I have no idea if any of them are required to take the test or if you can take one of the other bonus feats and still take the test.
The Mages of High Sorcery hunt down and kill renegade magic users. People who've only learned a spell or two, they may not bother with, but anyone observed with much more than cantrips who hasn't passed the Test has a target on their back.
Here's the thing: in 5e, the Mages of High Sorcery Background does not mean you've passed the test. It means you're affiliated with the Towers and have the advantages that go with that. Passing the Test is an important part of the story in a 5e Dragonlance campaign. Your DM has final say, obviously, but you could take any background you want as long as you RP making yourself known to the Towers, pass their entry exam, and then take the Test when assigned.
Another thing we haven't discussed is the age your campaign is in. This would have bearing on _Amunsol_'s comment. During the different ages they have gone from extremes. At one time you could be in the middle of an "Inquisition" style age where they are actively rounding up everyone with a magic gift to. During times of war, resources and attentions won't be as prevalent to hunt down renegades, although there is someone hunting you. Or is it a time where the various robes have thinned out memberships, and can barely hold onto their towers, much less go hunting for renegades. And then their is the region you are in and how close you are to an active tower.
It really comes down to the DM's story of when and where within Krynn. And honestly, how much they want to make the Mages of High Sorcery part of your overall story.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
We've adopted rules from the new 5e book, Shadows of the Dragon Queen. A lot of small changes have been made from the original books/1e to improve player QoL. Wearing armor is not an issue as warlocks are explicitly allowed to take the Mage of High Sorcery background and can wear light armor. Another weird thing is that one can start at 1st level with an "affiliation" for one of the three orders, where in 1e one did not choose an order/robe color until passing the test.
Thanks, I appreciate the support for my character background idea. In discussing with the DM, we've decided to create a new Zhentarim-like faction, the Dominari, that will be independent of the Dragonarmies, Knights of Solamnia, and Orders of High Sorcery. The new faction will operate behind the scenes with the motivation of controlling commerce, politics, and ultimately the social order. My character will have been adopted into the assassins wing of the organization and, as discussed, will serve as a mole in the Order of the Red Robes.