AdvancedDungegns&Diagons

Secrets ofThe Magister

Ed Greenwood

"Of old, the mouths of Mystra made known to all who have Power, that by the blessing of thegoddess, one mage shall be the Lady's champion, and master of magery. This one, called theMagister, does not rule, but rather wanders the Realms doing as desired, for good or ill, and intime is cast down by other mages, and the mouths of Mystra shall name a new Magister. Thusthe Art shall live and grow, in strife and mystery, and never know the stifling yoke of law nor ofauthority. And the Art shall grow stronger, for magely ambition grows with skill-in-Art, andthose waxing stronger will seek out incumbent weakness; from strif e-of-art shall come greaterstrength. In the proper choosing of an enemy, each Magister brings glory, and greater strength,to the office. And in the seeking of that office, each magic brings glory, and greater strength, tothe Art."

—Albaerum of Neverwinter, SageThe Wonders of Magery

" "Iis a lonely thing, to be Magister. All shadows have eyes. Death is never far off, and oftencharges at one. "Iis not an office for the faint of heart."

—Aimer GalarthundThoughts Before My Slaying

"He will be Magister. I know. I have seen the fire in his eyes."—The character, Ferlinus Fooldark, in the play

Hearts and Daggers for Themby Sperrus of Athkatla

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Credits/Dedication

Secrets of the Magister

CreditsDesigner: Ed GreenwoodEditor: Dale Donovan with Kim MohanCover Artist: Fred FieldsInterior Artist: David DayTypesetters: Eric Haddock and Angelika LokotzGraphic Designer: Tanya MatsonCreative Director: Stan!Art Director: Paul Hanchette

DedicationTo Julia Martin, who has served the Realms so long and well—and made a difference.

Thanks are due all who contributed ideas and desires about the Magister, in particular Eric L. Boyd, Grant Christie,Bryan Fields, George Krashos, Julia Martin, Bobby Nichols, Steven Schend, Craig Sefton, and Bryon Wischstadt.

Magisterial concepts: Eric L. Boyd, Grant Christie, Julia Martin, Steven Schend.

Campaign setting based on the original game world of Ed Greenwood.

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUNGEON CRAWL, DUNGEON MASTER, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM,and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL is atrademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

All characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Distributed to the toy, hobby, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors. Distributed worldwide byWizards of the Coast, Inc. and regional distributors.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of thematerial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.

©2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.ISBN: 0-7869-1430-0

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The Magister of Mystra 4A Note about Terms 4Sigils of the Magisters 4

Tasks of the Magister 5Becoming the Magister 7

The Magisterial Duel 7Question Duels 9Ascendance 9Player Character Magisters 10

Powers of the Magister 11The New Magister 11

Personal Powers and Immunities 11Spellcraft Abilities 12Spellcasting Powers 13Active Powers of the Office 13

Leaving Office 14Mystra's Choice 15

The Fate of a Failure 15Rewards 15Greentree Haven 16

Adriyana's Garter 17Crown of the Undying Flame 18Morglord the Gate 19Annath the Grell 19Haunted Flagon 20

The Reborn 21Shadowstaff 23Tarsardar 26Wingless Wonder 28Magisters Remembered 30

Select Magisters 30The Magister Now 83

Recent History 83Talatha Vaerovree of Innarlith 84

Magisterial Magic 91Forbidden Spells 91Mantles 92

Mantle 93Baldrics 97Belorigar's Baldric 97

Combination Spells 98Filverel's Doorward 99Nerren's Guardlock 100Dathchaunt's Deathbolt 100

Selected Magisterial Spells 100Alter Digits 101Plungesoil 101Hand of Tentacles 102Irithra's Spelltouch 103Shield of Chains 104Gutsnake 105Battlestar 105Ghosttalk 105Spell Trigger 106Dispel Shunt 106Scouring Wind 107Talking Stone 108Transcribe 108Greater Spell Trigger 108Jalensifer's Trident 109Lesser Cleaving 109Obliviasphere 110Weavecall Il lDweomerbanish I l lLauthdryn's Cleaving 112Weavestrike 113Wondercraft 113

Artifacts 114Magical Items 115

Blast-Globes 114Gauntlets of Faerglamer 115Shimmaryn 116Talandor's Helm 117

The Magisterial Campaign 119The NPC Magister 119The PC Magister 120

Mystra's Other Servants 121The Touched 121Pursuivant Arcane 122Aspirant Magister 122Weavespinner 123

The Road of Stars and Shadows 127

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The Magister of Mystra

ew beings in the Realms are so misunderstood,despite numerous ballads, tales, and legends, asthe long line of mysterious wizards who have

held the title of "the Magister."Most civilized Faerunians know that the Magister is

some sort of specially anointed (by Mystra, the goddessof magic) wizard, has special powers, and there is onlyone at a time, a new Magister assuming the office whenthe current one is slain (usually by the successor).

The moment inquiry moves beyond these bare ideas,the disagreements begin. Opinions are so varied as toswamp any single tome, if set down in full; suffice it tosay that sharply conflicting views about the Magistercontinue to be hotly contested to this day.

Access to both Elminster and Laeral allows us to statemuch more, and the results of the lore they haveimparted appear in this book. Some of the Chosen ofMystra promote the belief that to understand the Magis-ter is to learn what true mastery of magic is, and there-fore, what every wizard should strive for.

Briefly, the Magister is the personal champion ofMystra, but this does not mean "someone who fightsfor Mystra," in the way a warrior fights for his liegelord. The mightiest deity of the Realms, capable of per-sonally controlling all access to the Weave (the magicalenergies and bindings that flow in unending lifearound Toril), hardly needs another wizard to hurlspells on her behalf. Rather, the office exists to promote"the Art" (wizardly magic) throughout the Realms,both through the tasks individual Magisters arecharged with, and by the striving toward greater mas-tery of magic that competition for the office causes.

Those raised in competitive, magic-strong societies(such as Thay, for example) see the office as a means of"becoming the mightiest wizard of all Faerun," using itsspecial powers to slay old foes and potential rivals. Yeteven brief reflection upon the magic-nurturing natureof the Mother of All Magic reveals to the thinkingFaerunian that the view of the office as "the hammer toall other mages' anvils" must be mistaken.

This book sets forth what it is to be the Magister, fromthe creation of the office after the Dawn Cataclysm byMystra, wherein Azuth (the same Azuth who later roseto godhood) became the first Magister, down the longyears to the present time. Students of Realmslore willfind no exhaustive list of all the Magisters herein, foronly Mystra knows the entire roster. Nor does this tomeattempt to address all the unique magic employed byMagisters, for a library the size of that at Candlekeepwould be needed to address such a topic. However,players and Dungeon Masters alike can glean muchfrom these pages about the most important mortalmages of Faerun to use them in play.

A Note about TermsA successful career as a Magister is all about its holderexhibiting good judgment, but there is no other connec-tion between the Magister of Mystra and the many judges(pronouncers-of-laws or criminal sentences) found in var-ious cities of Faerun, including Suzail and Waterdeep,who hold the title "Magister." Nor are the Lords Magister("Just Lords") of Waterdeep's past connected to the cham-pion of Mystra.

Sigils of the MagistersThe personal symbols of various Magisters appearthroughout this book, and rarely vary much from thoseused by these mages before each became the Magister.

There also exists, however, a sigil pertaining to theoffice and usable by any Magister. (Other mortals whoemploy it—drawing it in any permanent manner, asopposed to tracing its outlines for a few seconds inashes or sand—are either feebleminded or struck blind,by the grace of Mystra, for at least a tenday, dependingon their intentions when falsely using the sigil). Itappears below and at the top of each page of this book.When rendered in color, it customarily appears as starsof alternating white and silver on a field of deep blue.The stars on both ends of the array are silver.

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hile the office has no formal, written rules andresponsibilities, various Magisters have beencharged with specific missions (and placed

under particular prohibitions) by Mystra. All Magisterssoon come to learn, one way or another, that they haveduties to accompany their powers. These responsibili-ties vary over time, and are a private matter betweenMystra, Azuth, and the incumbent Magister, but can ingeneral be said to follow certain principles.

Magisters never repair or maintain the Weave (dealingwith "wild" or "dead" magic areas, for example) exceptwhen charged to do so by Mystra, Azuth, or a Chosen.

Magisters receive no salary, territory, stronghold, orsecular authority, and are strongly advised to keep clearof politics.

Magisters should pursue personal goals of craftingnew magic, but also should hold themselves aloof fromconsiderations of good and evil among mages andmagic use, considering instead the primary goal of theiroffice: to encourage the ever-wider use of magic inFaerun, and to promote its availability and utility.

Fearful of attack, many Magisters become reclusive,skulking figures, suspicious of all beings who approachthem, while others travel Faerun ceaselessly, spendingtheir days seeing and doing. The ways in which wizardsfulfill the office vary widely, but Mystra ensures thattheir actions are always useful in the drive to constantlyfurther magic.

The office itself keeps some glory-minded mages fromwantonly smashing towers, mountains, realms, and theirfellow creatures by giving them another goal to strivetoward: the goal of becoming the "Supreme Mage." Sothe office serves as a valve for rebelliousness, arrogance,independence, and the need for personal achievementamong such-minded mages.

Some love the powers of the office, and some misusethem; Mystra sees to it that the latter do not last long.One power known to many wizards is the Magister'sability to temporarily ban spells Toril-wide (discussed inthe "Powers of the Magister" section). What few wizardschoose to believe is that all uses of a Magister's powersmust be in accordance with the underlying mission ofthe office: to spread and promote the use of magic.

A Magister's rise in experience level while in office is indirect proportion to the new magic he devises and givesaway to others, and encourages others to develop on theirown. Magic that feeds on or dominates other magic (suchas the spells dispel magic and spell engine, wild magiceffects, or the like) is the only exception to this rule.

That's not to say a Magister facing attack from a pow-erful archmage must aid that wizard by giving him moremagic—in fact, the cause of spreading magic use is almostalways best served by taking magic from those strong init, and giving it to those of lesser accomplishments (who

are more likely to use it, rather than hoard it to constrainothers from magic use). Within this prime mission of theoffice, there remains a lot of room for Magisters who revelin spell-battle to hurl magic that humbles or awes onlook-ers with its effects. One Magister (Kurtal of Sreve) blasteda rival wizard's crumbling tower with magic that frozethe tumbling stones forever in a shattered arc of stone,halfway through their fall—as an ever-present lesson tothe locals of the might of magic.

Natural arrogance may lead certain Magisters intopolitical dabblings and public pronouncements, souringtheir relationships with others (even the deity theyserve), but in general, Magisters deal with the rest of theworld as follows.

To most folk, the Magister is but a name and a set ofcolorful stories; one is seen in the flesh only rarely. Toother mages, the Magister is a wary, elusive dispenserof useful magic and a careful observer of events. Com-moners, mages, and clergy of faiths not close to thedeity of magic may aid, flee from, or attack the Magis-ter out of fear, but only the few Magisters who love tosee fear in the eyes of others customarily reveal theiroffice when dealing with such individuals.

The Heralds respect the office of the Magister, andsome Magisters deliver fragmentary notices or reports ofimportant magical events. To many rulers, the Harpers,and most other organizations with far-reaching interests,the Magister usually remains invisible, avoiding thesegroups when possible, and disappearing when his pres-ence is revealed.

To the churches of Mystra and Azuth, the Magisteris a figure to be welcomed and assisted when heappears (and proves his identity by use of the sigil ofthe Magister).

The clergy of Savras and Velsharoon are unfriendly tothe Magister, and their deities seldom have dealingswith the champion of Mystra—but they also seem to fearthe Magister to varying degrees, and so many simplyignore him, as they do the Chosen of Mystra.

The servants of Savras the All-Seeing One believe thatthe independence of the office is unwise, and not to beencouraged. (However, a sorely wounded Magisterfound by Savrathans will be kept alive, even healed asmuch as possible, and taken to clergy of Mystra or Azuthas promptly as possible.)

The clergy of Velsharoon the Vaunted seek to bindor disable, but not slay, Magisters who come withintheir reach, and imprison any Magister they defeat indark crypts, usually chained (with manacles that bearharmful or magic-inhibiting enchantments) anddrugged to prevent spell use. Thus they demonstratethe power of the Velsharan faith, and the "rightful riseof his power over Mystra, the Empty Glory." Mystrahas caused imprisoned Magisters to burst free under

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such circumstances, and even to shatter crypts andaccompanying temples when unwise Velsharan clergytried to bring a Magister under their power by trans-forming their captive into an undead.

The relationships of individual Magisters to Mystra,her Chosen, and to Azuth depend in large part on thecharacter and particularly the arrogance (if any) of theparticular Magister. If the Magister attacks, scorns, orattempts to trick or coerce any of these parties, a distantrelationship results. Friendship and trust are met withthe same; all of these entities regard Magisters as giftedchildren, to be politely and even affectionately encour-aged and guided, so long and so far as each Magisterdesires it. A genuinely receptive Magister (as opposedto one who thinks to feign love and cooperation—adeception all of these beings readily see) will be aided,rescued, and empowered into swift rises in personalcapability; such a one is Noumea, the Reluctant Magis-ter of recent note.

Mystra rules the Magister (though she does solightly), dispensing commands, rebukes, and occa-sional encouragements on a sporadic, distant basis, butthe god Azuth is the Guardian of the Magister, andserves most of them as a confidant and "wise olduncle" sort of adviser.

Sages have uncovered an old saying that resurfacesoften regarding the Magister: "Azuth encourages andMystra affirms." This holds true in particular for thepersonal magical creations and projects that Magistersundertake. Mystra gives her approval and praisesresults without hinting that her judgment of a Magis-ter's service rests largely on such achievements, butAzuth the High One actively teaches, cajoles, andupbraids Magisters into achieving personal magicalgrowth. Azuth appears often to Magisters, givingadvice far more often than some of them appreciatehearing it. Mystra is seen more seldom, but "the weightof her regard" (a heavy, charged feeling of beingwatched) is felt more often and more keenly by Magis-ters than by other wizards.

The greatest tragedy of many Magisters' careers is thesevering (which most of them see as necessary) of theirexisting relationships with patrons, fellow mages,friends, and loved ones. Many attempt to conceal theiridentities while in office to avoid such rifts, or assemblecaches of magic as gifts to benefit their lost friends. Afew even arrange to die at the hands of a friendly suc-cessor (even a lover), but most Magisters see this as pass-ing a death sentence on to the person who slew them,and thus arrange to be slain by their enemies.

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