Magic in Society: Caster Personalities

HAHA!  You thought I forgot about this series already.  Well, you were right, but I'm back now with the next installment.  You can find the previous installment here, where I give the overview of what inspired this series and what it's about.

The information in this particular article in the series will be somewhat proprietary since I developed it for my specific world setting.  However, I'm confident you'll be able to adapt it to your own if you choose to use it.  That being said, let's move on to the meat of this article!

When I say Caster "Personalities" I'm really using the word "personality" as a filler for another word that's actually on the tip of my tongue but can't quite identify.  I'm not referring to whether they are lazy or excitable, gruff or caring.  I am really referring to the depth of their involvement with magic and how they use it.  I considered Caster Dedication, but "Dedicated" is used with a specific meaning in settings magical definitions so I wanted to avoid any confusion.  There are only 3 Caster Personalities that I have identified so far.  They are, in order:

  • Common John - This character does not dedicate his whole life to magic.  Instead, he learns a few spells intended to make his life easier (such as Ignite, Extinguish, Cool, Warm, etc.) but typically with no combat applications.  Craftsmen in this category might learn Haste spells as well in order to improve their productivity while Farmers might learn an Insect Ward ritual to protect his crops.
  • Dedicated Wizard - This character has made the pursuit of magic his whole life.  Whether he or she pursues magic for power, to help others, for knowledge or wisdom is irrelevant; they all fall under this category - Healers, Warlocks, Thaumaturges, etc.  Some of these become adventurers, some set up shop and offer their services to a community while others hide away in their homes (secluded or not) and practice quietly by themselves or as part of an organization.  
  • Hybrid/Military - This character is a blending of the first two categories.  Magic alone does not define their life, rather it serves to enhance their primary goal of combat, subterfuge, etc.  However, the pursuit of magic towards their ends is much more involved and ongoing than the level of knowledge and pursuit of Common John.

I use this information primarily to help me identify how magically involved a particular NPC is going to be, assuming they aren't completely non-magical like your standard fighter, rogue, farmer, merchant, etc.  Next time I will begin looking at the other three aspects of magic in society which I use as a guide when laying down information about a new location.

In the meantime, please tell me in the comments below what you think of my three divisions.  Have I missed any?  Does this mesh well with magic in your own setting or would it need additional tweaking to be useful?

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