The Quintessential Chaos Mage
The Quintessential Chaos Mage front cover
| Author | Patrick Younts |
| Series | Quintessential Series |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2003 |
| Pages | 128 |
| ISBN | 1-904577-54-7 |
| OGL Section 15 | qcmg |
Note: Material in this section may be "mature" in nature.
The material below is designated as Open Game Content
Chaos Magic and the Non-Human Races
The Existing Concepts and Nonhuman Characters
The role of the aforementioned concepts within each nonhuman culture is explored below. While chaos mages from any race are permitted to take any of the previously listed concepts, it is recommended that the players strongly consider selecting those concepts which are deemed most appropriate for members of that race.
Elves
Haughty, majestic and highly magical, elves are the longest lived of the humanoid races. Though, or perhaps because, they command great mystical power, elves only very rarely choose to walk the Paths of Chaos. There are several reasons for this, chief among them simple fear; chaos taints and irrevocably changes everything it touches and precious few elves relish the idea of spending the better part of a millennium in the form of a boneless blob of flesh, or lost in a madness of excruciating sensation. For this, and for other reasons, elven society tends to scorn and reject those who choose to give themselves to the magic of chaos.
What all this means is that those few elves who do become chaos mages are exceptionally reckless and daring, by both human and elven standards. Sometimes confident to the point of arrogance, sometimes fatalistic, they are never afraid of the consequences of using chaos – this does not mean they actively court the devastation of mind and body that chaos can wreak, simply that they do not shirk away from it. Elven culture prizes creativity above all else and elven chaos mages hold true to this belief. By far the most common character concept for elven chaos mages is the maker. Elven makers highly prize the art of illusion and often add minor illusion effects to their spells simply because it is aesthetically pleasing. Though elven makers still do not enjoy the prestige that elven sorcerers do, they come the closest of all chaos mages to being accepted by elven society as a whole.
Elven chaos sculptors are also relatively common and there is perhaps one sculptor for every three makers in elven lands. In fact, chaos sculptors and makers often work together, both because their powers complement one another and because they can find total acceptance only in the presence of their peers. The other concepts (masters, travellers, breakers and wildlings) are not unknown in elven society, but they are certainly rare. Breakers occasionally find some measure of fame serving as heavy support for elven border patrols, and masters are (albeit rarely) employed as diplomats. Those elves who take up the mantle of travellers rarely remain within elven society for long, as most put pack to shoulder in seek of more tolerant lands as soon as they are able.
Gnomes
With their innate understanding of esoteric scientific concepts and their naturalistic, somewhat chaotic mindset, gnomes make exceptional chaos mages.\ Unlike so many other races, the gnomes hold no prejudices against those who practice the chaos arts, and indeed, embrace those who weave chaos elements with skill and daring. Chaos mages are considered to be scientists and explorers, dreamers and leaders. The greatest chaos mages are mentioned in the same breath as the greatest gnomish sorcerers, wizards and leaders, and young gnomes often seek to apprentice themselves to chaos mages if the opportunity presents itself.
Sculptors are by far the most common gnomish chaos mages, as the ability to accomplish great alchemical feats by sheer force of will is highly regarded. Gnome sculptors are national heroes, wandering from gnomish village to gnomish city, using their abilities to teach, defend and enhance the quality of life.
Makers are also common in gnome society, focusing most commonly on illusion magic. Gnomish illusions are uniformly complex and whimsical, overblown fancies which are only rarely intended to accurately replicate real objects. The greatest gnome makers work their magics in the courts of kings and are considered to be invaluable for maintaining both the good humour and the humility of the royal families.
As might be expected, breakers are very rare in gnome society, since gnomes prefer non-violent solutions to problems. Those few gnome breakers generally take it upon themselves to remain separate from gnome society, until such time as their unparalleled destructive abilities are needed. Breakers are the gnome chaos mages most likely to actively seek out adventure, and they frequently leave the relative tranquillity of gnomish lands far behind them.
Half-elves
Shunned by both human and elf society, half-elves are wanderers and loners, drifting through the wilderness like ghosts, or settling down in the outskirts of frontier towns, places where their outcast heritage matters less than their skill and daring. Half-elf chaos mages are relatively common, as the idea of using nothing more than force of will to affect great change in the world is very appealing to those who quite often have nothing. Though many are loathe to admit it, the thought that chaos magic might, however briefly, allow them to transcend their mixed heritage and become something more is quite appealing as well.
The majority of half-elf chaos mages are travellers, using their command of Movement effects to explore the hidden recesses of the world and amassing power and experience thereby. Half-elf masters are common as well, most using their ability to control and influence minds to force the respect and acceptance they want onto every being they come across. The worst masters are like rabid dogs, striking out with fury and vengeance until they are laid low by sword, axe or spell.
Half-orcs
Misunderstood, frequently hunted both by human and orc clans, and cursed to live a shadowy existence on society’s fringe, the typical half-orc has nothing to lose. No wonder, then, that so many half-orcs pursue the ways of the chaos mage. Though it cannot be said that half-orc chaos mages are common, they are more numerous than half-orc wizards and sorcerers, and potentially more powerful – while the dull wits and thuggish temperament that are a legacy of their orc ancestry hampers those half-orcs who wish to become wizards or sorcerers, it has no effect on their ability to master chaos magic.
The most common half-orc chaos mages are, unsurprisingly, breakers. The ruthlessness that most half-orcs have beaten into them early in life makes them exceptionally dangerous and half-orc breakers are rightly feared for their relentless ferocity in battle. Half-orc breakers often seize slums or wildlands for their own, declare themselves warlords and settle down to rule ‘their’ territory, killing any and all who would stand in their way. Others take it upon themselves to protect other half-orcs and to a lesser extent the poor and downtrodden in general, though breakers of this sort are few in number.
Half-orc masters are surprisingly common. Though most half-orcs lack the subtlety and, frankly, the wits to survive long as behind the scenes masterminds, their intense desire to have some measure of control and authority in the world sometimes unconsciously guides them down the master’s path.
Half-orc travellers are also good character choices, as the idea of half-orcs being especially good at wandering or escaping persecution is thematically appropriate.
Halflings
There are very few halfling chaos mages, for the people of that race have a natural suspicion of supernatural forces which can so completely and irrevocably alter the mortal form. Still, chaos mages are not unheard of in halfling society and they are generally tolerated, if eyed with the same suspicion one gives to a half-trained wolf.
By far the largest percentage of halfling chaos mages are travellers. This is understandable, as halflings have a near insatiable hunger for travel and exploration. Halfling travellers are learned in all matters of geography, both earthly and planar, and are enthusiastic collectors of new experiences. Halfling travellers often serve as caravan guides or leaders, since they have both the experience and the raw power necessary to lead the enormous national caravans.
Those halfling travellers who choose to become adventurers are often revered as folk heroes, their exploits told round campfires with great relish; typically, their stories are filled with puns and outright exaggerations and almost invariably end with outrageous, often scandalous, punch lines.
Halfling breakers are surprisingly common and often find employ as guardians of national caravans, where their destructive abilities are put to good use protecting wagons and rolling citadels from the depredations of bandits, rogue monsters and other, darker things.
Halfling dominators are almost unheard of, as halflings think poorly, to put it mildly, of those who would usurp the will of another. Those halflings who do manifest the master’s talents, and the corresponding mindset, rarely stay in the national caravans long enough to rouse suspicion; instead, they disappear as quickly as possible into the first large town the caravan passes by, there to work magic on the unsuspecting populace, or to seek out
opportunities for adventure, as their moral compass guides them.
Dwarves
Doughty, stout-hearted, dependable, obsessed with honour and with the fulfilment of obligation, skilled craftsmen and exacting taskmasters, the dwarves are all these things and more. They are known and respected, even by their enemies, for their courage and for their skill with steel, gem, and stone. What they are not known for is recklessness, irresponsibility or adaptability. Stone is rigid and inflexible and so it is for dwarves. Or, it more correct to say, most dwarves.
By far the vast majority of dwarves are lawful in alignment, meaning that dwarf society is structured and fairly rigid in its thinking. Some small percentage of dwarves, however, hold to a different set of beliefs; rejecting their society’s strict adherence to tradition and obedience to the clan and to the dwarven nation, they hew their own shaft, holding true to the notion
of personal freedom, of flexibility, of choice. Some small number of these become chaos mages.
Makers and sculptors are common among dwarven chaos mages, as one might well imagine. Both types of chaos mage can and do find acclaim and respect in dwarven society, should they not simply leave their clan hold at the earliest opportunity, though the nonpermanent nature of the constructs they create and changes they bring is taken as a sign that the forge god’s favour lies with those who use the traditional methods of forge, hammer and pick. Breakers are also relatively common in the ranks of dwarf chaos mages, with most serving in the dwarven armies, voyaging far under the earth to bring their spells to bear against the monstrous beasts who writhe in the darkness. Dwarf breakers are especially fond of fire, and rarely if ever cast chaos spells which are not modified to use one of the traditional elements.
Travellers are exceedingly rare in dwarf society, though those few who choose (or are chosen for) this path are good candidates for adventurer characters. Those who do not join adventuring bands often venture alone into the deep darkness of the earth, there to seek fortune and revel in the joy of discovery – most end up dead, in some forgotten corner of the eternal night, but some gain experience enough to cast spells which carry them to other dimensions.
