7 Lore Context(Will move to aux when I have enough wordcount)
Taken from the Wiki(Forgotten Realms)
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Sword Coast
The Sword Coast, also nicknamed the Empty Lands, was the region in western Faerûn that lay along the coast of the Sea of Swords and extended inward into to the vale. The Sword Coast was an expansive tract of wilderness, dotted with independent cities and overrun by bands of monstrous creatures, that some saw as merely a place through which you had to travel in order to reach an actual meaningful destination. It was much more than that of course, a rich and vibrant land with a long and storied history that encompassed some of the most important cities in all the Realms.
Major Cities:
-Baldur's Gate, the port metropolis nicknamed "the Gate" was the hub of trade for the Sword Coast that by 15th century DR, had become one of the most densely populated and influential cities in all of Faerûn.
-Beregost, a large trading town a day's travel off the Coast Way, was a popular stopping point for merchants traveling between Amn and the Gate that became a major mercantile center in the region.
-Daggerford, a small, walled duchy that was surrounded by a number of farming villages. Although it was ruled by a lone head of state, a Duke or Duchess, its daily operations were overseen by its Council of Guilds.
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Waterdeep
Waterdeep, also known as the City of Splendors or the Crown of the North, was the most important and influential city in the North and perhaps in all Faerûn. It was a truly marvelous cosmopolitan city of great culture that attracted the most talented artisans, artists, and scholars from across the Realms, as well as a commercial hub for financial interests along the coast and beyond.
It was one of if not the most powerful and influential member-states of the Lords' Alliance, the coalition of nations and city-states that sought to maintain order along the Sword Coast and the North.
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Magic
Magic was the ability possessed by some individuals to manipulate the ambient energies of the world to produce desired results, or so most thought. In the Realms, arcane magic was commonly referred to as "the Art", while divine magic was referred to as "the Power". In addition to granting spellcasting abilities, magic was an influential force in the Realms. It served as the source of energy for enchanted items, allowed Faerûnians to travel across Toril and through the extra-planar cosmology and even shaped the physical landscape of the planet. The basic essence of magic was known as raw magic.
The goddess Mystra controlled the Weave which was the main medium for channeling the arcane energies of Toril. The goddess Shar controlled the Shadow Weave, a dark and distorted imitation of the Weave which flowed in-between its empty space. Divine magic was drawn from specific deities.
Any magic that didn't originate from a deity was defined as arcane magic. The use of arcane magic was referred to in day-to-day speech as the Art, and a wide variety of people were able to practice it, to a small or larger extent, though the way in which they accessed the Weave differed dramatically.
Most wizards spent long years researching their art, gathering spells to their personal book, and each day they could only memorize a small fraction of these. The memory of the spell is wiped from his or her mind as it was cast. The wizard had to re-study the spell before he or she can cast it again, unless more than one casting of the spell in question was prepared. This changed at the conclusion of the Spellplague when the goddess Mystra was reborn, and the casting of magic changed once again with her rebirth. Spells only require preparation once per day and are not forgotten upon casting, meaning that as long as the wizard has spell slots, the spell can be cast repeatedly.
Sorcerers, also known as innatoths, for their innate mastery of the Weave, were not required to research spells. They tapped into the Weave in a more direct manner, but because of this, the selection of spells available to a sorcerer was more limited than those available to a wizard.
Warlocks gained access to their arcane power by forging pacts with supernatural beings of the Realms, such as powerful aberrations from the depths of the Underdark, or even the ancient fey of Evermeet. Even bards of the Realms had access to the Weave to use certain magical abilities. Some, such as assassins and swordmages, could blend their arcane gifts with martial prowess.
Arcane spellcasters copied all of their known spells into what was an invaluable item to them, their spellbook. These often included personal notes and specifications from the mages, and their own personal mage sigil. Before they slept for the night, or otherwise rested for an extended period, they would prepare certain spells from their book for use for the next day, or at least until their next rest. These books went by other names such as arcanabulae, a workbook used by mages during travel, and grimoires, large, often disproportional anthologies of magic.
Arcane casters from certain wizard guilds could also often access magical reservoirs known as spellpools. These locations allowed casters, who had been granted access, to swap one known spell for another that had been placed within the pool, albeit at the cost of one of their own. The circle magic extensively used by the Red Wizards of Thay and the Witches of Rashemen allowed groups cooperating spellcasters to grant extraordinary powers to a leading wizard.
Divine casters were required to pray to their patron deity for access to the power of their spells. The time of day of these prayers would typically be at dawn, noon, dusk or at midnight, depending on the deity. For example, priests of Ilmater prayed for their spells in the morning, while the clergy of Waukeen prayed just before sundown.
The casting of both arcane and divine spells required certain components. Some spells only needed one or two, while others required all three:
Verbal component: Many spells required the caster to speak certain words, or, in the case of a bard, create music, to cast a spell. Being prevented from speaking, such as being gagged or magically silenced, made it impossible for a caster to cast such a spell. A deafened caster could fail when casting a spell, by misspeaking, which caused the spell to be lost.
Somatic component: Many spells required the caster to make a motion to cast the spell. If the caster was immobilized or otherwise unable to move their hands or body, the spell could not be cast. Wearing armor or using a shield interfered with the somatic components of arcane spells, creating a risk of spell failure. Some casters, like bards, could cast spells in light armor without this risk.
Material components: Casting a spell often requires that the caster sacrifice some sort of material component. While often these were virtually worthless, some spells, such as spells to raise the dead, required material components costing thousands of gold pieces. If a caster is unable to access or use the correct spell component, the spell cannot be cast. As the spell was cast, the material components were destroyed and were not reusable in any way.
Magical focus: Alternatively, casting a spell could require that the caster have access to a holy symbol or other special object, to focus on when casting the spell; after which they were not damaged and could be reused. This was required more often in the casting of divine spells.
The power and energy of both arcane and divine spells could also be imbued into items. Many items shared similar effects to the point where they were named, such as blueshine or everbright armor, while others, such as the longsword Namarra, had unique properties. The most powerful magical items, typically created by archmages, liches or even the gods themselves were known as artifacts and relics. The main difference between the two being the significance of the latter to a particular faith or holy sect. Most magical items drew upon power from alternative planes of existence.
Although there could be a dozen different ways to create the same magical item, the crafting process generally followed the same steps:
Design: The crafter planned out the form and function of their item and prepared their focal stones.
Primary casting: The energy of spells, from which the item would draw its properties, were linked to the stones via the casting of specific spells.
Shell creation: The non-magical components of the item were prepared, usually made from select woods and metals, and then magically joined together, if multiple substances were used.
Enstarment: Spells were used to allow a prepared shell to accept magical energy.
Mastering: The focal stones, holding the energy of cast spells, were joined with the prepared shell in a time-sensitive stage of the process that determined whether the item came out successful or otherwise.
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Weave
The Weave, controlled by Mystryl or one of her successors, was a way through which raw magic was accessed, tapped into and used by casters of magic. The Weave was the way in which magic presented itself to beings for their use, and it flowed throughout the world, touching almost every corner of existence, with exception of dead-magic zones.
The Weave was considered many things, including Mystra's body, the source of magic, all the studies of casters, arcane and divine alike, and the many energies and forces that existed around the planes. Many saw it as a "fabric" on which magic was "drawn", and damaging the fabric caused magic to go awry. Preparing a spell was a means by which a small amount of the Weave could be "contained" and transported for a specific effect, while the casting of a spell was equivalent to telling the Weave to rearrange itself to create the effect.
Importantly, the Weave was not magic itself, but rather a force by which its flows could be channeled, and a means by which magic could be understood and harnessed. In the years after the Spellplague, the term Weave also became a synonym of the use of magic, although this was not true either. Other systems for calling upon magic had always existed within the Realms, but the Weave was by far the most commonly used, thoroughly refined and best understood.
The Weave was also linked to fate, and a rare few individuals could manipulate such connection to alter the future to their advantage. However, usually the Weave punished those who used "her" in such a way.
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Mystra
Mystra was a greater goddess of the Faerûnian pantheon and the second incarnation of the goddess of magic after her predecessor Mystryl sacrificed herself to protect the Weave from Karsus's Folly. The Mother of all Magic, was destroyed by Helm when she defied the will of Ao the overgod and attempted to leave the Prime Material Plane during the Time of Troubles. At the conclusion of the Godswar, Ao offered the position of Goddess of Magic to the wizard Midnight, who reluctantly accepted and took Mystra's name in order to smooth the transition after so much chaos.
This incarnation of the Mother of All Magic was quite the opposite of her predecessor, Mystryl. Whereas Mystryl was quixotic and quick to change, Mystra was said to be a manifestation of the Cosmic Balance—maintaining order in the world of magic by correcting great inequalities if things went askew. Indeed, in the wake of the Fall of Netheril, one of her first acts as the Lady of Spells was to ban the use of all magic greater than ninth level. Among sages and historians this was known as Mystra's Ban. She was not as concerned with the ethics of Good versus Evil as long as the laws of magic were upheld.
Early in Mystra's tenure, she chose a champion, called the Magister, to wander the Realms, applying the Art as he or she saw fit, choosing enemies that would bring glory to the title. She fully expected that her representative would be challenged and eventually defeated by other mages, only to be replaced by another spellcaster worthy of the office. It was her belief that in this way the Art would be strengthened and improved through conflict and adversity.
Toward the end of her reign as the keeper of the Weave, she had grown tired and bitter, fed up with the schemes, maneuverings, and blatant attacks that her preeminent position attracted from every power-hungry being, sycophant, and fawning parasite, for century after century. Her pride in her status, and the kindness and respect she received from those that aided or worshiped her for other than magical gain, kept her hopes alive.
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Mystra's Ban
Mystra's Ban was a decree that the goddess Mystra made about the mortal use of powerful magic. Before Mystra's Ban, there was no practical limit to the ways magic could be used. Any being with enough skill, intelligence and willpower could use magic, with very little effort. Beings could tap the Weave directly and use its magical energy. There was no limit on the amount of magical power that could be channeled into a spell.
The first effect of the ban was to limit spellcasting to spells of a maximum of 9th level, with some special Epic Spells being more powerful than that. The second effect was that all spellcasters had to spend time memorizing spells and were limited to holding a certain number of magical spells in their head at any one time.
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Elminster
Elminster Aumar, most often referred to as the "Sage of Shadowdale" or the "Old Mage", was one of the most famous and powerful wizards in all of Faerûn. He was also considered one of the Realms' most preeminent sages—whose name was known from the Sword Coast, to the far-off jungles of Chult and the eastern Realm of Thay― as well as the favored Chosen of Mystra, Goddess of Magic. Over the course of his centuries-long life Elminster had saved people of Faerûn from destruction or subjugation on numerous occasions, and earned himself legendary reputation among its people.
Depending on the circumstances, Elminster could be as equally serious, fearsome, or arrogant, while just as often demonstrating exceptional charm, cleverness, and good-natured humor. At all times he was said to be wholly fearless and entirely forthright with others. El was a natural raconteur and actor, and could take on the role of father figure, a wily trickster, an immoral rake, or any other clichéd role that served his needs at the time, or else on a whim to elicit a reaction from others. Most often Elminster chose to only reveal the full range of his character to his close friends and companions.
Elminster extolled the virtues of tolerance, peace, and freedom from oppression. He truly cherished the wonder and beauty of the natural world. While El grew up hating magic, especially those that wielded it for their own selfish ends, he garnered a profound appreciation for the Power and the Art during his studies. According to El, mages should further their studies to best understand how to avoid using the arcane power they had their disposal.
One of El's personality quirks was that he snored loudly while sleeping. He was considerate enough to magically mute himself during sleep if it would disturb his friends. As one of Mystra's Chosen however, Elminster did not actually need to sleep.
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Wizard
Wizards were arcane spellcaster that learned to practice the Art through research and learning. They drew upon the Weave through a broad range of magical spells and abilities learned through years of practice and training. Through the spells they prepared and memorized, powerful wizards could take control over a battlefield, commanding fire and lightning as easily as others wielded sword and shield. They could learn and perform intricate rituals of arcane power that drew in entities from across the multiverse or peer into future potentialities that have not yet come to pass.
Wizards were generally the best-respected of all arcane spellcasters. They usually maintained a measure of discipline that was uncommon among sorcerers or warlocks, whose very nature made them comparatively unruly. Not all wizards were deserving of this reputation however, and wizards were corrupted by their power or otherwise turned to evil ways.
Wizards had access to a wide variety of spells available to them, fueled by the arcane energy of the Weave.[2] A wizard's spells differed from those of other arcane spellcasters usually in terms of usage or scale. They could control the nature of a battle, completely alter a landscape, or even the physical makeup of the universe itself. They learned new spells by reading over and in some cases even building upon the arcane research of others.
They were also skilled in the use of rituals, powerful spells that require a significant amount of time and energy to cast. Like other spells, wizards kept inscribed the specifications rituals written within their spellbook, where each ritual took up at least a page, with complexity and page length directly proportional to the power inherent in a ritual.
One point that marked wizards as different from other arcane spellcasters was their reliance upon their arcane spellbook. In order to cast most spells, wizards studied their spellbook before they planned to rest, sleep, or in the case of elves enter into reverie. Once their spells were prepared, wizards could access and cast them to the extents their mental capacity would allow.
Wizards were entirely dependent upon their spellbooks to prepare new spells each day, and could barely tap into the Weave without them. The only spells that wizards could cast without preparation were simple cantrips.
Mastering, and even learning the basics of the Art was a long and arduous process. The most straightforward method was apprenticeship under experienced mages. However, it was not an easy task. It required thoroughly learning and using spells starting from the most basic spells of everyday utility, such as mending or message. Adventurers and other thrill and fortune seekers trained in the Art by successfully reading out spell scrolls or by methodically learning, copying, and replicating arcane writings, all the time slowly improving their experience. Lastly, learning the Art was accessible through natural-born strong "wild talent" or a "Gift" that aided mages-to-be in the learning process.
Wizards could choose to specialize in one or more of eight schools of magic, a distinction that was made early on in their training. This specialization was sometimes required in order to join the ranks of some of the world's most prestigious wizards.
The eight schools of magic: Abjuration, Evocation, Divination, Conjuration, Enchantment, Illusionist, Necromancer, Transmuter
Wizards that specialized in abjuration magic, those that deflected others spell, banished entities, or otherwise protected individuals, were known as abjurers. These wizards were usually deliberate and prudent, seeing many other wizard specialists as reckless or wasteful. Abjurers liked to be prepared, be it in research or adventuring, and often devoted their free time to working out strategies for confronting other arcane spellcasters. They were not considered threats to most martial combatants, but were deadly threats to practitioners of arcane or divine magic.
Because of their propensity for deliberant action, adjurers tended to be ethically sound and morally upstanding individuals. There were however other practitioners of the school that were drawn to its practice by the promise of greater power. Many abjurers only reluctantly took up the life of adventure and were most often found in small villages where they enjoyed the trust and good regards of friends and neighbors.
Conjurers were wizards that specialized in conjuration, the magical art of summoning creatures and items, as well as manifesting teleportation. Conjurers were often headstrong and disdainful towards other schools of magic, seeing most as weak or inconsequential, or in the case of necromancy, wholly repulsive. Conjurers can be difficult companions since many are so independent-minded that only an unusually strong-willed leader can earn their respect.
According to some stereotypes, conjurers lacked the finesse of other specialists and viewed magic as a blunt instrument. They were often overconfident in battle, believing themselves capable of overcoming any threat. It was said they often favored quick and easy solutions over careful planning advocated by abjurers. Conjurers tended towards moral ambiguity, were unbothered by ethical conventions, and were quite willing to acquire power by unsavory, evil or outright despicable methods. In order that they could conduct experiments and arcane research in peace, conjurers often preferred isolation over collaboration with others.
Those wizards who specialized in divination, the anticipation of events through time and space, either in the future or a far away location, were known as diviners. Their abilities were highly prized among everyone across the Realms, from monarchs to paupers alike. Diviners were notable for their intuition and prudence, preferring to use violence only as a last resort. Many diviners were also strong judges of character, with an insightful nature in all matters. They were not cowards by any means, but preferred to exhaust other options before resorting to violence. In battle, their magic proved extremely potent against illusionists, whose tricks they could unravel with their own spells.
Because of their deliberate approach to matters, most diviners abided the law but generally remained neutral on matters of morality. Diviners of all stripes often made good money seers or fortunetellers. They did not however often become adventurers, in part because of their solitary nature, but were highly valued and readily welcome within most adventuring parties. Benevolent diviners used their foresight to prevent harm from coming to others while malevolent practitioners often used it obtain control over others.
Enchanters were those wizards that specialized in the school of enchantment, the arcane art of influencing or controlling the actions of others. Many enchanters were known to be very charming, with naturally outgoing personalities that were attractive to many they encountered. This natural charisma was not required by enchanters however, as they could sway the opinions or actions of others with their magic. Even the most boorish or repulsive enchanters had to draw upon their intellect first and foremost. They utilized their spells to overcome social obstacles, nullify opponents in battle, or even turn their enemies into allies in the midst of combat.
An enchanter's tendency to work with allies more closely than other wizards was one of their greatest strengths. Enchanters of all kinds enjoyed good company and were typically more often found in large cities than small insular communities. They did not overly concern themselves with concepts like good or evil, but tended to be more free-spirited when it came to following laws. The major difference between enchanters arose when they were forced to decide whether or not to violate the free will of another living being: some had qualms and would not take such action, while others did so with little to no concern.
Evokers practiced a unique blend of arcane magic with the elemental power of creation, from the evocation school of magic. They were found in all walks of life where arcane power proved an important edge, from small-time bandits to grand armies that employed them as arcane artillerists. Due to their natural skill in magical warfare, these wizards were among the most valued combatants in warfare. They wielded offensive spells that could blanket a battlefield in destruction, while simultaneously sculpting it to spare their allies.
Practitioners of evocation were often decisive, forthright, and stubbornly determined individuals; qualities that were associated with strong leadership. They seldom let distractions into their lives, preferring austere lifestyles with few creature comforts in contrast the magnificent powers they commanded. Evokers held no strong disposition towards the forces of good or evil, nor law and chaos in the world.
Illusion magic were among the most well-known specializations of wizardry, and the illusionists who practiced it were often beloved as entertainers across the Realms. Their magic inspired wonder and kindled the imagination of audiences far and wide. They were often extremely flamboyant and outgoing individuals, with a streak of outright hedonism. Considered among the most creative of arcane practitioners, most illusionists were great appreciators of the arts and hands-on experimentation, while were less concerned with scholarly research. While they were just as intelligent and skilled as other wizards they were not always as reflective, often accepting life as an impermanent existence that was best left free from uncompromising philosophies.
They were not however mere clowns or conjurers of cheap tricks, but could be deadly adversaries when they so chose. They employed illusions to toy with their enemies, casting illusory images or sounds to befuddle the minds of their foes and turn their senses against. In some instances, these illusions were so powerful and realistic they "fooled" enemies into injury and even death. Illusionists that chose malevolence could be truly frightful and menacing.
Necromancy and its necromancer practitioners concerned themselves with arcane mastery over the forces of life and death, along with the existence of undeath in between. They wielded the actual life energy that permeated all of existence as other wizards created simple facsimiles of life or viewed potentialities that did not exist. Most necromantic wizards approached life with a stoic and thoughtful attitude and was misinterpreted by others. While some viewed them as withdrawn or obsessive, these wizards were often considered loyal and faithful companions by their allies. They were generally fearless towards death, which was appropriate considering their path often lead to mastery over its domain.
For all their positive qualities, exposure to the forces of death and undeath corrupted many who delved into the necromantic arts. Selfish and even evil necromancers far outnumbered those that brought goodness into the world. So-called "white necromancers" always focused their powers for the betterment of civilization. While many of these wizards felt an allure to natural order, others possessed a more anarchic streak. It was extremely rare to find a necromancer that remained truly neutral to all matters of morality and ethics.
Transmutation was the school of magic that focused on altering both energy and matter to the whim of the transmuters who specialized in the art. These wizards saw the universe as wholly mutable, full of variables and configurations that they delighted in exploring. They tended to be a bit more curious than other wizards, marked by a fascination in how forces and things fit together and likewise, could be taken apart. As such many transmuters were ardent collectors of magical items and artifacts. While they thought clearly and in-depth about the machinations of existence, they often lacked insight into why things were rather than just how they existed.
Many transmuters tended toward unpredictability and disorder, as chaos remained the very essence of change. There was not much shared moral outlook upon their numbers, but rather different perspectives on how their abilities could be used to change the world. Transmuters were more adventuresome than other wizards and can often be found exploring the world. They made for skilled alchemists and often crafted namestake stones that could be used to alter characteristics about anyone that held it.
While all wizards held access to the eight schools of magic, some preferred to follow other arcane traditions beyond school specialization.
Bladesinging: The elven art of bladesinging was a closely-guarded secret of the Tel-quessir, limited mostly cities of Evermeet, Evereska, and Myth Drannor. The bladesong itself was an elaborate series of stances and maneuvers resembling a dance, which allowed a wizard to perform exceptional feats in combat. Experienced bladesingers learned to attack more quickly in combat than other wizards, delivering twice as many blows in the span of mere moments. Despite what is name suggested, bladesingers did not always wield swords in combat. Different styles utilized hafted weapons such as axes and hammers, which others incorporated whips or chained weapons such as flails. Regardless of their preferred weapon, bladesingers were nearly exclusively recruited from among elves and half-elves of the Realms.
War Magic: War mages (not to be confused with the well-known War Wizards of Cormyr) were specialized wizards that focused on battlefield applications of their spells. Many of their spells originated from the evocation or abjuration schools of magic.To ensure their own survival, war mages first learned how to deflect attacks by means of their arcane power. They laboriously studied battle tactics and trained themselves to make quick, decisive actions in combat. Over time, a war mage's magical offenses became more powerful and their defenses more durable. The most powerful of their ranks became juggernauts of destruction, redirecting attacks made against them towards everyone else on the battlefield.
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Sorcerer
A sorcerer, sometimes known as a sorceress if female, was a wielder of arcane magic that tapped into the Weave in ways bound only by their own willpower. Unlike most other arcane spellcasters, particularly the wizards they are often compared with, sorcerers had innate magical ability and were noted for their lack of study in obtaining such power.
A sorcerer prefered to unleash their full power, without restraint, blasting their enemies into oblivion. As a result, the magic a sorcerer wielded was intensely powerful though often somewhat unpredictable.
Sorcerers were arcane artists, casting spells as a poet might write poetry, innately, rather than through regimented study. How they came by this power is not commonly known, though it was speculated that sorcerers' very flesh was, in some way, touched by arcane power. Many sorcerers claimed to be the descendants of dragons, a claim that is neither wholly false nor wholly true. It is evident that many sorcerers did indeed draw upon ancient dragon blood but others appeared to draw their power from other sources, such as wild magic. Regardless of the origin in question, most sorcerers viewed their magic through a lens of emotion rather than logic, and they were not prone to specialization in the same way many wizards were.
As a result of their uneasy upbringing, the ease with which power flowed to them, and other factors, most sorcerers were free spirits who flinched against authority and tradition. It was not common for sorcerers―or other innate spellcasters—to have life experiences that allowed them to develop the skills needed for rigorous training or dutiful scholarship.
Most sought out an adventurer's life in order to expand their own power and test its limits. Some did this in order to help others, using their power to protect the weak. Others sought to simply prove themselves, obtaining a place of respect within society. Other sorcerers had more cruel ends in mind, however, intent on using their power as a means to subjugate or instil fear in those whom they considered inferior.
Regardless of the origin of a sorcerer's power, most discovered their power some time during puberty, where it began to manifest in unpredictable and often disturbing manners, such as haunting lights or mysterious sounds. In time, most sorcerers realized they were the source of the disturbance and reacted accordingly, either for good or ill. Fortunate sorcerers might have come under the tutelage of a more experienced arcanist but more often sorcerers were left to fend for themselves, friends and family shying away from them and their uncommon abilities. As a result, few sorcerers felt any brotherhood of any kind, and had little urge to work with one another. Most sorcerers did, however, share a common bond in their worship of gods associated with magic, including any of the Mystras. However, sorcerers were drawn to the worship of many gods, favoring none in particular and a sorcerer was as likely to worship Lathander as Selûne.
As a result, most sorcerers did not get along very well with wizards and were usually, at best, competitive with the studied mages, with wizards viewing sorcerers as inept bunglers and sorcerers viewing wizards as obstinate and unnecessarily secretive prudes. However, many who were neither failed to see a difference between the two in practice. For similar reasons to their uneasy relationship with wizards, sorcerers did not typically get along with monks or paladins, though they often enjoyed the company of druids or rogues.
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Warlock
A warlock was an arcane spellcaster who gained power through pacts with powerful entities, most commonly devils, elder evils of the Far Realm, fey, or demons. These pacts allowed warlocks to channel powerful abilities of arcane might that would otherwise be closed to them. Those abilities weren't limited to those striking pacts with magical entities. Some were born with them because they belonged to a powerful magical bloodline and those who mastered that power were also called warlocks.
Warlocks had an overall poor reputation, a result of their dealings with otherworldly and often malevolent outsiders. However, not all warlocks were evil, and many used their deadly gifts for benign purposes, but even so, they were regarded with skepticism. How far the warlock went to fulfilling their pact was entirely up to them, though corruption was an ever-present danger for warlocks of all stripes. Likewise, many warlocks made pacts with several creatures, rather than just one, in order to access even more power, though all warlocks eventually favored one pact over all the others lest their patrons take offense.
Like sorcerers, many warlocks came from a supernatural bloodline, and it had been said that warlocks were "born, not made." This was not true for all warlocks, though many did indeed come from fey or fiendish bloodlines. Those that weren't were still often touched by destiny in some special way, sought out by powerful extraplanar forces as tools and minions, altering their souls and giving them supernatural abilities beyond the ken of most mortals. These forces beheld warlocks to their power, though some broke away from the chains of their servitude to forge their own destiny. More often, warlocks, by choice or by circumstance, became much like the cruel and capricious beings they served. Regardless of how they treated their patrons, most warlocks had a healthy respect for the divine, particularly patrons of magical power such as Corellon or Selûne, though many evil warlocks were drawn to Asmodeus and Cyric as well. There were exceptions, however. Some warlocks sought out good gods deliberately to counter the powerful temptations they dealt with regularly. Other warlocks felt no ties to the gods, perhaps due to their frequent dealings with other supernatural powers.
Warlock spells were also called invocations, which were released through sheer force of will rather than by trained practice or innate ability. Invocations tended to be more powerful and deadly than those of a wizard or sorcerer, though had limited range or area of effect. Some invocations were less inherently deadly but instilled terror or confusion in an enemy, and warlocks were adept in cursing those with whom they fought. The most basic of all invocations was called an eldritch blast and was essentially a charged blast of pure arcane energy. When forced into combat, experienced warlocks often eluded enemy blows through spells of flying, teleportation, or invisibility.
As a result of their pacts, warlocks channeled arcane power with more ease than most other arcane spellcasters, though this power was most particularly focused around a warlock's pact. Prior to the Spellplague, this difference in the acquisition of magical power made warlocks intrinsically different than their fellow casters. Unlike other arcane spellcasters, warlocks were not limited to a number of spells per day, but instead could unleash each of their powers as often as they wanted, though at the cost of versatility. This changed with the Spellplague, after which warlocks became more similar to other arcane spellcasters in their casting methods.
Warlocks had some degree of training in the use of basic weapons and leather armor, which gave them a slight edge over both wizards and sorcerers in non-magical battle, though still left them vulnerable to the attacks of more specialized combatants. For the most part, warlocks, like other arcane spellcasters, relied on their magic as both a shield and a weapon, and the tools a warlock was most likely to use was his or her implements. For this purpose most warlocks used rods or wands, though specialized weapons, a pact blade being the most common, could sometimes be used by highly experienced warlocks to enhance their invocations.
Several warlocks learned additional abilities to help them. From their ties to dark powers, some warlocks gained a resistance to cold iron over time. Others learned to make their bodies more resilient, healing more quickly through their fiendish power, sometimes at extraordinary rates. Similarly, many warlocks acquired resistance to various energy types, particularly attacks that used acid, cold, electricity, fire, or psionic energy as a major component. Lastly, some warlocks became so full of arcane power that they were able to literally imbue mundane items with their power at a whim, creating magical items of great value, even if they did not possess the knowledge typically necessary to create such an item.
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Druid
Druids were primal spellcasters of considerable power and versatility, who gained their power through being at one with nature or through a connection to a powerful deity or nature spirit. Guardians of the wilderness, druids saw themselves less as masters of the natural order and more as an extension of its will.
Known for their mysterious nature, druids called the wilderness their home, emulating the ways of wild beasts and other creatures of nature. Believing that nature's health depended on a precarious balance, druids believed that the four elements of the natural world - air, earth, fire, and water - must be prevented from ever gaining advantage over one another, lest the world become dominated by the forces of the elemental planes. Likewise, druids believed nature exists outside of civilized conceptions of good, evil, order or chaos, instead seeking only to maintain a natural state of being which most of the civilized world cannot or will not understand. But though druids may have accepted cruelty in nature, they abhorred that which was alien to it, violently opposing the existence of aberrations and undead, both of whom were affronts to the natural order.
Powerful sentries of the natural world, druids were often seen by outsiders as primal controllers of the wilderness. However, although druids drew great power from nature, druids, nigh universally, did not see themselves as masters of the wild but rather its servants, much as a cleric might serve a god or a knight his liege. To a druid, claims of power over the wild was something that only those lacking a proper understanding of nature could profess. The primal power that druids drew upon came to them not through control, but through a spiritual unity with the forces of nature. This distinction was, however, lost on most.
Druids were not the only caretakers of the wilderness, though they were perhaps the best known. Comparable to wizards, druids were nature's lorekeepers, possessing an enormous degree of knowledge about the inhabitants, locations, and phenomena of Toril's wildernesses. However, while wizards frequently sought this knowledge for knowledge's own sake (or power's), druids acted in behalf of that which they studied. Venerating the natural world in a belief system sometimes known as the Old Faith, druids valued the pristine wilderness, accepting its cruelty and ugliness along with its wonder and beauty. As such, while druids rarely acted selfishly, they were nonetheless as likely to be good or evil.
Druids shared a brotherhood of sorts with all other druids, though it was often a loose association rather than a tightly bound network. Ignoring the artificial boundaries of kings and princes, druids respected and protected all the lands of the world, working with druids from far-away lands as readily as with those whom they know personally. Communication within this society was aided by the use of a secret language common to all druidic circles, known as Druidic. Induction into these societies often required knowledge of secret rites and passing dangerous tests, but, once accepted as members, druids were rarely cast out and were allowed to more or less carry on their work in their own way. Many of these societies were religious in nature and tied to a church of some sort, but not all were, and most druids preferred a degree of distance between civilized churches and the Old Faith. Of the gods worshiped throughout Faerûn, druids found themselves most frequently drawn to Auril, Chauntea, Eldath, Malar, Mielikki, Silvanus, Talos, and Umberlee, known to many as the First Circle, the first druids.
Druids were most often elves, gnomes, or humans. A few druids also came from other racial backgrounds, such as gnolls, ghostwise halflings, lightfoot halflings, or wild dwarves, though, generally, druids were uncommon among other races and cultures. Druids as a whole rejected civilization, and as a result sometimes found it difficult to get along with those who embodied its values most distinctively, such as paladins, rogues, or arcane spellcasters. Druids instead preferred the company of individuals with like minds, such as barbarians, rangers, shamans, or wardens.
Druids were capable in a number of diverse skills related to the care of the natural world, such as the ability to perceive changes in the environment or interact peaceably with wild beasts. When it came to martial ability, all druids were proficient to some degree in the use of light or medium armor and shields as well as clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, and spears, with the notable exception that druids would not use armor or shields forged from metal. Druids were also able herbalists, adept in the creation of various potions and remedies.
In addition to their more mundane abilities, druids were also adept in the casting of spells born of primal magic, sometimes known as "evocations." Druids were also capable of enhancing these spells through a number of magical aids, such as sacred plants like ash, mistletoe, or yucca, as well as through constructed implements like staffs or totems. Like clerics or wizards, druids also knew how to cast rituals. Additionally, with sufficient experience, the intimate connection between druids and the primal magic they wielded grew so strong as to slow their aging, down to a rate of approximately one tenth that of regular members of their species.
Among the more formidable abilities known to druids was a form of shapeshifting known as wild shape. This ability allowed druids to shapeshift into any beast, including some plants, as well as several fey, or an indistinct being of feathers, fur, or claws similar to the Primal Beast spoken of in many druidic legends. The ability to wild shape came with certain limitations, however. Neophyte druids, were, for example, incapable of assuming a beast capable of extensive swimming, and only with a great deal of training could druids master the form of flying creatures. With practice however, the ability could become quite versatile and experienced druids could learn to cast spells in their beast form. The most experienced druids, known as archdruids, were even capable of shapeshifting at will. Others learned how to extend their shapeshifting abilities into taking the form of any individual person.
Other druids had less common abilities. Some druids had, in addition to their wild shape evocations, animal companions that filled some of the functions provided by wild shaping. A few druids were innate experts in the fields of botany and zoology, identifying various species with perfect accuracy by instinct. As a result, druids were naturally keen to deception by wildlife and fey. Likewise, druids held a natural sense for the safety of drinking water and many were immune to the effects of organic poisons. Several druids were also masters at moving through the wilderness at fast speeds, ignoring the hampering effects of natural hazards such as thorns or briars. With enough training, these druids did not even leave a hint of their movement through the wild.
