How would you identify a wizard?

[Grraf]

My PCs will soon be entering a city (Hollowfaust from Scarred Lands). While the Necromancers are interested in encouraging wizards to move on they don't particularly care to much about one wizard entering the city.

I'm expecting to query people about their professions and so forth at the gate entry but a fair number of people pass through and terms like 'scholar' aren't really exlusive with wizards.

So here's my question:
How would a city try to economically set up a system for identifying wizards when they approach the city?

(I'm torn about detect magic picking up wizards.... it would make finding them pretty easy. On the other hand its hard to say that a wizard with a wish and Metor Swarm memorized isn't magical. So if some wizards turn up as magical then it gets to be one of those irritating "where do you draw the line type things".)

 

[Kugar]

Wizards, easy. Demand that all books be sent to the scriptorium for copying for the library. They will be returned in one or two days. Wizards will be the one either throwing a fit or trying to be sneaky.

Sorcerers on the other hand might be difficult.

 

[Crothian]

THe books never mention anything about having spells memorized or prepared, makes a person radiate magic. I don't think it would.

Would the city have rotinue searches of people entering? Or they could use detecct magic and search those people that have magical items. THat works if magical items are pretty rare.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Depends on how much versimillitude you want to sacrifice.

Baldur's Gate II had a bunch of wizards show up and kill you any time you used magic inside the city walls. Completely ridiculous.

If the necromancers don't mind a wizard passing through but don't want him staying around, you could restrict the supply of material components. Either components can only be obtained from the necromancers, or the necromancers have someone watching the shops that sell such items.

Do the players know that wizards aren't welcome there? You never know, the player might just state his profession as "wizard," or cast a spell somewhere where a witness could see it and report it to the authorities.

If all that fails, you could always shoot on sight anyone who wears a pointy hat

 

[takyris]

Oh, I see multiple possibilities to get the fish jumping into the boat, so to speak...

"ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL WIZARD DISCOUNT!" -- in a comedy campaign.

Are they against wizards specifically, or against all arcane spellcasters?

An ancient arcane rune is carved in the main gate entryway. If asked, the guards say it's just an old luck rune. But a knowledge(arcane) check, DC20, reveals that it's an old warding symbol that's set to monitor anyone who does not put his hand to his heart as he crosses the threshold.

The wizard, proud of himself for evading the symbol, puts his hands to his heart as he crosses the threshold.

And the guards promptly arrest him.

-Tacky

 

[ancient_ones]

Make them all wear point conical hats.

 

[Red Baron]

Check out the spell arcane sight in Tome and Blood, if you have it. A great little spell, one of my favourites.

 

[Umbran]

Kill anyone with a toad in their pocket!

The real issue isn't, "How do you identify a wizard?" Instead it's "How do you identify a wizard in an economically viable manner?"

Casting a spell on each and every entrant into the city is not economically viable. Searching every person to ascertain if they have specirfic equipment is also not a good thing, at least not for a major town that carries on regular trade.

I don't think keeping them out is a reasonable plan. Especially when all is said and done, most of your preparations can be made moot with an invisibility/fly combination to get over the wall. having a network of informants helping you eliminate them once they are inside the city seems a much better idea...

 

[Crothian]

Casting a spell on each and every entrant into the city is not economically viable. Searching every person to ascertain if they have specirfic equipment is also not a good thing, at least not for a major town that carries on regular trade.

A Persistant detect magic makes that easier. It'd be best in the major cities of course, security is always easier in the majot cities.

 

[Umbran]

A Persistant detect magic makes that easier.

Are you sure? I don't have Tome & Blood handy, but I'm not sure, off the top of my head, that making it persistant would eliminate the need for concentration. I don't think having a spellcaster standing and concentrating all day is a reasonable thing.

In any event, all this will do is peg people who have magic items. Lots of non-wizards have magic items. And the wizards still fy invisibly over the walls...