The Magister
Encyclopedia
The Magister is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. The book, with product code TSR 9229, was published in 1988, and was written by Ed Greenwood
and Steve Perrin
, with cover art by Jeff Easley
and interior art by Valerie Valusek
.
setting, and includes rules for magic item creation, random tables for generating magical treasure, and descriptions of numerous new magic items. Elminster narrates the book, and provides descriptive detail, and history, as well as game mechanics for the magic he presents. The spells and spell descriptions are explicit and detailed, and the tomes that contain these spells are described in appearance and history. The book also provides magical armor, clothing, rings, wands, swords, and miscellaneous magical items, provided with lore and function descriptions, as well as a short section on creating magical items.
The 64-page book includes a one-page foreword and introduction by Ed Greenwood, where he explains that this is a book of new spells and magic items
, and that some of the content therein previously appeared in the Pages From The Mages series of articles in Dragon
Magazine. Page 3, by Steve Perrin, is titled "How To Use This Book", and explains how the book can be useful to both Dungeon Master
s and players. Pages 4-29 detail a number of magical books of the Realms, each of which has its own unique properties and contains a number of spells; pages 28-29 explain a little better about the spells of the Forgotten Realms and contains a chart of spells by spell level, name, spell school, and which spellbook they may be found in. Pages 30-61 detail a variety of magic items unique to the Realms, including magic armor, clothing, miscellaneous magic items, potions, rings, rods, staves, and wands, unique swords, and other weapons. Pages 62-64 detail various methods by which characters may create magic items. The book's inside front cover contains a table for randomly determining magical treasure found in this book, and the inside back cover details saving throw
s involved in creating magical items.
and Steve Perrin
, with a cover by Jeff Easley
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 64-page book.
reviewed The Magister for Dragon
magazine #147 (July 1989). He calls The Magister "a superior treatment of AD&D game magic at its best". He felt that the style of presentation in The Magister is similar to that of the magical tomes of the original Forgotten Realms Campaign Set — "one of the best features of that product". Rolston found the tone of the presentation appealing, and considered the new spells "imaginative and colorful, with neat twists on standard spell effects that promise to be useful in play without inflating or disrupting the balance of power established in the 1st Edition Players Handbook magic spells". Regarding the new magical items, he considered them "useful and are not simply handy power tools for popping open monsters. The tweaking of game effects and advantages is subtle and imaginative." He felt that the section on creating magical items "offers some interesting rationalizations and elaborations of the standard rules for item creation. The ideas are faithful to the basic rules, with some useful original interpretations of the limits of the powers of certain items." Rolston concluded that "The Magister is a good example of the best that AD&D game magic can produce. The virtues are mostly in the trappings — the descriptive bits, the colorful effects, and the histories and legends attached to the spells and items. I recommend it to gamers who'd like to punch up the style and texture of the magic in their AD&D campaigns.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The book, with product code TSR 9229, was published in 1988, and was written by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
and Steve Perrin
Steve Perrin
Stephen Herbert Perrin, born January 22 1946 and simply known as Steve Perrin, is a game designer and technical writer/editor.Perrin is probably best known for creating the role-playing game RuneQuest for Chaosium...
, with cover art by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
and interior art by Valerie Valusek
Valerie Valusek
-Works:Valerie Valusek has produced interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1985, as well as interior art for several Dragonlance novels, and cover art for the 1992 module Rary the Traitor...
.
Contents
The Magister is a supplement describing magic items and spells specific to the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting, and includes rules for magic item creation, random tables for generating magical treasure, and descriptions of numerous new magic items. Elminster narrates the book, and provides descriptive detail, and history, as well as game mechanics for the magic he presents. The spells and spell descriptions are explicit and detailed, and the tomes that contain these spells are described in appearance and history. The book also provides magical armor, clothing, rings, wands, swords, and miscellaneous magical items, provided with lore and function descriptions, as well as a short section on creating magical items.
The 64-page book includes a one-page foreword and introduction by Ed Greenwood, where he explains that this is a book of new spells and magic items
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
, and that some of the content therein previously appeared in the Pages From The Mages series of articles in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
Magazine. Page 3, by Steve Perrin, is titled "How To Use This Book", and explains how the book can be useful to both Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
s and players. Pages 4-29 detail a number of magical books of the Realms, each of which has its own unique properties and contains a number of spells; pages 28-29 explain a little better about the spells of the Forgotten Realms and contains a chart of spells by spell level, name, spell school, and which spellbook they may be found in. Pages 30-61 detail a variety of magic items unique to the Realms, including magic armor, clothing, miscellaneous magic items, potions, rings, rods, staves, and wands, unique swords, and other weapons. Pages 62-64 detail various methods by which characters may create magic items. The book's inside front cover contains a table for randomly determining magical treasure found in this book, and the inside back cover details saving throw
Saving throw
In role-playing games, a saving throw is a roll of dice used to determine whether magic, poison, or various other types of attacks are effective against a character or monster....
s involved in creating magical items.
Publication history
FR4 The Magister was written by Ed GreenwoodEd Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
and Steve Perrin
Steve Perrin
Stephen Herbert Perrin, born January 22 1946 and simply known as Steve Perrin, is a game designer and technical writer/editor.Perrin is probably best known for creating the role-playing game RuneQuest for Chaosium...
, with a cover by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 64-page book.
Reception
Ken RolstonKen Rolston
Ken Rolston is an American computer game and board game designer best known for his work with West End Games and the hit computer game series The Elder Scrolls...
reviewed The Magister for Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine #147 (July 1989). He calls The Magister "a superior treatment of AD&D game magic at its best". He felt that the style of presentation in The Magister is similar to that of the magical tomes of the original Forgotten Realms Campaign Set — "one of the best features of that product". Rolston found the tone of the presentation appealing, and considered the new spells "imaginative and colorful, with neat twists on standard spell effects that promise to be useful in play without inflating or disrupting the balance of power established in the 1st Edition Players Handbook magic spells". Regarding the new magical items, he considered them "useful and are not simply handy power tools for popping open monsters. The tweaking of game effects and advantages is subtle and imaginative." He felt that the section on creating magical items "offers some interesting rationalizations and elaborations of the standard rules for item creation. The ideas are faithful to the basic rules, with some useful original interpretations of the limits of the powers of certain items." Rolston concluded that "The Magister is a good example of the best that AD&D game magic can produce. The virtues are mostly in the trappings — the descriptive bits, the colorful effects, and the histories and legends attached to the spells and items. I recommend it to gamers who'd like to punch up the style and texture of the magic in their AD&D campaigns.