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## D&D Classics: Complete Wizard’s Handbook

If you thought all wizards were alike, think again! The masters of magic now
have a new guide to creating more interesting and imaginative mages, just when
you thought you had them figured out. The Complete Wizard’s Handbook will put
a whole new twist on wizards, from personality and dress codes to schools of
magic to building that dream laboratory.

Look out, world – you’ll never look at a mage the same way again!

Product History

The Complete Wizard’s Handbook (1990), by a nearly uncredited Rick Swan, is
a solid and tremendously useful supplement for 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons
& Dragons wizards. It’s interesting to see how these original Complete books
continue to set the pattern for wizardly D&D supplements today: new options,
new class expansions and customizations, and new spells. If you’re playing a
2nd edition spellcaster, this is a book you’ll want to have.

Schooling the Opposition. The book begins with a comprehensive discussion of
the schools of magic, a subject touched on only briefly in earlier editions of
D&D (mostly through the illusionist). Here, the concept of specialist casters
of all types comes sharply into focus. With benefits and significant trade-
offs, specialized wizards turned out to be remarkably balanced in play. The
major downside seemed to be in the paucity of divination spells for the school
of Lesser Divination, which made it difficult to have a particularly cool and
effective diviner.

The Complete Wizard’s Handbook starts by exploring each specialty, identifying
the most useful spells and schools and discussing the typical personalities of
each specialty’s typical membership. There’s also a chapter for creating brand
new schools, although I doubt these guidelines got much use in actual play.

Ten Kits to a New Wizard. The wizard kits offered are surprisingly
straighforward, hewing toward classic archetypes without much of the
idiosyncratic and unique style that will permeate later wizard customization.
Choices include the academician, amazon sorceress, anagakok (an arctic or
desert shaman), militant wizard, mystic, patrician, peasant wizard, savage
wizard, witch, and wu jen. Several of these do an excellent job of breaking
traditional stereotypes; the peasant wizard, for instance, is a hero of the
people who stays magic-item poor as he battles the upper classes. I’m not sure
I’d bet on him in a fight against a patrician, but it’s a nice riff on
traditional magic-users. Interestingly, the witch becomes the model for 3e’s
sorcerers, using a powerful extraplanar patron to gain power.

Following the kits is a chapter on role-playing, suggesting ten wizard
personalities (such as the “intimidator” or the “mystery man”), eleven
wizardly careers (such as advisor, trader, or alchemist), and various methods
for integrating wizards and arcane magic more thoroughly in your campaign
world.

Spelling Bee. A huge amount of space, of course, is dedicated to spellcasting.
Tactics for combat, casting spells underwater or in other planes, and casting
spells while blind or tied up are all discussed. Tactics and explanations for
existing spells are given, adjudicating illusions are discussed in detail, and
spell research is explored. The new spells are particularly interesting,
giving us instant-classic spells such as chromatic orb, ghoul touch, delay
death, Otiluke’s dispelling screen, Mordenkainen’s private sanctum, and Rary’s
telepathic bond.

Random, Fascinating Lists. Possibly my favorite portion of the book is the
last chapter, filled with short lists of random magical ideas: 25 Helpful
Familiars, 5 Incredible Locations, 12 New Magic Items, 5 Debilitating
Afflictions… Much of the whimsy and creative wonder that is somewhat missing
from elsewhere in the book can be found here.

If you’re playing a 2e wizard, The Complete Wizard’s Handbook is tremendously
useful. It’s a model for later supplements, a source of wizardly inspiration,
and a solid base for expanding the wizard class.

About the Creators. Rick Swan is the author of The Complete Guide to Role-
Playing Games and wrote material for Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and core
AD&D. He once wrote an adventure (Nightmare Keep) that takes place entirely
inside the body of a massive undead lich. Not everyone can say that.

Converted by: Mike Wilson

Released on April 29, 2019. Designed for Fantasy Grounds version 3.3.8 and
higher.

Requires: An active subscription or a one time purchase of a Fantasy Grounds
Full or Ultimate license and a one time purchase of the 2E ruleset as well as
the D&D Classics: Player’s Handbook (2E).

Fantasy Grounds – D&D Classics: Complete Wizard’s Handbook (2E)