The Cowboy Wizard

Atrius smiled, and twirled his fingers through the air, speaking the single whisper of power before slapping the steer on the side. When he took his hand away, his personal sigil was clearly marked on the animal's flank, though there was no wound, and no discomfort. The beast grunted, and Atrius snickered as he urged his horse forward. Within the next few hours, the herd was properly marked, all of them calm and grazing.

The drive wasn't as bad as it might otherwise be. From atop his saddle, he could easily direct the herd where he wanted them to go with no more than a few flicks of his wrist, and an occasional eldritch incantation. He kept them calm and moving forward, resisting the temptation to ever enchant them to cut the drive time. He'd seen where that could go, if a man wasn't careful.

Snow Tips watched during the night, the gray barn owl keeping a sharper eye out than he ever could. Still, Atrius kept his wands close, and his field grimoire well-thumbed. There were worse dangers than the threat of a stampede out in the wild lands, and if he wanted his herd to make it to Tracker's Ford in one piece he'd have to keep himself ready for any sort of trouble.

He still had student loans to pay, and univeralist wizards weren't in-demand.

The Cattle Rancher Wizard

When most of us look at a wizard's spell list, we think of the application in terms of dungeon crawls, combats, and adventures. However, there are a lot of spells that could really make the grueling work of a cattle drive so much easier on someone. Whether it's casting a spell on your horse to enhance its speed and endurance, using arcane mark so you can always find your cows, or just turning your lasso into a rope trick so you can camp comfortably in the most inhospitable conditions, a little bit of magic goes a long way when it comes to completing tasks that would otherwise take an entire team of workers.

This concept isn't just about being a cowboy who happens to be a wizard, though.

The idea is, more broadly, to stop thinking of a wizard as a profession instead of a skill set. Rather, this character uses their knowledge of magic to accomplish some other task. Why not a transmuter who's a farmer, turning arid soil into potable land that grows amazing crops? Or a diviner who acts as a bounty hunter, always one step ahead of whoever is trying to get away from her? An abjurer who works as a bodyguard, perhaps? An enchanter who's a diplomat? An illusionist who works for the circus, who operates as a spy, or perhaps both? An evoker who works as a forest ranger, using their spells to conduct controlled burns, stop forest fires, and occasionally to deal with bandits?

The idea here is to take a profession that is typically mundane in some way, shape, or form, and to ask yourself how a wizard would use their skills and powers to do the job. From traveling merchants, to sewer cleaners, to medical examiners, to archaeologists, there's a plethora of possibilities out there... and if all else fails, you can always fall back on roping steers and driving cows!

For more thought-provoking ideas on this class, check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards, which is part of my ongoing 5 Tips series!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a dungeon master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

DMs, Provide Options For Characters With "Useless" Skills (in Pathfinder)

Skill checks are some of the most common rolls we make in our games, and generally speaking if a player invests points into a skill it means they intend to use it as part of their character. However, too often DMs will just ignore the variety of options, and ask for the same basic checks over and over again. With a bit of creativity, though, you can bring some of the oddball abilities people don't typically think about into the game, and make the players who invested in them feel vindicated in their choices.

Well, the message seems clear, but the double meaning could be the key to this whole thing...

Appraise, Linguistics, Sense Motive, and More!

There are some skills that get all of the attention when it comes to a Pathfinder game. Perception checks are legion, for example, and Bluff, Diplomacy, Stealth, and Acrobatics checks tend to be made pretty often as well. Intimidate checks, too, if you're sassy or have class features that rely on demoralizing opponents in combat.

But when was the last time you heard a DM call for an Appraise check? Or a Linguistics check? Or when someone actually used Sense Motive for something other than giving the rogue the hairy eyeball?

I'm watching you, knife boy.

However, all of these skills have rather specific uses that can be incorporated into a game, if you read the fine print on what you can do with them. The difficulty is that many of us who sit in the big chair tend to skim this section, and it's a real missed opportunity for our players.

As an example, it's possible for someone who has a solid Appraise skill to tell you the approximate value of an item, sure, but you can also discern if the item is magical or not. It won't tell you a magic item's properties, but if the dwarven craftsman and the half-elf sorcerer put their heads together, suddenly you've turned what was a boring bit of bookkeeping into a team effort to yield some impressive results. You could treat the successful Appraise check as granting a small bonus to the caster who's trying to figure out what the item does through Spellcraft, as well, as it's something of a clue as to the potency of the magic when you know what it might go for on the open market.

Or if you'd prefer someone roll a Knowledge (History) check on an item, perhaps the person with Appraise could get some of the information. They may not know precisely why this style of weapon is so valuable, but that maker's mark, unique crossguard, and the pattern of waves in the steel always goes far above market price. Maybe they've heard it was the product of a dead master smith, or because the blade never needs to be sharpened, and it can cut through steel like butter.

Can't say for sure, but I know a guy would give us half his year's take for that thing.

Similarly overlooked skills could come into play in interesting ways just by reading their alternative uses, and asking how that might play into your plot. Because yes, Sense Motive helps you tell when someone is lying, and it's used to activate certain potent feats, but it can also be used to intercept secret messages being passed with the Bluff skill. So whether the players are having a meeting with the local thieves' guild rep who's trying to tell his second-in-command to poison the party's tea, or the party is trying to figure out who the assassins at the duke's party are, this could give them a clue as to what's happening.

As with most skill checks, it shouldn't be the only way for the party to get clued-in to the plot, but if the monk who took this skill solely because it's necessary for his fighting style feats gets a chance to shine with it out of combat, so much the better!

Linguistics is a skill most players only take to speak more languages, but it can also be used to create and spot forged documents, as well as to translate hidden meanings in old or cryptic writing. So if you've got a puzzle that needs to be deciphered, or the bard really needs the proper passes with notarized seals to pull off the lie that he's a knight errant in the city on official business with his retinue, then whoever invested in this skill can make sure the party has all the props and information it needs. Those with ranks in the Profession skill know all the basic things about their profession, and they can answer questions without even making a roll... which is why they would be the first to notice if the "soldiers" at the door, or the supposed "sailors" on the diplomat's boat are sending up red flags. Use Magic Device can be used to activate wands and scrolls, sure, but it can also be used to trick an item into believing you have a certain stat, a particular alignment, or even that you're a member of a particular race, which might allow the overly curious rogue to dope out what the enchanted robe responds to so the party can figure out what it's for.

Know What Your Party Can Do (And Include It)

While you have a lot to balance as a DM, it's important to know what your party is actually capable of when you're setting them their challenges. Otherwise you're liable to get blind-sided when your big bad bosses get creamed in two shots because you forgot how smite worked, or when the supposedly simple encounter ends up crippling the party because you overlooked the fact that they can't repair ability damage.

Crap... ugh... walk it off?

The same is true for their skills. While you don't need to have your players' sheets memorized, you should know roughly which skills are at your table, and which ones aren't.

The other thing I would recommend is that you show your players how these skills can be used; either by asking for checks in these lesser-used skills at lower levels when the DCs aren't as tough, or showing how they could be beneficial through NPC interactions. Because if a player knows that their slightly oddball choice of Profession: Chef or Linguistics might be an important addition to the party, they'll be a lot more likely to put it on their sheet.

And, even more importantly, they'll remember your table for being a game where they were asked to roll something other than Perception, Initiative, and saving throws.

Need More Resources?

It's not easy being a DM. If you've been looking for some resources that will do some of the heavy lifting for you, then the following might be useful for you.

- 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements: Coming up with mystical-sounding pseudo-prophecies on the fly is a feat that can sprain your creativity. Best to have a few picked out beforehand!

- 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest: Speaking of encounters that are more than just combat, this list of oddball, strange, and potentially dangerous encounters is full of strange creatures, weird riddles, and moving clearings. There's also a 100 Random Encounters For On The Road Or In The Wilderness, if you need something to shake up the status quo. Both of these are written for Pathfinder, but there are 5th Edition versions, too.

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: The folks most likely to demonstrate the uses of Appraise, or even Use Magic Device, merchants sometimes become samey background characters. This collection has 100 strange, unique, and unusual folks, from fey peddlers on the road, the black market poison dealers, to those odd wizards who deal in lightly cursed goods.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Is Your Profession? (Character Creation From A Different Direction)

It's all too easy to get lost when it comes to the various aspects of our character sheet, and how it reflects on our characters' identities. Do we focus on their race and heritage? Is it all about their class? Their skills? The particular background or background traits we picked? The spells they know, the weapons they wield, or do we define them primarily by their alignment?

There is something we often miss, though, and it can provide us a lot of clarity when it comes to finding a cornerstone of a character's identity. And for inspiration, we turn to one of the most memorable quotes in the film 300.

"What is your profession?"

This one question cuts quickly to the core of who a character is. If a person is defined by their actions, then one of the bedrock aspects is that person's profession. That, and how their skills, abilities, and even beliefs are tied into, and support, that profession.

You Are What You Do

As I said back in Any Class Can Be A Knight (More Thoughts on Out-of-The-Box Character Presentation), it's entirely possible to start from a social position or profession, and then spiral out into asking how different classes and builds would fill that role, and perform those functions.

So many choices...

As a prime example, take the basic profession of the soldier. Your job is to fight for the kingdom, and to safeguard the realm. Even if we just confine our options to the infantry, making you a foot soldier, there are so many different ways that profession could interact with, and be bolstered by, your class decisions to make a unique character.

The most obvious options (though by no means the wrong ones) are the fighters, the barbarians, and the rangers. Characters with physical prowess and skill who can march all day, and still show up ready to fight. But what about the non-standard foot soldiers who bring something else to the game? Like the long-faced half-orc Gariel Branch, whose leather-lunged bellows fill his squad's sword arms with strength, and whose bawdy tales make even long marches rest more lightly on their shoulders? Or Lessa Lightfoot, who fights as hard as anyone else, while also healing wounds and speaking prayers that invoke the very forest around her squad? Or Dane Drakhar, a brooding figure who has a bit of a problem with authority, but whose destructive magic makes his squad mates more than glad he was assigned to their unit.

While a bard, cleric, or sorcerer might not be the first classes that come to mind when you think of a foot soldier, they're still options. By the same token you might not think of a wizard as a diplomat, a druid as a town's mayor, or a paladin as a ship's doctor, but you can totally play any of those character concepts. More to the point, by assigning a profession you now have a lens to view the character's other attributes, skills, and abilities through. And that can often lead to more interesting stories when people ask how someone like that wound up in this particular line of work.

Be As Specific As You Can

Another tip I'd suggest, for those who want to put this particular tip into practice, is to be as specific with your profession as possible. I mentioned this back in Stop Using The Word "Adventurer" And See How It Changes Your Game, but it's worth repeating here. Don't just toss out some general profession and leave it at that; once you know what your job is, ask who you've worked for specifically, where you've worked, who taught you the trade, and what sort of title you use to describe yourself. Even if you're not employed by a particular person anymore, that work history (and all the details surrounding it) can say a lot about your character.

You ran rooftops for Red Eyes Falcone? I suppose we could find a spot for you.

As a for-instance, don't just say your character is a mercenary. That's a good start, but what else is there? Do you have any unique tattoos or weapons that mark your place of origin as a veteran, or a member of an elite organization? Do you have a specialty (monster hunter, bodyguard, bounty hunter, etc.)? Are you now, or were you in the past, a member of a particularly free company (you can find a slew of them in 100 Random Mercenary Companies, by the by)? If you were, what is the reputation of that outfit, and how does it reflect on you now? Were you allowed to leave, or are you on the run from your former sword brothers? Did you ever perform a great deed for an important employer, such as saving the duke's life, making you famous throughout his lands?

You should ask these questions about whoever you used to work for, or what you've done up until now. If you were (or are) a thief, for example, were you a pickpocket? A burglar? A confidence artist? A grave robber? Did you work with a gang, or did you operate solo? Did you fall afoul of the bigger, more organized outfits, or were you ever caught and punished? If so, do you have a brand, are you missing fingers, do you have a rope scar, or something else people might notice? Or do you just have a network of people you know (such as some of the folks in 100 Pirates to Encounter as well as 100 Random Bandits to Meet), and access to unusual skills that folks on the right side of the law don't typically possess?

The more specific you can get with your profession, your work history, and the people it has put you in contact with (former employers, former co-workers, noted achievements or failures, etc.) the more that can add to your character. Even if it's as simple as the party's wizard showing up in a hard-worn red robe, a clear sign of the commanding officers on the losing side of the Cadasian War, who refuses to back down or apologize for fighting for the losing side.

After all, just because they lost, that doesn't mean they were in the wrong.

That's all for this week's Fluff post. If you've used this strategy in your games, leave a comment below and let us know how it went for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!