A little perspective. (Take on a wizard's character.)

[QuidEst]

I was reading through something, and suddenly the question of how a wizard feels about his power hit me. Almost all the wizards I've seen are out enjoying their blasting, pulling Batman-style fight orchestration, or pushing the limits of what the DM will let them get away with. It doesn't seem like they stop and think about it much. When you start teleporting across continents and opening of portals to other planes, doesn't that start to mess with your sense of what 'home' is? The city, kingdom, planet, even entire plane could be destroyed, and you can pop off to another one. I think it would be interesting to have a wizard who's kind of scared by all this, but feels he has to continue his studies to prevent abuse of such power by others. I could see him remembering when he was, by some twist of fate, lucky enough to be taken on as an apprentice, back when he was normal, and trying to hold onto that.

I'm sure it's been done before, but I'm interested to hear people's thoughts on the matter, just for fun.

[Shpadoinkle]

When you start teleporting across continents and opening of portals to other planes, doesn't that start to mess with your sense of what 'home' is? The city, kingdom, planet, even entire plane could be destroyed, and you can pop off to another one.

Does being able to drive to another city in an hour or so make the city you live in feel less like home? Your entire neighborhood, city, or state (or province if you're Canadian) could be destroyed and all you have to do is hop in your car and drive in a straight line for a while.

[OracleofSilence]

That doesn't mean he feels a disconnect, but it also doesn't stop the disconnect from happening. it really comes down to the alignment/temperament of the wizard in question. for example: some wizards may already feel little connection with anything but the possessions they need (spellbook, components etc...) whjere as another may build luxuriously appointed towers filled with wondrous and unique artifacts, magic items and works of art. both are wizards, and who would care more about the loss of their stuff is anyone's guess.

That is not a question about wizards, it is a question about the psycholgy of the individual.

[Analytica]

I can see the alienation. Become an immortal lich, go build up your treasure collection in a demiplane. Everything is secure. You live in your safe First World, then go down incognito to the Material Plane Third World as a tourist... or even as though you were a character in a game, maybe... Astral Projection similarly to logging on to a MMORPG, log out if things get rough. Still, people do spend time on those. The wizard might similarly spend time on the Prime Material. Hmm. :smalleek:

[Jack_Simth]

Still, people do spend time on those. The wizard might similarly spend time on the Prime Material. Hmm. :smalleek:
And, just for laughs, I might point out that there's also the occasional person who gets sufficiently attached to their character's things that they get noticeably upset if something happens to them....

[QuidEst]

Does being able to drive to another city in an hour or so make the city you live in feel less like home? Your entire neighborhood, city, or state (or province if you're Canadian) could be destroyed and all you have to do is hop in your car and drive in a straight line for a while.
True. It's a lot harder to slip across borders and set up residence in another country, though, and the physics is still the same in Canada. I suppose if I were to actually play this out, I might have him be from another plane. The adventurers didn't make it in time, the crazy BBEG performed the world-dissolving ritual, and the character's master just managed to send him through a portal.


That doesn't mean he feels a disconnect, but it also doesn't stop the disconnect from happening. it really comes down to the alignment/temperament of the wizard in question. for example: some wizards may already feel little connection with anything but the possessions they need (spellbook, components etc...) whjere as another may build luxuriously appointed towers filled with wondrous and unique artifacts, magic items and works of art. both are wizards, and who would care more about the loss of their stuff is anyone's guess.
Sure- I'm more looking at the wizard who does sort of feel the disconnect. Just about all wizards started out as lowly apprentices or novices at some point, trying to master Prestidigitation. I feel like there would be some wizards who would remember what it was like when the laws of nature could only be nudged, and feel a little strange about how much that changed.

[Honest Tiefling]

Spend enough time around celestials, devils, neogi, and slaadi and you might start wanting a conversation that is far more normal and safe. I could see wizards actually relaxing by pretending to be ordinary people to have less risky interaction with others.

[Xanmyral]

With the polymorph spells, would a sufficiently powerful wizard lose what they might consider their body? Not in the sense that it is gone, but that it is changed beyond recognition. Sure, they might understand they were born human, but after they are able to permanently change their race, does or would that even matter to them anymore?

[kardar233]

I have a character who has essentially Alter Self at will due to a shapeshifting demon he bound into his armor. Due to overuse, he doesn't remember how old he is, or what he used to look like past the stylized version he uses as a primary form. Same idea.

[Tvtyrant]

Isn't that the basis of the Sharn? Super-Wizards that built a better form for themselves and are now basically monsters?

[Werekat]

QuidEst: I play an elven wizard who, while gaining XP at the standard rate adventurers usually do, has not had downtime in years. He's... More than a bit scared of the fact that he does not understand just how the heck he's been gaining so much power in so little (for his race) time. He's got more pressing problems to deal with, though.

He doesn't covet normalcy, however. He's just scared of not understanding what's going on and where it's taking him.

As for "a sense of home"... It might. I spent my childhood moving from country to country. Yes, it does mess with your sense of home. It might lead to "home is where my friends and family are" or to "home is where I rest my head", or, conversely, to "home is where I choose, and not one person is going to move me from it." All legit versions I've seen in life.

[JaronK]

Interestingly enough, when I play Wizards I almost always end up wanting to build a home base. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist, but I end up building castles, protecting my people, and generally using my magic to reshape my area into what I want.

Of course, without fail my DMs immediately attack what I've built without remorse.

JaronK

[QuidEst]

Spend enough time around celestials, devils, neogi, and slaadi and you might start wanting a conversation that is far more normal and safe. I could see wizards actually relaxing by pretending to be ordinary people to have less risky interaction with others.
Yeah… actually walking to another village on foot looking like a normal old man (or just about whatever you feel like) and talking to folks. Maybe help a few out without letting them know. A lot less practical than spending your downtime crafting, but it makes an interesting character.


QuidEst: I play an elven wizard who, while gaining XP at the standard rate adventurers usually do, has not had downtime in years. He's... More than a bit scared of the fact that he does not understand just how the heck he's been gaining so much power in so little (for his race) time. He's got more pressing problems to deal with, though.

He doesn't covet normalcy, however. He's just scared of not understanding what's going on and where it's taking him.
Sounds interesting! I hope you're having fun exploring that a bit. I could see him pinning it on a number of things.


As for "a sense of home"... It might. I spent my childhood moving from country to country. Yes, it does mess with your sense of home. It might lead to "home is where my friends and family are" or to "home is where I rest my head", or, conversely, to "home is where I choose, and not one person is going to move me from it." All legit versions I've seen in life.
Yeah… their view could easily shift over the course of the campaign, too. Most DMs aren't real keen on making multiple detailed and unique planes, so I think it would work to have one who's got any other planes or worlds neatly bundled up in his back story.