I Want To Be A WIZARD! by Jim Milligan is a role playing game published by Evil Robot Games based on the Power Core RPG system. The supplement is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a nine-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover and one the credits and Open Game License.
Congratulations! is a piece of fluff welcoming the reader to an Academy Of Magic And Sorcery from the Headmaster.
Becoming A Wizard has an 11-step process for creating a character. 14 points are divided between Mental, Physical and Social, each with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 12. Spell Power, Toughness and Charm abilities are determined. Heritage is Magician, Mundane or Mixed Heritage, each of which have different bonuses. Four Markers, Courage, Wisdom, Loyalty and Cunning are given a value of 1. Familiars are chosen; there are four and each gives a +1 bonus to one specific Marker. Family is farm, city, wealthy or orphan, each of which has an advantage. Childhood environment is on the move, a mundane school, private tutors or close relatives, each with different bonuses. What kind of child is scrappy, smart, friendly and sneaky, each of which gives a bonus to a specific Marker. What drives you is solve a mystery, find love and friendship, discover forgotten secrets or surpass all expectations, each of which has different bonuses. There are four houses, Lion’s Head, Owl’s Head, Wolf’s Head and Serpent’s Head, each with different bonuses. The last step is to finalise the Student Record (character sheet) by adding bonuses, school year, starting at Year 1, Markers, Belongings and Clues And Wonderings.
Being A Wizard briefly explains what a role playing game is, covers Encounters and Experience and how Experience Points are spent to increase Attributes, Markers and Skills. Students choose a Brave Leader in an Encounter and initiative is determined. The Watchful Eye who always goes last but can move out of turn once an encounter is also chosen. The Brave Leader can spend Courage to give a +1 bonus to initiative to any other Student. The Watchful Eye can undo a point of damage suffered by a Student by spending Cunning.
How things are done, by rolling the dice, is determined by finding the right Attribute, adding any bonuses then adding this to 2d6, or 3d6 if 1 point of Charm is spent, which can only be done once. Two 1s is utter failure and something bad happens; two 6s is total success. If 3d6 were rolled, 3 1s is a failure, but any two 6s is a complete success. Example task difficulties are given. Sixteen skills are listed with brief descriptions.
Spells may also be cast using Spell Points and most require one hand free to use a wand. Familiars have other things they can do as well as add to a Marker. How to attack someone is covered and a few items and artefacts are listed, and that you are assumed to have enough money to buy things.
Optional Wizard Rules has some options for delaying their Experience Point spends, houseless academies, different house types and different familiars.
The final page of content is the character sheet.
I Want To Be A WIZARD! in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and, though short, has enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a three-column landscape format and appeared to be free of errors. Bar the cover, there are no illustrations. Presentation is okay.
This is a comparatively simple game, though this supplement has little in the way of support for the Headmaster (GM) and what they need; for that, the Headmaster’s Primer is really needed, although the game can be run without it. The game itself appears to have taken a lot of inspiration from Harry Potter. The game itself is described as being aimed at younger players and, though more complex than some such games, isn’t too difficult. I Want To Be A WIZARD! can be found by clicking here.
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