Hrefna's Calling: A Theory of Wizards

Wizards--more than any other group--seem to be the group most likely to be obsessed with immortality. Perhaps it is a function of our relatively fragile beginnings--or perhaps it is just human nature combined with arcane power--but wizards, unlike many other professions, actually have it within their grasp to cheat death and not only might obsess over immortality, but come close to obtaining it.

As one lich of some renown is said to have remarked:

Don't you get it? Be a vampire, or a ghost, or an immortal with a paint-by-numbers portrait in the rec room. Hell, even a brain-in-a-jar in a pinch. Anything to avoid the Big Fire Below.

So there are a variety of less savory means available to wizards for extending their life, but the wizard's need for thinking ahead and preparation goes past just the base desire to extend their life. Much of this comes from what is just good common sense for any wizard who goes into even remotely dangerous situations.

Even those who aren't obsessed with immortality or self preservation frequently find that preparation is the difference between life and death for them, and so they cannot afford to walk into a situation without due consideration and prepwork. A wizard who gets caught without her spell components or with all fire spells memorized when the enemy has fire elementals is a dead wizard.

So a wizard who is worth his salt and wishes to survive even remotely hostile situations is well advised--and capable--of engaging in preparation.

There are a few different ways that wizards approach this problem, of course. Diviners try to anticipate what is coming in advance and build their defenses accordingly. Others might attempt to gain a little more flexibility in their spell list so that they can spontaneously cast a few relevant abilities, thus meaning they don't need to know exactly what is coming. Some put themselves behind series of elaborate traps and layered defenses. Most learn quickly to put contingencies on themselves using whatever powers they have available, many learn to keep magical defenses up on their person even when traveling in relatively safe areas, those who are not cocky learn not to show all of their power at once, and all who are even half wise learn to not directly confront an enemy unless you know you can escape. Preferably by more than one route. The paranoid might go so far as to copy their consciousness, store their soul, or make friends with a very powerful cleric so that even death does not deter them.

This might all seem excessive to some, but if you don't learn to prepare for the worst as a wizard, you end up dead well before your time.