What Class allows an Elf to be a Magic-User, all the ones I have from the basic set are for Humans only, my son wants to play a High Elf Mage what set do I need to get a career that allows this?

Sorry to say, but no Elf can be a magic user as of now, even with all of the expansions. This may change in the future, but there are no announced plans for it.

According to the rules there is no career an Elf can follow that allows him to cast spells. You will have to house rule this.

Best to just house rule him into a school of magic right now (and that's how it works in Warhammer Fantasy Battles anyways, so it's not like you're breaking canon with it).

jh

Or dwarves for that matter, in 1st edition they could use human magic (battle magic and College Magic).

Not sure when exactly that changed.

bigity said:

Dwarves do not use magic in the Warhammer Fantasy Battles game any longer (I believe they could in earlier WFB-editions), so I guess the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay games followed suit. Nowadays the dwarves magic is only throught runes on items or it can be cast from the Anvil of Doom (in the Fantasy Battles Game).

double post

For Wood Elves, the Jade Wizard (Ghyran) career suits very well. As for the High Elves, the Light Wizard (Hysh).

You may rule that Elven character has gained it's training amongs its own kindred, even uses human college careers. High Elven magic for example should be more powerful (compining all the winds), so another rule could be that Elven wizard is "beginner" in the eyes of his/her own kin - That it will learn the use of High Magic after finnishing the with all the careers available now...

Well that's sad, for a game touting magic and all, it leaves out some of the most powerful magic wielders of all, the elves, that just makes no sense. They need an elven supplement in a bad way to correct this error.

Elves are only powerful when their name is Teclis, and only at the higher ends of the age scales. In the beginning, they're as pathetic as humans (at least according to Warhammer Fantasy Battles canon)

I get the impression that Elven magic was left out because they are going to put out an elf supplement. If we don't see one soon, I'm going to have SERIOUS doubts about the support for this game.

jh

I shall recomend you to read the chapter about High Magic and High Elves mages from the WFRP 1st edition Realms of Sorcery. So far the only oficial rules in WFRP ever regarding this subject. There you can find nice ideas on how to house rule High Magic and High Elf mages as well as spell examples.

Cheers

I'm looking over a musty old copy (oh the smell!) of the FIRST EDITION Core and Realms of Sorcery:

"Non Human Magicians: Wood elves gain the same numbers of magic points as do humans. Dwarfs and halflings, however make poor magicians, and indeed there are very few spellcasters of these races. They gain half the number of magic points that Humans and Elves get. ." The base rule from Realms of Sorcery is: " Before an elf can even attempt to learn high magic, they must have mastered each of the colors of magic."

Wood Elf Spells (Tree songs): (I convert them here to WFRP3 for your convenience):

Rank1
Anger of the woods - local trees and bushes may make melee or ranged attacks against opponent (attack and damage equal to the wizard's ability).
Find Plant - As Ranald spell locate object
Splinter Weapon - Ranged attack. Weapon gains "damaged" condition. If affected a 2nd time, weapon is destroyed.
Whispering Leaves - Cause Fear

Rank2
Bridge of Vines - make s a bridge from tree to tree or over crevasse or river
Splinter Missile - Adds defense equal to the rank of the caster vs wooden missiles
Verdant Tracking - Major Bonus to tracking

Rank3
Carpet of Mould - Attacked by Swarm (Mould)..see WFRP1 core p.237 for ideas of moulds
Vital Surge - Cause any plant or tree to grow significantly. When combined with Anger of the Woods or Whispering Leaves, effect is increased.
Treeform - Singer can turn into a tree of any type of tree (may turn into Bloodsedge WFRP1 p.233, but gains 1 insanity if it kills in this form).

Rank4:
False Dryad - caster takes on the form of an animated wooden figure. Gains strength and toughness, but becomes flammable.
Heart of the Tree - Caster hibernates inside of the heart of a tree. Caster recovers all conditions, including wounds at double the normal rate. Caster is undetectible by magic while inside, however there may be a tell-tale sign on the outside of the tree (bark in the shape of a face or similar effect). If the tree becomes damaged, the caster is expelled after enough damage).

Rank4:
Haunted Forest - Cast on a group of trees (48 yds x48yds), causes Terror checks or gain insanity and/or flee.
Shape the Growing Plant - Can cause a tree/group of plants to become a house/fortress/defensible position/aesthetically pleasing.

High Magic Spells
Rank 9
Apotheosis - Temporarily call back a dead comrade as a corporeal spirit
Banishment - Weave together magic to blow away Dark magic of Chaos and weaken creatures that need its baleful influence
Drain Magic - Suck all magic in the vicinity into the caster, rendering it harmless
Deadlock - Cause all magic items nearby to weaken or cease workign
Glamour of Teclis - Cause victims to believe themselves lost in a realm of mist and shadows. Victims are unable to remember where they are or what they are supposed to be doing. To outsiders, they will appear to be wandering in a daze and are defenseless.
Hand of Glory - Allies are signifcantly invigorated, losing most of their wounds and negative conditions.

So have elves learn college magic (without the attending of the colleges perhaps), and allow them to career change into another color or simply buy the required color card instead of changing careers.

bigity said:

That's not too far from the truth of the matter, at least for High Elves.

Elves are naturally more adept at perceiving and influencing the Winds of Magic than humans are anyway, and their lore on the matter is far more comprehensive (given that they've been practicing and studying magic for more than seven thousand years, compared to the few centuries of study of magic in the Empire, and also that their magical traditions were passed to them by the Slann servants of the Old Ones). Further, the Colleges of Magic were established based on Elven traditions passed on by the Elven High Mages Teclis, Finreir and Yrtle (the latter of whom was slain during the Great War Against Chaos, and was buried in Altdorf).

As a result, High Elves will typically learn what they refer to as Elemental Magic (because it's composed of the eight elements of True Magic), learning one Lore after another until they have mastered all eight, at which point they may attempt to master High, or True, Magic.

High Elf magics (none appear very interesting for a WFRP game compared to the wood elves)

Blessings of Isha: These are apprentice spells. They are of no real use on the battlefield, as they are to help the apprentice in his daily tasks.

High Magic/True magic:

Drain Magic: as wood elf above.
Walk between Worlds: caster becomes insubstantial as a ghost
Curse of Arrow Attraction
Fortune is Fickle (medium power): malign spirits affect the target, distracting and confusing his ability to work magic
Fury of Khaine (high power): Launch a bolt of searing brilliant white energy at target
Flames of the Phoenix (high power): Pure white scented flames emerge from teh air itself and envelope the target, immolating the unworthy foe.
Vaul's Unmaking:Glowing swords grow dim and blood-warm chalices cool as their magical energies are drained (drains magic and runes).

jh

I still remember the spell from High Magic in WFB (no idea the edition) that allowed you to move a terrain feature like a hill or so and crush your enemies with it! That was indeed cool High Magic

I just added more wood elf info to my house rulebook, including the ability of them to use Spites as pets or familiars.

I think the equivalent of the "Rat Catcher" would be cool for a wood elf and a spite. One could actually use the same cards for the small but vicious poodle.

jh

The greatest magical feats of the most powerful college wizard is a mere parlour trick compared to high elf mages, it's always been a problem since 2nd ed to try and balance. To be honest just let him choose any spell he wants from all the colleges (following the same rank and known spell limits) and that should be simple enoguh to play.