(TFT) Magic, Magicians, numbers and power

["gem6868" <gem6868@verizon.net>]

Soooo, Ibm reading bWizardb as part of my basic journey in bThe
Nostalgia Tripb.  Ibve been working on Melee for several weeks, and now am
prepared to start reading Wizard and prepare for arena duels to re-acquaint
myself with the system.  A nice side benefit is that Wizard adds a few basic
rules (Crawling) and clarifies others.  Anyway...

One of the things that struck me is how powerful even an ordinary Wizard is.
Transpose that person into pre-gunpowder Western culture (as an example) and
you have someone who is primed and ready to become the next Sauron / Saruman,
especially if theybve a subtle mind (actually, like the two examples given).
It doesnbt take long in the IQ range to acquire the power to affect some
pretty powerful political events.  IQ8 = just spells that duplicate skilled
fighter abilties.  IQ9 you get bConfusionb which if used say while signing
a contract...might end up with a nobleman in a tight spot (legally).  IQ10 is
more practical adventure spells, but IQ11 adds sleep.  In the hand of clever
characters, used in the corridors of power at the right time...dangerous.
Most nasty?  IQ13 bControl Personb.  Wouldnbt take long for someone to
ingratiate themselves into the courts of the powerful and then use this to
insert their own bWormtongueb into the staff and exploit their advantage.

To offset this, one can argue that powerful people ALL have Wizards of their
own.  However, this soon makes magic a mundane clash between those who want to
bkill the VIPb v. the bbodyguardsb, and about as interesting as any
security detail (for those whobve been on them).

It seems to me that the most useful brake on wildly powerful Wizards is a
bself-brakeb, something that they are afraid of that can hurt them.  In
some writerbs worlds, itbs the unleashing of demons that makes magic a
dangerous field of endeavor.  In Vancebs world, altho the stories are
suffused with magic, there is reference to them being on the run from powerful
ethical gods / religions.

Anyway, just some things I was considering as someone was cranking the numbers
and coming up with 60 wizards in a major city.
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