By Melnor Tey'lin.

Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells; everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards.

In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar: a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very advanced and devastating spells.

The elderly spell caster who delves deep into forgotten tombs and wields spells of awesome power and might, are subjects to long hours of study but reaping untold benefits of power and knowledge through hard work. It requires patience and diligence to be a successful Wizard and it is not an easy road.

Since this form of magic use is based on careful study, anyone trying to be a successful wizard will have to constantly study, practice as well as memorizing whatever new discoveries they may make.

Is he or she diligent, blasé or frustrated by the constant study and memorization? Why would someone put themselves through all the long hours of study? As told earlier, anyone willing to put themselves trough all of this, and that are of some caliber will find that the benefits which one may reap are reason enough.

Now these few pages does not only serve as some sort of introduction for any commoner willing to pursue the art of Wizardry as a career choice, but also to any apprentices out there, so that they may know that this is a (to some, frustrating) procedure all wizards have to undergo.

Once you have learnt the basics, I recommend you to consult the book "Arcane Survivalists".