5 Backstory Ideas for Your Wizard in Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)

Wizards are the book learners of D&D. Their magic comes from endless study, whether that be at the hands of a mentor, in a military academy or the halls of a great wizarding school. Wizards aren’t born inherently being able to cast spells, though many might have some slightly adeptness for magic in general. Instead, they must study. Wizards may not be as spontaneous as sorcerers or bards, but they make up for it in terms of pure versatility. When it comes to the sheer amount of magic a character can learn, few can compete with the skill of a wizard. Unfortunately, wizards have low HP and AC, so while they have extreme power, it comes at the cost of being weak physically, and they need to be protected to shine. Now it’s time to come up with a few quick backstory ideas to help bring your character to life. Here are five intriguing ideas to use in your game, or to build off of to create a unique character you’ll love to play.

#1: The Student

Most wizards must study, and study hard to learn the rigorous teachings of magic. But if they do, they’ll become more powerful than almost anything or anyone else in the D&D universe. To get there, they must be studious and they must have somewhere to study. As a Student, your character could range from a small establishment in a nearby town that takes on a few students a year, or they could go to a grand academy like a boarding school, with hundreds or thousands of students all learning to become the next Archmage of the kingdom. Maybe your character is from a long line of wizards who have all attended such a prestigious academy, or maybe no one has ever had an affinity for magic in your family at all, and you are the first one to go. Determine whether magic is new to your character’s life, or if they’ve always grown up around it, knowing it would one day be their time to learn.

For many Students, they may have joined because they wanted to learn more, to get a job or to help their family, but your character goes beyond that. Why has your character elected such an adventurous and dangerous life after their academic pursuits? You’ve graduated from the school, now what does it mean to be an alumnus? Do you have pride for where you learned, or are you happy to put your time in school behind you? Maybe your superiors or professors had a task for you that took you out into the world on a mission, or maybe you now work for the school yourself. Either way, work with the DM to determine allies with the school or other students that you might have met that could be contacts for the future. Talk to your DM about where you may have learned, and what that was like for your character.

#2: The Hedgewizard

Many wizards never make it to fancy schools or large academies, a Hedgewizard is a nickname for a practitioner of the magical arts that is usually less academically rigorous and that lives somewhere in the backcountry. Perhaps your family couldn’t send you to a school, or maybe your affinity for magic was recognized by the local Hedgewizard and you were taken under their wing for an apprenticeship. Your magic is likely to be more unique than the average wizard learning their spells in a classroom. Your books may have been old and outdated, but your magic still works. Maybe even you yourself look down on the pretentiousness of the city kids, happy to learn magic and not stray too far from home.

As a Hedgewizard, your local town often comes first. Consider what led your character to head off adventuring. Did they want to escape home after spending so much time there, or did something worse happen that drove them out? Maybe a sudden tragedy or the death of their mentor lead them to try to finish their training on the road? Or maybe your character simply isn’t satisfied with life as they have it, instead they want to learn more, to become more powerful still.

#3: The Artillery Master

While most wizards study, not all of them do so in stuffy libraries in robes. The Artillery Master serves the kingdom’s military. Learning spells on the field or in special military academies. While there are many schools of magic, most warmages tend to focus on the ones that cause the most damage. Evocation for casting fireballs and lightning bolts, Conjuration to summon monsters to fight, or even necromancy for the darker worlds. Your Artillery Master might have more combat experience than most wizards, taking their skills onto the field, and learning as fast as they can. Consider how your Artillery Master came to find themselves in the military. Were they drafted, did they join on their own? Did something call them to the frontlines, or are they simply fighting for money?

Consider how your Artillery Master feels about the magic they wield. They might stay back compared to the knights on the front line, but they still see first hand the damage they inflict on other humans. Do they have any sympathy for their enemies, or do they have faith in their kingdoms? Did your character retire or even desert the army to take up adventuring, or are they on a mission, still working for the crown? Talk to your DM about how your time in the military might affect your character, and help design NPCs that might continue to play a part in the campaign moving forward.

#4: The Rebel

You didn’t have the chance to go to a fancy institution or learn magic the proper way. Maybe you are being hunted, maybe you are setting up a resistance. Somehow you stumbled upon scrolls and ancient texts, or maybe another rebel began teaching you magic. Your magic isn’t fancy, it isn’t nice, but it gets the job done when you have to. The Rebel is fighting for a cause, their magic might not be as strong as some others, or it might be even stronger, propelled not simply through the classroom, but by your own faith in your skills. You spend every waking moment studying what you can out of the spells you have, prepared to use them in your fight. Decide what your Rebel is fighting for, what battle are they trying to win, who are they fighting against? Decide how they learned their magic, or where they found the spellbook or texts they are using.

Maybe your Rebel is trying to overthrow the Crown, maybe they’re fighting back against the local tax collector, or even against orcs or gnolls that have overrun their home. Whatever the reason for their rebellion, the Rebel isn’t like most wizards hiding in the back, they stand in the front, using magic to win at any cost. Maybe your rebel has no qualms about raising zombies and skeletons to win their war, maybe they don’t care if the demon they’ve summoned kills a few innocents if it also destroys the enemy. Decide if your Rebel has any lines or codes, or if all that matters is the movement. Work with your DM to determine what that movement could be.

#5: The Pariah

As a Wizard, you are a gatherer of knowledge above all else. But what if your character has gone beyond what most consider to be okay to study. What if their research has crossed a line. They could be pursuing the darker arts of necromancy, cloning, mind control or opening of portals. They could make deals with demons, devils, even angels all to come closer to being the most powerful wizard anyone has ever seen. Maybe your Pariah wants to become their own god, maybe they believe they already are one. Does your Pariah have followers, or have they been abandoned by all? Does your Pariah know what they seek, or are they simply looking into everything?

Consider how your Pariah feels about their people, or their family and friends turning their backs on them. Have they accepted that not everyone will understand what they are trying to do, or do they feel as if they have been betrayed. Are they willing to make sacrifices in the name of their research, or are their lines they are unwilling to cross? What does your Pariah hope to accomplish in the end? Talk to your DM about using this idea before you go too deep, as it requires a good DM and working well with the group to still make the story feel as if it makes sense. D&D is a cooperative game, and your character still has to function well within the party, so consider why they might be adventuring, and why they choose to stay with the group.

If you like this article or any others I have written, consider liking, subscribing, tipping or pledging here on Vocal as it really helps me continue writing! This series of articles is designed to help you build the best Wizard you can. So, if you're interested in more articles about Wizards, follow the links below!

• The Best Feats for Wizards
• The Best Magic Items for Wizards

To check out the other articles in this series of backstories, follow the links below!

• Barbarian
• Bard
• Cleric
• Druid
• Fighter
• Monk
• Paladin
• Ranger
• Rogue
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard