Magic in Golarion

[Ironlemon]

I'm currently writing a backstory for my character and while in the middle of the process I started wondering how wizards work in Golarion setting. I know that sorcerers gain powers from their connections to demons, fey, etc back in the family line, witches make deals with who knows what to gain their magic and that wizards study magic to gain their powers.

Now in some settings to become magic user you need some innate power/talent/something to be able to and if you don't have that something, then it won't matter if you study it all your life, since you will never be able to use it even if you become master in the theory of it. In some settings everyone from farmer to king can learn magic. Ofcourse in case of PC characters one can pick 1 wizard level after 19 levels of fighter, but lorewise in general how does Golarion work?

[GreyWolfLord]

I think it' the rituals and movements of the spell itself that draws power and casts it. Golarion is a magic environment, so the wizards just utilize ways to release that magic.

That's my best guess, don't know the official answer.

[Greylurker]

I like to think of it as similar to the lynchpin system from the Amber novels. A Wizard prepares his spells at the start of the day by doing a big hour long ritual of drawing runes and magic circles. Every spell he plans to use that day is part of the circle. Each spell leaves a few key elements "unsaid".
Once the ritual is over all these spells are just waiting for those last key words and geastures, the Lynchpins of the spell,so that it can be unleashed.
Until he casts them The wizard's mind has to keep those unfinished spells and all that power in check until he needs them. Then he picks the spell he wants, pushes it to the front of his mind and fills in those last details needed to finish the ritual.

[Voadam]

Ironlemon wrote:

I'm currently writing a backstory for my character and while in the middle of the process I started wondering how wizards work in Golarion setting. I know that sorcerers gain powers from their connections to demons, fey, etc back in the family line, witches make deals with who knows what to gain their magic and that wizards study magic to gain their powers.

Now in some settings to become magic user you need some innate power/talent/something to be able to and if you don't have that something, then it won't matter if you study it all your life, since you will never be able to use it even if you become master in the theory of it. In some settings everyone from farmer to king can learn magic. Ofcourse in case of PC characters one can pick 1 wizard level after 19 levels of fighter, but lorewise in general how does Golarion work?

I believe that in Golarion it is like the default pathfinder flavor of studying how to do magic and there is no special inborn magic requirement. So anyone with intelligence and opportunity for study can become a wizard.

I am not aware of any Golarion lore that says it works differently for wizards such as how clerics work differently from generic pathfinder in needing a god.

I don't own Inner Sea Magic though which might have more Golarion specific magic fluff for wizards.

[Arrius]

Ironlemon wrote:

I'm currently writing a backstory for my character and while in the middle of the process I started wondering how wizards work in Golarion setting. I know that sorcerers gain powers from their connections to demons, fey, etc back in the family line, witches make deals with who knows what to gain their magic and that wizards study magic to gain their powers.

Now in some settings to become magic user you need some innate power/talent/something to be able to and if you don't have that something, then it won't matter if you study it all your life, since you will never be able to use it even if you become master in the theory of it. In some settings everyone from farmer to king can learn magic. Ofcourse in case of PC characters one can pick 1 wizard level after 19 levels of fighter, but lorewise in general how does Golarion work?

Golarion as a setting is of the second type. In-universe, training to become a wizard is not only taking a level in the class, but is also training to cast the first spell--researching others.

Any GM would probably shelve that under a successful Spellcraft check to cast the first spell after gaining enough ranks, via application of arcane theory (represented by having the spell), complete understanding of how it works (represented by possessing the required mental attribute), and practice, practice, practice (represented by having the actual level in Wizard, and not a feat, for example).

Afterwards, the completion of the how of becoming a wizard is internalizing this process, training further, and acclimating one's self to make the process of casting spontaneous (as in not requiring rolling checks anymore).

That is the fluff on how magic works for wizards, as gleaned by comparing mechanics to story-description of Pathfinder Tales and comics within the context of the universe. If there is anything in-born, it would probably be the mental aptitude to cast magic in the first place.