Famous Wizards of Distinction — Leomund
Greetings my fellow Nerdarchists. In the weeks and months to come I am going to highlight famous wizards of distinction by delving into the backgrounds and spells of magic users .
I know. I know. Nate the Nerdarch, friend to the lazy nerd and researcher extraordinaire!
The only order I will be following is the “whomever I feel like writing about” order. Unless there are some famous wizards you want to hear about next. If there is a wizard you like that you think is one of the famous wizards of distinction then please comment below and let me know who you want to read about next. (Update: Otiluke is next check him out here)
I will be focusing on famous wizards of distinction from RPGs but that does not mean I am excluding the backgrounds and spells of magic users from books, movies, and comics. Give me a compelling example of wizardry and I will write it up.
For my first wizard I chose a man after my own nerdy prepper heart, Leomund. 
Leomund is a wizard created by Lenard Lakofka, an early player of Dungeons and Dragons. Leomund is a ex-member of the Circle of Eight, the magical equivalent of the Illuminati in the Greyhawk universe. They desire to keep the balance of power between Law, Chaos, Good,and Evil.
With great power comes a greater need for self aggrandizement.
Really? As if Evil and Good were weights on a scale. I think that there is always going to be Evil and Chaos. It is so 1984 to think that it is the Ministry of Balance (Circle of Eight)’s job to help out the forces of Evil when the forces of Good become really powerful.
I can absolutely identify with Leomund for leaving the Circle after 5 years stating he had more compelling uses of his time, like getting off of the Illuminati train! Well. He actually went to explore other planes.
Famous wizards of distinction: Backgrounds and Spells of Magic Users – Leomund
While many people see wizards as the class of blasting and explosions they can also be a class that provides a lot of support, outside of the battlefield, by way of making an adventure’s life a bit easier. Leomund ‘s spells reflect a magic user interested in the latter.
During his fictitious life, Leomund created a half dozen spells or so that have made it into the Dungeons and Dragons mythos. Just looking at his list of spells and created items that made it into Dungeons and Dragons gives me some insight into what motivated Leomund.
- Leomund’s Tiny Hut
- Leomund’s Secure Shelter
- Leomund’s Hidden Lodge
- Leomund’s Trap
- Leomund’s Secret Chest
- Leomund’s Lamentable Belaborment
- Leomund’s Plate and Cup
Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Leomund’s Secure Shelter, and Leomund’s Hidden Lodge all produce somewhere to seek refuge from the elements while keeping comfortable. The spells get increasingly impressive as the level increases from 3rd through 5th.
Tiny Hut creates a cozy sphere, of 70 degrees Fahrenheit air, that is opaque when viewed from the outside world.
A bear could still walk into it so not cozy enough for Leomund.
Secure Shelter creates a little motel that sleeps four. It is constructed out of the surrounding material but acts as stone.
His Hidden Lodge spell is similar to Secure Shelter but it is hidden within the 
material it is constructed. It could look like a big boulder, rock face, sand dune or cool treehouse that very difficult to find by others.
Greyhawk has a lot of details that add to the realms realism as a campaign setting. Leomund, a Greyhawk native, is the attributed author of several books
- Architecture (with Mordenkainen)
- Forgotten Arts of Oratory Magnetism
- Thesis on the Planes of Anti-Matter
- Transcendental Impenetrabilities
Those sound very impressive and coauthoring a book with Mordenkainen (another famous wizard of distinction) adds some clout to a book that seems to be the most mundane book subject of the lot.
Leomund also crafted culinary innovations, named for him, in the shape of a plate and cup. These two items would definitely be on a hobbit’s wish list.
This dinner set provided a person with dinner…
and lunch and breakfast, all while loading the cup with wonderful tasting alcoholic beverages.
I guess Leomund’s favorite wine is anytime.
Famous wizards of distinction: Backgrounds and Spells of Magic Users – Leomund
I would say the biggest reason Leomund is one of the famous wizards of distinction is because of his inventiveness. From the number of new spells he created to their utility in boosting the survivability of an adventure, Leomund had an answer.
When he saw a problem that made him uncomfortable, or he felt hungry, he simply fixed the problem with a new spell. For those of you who aren’t wizards I am letting you know that is not as easy as it sounds. Spells are tough.
With that I leave you with this thought, if you are ever in a survival situation where you are out of food, cool, wet, or just generally don’t want to get eaten by a bear. Then you have a good understanding behind the motivational force that drove Leomund to come up with the majority of his spells and items.
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