The Culture: From Hardscrabble Apprentice To Master Of The Arcane

The lives Magic-Users and Illusionists do have some shared elements. They keep spellbooks, they seek to recover more spells as treasure from their adventures, they engage in spell research to (re)invent what they cannot find, and--if they live long enough and advance far enough--resort to creating the items that they had not found but wish that they did.

Much like how the Fighter has a strong incentive to grow his army as he advances towards Name Level, these spell-casters have strong incentives to set up the foundations for their futures as Wizards and Illusionists: men of power, ensconced in their towers, feared and respected for their acumen at calling down supernatural powers to serve worldly ends.

The Early Years

Both classes can engage in Spell Research as early as 1st level; this is apparent upon reading page 115 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. He will need to spend time and gold on either building and stocking a laboratory and library, or he will need to do so to acquire access to an existing one. This is itself a significant Opportunity Cost, as the gold necessary to do so directly competes with being able to pay for Training.

Spell Research thereafter continues to be an Opportunity Cost in itself. It is not cheap, it takes signficant time, and is nowhere near assured; the savvy player will learn when it is wise to conduct research and when it is better to pursue advancement, especially given that advancement as either class is not easy.

The reason to do so at this stage is twofold. In immediate terms, it is to create an advantage where one did not exist by way of a spell that heretofore was not available or did not exist at all. In the long term this is leverage, to be used in bargaining with others capable of casting such spells, and later on to attract apprentices (i.e. Henchmen of the same class).

Finding One's Feet

At 7th level, the Magic-User can hire an Alchemist (directly or paying a fee to one already employed for access) and begin making potions. He, along with the Illusionist, also gains the ability to scribe scrolls at this level. (DMG p. 116-117) Both of these require the aforementioned laboratory with the additional workbench and tools necessary for the Alchemist to perform his tasks. Again, this is not cheap or quick, but success is far more likely.

Acquiring the components for potion or scroll creation can be an adventure in itself, depending upon what that character wants to create and how the Referee rules on what it takes to do so. As with Spell Research, players will need to collaborate with the Referee to determine costs in time and gold as well as odds of success (expressed as a percentage, and rolled on a d100).

Prior to Name Level, these are the primary means of magic item creation for these classes. The costs, while not as burdensome as Spell Research in terms of gold, do cost time in the work itself in addition to any needed to procure special components (i.e. adventuring). One can see why they are sold dearly given what it takes to create these consumable items and why they should not be disdained when found as treasure.

The costs to advance in level rise significantly at this point, so the calculation between Training and Item Creation tends to be more balanced; taking the time to make an item that yields utility in a future expedition that promises big rewards is time well invested. It is also at this time that a Magic-User or Illusionist should have scouted out where to raise his stronghold and begun putting forth time and gold towards erecting it- be it by magic or not. Soon enough, he will need it.

The Beard Full And Gray

The Magic-User that reaches 12th level ought to learn Enchant An Item as soon as he can. The Illusionist can create one-shot or charged items at 11th level that are specific to his class, including potions (which he could not do heretofore). Potions are now much faster to create if an Alchemist is retained, but said Hireling is no longer required. All the Magic-User needs is to become able to cast 8th level spells, and thus learn Permanency, to become capable of making most of the best items; the Illusionist needs to hit 14th to do so by different means. (DMG p. 118)

Both of these master magicians will want to make contact with master craftsmen for their enchating projects, or be one, and will be wise to make certain that they know the specific things necessary to create the item before beginning the work. The nature of their creations, and the consequences of past deeds, means that they will attract the attention of interested parties as soon as they make that enchanting known.

Now we see the necessity of having a secure stronghold of one's own by this point. A fortified sanctum, warded magically as well as normally, makes interference with such works difficult if not impossible. Some of this means spending gold on hirelings soldiers. Some of this means securing a Henchman bodyguard or shieldbearer. Some of this means binding one or more creatures as sentinels; it is no surprise that powerful magicians are the creators of many a dungeon- they were once just such fortified sanctums. Some of this means maintaining friendly relations with other parties, such as a nearby military power (i.e. a Name Level Fighter) or religious authority (i.e. a Cleric), even integrating with that party's Domain.

Conclusion

The career path of a Magic-User or Illusionist cannot avoid, if the player wishes to make full use of his character's potential, engaging in the downtime activities particular to spell-casters. Doing so will impose Opportunity Costs, delaying advancement here and there in return for generating assets that will make up for the delay and then some down the road, turning the research or creation into an investment.

The avenues of such investment increase as the character advances in level, eventually becoming able to create permanent items of great power. A Referee will take advantage of this to generate yet more reasons for the caster to sortie into the field and conduct expeditions to procure the components necessary to complete a research or creation project. In pursuit of his own interests, he cannot avoid making friends and enemies- more powerful as he advances towards Name Level and beyond.

The attention of a high-level caster will increasingly move away from ordinary concerns by necessity. His potency will be called upon to deal with threats that only he can handle, and cosmic powers will begin to take notice of him- for good or ill. This is all emergent, and organic, consequences of successful gameplay. You don't become someone capable of wielding great cosmic power without walking this path; there is no Wizard or Illusionist that everyone likes and wants to get along with.

As with the Fighter becoming a warlord over time, and building up castles over time on the frontier, these magicians cannot help but to build up their sanctums over time as they go from handling just one weak spell per day to making their own top-tier magic staves and robes in preparation for dealing with ancient dragons, demon lords, or demigods.