Wizard Class Color Guide for Role Playing in DnD

No dungeons and dragons’ class is as iconic throughout the genre of fantasy than the Wizard. Even the mere shadow of a Wizard is easy to parse from a crowd. That pointed oversized hat, the long beard, the flowing robes and their ancient staff have been etched into our hearts and minds. It is a class of pure utility and wonder, one that can transmute objects, distort reality, or fry an opponent with a well-timed fireball. Some say knowledge is power and no other class embodies this idea more than the Wizard. Welcome back to the next article in the class color series, a series where I apply the color pie to the classes of Dungeons and Dragons in order to help you build more robust characters in the process. If you’re a fan of the color pie I bet you already have some ideas already for this class, but don’t get ahead of yourself, like the Wizard itself there is always room to be surprised. Now grab your spell book prepare your spell slots and let’s get into the class colors of the Wizard.

The Wizard is in many ways the equivalent to a fighter within the realm of magic wielders, an odd comparison I know but hear me out. Just as the fighter can pick up any weapon and be good at it the wizard has access to a massive catalogue of spells, in many ways its only really limited by its imagination. A wizard can peer into the unknown, conjure objects out of thin air, enchant people’s minds, craft explosive damaging spells, call upon the elements, beguile with illusions, raise the undead, warp matter into new forms, and so much more. The Wizard is less defined by the class itself and more by the school it chooses to focus on. So, as you could imagine it’s a bit of a task to choose just four sets of colors and combinations that will encapsulate everything that makes a Wizard what it is. Because of this we will be speaking in broader terms and will instead find overlap between the schools. That said once we have covered each class in this series, we will be looking at every subclass and school of magic that we can dig up so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss that.

To say that the Wizard is only defined by its schools is a bit disingenuous though and there are aspects that are unique to the class which set it apart from the other magic wielders, so let’s talk about that before we start picking any colors. The Wizard is a class defined by its hunger for knowledge and this is reflected in its vast array of spells documented in its spell book. To become a Wizard, it takes a special thirst for discovery and learning. If this type of character couldn’t conjure magic, they would still be studying lost knowledge. Perhaps they would be a scholar, an archeologist or an astronomer. They are curious by nature and that curiosity never ends.

They are the type of class that is willing to iterate on what they have learned and from there gain more understanding and knowledge. A wizard must be willing to spend the time it takes to master their craft and sometimes won’t reach their potential until old age, and I think this has a fundamental effect on the Wizard. What I mean is that this shows a level of dedication to perfection that is hard to find anywhere else. Your character might still be young and in the infancy of its power but it’s dedication is unmistakable and its thirst for hidden knowledge unquenchable. Ok I am sure you are starting to get restless; I know you’ve got a couple ideas in your mind already so let’s not waste anymore time. As always, we will start with the class colors chosen by Wizards of the Coast and decide if their idea of a core color hits the mark.

I want you to pick what one color you would assign to the Wizard… do you have it? Alright let’s reveal the card to see what Wizards of the costs has decided, and what we have here is Mono Blue. I’m confident that most of you chose mono blue and I am inclined to agree. The Wizard embodies everything about mono blue that makes it what it is and so yes, I will be picking this as the core to the Wizard class. The distinction I want to make though is that Blue is the base for the Wizard or the vanilla version, it doesn’t speak to the complexity of the class but is instead at the heart of what makes it what it is. This is a color that you will see pop up time and time again within different versions and really, it’s a building block, rather than a color I would rest on as the only definition for the class, like I said the school you choose, and your characters motivations play a huge part in the color you will be picking when you build your wizard. With that said it is important to explain what makes the Wizard blue because without a strong base of understanding it can be hard to add complexity on top of it.

Blue is the color that represents the constant desire for improvement, and of the person who is always marching forward and building upon what has come before it. This does not always equate to knowledge but often does. The Blue character usually finds a craft to focus on, one that it can output its effective hunger for perfection. The reason this usually floods into knowledge, and especially in the case of a wizard, is that learning is never ending. The Wizard can learn a new spell, find an application for it, perfect its use and in time learn a more potent spell. Starting out casting simple rudimentary spells and eventually gaining the ability to warp time and space.

The ceiling for what can be achieved by the Wizard is almost the highest for this class than any other. What I mean is that a simple book worm can eventually, through determination become much like a god. It takes a certain kind of person to reach for such heights but that is the determination and drive that Blue provides, especially in the context of a wizard. As we will see in this video this concept will be pulled in different directions but Blue will almost always be present, but as I always say its up to your characters motivations so don’t feel forced to use this color, just be sure to place a different strong motivation in its place. Let’s move onto our first combination, for this I want to add both Black and White to the mix to see what we get.

The White Blue Black Wizard, or Esper Wizard as its called in Magic, is the type of character who has manipulation and control at the heart of its magic and motivations. It leans towards spells that tap into people’s minds, into reality or illusion. They are the kind of character that lives by the motto that nothing is what it appears to be. There is always a deeper secret behind the veil of existence. If you choose these colors the result would be a character who wishes to enforce its will on reality or desires to hold sway over the minds of the masses. Let’s break it down a bit further to see what each color brings to this mentality to better understand its complexities.

In this case the White within this Wizard represents a focus on the people around them. A wider scope of thinking that wishes to change the minds of many or of their very perception of reality. They have a grand design to their work and are not satisfied in simply creating magic just for themselves. Perhaps they will use it in politics, the wider perfection of society or simply for the joy manipulation and illusion brings when applied to the people. Blue as we have covered, is the aspect of the Wizard that has the drive to pursue such a large and momentous task, it’s the side of the Wizard that has a bigger plan. Often Blue and White when combined become obsessed with the perfection, protection or manipulation of society.

Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves though, why would it want to change reality, manipulate others or enchant weaker minds, well that comes from its Black side. This Wizard may be crafty and cunning, but it always finds a way for it benefit itself. To enchant others or to manipulate minds or reality takes a level of selfish thought. It is enforcing your will onto others and onto their perceived truths. This can’t be understated. Most of us might feel uncomfortable doing so as we feel we have no right over such things, but with a focus on Black this fear is shed and a confidence and enjoyment from doing so replaces it. Even with noble intentions, the forcing of change is always a selfish one.

I really enjoy this type of Wizard but be careful not trust them, they always have a bigger plan in mind than your simple adventure. Manipulation doesn’t always have to be done to others or their reality but at times can conjure amazing things or change a simple object into something beautiful, so don’t take this Esper Wizard as some inherent evil, just be sure you understand that forcing anything to your will is a selfish act. Alright let’s move onto a different version of the Wizard that takes change in a different direction, for that I want to take both White and Black out of the equation and add in Green.

Now what we have is a Wizard who extends its curiosity to nature itself and to what forms it can take or how it can be changed adapted or conjured forth. This character might be more playful and gain some pleasure from the conjuring of objects and creatures or of the transmutation of one entity into another. This Wizard might enjoy the lighthearted side of magic and its motivations are a product of a simple curiosity, a character who likes to see what can happen with a bit of experimentation on what nature provides while still respecting certain forms.

If we look at the colors present, we see why. Blue as always is the curiosity, the mindset that sees potential in everything. Blue often will be restless when it knows there is more that can be done and nature as it is has nothing but room for growth and change. This isn’t to say that this wizard does not enjoy what already is present, it will master spells that tap into what nature already provides. Bringing creatures into existence, transforming one thing into another and travelling to every plane of reality. Now this is all possible with a pairing like Green, a color that balances the Wizard and prevents it from taking its magic to far.

It is the color of perspective, meaning that this character doesn’t want to necessary bend nature to its will in order to gain power but instead wishes to take what is static and turn it something dynamic. This Wizard is also wise and patient, willing to take things slow never rushing into a bad decision. Sometimes this means that this Wizard lives a solitary life, one where it studies and watches. Learning anything it can from the natural world and applying what it has learned into its magic. If this type of Wizard isn’t for you then perhaps, we can take things in the opposite direction with the next Wizard on our list. For this Wizard we will drop the Green and Blue then add in a color of action in Red and of personal motivation in Black.

The Black Red Wizard motivations are far from what we established in our previous example, they are rash, arrogant and explosive. Utilizing their magic in ways that express their natural talent. While many wizards spend their long lives studying and honing their craft the concept behind this Wizard is of one who came upon its power rather young, and this has a fundamental effect on how they view both magic and themselves. Its not the same as a Sorcerer who often is born with their magic but rather a Wizard who has a natural talent that is unmistakable, in that every spell they attempt to learn comes easy, its as if they have a pure understanding of magic deep down, instead of a need to work hard to gain any amount of power.

This has a fundamental effect on the Wizard and creates a character that is arrogant and direct one who doesn’t find any aspect of magic off limits. This is reflected in the magic they use, opting out of spells that manipulate or modify and in favor of spells that might seem off limits, like that of necromancy, as Black has no qualms with using forbidden spells and Red only pushes that further. On the other side of it perhaps this character makes use of magic that is direct and focus’ on dealing a lot of damage with no thought as to what spell is best for what situation, as a simple fireball solves a lot of problems in an instant.

Many Wizards can often fall into some level of arrogance as they gain power, I mean if you could bend reality to your will wouldn’t you be? The key difference is that the typical Wizard has a respect for magic that is has gained from a long life of study, and someone who does not respect their magic and only sees it as a tool for their ambitions is someone who can be rather dangerous. Now whether that benefits your party or not really depends on if you can keep them on your good side. This character might be a bit of a jerk but their knack for understanding magic cannot be denied.

Thanks for reading my article on the Class Colors of the Wizard. If you enjoyed this article consider becoming a site member that way you will be notified when the next one goes live. Also be sure to check out my Youtube for more content from me. With that friends I'll catch you in the multiverse bye!

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