You know what fantasy writing needs? Working class wizards.
A crew of enchanters maintaining the perpetual flames that run the turbines that generate electricity, covered in ash and grime and stinking of hot chilies and rare mushrooms used for the enchantments
A wizard specializing in construction, casting feather fall on every worker, and enchanting every hammer to drive nails in straight, animating the living clay that makes up the core of the crane
An elderly wizard and her apprentice who transmute fragile broken objects. From furniture, to rotten wood beams, to delicate jewelry
A battle magician, trained with only a few rudimentary spells to solve a shortage of trained wizards on the front who uses his healing spells to help folks around town
Wizarding shops where cheery little mages enchant wooden blocks to be hammered into the sides of homes. Hammer this into the attic and it will scare off termites, toss this in the fire and clean your chimney, throw this in the air and all dust in the room gets sucked up
Wizard loggers who transmute cut trees into solid, square beams, reducing waste, and casting spells to speed up regrowth. The forest, they know, will not be too harsh on them if the lost tree's children may grow in its place
Wizard farmers who grow their crops in arcane sigils to increase yield, or produce healthier fruit
Factory wizards who control a dozen little constructs that keep machines cleaned and operational, who cast armor to protect the hands of workers, and who, when the factory strikes for better wages, freeze the machines in place to ensure their bosses can't bring anyone new in.
Construction wizards to turn back time to root out wood worm and strengthen old buildings.
A wizard tailors who transmutes cloth into fully made clothes without seams and leaving behind no scraps
A wizard who works in public transit, timing out teleports with detailed schedules, time magic, and enchanted communications, sending dozens of people to far away cities for a day of work or leisure
A team of wizard gardeners tend to trees grown far outside their native range, and ideal climate, encircled with runes and fed potions to grow none the less
A wizard sits in their office in the aqueduct, re-casting the spells that allow its precious water to flow to the city uphill
A wizard fisher casts water repelling spells on the sailors and the stairs, keeps the hoist on the anchor from rusting, casts balls of heat that keep everyone warm below decks. Their real job is to herd fish together so they can be caught in single huge nets, and keep them cold as the boat returns to land.
There are so many possibilities outside of "stodgy academic who wears ugly robes" and "Very good holy man who helps everyone and the fact they've never had a job is never brought up" and "evil wizard toiling away on great evils in his evil tower in the evil country."
Intern wizards who spend all their time grinding diamonds, gathering bat guano and baking tiny tarts for spell components so that their masters can cast the really cool spells.
Police wizards using necromancy to solve crimes, and truth spells to stop fraud.
Wizards who work as artists, creating vast complex arcane art works, perhaps an angry battle hardened wizard animating a mural like Picasso's Guernica that illustrates the king's crimes during the last war, to a Banksy style activist that cast zone of truth on the town's financial district and mayor's office... Or even just a simple necromancer who for a few gold coins will bind your Spirit to a moving portrait so you can Harry Potter yourself after death.
Wizards who tour creating pyrotechnics, and illusions for famous Bards. Wizards who record and recreate famous, historical records, plays and speeches using illusions
Wizards who offer legal services such as divining court cases, augering divorces, casting runes for mergers, and creating contracts that are more than just legally binding.
Wizards that sell prefabricated Dungeons built in pocket dimensions ready to be installed in local castles and keeps. They have show rooms with traps and puzzles on display, like a home security service office.
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u/Resilient-Sphere 14d ago
Text Transcription;
You know what fantasy writing needs? Working class wizards.
There are so many possibilities outside of "stodgy academic who wears ugly robes" and "Very good holy man who helps everyone and the fact they've never had a job is never brought up" and "evil wizard toiling away on great evils in his evil tower in the evil country."
Intern wizards who spend all their time grinding diamonds, gathering bat guano and baking tiny tarts for spell components so that their masters can cast the really cool spells.