From the introduction: A Wise Man Once Said… Wise sages are a staple of the fantasy genre, from books to movies to games. Everyone knows about Gandalf and Dumbledore, and it can be fun to take on a similar role of guide, mentor, and advisor when you’re rolling dice at the table, as well. Now, it’s not hard to roll up a wizard or a cleric with high Intelligence and Wisdom, and maybe give him a grey beard, but when push comes to shove, what are you going to actually do to make him feel…wise? Wise sages can be one of the harder types of characters to build effectively and roleplay in a fun and constructive manner. From the obvious challenges of acting like someone who is, most likely, smarter and wiser than you, yourself are, to making sure that you don’t get on your friends’ nerves when you start doling out fatherly advice to them at the table, and numerous ways to play up your wise sage’s, well, wisdom and sagacity, A Character Guide: The Wise Sage covers all the little details that can take such a character from average to extraordinary, and help provide you with a more satisfying roleplaying experience. Of course, wise sages tend to be effective strategists, and make good decisions. They also tend to fulfill mechanical roles in a party that are a lot less straightforward than the average barbarian or fireball-slinger. That’s why this book also includes extensive in-depth information on ways to use the game’s mechanics to make an effective wise sage, with a look at everything from spells and classes to skills, feats, and even races, to help you make a fun and effective character mechanically, as well as flavorfully. You’ll also find several expansive archetypes which add a little bit of sagely flavor to a number of different classes, and a section aimed at GMs, with advice on how to cater to (and deal with) players who enjoy playing wise sage characters, and some of the common issues that can arise in such cases. So if you’ve ever thought it would be fun to play someone like Yoda or Merlin, missing this book would be…unwise.