Drawmij
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, Drawmij is an archmage. A founding member of the sorcerous conclave known as the Circle of Eight
, Drawmij is reputed to live in an underwater fortress beneath the Azure Sea. The name "Drawmij" is one of Gary Gygax
's homages to a real-world person, Jim Ward.
canon through the spell Drawmij's Instant Summons, and was formed by reversing "Jim Ward
," the name of one of Gary Gygax
's players. By Ward's own account, the spell originated during a session in Gygax's original Greyhawk campaign during which the players were stranded in a dungeon; Ward's character owned a magical item which would have rescued the party, but had left it in an inn before setting out. Ward remarked to Gygax that wizards should have access to a spell which allowed them to recall any item in their possession to their hand; Gygax promptly devised instant summons, which did exactly that.
There has been some confusion over whether Gygax created the name in homage to Ward or Ward's character; though it is known that Ward played a character named Drawmij at one time, some sources claim the name of the wizard he was playing at the time instant summons was created was "Bombidell," not Drawmij. This leaves two theories as to how the name got started:
calls these his "troubling inconsistencies."
Drawmij wears magical robes of cool colors, favoring elven
designs.
For the last decade or so, Drawmij has focused on the theories of chronomancy, magic involving the manipulation of time. He has grown increasingly eccentric of late.
Drawmij has many contacts among the minstrels and bards of Celene, though few in the capital of Enstad admit to knowing him. Drawmij has few known agents, but he knows much more about Keoland and its client states than it seems like he should.
Drawmij has an enduring hatred of Jaran Krimeeah, the Mage of the Valley of the Mage, and is forever trying to persuade other members of the Circle of Eight to help him kill the wily archmage once and for all. Jallarzi Sallavarian
has suggested to Otto that Drawmij's true enmity is for Tysiln San, Jaran's mistress, though the reasons for this are unknown.
Drawmij only grudgingly accepted the addition of Warnes Starcoat and Alhamazed to the Circle of Eight, and argued against the inclusion of Theodain Eriason. Since losing that fight, however, he has treated Theodain's presence with bland acceptance.
as little as possible, finding it stifling and distasteful, but visits Gradsul regularly. Drawmij possesses a magical metal boat he can pilot underwater.
Drawmij has also developed the following additional spells:
#144, in the article "Still More Outrages from the Mages." The spell description reads in part, "When this spell is cast, Drawmij, whoever he is and wherever he is, dies. [...] As this spell has been around for some time, it is safe to assume that Drawmij is getting pretty sick and tired of it."
.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Drawmij is an archmage. A founding member of the sorcerous conclave known as the Circle of Eight
Circle of Eight
The Circle of Eight is a fictional group of wizards in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Circle was originally created by Gary Gygax around 1975 as an alliance of most of his Dungeons & Dragons characters...
, Drawmij is reputed to live in an underwater fortress beneath the Azure Sea. The name "Drawmij" is one of Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
's homages to a real-world person, Jim Ward.
Creative origins
The name "Drawmij" entered Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
canon through the spell Drawmij's Instant Summons, and was formed by reversing "Jim Ward
Jim Ward (game designer)
James M. Ward , is an American game designer and fantasy author. He is most famous for his game development and writing work for TSR, Inc., where he worked for more than 20 years. In 1989 he was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame...
," the name of one of Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
's players. By Ward's own account, the spell originated during a session in Gygax's original Greyhawk campaign during which the players were stranded in a dungeon; Ward's character owned a magical item which would have rescued the party, but had left it in an inn before setting out. Ward remarked to Gygax that wizards should have access to a spell which allowed them to recall any item in their possession to their hand; Gygax promptly devised instant summons, which did exactly that.
There has been some confusion over whether Gygax created the name in homage to Ward or Ward's character; though it is known that Ward played a character named Drawmij at one time, some sources claim the name of the wizard he was playing at the time instant summons was created was "Bombidell," not Drawmij. This leaves two theories as to how the name got started:
- Ward named his wizard character "Drawmij" from the outset, and the spell simply used the name of Ward's character.
- Gygax devised the name for publication purposes, as the name "Bombidell" was derivative of the TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
character Tom BombadilTom BombadilTom Bombadil is a supporting character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in Tolkien's high fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, published in 1954 and 1955. In the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins and company meet Bombadil in the Old Forest...
, and Ward subsequently created a new character, Drawmij.
Description
Drawmij is 63 years old in 591 CY, although he appears to be a young man in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair is sandy blond and his eyes are so blue that they're nearly purple. He stands six feet tall and weighs 172 pounds. His features possess an undefinable unsettling quality, and more than a few of those who know him have perceived something subtly different about him each time they meet - the shade of his eyes, his height, even the thickness and curl of his hair. RaryRary
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor....
calls these his "troubling inconsistencies."
Drawmij wears magical robes of cool colors, favoring elven
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
designs.
For the last decade or so, Drawmij has focused on the theories of chronomancy, magic involving the manipulation of time. He has grown increasingly eccentric of late.
Relationships
Drawmij is a member of the Circle of Eight. He has a close connection to Duke Luschan of Gradsul, who may be a relative of his. Drawmij also spends time with the Hierophant Sverdras Meno, a druid of the Old Faith who oversees the Azure Sea.Drawmij has many contacts among the minstrels and bards of Celene, though few in the capital of Enstad admit to knowing him. Drawmij has few known agents, but he knows much more about Keoland and its client states than it seems like he should.
Drawmij has an enduring hatred of Jaran Krimeeah, the Mage of the Valley of the Mage, and is forever trying to persuade other members of the Circle of Eight to help him kill the wily archmage once and for all. Jallarzi Sallavarian
Jallarzi Sallavarian
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Jallarzi Sallavarian is a powerful human wizard of Greyhawk City and the only female member of the Circle of Eight. She is nearly always accompanied by her familiar, a red pseudodragon named Edwina...
has suggested to Otto that Drawmij's true enmity is for Tysiln San, Jaran's mistress, though the reasons for this are unknown.
Drawmij only grudgingly accepted the addition of Warnes Starcoat and Alhamazed to the Circle of Eight, and argued against the inclusion of Theodain Eriason. Since losing that fight, however, he has treated Theodain's presence with bland acceptance.
Home
Drawmij is reputed to live in a cavernous underwater fortress beneath the Azure Sea, 150 miles south of Gradsul in Keoland, where he deals with merfolk, whales, dolphins, and many other denizens of the ocean. This fastness was once the dwelling of the druid Sverdras Meno. He visits the Free City of GreyhawkFree City of Greyhawk
The Free City of Greyhawk, also known as Greyhawk City and the "Gem of the Flanaess," is a fictional city-state in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
as little as possible, finding it stifling and distasteful, but visits Gradsul regularly. Drawmij possesses a magical metal boat he can pilot underwater.
Spells
Drawmij is responsible for developing the commonly known spell Drawmij's instant summons.Drawmij has also developed the following additional spells:
- Drawmij's adventurer's luck
- Drawmij's beast of burden
- Drawmij's beneficent polymorph
- Drawmij's breath of life
- Drawmij's flying feat
- Drawmij's handy timepiece
- Drawmij's instant exit
- Drawmij's iron sack
- Drawmij's light step
- Drawmij's marvelous shield
- Drawmij's merciful metamorphosis
- Drawmij's protection from nonmagical gas
- Drawmij's scent mask
- Drawmij's swift mount
- Drawmij's tool box
Magic items
Drawmij is credited with the development of the following magic items:- Drawmij's undersea apparatus (DungeonDungeon (magazine)Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
#77)
Writings
Drawmij is known to have authored the following works:- Repertoire of Illustrious Conjurations
Trivia
A parody spell, Drawmij's instant death, appeared in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#144, in the article "Still More Outrages from the Mages." The spell description reads in part, "When this spell is cast, Drawmij, whoever he is and wherever he is, dies. [...] As this spell has been around for some time, it is safe to assume that Drawmij is getting pretty sick and tired of it."
Other uses
- An elven prince called Drawmij Koehlanna appears as a character in an elvish version of the Snow WhiteSnow White"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
story in The Complete Book of Elves, page 58.
- A storyteller named Drawmij appears in the introduction to "A Tale Within a Tale," a short story by James M. Ward that appears in the Forgotten Realms accessory Gateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living CityGateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living CityGateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living City is an adventure module published in 1989 for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
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Other media
Drawmij's Instant Summons appears on the scroll given to Vaarsuvius in the Order of the Stick webcomic #678 by Rich BurlewRich Burlew
Rich Burlew is an author, game designer, and graphic designer best known for The Order of the Stick webcomic. He has written several works for Wizards of the Coast's game Dungeons and Dragons...
.