I've got a player who is a pretty generic wizard (old, bookish,

Give him a pointy hat that talks.

Give him a cresset that does special things when you burn books in it.

>>54212362
If he likes what he plays, then all is well. If it is a crutch, then you might introduce an item that turns the character in a new direction.
>Pointy hat that talks about overthrowing the evil king of badland, of which the cursed prince-hat is the rightful heir
>Pointy hat from hell which promises forbidden knowledge at seemingly little cost

>>54212864
He likes it but seems to get frustrated with just being a spell monkey. He seems to enjoy the RP aspects of playing a wizard more than the mechanical aspects, so I wanted to give him some ways to add his love of research to his gameplay style.

A crystal orb, with a thin metal casing that encircles the object in a spiral pattern. Inside it is what appears to be a greenish liquid, of which it is half full. Give him a reason to figure out what this does besides just rolling detect magic, you can sense at present a connection to the elemental plane of earth, but cannot decipher more with a skill roll alone. However, when the PCs fight some being from another elemental plane, the color inside shifts to a corresponding color, and grows to 3/4th full.

The orb is eventually discovered to siphon off some of the elemental energy given off by dying monsters with strong connections to the planes, and once full grants a temporary buff to damage he inflicts of that type. Or generates a small elemental of that type. Or becomes an elemental key for a hidden portal to a demiplane. Whatever it is he seems most interesting in finding out it does. Award his research and creativity with the orb actually transmuting into what he wants it to do, or at least thinks its doing.

>>54213001
Hey, this is good.

File: hedge wizard.jpg (151KB, 1224x814px) Image search: [Google]

151KB, 1224x814px

>>54212930
Hit up the tropes he likes then?

>esteemed wise man
Have the prince consult him before invading, passing travelers ask for his opinion on the state of the kingdom or weather

>wizards are nice
Give him colleagues with interesting wizard personalities with whom he might speak with from time to time. Bonus points if he is given some official position in a mages college or some organizational post.

>wizards are Dicks with a capital D
Other jealous wizards want to take his research/discredit him/revoke his tenure etc.. Everything from professional rivalry to assassins being sent after the party.

Being a heavily armed eldtrich teen professor with attitude can be tough, but it has its perks.