1) Many (more than a third) of all sentient beings in the Realms who have the Gift didn't exhibit it at all at birth, or youth, until an event "awakened" it. Many such events involve a being getting touched directly by magic for the first time, such as getting... #realmslore
ValetheHowl@ValetheHowl
6 Feb 2024
Replying to @TheEdVerse
@TheEdVerse Hi there! Sorry to bother you, but I met quite a conundrum and I hoped you could help me. I am currently running a commoner/giftless campaign set in FR, and I kinda wanted to give the players the option to upgrade their commoners to full player characters at the end.
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2) ...caught in the area of effect of a spell (needn't be a combat spell, could be light or faerie fire), handling a magic item or touching an artifact, stepping through a ward they may not even know is there (i.e. across a temple doorway), and so on. Even if they... #realmslore
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3) ...got tested for the Gift when young, and the test showed nothing at all, that doesn't mean they didn't have it, or wouldn't later get it. Brains change and develop throughout life. #realmslore
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Thank you so very much for the answer! So I guess that the Gift is akin to superpowers in a superhero setting: some are just born with it while others can develop them through random accidents (even those who were completely normal).
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So, in the end, basically anyone has the potential to develop the Gift, but only very few people actually do. And I guess that interacting with magic stuff a lot, while dangerous, would increase the chances of someone obtaining the Gift.
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Indeed. Kids who play in old ruined castles may well be awakening their Gift...and not even know it for years. #realmslore
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A little corollary question: so if exposure to magic has a chance to create the Gift in a person, does that mean that exposure over a nigh-infinite amount of time anyone would basically guarantee that the person would develop the Gift? Kinda like the infinite monkey theorem...
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...that states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type any given text, including the complete works of William Shakespeare.
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And also, are there ways to increase the odds of the Gift developing in a person? Like, someone who constantly tries to actively practice and study magic would have a better chance to become a wizard than someone who just chills in magic places?
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Replying to @ValetheHowl
Yes, trying to work magic has a higher chance of developing the Gift than just exposure to magic. #realmslore

Aug 18, 2024 · 6:51 PM UTC

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Replying to @TheEdVerse
Thank you for the answer! It really helps! So you'd say that a truly Giftless assistant to a wizard who works with magic everyday (using items, scrolls, practicing, etc) would have a good chance at developing the Gift?
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