Prodigal Sorcerer: Difference between revisions
>Jerodast (Added story appearances, since these works are clearly featuring this card despite not being a singular character :)) |
>Jerodast (slightly longer lead paragraph summarizing key points below.) |
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{{For|the novel|The Prodigal Sorcerer}} | {{For|the novel|The Prodigal Sorcerer}} | ||
[[File:LEA Prodigal Sorcerer.jpg|thumb|right|250 px|{{card|Prodigal Sorcerer||LEA}} from ''[[Alpha]]''.]] | [[File:LEA Prodigal Sorcerer.jpg|thumb|right|250 px|{{card|Prodigal Sorcerer||LEA}} from ''[[Alpha]]''.]] | ||
'''Prodigal Sorcerer''' is a blue 1/1 [[Human]] [[Wizard]] creature card with the [[activated ability]] "{{T}}: Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to any target". | '''Prodigal Sorcerer''' is a blue 1/1 [[Human]] [[Wizard]] creature card with the [[activated ability]] "{{T}}: Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to any target". It is a very well-known card, first appearing in ''[[Alpha]]'' edition and inspiring several stories as well as the nickname '''Tim'''. However, it is no longer considered a good fit within the [[color pie]]. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 18:10, 30 May 2022
- For the novel, see The Prodigal Sorcerer.
Prodigal Sorcerer is a blue 1/1 Human Wizard creature card with the activated ability "
: Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to any target". It is a very well-known card, first appearing in Alpha edition and inspiring several stories as well as the nickname Tim. However, it is no longer considered a good fit within the color pie.
History
Alpha
The card was introduced in Alpha, where its artist credit was incorrect, with Douglas Shuler misspelled as "Douglas Schuler". The card featured creature type Wizard (only) in Alpha; but, in Time Spiral, it gained the Human racial creature type to complement its class creature type.
Nickname and etymology
The card is nicknamed "Tim", after the "Tim the Enchanter", a wizard portrayed by John Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and who had a talent for fire-based magic and damaging things.
The nickname "Tim" has inspired nicknames for other similar cards, such as Rod of Ruin ("Tim on a stick"), Hermetic Study ("Tim on a whim"), Pirate Ship ("Tim on a ship"), Rootwater Hunter ("Tim who can swim", "swim Tim", or "fish Tim"), Thornwind Faeries ("flying Tim"), and Zuran Spellcaster ("Zim" or "icy Tim").
Reprints
Prodigal Sorcerer was reprinted in every Core Set up until Seventh Edition.
Time Spiral
In Time Spiral, it gained the Human racial creature type to complement its creature class.
Planar Chaos replacement
Introduced in Planar Chaos as a red timeshifted version of Prodigal Sorcerer, Prodigal Pyromancer, nicknamed "Tom" for unknown reasons, other than "Tom" was the design file name,[1] was thought to be more appropriate given the understanding of the color pie then.
Prodigal Pyromancer was later reprinted in Tenth Edition, thus cementing R&D's position on damage-dealing creatures in red, not blue. It also featured in Magic 2010 and Magic 2011.
Story appearances
Prodigal Sorcerer represents a character archetype rather than a specific character. Nonetheless, it has inspired several works about inexperienced mages:
- The Prodigal Sorcerer (1996) by Mark Sumner features Alligarius Timni of the Institute of Arcane Study, whose surname references the card's nickname and whose story matches its flavor text. A young Institute wizard named Kitrin also appears.
- "The Prodigal Sorcerers" (2016) by Mark Price on Magic Story centers on Kellan Boldt, a young wizard bound for the Tolarian Academy before a life-changing crisis under the mentorship of elder Academy graduate Enthril. The art layout implies each wizard is a different iteration of the Prodigal Sorcerer archetype, and Enthril's description with a silver beard and black-and-gold tunic matches the original card art.
In-game references
References
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe (February 2, 2007). "Tom-Shifted: Red Tim finally exists!". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.