Pages from the Mages

Pages from the Mages is a supplement which features spells for the Forgotten Realms campaign, collected in a format that presents several spellbooks found in the campaign world, and details the histories of each of these spellbooks within the setting, as well as the backgrounds of the characters who created them and provides clues as to where in the world characters may now find the spellbooks.^[1] Most of the spellbooks contain spells commonly known in the game, and those spells detailed in this supplement are mostly unique spells, with many of them named after the characters who created them, and many of these spellbooks have long been prized by characters in the setting.^[1] The supplement also contains a few priest spells, instructions for characters to create a number of magic items, and statistics for new monsters.^[1]

Pages from the Mages was the 8th prestige-format "FOR" (Forgotten Realms) sourcebook published between 1990 and 1995, however, it did not have a module code and it was the first in the series that did not have the traditional black-bordered gloss-on-matte cover.^[2] Pages from the Mages is a soft-bound book that was published by TSR.^[1] It was designed by Ed Greenwood and Tim Beach, and was published in 1995. The cover design was by Renee Ciske, black and white art by Valerie Valusek and interior four color art by Ned Dameron and Erik Olson.

The content of the book originated in Dragon magazine — Greenwood had been intrigued by named spells "because, he has stated, they made him wonder about their origins: why they'd been created, who their creator was, and how they'd gained their name. He knew the meta-game reason, of course: They matched Jack Vance's naming convention for spells. However, he wanted to know more about their in-game history. This led Greenwood to write 'Pages from the Mages' for Dragon #62 (June 1982). It described four spellbooks, including notes on their appearance and their history. Greenwood purposefully revealed mysterious lore within these histories that would lead players to glimpse a larger world. [...] All told, everything about the books was detailed, so that a GM could pick one up and drop it straight into a dungeon".^[2] Greenwood wrote "a total of five articles running through Dragon #100 (August 1985)" with several encore articles in Dragon #164 (December 1990) and Dragon #181 (May 1992).^[2] Then in the 1990s, Beach took on TSR's project of turning the series of articles and additional work Greenwood had done for The Magister (1988) into a new book for the 2nd Edition. This included converting spells and other mechanics to work in the newer edition.^[2] "Greenwood wasn't aware of the Pages from the Mages book until shortly before it was published, at which time he was asked to write the introduction".^[2]