sage
/sāj/
noun
- One venerated for experience, judgment, and wisdom.
- Any of various plants of the genus Salvia of the mint family, especially S. officinalis, having aromatic grayish-green leaves.
- The leaves of S. officinalis used as a seasoning.
someone who has attained the wisdom which a philosopher seeks
Why is everyone asking if my child is sage?
What is a sage?
Videos
Could I get a clarification on what it means for a child to be sage? My husband is French, his sister is currently visiting us in Canada and there have been a lot of video calls to show family in France our baby boy. I understand maybe 50% of french conversation between native speakers, and one word I keep catching is sage. Everyone is asking if he is sage and how he sleeps... I've translated it and just get wise/wisdom. Which doesn't really make sense to me? I would never ask if a baby was wise, or describe them as such... My husband doesn't know ab equivalent word in English. Am I missing a meaning of this word or do French people associate babies with wisdom?
Just curious about the idea of sages. I've never really known how to use them, because I don't really known how to portray them. I can't recall ever seeing any rules beyond rolling for a sage's area of expertise. In your mind or campaign, what is a sage?
Is a sage just another term for a wizard? Or a retired wizard?
Is a sage a particular type of wizard, perhaps one who focuses on spells that are useful for gathering and accessing knowledge and has never gone adventuring?
Or is a sage a non-wizard who is just a professorial type who just studies history, law, religion, and arcana in general?
Or something else?
EDIT: I know what the dictionary definition of a sage is, people.
1e DMG, p 32, says a sage is a magic-user, illusionist, cleric, or druid of 3rd to 6th level in addition to having an area of expertise and being an encyclopedia.
2e DMG, p 107, says sages are experts in a single field. Nothing about being a spellcaster, but some are alchemists and can brew poison and acid.
5e allows characters to have sage as a background. That doesn't make sense to me.
I think I'll go with 1e, but I'm still interested in a better specific concept. I think I'll make them wizards or clerics who decided they liked research better than magic and devote themselves to knowledge in general but particularly in a favored area. Other spellcasters regard them as weird nerds but nevertheless sometimes consult them.