- This article is about the Retort called "Famous". For the Wizard attribute reflecting legendary accomplishments, see Fame.
Famous is one of the 18 different Retorts available for customizing and empowering Wizards in Master of Magic. A Famous Wizard begins the game with 
10 Fame points (as opposed to 0 without this Retort). Additionally, the chance of Heros, Mercenaries and Item Merchants approaching the Wizard each turn is doubled. This Retort costs 2 picks.
Description[]
Famous is one of the basic Retorts available in Master of Magic. Any Wizard possessing this Retort receives two special benefits that will positively affect them for the duration of the game.
Firstly, the Famous Wizard begins their campaign with 10 points of Fame. This translates into a higher probability of Heroes, Mercenaries and Item Merchants appearing on their doorstep at the start of each turn. Furthermore, it will reduce the total Upkeep Costs they pay for all of their units by 
10. This bonus is not permanent: the Wizard may lose the 10 Fame points if they are careless, ending up with 0 points like any other Wizard. It is simply a head start. Wizards without this Retort start their campaign with 0.
The second benefit is another sharp increase in the probability of Heroes, Mercenaries and Item Merchants appearing at the start of each turn, regardless of the wizard's Fame score. These overtures will occur twice as often with the Famous Retort as without it— up to the global maximum probability of 10 percent, per turn, for each. This gives the Famous Wizard an even greater chance of acquiring the exact units and items they want. However, there is never a guarantee as to what units and items will be offered each time.
Mercenaries of the special races (Beastmen, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Draconians, and Trolls) will only approach wizards which have contact with Myrror, i.e. in control of a tower, owning a city on Myrror, or possessing an Astral Gate. Likewise, only normal races will petition for hire if wizard has contact with Arcanus.
A Famous Wizard may prefer to build up large reserves of Gold in order to be able to recruit or purchase the assets offered to them as often as possible. They will need to learn to make use of a variety of units that may or may not always be suitable for their strategies at any given time - but they do offer a good way of suddenly bolstering a Wizard's capabilities and surprising their enemies. The reduction in Upkeep Costs for a Wizard's Normal Units and Heroes will help ensure that they have plenty of Gold left to keep recruiting more units and expanding their army.
When creating a new Wizard, the Famous Retort consumes 2 picks. It has no prerequisites.
