Presto

Presto the Magician, also called Preston, was a wizard and an adventurer from Earth and the Realm. He was a companion of the monk Diana, the barbarian Bobby, the fighter Eric, the ranger Hank, and the rogue Sheila.

Description
Presto was a budding adventurer with an aptitude for casting spells with a magical hat. He wore glasses and a long green robe, and had tatty auburn hair. Presto had a golden sash around his waist that fastened his robe and held a couple of pouches.

Personality
Though intelligent, Presto had low self esteem. This caused him to become nervous, especially when casting magic or trying out something new.

Abilities
Being a competent wizard Presto could cast spells such as ice storm and wall of fire.

Possessions
His most well-known possession was the Hat of Many Spells, which generated random effects when used. It could be used to summon items and empower spells.

Preston carried a significant amount of magical equipment, such as a wand of magic missiles and several potions. His gear was mostly magical. He wore a cloak of resistance, a headband of intellect, and a ring of protection.

History
Presto was from Earth, but later became trapped in the Realm. He and his companions tried to get home to Earth, but constantly found themselves in trouble, particularly with Tiamat.

The Victims of Tiamat
Living long before the mid-to-late 14 century DR, he was among a band of young adventurers who were all trying to find a way back to their distant home. However, it was said they were all slain horribly by Tiamat. By 1369 DR, the Adventurer Mart in Athkatla, Amn, displayed paintings of his two friends, the ranger and the barbarian, together with his miniature unicorn.

The Grand Tour of the Realms
In the 1360s DR, Presto and his friends made their way to the town of Shadowdale in Faerûn so that Presto could ask the great sage Elminster to take him on as an apprentice. While drinking in the Old Skull Inn, they spotted Elminster, but Presto was hesitant until his friends cajoled and taunted him into approaching the mage. He did, then lost his nerve, but his friends stood beside him to declare his suitability. So Elminster decided to take Presto with him on his "evening rounds" where he checked on various ongoing matters around Faerûn.

Thus, Elminster whisked Presto away on a whirlwind tour of the Realms, teleporting the two of them from place to place and teaching him much of the history, society, and geography of Faerûn, and a lot of practice advice besides. First, in the Desertsmouth Mountains, they overlooked a battle between the Ebon Dream orcs and the Iron Banner barbarians, but Elminster's goal was to show Presto some Netherese ruins in a cavern. Here, Presto picked up a glowing green gem and they were surprised by a sharn, before Elminster teleported them out of there. Now in Cormyr, they visited a private club for mages, called War Wizard and met travelogue writer Volothamp Geddarm.

Ultimately, Presto came back traumatized and beaten and decided it best not to be his apprentice. Nevertheless, Presto had ideas for future adventures with his friends.

Now he was older, he was tall and slender. Presto had grown wispy facial hair in the shape of a goatee. He wore green robes trimmed in a blue-and-white pattern and a pointed brown hat.

Background
First appearing in the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series of 1983–1985, the characters Hank, Eric, Diana, Presto, Sheila, and Bobby were teenagers from Earth who were transported to a place called 'the Realm'—which is not in any way, shape, or form related to the Forgotten Realms setting or the world of Toril. Despite this, since the end of that series, they have made no less than four cameo appearances in Forgotten Realms sources, before having a comic series of their own set in the Realms (plural), Saturday Morning Adventures, which mistakenly calls the Realm 'the Forgotten Realms' and assumes it to be on Toril.

As such, their five appearances in the Realms (plural) are contradictory and spread over more than a century of time, with them having different apparent ages and, in one case, being killed before they live. Short of a storyline involving cloning and/or time travel, these are difficult to reconcile. In any case, for completeness, each appearance is included here.

However, to maintain focus on the Realms (plural) and avoid further confusion, only information from Forgotten Realms sources is included here and the Realm is considered not to be a part of the Realms.