- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
Welcome to
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Ah, greetings young adventurer! Welcome to the mythical and magical world of Sarris, where fantasy comes to life! I am Gandarf, high wizard for the White Council of Ferri! Inside of this realm you will encounter dungeons, dragons, swords, sorcery, nunchuck-wielding dwarves, an-"
"Eric!! Come down for dinner, honey!"
"U-Um... U-Uh... Five minutes, Mom! I'm talking to my friends. School stuff!"
"Alright, just don't take too long or else your meatloaf will get cold!"
*ahem*
"Pardon me, adventurers. The high priestess was calling me for an important meeting, so I shall go AFK for but a moment. But, I'm going to explain this realm to you as verily as possible. The land of Sarris was created by beings known as the Antecedent's. To this very day, nobody is quite sure what they look like, but the legendary Tome of Jre recovered from the Tomb of Jre (who was a famous hero from the times when the Antecedent still lived) describes the entities in entirely different ways. Some are comprised of rock and metal, some are ethereal beings that can only be seen in the dark of night, and some were just simply men and women ((humans)) who were able to perform incredible feats.
But enough on that, we shall come back to it soon enough adventurers! Now, the reason I have called you here today is because I require your assistance! In the Castle of Dæ, which lies on the furthest reaches of Sarris which we refer to as the 'Forbidden Valley', there is an evil prince, Arodius, who, in life, had slaughtered his father to gain the throne. But when his treachery was discovered by his brother, Tirodius, the evil prince was sentenced to death and his young brother ascended the throne. That kingdom has long since been abandoned, left behind by King Tirodius and his people so they could build the new kingdom of Thrain, which serves as the central hub of Sarris. But now, a fell wind covers that ancient kingdom, preventing any from witnessing the horrors kept inside its cold, obsidian walls.
It has been said that the evil prince Arodius has returned to this world by some type of necromancy, brought back from death for a sinister purpose. Nobody is completely sure, but it has been said that Arodius is now some kind of a Litch, cursed with the powers of a dark sorcerer, presumably the Necromancer that resurrected him. Now, he spends his time roaming the ruined tower, raising the dead and charging them with the aura of the dark ether to create an indestructible army. Most believe it to be just a rumour, but I say it is the truth! I will not ask anything of you just yet, but I shall keep a close eye on the horizon, watching to see if the evil prince has indeed returned.
For now, we must focus on the development of your guild! As you're well aware, the world of Sarris is covered with small groups of adventurers known as Guild's. They accept quests and tasks from all over the realm and, presumably, accomplish them for profit and fame. Your guild, unfortunately, is one of the lesser known ones, despite your efforts to become known. But fear not! I promise that if you work hard and set out on many more quests, you will become the most famous guild in all of Sarris!
Go, my adventurers, go! Flee towards the horizon and seek out the welfare of all who dwell in Sarris... Unless you chose to act as a cruel guild that does nothing but destroy, in which case I hope you all perish as soon as possible.
Fare thee well, adventurers! And good luck (unless ye be vile!)"
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...
Okay, I should explain some stuff before we move on:
• The world of Sarris is a virtual-world based in a popular VRMMORPG video game called "Epic". The game follows a fantasy/medieval plot starring you (an adventurer) as the games protagonist, but you have the potential to be a hero, neutral or a villain as you level up, based on your choices and how you advance through the story a-la Fable style.
• To access the game, you need a specialized VR Helmet known as the "N.A.V.I", which stands for "Neurological Application for Virtual Interaction" (and aptly named after the creators favourite video game sidekick). It must be plugged into a special cord that connects directly to the Internet and forces the user to enter a controlled comatose state, where they can enter/leave the game at any time via the in-game control console they can bring up at any time. Knowing the risks of playing for too long, the N.A.V.I has a built-in auto-ejector that activates every 9 hours, forcing anyone who plays for extensive periods of time to get up and go out. It also had built in 'body' sensors that monitor a person's brain to determine what their real body requires (a sandwich, a trip to the toilet, or even daily exercise). Of course, people have been injured and sent to the hospital because they refused to leave when the equipment tried to convince them otherwise, but the company, 'N.A.V.I Tech', has avoided legal actions because of a patent the customers sign and the fact they had installed the sensors and ejector long before public release. But, they decided it was best to create an updated version that locks after the standard 9 hours of activity, giving the player 4 hours to eat, nap, go for a run, or even visit the bathroom before returning to the now unlocked-system. The helmet also has a built-in sensor module that literately creates a 3D scan of a person's body and puts it into the game (forcing the player to literately play as their 'virtual self'. Although character customization is allowed, anyone can see through the in-game models if they choose to see who's really with them. This helps the developers catch/identify predators and other folks who aren't so friendly to the gaming community. However, the game won't allow you to play a character of the opposite sex, regardless of your customization. Only special members of the community have access to that option).
• While there is the main storyline of the game (become a hero/become a villain) which is also proceeded by a list of other activities that are common in MMO's (PvP arenas, FFA arenas, timed races for people with mounts, DLC packs, Raids, etc), one of the key elements in the game is the Guild system. The system encourages players not only to join up in groups to try and socialize, but also to participate in special events like guild raids or boss encounters. However, there is also a competitive ranking system involved, where Guilds become more recognized by NPC's (and the gaming community) by accomplishing Guild-only quests, defeating bosses, discovering new areas of the map/hidden areas, and winning in tournaments and either acting as the Heroes of Sarris (which lands you on the "Champions" board), or the Villains of Sarris (which lands you on the "Most Wanted" list). You can also gain reputation by defeating other Guilds (Heroic Guilds can hunt Wanted Guilds for money/EXP, and vice versa. You can also challenge them to timed raids, boss battles, races, and more). Depending on the deeds you and members of your Guild do in Sarris, your score will increase or decrease accordingly (stealing will decrease your Champion score, but it will increase your Wanted score). If you and your Guild manage to achieve the highest rank, then you will be given access to special content. Rumours range from the content being unlimited money, the best items in the game, instantly achieving the level cap with all the perks, and even being able to access the developers console to manipulate the game at will. None of these have been confirmed, but you can't help but wonder...
• While I didn't clearly say the idea in the post above, this RP will involve something going horribly wrong in the game, forcing our Guild to go and save the virtual world (and perhaps the real one). But I won't say what the issue is just yet, you'll have to wait and see :3
Alright, so I was thinking that this idea would become an epic-adventure RP similar to Lord of the Rings/WoW, in the regard that we basically venture around a fantasy world trying to survive in a world where magic and monsters exist. We could be here for different reasons: some would just want to play the game for the reward of being a gamer, some are here to roleplay inside of a fully immersive world, and some are here just to pass the time in-between a busy schedule. We would all be members of the Guild of (name coming soon), so we'd probably know each other/know of one another before the RP begins. But we can do the first encounter as well, if you'd like.
I kind of imagined this to have the same kind of feeling behind it as Guardians of the Galaxy or the Guild, where it involves a group of outcasts/"losers" (thanks, Starlord!) who all band together to achieve a common goal (probably getting the #1 spot on a Guild ranking board, but we can play around with that)
Similar to my "Intergalactic Life" RP, this roleplay will be a little more fun than a typical fantasy adventure. While we run around the world doing all of the serious McGuffins and acting like this, there's enough jokes and playful comments to make it have moments of this.
Now, I love Fantasy and pretty much anything involving it, so I'm willing to make this almost a multi-universal thing, where elements from our favourite franchises are included (ex. Claiming that the burning embers you can conjure will inevitably purge something, Magical rings that grant the wearer a special ability, long and drawn out scenes arguing about who's going to run the kingdom and sit upon a rather uncomfortable looking throne made from weapons, shouting in a different language and causing stuff to go nuts, and of course, hearing this when you open a treasure chest).
I will be taking the role of the Guild's resident bard/knight, just so everybody knows. It would be best to grab a job/role before we start (ex. Paladin, Warrior, Bard, Mage, Wizard), and I'll provide an extensive list at the bottom of this post for you to pick stuff from. I'll let you guys pick two classes if you want, (one superior class, and one more inferior) based on what you feel like doing.
I do, however, want you to say if you're going to be something other than a human being because I would honestly prefer a varied cast (like a lot of Fantasy team-ups) with only one or two humans tossed into the mix (for example, the Fellowship of the Ring had three humans, a dwarf, and elf, and four hobbits). I will allow the option of 1-2 humans (to start).
Also, if you have any specific ideas for species you'd like to play and whatnot (ex. Orc, Dark Elf, Golem), just ask away and I'll let you know if it's alright! We'll probably keep the cut-off number at 6-10 people to start (including me), so that way we can expand the Guild as the story goes on.
Anywho, here's the big and rather extensive post about classes and stuff, so enjoy :3
The Fighter Classes: Other Names: Warrior, Soldier. In any game with classes, one of them will always map to the Fighter. The Fighter is the tank of a group and the most basic and broad class, usually recommended for beginners. The fighter is basically, the strong guy with heavy armor, a large melee weapon, and possibly a shield or second melee weapon. Compared to the other classes, Fighters tend to be powerful but slow. Variations include:
The Barbarian: Other Names: Berserker. The Barbarian is a breed of Fighter focused more on damage than defense. Note that in systems where Barbarians have normal or greater than normal physical defense compared to other warriors, such as D&D, they will usually have no defense whatsoever against magic. Often characterized by wearing less armor, being less civilized, and being able to fly into a berserker rage that increases damage output or allow them to do more damage based on how hurt they are.
The Knight: Other Names: Cavalier. The Knight is often depicted as a more experienced Fighter. He typically wears better armor, and may be more defensive, as well as being able to employ mounted combat on a steed. In a Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My! Depending on the setting, he may be a horse himself.
The Swashbuckler: A fighter who tends toward light or no armor and prefers agility, cunning, daring and technical skill to sheer force. Tends to be rogue-like in his or her trappings (though usually more flamboyant than subtle) and is often used to evoke the Rogue archetype in games where skills and stealth play a small or no role. A likely default class for The Hero, especially in JRPGs and adventure novels after Alexandre Dumas.
The Paladin: Other Names: Crusader, Templar, Inquisitornote . The Paladin is a Fighter with a side of Healer, using White Magic to be more defensive; their devotion to their God or Deity gives them various prayers, healing abilities and spells that protect themselves and others. Naturally, they tend to fall under Magic Knight. They are also quite good at laying the smite down on undead, demons and other evil supernatural creatures. However, they may have behavioral limits: some rulesets impose varying penalties on taking actions that stray too far from Lawful Good, which can lead to weakening of abilities, loss of abilities or sometimes even being kicked out of the "Paladin" class entirely.
The Samurai: Other Names: Yojimbo, Kensai, Weapon Master, Blademaster, Axemaster, Macemaster, Flailmaster Spearmas- you get the idea. Samurai wear less armor than regular Fighters, which leads them with less defensive abilities. In general, they commonly have access to Ki Attacks, higher damage, and higher speed and mobility. Generally restricted to Asian settings. Because Yojimbo are mercenaries, they may be literally able to spend money to deal more damage.
Warlord: Other Names: General, Tactician, Marshal, Commander. The Warlord is a tactical master. He can hold his own in frontline combat as well as giving out buffs to his underlings and allies, usually by commanding them to superior positions than the ones they would have thought of on their own, and he may have protective auras made of his own charisma to increase a team's effectiveness in battle.
Hero: This is the class generally used by RPG protagonists. Although they are definitely a physical class, and sometimes referred to by one of the names of the classes above, they aren't a Mighty Glacier or Stone Wall; in fact, they're much closer to being the Jack of All Stats/Trades. They may gain some magic, and will almost certainly have unique skills. Almost always uses a sword, and possibly a shield.
The Magician Classes: Other Names: Mage, Wizard, Sorcerer, Witch, Warlock, Magi, Magus, Sage, Magician. By whatever name you know this class by, you know this class. In any game with classes, there will always be one that maps to the Magician. These have the widest variety of any set of role-playing classes simply because there are so many varieties of Functional Magic. In a Fantasy Kitchen Sink setting, there can potentially be an infinite number of magic users, so long as there is justification for considering them each their own type. A Magician is usually a Glass Cannon, blasting away at long range, but easily taken down at close range. Variations include:
The Inherent Gift Magician: Other Names: Sorcerer. This magic-user was born with abilities they don't need to study, and can use more readily than other magicians. This is sometimes explained as being descended from a magical creature, other times as being part of a Witch Species. However, they are often much less versatile than other magic-users, being limited to a smaller or much more tightly-themed pool of spells. Commonly, their powers manifest at adolescence.
The Theurgist Magician: Other Names: Warlock. The Magician makes a pact with a higher spirit (although not usually a god since those tend to be distinct in fantasy settings), who supplies him with magical powers. This is usually flavored with a Deal with the Devil. While healing class pacts are seen as good, a magician that makes a pact with an entity that gives them the power to harm or destroy is usually flavored in a darker light - and it may turn out to be with demons or Eldritch Abominations. Thus, this type of magic is usually heavily offensive and nasty.
The Vancian Magician: Other Names: Wizard, among many others. These casters rely on Rule Magic and study to learn and wield magic, usually taking years, leaving their bodies squishy and out of shape... most of the time. Dusty tomes and candlelit towers are what you should associate with these guys. If there's a distinction between this and the Inherent Gift Magician, it will be that these ones have some kind of limitation — like needing to prepare which spells they'll use ahead of time — in exchange for more versatility if prepared.
The Red Mage: A magician who does not specialize in one school or tradition and studies the magic of various types. They tend to be rare, and depending on which limitations they have, may be very powerful thanks to their versatility or very weak thanks to their lack of focus. Of all the kinds of magician, they tend to be the most open minded and least prone to think there are Un Equal Rites.
The Blue Mage: Other Names: Mime, Mimic. A magician who does not usually rely on standard spells, but instead learns various spells and special abilities from monsters encountered in travel. Often they will need to see the spell or special ability in action, or cast their own unique spell to 'absorb' the ability. Traditionally will develop to be as diverse as the Red Mage, except with unique monster-like abilities to supplement them.
The Illusionist Magician: A magic-user who casts illusions. Generally considered weak, with no real damage output, and has been phased out of most settings - their abilities are generally given to characters with Psychic powers and Bards.
The Nature Magician: Wields power over the natural world, often including elements, animals, and plants.
The Elemental Magician: A specialized Magician who can only use Elemental Powers in some way. They may be able to use all the elements, or may specialize in one or two. Often, they are the key to winning Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors in their setting.
The Druid Magician: A jack of all trades nature magician. They often have a mix of elemental offense, healing, and the ability to morph into animals or elemental spirits to become melee fighters. To further the overlap with the Cleric classes, is often a worshiper of nature.
The Shamanic Magician: A nature magician with a Summoner twist. This class generally revolves around bargaining with spirits and building a Place of Power for yourself. (Although since a story about someone who stays in the same place is likely to get boring, this place may become more or less mobile in practice.)
The Elemental Magician: Usually a subtype of the above, This class(variant) is characterized by an almost exclusive focus on a particular Classical Element. Air, Earth, Fire, or Water, and/or derivatives thereof (Lightning, Plants, Ice, etc...). This can be inborn, a pact/link with an Elemental Embodiment as opposed to a demon, or simply their personal preference.
The Rogue Classes: Other Names: See below. Rogues are usually dexterous thieves or treasure-hunters who are experts in stealth, infiltration, lockpicking, traps and the disarming thereof, sneak attacks, and attacking from the rear. In almost any game with classes, there will be at least one that maps to the Rogue. They are often lumped in with Ranger-type characters, but more commonly specialize in melee - particularly with light blades and daggers. They tend to be quick but fragile, limited to light armor, but deal a lot of damage when allowed to do so. See also The Sneaky Guy. Variations include:
The Thief: The Thief, when it is a separate class, is a version of the Rogue with lower damage, but the ability to steal items from enemies. Sometimes, this can extend even to intangible items, such as experience points, but more commonly includes rare items that cannot be obtained in any other way.
The Assassin: A more offensive-rogue, who sacrifices technical expertise for better stealth and killing abilities. Often have a variety of weakening and poisoning abilities and are able to cripple a foe to leave him open for allies or to let him die from damage over time.
The Gambler: The Gambler is a fairly rare variation more often seen in video games than in pen and paper settings. The Gambler is a rogue who has a set of magical powers that rely more on chance than usual. They may have to draw a card, spin a roulette, roll magical dice, or activate a magical slot machine to get a desired effect which may be positive or negative depending on their luck. Very likely to attack with playing cards in lieu of throwing knives.
The Ninja: Generally, the highest tier of Rogue-type classes. The Ninja is a rogue who may have a long list of useful skills. Stealth and backstabbing are universal, but beyond that, it gets hazy. Invisibility, smoke techniques that increases evasion, long-range elemental powers, and sometimes special bonuses to combat like dual-wielding. They also tend to excel at throwing items like shurikens, daggers, and kunai. Often a Game Breaker. May be combined with the Assassin or distinct.
The Pirate: Other Names: Corsair, Privateer, Swashbuckler. Currently a rare variation of the Rogue, but gaining popularity thanks to memetic mutation. The archetype for pirate hasn't really yet set that hard in stone, but in general, a Pirate will use a combination of weaponry instead of specializing - usually being able to switch freely between pistols and swords.
The Scout: Other Names: The Operative. Another rare variation on the Rogue, the Scout combines high movement rate with superior sensory and information-gathering skills, and often emphasizes stealth as well. Not guaranteed to be as good at combat as other Rogues; may overlap with the Ranger archetype if they are.
The Cleric Classes: A Cleric is usually The Medic — some variation on dedicated healers. Unlike Magician-classes, the Clerics usually draw their powers from either Faith, a god, or some variation of the two. Their magic generally requires them to stick to a certain doctrine to access it, but usually comes with less of a price or chance of backfiring like some Magician classes might experience. Clerics often focus on healing and party buffs, but sometimes they are offensively useful against "unholy" enemies such as demons and undead. Often draw their powers from Crystal Dragon Jesus and may be suspiciously Catholic for a fantasy setting. Cleric-type classes generally have the least amount of variation, simply because healing is so vital and important that distracting a healer generally isn't seen as a good idea. Variations include:
The Priest: Other Names: Healer, White Mage. A squishy dedicated healer with little abilities at offense aside from specific types of enemies, most commonly demonic entities and the undead.
The Battle Priest: A badass, tough warrior, carrying blessed weapons. This version of the Cleric can dish out melee damage and heal. They tend to be closer to Clerics than Paladins, who tend to be closer to Fighters.
The Witch Doctor: A version of the cleric flavored for a more shamanic, nature-worshiping culture as opposed to the generally Monotheistic religion most Cleric-using settings use. May be slightly more magically offensive and overlap with the Shaman (see above).
The Templar: Other Names: Inquisitor. Named after the Knights Templar, the Templar is more of an assassin mixed with a Cleric. The chief role in the story is generally to do the church's dirty work, ferreting out heretics and covering up the great conspiracy. In battle, they may be anything, but tend to be a jack of all trades, weaker than a Paladin, Cleric, or Rogue in their specialties, but able to handle all of their roles to one extent or another.
The Caster: In some settings, the Cleric will be combined with the Magician to create the Caster. The Caster isn't so much The Red Mage as they are the Squishy Wizard; the physically weak magic user. This character is usually female. Story-wise, they will be in the party because no-one else can use magic. This is more common in modern settings, but some medieval works will still use this class for the heroine.
The Ranger Classes: Other Names: Hunter. Rangers are woodsman skilled at surviving in the wild. They may be lumped in with Fighters or Rogues (above) but more often than not are a separate tree of classes all their own. Archery is generally their favored skill, although most can fall back on swordplay if necessary. Rangers may also be skilled in some form of wilderness or nature magic. They may be very good at fighting a specific type of enemy, and often take on the role of The Hunter against such foes.
The Sniper Ranger: This version is totally reliant on archery, but usually does higher damage because of it. May have a variety of status-inflicting arrows to slow or otherwise annoy enemies. Keeps to the back of a battle.
The Bow and Blade Ranger: A version of the ranger that can handle bladed weapons as well, allowing them to defend themselves against approaching enemies or close in for the kill. The most likely Ranger to overlap with the Fighter archetype.
The Beastmaster Ranger: This class specializes in either taking temporary or permanent control of wild animals, and then allowing their pet to rush to the front lines while they support with healing and long-range attacks.
The Dual Wielding Ranger: The Dual Wielding Ranger most famously represented by the famed Drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, who uses two melee weapons, though it does predate him by quite some time. Very common in Dungeons & Dragons-based material, but less so elsewhere.
The Trapper Ranger: The Trapper is a character who can lay down various traps in an area that the enemy can walk into, making them vulnerable to ambushes or follow-up attacks.
The Magical Ranger: A version of the ranger who can uses enchanted or Trick Arrow to take advantage of Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors, or slow down and disable enemies with "net arrows" or "freezing arrows" and the like.
Rarer Class Archetypes: The following character classes appear often but non consistently, depending on the type of world the author is attempting to create. In general, they are often seen as clashing with science fiction or with a European medieval setting in some way (but so do the Samurai and Ninja, above).
Magic Knight: Other Names: Spellblade, Hexblade, Eldritch Knight, Rune Knight, Red Mage. The Magic Knight is a hybrid Fighter/Magician. The key distinction between different versions of this class is how connected the Fighter and Mage parts are: there is a difference between using a sword and magic, and using your magic to improve your sword/fighting abilities. Usually, they tend to be worse at fighting than Fighters and magic than Mages, but that's the price of versatility.
The Bard: The Bard is a class specializing in music. Perhaps understandably, they're butt of a lot of jokes in fantasy settings, however, depending on the game, they may be useful. Bardic songs are generally useful for buffing allies, weakening enemies, status effects, and occasionally damage, and of all the classes, Bards are the most likely to be good at diplomacy with [NPCs]. Most of the time, they act as the Jack of All Trades and can be proficient in nearly any field (but never quite as good as the class trained to do the job)
The Dancer: A rare variation of the Bard, who tend to get the same jokes made, but for dancing instead of music. They tend to do the same things as Bards, too, so perhaps they deserve it. A variant is The Whirling Dervish, who looks to the casual observer like an ordinary dancer but is actually a spinning buzz-saw of slice-and-dice death; she'll give new meaning to Aram Khachaturian's Sabre Dance and have way too much fun doing it.
The Monk: Other Names: Black Belt, Martial Artist, Mystic. The Monk is partway between the Fighter and the Rogue... kind of. They are usually bare-fisted warriors who either eschew weapons entirely or use only martial artsy weapons like nunchucks and staves. They are often Glass Cannons, or if the Knight is a Glass Cannon, they'll be Mighty Glaciers. They often have access to some sort of Ki Attacks and build up attacks. Self-sufficiency is what sets them apart from classes relying on fragile magics, higher powers or expensive items.
The Alchemist: Other Names: Chemist. An Alchemist combines items, magic or otherwise, to create potions or bombs to use in battle, often mixing them together during battle. Oddly enough, of all of the classes, they're the ones most likely to be good at throwing things, partly because bombs aren't going to deliver themselves to his enemies.
The Barbarian: Other Names: Berserker. The Barbarian is a breed of Fighter focused more on damage than defense. Note that in systems where Barbarians have normal or greater than normal physical defense compared to other warriors, such as D&D, they will usually have no defense whatsoever against magic. Often characterized by wearing less armor, being less civilized, and being able to fly into a berserker rage that increases damage output or allow them to do more damage based on how hurt they are.
The Knight: Other Names: Cavalier. The Knight is often depicted as a more experienced Fighter. He typically wears better armor, and may be more defensive, as well as being able to employ mounted combat on a steed. In a Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My! Depending on the setting, he may be a horse himself.
The Swashbuckler: A fighter who tends toward light or no armor and prefers agility, cunning, daring and technical skill to sheer force. Tends to be rogue-like in his or her trappings (though usually more flamboyant than subtle) and is often used to evoke the Rogue archetype in games where skills and stealth play a small or no role. A likely default class for The Hero, especially in JRPGs and adventure novels after Alexandre Dumas.
The Paladin: Other Names: Crusader, Templar, Inquisitornote . The Paladin is a Fighter with a side of Healer, using White Magic to be more defensive; their devotion to their God or Deity gives them various prayers, healing abilities and spells that protect themselves and others. Naturally, they tend to fall under Magic Knight. They are also quite good at laying the smite down on undead, demons and other evil supernatural creatures. However, they may have behavioral limits: some rulesets impose varying penalties on taking actions that stray too far from Lawful Good, which can lead to weakening of abilities, loss of abilities or sometimes even being kicked out of the "Paladin" class entirely.
The Samurai: Other Names: Yojimbo, Kensai, Weapon Master, Blademaster, Axemaster, Macemaster, Flailmaster Spearmas- you get the idea. Samurai wear less armor than regular Fighters, which leads them with less defensive abilities. In general, they commonly have access to Ki Attacks, higher damage, and higher speed and mobility. Generally restricted to Asian settings. Because Yojimbo are mercenaries, they may be literally able to spend money to deal more damage.
Warlord: Other Names: General, Tactician, Marshal, Commander. The Warlord is a tactical master. He can hold his own in frontline combat as well as giving out buffs to his underlings and allies, usually by commanding them to superior positions than the ones they would have thought of on their own, and he may have protective auras made of his own charisma to increase a team's effectiveness in battle.
Hero: This is the class generally used by RPG protagonists. Although they are definitely a physical class, and sometimes referred to by one of the names of the classes above, they aren't a Mighty Glacier or Stone Wall; in fact, they're much closer to being the Jack of All Stats/Trades. They may gain some magic, and will almost certainly have unique skills. Almost always uses a sword, and possibly a shield.
The Magician Classes: Other Names: Mage, Wizard, Sorcerer, Witch, Warlock, Magi, Magus, Sage, Magician. By whatever name you know this class by, you know this class. In any game with classes, there will always be one that maps to the Magician. These have the widest variety of any set of role-playing classes simply because there are so many varieties of Functional Magic. In a Fantasy Kitchen Sink setting, there can potentially be an infinite number of magic users, so long as there is justification for considering them each their own type. A Magician is usually a Glass Cannon, blasting away at long range, but easily taken down at close range. Variations include:
The Inherent Gift Magician: Other Names: Sorcerer. This magic-user was born with abilities they don't need to study, and can use more readily than other magicians. This is sometimes explained as being descended from a magical creature, other times as being part of a Witch Species. However, they are often much less versatile than other magic-users, being limited to a smaller or much more tightly-themed pool of spells. Commonly, their powers manifest at adolescence.
The Theurgist Magician: Other Names: Warlock. The Magician makes a pact with a higher spirit (although not usually a god since those tend to be distinct in fantasy settings), who supplies him with magical powers. This is usually flavored with a Deal with the Devil. While healing class pacts are seen as good, a magician that makes a pact with an entity that gives them the power to harm or destroy is usually flavored in a darker light - and it may turn out to be with demons or Eldritch Abominations. Thus, this type of magic is usually heavily offensive and nasty.
The Vancian Magician: Other Names: Wizard, among many others. These casters rely on Rule Magic and study to learn and wield magic, usually taking years, leaving their bodies squishy and out of shape... most of the time. Dusty tomes and candlelit towers are what you should associate with these guys. If there's a distinction between this and the Inherent Gift Magician, it will be that these ones have some kind of limitation — like needing to prepare which spells they'll use ahead of time — in exchange for more versatility if prepared.
The Red Mage: A magician who does not specialize in one school or tradition and studies the magic of various types. They tend to be rare, and depending on which limitations they have, may be very powerful thanks to their versatility or very weak thanks to their lack of focus. Of all the kinds of magician, they tend to be the most open minded and least prone to think there are Un Equal Rites.
The Blue Mage: Other Names: Mime, Mimic. A magician who does not usually rely on standard spells, but instead learns various spells and special abilities from monsters encountered in travel. Often they will need to see the spell or special ability in action, or cast their own unique spell to 'absorb' the ability. Traditionally will develop to be as diverse as the Red Mage, except with unique monster-like abilities to supplement them.
The Illusionist Magician: A magic-user who casts illusions. Generally considered weak, with no real damage output, and has been phased out of most settings - their abilities are generally given to characters with Psychic powers and Bards.
The Nature Magician: Wields power over the natural world, often including elements, animals, and plants.
The Elemental Magician: A specialized Magician who can only use Elemental Powers in some way. They may be able to use all the elements, or may specialize in one or two. Often, they are the key to winning Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors in their setting.
The Druid Magician: A jack of all trades nature magician. They often have a mix of elemental offense, healing, and the ability to morph into animals or elemental spirits to become melee fighters. To further the overlap with the Cleric classes, is often a worshiper of nature.
The Shamanic Magician: A nature magician with a Summoner twist. This class generally revolves around bargaining with spirits and building a Place of Power for yourself. (Although since a story about someone who stays in the same place is likely to get boring, this place may become more or less mobile in practice.)
The Elemental Magician: Usually a subtype of the above, This class(variant) is characterized by an almost exclusive focus on a particular Classical Element. Air, Earth, Fire, or Water, and/or derivatives thereof (Lightning, Plants, Ice, etc...). This can be inborn, a pact/link with an Elemental Embodiment as opposed to a demon, or simply their personal preference.
The Rogue Classes: Other Names: See below. Rogues are usually dexterous thieves or treasure-hunters who are experts in stealth, infiltration, lockpicking, traps and the disarming thereof, sneak attacks, and attacking from the rear. In almost any game with classes, there will be at least one that maps to the Rogue. They are often lumped in with Ranger-type characters, but more commonly specialize in melee - particularly with light blades and daggers. They tend to be quick but fragile, limited to light armor, but deal a lot of damage when allowed to do so. See also The Sneaky Guy. Variations include:
The Thief: The Thief, when it is a separate class, is a version of the Rogue with lower damage, but the ability to steal items from enemies. Sometimes, this can extend even to intangible items, such as experience points, but more commonly includes rare items that cannot be obtained in any other way.
The Assassin: A more offensive-rogue, who sacrifices technical expertise for better stealth and killing abilities. Often have a variety of weakening and poisoning abilities and are able to cripple a foe to leave him open for allies or to let him die from damage over time.
The Gambler: The Gambler is a fairly rare variation more often seen in video games than in pen and paper settings. The Gambler is a rogue who has a set of magical powers that rely more on chance than usual. They may have to draw a card, spin a roulette, roll magical dice, or activate a magical slot machine to get a desired effect which may be positive or negative depending on their luck. Very likely to attack with playing cards in lieu of throwing knives.
The Ninja: Generally, the highest tier of Rogue-type classes. The Ninja is a rogue who may have a long list of useful skills. Stealth and backstabbing are universal, but beyond that, it gets hazy. Invisibility, smoke techniques that increases evasion, long-range elemental powers, and sometimes special bonuses to combat like dual-wielding. They also tend to excel at throwing items like shurikens, daggers, and kunai. Often a Game Breaker. May be combined with the Assassin or distinct.
The Pirate: Other Names: Corsair, Privateer, Swashbuckler. Currently a rare variation of the Rogue, but gaining popularity thanks to memetic mutation. The archetype for pirate hasn't really yet set that hard in stone, but in general, a Pirate will use a combination of weaponry instead of specializing - usually being able to switch freely between pistols and swords.
The Scout: Other Names: The Operative. Another rare variation on the Rogue, the Scout combines high movement rate with superior sensory and information-gathering skills, and often emphasizes stealth as well. Not guaranteed to be as good at combat as other Rogues; may overlap with the Ranger archetype if they are.
The Cleric Classes: A Cleric is usually The Medic — some variation on dedicated healers. Unlike Magician-classes, the Clerics usually draw their powers from either Faith, a god, or some variation of the two. Their magic generally requires them to stick to a certain doctrine to access it, but usually comes with less of a price or chance of backfiring like some Magician classes might experience. Clerics often focus on healing and party buffs, but sometimes they are offensively useful against "unholy" enemies such as demons and undead. Often draw their powers from Crystal Dragon Jesus and may be suspiciously Catholic for a fantasy setting. Cleric-type classes generally have the least amount of variation, simply because healing is so vital and important that distracting a healer generally isn't seen as a good idea. Variations include:
The Priest: Other Names: Healer, White Mage. A squishy dedicated healer with little abilities at offense aside from specific types of enemies, most commonly demonic entities and the undead.
The Battle Priest: A badass, tough warrior, carrying blessed weapons. This version of the Cleric can dish out melee damage and heal. They tend to be closer to Clerics than Paladins, who tend to be closer to Fighters.
The Witch Doctor: A version of the cleric flavored for a more shamanic, nature-worshiping culture as opposed to the generally Monotheistic religion most Cleric-using settings use. May be slightly more magically offensive and overlap with the Shaman (see above).
The Templar: Other Names: Inquisitor. Named after the Knights Templar, the Templar is more of an assassin mixed with a Cleric. The chief role in the story is generally to do the church's dirty work, ferreting out heretics and covering up the great conspiracy. In battle, they may be anything, but tend to be a jack of all trades, weaker than a Paladin, Cleric, or Rogue in their specialties, but able to handle all of their roles to one extent or another.
The Caster: In some settings, the Cleric will be combined with the Magician to create the Caster. The Caster isn't so much The Red Mage as they are the Squishy Wizard; the physically weak magic user. This character is usually female. Story-wise, they will be in the party because no-one else can use magic. This is more common in modern settings, but some medieval works will still use this class for the heroine.
The Ranger Classes: Other Names: Hunter. Rangers are woodsman skilled at surviving in the wild. They may be lumped in with Fighters or Rogues (above) but more often than not are a separate tree of classes all their own. Archery is generally their favored skill, although most can fall back on swordplay if necessary. Rangers may also be skilled in some form of wilderness or nature magic. They may be very good at fighting a specific type of enemy, and often take on the role of The Hunter against such foes.
The Sniper Ranger: This version is totally reliant on archery, but usually does higher damage because of it. May have a variety of status-inflicting arrows to slow or otherwise annoy enemies. Keeps to the back of a battle.
The Bow and Blade Ranger: A version of the ranger that can handle bladed weapons as well, allowing them to defend themselves against approaching enemies or close in for the kill. The most likely Ranger to overlap with the Fighter archetype.
The Beastmaster Ranger: This class specializes in either taking temporary or permanent control of wild animals, and then allowing their pet to rush to the front lines while they support with healing and long-range attacks.
The Dual Wielding Ranger: The Dual Wielding Ranger most famously represented by the famed Drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, who uses two melee weapons, though it does predate him by quite some time. Very common in Dungeons & Dragons-based material, but less so elsewhere.
The Trapper Ranger: The Trapper is a character who can lay down various traps in an area that the enemy can walk into, making them vulnerable to ambushes or follow-up attacks.
The Magical Ranger: A version of the ranger who can uses enchanted or Trick Arrow to take advantage of Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors, or slow down and disable enemies with "net arrows" or "freezing arrows" and the like.
Rarer Class Archetypes: The following character classes appear often but non consistently, depending on the type of world the author is attempting to create. In general, they are often seen as clashing with science fiction or with a European medieval setting in some way (but so do the Samurai and Ninja, above).
Magic Knight: Other Names: Spellblade, Hexblade, Eldritch Knight, Rune Knight, Red Mage. The Magic Knight is a hybrid Fighter/Magician. The key distinction between different versions of this class is how connected the Fighter and Mage parts are: there is a difference between using a sword and magic, and using your magic to improve your sword/fighting abilities. Usually, they tend to be worse at fighting than Fighters and magic than Mages, but that's the price of versatility.
The Bard: The Bard is a class specializing in music. Perhaps understandably, they're butt of a lot of jokes in fantasy settings, however, depending on the game, they may be useful. Bardic songs are generally useful for buffing allies, weakening enemies, status effects, and occasionally damage, and of all the classes, Bards are the most likely to be good at diplomacy with [NPCs]. Most of the time, they act as the Jack of All Trades and can be proficient in nearly any field (but never quite as good as the class trained to do the job)
The Dancer: A rare variation of the Bard, who tend to get the same jokes made, but for dancing instead of music. They tend to do the same things as Bards, too, so perhaps they deserve it. A variant is The Whirling Dervish, who looks to the casual observer like an ordinary dancer but is actually a spinning buzz-saw of slice-and-dice death; she'll give new meaning to Aram Khachaturian's Sabre Dance and have way too much fun doing it.
The Monk: Other Names: Black Belt, Martial Artist, Mystic. The Monk is partway between the Fighter and the Rogue... kind of. They are usually bare-fisted warriors who either eschew weapons entirely or use only martial artsy weapons like nunchucks and staves. They are often Glass Cannons, or if the Knight is a Glass Cannon, they'll be Mighty Glaciers. They often have access to some sort of Ki Attacks and build up attacks. Self-sufficiency is what sets them apart from classes relying on fragile magics, higher powers or expensive items.
The Alchemist: Other Names: Chemist. An Alchemist combines items, magic or otherwise, to create potions or bombs to use in battle, often mixing them together during battle. Oddly enough, of all of the classes, they're the ones most likely to be good at throwing things, partly because bombs aren't going to deliver themselves to his enemies.
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