The Magic of Magicbuilding: Tails of Adventure

Welcome to the Magic of Magicbuilding, our little spinoff feature that focuses specifically on building a magical system for a fantasy setting.  This week, we'll wrap up our look at magical adventurers by figuring out who would become an adventurer and why.

What We Have So Far

We tend not to drag too much of our work from Worldbuilding Wednesdays into these posts, in an effort to make them more approachable for people who aren't building a world at the same time.  Still, this is one of those occasions where details are necessary.  As we said last week, we're going to be looking at the possible races that may decide to delve into dungeons, and since we aren't using specific characters, we'll need to use racial and cultural cues to develop common reasons.

Over at Worldbuilding Wednesday, we've put together three sapient species that coexist more or less peacefully.  Part of this is because we worked to ensure they wouldn't have much reason to compete; with no competition and the inherent bonuses of cooperation, they've become pretty friendly with each other.

  Llaikan.  The People of the Grass, or as we originally called them, the "nu humans."  They look pretty close to regular humans, save that they develop tread-like calluses on the soles of their feet, they stand a bit taller than Earth humans do, and they have notably larger and more developed eyes.  Though they're still skilled pursuit hunters, Llaikans are best known among the peoples of the world as ranged hunters, capable of working day or night, and with a significant advantage during the hours of shifting light.

  Rontakowa.  The People of the Tree, originally referred to as the "furries."  They strongly resemble a humanoid mix between red pandas and flying squirrels, with a few distinctly feline additions (such as their teeth).  Though they can and do partake of large amounts of fruit and nuts, the relatively small and quiet Rontakowa are renowned for their fearless leaps, controlled descents, and ambush tactics.  Rontakowa are nocturnal by nature, with keen night vision but sensitive eyes and a propensity to nap while the sun is out.

  Siculi.  Largest of the three species, averaging about a head taller than the Llaikan.  They're strong and smart in equal measure, if famously inclined toward laziness, even during the heat of the day when they are most active.  Though they could easily beat the other two races in a fist fight, the "scalies" (they look like a cross between a bodybuilder and a marine iguana) favor inventive tactics and traps.  They're also huge fans of spectacle, with the few males- who are severely outnumbered by the females- traditionally engaging in gladiatorial-style antics to win themselves a colony of lovers.

Joining these three primary species are varying numbers of less traditional species.  Were we the "edgy" types, we would say that each of these was a variety of dual-wielding dark elves.  Since we're not, we'll instead point out that the situation is more akin to these "monsters" working with the normal species out of enlightened self-interest.

  Fae.  All the fae large enough to resemble humanoids are shapeshifters, and could take any form they desire.  In practice, they tend to take on forms that help with their primary desire: feeding on sapient thoughts and emotions.  Most of the fae encountered that "eat" the same emotion will take on a similar shape, and all fae have the same tell: their humanoid form always has six limbs.  Though they are all the same species, most people of our world consider the different varieties to be individual races.  Accordingly, those "races" that are most benign in their consumption, such as the fae that work to evoke positive emotions, are treated less like monsters and more like weird people.

  Undead.  Undead creatures are hardly, if ever, encountered in their true form.  Instead, undead make use of host bodies, piloting them around as though they were organic mech suits.  Although they don't decompose in the way we would expect "normal" undead to do- the undead are masters of necromantic energy and can prevent rotting- they can't reproduce living tissue and do slowly break down over time.  Undead must either swap out parts as needed or swap out the host over time.  If neither of those are possible, necromantic magic is strong enough to make a temporary body out of almost anything, but these are obviously less than ideal.  The undead that are least likely to be driven off are the ones who make deals to use their powers for good in exchange for the body parts they need, making them highly desirable, if ghoulish, healers.

  Unformed.  These creatures don't have a body per se.  What they have is a mass, which they move around as needed, and from which they can produce a body (or parts thereof) at their whim.  Of the various described races, these are least likely to go on an adventure, not due to an innate propensity for evil, but simply because their desires are so foreign to those of any other being.  They don't need to eat or sleep, their existence can't be defined as life, death, or undeath; they simply are, and further attempts to quantify them tend to end poorly.

Adventuring Classless

As we mentioned last week, we're going to look at each of these races through the lens of a typical adventurer.  We'll assume that each adventurer is ready to use weapons, magic, and know-how to enter a dungeon, defeat the monsters within, and cart out whatever they think they can sell.  With that in mind, let's look at each of our six races and see how they differ from the norm.

  Llaikan.  It may seem weird, but the human analogues are not the hallmark for average.  Well, minor correction- Llaikan are what we would consider the average size for and adventurer.  However, they have distinct advantages that your typical human isn't considered to have.  The biggest advantage they have is their eyesight, which is significantly better than that of the other races, and great for shifting lighting conditions.  A Llaikan will likely work at range, moving into and out of light as necessary to give themselves an edge.  At our current technology level, this means they'll have a bow of some sort for fighting and hunting outside of the dungeon, and throwing weapons (or carefully selected spells) for use inside the dungeon.

  Rontakowa.  The Rontakowa are effectively adorable little ninjas, at their best in the dark, ambushing from the shadows.  More than that, they are experts at fighting in three dimensions, running up walls, leaping acrobatically, and using their gliding flaps to shift in mid-air.  Were we looking at this from an RPG perspective, we'd say they were best suited for DPS roles.  For a more universal description, how about this: rather than possessing skills suited for hunting or fighting, the Rontakowa are best suited for killing.  It's a subtle but important distinction.

  Siculi.  The Siculi are good at almost everything.  Their sheer size and muscle let them work in the front line with ease, and their inventive nature and propensity for traps lets them work equally well as mages, considering the fixed nature of sigil magic.  Probably the one real downside they have, beyond a tendency to resist hard work, is that the Siculi have the worst vision out of the various species, especially in the dark, and will likely need a light source to work the dungeons.  Whatever their strong points, one job they wouldn't be good at is scouting.

  Fae.  The fae most likely to work with other sapient creatures, as mentioned, are the ones that like to feed on positive emotions.  All fae feed by evoking the emotional or mental state that they prefer, and only very young or stupid fae drain all of the emotion so evoked.  Most, even the fae that feed on fear or despair, merely drain the "excess," so to speak, the strongest and most pungent traces of that emotion.  A fae that feeds on adoration leaves their victims still filled with awe at their mere presence; it is simply less awe than it would have been had they left everything alone.

  All that is to say that fae are natural cheerleaders, sources of inspiration, hope, and joy.  A fae adventurer is either going to lead an expedition or be its biggest fan.  Their individual skillsets will vary wildly, but all of them will be at their best when they are supporting the others.

  Undead.  As described thus far, undead excel at two tasks that the other races don't.  First, they can create expendable scouts, animating inorganic material and sending it flouncing down a suspicious corridor.  Second, they are second to none when it comes to healing, able to return other adventurers from the brink of death... and perhaps, some say, even from beyond that line.  The one drawback to their healing is that, while they can repair almost any amount of damage, what they can't do is replace.  Dismemberment is, sadly, beyond their reach.

  Unformed.  It will be rare to find one of these creatures in an adventuring group, but it is technically possible.  Should they do so, they will likely not be interested in any hunting or fighting going on.  What may excite them is the chance to alter themselves or others.  This may consist of enhancing or degrading the natural abilities of another, assuming a variety of forms, or even crafting a new limb for a companion that has lost theirs.  Just... maybe be careful with that last.  It isn't unheard of for such a limb to have a mind of its own.  Literally.

Conclusion

We technically have everything we need to create a party of adventurers and send them into a dungeon... save for the dungeon itself.  Next week, we'll look at the structures that the world designed to capture creatures infected by the energy of other dimensions.