A Gamer's Influence: Character Classes

Enthusiasts will say, "Write what you know." Well, I know gaming. I've been absorbed in them for enough years to find nuggets of inspiration within. Readers with an interest in gaming (the role-playing variety, in particular) might notice some familiar trends in my work, but it can be difficult to justify the amount of hours spent in front of a screen as "research" to a non-gamer. Rather than attempt to convert them so that they can appreciate the subtle homages peppered throughout my stories, I aim to grant them insight to the influence that game philosophy has on my personal writing style.

The use of traditional character "classes" is perhaps the most obvious and helpful influences in my writing. In role-playing games (RPGs), classes are used to determine a variety of things about a character's performance. Will they fight, heal, or protect? Use magic or physical weapons? From range or up close? Sneaky or in your face? Heavy armor or cloth? From here it is possible (and also very likely) to delve into hybrids, duals, or even to invent custom classes to suit a unique purpose.

Deciding early on to make a character loosely based on a specific class answers a lot of questions about how that character can and will be developed, both inwardly and outwardly. A rogue/thief/assassin character like Yamini Lithala will naturally be more introverted, less trusting, and self-serving. Outwardly they are nimble, efficient, stealthy, and often clad in leather. They will use any possible advantage, however dishonorable, to win a fight. A paladin (or holy warrior) like Cyleighre Cleaverhorn serves the people and the church. Violence is used to protect rather than to carry out personal vendettas. Blessed platemail armor is ususally worn, as paladins rely on their strength--and their faith--to mitigate damage and outlast their enemies.

Only . . . my  characters actually have faces.

Several ranged classes also sport companions to fight by their sides. Archers/hunters/rangers like Marik Keingel tend to tame and train their own creatures from the wilderness. While attacking from a distance with a bow, crossbow, or firearm, their pets can then charge in and attack an enemy up close. Magic wielders are not excluded! Warlocks summon various demons to do their dirty work, some of which attack physically or use magic of their own. Necromancers like Drathanas Dustbringer can raise the dead and distract their foes with an army of ghouls while assaulting them with dark magic. Even mages/wizards/sorcerers are known to summon elementals. These minions are less common and usually temporary.

    

It's not always necessary to make these classes obvious from page 1. At times the characters begin ostensibly class-less and must transition into one or several. Aeria Radeus is introduced without a discernable role. Initially she leans toward the rogue and as such is dressed in leather and equipped with a degree of melee prowess. As time goes on and she comes into her powers, her class more resembles the shaman--a caster/melee hybrid with an affinity for earthy spells. Avatar D'Kemvi begins his journey as a druid with a close relationship to nature and a knack for healing. As circumstances push him into combat, he later takes on the role of monk--a melee fighter who wears cloth into battle and devastates his foes with a mix of staff strikes and acrobatic martial arts. Xearo Ta'Lorence conducts himself as a warrior/barbarian for almost the entirety of the first book, boasting heavy platemail, a two-handed sword, and rage as his primary source of power. As the book comes to a close (and as his journey continues into future books), however, he transitions into a full-fledged mage--a powerful magic-wielder with mastery over fire and ice. In the future, his sword and heavy armor will likely be retired.

    

The use of a class system might at first seem restricting (and this is a very common complaint among many RPG'ers who have been spoiled by class-less games), but when seen as a guideline instead of a rule, it's actually quite flexible. In writing, there's no balance issues limiting what a character can and cannot equip. The only limitations placed on the characters are those of the story itself. Yamini doesn't throw fireballs--not because "rogues don't throw fireballs, lol" but because she's a shadow elemental, not a fire one. (Don't get me started on shadowbolts. It's not going to happen.) Conversely, it might seem odd that Xearo, a warrior, has access to the area of effect mage spell [Flamestrike] even though most plate-clad tanks have no knowledge of such sorcery. Being an elemental of fire grants him this ability, even though it's not prescribed by his aforementioned class.

    

This philosophy is not limited to Of Avatars and Elementals, either. While I might have ruined the fun of thumbing through book 1 and trying to figure out which classes belong to which characters, there are other stories to peruse and still more in the works. Keep your minds sharpened and see if you can nail all the character/class combinations! Can you guess which character's abilities were inspired by Blizzard's Deathknight class?