11-23-2001, 10:02 AM | #1 |
Very Mad Bird
Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Breukelen (over the river from New Amsterdam)
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In literature and myth that has crossed into SoA we have Druids, Sorcerers, Mages, Enchanters, Necromancers, Conjurers and Diviners.
I much prefer the word "Seer" to "Diviner". Which leads to my reason for posting. A Transmuter? An Abjurer? Is an Invoker something of myth and legend? It does ring a bell, but still. What happened to "Wizard", "Warlock" (battle magic), "Summoner" (a conjurer), or even good old "Magician"? Who decided to call a transmuter a transmuter? |
11-23-2001, 10:35 AM | #2 |
Dracolisk
Join Date: January 8, 2001
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Age: 44
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Hugh, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a Seer something different from a Diviner? Divining means predicting the future I think, but more in a charlatanish sort of way, whereas a Seer is more like a Prophet. But of course an AD&D diviner is neither of these two.
It could just be that my idiom is flawed somehow, though, a native speaker would know this better. [img]smile.gif[/img] Personally I think they just wanted nice similar terms ending in -er They used some existing names and stretched their meaning for a bit, and thought up new names for the rest, based on the sort of spells that class cast. So spells that make things or people change into different things would be called transmutations, and concomitantly, the class was named Transmuter. [img]smile.gif[/img]
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11-23-2001, 10:49 AM | #3 |
Very Mad Bird
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A Seer is literally a See-er. One who sees, the future or things hidden. Like a Diviner, Prophet, Soothsayer or Oracle.
You're correct about he Seer/Prophet correlation. The bible has Israel's first King Saul calling the Prophet Samuel a "Seer". The Diviner seems the closest to a Seer in AD&D, but I'd play a Seer if there was one. Seers are great IMO. Diviners do have a 'charlatanish' ring to them don't they. [img]smile.gif[/img] A Divining rod anyone? We need to look for water....... |
11-23-2001, 10:51 AM | #4 |
Very Mad Bird
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quote: What about a morpher? Morph the Morpher? |
11-23-2001, 11:08 AM | #5 |
Dracolisk
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quote: LOL - good to see youposting BTW - did you get my e-cards??
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11-23-2001, 11:12 AM | #6 |
Very Mad Bird
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I did Sarah, thankyou. [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
Well, it's 11:59pm, and I'm going to have to head off. Good to see you here too. [img]smile.gif[/img] G'night. |
11-23-2001, 11:37 AM | #7 |
Very Mad Bird
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Hey, just a quick post. I just noticed Elves can only specialise as Diviners or Enchanters, and Half Elves, the same, plus Conjurers and Transmuters.
Now, how's this? A Diviner has to have 16 wisdom! Yet only 9 Intelligence and 6 Dexterity/Constitution. An Enchanter has to have 16 Charisma, plus the same Int/Dex/Con minimum. A Transmuter must have 15 dexterity. A Conjurer 15 constitution. Necromancer, 16 wisdom (I though Xzar was insane???) Abjurer 15 wisdom. Invoker 15 constitution Illusionist 16 Dexterity. I never saw all that in any manual I read. Interesting though. I wonder why the restrictions, and if high wisdom has any benefit for a Diviner or Necromancer other than roleplay value. Anyone? Oh, Wild mage has no such restrictions. |
11-23-2001, 12:40 PM | #8 |
Elminster
Join Date: March 17, 2001
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I dont think anyone made up the names. I looked them up in a dictionary (electronic), practically all the specialist mage names are in the dictionary, the dictionary meaning probably best fit the mages specialty. And the BG people wanted to probably use a name thats original,so they forgot about summoner and magician.
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11-23-2001, 12:47 PM | #9 |
Dracolisk
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quote: LOL, we didn't think anybody made up the actual words, Tom. [img]smile.gif[/img]
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11-23-2001, 01:01 PM | #10 |
Gold Dragon
Join Date: August 11, 2001
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When we are atill at it..what does "sorcerer" mean?
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