In most D&D campaigns, the PCs are "adventurers." But, aside from the circular "they go on adventures" definition, there often isn't much of an effort to define what that means exactly.
In the real world when we talk about adventurers (to the extent we do) we usually mean people that take on extreme challenges as a form of sport: mountain climbing, cave diving, solo sailing, and so on. Sometimes they rely heavily on technology (trying to get a private sub to the bottom of the ocean, for example) and thus must either be wealthy or have wealthy patrons. Sometimes it is the opposite: doing Naked and Afraid for 60 days.
I don't think that is generally a good definition of D&D adventurers, though, although the classical dungeon exploration group is closest, probably. In D&D, it seems like "adventurer" is not a very accurate term. Characters caught up in events that lead them to saving the princess, the realm or the world aren't really "adventurers" by that definition.
So, who are "adventurers' in your worlds and campaigns? What do they do? What are "adventures" for that matter? Are "adventurers" and "heroes" synonyms in your world? Are they explorers, tomb robbers, mercenaries, agents of the crown, etc...?
In the real world when we talk about adventurers (to the extent we do) we usually mean people that take on extreme challenges as a form of sport: mountain climbing, cave diving, solo sailing, and so on. Sometimes they rely heavily on technology (trying to get a private sub to the bottom of the ocean, for example) and thus must either be wealthy or have wealthy patrons. Sometimes it is the opposite: doing Naked and Afraid for 60 days.
I don't think that is generally a good definition of D&D adventurers, though, although the classical dungeon exploration group is closest, probably. In D&D, it seems like "adventurer" is not a very accurate term. Characters caught up in events that lead them to saving the princess, the realm or the world aren't really "adventurers" by that definition.
So, who are "adventurers' in your worlds and campaigns? What do they do? What are "adventures" for that matter? Are "adventurers" and "heroes" synonyms in your world? Are they explorers, tomb robbers, mercenaries, agents of the crown, etc...?