Apparently adventurer WAS a profession

[Voneth]

The trick really is that the countryside is not coated with 'adventurers'. ... But in most other cases it starts to smell funny if every PC, every 5th NPC, and anyone on a country road...

Then get out of your 21th century city!

Until the 1900s, almost everyone was on the country road, so to speak. There seemes to be a concept in the 20th century that people have to "make it" in the big city to be the "real deal." I suppose part of that deal is thanks to the romantic, modernized versions of Camelot.

Truth be told, most knights had the biggest house on their land and that was it. And most of their income came from ... managing their serfs to farm. Knights knew horses as part of what they knew about livestock. The closest analogy the 20th Century America had to knights was the Southern Gentleman and his plantation. Funny enough, a lot of those fellows saw themselves as gentleman adventures as well.

Perhaps part of the reason why we have so many stories about knights and heroes proving themselves again and again is because they had to in order to distinguish themselves from the "country bumpkin" adventure that was "anyone on the country road."

Heck, most of these duels, challenges and joust on in these stories start out with "Oh, you claim to be a real hero (or later in the saga, "Oh you claim to be that famous hero), but lets see you prove it." No TV, no newspaper and not many trips into the same towns (and the lack of a publicist) doesn't give the general populous much to go on to distinguish a hero from a copy cat con aritist.

I suggest checking out the Pendragon RPG. It is a great break from regular DnD and it is enlightening how poor and rural historical knights really were. Based off that game, I discovered an interesting question:

What make a hero truley noble?

Fighting off an army that wants to invade his lands (and only source of income?)
OR
Sleeping in the leaky barn during a storm because he refuses to kick a family out of their home because it is the only shelter for miles and miles (no inns and magic shoppes exist in Pendragon) even though it is his right to do so.

 

[jester47]

Of course there have always been people who adventure, but I think my point is that the word would actually get used in refering to certain tasks that need to be done.

"The explorer of the high court is off in Zalanzia trying to establish a shorter trade route to that nation. However, we need a map to the lands of the North. We could send troops, but I think hireing a band of adventurers might prove more economical."

or

"We need to see what is going on at Hellgate Keep. But the place is to dangerous to send our best scouts who can get in there. We might have to hire some adventurers, as they have the skills, and would see it as a challenge anyways."

Aaron.

 

[Skade]

The term 'adventurer' just starts to sound ridiculous when everyone and his brother claims the title. In a puple era game, of course. In a game exploring and raiding the ruins of exotic locales, sure. But in most other cases it starts to smell funny if every PC, every 5th NPC, and anyone on a country road...

I don't know what you mean by "purple era". Could you explain? I'll try and respond even without the definition. You are absolutely correct. It starts to wear thin when everyone claims that as a profession. Seasongs definition helps out there. One should be doing it for the enjoyment. It was a way to escape the dreary, mundane world or working the fields, or sitting in your manor house, what have you. I think less savory folks might use it as a euphemism for hired killers, or thugs, and many in fact consider anyone who uses the title to be little more than bandits. I would imagine only once a person has managed to give the impression of fame, might it be considered genteel. Otherwise they would be looked at as ruffians. Doesn't negate the advnturers aims, or their definition by any means.

What make a hero truley noble?

Fighting off an army that wants to invade his lands (and only source of income?)
OR
Sleeping in the leaky barn during a storm because he refuses to kick a family out of their home because it is the only shelter for miles and miles (no inns and magic shoppes exist in Pendragon) even though it is his right to do so.

The latter, though that would be debatable depending on the situation. If tomorrow I knew I was off to fight the BBEG, I would want to be sure I did not have a cold when I did so.

Jester47, yeah. I think those are good examples of how the title would have been used.

 

[Wippit Guud]

What? No one mentions pirates? Can't get much more adventurous than that...

 

[Skade]

What? No one mentions pirates? Can't get much more adventurous than that...

Sure, we did. Someone had to have mentioned Sir Francis Drake. I think the difference is motivation. Pirates weren't as a rule searching the globe for new and glorious experiences. they were looking for a way to get rich, keep the money in their pockets, and evade the law. They had adventures, but were they Adventurers?

Drake falls under my supposition that one might be little more than a bandit until they become famous. He was a pirate to anyone but an Englishmen. If you were English, he was a knight.

 

[Utrecht]

I think that a pirate that is working for a country is a privateer (IIRC) Both the English and the Dutch were (in)famous for using them to prey on the Spanish.

In fact the Dutch were so successful at it that they used the proceeds from the privateering to fund thier rebellion against the Spanish.

 

[shurai]

. . . But in most other cases it starts to smell funny if every PC, every 5th NPC, and anyone on a country road...

I agree with you wholeheartedly, Khorod. I really like the population demographics info in the DMG for that sort of thing . . . it's kind of telling when you realize vast majority of people default D&D are level 1 commoners. : ]

In fact, some day I'd really like to play an 'average dude' both statswise and by economic background who manages to get himself into a position of power purely by ambition and determination. Interesting concept.

I've also always wanted to run a campaign in which the characters are of differing levels by design. It's always the case in fantasy that there's some old, experienced veteran mentoring some young upstarts, and I think it would be interesting to roleplay that dynamic. Sometimes I think we spend too much time worrying about balance and fairness, and not enough time exploring the possibilities.

-S

 

[I'm A Banana]

I like to think of 'adventurer' as not an uncommon thing.

The PC's are often adventurers.

They can meet groups of adventurers.

It's not uncommon to have Adventurer's Guilds with job postings, common magical item sales, basic classes, connections to the more illustrious schools around, etc.

In fact, much of the campaign world assumes that Adventurers are commonly conscripted to explore dangerous regions, kill marauding monsters, find little lost puppies, etc. It's a commonplace thing.

Now, in the real world, they were much rarer, but also, in a way, *more* heroic (Marco Polo didn't have magical aid)

In many ways, they're more like modern celebreties -- many people persue the avenue of Movie Star or Music Idol, just as many people in a normal D&D world persue the goal of Heroic Adventurer. Now, not everybody makes it -- many get swallowed up by poverty, or obscurity, or a wandering purple worm. More make it to some level, but never really make it beyond local heroism (you star in some commercials, you manage to sell a CD and get a few gigs, you kill some orcs and take their money away). A select few break into the big time, and forever make a mark on society (get a starring role in a blockbuster, have your CD go platinum in 12 different countries, slay the local dark lord and destroy his army of undead, thus saving the world).

They're all Adventurers. Just as everyone who can strum a gee-tar is a musician, and everyone in a high school musical is an actor. But there are definate levels of celebrity involved here.

Most PC's fall somewhere in between. In many campaigns, they're just Normal Joes who get caught up in events (so ending up something like a local band who is discovered by a major label). In some, they're pro adventurers, but how far they get is left kind of open (sure, they *could* save the world....but they have to work their way up from starring in commercials and selling burned CD's to their friends).

Yup...there's my treatise on adventueres. Shutting up now!

 

[jester47]

I almost forgot-- one of the greatest adventurers:

Teddy Roosevelt.

The guy did all sorts of crazy stuff before he was president. He capturred outlaws, funded his own cavalry unit in the Spanish American War (bailed out by the buffalo soldiers in Cuba), and went digging for pirate treasure among other things.

Sounds like an adventurer to me.

Hrm... the adventurer kings... interesting concept. I think I will develop this...

I agree with K Midget, it would be an "industry" with all sorts of different levels and meanings to the word. Some folk would consider adventurer synonymous with sell-swords or mercenaries, while others would consider them a varied bunch that you have to be very careful around but are also capable and if they are not, then expendable. Sucess goes to very few and most take the easy jobs.

Obviously the player characters are the ones with the potential to be the real deal. But what about all the other so called "adventurers?" Well, they are the hirelings. The henchmen, the guards, the hired help.

I have begun to notice no one ever hires people any more. I mean sheesh, I wish I could play, as I would hire people left and right. "Were going to the Dungeon of Death? Sure we are, but let me hire some men first." I don't know why parties don't do this anymore...

Aaron.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Once I introduced the concept of an 'adventurer's guild' my PC's definately hired out some people...a cleric, an arcane caster, whatever else they may need at the time. Of course, there are certain rules -- there's a high cost involved, and they can only hire characters less than their level. Also, the death of those they hire definately drives up the price.

Yup. Hiring a spellcaster or trapmaster or healer or a meat shield is pretty instrumental to party survival when none of them are interested in playing such characters.