Gishes themes, classes, paragon paths and concepts

[KesselZero]

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Thanks for all this. You're awesome, and I would give you more XP but I have to spread it around, whatever that means. Much appreciated!

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Is there an example from literature of a character who leans a little more towards the arcane side? I can't think of one off the top of my head... maybe someone from Vance?

Merlin, Corwin's son in Amber, and the main character of the second Amber series, leans more than a little. He fights, and he casts spells. But he is so distinct in how he does both, that he practically screams "fighter/wizard", instead of some combo class. The description of him assembling and "hanging" spells, with only a few key phrases or gestures left undone, is a pretty classic alternative to Vance's verions of "impressing" the spell upon your mind--an explanation for why it takes awhile to get the spell together, but lots of power can be loosed relatively quickly, and then its gone.

Between Mouse and Merlin, I'm hard-pressed to find many examples that aren't later, directly influenced by D&D, instead of the other way around. Sure, a lot of the minor Amber characters can do some impressive, fantastical things. But these are mostly manipulating the patterns of shadow, order or chaos, and inherited by blood. Merlin does those too. It's implied that various versions of actual spell casting, enchanting, and the like are outgrowths of that same power, but much more about knowledge than the raw power of blood.

If I had to guess for a place to look, I'd go poking around in the early Katherine Kurtz or Mercedes Lackey books. But I've only dabbled in those, and not for a long time. So I don't recall specific characters. I think there were some characters in the Andre Norton books about witches that would probably fit. Tanith Lee probably had someone that would work, though her stuff is kind of odd. And then you've got Tiger and Del from Jennifer Roberson's "Sword" series.

Hmm, curious that all those other examples that spring to mind are written by women.