Is there any real world analogue to the Adventurer?

[Hand of Evil]

Travel Channel Tourist/Tour guides - You know, those people going all over the world, showing you the places to vacation!

 

[DJCupboard]

Pre-presidential George Washington

 

[green slime]

Given that life is one grand adventure in and of itself, I find the answer self-evident.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Just what the thread title states.

Is there any historical or modern day analogue to the Adventurer?

I realize the answer will differ from class to class and alignment to alignment, but what do you think?

You may have to generalize what it means to be an Adventurer; my own generalization is someone motivated by a desire to "do good," "be heroic," and "make a fortune."

I'd like to think that across the broad spectrum of gamers and our huge collective cast of characters, most of our characters nail two out of three of those.

But why/how do we sympathize with the Adventurer? What compels the adventurer and in turn, what compels us to play Adventurers?

What is the specific social compact that creates and sustains the Adventurer? In the typical campaign, and in the real world (if any)?

Is there any analogue to the Adventuring Party?

Just a sampling of the thoughts keeping me awake tonight. I hope some of you can help me out.

Some mercenaries would be adventurers, but also treasure hunters, field archaeologists, vigilantes, doctors who travel to war-wracked areas, many criminals, any protagonist from the Resident Evil series, and characters like the protagonists of a long series of novels and movies.

There is no realistic way to sustain the adventurer, but I suppose if you worked high paying contract jobs (with lots of downtime) you could be an adventurer.

 

[solomoncane]

Teddy Roosevelt: debutante who overcame ill-health as a child to become an amateur boxer, a rancher/cowboy, big game hunter, soldier, governer, Secretary of the Navy, Vice-President, President, & Nobel laureate.

 

[tzor]

Just what the thread title states.

Is there any historical or modern day analogue to the Adventurer?

Yes. There in fact many good examples. An adventurer is someone who wanders around seeking opportunities that have a righ risk high reward aspect to them. The many people who went to strange lands on rumors of rare ores or gems are an excellent example of real world "adventurers." In fact the economy of AD&D 1E is based off of the gold rush high inflation model.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Some good replies in here-- I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. (Posting late at night is great!)

I think one thing that sets the D&D Adventurer apart is his capacity and willingness to do violence. Adventurers are killers.

And in my mind there's an even further distinction to be made on the sheer scale of killing that adventurers do that might set them apart from a few of the examples given. I'm not talking about the modern adventurer's willingness to kill someone who gets in his way. Adventurers often engage in spectacularly unsubtle slaughter-- dozens and dozens of "evil humanoids" in one go.

So in that respect we draw a distinction between an extreme athlete and a military contractor, as well as between the military contractor and the conquistadores.

The conquistadores also had the backing of the King or Queen-- not to mention GOD Himself, as far as they were concerned-- which makes them an even more suitable analogue to the way I envision the typical Adventurer.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

Henry Morton Stanley
Robert L. Ripley
Drug runners
Independent cargo pilots/bush pilots
Lewis & Clark
Spelunkers
Marco Polo
Map-makers
Sailors & "submariners"
Vikings
Polar explorers & polar station personnel
miners, mineral extractors & oil-well drillers
Doctors Without Borders

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Teddy Roosevelt: debutante who overcame ill-health as a child to become an amateur boxer, a rancher/cowboy, big game hunter, soldier, governer, Secretary of the Navy, Vice-President, President, & Nobel laureate.

You forgot NYC police commissioner.

 

[ssampier]

I do not think there is a clear occupation to the adventurer "job description", "Explore dangerous terrain filled with traps and beasts for a chance to earn gold."

These explorers come close:

Yes. You know those guys who decided to cross the world in tiny ships for gold, God, and glory? Those are adventurers. You might know a few: They have names like Chris Columbus, Magellan, Leif Eriksson, Zheng He....

....

Do not forget to add modern day adventurers astronauts.

Field scientists are great, but not really adventurers in my mind (although some do get into adventurers). I have often thought the adventurer is based upon a modern-day capitalist, "risks money (and sometimes lives) to potentially earn more money". Therefore, its a modern paradigm in a fictional setting.