[ Please select your Archetype. ]
"What's that?"
[ Your archetype is your baseline for playstyle. It provides minor experience bonuses to archetypal stats and skills. ]
"And it doesn't lock me out of anything?"
[ Partially correct. Some Traits provide unique play options, and many Traits have Archetypes as a pre-requisite, however, no skills or abilities are directly locked behind Archetype choice. ]
"So I could be a Mage but still swing around a giant sword?"
[ Correct. ]
I pursed my lips as I looked over the options. With how many choices I was seeing, I guessed there would be a million ways to make an awful build. Choice wasn't always a good thing. It might let me create something absolutely broken that the devs didn't think of, but I could just as easily gimp myself to the point where I couldn't even clear the first boss.
Wait, were there even devs in this new world ruled by a System? Was this a world that was designed by a supreme intelligence? Or did it evolve and change over time? Or was it my own personal version of Heaven? The last thing I remembered was going into a game... But the first thing the System told me was I was being reincarnated. Everything sounded vaguely familiar, but nothing that I could place -- I had no idea if I'd played this before or not, or what the right answer would be.
There were three categories of stats and two primary archetypes per category. The categories being: physical, magical, and fundamental. The physical archetypes were fighter and thief, the magical ones were cleric and mage, and the fundamental ones were socialite and crafter. There were also hybrid archetypes between any two primary archetypes that gave lesser benefits, but for a broader range of skills. Finally there was wanderer, an archetype that gave you a miniscule bonus for everything.
Cleric was tempting. But the idea of being a follower of a god that wasn't God felt wrong. It was one thing to roleplay worshipping a false idol, but to feel that in my bones felt like it would be committing blasphemy. The System said that He didn't exist here, so I would have to be wary of whatever took His place.
I still wanted to do magic though. Magic was awesome, it was why I picked Arcane Elf. I started looking at the Mage based archetypes. I could do Theurge and mix arcane and divine magic, but I ran into the same issue with playing a pure Cleric. The remaining Mage based hybrid options were Mage-knight which added fighting, Arcane trickster for stealth, Artificer for crafting, or Bard for social.
I wondered, How much fighting was I going to have to do? Game worlds like this thrived on fighting, but the idea of fighting for my life sounded terrifying. Sure, I'd gotten into plenty of video game fights, but with how real everything felt... Without a screen between me and the action, I got the sense it would be incredibly different from my normal gaming experience.
If this was a true reincarnation, then avoiding fighting at all costs would be the way to a long and prosperous life. Fighting was how you died young. While that might've been a quick way to Heaven, I was in no rush to see if it also took me out of it.
Trickster would let me hide from combat, but those also felt like the kind of skills that would inevitably put me into conflict with someone. Conflict in a world that resolved disputes with violence sounded like a quick way to a quicker death. Stealth builds always required a high degree of understanding of the world and the System, and I had no idea what those skills were going to be in this world. I wasn't so arrogant as to think I would be some hot shot hero who controlled the fate of the world.
I was just some guy... or, some girl..
Artificer was tempting. The idea of combining magic and crafting felt like it would be great for a slow life. I could make all kinds of magical doohickeys. I wouldn't have to fight for my life, and I could enjoy a Sundrop Vale kind of farm and friendships.
If this was truly my heavenly reward, then being a girl running a magical farm would be perfect. I could conjure everything the animals need, water the fields by summoning rain clouds, and teleport goods to town. All before lunch, when I could spend the rest of the day resting and studying. Or maybe I could run a shop in the city, have a cute little storefront and workshop in the back where I enchanted magical goods to sell them to passing adventurers.
Afterall, adventurers still needed food and items. I could be the one to provide them that. I prayed with all my might that I could find some place to work at quickly.
Bard could also be fun. I even got the sense that the NA would provide me with the knowledge that I needed to sing, and play instruments. I liked the attention when I played women online, but that felt superficial. This would elevate that to a whole new level. Maybe I could become a fantasy pop idol? It might be nice to have the skills to make friends with everyone, and solve all my problems peacefully.
But games didn't work like that, and I doubted game worlds would either. It would eventually run into the same problem as Arcane Trickster. Dialogue options were based on subjective opinions of the devs. What happened was based on their whims of the day, so it became less about roleplaying, and more about understanding and predicting what kind of person the game writers were. Would that be the case with reincarnation? If I was interacting with people, I wouldn't have to worry about that. But I would still have to understand them, and I still had no idea how to be a woman, let alone a famous performer.
That left me with pure Mage. I wouldn't have as broad of a skillset, but I could dive deep into magic to learn all of its secrets. I could use magic to shape the very terrain I walked on, divine the locations of lost and forbidden secrets, empower entire armies with elemental might, regrow limbs, or call forth powerful monsters to fight on my behalf.
The really neat stuff was locked behind higher tiers, and from what Da--.
I froze.
I knew there was a name there that was just beyond memory's reach. My nearly forgotten friend had said it took a few months of nonstop grinding to get a single skill to the tier cap of ten. The difference between the multipliers of a hybrid class and a pure class would translate into weeks or even months longer.
But that was about a game? Not reincarnation, right? Would it also be like that here?
"I'll be a Mage."
[ Acknowledged. Next, you will select Traits. The first is your Native trait that marks you as a Native of Erendria. These are powerful traits that will fundamentally alter the nature of who you are within the world. Choose carefully as these cannot be altered later. ]
I scrolled through the list and found a couple of stand out options.
[ Archmage (Native Trait)
Prerequisite: Mage
You stand at the pinnacle of magic. You have no peers when it comes to wielding and shaping the arcane. Grab hold of your destiny as an Archmage, and cast magic beyond comparison.
You have an increased mana pool, mana regeneration, and metamagic options for your spells. You gain additional spell options for the school of your choice. You gain a bonus to the Teaching skill when teaching magic. In exchange, you reduce your growth rate in physical stats and skills. ]
[ Forest Home (Native Trait)
Prerequisite: Elf(Any)
Elves are the savants of the natural world. They live in harmony with the forest, and the forest gives them its bounty. Blend into your Forest Home, and let nature fight for you.
Your highest pool of ability resources, Stamina, Mana, or Focus has an increased regeneration rate within forests. Your abilities have increased effect within forests. Monsters in the forests have reduced aggression towards you. In exchange, your regeneration rate and abilities have dramatically decreased effect in non-forest and urban settings. You may extend this bonus to a number of allies equal to your Presence stat tier.]
[ Non-combatant (Native Trait)
Only the truly insane want to become an adventurer. You thrive outside of combat, and have all the tools needed to live life to its fullest. Escape reality as a non-combatant, and find your cozy slice of life.
You gain additional non-combat options for skills, abilities, and spells that are normally reserved for NPCs. You provide a passive bonus to fighters protecting you equal to your Presence stat tier. In exchange you have dramatically reduced fighting capabilities. ]
[ Ritualist (Native Trait)
Prerequisite: Mage or Cleric based Archetype
Command powerful spells that shape nations. There is only so much that one mage can do alone, but when you combine your skills with others, you can truly shine. Invoke mysteries beyond comprehension to summon forth magics beyond reason.
A ritual caster gains the ability to augment their magic by casting with other. You may integrate any other mage to empower your spells, and if you work with another ritual caster you gain access to effects that have the capability to shape the world. You may incorporate a number of other casters equal to your presence stat. In exchange, your magic when cast alone has a slightly reduced effect. ]
I liked Archmage for its increased capability with magic, and the part about it losing more physical skills didn't bother me. The glass cannon mage was a classic for a reason.
While I liked the idea of leaning into the woodland nature of elves, I dismissed Forest Home. I didn't want to be tied to a single terrain.
I was torn about Non-Combatant, I liked the idea of having more diversity when it came to spells, the idea of having a cozy cottage I could go back to, or having powerful companions that would fight on my behalf. But the phrase 'dramatically reduced fighting capabilities' was ominous. I kept it on the short list.
Ritualist sounded like it would be fun for group play. But who knew how much of that I would actually get? Too much of the strength and utility would be tied up in group activities.
Screw it. It was a new life, and I knew what my dream was. I would find a nice slow life as a magical girl on a farm, and live peacefully. Other people could be the kind of lunatics to dive into dungeons and risk their lives for paltry amounts of loot.
"Non-Combatant"
[ Acknowledged. Please select two regular traits. ]