The Average DC Experience #34

Author's note: writing this chapter reminded me why I've been avoiding systems like the plague in my stories so far... the research, and adapting what I found into my system was a bitch and a half let me tell you.

....

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I slumped into my chair after several hours of patrolling and breaking into every gang hideout I managed to find.

I needed to increase my class level, and the only to do it was to level up my skills. I chose the Brawling skill because I only needed to level it up once to max out my Acrobat Class, so I went into a frenzy, beating up any and all thugs I could find.

It took several hours, but I managed to max out the Acrobat class thanks to that, and now it's finally time to see what this archetype is all about.

[1+ level to the Brawling Skill]

[Brawling (level 26)]

[+1 level to the Acrobat class]

[Acrobat (level MAX)]

[You have maxed three basic classes]

[You have unlocked the archetype function]

[Would you like to choose an archetype now or continue to the starter class selection menu?]

'Would I still be able to select the starter classes after choosing an archetype?' I question after a second of hesitation. I didn't really need the Gunman and Duelist class, but more classes meant more skills, and more skills meant faster level-ups.

[Choosing an archetype will unlock more specialized classes based on the host's choice, but the basic one will still be available]

'Then I'll choose an archetype first...' I shrugged and quickly decided without much hesitation.

[Understood]

Available archetypes: [The Occultist] [The Mad Scientist] [The Warrior] [The Assasin] [The Trickster]

...

The Occultist:

Properties: as an archetype, an occultist is a powerful sorcerer or sorceress, witch, warlock and wizard, or even a human practitioner that has studied the supernatural, the mystic arts, sorcery, alchemy, astrology, séances, folklore, and mythology.

These studies of occultism are considered taboo and can lead the archetype into the forbidden arts in various circles. And although the study of the occult is neutral by nature, it can lead to corruption on occasion if one is ignorant or not careful enough.

Possible flaws/weaknesses:

• The Occultist may be limited in knowledge.
• Some knowledge may be considered forbidden.
• The Occultist may accidentally gain the attention of certain beings.
• Ignorance may lead to disastrous consequences.
• The Dark Arts may prove to be troublesome or tempting.

The Occultist archetype comes with the following classes: [Alchemist] [Astrologer] [Dark Mage] [White Mage] [Potioneer]

...

The Mad Scientist: as an archetype, the mad scientist is a scientist that dabbles in pseudoscience or performs very unethical/crazy experiments.

The main reason most consider such people "mad" or "insane" sometimes is their dangerous habits of attempting to play God with their science that can break the laws of physics/nature.

Possible flaws/weaknesses:

• The Mad Scientist's own creations and experiments may rise against them.
• The Mad Scientist may develop a god complex.

The Mad Scientist archetype comes with the following classes: [Mechanic] [Programmer] [Surgeon] [Chemist] [Biologist]

...

The Warrior:

Properties: as an archetype, the Warrior is a brave and experienced fighter specializing in combat, battles, and warfare. Warriors are keen with many weapons and combat strategies as they are known for other expertise in more than just combat, such as hunting, riding, and leadership.

Possible flaws/weaknesses:

• None notable.

The Warrior archetype comes with the following classes: [Tactician] [Gladiator] [Barbarian] [Hunter] [Monk]

...

The Mercenary:

Properties: as an archetype, the Mercenary takes various dangerous jobs in exchange for large sums of money, such as killing people, fighting as soldiers in an army, finding treasure, stealing items, delivering messages, acting as bodyguards, etc.

The methods Mercenarys employ to complete their tasks range from something complex and finesse-based like mastery of stealth, strategically and tactically planned scenarios, expertise in martial arts, and proficiency with weaponry to using brute strength and speed.

Possible flaws/weaknesses:

• None notable.

The Mercenary archetype comes with the following classes: [Bounty

Hunter] [Treasure Hunter] [Demolitionist] [Soldier] [Tracker]

...

The Trickster:

Properties: as an archetype, The Trickster can be anything from a god of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to a master manipulator who uses cruel ploys and sadistic choices.

They can also be heroes (or more likely anti-heroes) who make up for their lack of strength or bravery with manipulation, planning, or outright cheating. Tricksters are often masters of disguise and may have magical powers.

Possible flaws/weaknesses:

• The Trickster may be unable to trick those with Reality Perception.
• People may find the user untrustworthy due to their nature of causing mischief and manipulating others.

The Trickster archetype comes with the following classes: [Con Man] [Gadfly] [Illusionist] [Trapper] [Insurgent]

...

'Wow... so I wasn't wrong to assume an archetype was a theme for the available classes to follow...' I mused as I began reading through the finer details of the five available archetypes.

Right off the bat, the Occultist archetype was the most appealing to me, especially with the Potioneer and Alchemist classes, but it also came with the most warning labels and flaws.

While slinging spells, creating potions and transmuting shit was incredibly tempting, the warning labels were a huge turn-off because I was as ignorant as you could get, and the idea of gaining the attention of "certain beings" doesn't sound like a good time to me. I was decidedly unsure about the archetype.

Then there was the Mad Scientist class, which seemed like nothing more than an average auxiliary, production type class (or archetype, in this case,) but it was probably the second most powerful of the bunch and the most versatile.

The Mad Scientist classes may sound like everyday jobs, incredibly mundane and not particularly outstanding. But the truth was far from it, and what got my attention the most was the programmer and the mechanic classes.

The mechanic class likely covered stuff like creating and developing any technology related to the field, like weaponry, transportation, and even robotics, which was a great way to make money and gadgets for me to use.

That was just the Mechanic class. Combine that with programming, and you get robots and artificial intelligence. In other words, an army of intelligent, heavily armed, and armored soldiers.

However, the Mad Scientist's best selling point was also its worst downside because whatever I created might rise against me if I wasn't careful enough and gave it more autonomy than needed.

And the Warrior archetype, on the other hand, was by far the blandest and most boring one out of the five archetypes. It was just your typical meatheaded choice, where your only option was to bash your head against the proverbial wall until it broke.

It was by far the least appealing, simply because I only needed to keep training the same way I've been since I picked my first class. And I'd eventually get the same results as choosing the warrior archetype, even if it took longer.

'Yeah, no thanks. Moving on...' I shrugged my shoulders, immediately dismissing the warrior archetype as I moved on to the next.

The Mercenary wasn't that different from the Warrior, other than offering some versatility. And even though it was much more appealing than the latter, it still paled compared to the Occultist and the Mad Scientist, so it was another automatic no.

The Trickster looked like a well-rounded archetype with some combat-specialized classes and others that relied on tricking and misleading people, making it a decent choice, but it still didn't have the potential of the first two.

'So it comes to a choice between Mad Scientist and Occultist...' I sighed, feeling hesitant to choose between the two.

Occultist was definitely the more powerful option, but I couldn't risk fumbling in the dark without someone guiding me. And I don't think the system-given knowledge would be enough to prevent me from making ignorant decisions or giving up to temptation.

The system wouldn't include the warning labels in the archetype description otherwise, and I honestly didn't trust myself enough to guarantee I won't make reckless or ignorant mistakes on my own.

Risk-wise, the Mad Scientist Archetype was the safest choice, and its potential wasn't far from the Occultist, maybe even matching with the ability to create advanced weapons, armies of robots, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and physical enhancement, etc.

'Wait... system, is it possible to choose another archetype later, or will I be locked into the one I select now?' I paused, deciding to ask the system.

If I could only choose one, I'd bite the bullet, go with the Occultist archetype and let the consequences be damned. But If I could choose another one, I'll go for the Mad Scientist and change to Occultist when I find a mentor or something.

[The host may choose a second Archetype after maxing out the current one]

'Oh! And how do I max out an Archetype?'

[For every 15 class levels, the archetype would go up in level once, up to a maximum of 10  (Archetype specific classes have a maximum level of 30)]

'It would take a lot of time and effort to max out an archetype... but it's better than being locked into one, at least...' I mused, nodding my head and preparing to make my choice.

'System, is there anything else I need to know before choosing an archetype?' I asked, shooting my shot. I didn't know if the system would answer or give me anything of value, but it was worth the try.

[Due to the specialized nature of Archetypes, it will probably affect the awakening of the host's metagene and imprint it with the same theme]