Xanthippe
The Sorceress has always struck me as having a bit of an attitude. Maybe its the clipped, hasty way she speaks, or the way she stands with her hip cocked to one side. She seems like someone with something to prove: a chip on her shoulder, a powerful woman in a medieval world that doesn't think women should have power. This site says she is "Solitary and reclusive, she acts based on motives and ethics inscrutable to most, sometimes seeming capricious and even spiteful." Hey, I can do capricious and spiteful. Now, what sort of sorceress can I play, that I haven't done before? I've done fire sorcs, cold, lightning, tri-elemental and other combinations. Looking over at the strategy guides, I note several subclasses, including some that became viable in the expansion. Never thought to try a Charged Bolt sorceress, or an Inferno sorceress or a... melee sorceress? That's new to me! The build uses Enchant, some cold armor, and recommends Thunderstorm as a back-up damage skill. This sounds interesting, I think I'll try it. Lessee... statwise, she'll need lots of dexterity. Most of my melee characters don't have a lot, their skills give them enough attack rating, but the sorceress doesn't have that option. Besides, she has skills that add to damage and defense, so she won't need the biggest weapons and armor. Second priority is vitality, she'll need all the life she can get. Strength comes in third, and Energy a distant fourth. With all that dex, it would make sense to use a shield, her blocking will be very high. This would compensate for a lot of her weaknesses, and I know the sword/shield combo is a good one. But I've heard sorceresses have nice swing speeds with polearms, and besides, I'm not doing this tour to stick with what I know works. Let's at least try a polearm, when she's strong enough. Now, what kind of sorceress would not shun melee combat? One who not only defies the traditions of general society, but the traditions of her own magic clan. Capricious, spiteful, defiant, not keeping with any kind of tradition. A personality begins to suggest itself; all I need is a name. There's Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war, but that reminds me too much of the demon chick from Darkstalkers. Bodacia was a Celtic warrior woman who defied the Roman empire. No, let's keep the Celtic names for the Barbarian. To suggest the learning a mage would have, let's go with something Greek: Xanthippe, the name of Socrates' shrewish wife from The Republic. She was the bread-winner of the marriage, and Socrates hated her, which seems a perfect reason for someone to be a spiteful shrew.
Epilogue
SourceThis is the second part of Stony's Grand Tour, written between 16 February 2002 and 26 August 2002, and originally posted in the Diabloii.net Single Player Forum. While almost all original posts are long gone, Vesper, one of our Community Members, contacted him and was given the original documents, and permission to reproduce them at the Amazon Basin. |