Nate considered the table top in front of him, which operated like a giant digital display, though with a smoothness of detail and vividness of color that he had rarely seen back home. There were six tiles, each with a title and an image. Nate took note of the text, thinking it odd, but convenient, that the characters were written in familiar English. But most of his attention was taken by the images. Each was of a figure, a young man with a firm jaw and wide, guileless eyes. Each was dressed differently. Yet the face on each was the same. It was a familiar face. After all, it was the one he saw in the mirror every morning.

In the first image, he was dressed in dark, hardened leather, with thicker pieces on the chest and shoulders. The right arm was raised in front, with a small shield if gray steel strapped to it. The left hand, held lower, gripped a simple long-sword. As Nate watched, the figure shifted slightly, the fingers on the sword hilt gripping more tightly and the body taking a slightly fiercer stance.

Above the image was a single word. “Warrior.” As Nate focused on it, the image expanded, dominating the tabletop. The image of himself seemed to notice his regard, and the two made eye-contact. The image gave a winning, open smile. Nate smiled back, though his own smile was awkward and uncomfortable. Below the image, more text appeared.

The Warrior is the master of melee, never shying from a chance to prove his metal in combat. Through the strength of his arms, the Warrior seeks to vanquish his foes and prove his martial prowess. Of all the basic classes, the Warrior possesses the greatest number of weapon and armor proficiencies, though a lifetime of training in the arts of war have left little time to develop other skills.

Stats per level

Strength: +2

Constitution: +2

Dexterity: +1

Free Points per Level: +2

Nate read the prompt before looking back at the image, incredulous. The image smiled wider and waved his sword in encouragement. Nate looked over to Jean.

“This looks exactly like some kind of fantasy rpg,” he said in confusion. Jean cocked her head again, in a motion that Nate was beginning to think of as thoughtful.

“That is not surprising.” Jean said. Nate paused, waiting for the odd robot to continue, but it remained silent, offering no further explanation.

“Uh…why?” He finally asked.

“Farandway is governed by strict conditions established in its creation. It is not surprising that the simulated environments created on your home world share similar conditions, as they are alike in their intent.” Jean stopped again. It wasn’t much of an answer, but Nate didn’t push. He was distinctly aware of Jean’s warning that time was limited, and while the consequences of dallying weren’t clear, he had no desire to find out. He pushed his questions away for the moment to focus on the task at hand.

The second tile again bore his familiar face, but with subtle differences. The lines of the jaw were leaner, the eyes sharper. This figure wore a dark green, hooded cloak, with leather bracers on each arm and boots laced up almost to the knees. In its hands were a long bow. Unsurprisingly, the caption above the image reach, “Archer.” At his attention, this figure grew as the Warrior shrank. Again, the figure moved with subtle signs of life, a shifting on the feet and slight raising of the bow. This Nate didn’t smile. Instead, it inclined its head slightly, the face grave.

The Archer specializes in all forms of ranged combat, striking from afar. At a disadvantage in close-quarters combat, getting close enough to this crafty fighter is harder than it may appear. The Archer is a master of stealth, often striking down foes before they even realize the danger. Of all the basic classes, the Archer is best suited to moving through terrain at speed and striking from distance, though a lifetime of developing these crafts leave the Archer at a disadvantage in melee battle.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Stats per level

Constitution: +1

Dexterity: +2

Willpower: +1

Free Points: +2

The descriptions were straight forward enough, though Nate wished there was more detail. What exactly did the Warrior description mean when it said that the class had fewer other skills? And, while Archer seemed straight forward, Nate noticed that the description did not actually focus on the use of a bow, but instead mentioned the class being a master of “all forms of ranged combat.” Was that significant? He also noticed that the Archer came with one less stat bonus point than the Warrior per level. So, apparently leveling was a thing. If levels were easy to acquire and went up quickly, that single point could be significant in the long run.

Nate turned his attention to the third tile, which grew like the first two, though it seemed to expand more quickly than either of the previous. This was, again, Nate dressed in leather, though with of a lighter and more flexible design. The figure wore a short hip on one hip, a dagger on the other, but the hands were empty, hanging in a relaxed pose at either side. This Nate was also smiling, but it was a sly thing, knowing and mischievous. Above the figure, the script read, “Rogue.”

The Rogue does not specialize in any area of combat, instead striving to master a wide array of skills. As such, Rogues have the widest array of possible paths, either narrowing their focus towards particular applications or becoming generalists, with abilities useful in almost any situation. Rogues can achieve proficiency in a variety of weapons, though they are always more comfortable striking from the shadows than engaging in direct conflict. They act as scouts, spies, bards, mercenaries, and assassins.

Stats per level

Dexterity: +3

Charisma: +1

Free Points: +2

Nate looked back to the figure, taking in the lack of heavy weapons and armor. All the descriptions so far had put a heavy emphasis on combat, leaving him with the uncomfortable impression that there was a lot of pain in his immediate future. This class seemed poorly adapted for such a future.

The figure was still grinning at him, that knowing smile. As Nate considered the description, it raised an empty hand. Then, with a flourish and a twist, the hand was no longer empty. It held the dagger that had only a moment before been secured at the figure’s belt. The figure’s grin widened. Then it gave a wink.

Nate shook his head, not sure what to think, before moving on again. There were three more tiles. In order, they were labeled Priest, Mage, and Naturalist. Yet none contained an image, and they were grayed out. He focused on the first, Priest. Nothing happened.

“What’s wrong with these ones?” Nate asked. Jean answered immediately.

“As in life, your choices are yours to make, but they are not without limitations. You have been analyzed, and the class options have been narrowed to fit your skills, potential, life experience, and temperament. Those that would not fit have been closed to you.”

Nate looked again at his six choices, now cut to three, and sighed. The Priest was no great loss. Faith had never held any appeal for him, and his experiences with organized religion had left a bad taste in his mouth. He had no idea was a Naturalist was, so he couldn’t tell what he was missing out on there. But Mage? The implications were intriguing.

As for the choices that were available, he looked through them again with a lack of enthusiasm. He sighed.

“You are dissatisfied?” Jean asked.

“These all seem pretty basic.” He murmured, somewhat apologetically. He didn’t want to come across as too critical of this strange entity. Jean had been pleasant enough so far. But she had stolen him off his planet in his sleep and teleported him across the Universe on a whim to participate in some kind of tabletop role-player’s wet dream. It didn’t’ seem smart to antagonize her.

“Initial choices are intentionally generic.” Jean said, with out any sign of having taken offense. “These are templates that will serve you for the first phase of the contest. When orientation is completed you will have the chance to choose again, becoming more specialized. You will not, however, be able to move to a new class template.”

“That’s something, I guess.” Nate said, somewhat mollified. He looked over his choices again. But it wasn’t really a choice.

Stick with what you know, that same gruff voice from the past. The memories were tender, a wound he flinched away from examining closely. But, when doubt stole in, it was always the voice her heard, guiding him.

Nate let his concentration focus on one of the images. The table responded, somehow reading his intentions.

You have selected the Rogue. Would you like to finalize this choice?

Yes/No

He looked again at the figure. It gave him another wink.

He selected “Yes.”