Muscle Mage
by Charles Warren and Gyrefalcon

Class: Sorcerer
Tag: MM

Introduction

Think you're buff enough? Well?! Are you?

Rules

You must create a new mage and designate him with an (MM) to indicate that you're playing the muscle mage subtype.

Items

Armor
Until a legal suit of armor is found, the aspiring muscle mage may use any non-magical armor. During this time, they must put all level-up points into strength.

A muscle mage may only wear armor with a strength requirement. Furthermore, that strength requirement must be either 90 or 3*clvl, whichever is lower.

Weapons
A Muscle Mage shows off their massive muscles by refusing to use any non-unique weapon without a strength requirement. If the weapon is a spell staff, it must be drained of all charges before being used. Until a legal weapon is found, the aspiring muscle mage may use any non-magical weapon. During this time, they must put all level-up points into strength.

This being a melee class, no bows are permitted.

Helms
A muscle mage is permitted to wear any helm with a strength requirement.

Jewelry
The jewelry worn by a muscle mage isn't for looks! It must either make him stronger or tougher in pursuit of the muscle mage ideals. If the ring has one of the following suffixes, any prefix is allowed:

Strength, might, power, giants, titans
Vitality, zest, vim, vigor, life
Sky, moon, stars, heavens, zodiac
Fox, jaguar, eagle, wolf, tiger, lion

A muscle mage is certainly a showoff, and will equip items of light or of radiance if he feels that the foes aren't sufficiently impressed with his mighty presence.

Also, a muscle mage recently embarrassed by losing his gear may use items of dark or of night until his pride is restored by recovering the items.

Shields
A muscle mage is permitted to equip any shield with a strength requirement.

Uniques
Allowed uniques.

- Axes: Blood Slayer, Hellslayer, Sharp Beak, Stonecleaver
- Blunts: Baranar's Star, Civerb's Cudgel, The Cranium Basher, Hammer of Jholm, Schaefer's Hammer, Thunderclap (HF)
- Swords: The Bonesaw, the Defender, the Grizzly, Gryphon's Claw, Ice Shank, Eater of Souls (HF)
- Staves: Stormspire

For SNOB-MM the following suits of armor are permitted:

- Cloth: Leather of Aut, Nightscape, Torn Flesh of Souls
- Chain: Sparking Mail, Bone Chain Armor (HF)
- Plate: Demonspike Coat, Scavenger's Carapace, Armor of Gloom (HF), Demon Plate Armor (HF)

For SNOB-MM the following helms are allowed: Fool's Crest, Helm of Sprits, Overlord's Helm, any perfect magical helm with a strength requirement.

For SNOB-MM the following shields are allowed: Dragon's Breach, Holy Defender, Split Skull Shield, Stormshield

For SNOB-MM's jewelry:
The jewelry must either have perfect stats, or be Ring of Engagement, Acolytes Amulet (HF), Giant's Knuckle (HF), Karik's Ring (HF)

Spells

Although they scorn magic as a frivolous pursuit, a muscle mage is still somewhat knowledgeable of the arcane arts and may read any scroll at any time.

Healing, Heal Other, and Town Portal may be cast from memory at any time. Other spells may be cast from memory after the MM has killed Diablo. Upon killing Diablo in Normal Difficulty, the Muscle Mage may use Mana Shield, Phasing, and Telekinesis. (For a 1@17, you may wish to use Telekinesis to flip the switches.) Upon killing Diablo in Nightmare Difficulty, the Muscle Mage may use Golem, Stone Curse, and Teleport.

If a muscle mage has suffered the ignoble defeat of losing his gear, he will resort to using any spell he has to recover it. Once his pride has been restored, the limitations go back in force.

SNOB-MM
The snobbish muscle mage may use any of the approved SNOB spells, should they choose to pay a price. For each SNOB spell that they would not have access to as a muscle mage, they must vow, for the duration of the game, to never cast one of the muscle mage spells that they are permitted. They may only sacrifice a muscle mage spell if they have not used it in the current game. Such is the sacrifice that must be made.

Quests

The three faces of the muscle mage are the survivor, the destroyer, and the peacock. Each of these faces is represented by a trial, and for the successful, a title.

1) The Streaker
Staying true to the variant roots, a muscle mage has a quest revolving around streaking. Not content to simply run for his life like a screaming coward, the muscle mage will take the time to enjoy the scenery and bash a few heads. With at least one item of corruption equipped, the muscle mage will enter the first level of the dungeon at any difficulty. They may carry with them any other gear, potions, and scrolls that they desire. The goal of the muscle mage is then to proceed as far down into the dungeon as possible. Before advancing to the next dungeon level, the muscle mage must kill at least as monsters as his clvl. Should they perish on level n, they will be known as a [difficulty] Streaker of the [nth] Order. This quest may only be attempted once every five levels.

2) The Conqueror
Representing the pure warrior aspect of the muscle mage, the conqueror takes the idea of The Streaker to a higher form. Equipping at least one item of corruption and any other gear, potions, and scrolls that they desire, the muscle mage enters the dungeon at the crack behind Pepin's house on any difficulty. Then, without dying, they must proceed to defeat Diablo. At any time during the conquering attempt, the muscle mage may return to town. A victorious muscle mage is known as a [difficulty] Conqueror. This quest may only be attempted once every five levels and only by muscle mages of level 20 or above.

3) The Showoff
Knowing that they are the best, the final muscle mage trial is perhaps the most difficult. Seeking to let everyone know their true strength, the muscle mage must equip a valid, light-radius increasing item in every slot. Then, entering the dungeon at the first level of any difficulty, the muscle mage must walk all the way down to the lowest depths of the dungeon. Along the way, they must kill all of the bosses in the dungeon so that they are the only one with such radiant powers. At any time, the aspiring Showoff may return to town so that the simple townsfolk may bask in his presence. Should the muscle mage die, he will become so sullen and dejected that he will quit the quest. A muscle mage that succeeds at his task will be known throughout the land then as the Magnificent [difficulty] Showoff. This quest may only be attempted once every five levels and only by muscle mages of level 30 or above.