No doubt you have opinions on this. Rather than just throwing it over the wall with a couple points, could you perhaps give an opinion to get the ball rolling? People just love to criticize a point of view (and yours more than most), so if you really want a load of posts I'd suggest taking a point of view to start.

In fairness to the comment I just made, I'll throw out one for public ridicule, since we're talking about young fighters, and I'm a tad drunk, and this is, after all the fighters board...

Which professions are the weakest and which are the strongest as young fighters? In the strong column I'd certainly put knights and sorcerors, and probably loremasters. Rangers/brigands who focus on poisons early could also do well, tho certainly can't do the damage of the professions above, in my opinion.

The weakest professions? In no particular order, bards with no voice, and limited music, dramatics, and songs. Seers, without major curses and sufficient farsight ability (although of the 3 listed hear I'd argue someone competent could do well against some classes just with bond, pentacle, teleport pills, and good movement skills), and finally mages with limited rituals, no mist, etc.

Since I'm most familiar with mages, I'll also add the lack of fortification until nearly ultimate allows LMs and sorcerors to draining rituals relatively easily(instantly in the LM case, and gradually in the case of a sorc), plus mist coming late, coupled with limited damage until higher levels (brilliance is ultimate, swordplay maxes low, etc.). All of which, coupled with high damage from sorc and lm, together with knights ability to scythe pentacle relatively early, makes it difficult for a young m

age, with the possible exception of getting dazzle before an opponent gets full ignore.

On the other hand, for the relatively younmg mage, assuming they can keep rits up (no reinforcement), girdling and runes could do quite a bit to overwhelm a young opponent.

outp lestagii

eat lestagii this be seen as something it's not, this is NOT a whine about the mage profession, it's merely one opinion of the challenges faced by the young, mages in particular given my experience, given the fact that all professions mature offensively and defensively in different proportion. This, of course, also brings up the importance of good guidance from guild elders in advising the young fighter in any profession of the proper learning order to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Written by my hand on the 22nd of Agamnion, in the year 1121.