Translation Test: Dungeons & Dragons — The Classes

Source: Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D / D&D 5e, Wizards of the Coast / TSR)

Status: First pass — 8-class founding set

Purpose

The D&D class system is a role-taxonomy: each class is a named bundle of defining activities, abilities, and narrative identity. As a translation target, it tests Tonesu's -li agent-suffix pattern as a productive role-registry mechanism and exercises the closed primitive set to cover domains of combat, magic, stealth, devotion, nature, and performance.

Primary tests:

-li as productive role-suffix — can all eight classes be encoded as [activity-compound]-li without exception? The test is whether the activity-compound is always compositional from existing primitives and whether li as the head-type correctly marks agent/role.
Force-source differentiation — Fighter, Wizard, and Cleric all mobilize ra (force/energy), but through different sources. The batch tests whether Tonesu can distinguish direct force (ka), knowledge-sourced force (to → ra), and worth-sourced force (vo → ra) without collision.
Nature-world differentiation — Druid, Ranger, and Ecologist (W150, existing) all share zo (living thing) as lead root. The batch tests whether three distinct relationships to the living world (containment, motion, study) are expressible without overlap using different second roots.
lu- beneficiary frame — the Bard's defining sentence requires the beneficiary frame (lu-zo-li). This tests whether lu- can mark the other-directedness of performance as a structural feature of the class, not merely a contextual implication.
Bi-clausal parallel for dual identity — the Paladin's identity requires two simultaneous defining activities (oath + force). The batch tests whether / can encode dual load-bearing class features without either clause being subordinate.

Scope note: Eight classes from the AD&D / early D&D founding set: Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Bard. Excluded from this batch: Barbarian, Monk, Sorcerer, Warlock (later additions; distinct enough in mechanism to warrant a separate batch). See notes/open-questions.md for deferred class designs.

Vocabulary Framework

Eight new role compounds, all -li agent-type:

W#	Form	Written	Class	Construction
W206	`ra-ka-li`	rakali	Fighter	`ra` (force) + `ka` (intentional action) + `li` (agent). Force applied by volitional act. Load-bearing `ka` distinguishes from non-volitional force events (`ra-ki` W038 = storm).
W207	`to-ra-li`	torali	Wizard	`to` (knowledge) + `ra` (force) + `li` (agent). Knowledge IS force: the wizard's conceptual knowledge is their force capacity.
W208	`se-de-li`	sedeli	Rogue	`se` (perception) + `de` (decrease) + `li` (agent). Reduces own perceptibility. Distinct from `si-de` (W098, misinformation = signal decrease).
W209	`vo-ra-li`	vorali	Cleric	`vo` (worth/sacred) + `ra` (force) + `li` (agent). Force sourced in sacred worth. Parallel to W207: both `X-ra-li`; source differs (`to` vs `vo`).
W210	`zo-re-li`	zoreli	Druid	`zo` (organism) + `re` (cycle) + `li` (agent). Embeddedness in living cycles. Distinct from ecologist (W150 = studies) and ranger (W212 = moves through).
W211	`wi-vo-li`	wivoli	Paladin	`wi` (will) + `vo` (worth) + `li` (agent). Will consecrated to an oath of worth. The `wi` root marks the paladin's relationship to worth as volitional/sworn, not direct force-channeling.
W212	`zo-ki-li`	zokili	Ranger	`zo` (organism) + `ki` (motion) + `li` (agent). Motion through the living world. Distinct from `di-ki-li` (W061, traveler = directed path).
W213	`so-vo-li`	sovoli	Bard	`so` (sound) + `vo` (worth) + `li` (agent). Creates worth through sound for others. The only class defined by acoustic performance for an audience.

Construction note — X-ra-li family: Three classes share ra (force) as their axial root: ra-ka-li (fighter), to-ra-li (wizard), vo-ra-li (cleric). What differs is the positional relationship to ra: - Fighter (ra-ka-li): ra is directly modified by ka (volitional action). The fighter IS the force-action agent. - Wizard (to-ra-li): to modifies the ra → the force is sourced in knowledge. The wizard converts knowledge into force. - Cleric (vo-ra-li): vo modifies the ra → the force is sourced in sacred worth. The cleric channels worth as force.

Construction note — zo-X-li family: Three entries share zo (living thing) as lead root: - Druid (zo-re-li): zo-re = organism-cycle = embeddedness in living cycles. The druid IS within the cycle. - Ranger (zo-ki-li): zo-ki = organism-motion = movement through living environments. The ranger MOVES through the wild. - Ecologist (zo-su-ka-li W150): zo-su-ka = organism-structure-action = structured study of living systems. The ecologist STUDIES from outside.

Three stances: containment / traversal / study.

Construction note — vi-vo-li avoidance: An alternative Paladin gloss vi-vo-li (vow-worth-person) was considered but vi is not in the primitive set. wi (will/intention) correctly captures the volitional dimension of a sacred oath. The paladin's defining feature is willful commitment to worth, not a speech act of vowing per se.

Source Text

The eight founding D&D classes and their defining characteristics:

Fighter — master of weapons and armor; combat through martial skill and physical force
Wizard (Magic-User) — commands arcane magic through study; knowledge is power, literally
Rogue (Thief) — stealth, deception, precise strikes; evades detection and strikes from shadow
Cleric — divine magic from devotion to a deity; healing and turning undead; faith as force
Druid — nature magic; embodies the cycles of the natural world; wild shape; balance
Paladin — holy warrior bound by a sacred oath; divine power through sworn commitment
Ranger — wilderness guide and tracker; operates in the frontier between civilized and wild
Bard — performer; magic through music and storytelling; inspiration as a gift to allies

Batch: DND-004 (S651–S658)

S651 — DND-004-A: Fighter

la-ra-ka-li  ra-ka  lo-zo-li

Written: larakali raka lozoli

Natural reading: A fighter applies force against persons.

Notes: W206 (ra-ka-li) first attestation. ra-ka as predicate = volitional force-application = the act of purposeful combat. lo-zo-li (W148, human persons) as patient = in combat, the fighter acts on others as persons. The ka component is essential: it marks the force as deliberate rather than incidental. Without ka, la-ra-li ra lo-zo-li would be indistinguishable from a natural force event acting on people — a flood, a falling tree. The fighter is identified by the intentionality of their force-application.

S652 — DND-004-B: Wizard

la-to-ra-li  ra-be  go  to

Written: latorali rabe go to

Natural reading: A wizard's force manifests from knowledge.

Notes: W207 (to-ra-li) first attestation. ra-be = force-increase/emergence = force manifesting. go to = from/because-of knowledge. The class-defining structural claim: a wizard's magical force is the direct output of their organized knowledge. A wizard who loses their spellbook loses their to, and therefore their ra. The sentence encodes the mechanism, not just the fact. Parallel structure to S654 intentional — see Finding 2.

S653 — DND-004-C: Rogue

la-se-de-li  se-de

Written: lasedeli sede

Natural reading: A rogue evades detection.

Notes: W208 (se-de-li) first attestation. Bare predicate se-de without patient — the rogue evades detection as a general activity. The absence of a patient is semantically correct: the rogue's evasion is ambient and constant, not targeted at any specific detector. The se root (raw perceptual input) distinguishes this from si-de (W098, misinformation = degradation of an encoded signal). A rogue reduces the perceptual trace they leave; a forger corrupts the signal itself. Two different attack surfaces: the detector's sense vs the signal's integrity.

S654 — DND-004-D: Cleric

la-vo-ra-li  ra-be  go  vo

Written: lavorali rabe go vo

Natural reading: A cleric's force manifests from worth.

Notes: W209 (vo-ra-li) first attestation. Structural parallel to S652 (wizard): ra-be go vo vs ra-be go to. The variable go [source] captures the wizard/cleric distinction as a one-root change. A cleric who loses their faith loses their vo, and therefore their ra. The vo root carries the sacred/devoted register: worth, holiness, value — all expressible from a single committed primitive.

S655 — DND-004-E: Druid

la-zo-re-li  ko  lo-re-zo

Written: lazoreli ko lorezo

Natural reading: A druid is contained within the life-cycle.

Notes: W210 (zo-re-li) first attestation. ko = containment predicate (is within / belongs to / is enclosed by). lo-re-zo = patient: re (cycle) + zo (organism) = cycle-of-organisms = life-cycle. Note the root-order reversal: the compound name is zo-re-li (organism-cycle-person) but the patient NP is re-zo (cycle-of-organisms) — the cycle is foregrounded as the container. The druid is not outside studying the cycle, nor moving through it — they are INSIDE it, as a belonging member of seasonal/ecological repetition.

S656 — DND-004-F: Paladin

la-wi-vo-li  wi  lo-vo  /  ra-be

Written: lawivoli wi lovo / rabe

Natural reading: A paladin wills toward worth / and force manifests.

Notes: W211 (wi-vo-li) first attestation. The bi-clausal parallel (/) is required because neither clause alone captures the paladin: a being who wills toward worth but never manifests force is a monk or a saint; a being who manifests force but has no will-toward-worth is a fighter. The paladin is constitutively both, simultaneously. The second clause ra-be is bare — agent is the same paladin as first clause, force emerges as a consequence of the oath rather than as a separate volitional act. Contrast: a wizard PRODUCES force from knowledge through effort; a paladin's force MANIFESTS as an expression of the oath.

S657 — DND-004-G: Ranger

la-zo-ki-li  ki  lo-pa-fe

Written: lazokili ki lopafe

Natural reading: A ranger moves to the frontier.

Notes: W212 (zo-ki-li) first attestation. ki as predicate = moves/travels. lo-pa-fe (W138, boundary-space/frontier) = the ranger's canonical spatial domain. The frontier (pa-fe) is the zone between the settled world and the wild — exactly where a ranger operates. The sentence encodes the ranger's spatial identity: they are defined by their relationship to the boundary, not by what lies on either side of it. Contrast di-ki-li (W061, traveler): the traveler moves along directed routes; the ranger navigates the living world toward its edges.

S658 — DND-004-H: Bard

la-so-vo-li  so-vo  lu-zo-li

Written: lasovoli sovo luzoli

Natural reading: A bard creates sonic worth for persons.

Notes: W213 (so-vo-li) first attestation. so-vo as predicate = produces sonic worth / performs. lu-zo-li = beneficiary frame: the sonic worth is created FOR persons (the audience). The lu- particle is structural in this sentence: it moves the bard's defining activity from self-expression to gift. A bard performing in isolation is not yet a bard in action — barding is constitutively for others. This makes the bard the most socially-embedded class in the DND-004 batch: their defining predicate requires an audience as a structural beneficiary.

DND-004 Batch Summary

Entry	Written form	Class	Key vocabulary
S651 (DND-004-A)	`larakali raka lozoli`	Fighter	W206 first att.; `ra-ka` = volitional force; `ka` distinguishes from `ra-ki` W038
S652 (DND-004-B)	`latorali rabe go to`	Wizard	W207 first att.; `ra-be go to` = force manifests from knowledge
S653 (DND-004-C)	`lasedeli sede`	Rogue	W208 first att.; bare predicate; `se` vs `si` distinction
S654 (DND-004-D)	`lavorali rabe go vo`	Cleric	W209 first att.; `ra-be go vo` = force manifests from worth; parallel to S652
S655 (DND-004-E)	`lazoreli ko lorezo`	Druid	W210 first att.; `ko` containment; `re-zo` life-cycle patient
S656 (DND-004-F)	`lawivoli wi lovo / rabe`	Paladin	W211 first att.; bi-clausal parallel `/`; oath + force dual identity
S657 (DND-004-G)	`lazokili ki lopafe`	Ranger	W212 first att.; `pa-fe` W138 frontier destination
S658 (DND-004-H)	`lasovoli sovo luzoli`	Bard	W213 first att.; `lu-` beneficiary frame; only other-directed class

Findings

Finding 1: All eight founding classes reduce to 3-root -li agent compounds without requiring new primitives. 12 primitives suffice: ra, to, se, vo, zo, wi, so, ka, de, re, ki, li. The closed primitive set is not strained by this vocabulary domain. The -li pattern is confirmed as a productive role-registry mechanism.

Finding 2: X-ra-li forms a structural force-source family. Fighter (ra-ka-li), Wizard (to-ra-li), Cleric (vo-ra-li) are the clearest cross-class structural group. All share ra (force) as axial; what differs is the relationship to force. S652 and S654 use the same predicate frame (ra-be go [source]) with a one-root variable change, encoding the wizard/cleric distinction maximally economically.

Finding 3: zo-X-li forms a living-world relational family. zo-re-li (W210, druid), zo-ki-li (W212, ranger), zo-su-ka-li (W150, existing ecologist) express three distinct modes of relationship to the living world — containment (re = cycles), traversal (ki = motion), and study (su-ka = structural action). The triad is complete as a relational taxonomy on the zo root.

Finding 4: The Paladin requires structural complexity unavailable to simpler role-classes. The bi-clausal parallel / is necessary for the paladin because their identity is constitutively dual: oath AND force, neither subordinate to the other. The paladin is the only class in this batch whose defining sentence cannot be expressed in a single predicate frame. This structural complexity in the grammar mirrors the structural complexity of the class: the paladin is defined by the conjunction of sworn will and manifested force.

Finding 5: The lu- beneficiary frame structurally marks the Bard's other-directedness. The bard is the only class in DND-004 whose defining sentence uses lu- (beneficiary) rather than lo- (patient) or go (source). This is not merely a contextual note — it is a grammatical marker of the bard's constitutive social embedding. Performance requires an audience. The grammar enforces this at the structural level.

Cross-batch connections:

Fighter (ra-ka-li) and Paladin (wi-vo-li) contrast directly on the DND-002 alignment axis: the fighter's compound has no ethical orientation; the paladin's does (wi-vo). A Lawful Good Fighter and a Paladin share behavior but differ in structural composition — the paladin's will is committed to good.
Ranger (zo-ki-li) and Druid (zo-re-li) map to DND-002 alignment exemplars: the source book gives CG for the Ranger and TN for the Druid. This aligns with their structural relationship to the living world: the ranger moves freely (CG = wi-no-su / wi-vo); the druid maintains balance in cycles (TN = wi-su-fe / wi-vo-fe).
Wizard (to-ra-li) and the magic schools (DND-001) are directly connected: wi-ra-su (W179, magic as systematic directed force) is the broader class; the eight schools are its subspecies. The wizard is the practitioner specifically defined by to → ra conversion, whereas a cleric uses vo → ra and a sorcerer (deferred) would use something else as source.

Colloquial Register Analysis

Form used	CLQ entry	Colloquial form	Notes
`ra-ka-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`to-ra-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`se-de-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`vo-ra-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`zo-re-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`wi-vo-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`zo-ki-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`so-vo-li`	none	—	3-root — first attestation; no corpus pressure yet
`ra-ka`	none	—	2-root predicate — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold
`ra-be`	none	—	2-root predicate — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold
`se-de`	none	—	2-root predicate — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold
`re-zo`	none	—	2-root patient NP — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold

Verdict: irreducibly formal — all new compounds are first attestations with no corpus pressure; all predicates are 2-root below threshold.

CLQ entries registered from this batch: none.