Class Concepts In Achaea. Dream a Dream

Blujixapug

Along the lines of spirits, I had this vague idea for a spirit guide class. They'd wield a lantern to attract lost souls. Originally it was meant to be a counterpart class to Pirates, as Pirates were sort of rascal/scoundrel in tone, which didn't make sense for the more lawful cities. So Sailors would have shared Navigation with Pirates, had a reskinned version of Brawling with more focus on knots and ropes, and had this soul lantern skill in place of Piracy, with a theme of guiding to rest the lost souls of those drowned at sea. But they could easily work as a full class, dropping the whole sailor aspect and just serving as psychopomps.

I'm thinking they'd attract lost souls, but instead of an ent class they'd be more like a swarm class. They could gather up to 100 souls, but their playstyle would change depending on whether they had a large swarm or a small one. For example, maybe their 'swarm balance' is 2 seconds, but for every 10 souls the balance goes up by .2 seconds, up to 4s at a max-sized swarm. Every soul in your swarm lowers your max mana by 10 + 2%, so 1000 + 20% at a full-sized swarm. But your souls-based attacks are more powerful, and certain techniques can only be used with a certain minimum number of souls - so there are pros and cons. At one end of the spectrum you have a calm, serene spirit guide shepherding a couple of lost souls, and at the other you have a frenzied medium being driven mad by a swirling storm of a hundred wailing souls.

They can light their lantern, and while wandering the lands they'll periodically attract a lost soul to increase the size of their drove. Or they can douse the lantern to stop attracting souls.

As well as regular souls they could choose one from a list of certain special types of lost souls, like a damned soul, a vengeful soul, a banshee, or a black dog, which would have special attacks.

They could change the colour of their lantern's flame with ink to alter soul behaviour. Maybe just a damage type modifier like red = fire, or maybe something more elaborate.

At graveyards, they could instantly fill their drove of souls with 100 souls, or usher the souls in their drove to rest and gain a little XP bonus for each one. (With some limitation to prevent them from sitting there filling/ushering/filling/ushering their way to dragon.)

Ectoplasm attacks, manifesting spiritual matter in the physical realm. Spooky.

'Snuff' as an instakill.

An ability where they walk the paths of the dead for fast travel between graveyards, but some of their souls disappear along the way.

Would they have another weapon? Or just the lantern in one hand, shield in the other, and their base attack is something magical involving the lantern.

I don't know what the skillset breakdown would be. Maybe something like Guidance (souls abilities), Mediumship (general abilities), and Ghostlight (lantern abilities).

Asmodron

This concept could definitely tie in with the whole idea of the god of death being...dead now.

Edit: Kind of reminds me of the spirit walker from Warcraft

Asmodron

A concept I always imagined for Mages was a 'mastery' of a chosen element. While I personally would love an entire reshaping of the skill based on an element, I know the large time, effort and general mechanical balancing that would require. Rather than replacing an entire skillset, my idea is based more on added flavor, with the choice of element affecting the visual appearance and change of name of some abilities, but keeping the mechanics the same (other than the change of damage source). Think of it as adding a different skin to current abilities. The stonefist ability and its transformations may also be used for the equivalent of staffcast damage (when Transed in elementalism). The basic elementalism abilities would be still utilized, with a select few modified and placed in their own list in AB. How it would work:

The Mage would learn the skill of Mastery, allowing them to select 1 of the 4 elements to focus and master. A mage may as easily opt not to pick a specific element, preferring the mix. The choice will affect the following abilities: Stonefist, Gust, Geyser, Lightning, Hailstorm, Stormhammer, Holocaust.


Fire Mastery: Fire is a destructive and dominating element that focuses upon the spectacular. The element is not known for its defensive capabilities and its practitioners build upon its empowering nature to disintegrate their enemies.

Stonefist replaced with Blaze. Syntax would change to CAST BLAZE <TARGET>
Gust replaced with Explosion
Geyser replaced with Smokescreen
Lightning replaced with Disintegrate
Hailstorm replaced with Lavaspout
Stormhammer replaced with Eruption
Holocaust remains as is.

Bonuses gained:
Can utilize Blaze for great damage, scaling with Elementalism.
May LIGHT anything without need of tinderbox

AB list becomes:

Elementalism:
Channel
Light
Reflection
Mastery
Firelash
Waterweird
Stoneskin
Fortification
Freeze
Scry
Sandling
Chargeshield
Erode
Suppression
Bloodboil
Ring
Muffle
Binding
Firewall
Fog
Deepfreeze
Hellfumes
Aerial
Flood
Illusion
Quake
Icewall
Simultaneity
Mastery
Staff
Diamondskin
Unweave
Efreeti
Transfix
Staffstrike

Fire Mastery:

Explosion
Blaze
Smokescreen
Disintegrate
Lavaspout
Eruption
Holocaust

Wind Mastery: Wind is a carefree and wild element that requires an understanding of its chaotic motions. A learned practitioner will come to understand the elusive nature of the wind and make use of it to blow away any adversary.

Stonefist replaced with Buffet. Syntax would change to CAST BUFFET <TARGET>
Gust remains as is
Geyser replaced with Twister
Lightning remains as is
Hailstorm replaced with Tempest
Stormhammer remains as is
Holocaust replaced with Singularity

Bonuses gained:
Can utilize Buffet for great damage, scaling with Elementalism.
Can speak without wind disrupting voice
Will find chances to be blown around by wind much less.

AB list becomes:

Elementalism:
Channel
Light
Reflection
Mastery
Firelash
Waterweird
Stoneskin
Fortification
Freeze
Scry
Sandling
Chargeshield
Erode
Suppression
Bloodboil
Ring
Muffle
Binding
Firewall
Fog
Deepfreeze
Hellfumes
Aerial
Flood
Illusion
Quake
Icewall
Simultaneity
Mastery
Staff
Diamondskin
Unweave
Efreeti
Transfix
Staffstrike

Wind Mastery:

Gust
Buffet
Twistor
Lightning
Tempest
Stormhammer
Singularity

Water Mastery: Water is looser element to control, requiring a practiced mind to understand the ebb and flow. A practiced Mage can make use of these motions to direct their magic, dispersing their enemies and raining down blows upon them.

Stonefist replaced with Ice shard. Syntax would change to CAST ICESHARD <target>
Gust replaced with Wave
Geyser remains as is
Lightning replaced with Shear
Hailstorm remains as is
Stormhammer replaced with Slice
Holocaust replaced with Nova

Bonuses gained:
Can utilize Iceshard for great damage, scaling with Elementalism.
Will be able to naturally breathe underwater
Will be able to walk on water

AB list becomes:

Elementalism:
Channel
Light
Reflection
Mastery
Firelash
Waterweird
Stoneskin
Fortification
Freeze
Scry
Sandling
Chargeshield
Erode
Suppression
Bloodboil
Ring
Muffle
Binding
Firewall
Fog
Deepfreeze
Hellfumes
Aerial
Flood
Illusion
Quake
Icewall
Simultaneity
Staff
Diamondskin
Unweave
Efreeti
Transfix
Staffstrike

Water Mastery:

Wave
IceShard
Geyser
Shear
Hailstorm
Slice
Nova

Earth Mastery: Earth is a much more stubborn element and its casters utilize force to a higher degree. Its casters are known to lean towards the more physical capabilities to subdue any foe.

Stonefist remains as is
Gust replaced with Move
Geyser replaced with Pillar
Lightning replaced with Shred
Hailstorm replaced with Rockslide
Stormhammer replaced with Devastate
Holocaust replaced with Shattering


Bonuses gained:
Stonefists will become much more powerful, scaling with elementalism, and will give a unique kill message.
Can burrow much faster.

AB list becomes:

Elementalism:
Channel
Light
Reflection
Mastery
Firelash
Waterweird
Stoneskin
Fortification
Freeze
Scry
Sandling
Chargeshield
Erode
Suppression
Bloodboil
Ring
Muffle
Binding
Firewall
Fog
Deepfreeze
Hellfumes
Aerial
Flood
Illusion
Quake
Icewall
Simultaneity
Staff
Diamondskin
Unweave
Efreeti
Transfix
Staffstrike

Earth Mastery:

Move
Stonefist
Pillar
Shred
Rockslide
Devastate
Shattering