User:Mooseyfate/Concepts

Classes / Chapter Concepts
Ideas I've had for new chapters and classes. Listed in order of writing. Some originally from forums. Some of these ideas overlap because I have a similar idea for two different settings (the intent being that both are no more than ideas to choose from, not that all would work together). I don't necessarily even think all the ideas fit the GW branding... they're just for fun. Enjoy!

Ideas developed post-Factions
These ideas were all developed after the announcement of Factions, and before the announcement of Nightfall. Most/all developed between the Factions preview and realease dates.

Marauder [Ma]
/ / Balthazar inspired Looks like the classic Arabian warrior. The kind that would roam to camps and villages to plunder and whatnot. Of course there'd have to be a noble spin on it. Kind of an assassin style class in that it's primarily melee with same ranged skills. I'm thinking off hand items for this class will be shields, torches, and unarmed (see below). Main hand items will be scimitars.
 * Brawl * (optional main attribute) - This would be the fighting skill. Include some minor attacks with main weapon and off hand abilities. Off hand abilities could be used depending on the one held. Shields would be small bucklers and have some attacks (unless too similar to shield bash). Touch would have some special attacks (like a blinding move). Unarmed would have grapple style abilities that hold or prevent dodge, or tackle. Brawl might be split into two attributes or there may only be one of these three off hand style abilities. On second thought, maybe clubs and unarmed to keep things in scope, but same general idea.
 * Rage * (optional main attribute) - some barbarian style raw blood lust and demoralizing style shouts.
 * Contraptions - tools used for raiding and the like. Include Molotov Cocktails (range of short bow, AOE small damage and burning), snares, nets, bolas, some torch ability if using a torch off hand.
 * Riding - like beast mastery, but applies only to mounts. Mounts would have two main purposes, travel and battle. Travel skills would include things like ride (long lasting speed skill that is easily interpretable), trek (shout skill that makes duration even longer). There would be some combat run skills, but they would be shorter duration and faster than sprint, something like charge. Battle skills would be like stomp, bite. For example, bite was used by war horses to distract an opponents mount (so a dismount type skill). There could also be some attack skills specific to riding for the rider (or these skills could be under Brawl).
 * The animals you can tame as mounts would all be found in this Arabian continent. Horses of course, but others too, like some sort of humped beast, or reptile. Wolf riders would be very cool, but they don't really fit the Arabian theme, so there would have to be an environment on the continent conducive to them. Maybe 3-6 types to choose from all together. Some unique GW style animal with 2-4 of what they would normally have 1-2 of of course (guild wars Minotaurs have 4 horns, scorpions 2 tails, wales, 2 blow holes).

Arcanist [Ac]
/ Gods of Tyria inspired This is the classic wizard that uses arcane magic energy style spells. Storyline wise they would travel in small number with bands of Raiders/Nomads, being the right hand of the chief Raider.
 * Desert Spirit * (primary attribute) - A small list of skills. Maybe the skills are more effective in the desert, or maybe while standing on dry land. Include abilities to draw spirit (energy management, maybe spell effectiveness) from the earth. A minor bit of air style magic, but more importantly, some skills that will mix well with air or earth Elementalist being the secondary class.
 * The following are two ideas I had before Desert Spirit, that I just wanted to keep cause I'd typed them out. They are a little too much like Mo/N or E abilities the way I was envisioning them. 
 * Sand - Manipulating the forces of desert winds to create harmful effects. Like AOE blind, or dodge percentage, or knockdown. 
 * Pacts - Abilities that cause some sort of sacrifice of one member, for the benefit of another (or others). Examples would be draining one mana from all allies for yourself, or experiencing life drain for the duration of a charge style shout effect. There could be life chains that distributed damage taken amongst linked party members.
 * Divination - ways of seeing into the future. This type of spell would be slow casting. Would be things like glimpse of death (target sees how they are destined to die, and will avoid the next killing blow within so many seconds), premonition (party gets occasional glimpses into future and is able to dodge some attacks), soul gaze (lists the last 4 skills used by the opponent), inner vision (see all hexes and/or conditions and/or enchantments on a target (for or ally), ether site (see targets energy bar in addition to health).
 * Arcane Magic - Similar to one of the elemental schools, but deals in magic attacks made of pure magic (like the classic magic missile).
 * Signs - Think signets on steroids. Hand gestures write arcane symbols in the air to change an element on next spell casted.

Egyptian
These classes are more based on theme than something missing from the game. Important to note that these were created before Nightfall was ever announced. In fact, they were created before Factions was available, but after the Factions preview.

Egyptian Priest [Ep]
/ Gods (not quite Tyrian or Egyprian) inspired Needs a better name than this, but the name helps it be more self explanatory. Real world historical entities referenced here, but the intent is for different ones from actual history. In game, the "Egyptian people" being from a different culture, could have different gods than Tyrian GW lore as well.
 * Worship * (primary attribute) - Like the Ritualist had specific ashes (Cruel was Dayoshen), the Egyptian Priest would have spells tailored to the worship of a specific god. Examples: Form of Set (take shape of serpent man like the serpent race in GW, though for story line purposes, these are different), curse of the Sun God (become a burning person with big health degen and high aoe damage aura), or homage of Tawaret (Look like a hippo lady, resurrection spells more effective, or divine healing type aura with high energy costs), bane of Anubis (small radius frozen soil and EoE type aura for opponents), curse of the underworld (rot yourself, cause nearby enemies to rot). These god forms should all be elites so that the Egyptian Priest can only have the build of really following only one god. There can also be minor non-elite abilities under worship. A minor skill could be a hypnotising or paralyzing eyes of set skill. Only primary Egyptian Priests would be effective at calling these god forms because of worship being the primary attribute (this is intentional).
 * Swarms - Summon forth swarms of scarabs (minions or life draining), locust (like the necro swarm), frogs (life drain to all nature spirits as they "eat" them, or muddy terrain style effect that just lasts a shorter duration and can't be killed like a spirit), all with varying effects.
 * Decay - Disease, life draining, and generally crippling curses. Would mix well with Necro secondary (probably curses, but anything).
 * Desert Spirit - Spells controlled by a mix of desert winds and sand. Different from the Arcanist* (see below). Would mix well with earth or air ele secondary.
 * This attribute is listed here and under Arcanist because it fits both themes. Since these are just speculatory characters, that's fine. I'd be surprised if either my Egyptian or Arabian theme ever really happened, let alone both. Desert Spirit for the Arcanist was more meant to pull power from the desert, and have a couple ele style spells. Desert Spirit for the Egyptian Priest is more meant to be ele style spells, with a little compliment of pulling power from the desert. If both these classes have to co-exist together, I'd remove it from Arcanist and separate his Arcane Magic into offensive (magic missile) and defensive spells (energy shield).

Slaver [Sv]
/ / Balthazar inspired They have a bad rap and ad a bad name, but and important role. To keep order amongst a group and get the job done. Maybe a more positive spin on the character... such as controls a battalion or controls paid workers, or is more of a jailer for some of their functions, but the idea stems from slave drivers that would get the slaves to build pyramids and such.
 * Overpower * (primary attribute) - something about if your health is above your targets: skills cost less (like an expertise, but more dramatic because of the requirement); or you do/soak more damage (I think I like the second one more). A couple skills like endure pain to let this happen on a temporary basis.
 * Command - Morale boosting shouts for your party (like temporary bonus to energy, or health, or damage).
 * Whips - Their weapon. Has attack skills and special effect skills like stun, interrupt, life drain pain, entangle.
 * Pain/Fear/Torture/Terror - Skills that inflict pain on the enemy. Like deep wound, weakness, a skill that's the opposite of illusion of weakness (minus health for so many seconds), life degen. Could also be a series of demoralizing skills (like slow attack speed).

Independent Class Ideas
These classes were though up independently of a chapter/location/setting for them. They were mostly just my spin on a different suggestion from a forum. They are also not intended to be paired together. Just independent class ideas.

Druid [Du]
/ / Melandru inspired
 * Nature Attunement * (primary attribute) - Few if any skills. The attribute would grant some bonus to elemental skills or nature rituals making secondary E or R an obvious choice.
 * Plant life - There could be a plant entangle, that's a little different from the earth/water spells out there. More like the Warcraft 3 entangle that does damage and holds the foe in place. Other plant skills could be summoning root behemoths or moss scarabs. But mostly I like the idea of using plant life in a similar way as one of the 4 elementalist elements.
 * Animal life - If this were an ability, I'm make it summon an animal, pack or swarm, that will come after a time delay, do their task for a short duration, then leave. Like ravens come in 10 seconds, do A damage/second for B seconds. There could be some skills that mix well with the Ranger class.
 * Additional Attribute - just one of the following:
 * Herbalism - Yeah, this one has been covered in at least two other new class ideas. But it still makes sense here. Could be something else just as easily, but nothing is coming to mind.
 * Stoneworking - Ok, we could use this attribute in place of Herbalism. Would summon stone slabs like the Stone Slab skill, and others with less HP but magical inscriptions written on them. The inscriptions would have different effects. Could be effects friend or foes (like wells or wards), or effects everyone (like nature rituals)... don't care which. We'd have to be careful that this didn't lead to the same problems we saw way back when with spirit spammers (shouldn't cause you can't shoot through them).
 * Stone Slab skill - Summon a stone slab as casters location the basic size of a man, but twice as tall. High HP and immune to magic. Just sits there taking up space. Could be used for blocking (people or attacks).

Luck Mage [Lk]
/ Lyssa inspired I initially pictured some sort of entertainer for high society types... then though an adviser for nobility or something. Kind or Mesmer looking fancy-smancy armor. But I'm definitely not set on that.

General skills idea: A lot of skills with a low (something like 2-15% or 5-25%) change of success. They'd have hexes, enchantments, and regular spells, but they'd all have a relatively low percentage of working. A lot of the instant cast skills would have a low cost, cast time, and recharge, but countered by the fact that they have a small chance of working. By regular spells I mean like fireball or energy burn... spells that just do something once, but in this case it would be like "target has a 5% chance of tripping."


 * Luck * (primary attribute) - Increases % chance for skills to work in your favor by X% (1-2) per level.
 * Karma - These skills are a lot of enchantments and hexes that make monks healing others heal or protect themselves after X seconds, or hexers having bad things happen to them X seconds after hexing (some would be the exact same effect, some would be a specialized effect or hex). Could also apply to attacking or tanking. Basically skills that follow the idea of Karma.
 * Chance - Adjust the odds of specific events. Like the tripping spell mentioned above, or a chance of not being interrupted for your next skill or attack. It's got some of the skills from Fate and Demise (below).
 * Happenings - Chance events that are not target specific. Either standard AOE, or nature ritual like. Examples would be rain... an instant cast muddy terrain that doesn't last as long, or a freak chance of hitting any adjacent person (friend or foe) for the next 3 seconds with any ones melee attack.

or


 * Luck * (primary attribute) - same as above
 * Karma - same as above
 * Fate - Skills that bless their target with positive effects. Some skills effect both friend and foe. Example would be a chance of a condition not working on the target, or blindness causing only 80% chance to miss, or striking through an evading stance, or evading.
 * Demise - Skills that hinder their target with negative effects. Some skills effect both friend and foe. Like the tripping spell above, or becoming sick (headache, stomachache), or a 3 second blurred vision (short dizzy spell).

There would be a few no attribute or luck attribute skills like a glyph that adjusts the odds of your next skill. I can see luck effecting skills like Price/Spirit of Failure, and/or dodging stances. Might have to be the luck attribute is only 1% per 4 levels for non-Luck Mage skills for balance.

Ideas developed post-Nightfall
These next two ideas were developed after Nightfall had been out and I'd personally gotten as far as very early Vabbi. They are based on a quote implying the possibility of future mounts:
 * "It should also be noted that when the question was raised as to whether the appearance of rideable wurms in Nightfall signified some kind of mounts in a future campaign, the members of the development team we were talking to chuckled, smiled, and said they couldn't talk about it.".

They assume that with Nightfall, we now have a roughly equivalent class for everything but Ranger and Elementalist. Granted the Nightfall classes were more hybrid than the Factions ones (evident by the Blessings). My notions assume that (roughly):
 * = (Lyssa)
 * = (Grenth)
 * = (Dwayna = Wind Prayers + use of enchantments; but Scythe Mastery = Balthazar, Mysticism = Lyssa, Earth Prayers = Melandru)
 * = (Balthazar = Command + Spear Mastery + use of adrenaline; but Dwayna = Leadership + Motivation)
 * = ? (Melandru)
 * = ? (4 elements + energy storage = all 5 Gods of Tyria)

Dervish This class ended up being theoretically much like a combination of the previously described Egyptian Priest (devotion / embodiment of the gods) and Arcanist (power over desert winds / sands), but wrapped up into a whirling-melee-fighter. I love the idea form abilities of the class, but haven't warmed up to their actual practical usage. I don't claim to have came up with the character or even having contributed. But my thought (along with many others) may have contributed. Regardless, I'm proud that some of my ideas were so dead on.

Highlands
Think Northern European. Not snow covered like shiverpeaks, but the Braveheart/Highlander/Sound of Music mountains. A rift has opened from another world in the north where hords of demons flow from. These being These demons are scavengers that travel dimensions, consuming all in their wake. Socially structured with a hive mentality, very little can stand in their wake. The opening of the mother rift has spawned other minor rifts of chaos that sometimes put reality on the brink. The noble dragons of the land have held back these demons for centuries. But the dragons can hold back no more, and teeter on the brink of extinction.

Dragon Master [Dg]
/ Melandru inspired Many highlander tribes claim their home high in the lush mountains. It is in these remote regions that humanity first encountered these demons that leaked past the protection of the dragons. It is these people who struggle with the dragons to hold back the forces of chaos. Many of these highlanders have developed unique bonds with their dragon allies, and go into battle together. Mounting the dragons in combat, the two combined are greater than the sum of their parts. This bond is a rare one, and only since the onslaught of the hive have the mountain dragons even permitted humans to mount them.

Weapons The Dragon Master goes into battle wielding a lance or pole arm.

Mounts The mountain dragons consist of several closely related species. The thunder species breath electricity and call upon the storm. The molten species breath fire and live in long dormant volcanoes. The poison species dwell in bogs beneath the highlands. The water species dwell in chill cave ponds. Possibly other species too. It is the thunder species that is most involved in the battle, but all mountain dragons are threatened and have put their lives on the line. The dragons that Dragon Masters ride are either a sub-species, or young dragons about the size of a Prophesies Drake or Dokoylan. They are not large enough to support flight while mounted. Adult dracons are larger, and there may be some PvE (maybe flying) mission where you ride one of them, but it will not be standard. The Dragon Masters name is slightly a miss-nomer. Though they are know for being the only ones to mount dragons, they have the skills to train all manner of mountable beasts. Another mounts available in the region include a beast that resembles a cross between a mountain goat and a bison. If these characters go to prophesies of factions lands, they can tame creatures like the Dakoyln or bull or water buffalo/cow (whatever the one on starter island Cantha is) or leviathan (Factions) or worm (Nightfall).

Mount System Something will have to be done about what different mounts can do. There will be the riding/attacking rules above (in the Marauder post). But to have one mount available at a time that you have to level, and each mount having different abilities, would be too restrictive. Maybe you can charm multiple mounts, but choose your active mount in a town (PvP and tamed PvE mounts). Or maybe the young mounted dragons do not develop special abilities/breath attacks until they become adult. That way you can have mounts where no mount type has unique skills from other mounts. But I like the idea of the unique skills. Oh well, these are just ideas, so I don't need to figure out all those details to fantasize about them :)

Arcanist 2 [Ac]
/ Gods of Tyria inspired These masters of magic pull from the power of the rifts to harness trans-dimensional powers into lethal energies. The original Arcanists were powerful Elementalists. They learned to used the forces of the rifts as they use the forces of the elements. These forces proved to be quite effective helping the Dragons and Dragon Riders defend against The Hive. Both in damaging, and protecting their allies from the demons unique and foreign energies. Only the very old and most powerful Elementalist could grasp both the concepts of the elemental energies of our world and the extra-dimensional energies of the Hive Demons world. The energies competed with each other and drove those founders of the art mad. But they passed their knowledge down to new students, so that today new Archanists are trained in the art of these rift energies for the explicit purpose of holding back the Demons. If the Dragons and Dragon Riders can hold out long enough, hopefully the Arcanists can devise a way to seal the portals once and for all.

Political Corruption All Arcanists realize that if they reach their goal and close the rifts, the energies they draw on will be gone, and their years of study will be inapplicable. This is a discipline of sacrifice. Though the Arcanist school is too young to have too be corrupted too deeply, there are those who will always be self serving. The school tries to weed these potential trainers out before allowing them to study. But a few of these individuals slip through the cracks. These individually operate secretly from within the schools to ensure the rifts don't close. And some even work to open rifts to other deadly dimensions. Other less sneaky selfish Arcanists have actually fully converted to the other side and made pacts with the Demons. And then others have made pacts with the demons but are still working as double agents and truly on the side of humanity.


 * Attunement * primary attribute - Something akin to energy storage, but using energies of the rifts. Won't be based on actually being around a rift, as that would unbalance PvP.
 * Arcane Magic - Similar to one of the elemental schools, but deals in magic attacks made of pure magic (like the classic magic missile). Mostly offensive, but some defensive.
 * Rifts - Using rifts more directly. Some offense, but mostly defense and energy management. Banish (like in WC3) would be one skill.
 * Magic Twisting - What happens when elemental forces and rift forces collide? Magic Twisting. A different variety of offensive and defensive powers. But the volatile nature imposes certain penalties like health sacrificing.

Plains / Pacific Northwest / Highland Mountains
Kind of a predominantly Native American theme with hints of Celtic and a little Pre-Searing Ascalon classic medieval. After all, chapters seem to cover a few terrain types, and a kind of GW twist to slightly hybrid ancient real world cultures. Both architecture and ethnicity would reflect the setting. Location would be NW of Prophesies. On the same continent or another (I vote the same, but not as close as Nightfall).

Plains (Native American meets Foible's Fair) Nomadic bands of gypsies live in these areas and follow both the herd and trade routes. More bandits on the trade routes, more tribes following the herds. Dress/ethnicity is a Native American / Foible's Fair hybrid (Midevil travelers with complimented with leather/feathers/hunters warpaint). The closest to this style would by Kryta, but that's not really accurate. Weather here is generally nice, but heavy storms and dangerous winds can develop off the mountains. There is a great respect for the herds hunted, and pack animals (like wolfs to help corral and horses to help the hunters keep up) are used heavily. It's not uncommon for a tribe to travel with a herd, and only hunt when necessary. Even protecting the herd against other predators and helping the herd flourish by hunting the week from their herd and planting foods where the herd will return. Some tribes go so far in imitating the herds as to let their own week fall behind to other predators. Bandit tribes feed slightly off of peaceful tribes, but much more so off of trade route travelers and merchants.

Pacific Northwest (Native American with a Celtic touch) The plains yield way to mountains, North American style tropical rain forests, dormant ash volcanoes. Here the Native American culture is more predominant, but more permanent structures than tipi's. Like log cabins with metal Celtic bindings. Rituals are a heavy part of city life. Rituals aim at assuring safety from the elements in a potentially dynamically changing weather environment. Torrential rains, highly charged lightning storms, frequent geysers, earthquakes, mudslides and rare sky blackening ash volcano eruptions and tsunamis are all forces of nature to contend with.

Highlands (Celtic with a Native American touch) These areas are for hermits. Elders who have traveled into the mountains in search of answers to lives many questions. These particular highlands are well above the treeline of the Pacific Northwest type region, and there are some snow covered peaks. But most of the land consists of stone and moss and a nearly ever present heavy mist. Some people from the other regions believe that forces of the sky, and the energy of lightning originates in these highlands, and is thus the destination of many seers. Though if one were to seek the knowledge of the seers, they would find mostly people gone insane from lack of human contact and failure to unearth answers they though the highlands would yield them. There are small settlements inhabited by knowledge seekers. Libraries and powerful nature inspired sculpture is the central focus of all towns in this region. Tough the answers being sleeked have not been found, a mysterious shroud as thick as the early mountain fog shrouds many villagers in an awkward silence. They seek knowledge and value the free exchange of ideas, but something disturbing that even they don't quite understand envelops them.

The end story and element of mystery in the Highlands is linked to a Mursatt or Seer (black alien dude who infuses) tie in. Though weather or not they are the main point of contention or if there is some other force at play remains unwritten.

The story would start native characters out in the Pacific Northwest style region. Not too far away from the plains. Lots of weather concern quests with some involving strange herd activity from the plains. Foreigners would start between Kryta and the Plains, and travel with a merchant band containing a very sensitive package. The arrival of this package gets foreign and native players involved in the rest of the story. Though you start in the Pacific Northwest, there is only a minor amount of play there before you travel to the Highlands. Only a minor bit of play there and you travel back to the Plains for a while. Then the Pacific Northwest for a while. Then finish off by in depth exploration into the Highlands with initial tie ins back to the other regions.

Realm of Melandru With this chapter being so focused on nature (animals and weather), it would be the perfect opportunity to include this new realm of the gods.

Storm Caller [St]
/ / Gods of Tyria inspired Heavily in demand in the Pacific Northwest. Storm Callers are used daily to tame the elements to make city life possible. It is the Storm Callers who feel the beckoning of the highlands and a pull to uncover the mysteries and untapped power of nature. Storm Callers are also used in smaller number on the Plains for shelter. Storm callers are like an elementalist / nature ritual combination. They call forth weather effects that cover a wide area and effect both friend and foe alike. Many storm caller nature inducing effects are more like binding rituals (skills) than spells (easier to interrupt). Many nature effects are maintained (like Life Bond, causing energy degen to maintain), and some require the caster to continue "casting" (not moving) for the duration of their effect. Storm callers are ritualistic, and can benefit greatly from being teamed up with other storm callers. They don't both cast the same storm, but by combining skills of two storm callers, can make the effects more pronounced.

Weapons  Storm staffs (elemental damage)


 * Natures Favor * (primary attribute) - This grands the Storm Caller favoritism for their side. Negative storms will effect the enemy more. Exactly how this mechanism functions is purposefully left obscure for now. But this will only have an inherit effect on rituals casted by the individual, not just ones they are in the area of that were called by others.
 * Sky Storms - The forces of wind and lightning (lightning can cause fire).
 * Earth Storms - The forces of and beneath the earth (earthquakes, eruptions, etc).
 * Sea Storms - The forces of water and the sea (may be some cross over with sky storms, or may remove this attribute in favor of non-primary storm manipulation type attribute).

Skill Notes There will be several no attribute skills to mix well with secondary Storm Callers. All skill lines will have skills to compliment and possibly amplify other Storm Caller skills. For example, there may be a sky spell or ritual to compliment a sea ritual. Non Storm Callers can support Storm Callers, but some support skills will be primary attribute skills. Some support skills will also be maintained ones. The Storm Caller will have both skills and spells, kind of like the Ritualist. Spawning power may have a cool way of mixing (though you are not summoning spirits, the weather effect may be able to last longer or give further resistance while maintaining or supporting).

Beast Tamer [Bt]
/ Melandru inspired The Beast Tamer is in heavy demand on the Plains. They are the great hunters that provide food for the tribes. Ranger / Beast Tamers are very popular in hunting parties for their use of pets (for herding) and traps. Riding mounted animals, Beast Tamers are able to fight off predators and bandits. Though some put their skills to less than ethical means, becoming bandits themselves. In the Pacific Northwest they are used to keep the beasts at bay and away from the cities. Beast Tamers started venturing into the Highlands as bodyguards for Storm Callers, and later started going their on their own because of tales of supposed untameable terrifying exotic highland beasts.

Weapons Whips/flails (whips doing less damage, but more effects)


 * Leader of the Pack * (primary attribute) - The Beast Tamers primary attribute conveys a bonus for allied mounts and pets within the tamers sphere of influence. Contains a few skills to buff allied mounts and pets within their sphere of influence.
 * Mount Mastery - Dictates hit points of your beast. Higher level reduces chance of dismount. Includes mount attack skills. Includes beast control skills. Beast control skills may seem more applicable to PvE, but no skill will be PvE exclusive. Though in PvP, some beast control skills will certainly require your team or your enemies to have mounts/pets/etc.
 * Flail Mastery - Inherit increased damage with flails. These are attack skills. Many of the skills having secondary effects only while using a whip. There may also be some lasso skills, which do not require an equipped lasso, but are maintained.
 * Throwing Mastery - Beast Tamers use a variety of thrown implements to help hunt and tame. These include bolas, primitive grenades of various effects, and thrown personal trap/snares. None of these items are equipped, but just exist through skills. Similar to Dancing Daggers.

Mounts Mounts will have pretty much the same rules as previously described. But now additional elements have been thought of. Dismounts have a chance of happening when: you are hit with a critical; a dismount skill is used against you; a knockdown is used against you. Knockdowns only have a chance of working on a mounted individual, and if successful will dismount and knock down. If a pole arm is introduced in the future as an additional class weapon, it will have double the chance of landing a critical strike against a mount. Attacks and spells have a chance to hit mount or rider, just as they have a chance of hitting different armor locations on a person. AOE spells and attacks can be more dangerous against a mount as in most cases both mount and rider will be hit. Mounts do not attack like pets do (regular attacks plus pet attack skills). Mounts only attack through skills. Some mount attack skills may be more automatic, cheap, or faster to recharge; but they will still take up a skill slot.

Independent Class Ideas
Classes though up independently of a chapter/location/setting for them.

Weapons Master [Wm]
/ / Balthazar inspired The weapons master shines in learning and utilizing multiple types of martial weapons during combat. The focus is to make it practical to use multiple weapons with the 8 skills and 200 attribute points system of Guild Wars. This takes somewhat of an opposite direction of most non-core classes in that they have diverse enough skills to not require secondary professions, this one thrives on the other profession chosen to go with it. Secondary class with dictate a Weapons Masters specialty (as in additional weapon skills available), but generic attack skills will allow them a degree of effectiveness even with weapons of professions they are not.

Weapons  Shields / Any


 * Proficiency * (primary attribute) - Every point adds partial adrenaline gain per attack, and reduced cost of attack skills (similar to expertise, but distinctly different).
 * Weapon Mastery - Every full 1.5 ranks of Weapons Mastery adds 1 to all weapon mastery attributes (will not boost above 12). This is not primary to allow for other classes to have some weapon swap potential (mostly Warrior as they are the only class with multiple weapon masteries).
 * Dual Wield - Can equip 2 single handed weapons, or use shield as a weapon (requires 1 in Dual Wield). This is not a weapon mastery attributes, so not effected by the "Weapon Mastery" attribute. Default attack rate is the same, but hits 2/3 with right hand, 1/3 with left. Attack skills will override this chance to attack with weapon it's designed for. If weapon speeds are different, will attack at a speed based on the same 2:1 %. Has a 35% chance to miss with attacks, -5% per point in Dual Wield.  Chance to dual strike is +X% per point (stacks with dagger mastery).
 * Shield Mastery - Inherit increased damage with shields when equipped as a weapon. When equipped as a weapon, any offhand item may also be equipped.


 * Skills
 * Proficiency * - Skills in this attribute line include mostly stances.
 * Quick Draw - Elite stance that makes weapon swap instantaneous instead of waiting between actions.
 * Attackers Focus - Stance that makes attacks un-interruptable.
 * Stance Dancer - Skill (not stance) that gives stances a faster recharge based on % of duration remaining on current stance.
 * Weapon Mastery - Skills include many non weapon specific attack skills. Some ranged attacks, some melee attacks, some just attacks. Some pure damage attacks, some effect type attacks (like parry or disarm in concept). Also includes a stance that allows magic weapons/focus to be used without penalty to damage or energy bonuses. Also includes preparations that work for melee, ranged, or both.
 * Dual Wield - Includes dual attack skills (most with longer recharges), skills that increase chance of dual attacks, skills the are more or less effective with or without using two of the same weapon type. Includes stance that makes you only attack with primary or only secondary weapon.
 * Split Strike - Dual melee attack that attacks target and one adjacent foe (will not attack same target twice). If you hit 2 targets, this skill recharges faster or instantly.
 * Thousand Blades - Elite melee dual attack skill that swings twice with each weapon at target foe and foes adjacent to your target for 25% less damage.
 * Shield Mastery - Includes shield attack skills and skills that work when shield is equipped (as weapon or offhand). Most shield attack skills are for effect more than damage.
 * Stun - if a certain condition is met (like attacking master, moving or casting), cripples and dazes for a 1-3 seconds (short duration to basically chain next attack). May be multiple daze inflicting shield mastery attacks, but durations will all be very short.
 * Overwhelm - if target is dazed, knocks down (or skill disables) and does minor damage.
 * Overbear - if target is knocked down, increases knockdown duration one second.

Cultist [C]
/ /  / Grenth inspired Cultists work best with other cultists or classes to produce potent effects. Marks from allied cultists contribute to the power of the primary casters skill. Marks share traits with nature rituals and form skills in that they can have effects on friend and foe alike, and that they can't be removed through hex removal. This only applies to marks, not the primary casters skill. The primary casters skill is usually quite potent (like forms), but may be able to be removed.

Weapons  Cultist Staffs (cold or chaos damage)


 * Attributes - Could be their own class or a new attribute like for the Ritualist.


 * Marks - Marks are not hexes, and not subject to hex removal. Mark effects nearby characters, but not the marked character.  Friend or foe may be marked, but mostly beneficial to mark a for for primary casters build up skill.  Marks are not elite skills, but casting a mark disables the casters elites for 10 seconds.  Mark effects go into effect 2 seconds after being applied, and last a further 10 seconds.  Marks spells are fast activation times themselves.  Once a mark has gone into effect, a colored light pillar will appear above the marked ones head.  Once a mark is in effect, skills that use marks may be used, and mark effects (described below) turn on.  One of each mark may be applied at a time, and can not be refreshed until they have expired.
 * Flesh Mark - When hit with physical damage, all nearby take 3 armor ignoring damage (marked counts as making these attacks for hexes like Spiteful Spirit).
 * Ether Mark - When energy is lost (spending or stolen), all nearby loose 1 energy.
 * Spirit Mark - When hit with a spirit attack or holy damage, all nearby are also hit.


 * Skills - Elite Cultist skills consume one or more marks to create an outcome. Some require a mark or set of marks, some have varying effects depending on the marks applied.  They have no effect on unmarked characters.  The idea is to have a few cultists with mark skills, plus different elite skills, to support one another, and produce effects to benefit the non-cultist part of the team.
 * Transferance (elite) - Consumes all marks. Target foe is hexed with transferance.  Effects (existing and new, other than the transferance hex) on target move to nearby characters (and off target).  Transferance hexed character gains 9 health per effect and per character transfered to.  If flesh mark consumed, transfers conditions.  If ether mark consumed, transfers enchantment.  If spirit mark consumed, transfers hexes.
 * Persecute (elite) - Consumes all marks. Target has persecute (foe = hex, ally = enchantment).  When an enemy of target receives a condition (flesh mark) / enchatment (ether mark) / hex (spirit mark), it transfers instantly to target.
 * Inhibit (elite) - Consumes all marks. Marked characters in the area of caster have the Inhibit effect (not hex).  While effected by a condition/enchantment/hex (depending on mark... multiple marks require all types of effects to be met), target moves, attacks, and activates skills 66% slower.
 * Stasis (elite) - Consumes all marks. Target is hexed/enchanted (foe/ally) with stasis.  The next condition/enchantment/hex (just one, not of each) on target will have a 2-6 minute duration.  This duration ends if target successfully uses a skill.


 * Flash/Ether/Spirit Mark - Cast the Flash/Ether/Spirit mark on one target. Attribute rank for most mark skills effects cast time.
 * Draw Mark - Pull marks from target to cultist. Mark renews.
 * Send Mark - Transfer marks from cultist to target. Mark renews.
 * Trinity Mark (elite) - Put all three marks on self.
 * Spread Marks (elite) - All nearby target become marked with targets marks. Marks on all effected (including target) renew.