I have been positing a version of this before, but now put in the effort to rework it a little after the appearance of the Warden class... updating the concept which I still think would be pretty nifty for ESO (but then I would, wouldn't I?)
Anyways, here it goes (please don't hurt me![;)]( ";)")
):
Personally I would think the best way to add more "classes" is to give each class, say, three different "class morphs", each with its own new skill/passives line. Perhaps becoming available after completing the main storyline… or possibly only after doing cadwells silver... to reward people who do play through that – which would also give people the whole of cadwells gold to focus on making this new skill line since in my experience that was the point where I had maxed all my basic class and guild skills on most of my characters… (a "reward" for finishing cadwells gold might be some alliance change quest, but that is another topic, to be discussed elsewhere…)
The basic idea is that you may get to "morph" your basic class into an advanced version, gaining an fourth skill tree in addition to the basic three, with three different "morph flavor" choices per basic class; such a morph could of course be redone just like skill morphs (though as with them, any new choices would need their skills maxed from the beginning)
These morphs could become simply available to choose at completion of some checkpoint quest (like mentioned, cadwells silver would be one possibility, the mainstory another for those people who really don’t like to quest a lot), though it might also come as part of some quest…
I think it actually would be great if one had to follow a "find the right trainer" quest to morph ones basic class to any of those advanced classes, which might make a nifty addition to ESO, could be a whole small guild-sized DLC... not even needing its own fullsize region, it could be a DLC that adds several locations all over the place to go and search for that master… a hidden nightblade training facility in some lonely alik’r mountain fortress; a secluded sorcery school in an separate oblivion plane, a templar cathedral to the divines standing proud at the cyrodil border, a dragonknight practice arena run by descendants of the imperial akaviri (perhaps even in an instanced cloud ruler temple!), a warden gathering place in the heart of skyrim woodlands... something like those ideas anyhow.
It might also be possible to do this as a package deal. Like… have one questline dependent on each basic class, and choices with diverting paths, and depending on how your character goes through the questing might determine your available class morph… also possibly with factions, side with this one, gain this morph at the end of the questline, side with that one, gain that morph… et cetera.
It might be too much to ask, but it definitely would be more interesting if this concept came with some questing to unlock new options (though I suppose hardcore PvPlayers might hate it – but then ZOS could always sell insta-class-morphin tokens in the crown store, just like for vampire or werewolf...)
Some possibilities:
Dragonknight
![ee44766e67c1618ae323c94b5bf5cadc.jpg]()
Gladiator (offensive self buffs & warcries; color: red/orange)
![61625657.jpg]()
Pyromancer (flame resist and even more fire; color: yellow/blue - gas flame!)
![ESO-Rally.jpg]()
Warlord (defensive group buffs, AoE standards, color: purple/gold)
Nightblade
![mrq3q4qs7nhz.png]()
Illusionist (illusion summoning, mind magic; color: red/black - NPC illusionist)
![dfghdfghdfgh.jpg]()
Monk (melee support & assorted “martial arts” magic; color: blue/purple)
![TESL_Article_Dashboard_ElsweyrLookout_619x499.png]()
Scout (stealth support and defense buffs; color: olive-khaki)
Sorceror
![600px-SR-npc-Necromancer.jpg]()
Necromancer (death magic and undead summoning; color: cyan - NPC coldfire)
![6040252116271516202.jpeg]()
Spellsword (melee support & buff magic; color: yellow/orange – golden lightning!)
![25ab68c896d7ce49cee8449cf8c96302156d5b49_hq.jpg]()
Warlock (arcane magic; color: purple-ish, like NPC warlocks)
Templar
![0b15a4_733db818a0f84284a150f6e49ce5de9b~mv2.jpg]()
Crusader (melee support and aura-style buff magic; color: white/gold – holy light)
![9mWIu7TdpnE.jpg]()
Pilgrim (buff magic and healing support; color: yellow/green)
![Chanter_of_Akatosh_card_art.png]()
Witch-hunter (counterspells, spell resistance/shields, silencing; color: purple/red)
Warden
![ld235_incursionspecialist.jpg]()
Cryomancer (ice magic, color: white/clear - NPC cryomancer)
![TESL_Article_Dashboard_OctoberMonthlyCard_619x499.png]()
Ranger (animal summoning and nature magic; color: brown/green)
![Reachman_Shaman_card_art.png]()
Shaman (nature magic, totems, summons; color: shades of green)
Another possible idea was to not only have an added skill line with its own flavor of visual effects, but maybe even morph the existing effects to match.
So for example if a sorceror goes necromancer, their spells might be color-shifted to necromancer "coldfire" cyan, and if they turn warlock, their lightning may turn purple instead of white-blue, or a nightblade going scout would have their reddish effects recolored to something camo-ish olive green & khaki brown... that sort of stuff. For more visual goodieness and varietee between classes.
Perhaps even morph the spell effects to some degree... like, for summoned armor might look daedric on normal sorc, something magic-ish arcane on warlock, worm cult / lich on necromancer, and some knightly style on spellsword, etc.
That idea might perhaps take a bit too much coding to be viable though... I'd be happy with pure color shifts.
...of course, all those quick ideas are just very rough concepts, without much consideration but character fluff. I merely tried to give some options, and went for three instead of just two "magica-specialization / stamina specialization" - It's supposed to be more for added character diversity then anything else after all. And I had to rework them from the first version with the introduction of the warden, shift some ideas, add more to compensate…
Thus for example with Nightblades, there might be one magica-caster based with "illusionist"; one stamina melee based with "monk" (Yes, a nod at the old D&D class of the name, the first “martial arts” powered class I remember in fantasy gaming); and finally I went for "scout" as sneaky survivalist option after shifting the animal-flavored idea to warden…
Similar thoughts for the Sorceror - "spellsword" for stamina sorcerors; replacing the original cryomancer idea I came up with "warlock" as standoff caster class and to grab those "Witch/Warlock NPC" abilities I always wanted for player characters as well; and "necromancer" because all too many people really, really want that...![;)]( ";)")
Templar... has "crusader" is for stamina templars as the class name has been appearing in TES games before, despite tamrielic religions having less a focus on "cross" then where the name originated, and my "witch-hunter" idea is kinda inspired by the spanish inquisition (Yes, I know noone expected that![:smirk:]( ":smirk:")
), its "warhammer" imperial counterpart and also "Dragon Age", I admit it... seems logical to set up the aedric-flavored templars as natural enemies of the more deadric-flavored sorcerors... and finally replacing the warden-gone shaman idea came a "pilgrim" as support and summoner class...
Dragonknight I had the fewest ideas, since I kinda dislike that class. More fire magic for dragonknight magica-casters with "pyromancer" is a natural first thought... so then I went with "warlord" as "leader-style group play support" and "gladiator" as "berserker-style single combatant" flavors, though there may be better ideas then those...
Finally, for the new Wardens I grabbed some of my original ideas from other classes as they fit better, the "shaman" is a very natural idea, between all those druid-type characters like breton wyressess, argonian treeminders and bosmer spinners, expanding on the wardens plant-healing nature magic with some more aggressive plant based spells was rather obvious; "cryomancer" since ice staves have no matching offensive skill line yet (while fire and lightning staves sort of have) while the warden ice skills are generally more tanky in nature; and "ranger" was also pretty obvious, and giving them even more woodland creatures to call as well as some related skills for the "hunter" playstyle would seem applicable.
The skills itself are also just rough concepts - some I am quite happy with, others I feel might benefit from more thought and ideas… but it's a start I suppose, a proof of concept kind of notion, something like that… with ample room for refinement and reworking.
(also note that many of those I "borrowed" from existing mobs without knowing the actual in-game name of the abilities, just by remembering what I could from the time some mob used them unsuccessfully against one of my characters, so please, don't get too hung up on the names I used here, all right?![;)]( ";)")
)
In any case, since more diversity is always something I would love to see... much more fun having more choices in realizing your "perfect" character, especially since the limited number of skills one can actually use at any one time (5+U) makes people having to think and choose anyhow, so adding more active skills only increases a characters choices, not exactly their power...
And yes, spellcrafting might be able to cover some of those... but for one spellcrafting won't give you passives, which these skill lines should, and for another we have no idea whatsoever if, when or how spellcrafting might ever come to ESO... so I would rather put out an good (hey, at least I think so![;)]( ";)")
) idea then bet on a far off "maybe"...
Anyways, here it goes (please don't hurt me
):Personally I would think the best way to add more "classes" is to give each class, say, three different "class morphs", each with its own new skill/passives line. Perhaps becoming available after completing the main storyline… or possibly only after doing cadwells silver... to reward people who do play through that – which would also give people the whole of cadwells gold to focus on making this new skill line since in my experience that was the point where I had maxed all my basic class and guild skills on most of my characters… (a "reward" for finishing cadwells gold might be some alliance change quest, but that is another topic, to be discussed elsewhere…)
The basic idea is that you may get to "morph" your basic class into an advanced version, gaining an fourth skill tree in addition to the basic three, with three different "morph flavor" choices per basic class; such a morph could of course be redone just like skill morphs (though as with them, any new choices would need their skills maxed from the beginning)
These morphs could become simply available to choose at completion of some checkpoint quest (like mentioned, cadwells silver would be one possibility, the mainstory another for those people who really don’t like to quest a lot), though it might also come as part of some quest…
I think it actually would be great if one had to follow a "find the right trainer" quest to morph ones basic class to any of those advanced classes, which might make a nifty addition to ESO, could be a whole small guild-sized DLC... not even needing its own fullsize region, it could be a DLC that adds several locations all over the place to go and search for that master… a hidden nightblade training facility in some lonely alik’r mountain fortress; a secluded sorcery school in an separate oblivion plane, a templar cathedral to the divines standing proud at the cyrodil border, a dragonknight practice arena run by descendants of the imperial akaviri (perhaps even in an instanced cloud ruler temple!), a warden gathering place in the heart of skyrim woodlands... something like those ideas anyhow.
It might also be possible to do this as a package deal. Like… have one questline dependent on each basic class, and choices with diverting paths, and depending on how your character goes through the questing might determine your available class morph… also possibly with factions, side with this one, gain this morph at the end of the questline, side with that one, gain that morph… et cetera.
It might be too much to ask, but it definitely would be more interesting if this concept came with some questing to unlock new options (though I suppose hardcore PvPlayers might hate it – but then ZOS could always sell insta-class-morphin tokens in the crown store, just like for vampire or werewolf...)
Some possibilities:
Dragonknight
Gladiator (offensive self buffs & warcries; color: red/orange)
Skills:
• Backhand Strike (physical strike with offhand for additional disorient, stamina skill)
- Morph1: Backhand Bash (+ increased physical damage)
- Morph2: Backhand Slap (+ taunt)
• Challenge (taunt & target does less damage against all other enemies/duration)
- Morph1: Intimidating Challenge (target does less damage against everyone)
- Morph2: Mocking Challenge (+affects nearby targets, max 3)
• Battle Cry (self-only weapon damage buff)
- Morph1: War Cry (+ stamina regeneration buff)
- Morph2: Battle Wail (+ fear AoE for short duration)
• Endurance (increase physical resistance & health recovery, stamina skill)
- Morph1: Enduring Rage (+ increased light/heavy attack speed & stamina recovery)
- Morph2: Enduring Spirit (+ increase spell resistance and cleanse debuff, magica morph)
• Empowered Shout (cone AoE damage & disorient)
- Morph1: Thunderous Shout (+knockback)
- Morph2: Empowered Scream (more channeled damage, disorient when channel ends/interrupts)
Ultimate: Blood Rage (increase attack damage and good heal/time)
- Morph1: Blood Frenzy (+ increased movement speed)
- Morph2: Berzerk Rage (+ increased resistance)
Passives:
• Tough-minded: increased spell resistance
• Arena Champion: reduce cost of gladiator abilities
• Battle Rage: gain stamina for every enemy killed
• Painbringer: gain ultimate when damaged
• Backhand Strike (physical strike with offhand for additional disorient, stamina skill)
- Morph1: Backhand Bash (+ increased physical damage)
- Morph2: Backhand Slap (+ taunt)
• Challenge (taunt & target does less damage against all other enemies/duration)
- Morph1: Intimidating Challenge (target does less damage against everyone)
- Morph2: Mocking Challenge (+affects nearby targets, max 3)
• Battle Cry (self-only weapon damage buff)
- Morph1: War Cry (+ stamina regeneration buff)
- Morph2: Battle Wail (+ fear AoE for short duration)
• Endurance (increase physical resistance & health recovery, stamina skill)
- Morph1: Enduring Rage (+ increased light/heavy attack speed & stamina recovery)
- Morph2: Enduring Spirit (+ increase spell resistance and cleanse debuff, magica morph)
• Empowered Shout (cone AoE damage & disorient)
- Morph1: Thunderous Shout (+knockback)
- Morph2: Empowered Scream (more channeled damage, disorient when channel ends/interrupts)
Ultimate: Blood Rage (increase attack damage and good heal/time)
- Morph1: Blood Frenzy (+ increased movement speed)
- Morph2: Berzerk Rage (+ increased resistance)
Passives:
• Tough-minded: increased spell resistance
• Arena Champion: reduce cost of gladiator abilities
• Battle Rage: gain stamina for every enemy killed
• Painbringer: gain ultimate when damaged
Pyromancer (flame resist and even more fire; color: yellow/blue - gas flame!)
Skills:
• Fireball (basic flame attack, + small burn DoT)
- Morph1: Explosive Fireball (+ explodes on impact, AoE to nearby targets)
- Morph2: Burning Fireball (+ higher and longer lasting DoT)
• Fiery Blasts (two big balls of fire doing random ground AoE; like NPC pyromancers use)
- Morph1: Fiery Bombardment (3 fireballs)
- Morph2: Blazing Blasts (bigger AoEs)
• Flame Shield (damage shield, does low burn damage if struck by melee)
- Morph1: Inferno Shield (+ burn damage AoE around shield on cast)
- Morph2: Flame Sanctuary (+ shield strength increases depending on health lost)
• Fire Rain (channeled AoE, like Scamps use)
- Morph1: Fire Hail (ticks faster, same damage in less time)
- Morph2: Burning Rain (bigger AoE)
• Summon Flame Atronarch (standard red-yellow flames, toggleable)
- Morph1: Summon Blaze Atronarch (yellow-blue flame, + AoE flame aura)
- Morph2: Summon Ash Atronarch (smoke-blackish, extra damage resistance)
Ultimate: Pillar of Flames (AoE flame DoT, centered around caster, + physical resistance)
- Morph1: Storm of Flames (+ miss chance for attacks against caster)
- Morph2: Pillar of Conflagration (+ extra burning DoT for enemies after leaving AoE)
Passives:
• Flame-Eater: gain flame resistance
• Heart of Fire: reduce cost of pyromancer abilities
• Fuel for the Pyre: gain magica for every enemy killed with fire
• Burning Pain: increase fire attack critical chance
• Fireball (basic flame attack, + small burn DoT)
- Morph1: Explosive Fireball (+ explodes on impact, AoE to nearby targets)
- Morph2: Burning Fireball (+ higher and longer lasting DoT)
• Fiery Blasts (two big balls of fire doing random ground AoE; like NPC pyromancers use)
- Morph1: Fiery Bombardment (3 fireballs)
- Morph2: Blazing Blasts (bigger AoEs)
• Flame Shield (damage shield, does low burn damage if struck by melee)
- Morph1: Inferno Shield (+ burn damage AoE around shield on cast)
- Morph2: Flame Sanctuary (+ shield strength increases depending on health lost)
• Fire Rain (channeled AoE, like Scamps use)
- Morph1: Fire Hail (ticks faster, same damage in less time)
- Morph2: Burning Rain (bigger AoE)
• Summon Flame Atronarch (standard red-yellow flames, toggleable)
- Morph1: Summon Blaze Atronarch (yellow-blue flame, + AoE flame aura)
- Morph2: Summon Ash Atronarch (smoke-blackish, extra damage resistance)
Ultimate: Pillar of Flames (AoE flame DoT, centered around caster, + physical resistance)
- Morph1: Storm of Flames (+ miss chance for attacks against caster)
- Morph2: Pillar of Conflagration (+ extra burning DoT for enemies after leaving AoE)
Passives:
• Flame-Eater: gain flame resistance
• Heart of Fire: reduce cost of pyromancer abilities
• Fuel for the Pyre: gain magica for every enemy killed with fire
• Burning Pain: increase fire attack critical chance
Warlord (defensive group buffs, AoE standards, color: purple/gold)
Skills:
• Command (AoE stamina recharge & recovery buff)
- Morph1: Empowering Command (+ magica recharge & recovery buff)
- Morph2: Rallying Command (+ heal & health recovery buff)
• Standard of Smoke (Enemy miss chance against any target in large area)
- Morph1: Standard of Mist (+ HoT for every ally in area)
- Morph2: Standard of Ash (+ burn DoT for any enemy entering/in area)
• War Banner (increase group movement speed & stamina recovery, toggleable)
- Morph1: Battle Banner (+ increase group weapon & spell damage)
- Morph2: Siege Banner (+ increase group armor and spell resistance)
• Inspire (allies in range gain minor heroism each time you hit an enemy with a standard attack)
- Morph1: Leadership (+ extended duration for each enemy killed while active)
- Morph2: Presence (+ increased area of effect range)
• Standard of Pain (AoE snare and physical DoT while in area, similar to caltrops)
- Morph1: Standard of Harm (+ bleeding DoT in addition to area damage)
- Morph2: Standard of Denial (+damage increased by enemy in area)
Ultimate: Spirit Guard (summon two golden ghost warrior allies to fight by your side)
- Morph1: Spirit Army (summon four ghost warriors)
- Morph2: Soul Guard (+ extra power for summoned warriors, purple ghosts)
Passives:
• Veteran Commander: reduce cost of warlord abilities for every ally in range
• Combined Effort: weapon damage increased for every ally in range
• Strength in Numbers: stamina recovery increased for every ally in range
• Loyal Guardian: armor increased for every ally in range
• Command (AoE stamina recharge & recovery buff)
- Morph1: Empowering Command (+ magica recharge & recovery buff)
- Morph2: Rallying Command (+ heal & health recovery buff)
• Standard of Smoke (Enemy miss chance against any target in large area)
- Morph1: Standard of Mist (+ HoT for every ally in area)
- Morph2: Standard of Ash (+ burn DoT for any enemy entering/in area)
• War Banner (increase group movement speed & stamina recovery, toggleable)
- Morph1: Battle Banner (+ increase group weapon & spell damage)
- Morph2: Siege Banner (+ increase group armor and spell resistance)
• Inspire (allies in range gain minor heroism each time you hit an enemy with a standard attack)
- Morph1: Leadership (+ extended duration for each enemy killed while active)
- Morph2: Presence (+ increased area of effect range)
• Standard of Pain (AoE snare and physical DoT while in area, similar to caltrops)
- Morph1: Standard of Harm (+ bleeding DoT in addition to area damage)
- Morph2: Standard of Denial (+damage increased by enemy in area)
Ultimate: Spirit Guard (summon two golden ghost warrior allies to fight by your side)
- Morph1: Spirit Army (summon four ghost warriors)
- Morph2: Soul Guard (+ extra power for summoned warriors, purple ghosts)
Passives:
• Veteran Commander: reduce cost of warlord abilities for every ally in range
• Combined Effort: weapon damage increased for every ally in range
• Strength in Numbers: stamina recovery increased for every ally in range
• Loyal Guardian: armor increased for every ally in range
Nightblade
Illusionist (illusion summoning, mind magic; color: red/black - NPC illusionist)
Skills:
• Paralyze (stun for duration)
- Morph1: Confuse (+ decreased damage after stun ends)
- Morph2: Debiliate (+ snare after stun ends)
• Distracting Visions (reduce target damage & give chance to miss with attack / duration)
- Morph1: Cursed Visions (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Horrifying Visions (+ chance to freeze in panic for a sec every sec / duration)
• Fright Strike (ranged attack that ignores some damage resistance)
- Morph1: Fright Blast (+ AoE damage around target)
- Morph2: Panic Strike (+ fear effect after hit / short duration)
• Sanctuary (damage shield, strength dependent on total caster health)
- Morph1: Shadow Sanctuary (shield strength increased by number of nearby enemies)
- Morph2: Midnight Sanctuary (enemies who strike shield have a chance to suffer blind effect)
• Phantasm (summon shadowy melee attack pet, duration)
- Morph1: Phantasmal Beast (+ extra toughness)
- Morph2: Phantasmal Wraith (+ extra damage)
Ultimate: Chaotic World (ground AoE, random effect on those within each sec, fear, stun, blind, etc.)
- Morph1: Chaotic Trap (+ DoT while in field)
- Morph2: Chaotic Presence (AoE moves with caster)
Passives:
• Illusion Master: reduce illusionist ability costs
• Fata Morgana: increase illusionist ability duration
• Perfect Illusion: reduce enemy spell resistance against illusion abilities
• Chaos Mage: gain ultimate for every illusion ability cast
• Paralyze (stun for duration)
- Morph1: Confuse (+ decreased damage after stun ends)
- Morph2: Debiliate (+ snare after stun ends)
• Distracting Visions (reduce target damage & give chance to miss with attack / duration)
- Morph1: Cursed Visions (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Horrifying Visions (+ chance to freeze in panic for a sec every sec / duration)
• Fright Strike (ranged attack that ignores some damage resistance)
- Morph1: Fright Blast (+ AoE damage around target)
- Morph2: Panic Strike (+ fear effect after hit / short duration)
• Sanctuary (damage shield, strength dependent on total caster health)
- Morph1: Shadow Sanctuary (shield strength increased by number of nearby enemies)
- Morph2: Midnight Sanctuary (enemies who strike shield have a chance to suffer blind effect)
• Phantasm (summon shadowy melee attack pet, duration)
- Morph1: Phantasmal Beast (+ extra toughness)
- Morph2: Phantasmal Wraith (+ extra damage)
Ultimate: Chaotic World (ground AoE, random effect on those within each sec, fear, stun, blind, etc.)
- Morph1: Chaotic Trap (+ DoT while in field)
- Morph2: Chaotic Presence (AoE moves with caster)
Passives:
• Illusion Master: reduce illusionist ability costs
• Fata Morgana: increase illusionist ability duration
• Perfect Illusion: reduce enemy spell resistance against illusion abilities
• Chaos Mage: gain ultimate for every illusion ability cast
Monk (melee support & assorted “martial arts” magic; color: blue/purple)
Skills:
• Acrobatic Jump (jump over opponent like rogue NPCs – auto-dodge next enemy melee attack)
- Morph1: Acrobatic Strike (+ auto light weapon attack while jumping, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Shadow Jump (+ re-initialize Shadow Barrier)
• Flash Bomb (AoE centered on caster, blinds enemies in area / duration)
- Morph1: Smoke Bomb (+ dense blue-black smoke cloud, enemy attacks into have 50% miss)
- Morph2: Toxic Bomb (+ thin purple smoke cloud, DoT damage for enemies in/entering cloud)
• Poison Dart (blowpipe dart, slow & poison DoT, stamina)
- Morph1: Poison Powder (shorter range but cone AoE attack)
- Morph2: Defiling Dart (+reduces all healing / duration)
• Power Strike (physical attack that bypasses half enemy armor)
- Morph1: Power Slash (+ Bleeding DoT / duration; stamina morph)
- Morph2: Nerve Strike (+ decrease physical damage / duration)
• Inner Strength (cost magika, gain stamina, martial artist bossfight recovery scream animation!)
- Morph1: Inner Might (+ also gain health)
- Morph2: Inner Power (+ gain increased weapon damage / duration)
Ultimate: Battle Spirit (increased movement speed, dodge chance & stamina regeneration)
- Morph1: Warrior Spirit (+ increased defense & CC immunity)
- Morph2: Berserker Spirit (+ health & stamina recovery on damage done)
Passives:
• Sweeping Strikes: chance to make an additional second hit to nearby target on light attack
• Mental Discipline: add spell resistance
• Lethal Strikes: increase critical rating
• Combat Reflexes: basic 5/10% automatic dodge chance against melee attacks only
• Acrobatic Jump (jump over opponent like rogue NPCs – auto-dodge next enemy melee attack)
- Morph1: Acrobatic Strike (+ auto light weapon attack while jumping, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Shadow Jump (+ re-initialize Shadow Barrier)
• Flash Bomb (AoE centered on caster, blinds enemies in area / duration)
- Morph1: Smoke Bomb (+ dense blue-black smoke cloud, enemy attacks into have 50% miss)
- Morph2: Toxic Bomb (+ thin purple smoke cloud, DoT damage for enemies in/entering cloud)
• Poison Dart (blowpipe dart, slow & poison DoT, stamina)
- Morph1: Poison Powder (shorter range but cone AoE attack)
- Morph2: Defiling Dart (+reduces all healing / duration)
• Power Strike (physical attack that bypasses half enemy armor)
- Morph1: Power Slash (+ Bleeding DoT / duration; stamina morph)
- Morph2: Nerve Strike (+ decrease physical damage / duration)
• Inner Strength (cost magika, gain stamina, martial artist bossfight recovery scream animation!)
- Morph1: Inner Might (+ also gain health)
- Morph2: Inner Power (+ gain increased weapon damage / duration)
Ultimate: Battle Spirit (increased movement speed, dodge chance & stamina regeneration)
- Morph1: Warrior Spirit (+ increased defense & CC immunity)
- Morph2: Berserker Spirit (+ health & stamina recovery on damage done)
Passives:
• Sweeping Strikes: chance to make an additional second hit to nearby target on light attack
• Mental Discipline: add spell resistance
• Lethal Strikes: increase critical rating
• Combat Reflexes: basic 5/10% automatic dodge chance against melee attacks only
Scout (stealth support and defense buffs; color: olive-khaki)
Skills:
• Camouflage (reduce detection radius while sneaking, toggleable)
- Morph1: Scouts Camouflage (+ increase speed in stealth)
- Morph2: Snipers Camouflage (+ increase damage from stealth)
• Healing Trance (channeled heal, immobile while channeling, usable while in stealth)
- Morph1: Healing Meditation (+magica recovery, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Recovery Trance (+stamina recovery)
• Tainted Weapons (add disease damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Vile Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Tainted Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Protective Charm (damage shield vs. magic attacks)
- Morph1: Barrier Charm (+ damage shield vs everything)
- Morph2: Protective Talisman (+ stamina morph)
• Stink Grenade (projectile with lingering AoE cloud stun & snare effect on impact)
- Morph1: Taint Grenade (+ disease DoT for cloud effect)
- Morph2: Stink Bomb (increased AoE cloud size and duration)
Ultimate: Decoy (summons mirror image of caster to attack foe with basic attacks only, auto-taunt)
- Morph1: Explosive Decoy (+ AoE explosion when decoy is killed or duration expires)
- Morph2: Empowered Decoy (+ increased HP, attack & duration for decoy)
Passives:
• Unseen: increase stealth for each scout ability slotted
• Stubborn: chance to resist stun/snare/disorient
• Survivalist: increase health recovery for each scout ability slotted
• Toughness: gain bonus to physical damage resistance when below half health
• Camouflage (reduce detection radius while sneaking, toggleable)
- Morph1: Scouts Camouflage (+ increase speed in stealth)
- Morph2: Snipers Camouflage (+ increase damage from stealth)
• Healing Trance (channeled heal, immobile while channeling, usable while in stealth)
- Morph1: Healing Meditation (+magica recovery, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Recovery Trance (+stamina recovery)
• Tainted Weapons (add disease damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Vile Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Tainted Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Protective Charm (damage shield vs. magic attacks)
- Morph1: Barrier Charm (+ damage shield vs everything)
- Morph2: Protective Talisman (+ stamina morph)
• Stink Grenade (projectile with lingering AoE cloud stun & snare effect on impact)
- Morph1: Taint Grenade (+ disease DoT for cloud effect)
- Morph2: Stink Bomb (increased AoE cloud size and duration)
Ultimate: Decoy (summons mirror image of caster to attack foe with basic attacks only, auto-taunt)
- Morph1: Explosive Decoy (+ AoE explosion when decoy is killed or duration expires)
- Morph2: Empowered Decoy (+ increased HP, attack & duration for decoy)
Passives:
• Unseen: increase stealth for each scout ability slotted
• Stubborn: chance to resist stun/snare/disorient
• Survivalist: increase health recovery for each scout ability slotted
• Toughness: gain bonus to physical damage resistance when below half health
Sorceror
Necromancer (death magic and undead summoning; color: cyan - NPC coldfire)
Skills:
• Spectral Grasp (area snare, dodgeable, like lich)
- Morph1: Spectral Hold (+immobilize, then snare, like NPC necromancers)
- Morph2: Cursed Grasp (+ DoT, like undead death curse)
• Raise Undead (summon one skeleton, duration)
- Morph1: Raise Corpse (summon zombie, +special attacks – punch, vomit)
- Morph2: Army of Undead (summon 3 weak skeletons)
• Drain Strength (channeled, interruptable, do damage, gain magica)
- Morph1: Drain Life (+ also gain health)
- Morph2: Drain Power (+ reduce target spell damage for duration)
• Animate Dead (summon stronger undead, Draugr/Ra-netu, duration)
- Morph1: Animate Flesh (summon Flesh Atronarch)
- Morph2: Animate Bones (Summon Bone Colossus)
• Spirit Blast (like Mannimarco but smaller, two-tier AoE strike)
- Morph1: Spirit Bombardment (+area, Mannimarco sized)
- Morph2: Soul Blast (ignores some spell resistance)
Ultimate: Soul Cage (like the Lich spell, but with extra damage in spell area)
- Morph1: Soul Prison (+duration)
- Morph2: Etheral Cage (+area)
Passives:
• Gravesinger: undead pets get extra damage resistance/HP
• Necropotence: gain extra magica when necromancer pets are active
• Soul Render: do bonus damage against enemies affected by necromancer abilities
• Death Feeder: any time an enemy dies within 20 meters, gain health & magica
• Spectral Grasp (area snare, dodgeable, like lich)
- Morph1: Spectral Hold (+immobilize, then snare, like NPC necromancers)
- Morph2: Cursed Grasp (+ DoT, like undead death curse)
• Raise Undead (summon one skeleton, duration)
- Morph1: Raise Corpse (summon zombie, +special attacks – punch, vomit)
- Morph2: Army of Undead (summon 3 weak skeletons)
• Drain Strength (channeled, interruptable, do damage, gain magica)
- Morph1: Drain Life (+ also gain health)
- Morph2: Drain Power (+ reduce target spell damage for duration)
• Animate Dead (summon stronger undead, Draugr/Ra-netu, duration)
- Morph1: Animate Flesh (summon Flesh Atronarch)
- Morph2: Animate Bones (Summon Bone Colossus)
• Spirit Blast (like Mannimarco but smaller, two-tier AoE strike)
- Morph1: Spirit Bombardment (+area, Mannimarco sized)
- Morph2: Soul Blast (ignores some spell resistance)
Ultimate: Soul Cage (like the Lich spell, but with extra damage in spell area)
- Morph1: Soul Prison (+duration)
- Morph2: Etheral Cage (+area)
Passives:
• Gravesinger: undead pets get extra damage resistance/HP
• Necropotence: gain extra magica when necromancer pets are active
• Soul Render: do bonus damage against enemies affected by necromancer abilities
• Death Feeder: any time an enemy dies within 20 meters, gain health & magica
Spellsword (melee support & buff magic; color: yellow/orange – golden lightning!)
Skills:
• Force Bolt (magic projectile, does damage and minor breach)
- Morph1: Force Blast (+ AoE damage around target)
- Morph2: Curse Bolt (+ snare)
• Lightning Blades (adds lightning damage to caster and nearby allies, like DK molten W.)
- Morph1: Shocking Blades (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Lightning Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Lightning Charge (gap closer and shock damage on strike)
- Morph1: Blitz Charge (+ AoE shock damage around target on charge attack)
- Morph2: Lightning Steps (+ increased movement speed after charge)
• Thunderstrike (fan lightning attack, like NPC thundermaul but faster)
- Morph1: Thundershock (+ snare)
- Morph2: Stormstrike (+ knockback)
• Mystic Protection (all direct-target ranged attacks have miss chance / duration)
- Morph1: Mystic Shield (+ increased physical resistance)
- Morph2: Etheric Protection (miss chance doubled)
Ultimate: Thunderbolt (high damage singe file AoE shock strike hitting all targets in its path)
- Morph1: Dire Thunderbolt (does extra damage to targets affected by elemental effects)
- Morph2: Chain Thunderbolt (wider AoE path allowing for more targets struck)
Passives:
• Battlemage: spellsword abilities cost less to use
• Combat Meditation: heavy melee attacks also restore magica at 20/50% rate
• Energizer: casting a spellsword ability restores stamina
• Martial Arcane: heavy melee hits will empower your next magica attack
• Force Bolt (magic projectile, does damage and minor breach)
- Morph1: Force Blast (+ AoE damage around target)
- Morph2: Curse Bolt (+ snare)
• Lightning Blades (adds lightning damage to caster and nearby allies, like DK molten W.)
- Morph1: Shocking Blades (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Lightning Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Lightning Charge (gap closer and shock damage on strike)
- Morph1: Blitz Charge (+ AoE shock damage around target on charge attack)
- Morph2: Lightning Steps (+ increased movement speed after charge)
• Thunderstrike (fan lightning attack, like NPC thundermaul but faster)
- Morph1: Thundershock (+ snare)
- Morph2: Stormstrike (+ knockback)
• Mystic Protection (all direct-target ranged attacks have miss chance / duration)
- Morph1: Mystic Shield (+ increased physical resistance)
- Morph2: Etheric Protection (miss chance doubled)
Ultimate: Thunderbolt (high damage singe file AoE shock strike hitting all targets in its path)
- Morph1: Dire Thunderbolt (does extra damage to targets affected by elemental effects)
- Morph2: Chain Thunderbolt (wider AoE path allowing for more targets struck)
Passives:
• Battlemage: spellsword abilities cost less to use
• Combat Meditation: heavy melee attacks also restore magica at 20/50% rate
• Energizer: casting a spellsword ability restores stamina
• Martial Arcane: heavy melee hits will empower your next magica attack
Warlock (arcane magic; color: purple-ish, like NPC warlocks)
Skills:
• Eldritch Bolt (magic damage projectile, adds defile)
- Morph1: Doom Bolt (+ increased damage vs. low HP opponents)
- Morph2: Eldritch Volley (+ three bolts, like Reflective Light)
• Spellfire (magic bolt from sky, splitoff three attacks on impact, like NPC Warlocks)
- Morph1: Cursed Spellfire (+ lingering magic DoT for any foes hit)
- Morph2: Empowered Spellfire (+ splitoff six sub-attacks on impact)
• Cursed Weapons (add lifedrain damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Bewitched Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Cursed Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Eldritch Burst (release surge of magic damage AoE around caster)
- Morph1: Cursed Burst (+ DoT for all targets hit)
- Morph2: Eldritch Wave (+ pushback for all targets hit)
• Arcane Ward (ground AoE, reduces enemy magic attack damage against allies inside)
- Morph1: Arcane Barrier (+ reduces physical attack damage)
- Morph2: Eldritch Ward (+ increases ally magica regeneration )
Ultimate: Eldritch Hail (large ground AoE, multiple random dodgeable magic strikes from above)
- Morph1: Cursed Hail (+ dodged strikes leave magic traps on ground after impact)
- Morph2: Eldritch Storm (+ DoT over whole AoE in addition to strikes)
Passives:
• Thaumaturge: lower cost of Warlock abilities
• Arcane Knowledge: increase magica recovery
• Witchcraft: increase pure magic damage
• Magica Manipulation: gain magica when damaged by magic
• Eldritch Bolt (magic damage projectile, adds defile)
- Morph1: Doom Bolt (+ increased damage vs. low HP opponents)
- Morph2: Eldritch Volley (+ three bolts, like Reflective Light)
• Spellfire (magic bolt from sky, splitoff three attacks on impact, like NPC Warlocks)
- Morph1: Cursed Spellfire (+ lingering magic DoT for any foes hit)
- Morph2: Empowered Spellfire (+ splitoff six sub-attacks on impact)
• Cursed Weapons (add lifedrain damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Bewitched Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Cursed Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Eldritch Burst (release surge of magic damage AoE around caster)
- Morph1: Cursed Burst (+ DoT for all targets hit)
- Morph2: Eldritch Wave (+ pushback for all targets hit)
• Arcane Ward (ground AoE, reduces enemy magic attack damage against allies inside)
- Morph1: Arcane Barrier (+ reduces physical attack damage)
- Morph2: Eldritch Ward (+ increases ally magica regeneration )
Ultimate: Eldritch Hail (large ground AoE, multiple random dodgeable magic strikes from above)
- Morph1: Cursed Hail (+ dodged strikes leave magic traps on ground after impact)
- Morph2: Eldritch Storm (+ DoT over whole AoE in addition to strikes)
Passives:
• Thaumaturge: lower cost of Warlock abilities
• Arcane Knowledge: increase magica recovery
• Witchcraft: increase pure magic damage
• Magica Manipulation: gain magica when damaged by magic
Templar
Crusader (melee support and aura-style buff magic; color: white/gold – holy light)
Skills:
• Radiant Aura (AoE light aura around crusader increasing stealth detection / duration)
- Morph1: Blessed Aura (+ spell resistance for caster & allies in aura)
- Morph2: Radiant Flash (insta-effect larger AoE stealth auto-reveal & blinds enemies)
• Blessed Smite (summon spiritual rod melee strike for splash AoE damage, like mini-dawnbreaker)
- Morph1: Holy Smite (+ extra damage against undead and daedra)
- Morph2: Blessed Smash (+ knockback)
• Crusader Aura (caster AoE aura, weapon damage buff for all allies in aura range)
- Morph1: Fanatic Aura (+ magica & stamina regeneration boost)
- Morph2: Paladin Aura (+ HP regeneration & healing received boost)
• Blessed Weapons (add magic damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Sanctified Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Blessed Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Divine Light (DoT magic damage AoE aura around caster, + enemy miss chance in aura)
- Morph1: Holy Light (+ extra damage vs. undead & daedra)
- Morph2: Divine Flare (+ miss chance persists / duration after leaving aura)
Ultimate: Divine Wrath (Pillar of Divine Flames, high single-target DoT & snare)
- Morph1: Holy Wrath (+ extra damage against undead and daedra)
- Morph2: Divine Punishment (less initial damage, but AoE explosion & knockdown when DoT ends)
Passives:
• Divine Favor: reduce crusader ability costs
• Enduring Faith: increase crusader ability duration
• Holy War: increase critical strike chance
• Judgement: casting a crusader ability restores stamina
• Radiant Aura (AoE light aura around crusader increasing stealth detection / duration)
- Morph1: Blessed Aura (+ spell resistance for caster & allies in aura)
- Morph2: Radiant Flash (insta-effect larger AoE stealth auto-reveal & blinds enemies)
• Blessed Smite (summon spiritual rod melee strike for splash AoE damage, like mini-dawnbreaker)
- Morph1: Holy Smite (+ extra damage against undead and daedra)
- Morph2: Blessed Smash (+ knockback)
• Crusader Aura (caster AoE aura, weapon damage buff for all allies in aura range)
- Morph1: Fanatic Aura (+ magica & stamina regeneration boost)
- Morph2: Paladin Aura (+ HP regeneration & healing received boost)
• Blessed Weapons (add magic damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Sanctified Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Blessed Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Divine Light (DoT magic damage AoE aura around caster, + enemy miss chance in aura)
- Morph1: Holy Light (+ extra damage vs. undead & daedra)
- Morph2: Divine Flare (+ miss chance persists / duration after leaving aura)
Ultimate: Divine Wrath (Pillar of Divine Flames, high single-target DoT & snare)
- Morph1: Holy Wrath (+ extra damage against undead and daedra)
- Morph2: Divine Punishment (less initial damage, but AoE explosion & knockdown when DoT ends)
Passives:
• Divine Favor: reduce crusader ability costs
• Enduring Faith: increase crusader ability duration
• Holy War: increase critical strike chance
• Judgement: casting a crusader ability restores stamina
Pilgrim (buff magic and healing support; color: yellow/green)
Skills:
• Divine Blessing (damage & spell resistance buff to self and nearby allies)
- Morph1: Divine Protection (+ small chance for enemy spells to reflect)
- Morph2: Holy Blessing (+ duration refresh chance at suffering damage)
• Weaken (debuff enemies attack damage / duration)
- Morph1: Harm (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Wither (+ also reduce enemies movement and defense)
• Purify (heal over time, purge one negative status effect)
- Morph1: Quick Purify (+ ticks faster)
- Morph2: Mass Purify (+ affects 3 allies)
• Sanctity (become immune to all attacks but cannot attack / duration, cost increases per recast)
- Morph1: Blessed Sanctity (+ heal over time)
- Morph2: Enduring Sanctity (+ increased duration)
• Sanctified Ground (ground AoE, allies increase all resource regeneration in area)
- Morph1: Sanctified Soil (increased area)
- Morph2: Holy Ground (+undead and daedra take DoT in area)
Ultimate: Deliverance (summons divine spirit which will take half damage for caster & auto-taunt)
- Morph1: Wrathful Deliverance (+ spirit attack increased depending on caster lost HP)
- Morph2: Blessed Deliverance (+ spirit defense increased depending on caster lost HP)
Passives:
• Pious: pilgrim abilities cost less
• Benevolence: increase all healing per pilgrim ability slotted
• Aedric Favor: boost magica recovery when casting a pilgrim ability
• Divine Investure: add minor buff to any ally healed or blessed by pilgrim
• Divine Blessing (damage & spell resistance buff to self and nearby allies)
- Morph1: Divine Protection (+ small chance for enemy spells to reflect)
- Morph2: Holy Blessing (+ duration refresh chance at suffering damage)
• Weaken (debuff enemies attack damage / duration)
- Morph1: Harm (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Wither (+ also reduce enemies movement and defense)
• Purify (heal over time, purge one negative status effect)
- Morph1: Quick Purify (+ ticks faster)
- Morph2: Mass Purify (+ affects 3 allies)
• Sanctity (become immune to all attacks but cannot attack / duration, cost increases per recast)
- Morph1: Blessed Sanctity (+ heal over time)
- Morph2: Enduring Sanctity (+ increased duration)
• Sanctified Ground (ground AoE, allies increase all resource regeneration in area)
- Morph1: Sanctified Soil (increased area)
- Morph2: Holy Ground (+undead and daedra take DoT in area)
Ultimate: Deliverance (summons divine spirit which will take half damage for caster & auto-taunt)
- Morph1: Wrathful Deliverance (+ spirit attack increased depending on caster lost HP)
- Morph2: Blessed Deliverance (+ spirit defense increased depending on caster lost HP)
Passives:
• Pious: pilgrim abilities cost less
• Benevolence: increase all healing per pilgrim ability slotted
• Aedric Favor: boost magica recovery when casting a pilgrim ability
• Divine Investure: add minor buff to any ally healed or blessed by pilgrim
Witch-hunter (counterspells, spell resistance/shields, silencing; color: purple/red)
Skills:
• Spirit Shackles (immobilize and magica drain, broken by any other damage)
- Morph1: Spirit Chains (+ snare after shackles broken/end)
- Morph2: Soul Shackles (+ magica DoT after shackles broken/end)
• Purge Curse (removes all harmful effects from target, DoTs, debuffs, etc…)
- Morph1: Deny Curse (+ gives immunity to harmful magic effects / duration)
- Morph2: Purge Magic (+ also removes beneficial effects, shields, buffs, pets, etc…)
• Spell Shield (increases spell resistance)
- Morph1: Mystic Shield (+ added physical resistance)
- Morph2: Spell Mirror (+ reflects first spell cast back on caster)
• Chant of Silence (prevents spellcasting for a short duration)
- Morph1: Stroke of Silence (+ damage if cast at spellcasting target)
- Morph2: Chant of Muteness (+ stuns if cast at spellcasting target)
• Magebane (damage after duration depending on target magica use while effect active)
- Morph1: Empowered Magebane (+extra base damage irregardless of magica use)
- Morph2: Overcharged Magebane (damage dealt as AoE explosion)
Ultimate: Negate Magic (yes, -exactly- the one the sorcerors have too, just color-shifted)
- Morph1: Suppression Field (as sorceror)
- Morph2: Absorption Field (as sorceror)
Passives:
• Spiritual Fortitude: add spell resistance
• Inquisitor: reduce cost for witch-hunter abilities
• Fervor: gain magicka every time damaged by a spell
• Injunction: increase witch-hunter abilities duration
• Spirit Shackles (immobilize and magica drain, broken by any other damage)
- Morph1: Spirit Chains (+ snare after shackles broken/end)
- Morph2: Soul Shackles (+ magica DoT after shackles broken/end)
• Purge Curse (removes all harmful effects from target, DoTs, debuffs, etc…)
- Morph1: Deny Curse (+ gives immunity to harmful magic effects / duration)
- Morph2: Purge Magic (+ also removes beneficial effects, shields, buffs, pets, etc…)
• Spell Shield (increases spell resistance)
- Morph1: Mystic Shield (+ added physical resistance)
- Morph2: Spell Mirror (+ reflects first spell cast back on caster)
• Chant of Silence (prevents spellcasting for a short duration)
- Morph1: Stroke of Silence (+ damage if cast at spellcasting target)
- Morph2: Chant of Muteness (+ stuns if cast at spellcasting target)
• Magebane (damage after duration depending on target magica use while effect active)
- Morph1: Empowered Magebane (+extra base damage irregardless of magica use)
- Morph2: Overcharged Magebane (damage dealt as AoE explosion)
Ultimate: Negate Magic (yes, -exactly- the one the sorcerors have too, just color-shifted)
- Morph1: Suppression Field (as sorceror)
- Morph2: Absorption Field (as sorceror)
Passives:
• Spiritual Fortitude: add spell resistance
• Inquisitor: reduce cost for witch-hunter abilities
• Fervor: gain magicka every time damaged by a spell
• Injunction: increase witch-hunter abilities duration
Warden
Cryomancer (ice magic, color: white/clear - NPC cryomancer)
Skills:
• Frost Touch (DoT & slow, like Ghosts use but faster cast)
- Morph1: Freezing Touch (+ freeze / duration, then normal effect)
- Morph2: Frost Throw (extended range, iceicle throw animation)
• Ice Wall (like the NPCs use, blocks/intercepts ranged attacks)
- Morph1: Frost Wall (+ cold aura around wall, doing DoT to any enemies nearby)
- Morph2: Ice Fortress (+ wall also adds to physical resistance while staying nearby)
• Icy Weapons (add cold damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Freezing Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Icy Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Winters Breath (fan shaped area frost attack, like DK fire breath, but ice)
- Morph1: Freezing Breath (+ lower weapon damage on hit / duration)
- Morph2: Winters Wind (+ minor pushback)
• Ice Spikes (random four AoE slow & DoT spots around caster, like the frost atronatrch)
- Morph1: Ice Pillar (one spike with larger AoE, freeze chance if hit by ice in AoE, like ice ogres)
- Morph2: Ice Cage (like warmages use, icy ring around caster, high DoT when stepping on it)
Ultimate: Summon Ice Wraith (strong version, duration)
- Morph1: Summon Winter Wraith (+ cold AoE aura on wraith)
- Morph2: Summon Frost Atronarch (big, strong, cold and nasty)
Passives:
• Winters Grasp: adds additional weak slow or snare effect to all cold attacks
• Cold Blooded: increases cold damage resistance
• Chilled to the Bone: frost attacks ignore some spell resistance
• Frozen Word: increases all cold damage
• Frost Touch (DoT & slow, like Ghosts use but faster cast)
- Morph1: Freezing Touch (+ freeze / duration, then normal effect)
- Morph2: Frost Throw (extended range, iceicle throw animation)
• Ice Wall (like the NPCs use, blocks/intercepts ranged attacks)
- Morph1: Frost Wall (+ cold aura around wall, doing DoT to any enemies nearby)
- Morph2: Ice Fortress (+ wall also adds to physical resistance while staying nearby)
• Icy Weapons (add cold damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Freezing Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Icy Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Winters Breath (fan shaped area frost attack, like DK fire breath, but ice)
- Morph1: Freezing Breath (+ lower weapon damage on hit / duration)
- Morph2: Winters Wind (+ minor pushback)
• Ice Spikes (random four AoE slow & DoT spots around caster, like the frost atronatrch)
- Morph1: Ice Pillar (one spike with larger AoE, freeze chance if hit by ice in AoE, like ice ogres)
- Morph2: Ice Cage (like warmages use, icy ring around caster, high DoT when stepping on it)
Ultimate: Summon Ice Wraith (strong version, duration)
- Morph1: Summon Winter Wraith (+ cold AoE aura on wraith)
- Morph2: Summon Frost Atronarch (big, strong, cold and nasty)
Passives:
• Winters Grasp: adds additional weak slow or snare effect to all cold attacks
• Cold Blooded: increases cold damage resistance
• Chilled to the Bone: frost attacks ignore some spell resistance
• Frozen Word: increases all cold damage
Ranger (animal summoning and nature magic; color: brown/green)
Skills:
• Animal Friend (make normal animals non-hostile, toggleable)
- Morph1: Nature Friend (+ also works on nature mobs like Spriggans, Lurchers, etc.)
- Morph2: Animal Ally (+ chance to have any nearby animal NPC temporarily help if in combat)
• Wolf Trap (much like the traps some rouge NPCs use, damage & immobilize/duration, stamina)
- Morph1: Poisoned Trap (+ poison DoT)
- Morph2: Bear Trap (+ snare after immobilizing ends and increased damage)
• Poisoned Weapons (add poison damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Envenomed Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Poisoned Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Call of the Wild: summons one creature to fight for you / duration, dependent on area)
- Morph1: Call of the Pack (summon two creatures)
- Morph2: Call of the Beast (summon strong creature)
• Campsite (ground AoE, increases resource recovery for all allies in area)
- Morph1: Warded Campsite (+ increase resistance)
- Morph2: Trapped Campsite (+ immobilizing traps vs. enemies around perimeter)
Ultimate: Summon Swarm (AoE centered around target, DoT and spell interrupt / duration)
- Morph1: Summon Hive (+ duration)
- Morph2: Poisonous Swarm (+ extra poison DoT after swarm ends)
Passives:
• Woodrunner: add running speed
• Animal Mastery: add HP & damage to summoned creature(s)
• Tracker: increase detection range vs. other stealth
• Master Hunter: bonus damage against beasts (including werewolves!)
• Animal Friend (make normal animals non-hostile, toggleable)
- Morph1: Nature Friend (+ also works on nature mobs like Spriggans, Lurchers, etc.)
- Morph2: Animal Ally (+ chance to have any nearby animal NPC temporarily help if in combat)
• Wolf Trap (much like the traps some rouge NPCs use, damage & immobilize/duration, stamina)
- Morph1: Poisoned Trap (+ poison DoT)
- Morph2: Bear Trap (+ snare after immobilizing ends and increased damage)
• Poisoned Weapons (add poison damage to attacks for caster and nearby allies, like DK Molten W.)
- Morph1: Envenomed Weapons (+attacks increase duration)
- Morph2: Poisoned Armaments (+damage increased against low health targets)
• Call of the Wild: summons one creature to fight for you / duration, dependent on area)
- Morph1: Call of the Pack (summon two creatures)
- Morph2: Call of the Beast (summon strong creature)
• Campsite (ground AoE, increases resource recovery for all allies in area)
- Morph1: Warded Campsite (+ increase resistance)
- Morph2: Trapped Campsite (+ immobilizing traps vs. enemies around perimeter)
Ultimate: Summon Swarm (AoE centered around target, DoT and spell interrupt / duration)
- Morph1: Summon Hive (+ duration)
- Morph2: Poisonous Swarm (+ extra poison DoT after swarm ends)
Passives:
• Woodrunner: add running speed
• Animal Mastery: add HP & damage to summoned creature(s)
• Tracker: increase detection range vs. other stealth
• Master Hunter: bonus damage against beasts (including werewolves!)
Shaman (nature magic, totems, summons; color: shades of green)
Skills:
• Coiled Lash (spectral ranged attack, like NPC shamans use)
- Morph1: Spirit Lash (+ ignores some defense)
- Morph2: Coiled Blast (AoE explosion on hit, doing damage to nearby enemies)
• Grasping Vines (like the Strangler AoE attack, AoE damage and snare while in area)
- Morph1: Thorny Vines (+ snare/duration after leaving area)
- Morph2: Grasping Roots (increased area)
• Pollen Cloud (like the Lurchers use, AoE damage)
- Morph1: Poisonous Pollen (+ extra poison DoT)
- Morph2: Irritating Pollen (+ reduced damage / duration)
• Protective Totem (like NPC Shamans use; +resistance AoE, but stun if totem destroyed)
- Morph1: Fortified Totem (no stun if totem destroyed)
- Morph2: Vengeful Totem (DoT for enemies within totem area)
• Floral Blast (cone AoE damage, like the Spriggans use, but stronger)
- Morph1: Toxic Blast (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Floral Gust (+ minor knockback)
Ultimate: Call on Nature (summon strong Nature Lurcher, like in that Greenshade quest)
- Morph1: Call on Spring (summon strong Rain Lurcher, self-healing)
- Morph2: Call on Summer (summon strong Fire Lurcher, flame AoE damage aura)
Passives:
• Naturalist: resistance to poison and disease
• Wilderness Totem: increase spell damage while in totem area
• Deep Roots: increase shaman ability durations
• Nature’s Blessing: gain ultimate every time activating a shaman ability
• Coiled Lash (spectral ranged attack, like NPC shamans use)
- Morph1: Spirit Lash (+ ignores some defense)
- Morph2: Coiled Blast (AoE explosion on hit, doing damage to nearby enemies)
• Grasping Vines (like the Strangler AoE attack, AoE damage and snare while in area)
- Morph1: Thorny Vines (+ snare/duration after leaving area)
- Morph2: Grasping Roots (increased area)
• Pollen Cloud (like the Lurchers use, AoE damage)
- Morph1: Poisonous Pollen (+ extra poison DoT)
- Morph2: Irritating Pollen (+ reduced damage / duration)
• Protective Totem (like NPC Shamans use; +resistance AoE, but stun if totem destroyed)
- Morph1: Fortified Totem (no stun if totem destroyed)
- Morph2: Vengeful Totem (DoT for enemies within totem area)
• Floral Blast (cone AoE damage, like the Spriggans use, but stronger)
- Morph1: Toxic Blast (+ DoT)
- Morph2: Floral Gust (+ minor knockback)
Ultimate: Call on Nature (summon strong Nature Lurcher, like in that Greenshade quest)
- Morph1: Call on Spring (summon strong Rain Lurcher, self-healing)
- Morph2: Call on Summer (summon strong Fire Lurcher, flame AoE damage aura)
Passives:
• Naturalist: resistance to poison and disease
• Wilderness Totem: increase spell damage while in totem area
• Deep Roots: increase shaman ability durations
• Nature’s Blessing: gain ultimate every time activating a shaman ability
Another possible idea was to not only have an added skill line with its own flavor of visual effects, but maybe even morph the existing effects to match.
So for example if a sorceror goes necromancer, their spells might be color-shifted to necromancer "coldfire" cyan, and if they turn warlock, their lightning may turn purple instead of white-blue, or a nightblade going scout would have their reddish effects recolored to something camo-ish olive green & khaki brown... that sort of stuff. For more visual goodieness and varietee between classes.
Perhaps even morph the spell effects to some degree... like, for summoned armor might look daedric on normal sorc, something magic-ish arcane on warlock, worm cult / lich on necromancer, and some knightly style on spellsword, etc.
That idea might perhaps take a bit too much coding to be viable though... I'd be happy with pure color shifts.
...of course, all those quick ideas are just very rough concepts, without much consideration but character fluff. I merely tried to give some options, and went for three instead of just two "magica-specialization / stamina specialization" - It's supposed to be more for added character diversity then anything else after all. And I had to rework them from the first version with the introduction of the warden, shift some ideas, add more to compensate…
Thus for example with Nightblades, there might be one magica-caster based with "illusionist"; one stamina melee based with "monk" (Yes, a nod at the old D&D class of the name, the first “martial arts” powered class I remember in fantasy gaming); and finally I went for "scout" as sneaky survivalist option after shifting the animal-flavored idea to warden…
Similar thoughts for the Sorceror - "spellsword" for stamina sorcerors; replacing the original cryomancer idea I came up with "warlock" as standoff caster class and to grab those "Witch/Warlock NPC" abilities I always wanted for player characters as well; and "necromancer" because all too many people really, really want that...
Templar... has "crusader" is for stamina templars as the class name has been appearing in TES games before, despite tamrielic religions having less a focus on "cross" then where the name originated, and my "witch-hunter" idea is kinda inspired by the spanish inquisition (Yes, I know noone expected that
), its "warhammer" imperial counterpart and also "Dragon Age", I admit it... seems logical to set up the aedric-flavored templars as natural enemies of the more deadric-flavored sorcerors... and finally replacing the warden-gone shaman idea came a "pilgrim" as support and summoner class...Dragonknight I had the fewest ideas, since I kinda dislike that class. More fire magic for dragonknight magica-casters with "pyromancer" is a natural first thought... so then I went with "warlord" as "leader-style group play support" and "gladiator" as "berserker-style single combatant" flavors, though there may be better ideas then those...
Finally, for the new Wardens I grabbed some of my original ideas from other classes as they fit better, the "shaman" is a very natural idea, between all those druid-type characters like breton wyressess, argonian treeminders and bosmer spinners, expanding on the wardens plant-healing nature magic with some more aggressive plant based spells was rather obvious; "cryomancer" since ice staves have no matching offensive skill line yet (while fire and lightning staves sort of have) while the warden ice skills are generally more tanky in nature; and "ranger" was also pretty obvious, and giving them even more woodland creatures to call as well as some related skills for the "hunter" playstyle would seem applicable.
The skills itself are also just rough concepts - some I am quite happy with, others I feel might benefit from more thought and ideas… but it's a start I suppose, a proof of concept kind of notion, something like that… with ample room for refinement and reworking.
(also note that many of those I "borrowed" from existing mobs without knowing the actual in-game name of the abilities, just by remembering what I could from the time some mob used them unsuccessfully against one of my characters, so please, don't get too hung up on the names I used here, all right?
)In any case, since more diversity is always something I would love to see... much more fun having more choices in realizing your "perfect" character, especially since the limited number of skills one can actually use at any one time (5+U) makes people having to think and choose anyhow, so adding more active skills only increases a characters choices, not exactly their power...
And yes, spellcrafting might be able to cover some of those... but for one spellcrafting won't give you passives, which these skill lines should, and for another we have no idea whatsoever if, when or how spellcrafting might ever come to ESO... so I would rather put out an good (hey, at least I think so
) idea then bet on a far off "maybe"...
