Class Concept: Spellwarrior

[loras]

Magic has long been a vice of the elves, or so they say, but they've also been quite creative in their application of it.

Yet sometimes, it seems, an external perspective is needed to see the methods to their madness. A "lesser" perspective of a "lesser" race, specifically mine.

For when thinking of their magic we tend to to think of their extremes, of their world sundering sorcerors and of their brutish, nightmarish monstrosities, devoured body and soul by their powers they pursued.

Yet plenty of examples of more nuanced mixes of martial and magical prowess exist, and it is in those that i take great interest, for theese mail-clad Spellwarriors are far better adapted to the chaos of the battlefield than their robed brethren and more heavily armored counterparts alike.

For the ease of comparing them i shall limit this particular class of skillful magic users to the following categories:

1. The spellranger: These savvy fighters excell in ranged prowess and sorcery in equal measure, borrowing from many schools of magic in much the same way mages do, yet combining their magical might with skillful mastery of the bow these Spellwarriors are unpredictable foes as likely to blast you with arcane might and lightning, as they are to manipulate you with shadowy death and holy light.

Prominent examples of such Spellwarriors include, among others, the naga seawitches, the night elven priestesses of the moon, and the forsaken dark rangers.

2. The spellblade: These agile warriors dance along the battlefield, manipulating time and space to strike multiple times at once, move at impossible speeds or even be in several places at once, though their magic is far from being limited to only that. Illusions, time alteration and even minor forays into such powers as the void and the fel are among the possibilities for these masters of martial magic.

Prominent examples: Nightborne spellblades, some claim that orcish blademasters may have known techniques very much alike to these elves. Additionally i am unsure regarding the skillset of the wardens in this respect

3. The spellbreaker: There is little more dreadful for a mage than to have their spellwork, nullified, stolen or reflected back at them. Various classes of fighters may have one or two ways to do such a thing, but the spellbreakers turn such a thing to an art. The nightmare of all things magical these living bullwarks can take an immense amount of punishment without issue and wield their oppents' might against them.

Prominent examples: Sin'dorei and Quel'dorei spellbreakers.

---

So far i have seen little enough indication that the elves realise the commonalities between these seemingly discrepant fighters, yet as all can be moderately heavy armored and mix their mastery of magic and martial with a careful amount of willpower and control.

As such i would argue that they stand out from i.e. the dreadful death knights and saintly paladins, slave to their torment and the light respectively. Likewise demon hunters, try as they might, are subject to the whims of the fel, while warriors' rage is legendary for its propensity to master them rather than the other way around. Finally the way shamans use the elements to enhance themselves has some minor overlap as well, yet again they serve and barter for their power whereas the Spellwarrior does not.

Indeed the only limits a spellwarrior acknowledges are those of his mastery on his own magic and martial prowess, which he hones to no end to reach ever greater heights, on his terms. Or hers.

I hope to find likewise minds to further catalogue and examine the elves of the present and the past so that we may properly utilise, expand and hone these potent skillsets to our own ends, for the past and the future alike are full of magic and war.

- Lothanides of Alterac

In summary:

Proposed new class: Spellwarrior
Armor type: chainmail
Weapons: Ranged (spellranger) // shield and sword*(spellbreaker) // Dual wield or two handed (spellblade)
Roles: dps (spellblade, spellranger), tank (spellbreaker)


Feedback, expansion and discussion appreciated.

[saintminya]

What I'm getting from this is... Paladins, as well as Battle-Mages. One already being a thing, whilst also being similar to another thing called Enhancement Shamans. The other being the 4th spec Mages have needed for a long long time. Honestly though, it would be cool to get a mage spec with chain mail, heck even a druid or pally. Giving more armor options for classes would certainly spice things up a bit.

[loras]

What I'm getting from this is... Paladins, as well as Battle-Mages. One already being a thing, whilst also being similar to another thing called Enhancement Shamans. The other being the 4th spec Mages have needed for a long long time. Honestly though, it would be cool to get a mage spec with chain mail, heck even a druid or pally. Giving more armor options for classes would certainly spice things up a bit.

I do not really see paladins in there save for a most superficial comparison to one specc, seeing as they are especially lacking in the manipulation kf their own and others' movement, nor anything to do with illusions or the other stuff mentioned really.

Shamans seem a bit closer to that one specc i'll admit but between thematic differences and options along the lines of blink-like abilities, illusions, copies, pushbacks on enemies and self and so on i'm positive they are distinct enough.

Personally i'm not a fan of opening up more armor to classes since it would make it mean even less than it already does. At thst point i would honestly prefer it if they just removed armor types entirely.

[saintminya]

IDK, I like the flavour you threw in, but weapon and role wise that dual wielder seems like a Ret pally me. I wouldn't oppose a melee spec that also had illusions or mirror images though, kind of like Samuro. Aside from the Battle-Mage that I really really want, the Shield and Sword homie does overlap with Prot in my eyes. I didn't mean to imply any of this was like bad though, and I agree that removing armor types, or at least removing armor restrictions, would be great.

Yes yes yes to the above, Arcane desperately needs some melee represention.

[kiramon]

Please they obviously keep adding MUSIC to set the stage (keke) for Bard. Time to get real, it's happening. The addition of Harps, lutes, ocarinas, etc are all setting the future for the magical properties of songs.

World of Warcraft: Song of Battle or some crap will be the next expansion, with "bringing the War back to Warcraft - the alliance and horde will strike to end the other as the drums of battle sound off" as we get every other expansion...

[Ohvul]

Half of the class suggestions nowadays I believe could just be satisfied by adding class/spec "skins". We really dont need another class unless it fits a niche that there is an absolute need for, and with the way the game is now youd have to take away things from certain classes or add an entire new mechanic altogether to justify such.

[Wazooty]

Half of the class suggestions nowadays I believe could just be satisfied by adding class/spec "skins". We really dont need another class unless it fits a niche that there is an absolute need for, and with the way the game is now youd have to take away things from certain classes or add an entire new mechanic altogether to justify such.

Pretty much this.

[Echo of Soul]

Spell...warrior? OK then

[Trumpcat]

The battlemage/spellblade/spellwarrior or however you call it is my favorite fantasy class archetype. Both dps and tank specs could fit into it, although a healer spec could easily work too if we go with the time magic theme for it. Mechanically you can argue that Paladin, Enhancement Shaman and Demon Hunter each fill some of the magical warrior role, but if we go by that logic then no classes other than Warrior, Mage, Hunter, Priest and Rogue should exist. Obviously the purpose of classes, besides filling the gameplay roles of tank, rdps, mdps and healer is also to offer different fantasies and there isn't a class that has the arcane warrior theme.

Stylistically only the Arcane Mage has a slight resemblance to it. The dual blade sword which the Nightborne Spellblades wield as well as the Blood Elf Spell Breakers is crying to be the iconic class weapon similar to how the warglaive is for DH. SWTOR has that type of esoteric warrior/magician with the Jedi Shadow/Sith Assassin class, which actually also uses the dual bladed lightsaber. GW2 has it with the Mesmer and melee Elementalist. Yet in WoW it's only reserved for NPCs.

[Teriz]

Spellranger is already covered by the Hunter class. You can simply give them more magical arrows, which Blizzard tends to do from time to time.

Spellblade sounds cool, but when you break it down, it operates exactly like the warrior class. The spellblades are simply using time magic instead of physical skills. In terms of gameplay, I'm not seeing anything different being offered.

Spellbreaker would never work because resource destruction is grossly imbalanced for PvP play. Blizzard actively removed abilities like Mana Burn, Mana Drain, and the old versions of a few Hunter stings because they proved to be problematic for PvP balance. On the flip side, having a spec focused on resource destruction is kind of pointless for PvE.

[Doffen]

I agree with you OP; always wanted a Spellblade kind of mage. Could make it a mage spec. Melee mage with the abilities you listed.

Its far from being a paladin, its not a shaman and its not a hunter.

Spellblade Aluriel from Nighthold is a good example. As Trumpcat mentioned, Arcane is the perfect spec for being that. I wouldnt mind, I've been an arcane mage since 2008, and I would welcome this kind of spec wholeheartedly. It is my most wanted kind of class/spec, and I have wanted that since Nighthold

[pacotaco]

I could see a Spellblade/Spellbreaker class, althogh adding DR/PotM there is a bit of stretch.

[Triceron]

I think a Spellbreaker type class would be interesting, but not enough as a full 3-spec class as implied here. There is potential, but at the rate that Blizzard creates new classes, there's better resources to spend on a stronger, more unique concept.

If WoW were designed more similar to Everquest or FF14 where we could have a Wizard class alongside a Magician and Enchanter, then I think a Spellwarrior would fit fine.

[parasight]

If you're going to suggest a new class then you need to go deep into mechanics and how this will be unique, different, and not over-powered. Explain why your idea is balanced and needed.

No one cares about lore. Lore is just some bullshit to flesh out some marketing. This is a game. The mechanics are paramount.

Personally, I don't see this as filling any holes. It doesn't look like your idea will provide any niche playstyles. Also, ranged tanking is a classically terrible idea because it's fundamentally overpowered.

[Ielenia]

Proposed new class: Spellwarrior
Armor type: chainmail
Weapons: Ranged (spellranger) // shield and sword*(spellbreaker) // Dual wield or two handed (spellblade)
Roles: dps (spellblade, spellranger), tank (spellbreaker)

Feedback, expansion and discussion appreciated.

If I may say something? I think it'd be a huge missed opportunity to not make the Spellblade (your melee DPS) to not be a sword-and-shield type. Many warrior players still mourn, to this day, the loss of the "Gladiator spec" that allowed them to DPS while wielding a one-handed weapon and shield, and giving a class that did exactly that would go a long way to filling in that void.

[loras]

If I may say something? I think it'd be a huge missed opportunity to not make the Spellblade (your melee DPS) to not be a sword-and-shield type. Many warrior players still mourn, to this day, the loss of the "Gladiator spec" that allowed them to DPS while wielding a one-handed weapon and shield, and giving a class that did exactly that would go a long way to filling in that void.

A fair point, it could easily be added, however for the spellblade i do take mostly from Spellblade Aluriel and similar nightborne fighters.

And i have to say: sword and board, as a fantasy, it works best without adding too much magic in my mind, so to satisfy its fans i would rather see it added as a fourth spec for warriors.

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Fel is represented in both melee and ranged classes
The Light is represented in both melee and ranged classes
Nature is represented in both melee and ranged specs
The Elements are represented in both melee and ranged specs

I think there's room to represent the Arcane as melee in some capacity whether spec or class, in much the same way that Void and Death could as well.

Not to mention this is something I pretty desperately want but that's a whole other conversation.

That's one way of looking at it, but i think of it more like warlocks: Wielding a mix of various magics with singleminded purpose.

Where a warlock makes deals, seeks forbidden knowledge and navigates all this with exceptional willpower the spellwarrior would, in my vision, use training and indirectness to avoid corruption.

In example: say that there is a demon whose powers one wants to use to their own ends.
The warlocks would chain it, trick it into servitude or in extreme cases drain it to become sych a power themselves. The spellwarrior would seek to mimic its powers, cut off its claws to turn into direct weapons or something of the like.
More reliance on skill and carefully applied wisdom. Less risk, less (magical) reward.

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Please they obviously keep adding MUSIC to set the stage (keke) for Bard. Time to get real, it's happening. The addition of Harps, lutes, ocarinas, etc are all setting the future for the magical properties of songs.

World of Warcraft: Song of Battle or some crap will be the next expansion, with "bringing the War back to Warcraft - the alliance and horde will strike to end the other as the drums of battle sound off" as we get every other expansion...

They ought to add a new spec to every class to best represent fitting music.

Rogues rap, death knights for death metal, paladins for polka.

- - - Updated - - -

The battlemage/spellblade/spellwarrior or however you call it is my favorite fantasy class archetype. Both dps and tank specs could fit into it, although a healer spec could easily work too if we go with the time magic theme for it. Mechanically you can argue that Paladin, Enhancement Shaman and Demon Hunter each fill some of the magical warrior role, but if we go by that logic then no classes other than Warrior, Mage, Hunter, Priest and Rogue should exist. Obviously the purpose of classes, besides filling the gameplay roles of tank, rdps, mdps and healer is also to offer different fantasies and there isn't a class that has the arcane warrior theme.

Stylistically only the Arcane Mage has a slight resemblance to it. The dual blade sword which the Nightborne Spellblades wield as well as the Blood Elf Spell Breakers is crying to be the iconic class weapon similar to how the warglaive is for DH. SWTOR has that type of esoteric warrior/magician with the Jedi Shadow/Sith Assassin class, which actually also uses the dual bladed lightsaber. GW2 has it with the Mesmer and melee Elementalist. Yet in WoW it's only reserved for NPCs.

Precisely!

- - - Updated - - -

I agree with you OP; always wanted a Spellblade kind of mage. Could make it a mage spec. Melee mage with the abilities you listed.

Its far from being a paladin, its not a shaman and its not a hunter.

Spellblade Aluriel from Nighthold is a good example. As Trumpcat mentioned, Arcane is the perfect spec for being that. I wouldnt mind, I've been an arcane mage since 2008, and I would welcome this kind of spec wholeheartedly. It is my most wanted kind of class/spec, and I have wanted that since Nighthold

Yeah that could work too, though i'd hate to see arcane go, as i quite like it. Adding a 4th specc could work but i figured that this way you could add in a lot of desired flavors at once as well, things like dark rangers and priestesses of the moon, well, people like them for their magic rather than just for their arrows, and hunters fall flat in that area.

Adding these three together around a common theme of magic and martial seems like it could work quite well, and as the RP-lite style means to convey it would be a newly created discipline based on observations of elven magical traditions, it would not need to alter anything existing since it's new in-universe too.

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If you're going to suggest a new class then you need to go deep into mechanics and how this will be unique, different, and not over-powered. Explain why your idea is balanced and needed.

No one cares about lore. Lore is just some bullshit to flesh out some marketing. This is a game. The mechanics are paramount.

Personally, I don't see this as filling any holes. It doesn't look like your idea will provide any niche playstyles. Also, ranged tanking is a classically terrible idea because it's fundamentally overpowered.

Mechanics-wise i agree, but that an implementation-level discussion that is not quite relevant yet at this stage, lore sells far more than what people on fora such as these tend to claim, as just mechanics without proper dressing boils down to dry spreadsheets in the end.

Also i did not suggest ranged tanking, rather a sword-and shield variation.

[AthranThom]

First of all i would like to say i would love to see this as a class!! 20/10 would play as main even if it was bottom tier in everything

I would also however like to input some thoughts i have mostly to the specifics(mostly personal pet peeves on already stated things as well as additions that i think would be cool)

1. Types of magic available to the class. I think that this class should not be as limited a mage or a paladin in the type of magic they can use, however i think it should primarily be arcane and all its variations of it. Light is too faith based to match IMO and Fell would be a big no-no cause it's pretty mach the anti-thesis of arcane. Death, Life, elemental and Void could be used in minor ways such as utility spells and the like and it would be fine.

2. Mechanics. Like some have said while the lore is great, for a class to be truly considered however some suggestions on how it would be "unique" game play wise are definitely help in fleshing it out in our imaginations. These would be my ideas for them(interested to know what you think)

• Spellranger:range DPS spec using different types of enchanted arrows(kinda like stances) where each arrow type would add effects to its abilities. Weapon would be bows/crossbows+quiver offhand(quivers would be back in this case).
  
  Powers:
  
  • Phase shot: Conjure an arrow out of phase with reality. Attacks and damages the target while ignoring most defences. If an arcane ammo type is activated create an AoE damage field around the target doing damage based on the type of ammo selected
  • Thunderous shot: Conjure and shoot an arrow that generates an AoE damaging field around it in flight damaging all on its way to the target. If it critical hits target is stunned.
  • Perfect Shot: For the next x secs all attacks to your target increase your movement for 2 secs
  • SpellShot: shoot an arrow with a spell imbued to it. If no Arcane ammo is selected Spellshot has no cast time
  
  Mechanics:
  
  Arcane Ammo : gives you access to Arcane ammo. Arcane ammo adds effects to certain abilities based on the ammo selected.
  
  • Black Arrows:Arcane ammo type. Enchant your ammo with arcane based shadow magic. Add DOTs and Life-Leech effects on certain abilities,
  • Rime-bound Arrows: Arcane ammo type. Enchant your ammo with ice enchanted arrows. Add slows and other debilitating effects on certain abilities
  • Overcharged Arrows: Arcane ammo type. Overcharge your ammo with the power of the arcane. Reduce or remove Cast times as well as enhance DMG of certain abilities.
  
  Enchanted shot: This ability changes based on ammo equipped and cannot be used unless you have ammo equipped.
  
  • Wailing Arrow: Shoot an arrow in an area that bursts out wails dealing shadow damage to all in the area
  • Frigid Bolt: Strike an enemy with this arrow to freeze them in place
  • Space razer: Send forward an arrow that razes space itself damaging all in a column in front of you.
  
  
• Spellblade: melee DPS spec using debuffs to make their damaging abilities hit harder. Focus on constant medium damage abilities. Mobility would be a mix of blink and teleport through the use of time magic and some defensive utility through illusions and debuffs.
  
  Powers:
  
  • Blink-Strike: Teleport to target and strike.
  • Arcane Strike: Strike your target with an enchanted weapon. Applies Marks
  • Path of blades(AOE frontal cone): Conjure blades in an AoE in front of you that hit all target. Applies Marks
  • Frost-Fire bolt: One of the only hard casts of the class. Fire a blast of frost-fire on the target that consume any and all marks for extra damage.
  • Frost-Fire Sweep: Sweep all targets in front of you with a frostfire enchanted Weapon dealing damage and consuming all marks for extra damage
  • Annihilate: Attack up to 2 enemies in front of you dealing extra damage based on the marks affecting each enemy. Does not consume marks.
  • Arcane Fog: Silences enemies standing within the area of effect, inflicting Arcane damage per second.
  
  Mechanics:
  
  Magical Marks : gives you access to arcane mark, mark of fire and mark of frost skills(straight out of aluriel). When either of those is activated gives some of your skills the ability to place the appropriate marks on targets.
  
  • Arcane Mark: Certain abilities can apply Arcane Mark on the target. Other abilities can consume these marks from the enemy to do extra arcane damage
  • Mark of fire: Debuff placed on target with a max of 3 stacks. Reduces all damage of target by x% per stack.
  • Mark of ice: Debuff placed on target with a max of 3 stacks. Reduces armor of target by x% per stack.
  
  
• Spellbreaker: Tank spec focusing on generating magical shields. Little to no self healing.
  
  Powers:
  
  • Blink-Strike: Teleport to target and strike.
  • Force Pulse(AOE 20yards): create an inward pulse around yourself that hits all enemies around it. pull up to 3-5 enemies towards you.
  • Arcane Shield: Create a personal shield around you equal to x% of your health.
  • Arcane Dome: Create an area wide shield around you. Cannot move while inside. Enemies cant enter and those inside cant leave. Gain 70% damage reduction to all inside. Lasts x secs.
  Mechanics:
  
  Force enchantment: Enchant your weapons and armor for x secs with Force. Your weapon auto attacks deal y% extra damage and every time you get hit you reflect 50% of the damage back to the attacker(s).
  
  Magic absorbtion: Every time you are hit with magic damage a portion of it is absorbed into shields.
  
  Mana Efficiency: Everytime you are healed you also gain a shield of x% the amount you are healed. If overhealed 100% of the heal goes to the shield. You cannot have a shield that is more than 50% of your health.
  

And of course many more could be thought up.

3. Chronomancer. Also thought that the chronomancer spec could fit as well.

Chronomancer: Healer spec using the ability to alter time and manipulate fate to heal and protect allies. Shielding and preemptive healing(healing damage before it is actually done). Weapon would be wand+shield or Staff or mace+shield

Powers:

• Rewind Time: Rewind time on a specific target removing all debuffs and healing them.
• Tides of Time: Launch a wave of temporal energy that damages and stops enemies it passes through and heals allies.
• Precognition: Give your allies the ability to see the future giving them the opportunity to block all next incoming attacks for x secs.
• Delayed Reaction: Buff your allies creating a delay between the application of damage which is stored in time pocket.
• Event Horizon: Create an AoE field that heals allies as well as damage enemies

Mastery: Flow of Time : Every time you negate damage to your allies you also heal them.

Mechanics:

• Inversion: Invert the effects of causality on an ally. The next damaging ability heals them for the amount it would damage them
• Mass Inversion: Invert the effects of causality on all allies in range.The next damaging ability heals them for 1/4 the amount it would damage them
• Sieze the moment: Every time you damage a target you heal all allies affected with Inversion
• Horomancy: The more time you invert the greater stacks of Horomancy you generate.
• Break the Clock: Consume all Horomancy stacks to create huge AOE blast that heals allies and damages enemies. The closest 5 allies also get Inversion.

EDIT: Added the powers