Dev Blog - Archetypes & Shadow Archetype
Play Your Character Your Way
In Ravendawn there is no fixed class system. You will not select a class when you create your character, locking you into a rigid and uncreative path for the rest of your adventure. To echo our Ships Dev Blog - One of the, if not the most, core principle in our game design is endless customization.
In Ravendawn there are 8 Archetypes to choose from;
Wizardry
Bending the elements to their will, Black Magic users harness the power of Ice and Fire to devastate their enemies. Whether igniting foes in flames or entombing them in ice, Black Magic users call upon powerful single-target and area spells to deal massive amounts of damage on the battlefield. With the potential to single-handedly shift the tide of battle, a user of this archetype is truly an arcane force to be reckoned with.
Holy
Channeling the restorative light of the Dawn, White Magic is the primary healing archetype in the world of Ravendawn. While this archetype focuses on keeping its user and their allies alive on the field of battle, the full power of the Dawn should not be underestimated… skilled users can call down its holy force to smite their enemies where they stand.
Spiritual
Users of the Red Magic archetype have a supernatural calm, able to focus intensely upon the invisible threads that tie the world together. With a honed mind, they can summon these forces to aid their allies—protecting them with barriers of wind, hastening their movements, and refreshing their dwindling stores of mana. An adept of Red Magic is an invaluable member to any team.
Witchcraft
An archetype said to have originated from ancient vampiric cults, Blue Magic users mix occult powers with the ability to gain strength from the weaknesses of others. There is no one better than a Blue Magic user at finding an enemy’s flaw and exploiting it to their advantage… which makes them incredibly dangerous foes.
Warfare
With a ravenous appetite for bloodshed, Warfare is the favored archetype of orcs and barbarians. Users of this archetype specialize in brute force combat, able to draw upon the lifeblood they’ve spilled to heal themselves and strengthen their savage attacks. A Warfare user in the throes of bloodlust and hatred is a terrible sight to behold.
Shadow
Using the shadows as a cloak, users of this archetype prefer to extinguish the lives of their victims without ever being seen. The Shadow archetype makes use of toxins and deception to weaken targets before dealing a fatal blow. Shadow users are heralds of death—by the time you’ve seen one, you’re already dead.
Protection
Strong-footed and brave, these users never lose their unbreakable spirit in the heat of battle. The preferred archetype of the mighty Ravenguard, users of Protection are often found in the vanguard of armies, defending their allies and bashing in the skulls of their enemies. Their morale in battle is legendary, a powerful force which affects friend and foe alike.
Archery
With the eyes of a hawk and the swiftness of a falcon, Archery users outpace their opponents with speed and vision. Ranged combat is this archetype’s specialty, empowering its users with an array of deadly arrows to be shot from afar. And if an enemy gets too close—an Archery user can draw upon disengaging abilities to slow their opponent and create enough separation for a killing shot. The Rohna Brotherhood has been able to evade the Ravenguard for decades, largely due to the strength of this archetype.
Each Archetype will be receiving it's own Dev Blog, if you still feel hungry after the little detail provided above!
Archetype & Level System
A player will have 3 different Archetypes at one time which will create their "class".
You can view all 56 combinations and their "class name" here > Archetype Classes
Despite being 56 combinations already, there are 1000's more variations from there, as Ravencard Combinations, Skill Combinations, Reputation Path and Equipment Combinations will all further change your playstyle from your chosen Archetypes!
Your Archetypes however can be changed at anytime to different Archetypes (requires a safe zone).
Character Level
Your character level always goes up. Its significance however is almost entirely for showoff purposes. There is no max level in Ravendawn, however, there is a soft cap at level 75. Any experience after that will be heavily reduced and leveling will slow down dramatically.
Archetype Level
Each Archetype has its own level and experience bar. Anytime you gain experience, it will be split across all 3 of your current Archetypes. Your Archetype level is important for allowing you to unlock skills in that Archetype.
Player Effective Level
Your Effective Level is the average level of your current 3 Archetypes. Your effective level is what cap's out your equipment and amount of skills/passives. What this means is if you have a new friend starting out, you can easily play with him/her by changing to 3 Archetypes that you have a lower level in, and playing alongside them in their journey without having to make a new character or change to weaker equipment (your equipment will scale down automatically until you switch back to your higher level Archetypes!). As well, because you can combine any 3 archetypes, if you have mid-level friends, you can easily switch out 1 or 2 of your Archetypes to find an Effective Level close or the same as theirs to play with them at anytime!
Active Skills vs Passive Skills
Every 3 effective levels a player has they will obtain 1 Skill Point. These Skill Points can be used in any Archetype Tree to unlock new Active or Passive Abilities. However, each Passive Ability you unlock requires at least 3 Active Skills to be unlocked in that Archetype.
Archetype Resource
Every Archetype has its own resource. For example; Black Magic uses Arcane, Warfare uses blood, Archery uses Focus. These resources are generated & consumed by different skills, enhancing or altering your skills. Managing these resources and using them in the best way is a sign of a skilled player.
Today we have also posted a Dev Blog on the Shadow Archetype!
To view the Shadow Dev Blog Click Here -