Archetypes

Icon	Archetype	Type.	Role.	Resource.
	Bard	Arcane	Support	Themes
	Cleric	Arcane	Support	Divine Power
	Fighter	Martial	Damage	Momentum
	Mage	Arcane	Damage	Spell charges
	Ranger	Martial	Damage	-
	Rogue	Martial	Damage	Advantage
	Summoner	Arcane	-	-
	Tank	Martial	Tank	Courage

The eight Archetypes in Ashes of Creation.

Why did I decide on these eight archetypes? I felt they embodied an equilibrium between them: The martial art and the arcane arts. I felt that these were tending to be the core class identities that have existed across MMORPGS from a fantasy perspective over time. I mean, each of them has their own player segment that people are interested in. Summoners and support, bard and the healer, and mage: Those are all arcane elements that I think embody a lot of what we can do from a from an active ability standpoint that people are traditionally accustomed to. Rogue, ranger, fighter, tank: Those represent I think all of the martial elements of fighting classes that players like to see in fantasy games. – Steven Sharif

At the start of the game players may choose from eight Archetypes, which essentially defines a character's role.

• The current design approach is for every archetype to have its own resource.

We're fairly similar to the holy trinity of class identity. I think that the way our primary archetypes and secondary archetypes, the combination of that creating these 64 different classes, it is a goal to blur the line between those identities, that standard Trinity that's present. I think additionally the way that we're developing classes is to be that rock-paper-scissors type of interaction, especially balance them around group vs. group dynamics or group dynamics; and... by utilizing the augment system allows for players to take skills outside of just the realm of their identity and into a different area. – Steven Sharif

• Characters can augment their primary skills with effects from a secondary archetype starting at level 25. These augments can be rudimentary, or they can fundamentally change the way the ability works.

• Choosing the same primary and secondary archetype increases focus on that archetype. Choosing different archetypes allows characters to somewhat flirt with their role..

Q: Can you explain the philosophy on why there is a singular option for Tank main players or healer main players at the archetype selection screen and how much customization will there be in the base kit and augment system to truly make these different play styles?

A: Let's start with the second half of that question. When it comes to diversity I think that you're going to have a wide range of diversity that's afforded through the secondary archetype system. That is intended to really flirt with the line of what a main role Tank or main role healer is and provide some more hybridized gameplay for those particular roles. That comes in a number of different forms: we've talked a little bit about obviously in the past how augments are intended to work with primary active abilities and it is because the Tank role and the Cleric role are only afforded two of the archetypes that some of the most interesting, in my opinion, options of hybridization are going to come from those secondary choices with the Tank and the healer. So you're going to get a broad diversity of gameplay options there when it comes to the the role specifically. And why we're servicing those two roles with just two base archetypes? Those are really critical unique roles on a per-party basis. We talk about party comp, generally it is a traditional wheel of MMORPG game design when talking about the Trinity of gameplay roles that you expect to have one tank and one primary healer in a party design; and we wanted to stay true to that obviously. And those roles do have a significant impact on general gameplay loop when we're talking about moment-to-moment combat, between the Tank controlling the battlefield, being able to take hate off of other players, being able to maintain aggro status with the predominant threat source. That is a role that we don't necessarily want to build in another archetype to compete with. The Cleric itself however is also integral. Now, that's not to say that we do not have some influences: The Fighter has the ability to off-tank, especially depending on- and the reason I say that is because when we're talking about just from a base stat perspective, like CON for a Fighter is going to be high generally at a base value. Their ability to absorb hits is going to be greater because of their suite of ability selections that they have available to them. So, there are some other roles that do touch the line a bit in that divide of DPS to tank role. And on the healer side, the Bard has some regenerative abilities that they can utilize. Now, when they choose then to spec as a secondary class option into Cleric or Tank, if you're Fighter or a Bard you're going to get much closer to those roles; and I think having an off-tank is an interesting gameplay option and necessary for certain encounter designs that we want to preserve space for. So, the focus is really to stay true to what we expect from an MMO perspective with regards to those roles in group composition. We feel that the current class design achieves that and we're going to allow players to flirt with what hybridization looks like for those roles through our secondary archetype options. – Steven Sharif

• Even prior to secondary archetype choice, players have the ability to customize their base kit by selecting different build options (on their adventuring skill tree).

Q: From level 1 to 25 are you just going to get one style of gameplay? Like, for the Cleric, are you just going to be a Holy Priest from WoW. So in the base kit, is there going to be any way to play differently from 1 to 25?

A: I think that what we're trying to achieve in the base kit offering for those two roles; and you may have seen this already with the Cleric class livestreams that we've done. There are some offensive options there and you could spec more offensively as a Cleric than you would necessarily into the support. The same is true on the Tank side. Your ability to customize your build options don't you're not pigeonholed into specifically that role, you have hybrid options just from a base kit perspective.

Bard

Alpha-2 Bard montage.

Bards are versatile virtuosos that inspire allies, and dishearten enemies with an extraordinary repertoire of abilities, encompassing the arts of music, song, dance, and storytelling. These efficacious entertainers excel at amplifying strengths, and exploiting weaknesses. This makes them a rock-solid, but flexible pillar of support for any adventuring party. With their mesmerizing melodies, peerless pantomime skills, and wondrous weaving of souls-stirring tales, bards leave a lasting impression on friend, and foe alike.

Alpha-2 Bard Gameplay.

Bard is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

Bards are intended to amplify a party or raid's ability to perform within their own class. That amplification isn't just intended for DPS, but also for support, for healing, for taking damage, for movement. Bards have often been portrayed as a musical class and while they can be that, many Bard applications may exist in just telling a story. Telling a story is going to be the thematic component of how the Bard interacts with the party. And that story is going to enhance player's abilities to perform. Very similar in a way to buffing up a party, but you are not going to see him as a "buff bot" that you might have experienced in previous games, where they are only good for their buffs and then you kick them out of party and they sit in a corner and come back in 30 minutes. Those buffs are going to be related to how they perform. – Steven Sharif

• Bard fills a tactical support role that makes a party better as a whole through a range of buff-oriented and proximity-based abilities.

Q: Regarding the class composition and design revolving around the Holy Trinity, if that is the case where does a non-healing support fall into that concept of design and how will players who choose that path remain relevant throughout the gameplay loops?

A: This is a more old school idea of the Holy Trinity and where non-healing support classes fall into that mix. Generally you see in my experience most non-healing support classes fall into between the hybrid of support to tank or support to DPS, so they tend to fill a hybrid role. The Bard has an opportunity to fill that space and is a very integral component to maximizing a particular group or archetypes ability to perform through the use of their supportive and buff-oriented abilities as we've talked in the past. Many of these are support based on proximity. Some of them are support based on targeted buffs. We're going to be following the format of abilities that adhere to dances, songs, and stories when it relates to the Bard; and the scope of their particular ability sets- each of those provide a certain type of benefit to to other characters within proximity. The idea here again, pointing back to a more old-school trinity design is that no party is complete without the non-healing support class, which is the Bard in Ashes of Creation. – Steven Sharif

Bard classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Magician	Bard	Mage
Minstrel	Bard	Bard
Siren	Bard	Tank
Song Warden	Bard	Ranger
Songcaller	Bard	Summoner
Soul Weaver	Bard	Cleric
Tellsword	Bard	Fighter
Trickster	Bard	Rogue

Bard skills/abilities

Bards fill a tactical support role, including a broad range of offensive and defensive combat skills in addition to support abilities and buffs.

• Bard mechanics include melodies, dances, songs, and stories.
  • Bards (like other archetypes) cannot use their abilities while mounted, but this may change in future.

One of the big things we wanted to do with this Bard specifically was not to focus specifically on just song or dance, but have a culmination of a bunch of different of these themes all together in the same kit. – John Collins

• Bard AoE effects are generally not obstructed by line-of-sight.
• Bards may choose to activate buffs that augment tanking, DPS and healing in their proximity.
  • Bard buffs apply to characters in the same group.
• Bards offer proximity-based or proc-based healing, but to a much lesser degree than Clerics.
• Bards are able to aid in the restoration of Mana.
• Bards are able to play musical instruments.
• Sagas are powerful Bard ultimate abilities that can have big effects on the battlefield.
• Bards will have utility outside of combat, but this will not include restoring rested XP, and also may not include stealth type skills.
  • The ability to give buffs out of combat may be a post-level 25 skill that might be available later in Alpha-2.
• Bards are not intended to have siege summon capabilities, but sagas may fulfill a similar role on the battlefield.

Skill	Icon	Description
Anthem of Alacrity		Target ally gains Anthem of Alacrity: Attack speed increased by 25% and casting speed increased by 25%. Lasts 10 seconds.
Anthem of Alacrity (AoE)		You and the 3 closest allies in front of you gain Anthem of Minor Alacrity: Attack speed increased by 10% and casting speed increased by 10%. Lasts 10 seconds.
Cathartic Melody		Nearby party members gain Cathartic Melody Melodies can be played concurrently with other abilities. Multiple instances of the same melody do not stack.
Chaos		Nearby party members gain Chaos Generates Theme of Tragedy
Cheerful Melody		Nearby party members gain Cheerful Melody Melodies can be played concurrently with other abilities. Multiple instances of the same melody do not stack.
Chilling Lament		Target enemy is dealt (75%🢆) ice damage and afflicted with four seconds of Chilled every second. Deals bonus damage to frozen targets.
Chilling Lament (AoE)		Enemies in front of you are dealt (50%🢆) ice damage and afflicted with three seconds of chilled every second. Deals bonus damage to frozen targets.
Clever Retort		Interrupt your target with a clever retort, applying 1 stacks of Silenced. Applies Humiliated if the target is Demoralized.
Conflict		Nearby party members gain Conflict Generates Theme of Tragedy
Dark Lullaby		Deal (50-100%🢆) spirit damage to target enemy each second (scales in power over the course of the cast). This damage will not wake an incapacitated target. The final hit applies Stunned for 6 seconds if the target is incapacitated.
Dark Lullaby (AoE)		Deal (25-75%🢆) spirit damage each second to enemies in front of you (scales in power over the course of the cast). This damage will not wake incapacitated targets. The final hit applies Stunned for 6 seconds to any incapacitated targets.
Destiny		Nearby party members gain Destiny Generates Theme of Mystery
Discordance		Launch a wild burst of 3 discordant notes at your target, each dealing (75%🢆) Arcane damage and applying Staggered. The notes will bounce to random nearby enemies dealing reduced damage. Song Mastery: Dissonance
Epic Melody		Nearby party members gain Epic Melody Melodies can be played concurrently with other abilities. Multiple instances of the same melody do not stack.
Flourish		Slide forward gracefully in your aimed direction and gain Pep. Can be used concurrently with any other ability. Dance Mastery: EnergyDance Mastery: Power
Gambit		In a daring maneuver, transfer life to or from target party member, depending on who has a lower percent health. This ability will not reduce either player below 25% health. The character that loses life in this exchange gains Solace.
Get Off The Stage		Knockback enemies in front of you with your instrument, dealing (175%🢆) Bludgeon damage and applying 3 stacks of Snared that tapers off over the course of 6 seconds. Also applies Disarmed to targets with Staggered.
Hymn of the Mind		Target ally gains mana equal to 2+5% magical power. Every second Mana gained increases up to 200% based on the amount of Mana the target is missing.
Hymn of the Mind (AoE)		Up to 4 allies in front of you gain mana equal to 0.8 + 4% magical power every second. Mana gained increases up to 200% based on the amount of mana the target is missing. This ability will favor low mana party members and yourself.
Jest		Jest with target ally, healing for (150%🢆) healing and applying Glee and Pep. Shares cooldown with Mock.
Joy		Nearby party members gain Joy Generates Theme of Comedy
Lovely Serenade		Target ally is healed for (150%🢆) healing every second. The final hit applies Glee.
Lovely Serenade (AoE)		Up to five allies in front of you are healed for (50%🢆) healing every second. This ability will favor injured party members and yourself.
Maddening Dance		Deal (55%🢆) Arcane damage and dispel 1 buff on nearby enemies every second. Damage increases with less targets, up to (55%🢆) Arcane damage. Avert Your Gaze To your allies, this dance merely looks silly, but to your enemies, it is a maddening, horrific sight.
Marionette		Target enemy is afflicted with Marionette When Marionette expires, the target becomes Humiliated. "How embarrassing..."
Menacing Melody		Nearby party members gain Menacing Melody Melodies can be played concurrently with other abilities. Multiple instances of the same melody do not stack.
Mesmerizing Dance		Quickly strike a dazzling pose! Mesmerizes all nearby enemies, applying 1 stacks of Incapacitated for 10 seconds. Any targets with Staggered also become 1 stacks of Stunned for 3 seconds.
Misdirection		Use your wiles to reduce both your own and nearby party members' threat against nearby monsters by (1000%🢆) Magical damage. Additionally breaks all disabling effects on the caster.
Mock		Ridicule target enemy, damaging them for (110%🢆) Bludgeon damage and applying 1 stacks of Demoralized. Fierce Wit Shares cooldown with Jest.
Nimble Dance		Grants Nimble, Pep, and cleanses 1 debuff from yourself and nearby allies every second.
Pensive Melody		Nearby party members gain Pensive Melody Melodies can be played concurrently with other abilities. Multiple instances of the same melody do not stack.
Quick Wit		Jest with target ally, healing for (150%🢆) healing and applying Glee and Pep. Ridicule target enemy, damaging them for (110%🢆) Bludgeon damage and applying 1 stacks of Demoralized. Fierce Wit
Saga		Complete your tale with a grand finale, consuming all of your current themes. The specific saga you have access to is determined by the combination of your current themes.
Shielding Dance		Heal yourself and nearby allies for (50%🢆) healing every second and apply up to one instance of 1 stacks of Shield to each target as they enter the dance radius.
Triumph		Nearby party members gain Triumph Generates Theme of Comedy
Wonder		Nearby party members gain Wonder Generates Theme of Mystery

Some of the following information has likely been superceded by newer information. It is included here for archival reasons.

• Some buffs are related to how the Bard performs in combat: If a bard lands a skill shot against a target, allies within a certain range might be granted a temporary buff that relates to the skill that the bard used.

• Certain higher tier Bard abilities will utilize proximity-based ground templates that require the party or raid to move into (and out of) formations indicated by the template to gain added benefits or buffs.

Cleric

Alpha-2 Cleric montage.

Bards are versatile virtuosos that inspire allies, and dishearten enemies with an extraordinary repertoire of abilities, encompassing the arts of music, song, dance, and storytelling. These efficacious entertainers excel at amplifying strengths, and exploiting weaknesses. This makes them a rock-solid, but flexible pillar of support for any adventuring party. With their mesmerizing melodies, peerless pantomime skills, and wondrous weaving of souls-stirring tales, bards leave a lasting impression on friend, and foe alike.

Alpha-2 Cleric utilizing Chains of Restraint, Deliverance, and Divine Infusion skills.

Cleric is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

Clerics channel mana to convert magical essence into radiant energy, which they can wield to heal their allies, or smite their foes. They also excel at providing defensive support by shielding their comrades-at-arms, cleansing negative status ailments, restoring mana to themselves and others, or even bringing a fallen soldier back to life. Because of their vital contributions to the welfare of an adventuring party, enemies consider clerics to be high priority targets. Hence, their survival also depends greatly upon their mastery of the skill of self-preservation.

• In Ashes of Creation a Cleric's powers are not directly imbued by the gods. Instead, their powers are tied intrinsically to the use of manipulation of The Essence as a as a source of magic.

One of the probably biggest delineations from your standard trope in MMORPGs is that the Cleric does not receive their powers from a divine source. At least not in the sense that is standard. It is still something that is tied intrinsically to the use of manipulation of the Essence as a source of magic. Now, the source of that Essence is up to question: There are some claims about it that might apply a divine interaction, but generally it's not as though you're being imbued by these powers from the gods and that the gods can take them away should you step out of line in your alignment. – Steven Sharif

Cleric classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Apostle	Cleric	Tank
High Priest	Cleric	Cleric
Oracle	Cleric	Mage
Protector	Cleric	Ranger
Scryer	Cleric	Bard
Shadow Disciple	Cleric	Rogue
Shaman	Cleric	Summoner
Templar	Cleric	Fighter

Cleric skills/abilities

Restoration. Enhancement. Debilitation. Clerics keep their team in the fight by bolstering their combat abilities and cursing their enemies. Far from simply supporting their allies through healing, a Cleric is also capable of wielding destructive force in the face of danger.

• There will be a healthy combination of healing and offensive spells available to allow a Cleric to level and progress as a solo player. It's left to the player to decide whether they will spec into more solo or support-oriented group-focussed gameplay. Choice of a secondary archetype will enable further customization in this respect.

There's going to be a significant amount of offensive capability for the Cleric because we don't want to create that dynamic where cleric as a support class is inoperable without a companion or a party to go with. We want that Cleric to still be able to survive on their own: to be able to level and progress as a solo player. – Steven Sharif

Skill	Icon	Description
Barrier		Sacrifice 25% of your maximum health and apply that much temporary health to target ally for 10 seconds. Does not stack.
Bless Weapon		Imbue your target's weapon with radiant light, granting them Bless Weapon.
Chains of Restraint		Conjure a circle of radiant chains at target location for 8 seconds that deals (40%🢆) Radiant damage every second and applies to targets within the area of effect. Each Weakened target hit by the initial pulse becomes Rooted.
Cleansing Wave		Held ability: Fire a beam of healing energy toward a target ally. Charging this spell allows the beam to bounce to up to 4 additional friendly targets closest to the original target, based on how long it was charged. The initial hit heals for (300%🢆) healing and reduces with each subsequent bounce.
Communal Restoration		Restore health equal to (150%🢆) healing to all party members in range and apply Communal Restoration.
Condemn		Apply Incapacitated (10 seconds) to target enemy. If the target is Conflagrating, the target becomes Stunned (3 seconds) instead.
Consecrating Wave		Send forth a wave of radiance that deals (150%🢆) Radiant damage and applies Volatile to all enemies in front of you. Dispel 1 buff from each target hit that is Silenced. Restorative Consecrating Wave
Defiant Light		Grant target ally Defiant Light
Deliverance		Held ability: Charges up healing energy that heals a target ally upon release, scaling in power the longer it is charged, up to (500%🢆) healing
Divine Flare		Place a targeted area on the ground that heals all targets after several seconds. Heals for (1000%🢆) healing divided amongst each target hit.
Divine Infusion		Consume Divine Power to instantly complete the remaining cast time of any spell currently being cast. The amount of Divine Power consumed is proportional to the amount of cast time remaining upon activation.
Essence Infusion		While active your spells consume Divine Power instead of mana or health. Uses normal resource cost if insufficient Divine Power to cast.
Flash Cure		3 charges. Instantly heal target ally for (250%🢆) healing. This may be used during other ability activations.
Healing Touch		Heal target ally in melee range for (500%🢆) healing.
Judgment		If cast on an ally, restore health equal to (1500%🢆) healing to the target. If cast on an enemy, deal (280%🢆) Radiant damage and apply Burning for (150%🢆) Fire damage to the target. If the enemy target is Shaken, the caster is healed for the damage dealt.
Mend		5 charges. Instantly launch a healing projectile toward target ally. Restores (100%🢆) healing in health upon arrival.
Purify		Remove up to 3 dispellable debuffs from an ally.
Resplendent Beam		Held ability: Fire a beam of healing energy toward a target ally. Charging this spell allows the beam to bounce to up to 4 additional friendly targets closest to the original target, based on how long it was charged. The initial hit heals for (300%🢆) healing and reduces with each subsequent bounce.
Resurrect		Resurrect target ally with 25% of their max health and mana.
Smite		Smite your target, dealing (150%🢆) Radiant damage. If activated while in melee range of the target, this spell has no cast time. If the target is Burning, it becomes Conflagrating.
Soothing Glow		Apply Soothing Glow to target ally. 3 charges.
Wings of Salvation		Sprout phoenix-like wings and dash to target ally, granting Wings of Salvation to the caster and target on arrival.

Some of the following information has likely been superceded by newer information. It is included here for archival reasons.

• Clerics have control over life and this may relate to utility abilities that relate to corruption.

Fighter

Alpha-2 Fighter montage.

Alpha-2 Ren'Kai Fighter with greatsword.

Fighter is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

The Fighter is an agent of chaos on the battlefield, channeling mana to convert the magical essence surrounding them into sheer offensive power to tremendously amplify their strength. They are masters of close-quarters combat, and hold firmly to the adage that “the best defense is an unstoppable offense” in combat, leveraging their attacks to sustain their onslaught while overwhelming the enemy in close quarters. Their gap-closing mobility, along with their resistance to magic that can impede, control, or limit movement allows them to ramp up in power, and momentum, and keep the pressure on.

• Fighters have a momentum mechanic that scales resistances and mobility proportional to damage taken and dealt.

Fighter classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Bladecaller	Fighter	Summoner
Bladedancer	Fighter	Bard
Dreadnought	Fighter	Tank
Highsword	Fighter	Cleric
Hunter	Fighter	Ranger
Shadowblade	Fighter	Rogue
Spellsword	Fighter	Mage
Weapon Master	Fighter	Fighter

Fighter skills/abilities

The Fighter archetype includes maneuverability and "closing the gap" mechanics to enable the fighter to quickly traverse distances on the battlefield as well as debuffs that can reduce healing received on a target.

Skill	Icon	Description
Battle Cry		Apply Riled to the caster and all nearby party members and Weakened to all nearby enemies. Gain 5 Combat Momentum for each target Riled and each enemy target that was Shaken.
Berserk		Consume your Combat Momentum rapidly, gaining 30% more physical power and movement speed and immunity to disabling effects while active. Must have at least 20 Combat Momentum to activate, and the effect ends when all Combat Momentum is fully depleted.
Blitz		Charge directly toward target enemy, dealing (100%🢆) Physical damage to the target on arrival.
Blood Fusion		Return 100% of damage dealt as health and 50% of damage dealt as mana over the next 6 seconds. Resource replenished is diminished for each target hit beyond the first. 25% additional damage returned as health from Bleeding targets. This bonus is doubled against Hemorraging targets.
Brutal Cleave		Perform a wide sweeping attack, dealing (175%🢆) Physical damage to all enemies in front of you. This ability shares a cooldown with Overpower, and hitting an enemy with a weapon combo finisher refreshes its cooldown. +10-20 Combat Momentum (based on number of targets hit)
Cataclysm		Deal (275%🢆) Physical damage and apply Shaken to all enemies in a large area in front of you. If the target is Staggered, the effect is consumed and the target becomes Tripped. Deals 15% additional damage to Chilled targets. This bonus is doubled against Frozen targets.
Crippling Blow		Deal (75%🢆) Physical damage and apply Snared to target enemy. If the target is Staggered, the effect is consumed and the target becomes Tripped.
Exert		Consume your Combat Momentum rapidly, gaining 30% more physical power and movement speed and immunity to disabling effects while active. Must have at least 20 Combat Momentum to activate, and the effect ends when all Combat Momentum is fully depleted.
Form Of Celerity		While in this form, the caster receives +2% Movement Speed per 10 Combat Momentum, up to a maximum of +20%. Overpower and Brutal Cleave apply Staggered to targets hit. Shifting form costs 20% of current Combat Momentum and triggers cooldown for all Combat Forms.
Form Of Ferocity		While in this form, the caster receives 1.5% Attack Speed per 10 Combat Momentum, up to a maximum of 15%. Overpower and Brutal Cleave apply Bleeding to targets hit. Shifting form costs 20% of current Combat Momentum and triggers cooldown for all Combat Forms.
Form Of Fluidity		While in this form, the caster receives +4% Disable Resistance Chance per 10 Combat Momentum, up to a maximum of +40%. Overpower and Brutal Cleave apply Shaken to targets hit. Shifting form costs 20% of current Combat Momentum and triggers cooldown for all Combat Forms.
Knock Out		Knock out target enemy, putting them to sleep for 10 seconds. Any damage breaks the effect.
Leap Strike		Leap to target location and deal (225%🢆) Physical damage around you while applying 1 stacks of Snared to targets hit. Apply 3 stacks of Snared to targets hit that were Shaken.
Lethal Blow		Deal (125%🢆) Physical damage to target enemy, plus additional damage based on the target's missing health, up to a maximum total of (125%🢆) Physical damage. Chance to critically hit increased by 15% against Bleeding targets. This bonus is doubled against Hemorraging targets.
Lunging Assault		Spend 15 Combat Momentum to lunge in a direction a short distance and perform an upward swing upon arrival, dealing (125%🢆) Physical damage and applying Snared to enemies in front of you. You are immune to hard crowd control effects while performing this ability.
Maim		Perform a powerful melee strike in a short forward cone, dealing (250%🢆) Physical damage to all targets hit. Deals 20% additional damage to recently Tripped targets.
Overpower		Deal (150%🢆) Physical damage to target enemy. This ability shares a cooldown with Brutal Cleave, and hitting an enemy with a weapon combo finisher refreshes its cooldown. +10 Combat Momentum
Rupture		Deal (50%🢆) Physical damage and apply a debuff to the target. While the debuff is active, the target acquires 1 Wounded stack per second while moving. After 5 seconds, the target takes another (150%🢆) Physical damage, plus 10% additional damage for each stack of Wounded it has, up to a maximum total of (150%🢆) Physical damage On the initial hit, if the target is Bleeding, 1 stack is consumed and that target becomes Hemorraging.
Wallop		Spend 40% of current Combat Momentum to deal (150%🢆) Physical damage plus additional damage depending on how much Combat Momentum was spent, up to a maximum total of (150%🢆) Physical damage.
Whirlwind		Channeled ability: Deal (30%🢆) Physical damage to all enemies around the caster with each spin while channeled, increasing the spin rate the longer it is channeled. The caster is immune to hard disabling effects while spinning. Activate the ability again to end channeling early. Deals 20% additional damage to Weakened targets.

Q: What percentage of Fighter skills are templated attacks versus requiring a target?

A: There's probably four or five abilities right now that require a single target and then I think the rest are either like on self or some template conal attack or something. – Steven Sharif

Mage

Alpha-2 Mage montage.

Alpha-2 Mage Chain Lightning arcing around an environmental obstacle.

You saw there that I ice bolted to apply stacks of chill. I Then followed up with my Elemental Empowerment attacks that added additional chill stacks, which created the frozen condition on the target they couldn't move; and then before that frozen conditions subsided I used my Arc Lightning in order to cause the Shattered effect. – Steven Sharif

Mage is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

Mages are the unparalleled masters of arcane might, harnessing the boundless energy of Verra's raw essence to affect reality itself. Their command over the mystical arts allows them to unleash devastating attacks with an arsenal of powerful "area of effect" spells, a vast array of elemental attacks, and curses that can debilitate their foes. These powers, along with other useful utility magic that can bestow powerful enhancements on allies make mages an indispensable member of any adventuring party.

• Mages are able to combine skills from different elements, along with non-elemental spells and weapon attacks to produce powerful synergies and combos.
  • Players can focus exclusively on a single element, but this will reduce their ability to benefit from synergies and combos between different elements.

• Mages tend to have the most direct relationship with The Essence compared to others.

Mages tend to have the most direct relationship with essence compared to others, and they manage that bond with a singular will... As a Mage’s connection to essence develops further, their power will continue to grow, unfold, and take shape.

Mage classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Acolyte	Mage	Cleric
Archwizard	Mage	Mage
Battle Mage	Mage	Fighter
Shadow Caster	Mage	Rogue
Sorcerer	Mage	Bard
Spellhunter	Mage	Ranger
Spellstone	Mage	Tank
Warlock	Mage	Summoner

Mage skills/abilities

Skill	Icon	Description
Arcane Circle		Place a powerful rune of magic upon the ground beneath you that grants you Arcane Might while standing within. Lasts 15 seconds.
Arcane Eye		Conjure a magical eye above you, that reveals any camouflaged enemies within a 20 meter radius to you and your party. Lasts 10 seconds.
Arcane Volley		Fire a volley of 7 arcane missiles at your target, dealing (35%🢆) Arcane damage each.
Ball Lightning		Create a large ball of charged electricity that travels slowly forward, rapidly dealing (50%🢆) Lightning damage and applying Volatile to enemies it overlaps with.
Blink		Instantly teleport 20 meters in the direction you are moving. Breaks all rooting effects.
Blizzard		Channel a massive blizzard around you, raining a barrage of hail shards upon your enemies while channeling. Periodically pulses Chilled to targets within the area. Each shard impact deals (50%🢆) Ice damage in a small area around it and applies Frozen to targets with Chilled.
Chain Lightning		Release a powerful streak of lightning that hits your primary target and then chains outward to up to 5 nearby enemies from that target, dealing (175%🢆) Lightning damage to each and applies 10 stacks of Shocked to targets with Volatile. Aftershock
Combust		Instantly combust your target, dealing (125%🢆) Fire damage and applying Conflagrating if they are Burning.
Cone of Cold		Blast a vortex of freezing wind in a cone in front of you, dealing (125%🢆) Ice damage and applying Frozen to targets with Chilled.
Enchant Weapon		Enchant up to one ally's weapon to match your current set of elemental empowerments. The enchantment will favor the greater of their magical or physical power stat. The enchantment will last one hour with a single empowerment or 30 seconds if multiple are applied.
Fireball		Hurl a ball of fire toward your target, dealing (250%🢆) fire damage and applying Burning for (100%🢆) fire damage.
Firebolt		Hurl a bolt of fire toward your target, dealing (125%🢆) fire damage and applying Burning for (75%🢆) fire damage. 3 charges.
Frostbolt		Launch a bolt of frost towards your target, dealing (250%🢆) Ice damage and applying Chilled. Shattering Shards
Hoarfrost		Unleash a blast of icy wind at target location, dealing (125%🢆) Ice damage and applying Chilled.
Illuminate		Conjure a circle of light around you that lights up your surroundings.
Lightning Strike		Held ability: Charge up a bolt of lightning to unleash upon your target, dealing (100%🢆) Lightning damage based on how long it was charged. Applies 15 stacks of Shocked to target. Amplified Lightning Strike
Magma Field		Erupts the earth at target location, forming a boiling pool of lava that deals (50%🢆) Fire damage and applies Burning at (50%🢆) Fire damage power every second to enemies within the area. Lasts 7 seconds. Pyromania
Prismatic Beam		Channel a powerful beam in front of you that periodically deals (50%🢆) Magical damage and has additional effects based on your Elemental Empowerment: Fire: 33% chance to apply Burning for (100%🢆) Fire damage. Ice: 33% chance to apply Chilled. Lightning: 33% chance to trigger an arcing bolt that bounces up to 2 times, dealing (35%🢆) Lightning damage and applying Volatile to each hit target. Arcane (no empowerment): Each hit drains 1 Mana per target, returning up to 5 Mana to the caster.
Shell		Apply Shell
Slumber		Applies Incapacitated to targets in a small area around the primary target. Lasts 10 seconds.
Thermal Equalibrium		Whenever you apply Frozen to a target, refresh the duration of your applied Conflagrating statuses on that target.

Ranger

Alpha-2 Ranger montage.

Kaelar ranger concept art.

Ranger is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

Rangers have a profound connection to the world around them, which gives them an ability to track enemy targets that borders on the supernatural, and a skill for camouflage that gives them an enormous advantage in any terrain. Their magical acumen is based on their strong affinity with the natural world, allowing them to harness nature’s fury in battle while destroying foes with devastating hails of arrows, and crippling weapon strikes. Rangers also use this natural magic to enhance their mobility on the battlefield by leaping out of harm's way. Be wary, for it is said that when a ranger marks you for death, it’s time to get your affairs in order.

Q: Tank has resolve, Cleric has divine power, what does Ranger have?

A: That's a very good question. It is the interaction between the Hunts and the Marks. That is something that we're going to be focusing in on a little bit more. Right now, that is still something that the combat team is working on for the Ranger class. – Steven Sharif

Q: Why was the minimum distance required removed for the Rangers ranged attacks?

A: Originally when I was thinking about the Ranger, I had thought about introducing a minimum range requirement in order to offset its flexibility in combat and having them think a little bit more strategically about positioning on the battlefield. That became an un-fun experience when we playtested it and so we decided to remove it. Instead we may choose to play around with things like range too close affecting something maybe like accuracy. We haven't playtested with that. Or, we just might not incorporate it and instead let it live within the abilities you saw. An example of that with regards to the lightning ability having variable effects conferred at different ranges. That right now is the approach that we're taking. – Steven Sharif

Ranger classes

Clase	Primario	Secundarios
Bowsinger	Ranger	Bard
Falconer	Ranger	Summoner
Hawkeye	Ranger	Ranger
Scion	Ranger	Mage
Scout	Ranger	Rogue
Sentinel	Ranger	Tank
Soulbow	Ranger	Cleric
Strider	Ranger	Fighter

Ranger skills/abilities

The majority of a Ranger's skill tree will likely be ranged, but there will be options to incorporate melee aspects.

• Some abilities require a bow to be equipped.
• Instead of a minimum range requirement, certain Ranger skills, such as Thundering Shot, currently have variable effects conferred at different ranges.
• The majority of Ranger abilities allow movement while casting. Only a few abilities impose movement penalties while casting.

Skill	Icon	Description
Air Strike		Leap a great distance forward and into the air while firing three projectiles in a line along the path, each dealing (150%🢆) Physical damage to targets hit. Targets hit that are Snared become Rooted, and all Snared stacks on those targets are consumed.
Barrage		Fires a continual barrage of arrows at your target for 1.5 seconds, dealing (15%🢆) Physical damage per arrow. Triggers Ammo Imbue effects, once per target hit. Each hit against Bleeding targets reduces the cooldown of this ability by 0.1 seconds. Double this bonus against Hemorraging targets.
Bear Trap		Spawn a trap at the target location, which arms after 1 second. When an enemy triggers the trap, they take (50%🢆) Physical damage and become Rooted. Targets hit that are Snared become Rooted for 3 seconds, and all Snared stacks on those targets are consumed, increasing the rooted duration by 1 seconds per stack consumed.
Call of the Wild		Remove all Snared and Chilled statuses from the caster, and increase movement speed by 20% while becoming immune to all movement impairing effects for 8 seconds.
Camouflage		You become harder to see and cannot be directly targeted. The further you are from an enemy, the more difficult you are to spot. Any outgoing combat actions cancel this effect, as well as incoming damage or other negative effects.
Disengage		Quickly strike enemies in front of you while backflipping in the opposite direction. Targets hit by the strike take Physical damage and acquire 1 stack of Snared for 10 seconds.
Enhance Armament: Barbs		Toggled Ability Enemies hit by your Finishers, Extended Finishers, Barrage, or Scattershot become Bleeding.
Enhance Armament: Concussion		Toggled Ability Enemies hit by your Finishers, Extended Finishers, Barrage, or Scattershot have a 50% chance to become Dazed.
Enhance Armament: Weight		Toggled Ability Enemies hit by your Finishers, Extended Finishers, Barrage, or Scattershot become Snared.
Headshot		Deal (200%🢆) Physical damage to target enemy. Deals 25% more damage to targets below 50% of their maximum health and applies 1 stack of Wounded for each 25% missing health of the target. Physical penetration increased by 25% against Dazed targets. This bonus is doubled against Silenced targets.
Hunt of the Bear		Toggled Ability Call forth the spirit of the bear, imbuing yourself with increased physical mitigation. Only one Hunt may be active at a time.
Hunt of the Raven		Toggled Ability Call forth the spirit of the raven, imbuing yourself with increased physical penetration. Only one Hunt may be active at a time.
Hunt of the Tiger		Toggled Ability Call forth the spirit of the tiger, imbuing yourself with 10% increased critical damage. Only one Hunt may be active at a time.
Lightning Reload		Grants a charge of Lightning Reload, allowing you to fire one ability Shot for free, ignoring it's cooldown and other costs. Affected Abilities: Snipe Barrage Headshot Scatter Shot Raining Death Thundering Shot
Mark of the Bear		Marks the target, reducing their mitigation by 25%.
Mark of the Raven		Marks the target, triggering up to (33%🢆) Physical damage every time the target is hit, scaling based on the target's missing health %.
Mark of the Tiger		Marks the target, increasing critical chance versus the target by 25%.
Party Stride		Applies Strider to all group members within 30 meters. Strider Increases ground movement speed of target by 10%.
Raining Death		Fire two consecutive volleys of arrows in a wide area in front of you, dealing (100%🢆) Physical damage and applying 1 stack of Wounded to enemies with each hit. Deals 20% additional damage to Shocked targets.
Regeneration		Grants 10 Regeneration Rating per Ranger level to a target ally. Can be maintained on one ally at a time. If your target already has Regeneration from another Ranger, you cannot activate Regeneration. If your target already has your Regeneration, activating Regeneration again will toggle it off.
Scatter Shot		Fires a spread of projectiles, dealing (125%🢆) Physical damage to every enemy target in a cone area in front of the caster. Triggers Ammo Imbue effects, once per target hit.
Snipe		Deal (400%🢆) Physical damage and apply Shaken to target enemy. If the target is Bleeding, 1 stack is consumed and that target becomes Hemorraging.
Strider		Target ally gains Strider
Thorns		Envelop target ally with thorns, dealing damage equal to 1/3 the Ranger's level and a 10% chance of applying Bleeding to attackers each time that ally is struck. Can be maintained on one ally at a time and can not be applied to a target already affected by Thorns.
Thundering Shot		Fire a lightning-infused projectile at target enemy, dealing (200%🢆) Physical damage and applying 10 stacks of Shocked to the target. If the primary target is Dazed, the effect is consumed and the target becomes Silenced.
Vine Field		Summon a vine field at target location. Targets in the area take (125%🢆) Physical damage and become Rooted. Each target can only be hit once per instance. For each target hit by the initial tick that is Bleeding, 1 stack is consumed and that target becomes Hemorraging.

Rogue

Pre-alpha Rogue/Ranger (Predator).

One with the shadows, knowing how to move with subtlety, and when to stay put, the rogue's stealth is unmatched. The rogue is a master of opportunity, using skill, positioning, and the environment to dish out frightening amounts of damage. In their downtime, they provide excellent scouting, helping their friends navigate dangers otherwise unseen.

Pre-alpha Rogue/Ranger (Predator) preview.

Rogue is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

The rogue is more physical disable oriented: Applying bleeds or snares or having precision damage that's situational. Being stealthy. That's how I view the rogue role... The rogue's like you don't see me, I'm coming in and boom I stab you in the back and I do extra damage because of it. Now you're bleeding and you're trying to snare away and walking away, and that's a rogue in my opinion. – Steven Sharif

Rogue classes

Clase	Primario	Secundario
Assassin	Rogue	Rogue
Charlatan	Rogue	Bard
Cultist	Rogue	Cleric
Duelist	Rogue	Fighter
Nightspell	Rogue	Mage
Predator	Rogue	Ranger
Shadow Guardian	Rogue	Tank
Shadow Lord	Rogue	Summoner

Rogue skills/abilities

All classes are capable adventurers, but rogues excel at delving the deepest dungeons and finding the most hidden of treasures.

• Rogues will have utility skills that enable them to discover hidden doors, traps and additional treasures.
• These will be randomly spawned throughout different times of the day to ensure that encounters are not the same each time.

If you're in a party and you have a Rogue that's available, they'll be able to use that utility skill to discover these random doors that might exist in a dungeon. Now the way we make it so that it's not essentially the same door every time and it's just a first time thing and every time thereafter where that door's at, is these locations are randomly spawned throughout different times of the day so they'll change essentially as you go into a dungeon at different times. So it'll be important and relevant for parties to make sure that they have a diversity of archetypes available to them. And in particular for the rogues case because they can find those hidden type doors and then have access to different types of loot tables based off of that. – Steven Sharif

Skill	Icon	Description
Backstab		Stab your target in the back dealing (200%🢆) Pierce damage damage. Requires being behind your target. Consumes Advantage to deal (200%🢆) Pierce damage bonus damage.
Feint		Stab your target in the back dealing damage. Requires being behind your target. Consumes to deal bonus damage.
Kick		Kick your target, dealing (40%🢆) Bludgeon damage and applying Tripped. Consumes Advantage to instead hit all targets within melee range.
Lacerate		Slice your target, dealing (100%🢆) Physical damage. Applies Bleeding at double the base duration. Consumes Advantage to become a frontal cone melee ability.
Poison		Gain Poison
Shadow Step		Teleport behind your target.
Shuriken		Throw a shuriken at your target, dealing (75%🢆) Pierce damage and bouncing to up to 4 other nearby enemies dealing lesser damage each bounce. Each hit applies any currently active Poison, otherwise applies (75%🢆) Pierce damage.
Stealth		Fade into the shadows, becoming invisible. Only usable when 20 meters away from enemies. Gain Advantage.
Thump		Deal (50%🢆) Bludgeon damage and apply Silenced for 1 second and then apply Dazed If you have Advantage, instead apply Silenced for 5 seconds.

Summoner

Summoner silhouette.

The summoner is never alone. Two hands are good, but in the summoner's opinion, more hands are always better. With the right tool for every job, there's no situation they can't handle through their connection to the void, and other realms. Summoning assistance through the portal, they call upon the occult to join them in battle, supporting their allies, banishing their adversaries, or controlling an enemy. Summoners can shift to easily fill gaps in the battlefield wherever they are needed.

Summoner is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

• Summoners can shift their roles easily to fill gaps in a group's composition based on the role of the summon they are utilizing coupled with their choice of secondary archetype, which influences the role the summons perform best at.

Q: Summoner has been said to fill in the gaps in a party's role composition. What exactly does that mean in practice? Are they capable of speccing to be pure DPS, pure heals, or pure tank? Or instead are they supposed to be doing all three at a lesser level as needed?

A: It depends on the summon that they bring out. They will have a variety of summon options and they will have supporting abilities that enhance the role of that particular summon, or that can hybridize the role of that summon based on the ability they cast on the summon or support by attacking- by casting on the target either. So is something that is flexible based on the summoner; and then when you choose a secondary archetype as your total class, that- as a primary summoner- that will influence which category your summons perform best as a role. So if you go with a secondary archetype for your class selection that's more DPS oriented this summons from a role category perspective will be a DPS summons. You'll still have the flexibility, but it won't be as strong as if you had chosen a support or a tank role and the summon benefits you would have as a result of those secondary choices. – Steven Sharif

Q: Will Summoners want to build different stats when playing as either a DPS, healer, or tank role?

A: Yes. It is important that Summoners understand the role they're trying to hybridize into, as that decision might influence the types of stats they want to spec for. – Steven Sharif

Summoner classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Beastmaster	Summoner	Ranger
Brood Warden	Summoner	Tank
Conjurer	Summoner	Summoner
Enchanter	Summoner	Bard
Necromancer	Summoner	Cleric
Shadowmancer	Summoner	Rogue
Spellmancer	Summoner	Mage
Wild Blade	Summoner	Fighter

Summoner skills/abilities

The summoner uses abilities that channel through their summons (also referred to as class skill pets).

• Summoners can summon up to three Summons.

You gain your summons from your summoner class as an active skill and then skills can be further developed with points. – Steven Sharif

• Abilities from the summon appear on the summoner's hotbar. The summoner is essentially playing through their summon.
  • Summoner has control over their summon, unless the summon is under ancillary effects.

• Summoner summons will be able to fulfil DPS, Tank, and Healing/Support roles.
  • Summons will be able to use crowd control (CC).

• Summoners will not be able to fuse with or be taken over by their normal summons.
  • In the case of siege summons the summoner does become the summon.

• Summoners may also have the ability to transfer pain to their summons, meaning that a portion of damage or threat taken by the summoner can be transferred to their summon instead.

• Summoner summons are not the same as combat pets.
  • Summoner's summons will add to the summoner's power when they are summoned, unlike combat pets, which take a portion of the player's power.

The Summoner archetype does not have that portion of power taken away when they summon their pet. That's part of their... power is their summon. – Steven Sharif

• Summons will exist until another summon is cast, the summon is killed, or the summoner logs off.

• Summoners may be able to name their summons, but will not be able to change their creature type, which is part of the nameplate above the summon.

• Summons follow the same PvP flagging rules as players and share the player's flag status.

Summons follow the same flagging rules as players, if your summon pks someone, you gain corruption – Steven Sharif

• Summoners summon different varieties of summons, depending on the class and augments they choose.
  • Animals.
  • Spirits.
  • Skeletons, zombies and other undead summons will be possible with death-based cleric augments.
  • Corpses (potentially).
  • Some summoners may summon multiple things.
  • Other summoners may only summon one powerful thing.
  • Certain summoners may only be able to summon effects and/or temporary energies.

Some of the following information has not been recently confirmed by the developers and may not be on the current development roadmap.

• Summons can be leveled through the application of skill points to their active skill.

• Augments from a secondary archetype can be applied to a summon.

For example: If your summon had a sweeping attack with a claw, or had the ability to bite an opponent, or rush an opponent; and you took teleportation, you could rush them similar to how I've given an example with the tank: Teleporting to a target instead. Or, its claws could combust on impact on a target dealing some burn damage that persists. Or... let's say your summon traditionally was some type of bear or bear cat, you could apply an elemental augment and now it could be a transparent flaming bioluminescent cat; and its damage would be fire based. So, that's how we want to influence the active skills with how augments apply; and that's how it would apply with Summoners. – Steven Sharif

Tank

Alpha-2 Tank montage.

Alpha-2 Tank Grapple skill.

Tank is an archetype in Ashes of Creation.

The tank's primary role is to draw attackers to them while absorbing damage that might kill, or severely injure their allies. While other archetypes seek to avoid pain, the tank thrives on it, increasing their durability, and damage dealt with every strike. Their mastery of defense allows them to redirect, absorb, and negate incredible amounts of damage that their party members might otherwise take. A well-played tank controls the tide of the battle, distracting enemies, and hampering their movements while rallying their allies, and leading them to victory. No one lives forever, but a renowned hero who reaches his, or her twilight years probably owes their longevity to a reliable tank.

• All classes with Tank as primary archetype will be viable for tanking upper-end raids, dungeons and world bosses.
• The best tanks are going to be Guardians, but tanks with other secondary archetypes will also be viable.

Q: When it comes to tanking, will it be primarily the tank archetypes that will be able to tank, or can other people tank?

A: Other people can tank. It really depends on the setting. If we're talking high-end raiding or dungeoneering and playing in these areas that require a main tank, that role and responsibility lies to the Tank archetype. Now tank archetypes can obviously take secondary archetype selections and they can hybridize across different roles. That'll give them a bit of horizontal utility or horizontal progression to the augment system; and the best tanks are going to be the tanks that double down in that role. – Steven Sharif

• Tanks in general will have some control over encounters but will likely not have total control.

Q: Tanks need to do two things: Mitigate damage and hold aggro. How will tank weapons, shields, and armor balance these two dynamics compared to other gear sets?

A: I think it does so in a few ways. I mean, obviously stack composition and your itemization choices are important. Making sure you're driving up your constitution-based stat allocation through selection of certain set bonuses and/or stat modifiers. But in addition, a big portion of that is not just through itemization, but also through your skill tree selections; and they don't have to be diametrically opposed. The ability to garner additional threat is predicated on your rotational selection and and how you are leveraging certain types of set bonuses that are catered towards that role specifically. So some set bonuses will have specific, very targeted benefits like additional threat generation. But in addition, if you're going to mitigate damage, you need to make sure you're focusing on your health pool: how much health pool do you have available to you? What type of damage are you mitigating- because we have different types of damage mitigation from magic to physical; and that's predicated on who your opponent is, where your adversary lives. Both of those are viable selection or viable strategies. – Steven Sharif

• Depending on their choice of secondary archetype, tanks are able to favor damage dealt over defense.

Q: What steps are being taken or considered to make the tank archetype viable in PvP engagements?

A: It's important to note that in a lot of MMOs that probably many of us have played. PVP can feel like a slapped on design consideration; and our approach is very holistic in the sense that we take into account the fact this is a PvX game. So when we're designing the class kits, we are making sure that mechanics and designs are targeting applicability both in PvE settings as well as PvP settings. That's very important. There are also special mechanics, like how threat is used in PvP, how taunts are used in PvP. Those things I think require testing, but we have some ideas that will make them relevant so that you don't have abilities that have no relevancy in PvE or PVP, but have some cross application. – Steven Sharif

Some of the following information has not been recently confirmed by the developers and may not be on the current development roadmap.

• Tanks will have different build options:
  • Evasion tanks.
  • Control tanks.
  • Shield tanks.

• The developers are considering formation-based mechanics that grant effects such as damage mitigation based on positioning of party members.

Also formation-based type effects. For example, there's a really cool skill that we just began working on for the tank, where you have a vector required for players to be within behind that tank that mitigates damage incoming from a different direction. So there's directional-based type situations that require location of players in your party to be cognizant of those locations. – Steven Sharif

Tank classes

Class	Primary	Secondary
Argent	Tank	Bard
Guardian	Tank	Tank
Keeper	Tank	Summoner
Knight	Tank	Fighter
Nightshield	Tank	Rogue
Paladin	Tank	Cleric
Spellshield	Tank	Mage
Warden	Tank	Ranger

Tank skills/abilities

Skill	Icon	Description
Absorption Field		Throw a rallying banner to the target location that spawns an Absorption Field upon impact. You and allies that enter the Absorption Field are granted temporary health equal to 20% of your maximum health. This can only be applied to any specific target once per 10 seconds.
Aegis		Create a protective dome around the caster for 15 seconds, transferring 20% of all damage received by targets within the area to the tank instead. Can be toggled off early to cancel the effect.
Charge		Channeled Ability: Charge forward in the direction you are facing. Enemies you collide with take (50%🢆) Physical damage damage and become Staggered. Charge will be canceled if another ability is activated or if the Charge key is pressed again.
Desolate		Strikes your target and surrounding enemies for 150% physical damage. Generates 300% additional threat.
Fortify		Consumes all Courage to reduce damage taken for 10 seconds. Damage taken is reduced by 10%, and increases with Courage spent at a rate of 0.1% per 1 Courage, up to a total maximum of 20%. Duration is increased by 1% per Courage spent, up to a maximum of 20 seconds. While active, the rate of Courage gained from damage received is increased.
Grapple		Take aim and hurl a chained javelin at your target, damaging the first target it contacts and immediately pulling them to the caster. The target suffers a tapering snare for 3 seconds. Cannot be used on boss enemies.
Grit		Toggled ability: Enter a defensive stance that reduces all incoming physical damage by an additional 10%, but outgoing damage is reduced by 25%. Threat generation is increased by 50% while under the effect of Grit. Higher levels of Courage decrease the damage penalty by up to 10%.
Ground Pound		Slams the ground, dealing (200%🢆) Physical damage to enemies in front of you, while applying Tripped for 2 seconds to targets that were Staggered. Targets already Tripped are launched and take 25% more damage.
Inciting Strikes		Slash twice in an area in front of you, dealing damage (50%🢆) Physical damage damage per hit. Generates 400% Threat.
Indomitable Spirit		Gain Indomitable Spirit
Intercept		Rush to an ally's defense, granting temporary health to yourself and the target equal to 8% of your maximum HP for 10 seconds upon arrival. Temporary health granted is increased to 12% of your maximum HP if cast on self.
Intimidating Aura		Emanate an aura around the caster for 8 seconds that deals (10%🢆) Magical damage with a 10% chance of applying Staggered every 0.5 seconds. Generates threat equal to 30% of your Maximum Health every tick.
Iron Aura		Reduces damage taken by 2% for all party members within 10 meters.
Protect		Intercept attacks that strike your friendly nearby target, redirecting 30% of the damage taken to you. Must remain within 15 meters of the target to maintain protection. If this range is exceeded for more than 5 seconds, the effect ends. If your target already has Protect from another Tank, you cannot activate Protect. If your target already has your Protect, activating Protect again will toggle it off.
Pulverize		Move to your target and strike them for 225% physical damage. Generates 300% additional threat.
Reflect		You brace for the next hit, doubling your block mitigation rating. The first incoming attack within the next 3 seconds is reflected back to the attacker, dealing (100%🢆) Physical damage plus additional damage based on the amount of damage taken by the deflected attack, up to a maximum total of (100%🢆) Physical damage. Generates 200% additional threat.
Rush of Courage		You feel a surge of resolve. Gain 100 Courage.
Shake It Off		Activate to instantly restore 50% of the difference between damage taken and healing taken in the past 4 seconds. Always heals for at least 10% of your maximum HP. Cannot heal for more than 30% of your Maximum HP.
Shield Assault		Lunge forward and deal 125% physical damage while applying Staggered to enemies in front of you. If a target was hit, gain 25 courage. Generates 300% additional threat.
Shield Slam		Lunge forward and deal 150% physical damage while applying Staggered to that target. Gain 25 courage on hit. Generates 300% additional threat.
Slam		Deal (200%🢆) Physical damage to targets in front of you. Generates 300% additional threat.
Taunt		Taunt target enemy, generating threat equal to two times your maximum health and applying Humiliated.
Tomahawk		Throw a Tomahawk at target enemy, dealing (100%🢆) Physical damage. Deals 50% more damage to targets hit from behind.
Tremoring Bellow		Apply Snared to enemies in front of you with a loud shout. Then quickly follow up with a powerful ground stomp, dealing 150% physical damage to enemies around you. Generates 200% additional threat.
Tremoring Strike		Deal 175% physical damage and apply Tripped to target enemy for 2 seconds. Generates 200% additional threat.
Vengeance		Deal (90%🢆) Physical damage to your target enemy. Other nearby targets take reduced damage. On hit, gain a stack of Vengeance, granting Temporary Health equal to your level + 0.1% Max HP for 10 seconds, up to 3 stacks. The maxmium HP contribution to shielding increases to 0.2% for stack 2, and 0.3% for stack 3. Additional activations within 10 seconds deal 5% additional damage, up to a total of +15%. Generates 100% additional threat.
Wall		Summons a glorious Wall at the target location. Obstructs movement and blocks projectiles.

See also

• Classes
• Races
• Religions
• Combat