Regarding Pure Warriors

[GalenKnighthawke]

Once in awhile someone will mourn the demise of pure warriors. I've given some thought over the years as to what that means.

If one means by pure warrior a warrior that uses no spell-like abilities and does not have to rely on mana? Then the pure warrior is indeed dead.

If one means a warrior that only uses mana for special moves and does not have a support skill such as Ninjutsu, Chivalry, or Bushido? Then the pure warrior class is also, I think, dead. It is simply too difficult to chain special moves to the extent one needs to in order to make this viable.

(Of course if one is willing to limit one's self to middle-level monsters and/or to a support role in group PvM? Then sure it's viable. And you'd be surprised how many people run around and play the game at that level and enjoy it. But those people usually aren't here voicing the concern; they are playing the game. I think most people who voice this concern want to go further with their characters.)

But, if ones purpose is more RP-ish, there may be a way. If one means to play a warrior that has no abilities that are explicitly magic or of divine origin, if one wants to play something closer to, say, the Fighter class from Dungeons and Dragons, then I recommend Bushido. I've been playing a "pure" Samurai for some time now and have had limited but notable success. And I, frankly, have never been that good a player. The Samurai's "spells" aren't specifically magic or divine like the Paladin's are. And indeed none of them are specifically Japanese or Eastern.

Bushido by itself has the following important disadvantages of course.

If you want to rely on Parry, you can't use a shield. So if you want to be a shield-wielding warrior you will paradoxically have to drop Parry and rely on DCI.

While the damage output from Bushido by itself potentially dwarfs that from Chivalry by itself, the key is in the word "potential." Chivalry by itself offers you a solid certainty that Bushido by itself can't match.

-Galen's player

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

I think that train of thought overlooks the changes made to specific slayers.

I also think if it were completely pure you'd have to run everywhere.

Also what else would you do with the remaining points? Pure as I see it would be 120 wep, 120 Tactics, 120 Parry, 120 Healing, 120 Anatomy... depending on account age that leaves 100-120 points, I suppose the least un-pure making skill would be Resist, Med or Focus.

I don't think anything with Bushido can be classed as a pure warrior because it uses spells.

 

[Klapauc]

Lets say
120 weapon
120 parry
120 tactics
120 healing
120 anatomy
120 resist

Give 2 of them reasonably good equipment and they can take out a lot of stuff with 2 sec crosshealing. Dreadhorn, navrey, even slasher do sound perfectly doable on such a char. If using the right weapons and good teamwork, also some (most?) champ spawns. Probably doom as well.

They may be screwed in terms of damage output and mana cost, but 2 sec bandies with 120 healing/anatomy heal alot. Add some pots, apples and petals for emergencies to that.

 

[WarderDragon]

While the intent of this thread is perhaps not to discuss the future - but the present - I have long thought that each talent and skill needs to have its own repritore of special abilities. No single skill that requires 100-120 to be effective should be limited to one purpose. Tactics shouldn't just be Damage Increase but also something that comes with special abilities in a group setting. (i.e. a Tactician should have a leadership role in a group. Group Buffs.) People using a Shield should have a list of Special Move Blocks and Shield Bashes. Wrestlers should have DOT Chokes and Stun Moves.

...and does not have to rely on mana?

Mana is the Essence and Spirit of a Character. Their Drive. Their Motivation. Their Soul. People tend to confuse Mana - a term used in Religious Studies to describe the Animistic Power of an Object or Relic - with some pool of Divine or Ethereal Power.

Yes we have far more limitations than we once did. Far more things that - as an RPer - make it difficult to create a character and at once be effective in the PvM / PvP Endgame. But it is not impossible. Paladin Abilities can be modified to suit ones IC needs. Divine Rage could be used without no specific Divine Implications for a Warrior who is experiencing 'Berserker Rage.' You could suspend disbelief and pretend Consecrate Weapon has no outward source but is instead a character finding the weakness in a foes armor rather than as a blessing from the Light.