Shadowbane Classes

[Colin Mor]

Classes

Apprenticeships: The Four Paths of the Hero

Alas, our World has been rent with strife from its very beginning, her soil seeped in blood. From the rising of the Dragons to the great invasions of Chaos and the War of Tears between Men and the Elven empires, conflict and destruction have always been close at hand. Since the time of the Turning, things have grown even worse. Just as the world was shattered, War and Chaos threaten to shatter everything the All-Father's children have achieved. More than ever, it is a time when Heroes can change the world, for good or ill. Whatever their race, those who aspire to greatness must walk one of four paths to triumph or oblivion. For the mighty and humble alike, even the greatest of Quests begins with but a single step.

The Fighter's Way: The Path of Might

From the times before the First Dawning some Heroes have pitted their strength against their foes, overcoming adversity through force of arms. Ours has always been a Fighter's world, and our history is replete with examples of the warrior's creed. The Knights of the Petty Kingdoms, the mounted archers of the Horse Nomads, the soldiers who follow the War Lords, and the Great Berserks of the Frozen North are all fighters at heart - no matter the particulars of their craft. Whether they fight for a cause, for glory, or for the simple love of slaughter, they fight.

Men of action, fighters depend upon their strength and toughness to survive, and many regard fighters as dull-witted sluggards. The fighter's path is the easiest, they argue, for the warrior lacks the faith and devotion of a healer, the long, arduous study of the mage, or the rogue's finely honed craft. Try telling that to the fencing masters of Mellissar, who have trained eight hours every day with their blades since their fifth birthday, or the yeomen of Gend, who legends say can fire twenty arrows from their longbows of yew in the space of a minute. Steel has a discipline all its own, and a master fighter is capable of feats of arms that can be as potent as any magic. Besides, when the forces of Darkness or Chaos threaten the world, it is the fighter, not the mage or healer, who meets them head on, and always stands in the greatest risk of death.

Fighters tend also to be leaders of men, who can rise to lead entire armies and govern over kingdoms. In these dark times, such men are desperately needed. The High King himself showed how much a fighter with a sword could change the world. Alas, his downfall and The Sundering have shown how much a single fighter can destroy...

Professions:

Barbarian

Crusader

Huntress

Ranger

Templar

Warlock

Warrior

The Healer's Way: The Path of Faith

There are Primal Powers that exist Outside the world we know, who wrought the World and all the Universe in the uttermost beginning. Everything from the lowliest slug to the brightest Archon in Heaven is their handiwork. A trace of the divine will and its capacity for creation exists in all living things, and is concentrated in beings of thought and reason, the true Children of the Gods. Healers are sensitive souls whose belief and devotion allow them to find the divine spark within them, and use its power to alter the world around them. The healing of wounds and sickness is the best known gift that healers possess, and the most valued in this age of conflict and pestilence.

Many simple healers go on to devote themselves to one of the Great Faiths, pledging their life and efforts to advance the causes of their chosen path, and are rewarded with even greater powers and miracles. The Holy Church of the All-Father draws the greatest number of healers into its ranks, with its legions of divine saints and hierarchies of angelic lords offering a vast array of powers and miracles to Prelates who believe. The ancient and secretive Druids devote themselves to the Balance and the Mother of the World. Rumors abound of other healers who follow the teachings of the Elemental Hierarchs, the Beast Lords, or even the wicked doctrines of the Lords of Chaos. Faith is the source of a healer's power, and the final measure of his capabilities.

In the darkness that followed the Sundering, a new Faith was born: the Temple of the Cleansing Flame, devoted to avenging the High King's death and revering the High King and Saint Malorn, the Temple's founder. Whereas most healers devote themselves to healing the hurts of the world and trying to end strife, the fanatics of the Temple believe that strife will only end when all who are evil, impure, and unfit have been destroyed. Their crusade in the All-Father's name threatens to ignite the weary World like a firebrand.

Professions:

Channeler

Confessor

Crusader

Druid

Prelate

Priest

The Mage's Way: The Path of Lore

Knowledge is power, and the magi of the world have long understood that the key to power and mastery in this world is the true understanding of its nature. Magi are scholars and observers, always delving into the tiniest and most ancient of secrets, trying to discern the true structure of the universe and the obscure laws that govern everything within it. Knowing the nature of fire and its origins allows a mage to call fire to himself, or protect himself from a flame's capacity for harm. Magi are first and foremost masters of Lore, whose awesome powers arise from the uses they find for their arcane knowledge. There are many schools of magic in the World. To a mage, knowledge and power are ripe for the taking.

The universe is far too immense and intricate of a creation for one man (or even a host of men) to ever hope to understand completely. Hence, a mage must focus his studies and choose which forms of magic he will master. To speak of the "average" mage is a fiction, for rarely are two magi even remotely alike. Channelers devote themselves to one of the four elements, unlocking the utmost secrets of matter and its composition. Warlocks become scholars of the mind and consciousness, learning to mold and bend the will of men. There are wizards who traffic in the world of sprits, others who are masters of seeing, and still others who learn to walk unseen. Every mage learns how to manipulate natural law through arcane incantations and mixtures of rare elements: workings that the vulgar call spells.

Magi depend upon their intellects first and foremost, for without the ability to perceive, deduce, and understand they are nothing. The primacy of the mind usually leads to the abasement of the body, and most magi are weak and frail. Be warned that such is not always the case, however: there have been wizards who became master swordsmen, and the Furies of the Amazons are fierce combatants as well as weather witches

Professions:

Assassin

Bard

Channeler

Fury

Warlock

Wizard

The Rogue's Way: The Path of Skill

For those who know how to seize an opportunity, even these troubled times are full of promise. Some who become heroes work not for glory, or wisdom, or to exalt the name of a God or saint. Rogues strive for personal gain, looking only for material profit and the easiest means to gain it. Most rogues have had to fend for themselves since childhood, abandoned by the chaos and strife of the Age. With nobody to trust or depend upon, rogues quickly learn to live by their wits, counting on a quick hand and finely honed set of skills to carry them through any hardship.

Rogues rarely feel limited by the constraints of conventional thinking or morality. The world is a cruel place, after all, so why should they be kind? If a rogue needs food and shelter or wants wealth, they take it. Stealth and cunning are essential to their very survival, and so all rogues become adept at hiding from their enemies and making their way unseen and unheard. Agility and a keen mind are a talented rogue's best assets. They may lack the book learning of a healer or mage, but a rogue is a keen observer, and quick to find an angle to get at what he wants.

Many rogues never leave the path of greed and raw self-interest, becoming bandits, cutthroats, and hired killers. Some rogues, however, develop a conscience. They steal only from those who deserve to lose their wealth, and donate a portion of their gains to a good cause. Some leave the hectic world of cities behind altogether, becoming master hunters and trackers. Any rogue who joins a company of adventurers quickly learns that questing is the quickest route to easy wealth, and often serves a higher good besides. These rogues can end up praised as heroes in song and story, if their skills and luck hold

Professions:

Assassin

Barbarian

Bard

Huntress

Ranger

Scout

Thief