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- I.M.M.O.R.T.A.L T.H.R.O.N.E -
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Copyright Mister Sinister, 2007
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Dedicated to Padopolis
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As you already know, there are NINE different Schools of Training that you can
follow in Titan Quest - EIGHT in regular Titan Quest, and NINE in the Immortal
Throne Expansion Pack, yep ?
Well because I'm feeling generous, I think it's about time to go through, in
some more depth, the nine schools of training, each of their powers, what they
do and whether (in my opinion) they are worth their weight in gold, or plop.
Before we do so, however, I need to point out that even though I have played
the game many, many times, I have (for obvious reasons) not been able to play
every single combination of character class available and so, whilst I have
used all the skills in the game, I have not fully developed all of them, and
so whilst my thoughts are both genuine and sincere, you may not always agree
with them.
Therefore IF any of you read this and think "he's got that wrong, because xyz"
or what have you, then please do feel free to drop me a line. If you're
respectful and make sense, I'll happily include your thoughts in this section
and give you full credit (up to the point where it becomes more like a thread
than an FAQ !!).
So without further ado, let's get cracking !!
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Game Description : Excels at dealing massive lightning and cold damage to
single opponents or small groups. The Stormcaller has
limited personal defences but can slow, freeze, and
stun enemies with frost and thunder attacks.
Sinister says : In my opinion Storm is one of the best schools in the
game. As with all schools it has offensive and defensive
skills, but it has two of what are, I believe, THE best
skills available - chain lightning and summon wisp.
There are some skills that you are generally quite
unlikely to use, however.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : ICE SHARD
Description : Projects a deadly shard of ice at the target inflicting
cold damage and temporarily slowing them.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Whilst ok as a low-level projectile, it quickly loses
out to skills like Lightning Bolt. You can augment it
at higher levels to increase the speed and number of
shards, but it's still not your handiest skill.
Other Ideas : [Viro Melchior says]
"I've played all the way through Normal and Epic, and up
through the end of Egypt with a friend (Hunter/Rogue) in
Legendary. I rely almost completely on Ice Shards for
damage."
Skill Name : STORM NIMBUS
Description : When active, the player is imbued with the power of the
storm, causing their attacks to strike with cold and
lightning damage
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : VERY handy to have if you choose the Storm School, this
adds damage to EVERY attack you to. Unfortunately it
places what's called a reserve on your energy, meaning
a block of it becomes unusable whilst the skill is in
effect, but in my opinion this is a VERY handy low-level
Storm Skill.
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : SPELL BREAKER
Description : A pulse of negatively charged energy dispels hostile
enchantments on allies or, when cast on enemies, breaks
their beneficial enchantments and negates a portion of
their energy. This attack inflicts bonus damage when
used against Magical creatures.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : In my opinion this skill is not one you will use very
often. It's just easier to make spellcasters your
primary targets when you encounter them than faff about
dispelling their spells (although it CAN be quite fun if
you have the patience) ;)
Skill Name : THUNDERBALL
Description : Hurls a ball of electrical energy that damages and stuns
enemies in a small blast radius.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Whilst it looks and sounds cooler than the Ice Shard, it
isn't THAT much better in my opinion. At higher levels
you have the option of adding mini Thunderballs to it, to
big-up the radius and stun-effect, but as with the Ice
Shard it's quite a slow-moving projectile, and sometimes
you will find your enemies just move away, which is quite
irritating.
Skill Name : HEART OF FROST
Must Have : STORM NIMBUS
Description : When Storm Nimbus is active, the air around the player
becomes icy cold and slows any attackers within its
perimeter.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : I think if you are going to sink points into Storm Nimbus
then there is absolutely NO reason not to big-up that
skill, by adding cold damage and slowness for your foes
with this skill (and lightning damage at higher levels
with another skill). Bear in mind this affects you
ALL the time, and whilst it does mean you have to give
up a bit more energy in reserve, I think it's worth it.
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : SPELL SHOCK
Must Have : SPELL BREAKER
Description : Inflicts energy burn damage and disrupts enemy spell-
casters' ability to use skills as their beneficial
enchantments are abruptly shattered by Spell Breaker.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : Whilst a nice add-on to the Spell Breaker skill, I don't
think it's genuinely worth sinking any more than 1 point
into this ability.
Skill Name : VELOCITY
Must Have : ICE SHARD
Description : Increasing the speed and damage of Ice Shard. Gives each
shard a chance to punch through its target and keep going.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : If you're REALLY serious about keeping the Ice Shard power
and maxing out its effects, then you will definitely want
to invest in this skill. I personally think it might be
worth sinking 1 point into, just to keep Ice Shard in
reserve (although I myself chopped the whole skill in
favour of higher-powered ones when I played).
Skill Name : SQUALL
Description : Creates a wind storm in the target area that decreases
the projectile attack accuracy of enemies caught within
it.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Whilst it CAN be useful in rare situations - like when
you are absolutely swamped with a sea of archers or
spellcasters, it is rare that you will find a use for
the Squall power.
Skill Name : FREEZING BLAST
Description : Encases enemies in ice, immobilising them but also making
them more difficult to damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Useful AND surprisingly satisfying. Like when Jean Grey
freezes Toad in midair in X-Men 1. Unfortunately you can
virtually FORGET smashing more powerful enemies to bits
though, as the ice protects them to some degree from
taking damage, making this a more flash-than-substance
power.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : LIGHTNING BOLT
Description : Calls down a powerful bolt of lightning from the heavens
to decimate your target.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : YES !! Now THIS is what I'm talkin' bout !! With a
judicious use of the shift key, you can call down bolts
of lightning to strike target WAY outside your normal
range, and there is very little time between casting the
skill and the impact from the blast, which means it is
easier to target enemies that are on the move. Love it !
Skill Name : CONCUSSIVE BLAST
Must Have : THUNDERBALL
Description : Enhances the power of Thunderball causing sparks to leap
from the initial explosion. Each spark that hits an enemy
inflicts lightning damage and stuns.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Useful ONLY if you are looking to use Thunderball on a
repeat basis, which is kinda doubtful. It does have a
satisfying effect insofar as it DOES stun enemies that
are close to the blast radius of the initial Thunderball,
but beyond that it is rather limited in its effect.
Skill Name : OBSCURED VISIBILITY
Must Have : SQUALL
Description : Reduced visibility inside the Squall makes it difficult
for enemies to effectively attack or defend themselves.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : Kinda the same effect as narrowing your eyes to slits
then yeah ? Thought so. Butt-useless unless you're
heavily reliant on the Squall effect.
Skill Name : STATIC CHARGE
Must Have : STORM NIMBUS
Description : Electrical energy builds inside the player while Storm
Nimbus is active and passes through enemy weapons that
come in contact, delivering a powerful shock.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Since this is more a reactionary power than the Storm
Nimbus I can't really give it a 5 - however it is a very
useful addition, and keeps those sonsofb!tches that want
to hurt you really painfully at bay somewhat :)
Skill Name : ENERGY SHIELD
Description : Creates a shield of energy that will nullify all incoming
damage from electrical attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : I think this is a VERY useful power to have as it protects
you from both lightning AND cold damage, and you will come
across PLENTY of that in the game. Unfortunately it does
nothing to protect you from physical hand-to-hand damage,
but it looks cool, AND you can cast it on other people
too !!
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : TORRENT
Must Have : ICE SHARD
Description : Increases the number of shards cast, sending a deadly
torrent at enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : If you are dead set on keeping Ice Shard then this is a
MUST-HAVE skill for you, as it increases the number of
shards you can throw. At maximum level it adds another
4 shards to your arsenal, bringing the total you can
possible throw up to a whopping 5 !!
Skill Name : SUMMON WISP
Description : Summon an immortal Storm Wisp from the atmosphere to
battle your enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : The Storm Wisp is one of the single greatest skills you
can master in the Storm School. Although the little
fella might not LOOK like much, if you check out his
stats you will see that he has a LUDICROUSLY high chance
of dodging any attacks (hand-to-hand and projectile alike)
which makes him THE bane of bosses and sub-bosses let me
assure you.
Skill Name : STORM SURGE
Description : When activated, each enemy hit has a chance of unleashing
a violent squall of storm energy
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Handy to keep on as it gives you a chance of countering
any hand-to-hand strike you suffer with a storm blast.
This does combined cold and lightning damage to your foes
AND stuns them for a split-second as well !! BONUS :)
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : CHAIN LIGHTNING
Must Have : LIGHTNING BOLT
Description : Causes electricity to leap from the target of your
Lightning Bolt skill and strike additional nearby enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : The COOLEST Skill in the Storm School. Chain Lightning
causes a regular lightning bolt spell to chain to nearby
adversaries, causing MUCH hilarity and LOADS of damage.
GET ... IT ... NOW !! =)
Skill Name : EYE OF THE STORM
Must Have : SUMMON WISP
Description : A wisp ability that increases the lightning and cold
damage of all nearby allies for a duration and provides
protection from lightning and cold damage.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Since your wisp is never going to be that far from your
side in combat, this is a VERY handy skill to add to your
repertoire. See how handy this little guy is !! :)
Skill Name : REFLECTION
Must Have : ENERGY SHIELD
Description : Gives Energy Shield the ability to reflect a portion of
enemy attack damage back at enemies who hit it.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : If you're going to go for the Energy Shield (which I did),
why not go for the Reflection Spell to fling some of that
damage back at your enemies ? Works for me !! ;)
Conclusions : The Storm School is great for those of you that like to
pummel enemies from afar with either spells or arrows,
and the Summon Wisp and Chain Lightning skills are LEGEND
in my opinion. This is a school well worth considering.
It lets itself down a little in hand-to-hand unfortunately
so anybody that is big into that type of fight should
consider their alternatives. The biggest drawback for
Storm for ME is that some of its best powers (it's going
to sound stupid to say) take a LONG time to get ahold of,
which CAN make it less gratifying than, say, the Earth
School where damage-dealing is THE main focus of play.
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
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Game Description : Adept at raining down destruction over large hordes of
enemies. With most skills designed to deal damage, the
Pyromancer relies on a colossal Earth Elemental to hold
the attention of enemies.
Sinister says : If you like fire and earth then this is the school for
you, plain and simple. Its skills are, as the game says,
aimed almost solely at battering and damaging your foes
using magic, and so there isn't a whole lot of diplomacy
or subterfuge ... or subtlety for that matter ... involved
in studying this school.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : EARTH ENCHANTMENT
Description : Imbues your weapons and the weapons of nearby allies with
the power of rock and flame.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Adding luscious fire damage to your weapons AND those of
your allies early on in the game is a simple MUST-HAVE
skill for any serious pyromaniac. Get it !! ;)
Skill Name : FLAME SURGE
Description : Three jets of flame erupt from the caster's hands each
inflicting incinerating fire damage to enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Whilst this is far from your most devastating power, and
you will in all likelihood wind up downsizing it later
in the game, it is a good skill to pick up early on, and
offers you the chance to get the drop on multiple enemies
that are bound for hand-to-hand combat with you.
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : BRIMSTONE
Must Have : EARTH ENCHANTMENT
Description : Boosts the physical damage of attacks and provides a
chance of causing critical fire damage while under the
effects of Earth Enchantment
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : If you, like most people, are going to be using Earth
Enchantment religiously during your campaign, then this
is another must-have power for you !!
Skill Name : HEAT SHIELD
Description : Casts a protective head shield on the target that absorbs
damage caused by fire.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Annulling fire damage is a handy skill indeed. It will
help you with traps, flaming arrows, Flame Liches and all
sorts of other nastiness that you will encounter, PLUS you
can cast it on other people to help them out too ;)
Skill Name : RING OF FLAME
Description : Encircles you in a searing ring of flames burning all
enemies that come within its radius.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A great power to have, as it has a good chance of burning
anybody that enters hand-to-hand combat with you, in
addition to which it looks kinda cool.
Skill Name : VOLCANIC ORB
Description : Lobs a burning orb of fiery brimstone that explodes when
it hits the ground inflicting fire and physical damage to
enemies in a small radius.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : The Volcanic Orb is a damned handy skill, marred only by
the fact that it must be lobbed, hence taking a little
while to get to its target area. It can be augmented at
higher levels making it more appealing, and should not
be overlooked as part of your arsenal. Use the shift key
whilst throwing it to increase your target-range on
screen.
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : STONE FORM
Description : An impervious layer of rock envelops you for a short
duration boosting regeneration but prohibiting movement
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : This is one of those 50/50 powers in my opinion. It does
give you a FREAKY regeneration rate whilst it is in use,
but you are completely unable to move, meaning your foes
are able to get into better positions to batter you from
when the Stone Form is dropped. Used sparingly, it can
be a life-saver.
Skill Name : SUMMON CORE DWELLER
Description : Draws forth a powerful elemental guardian from the Earth's
fiery depths.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A simple must-have power for anybody in this school in my
opinion - the Core Dweller is a fearsome beast to behold
and whilst he is slow to move, he can batter your enemies
good and proper, plus he can be augmented at higher
levels.
Skill Name : BARRAGE
Must Have : FLAME SURGE
Description : Reduces the recharge time of Flame Surge allowing it to
be cast more frequently and efficiently.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : If you're going to rely on Flame Surge than consider
popping some points into this skill. If, like me, you
downgrade your Flame Surge skill, then you should look
to bleed points from this skill first.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : STONE SKIN
Must Have : EARTH ENCHANTMENT
Description : Tempers armour, increasing protection and fire resistance
while under the effects of Earth Enchantment.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : A very handy skill indeed - it will make you battle-ready
and able to withstand a greater pounding during combat
than you otherwise might be able to, REGARDLESS of what
type of armour you are wearing.
Skill Name : INNER FIRE
Must Have : SUMMON CORE DWELLER
Description : Increases the Core Dweller's speed and adds fire damage
to its attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Reducing the worst point of the Core Dweller's power - its
basic lack of speed - is surely a good thing. This is a
very handy skill to give the big dude, and at its best
level you will find he becomes really quite sprightly !!
Skill Name : SOFTEN METAL
Must Have : RING OF FLAME
Description : Intense heat from the Ring of Flame softens the metal of
enemy armour and weapons, decreasing their effectiveness.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Handy insofar as it weakens the attack strength of those
people that are looking to batter you in hand-to-hand,
however the Ring of Flame will often strike those foes
before they strike you, and so this skill is more useful
for those of you that like to wade in rather than think
fights through before entering them.
Skill Name : CONFLAGRATION
Must Have : VOLCANIC ORB
Description : Increases the explosion radius of Volcanic Orb and causes
enemies hit by it to catch fire and suffer burn damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : A good skill if you are heavily reliant on Volcanic Orb,
however if you are not, then it is one to be avoided.
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : MOLTEN ROCK
Must Have : STONE FORM
Description : Adds retaliation fire damage to Stone Form.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : To be honest, this skill REALLY isn't worth putting any
more than one point in. At best it does 15 fire
retaliation damage, and that just won't make much of a
mark on your enemies by the time you come to do battle
with them at level 24. Best avoided unless you just HAVE
to have it ;)
Skill Name : WILDFIRE
Must Have : SUMMON CORE DWELLER
Description : Allows the Core Dweller to ignite an area of ground
causing severe burn damage to enemies within.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : A good move to give your Core Dweller, as it gives him
a ranged move to compliment your already brimming ... get
it ? Brimming ?? Arsenal of weapons ... hehehe.
Skill Name : FLAME ARCH
Must Have : FLAME SURGE
Description : Increases the damage and number of flame jets created by
Flame Surge
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : If you keep Flame Surge on, then this is a MUST-HAVE add-
on for that skill. Even if you don't put many points in
it, it augments (as it says) both damage AND quantity of
flame jets ;)
Skill Name : FRAGMENTATION
Must Have : VOLCANIC ORB
Description : Causes the Volcanic Orb to violently explode on impact
sending out fragments of rocks that each inflict physical
damage to the enemies they hit.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A SERIOUSLY impressive add-on for those people that want
to use Volcanic Orb. I personally only ever sink a few
points into it, but it really does mount up :)
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : VOLATIVITY
Description : Enhanced by the volatile energy of the Earth, your fire
attacks have a chance of inflicting greatly increased
damage.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Worth sinking a couple of points into just for the chance
of doing a damage modifier, this is a cool skill that
boosts all your fire attacks' chances of doing more
damage, and that CAN'T be a bad thing, non ?
Skill Name : METAMORPHOSIS
Must Have : SUMMON CORE DWELLER
Description : Under tremendous head and pressure, the composition of
the Core Dweller hardens making it more resistant to
damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : To be honest I never put THAT much into this skill, just
because it's not that much more inconvenient to just
summon another Core Dweller when the first one dies than
it is to keep it in the fight longer. Sometimes summoned
creatures can be a BIT of a pain (particularly if they
are in a provocative mood) ...
Skill Name : ERUPTION
Description : Volcanic fissures form in the ground, emitting deadly
geysers of molten flame and fiery chunks of brimstone.
Each fragment inflicts physical and fire damage to the
enemies it hits.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : DEFINITELY a skill to pick up. You pick where you want
your miniature volcano to erupt (preferably right under
the feet of some unsuspecting foe), and WHAMMO !! Toast.
You can increase your casting range by holding the shift
key when you use this power to make it even BETTER !!
Conclusions : With damage-dealing powers coming at you left, right and
centre, it's hard to see the drawbacks of the Earth school
unless, of course, earth and fire are NOT your favourite
elements (as was the case with me). The Core Dweller is
handy, but sluggish, and this school offers you benefits
in both hand-to-hand and ranged spells, so it's a good
damage-heavy school to follow for heavy-hitters.
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
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Game Description : The Warrior excels at dealing out physical damage but
pays little heed to defence. With higher mastery levels
the Warrior can learn to deal damage to several
adversaries at once.
Sinister says : You can say THAT again !! In my opinion there is nobody
better at doing large amounts of hand-to-hand damage to
individuals or small groups of enemies than the Warrior
School ... with Dream and Rogue being hot on its heels.
Forget range - this is about close-quarters brutality,
pure and simple !!
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : WEAPON TRAINING
Description : Years of training with the sword, axe and club allow you
to attack faster and react quickly to enemy attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : ANY skill that increases your attack speed is tops in my
book, but this one also increases your offensive ability
which increases your chances of doing critical strikes,
and general effectiveness in combat. Coolness :)
Skill Name : BATTLE RAGE
Description : Each enemy hit has a chance of sending you into a battle
rage that adds bonus damage to attacks and increases
Offensive Ability for a short duration.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Were it not for the very low chance of activation (even
at its highest level you have a paltry 12% chance of using
this skill), I would give it a 4.
Skill Name : ONSLAUGHT
Description : When used as your default weapon attack, Onslaught charges
up as you hit enemies causing increased damage. The first
hit always charges Onslaught to the first level of the
skill and it continues to charge until it reaches your
current skill level. Onslaught dissipates rapidly when
not actively attacking. Apply this skill to your left
mouse-button.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : One of the handiest skills for the Warfare Master, and it
is available at level 1 !! You can one level of charge
for each level of skill you have in this ability, and
it can HUGELY affect the amount of damage you deal in
combat, so it is WELL worth purchasing.
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : DUAL WIELD
Description : Learn to effectively wield two weapons.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : It is a pity that only the Warfare School has this power
at its disposal, because it is SO very very very useful
it's unreal. Wield two single-handed weapons instead of
just a weapon and shield combo. This can MASSIVELY
increase your damage-dealing potential.
Skill Name : DODGE ATTACK
Description : Even the sturdiest armour has its chinks. The best way
to stay alive is to not get hit.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Never a truer word spoke !! At maximum level, this power
will give you a 21% chance to dodge attacks, which is
quite decent really, and worth investing in.
Skill Name : IGNORE PAIN
Must Have : ONSLAUGHT
Description : Total focus in the heat of battle allows you to ignore
physical and piercing damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Decent resistance (15% at maximum level) to both piercing
and regular damage is not to be sneezed at, but it isn't
as glamorous as some of the other Warfare skills by ANY
means.
Skill Name : WAR HORN
Description : The triumphant call of your war horn temporarily stuns
enemies
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Good, but the duration of the stun effect is unfortunately
random, and will range at maximum level from 1.5 - 6.5
seconds, which can be PLENTY of time to inflict massive
amounts of pain and damage in combat, or surprisingly
little, depending on how lucky you are really !!
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : HEW
Must Have : DUAL WIELD
Description : A Dual Wield technique that causes increased damage by
50%
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Definitely worth purchasing to compliment your regular
Dual Wield skill.
Skill Name : CRUSHING BLOW
Must Have : BATTLE RAGE
Description : Provides a chance for attacks to cause bonus damage while
in Battle Rage
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : IF and ONLY if you are going to rely very heavily on the
Battle Rage power, then this is a VERY capable addition
thereto.
Skill Name : BATTLE STANDARD
Description : Throw down a mighty standard to embolden the hearts of
nearby allies.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Battle Standard may LOOK plop at lower levels, but at
its highest level it gives you a SHEDLOAD of bonuses,
which can really help to turn the tide of battle for you
AND your allies.
Skill Name : WAR WIND
Description : Executes a devastating spinning attack that can damage
up to four enemies. Initially each hit is not as powerful
as a normal attack but the effectiveness increases every
level.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : At its highest level, you can hit up to 7 targets at the
same time, making this a real crowdpleaser of a skill.
Attach it to the right mouse button and use it sparingly
to maximise the movie-style fight quality of your scraps.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : CROSS CUT
Must Have : DUAL WIELD
Description : A Dual Wield technique that can hit up to 2 enemies with a
cross-cutting scissor motion.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Reasonably good, and definitely worth putting at least a
couple of points into as part of your AWESOME Dual Wield
skill.
Skill Name : HAMSTRING
Must Have : ONSLAUGHT
Description : An attack aimed at the enemy's legs reduces their ability
to run and increases their vulnerability for a short
duration.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : It slows your victims, and reduces their defensive ability
AND armour, making it worthwhile - especially considering
you don't actually have to independently select it - it
will just be a part of your regular Onslaught skill !!
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : COUNTER ATTACK
Must Have : BATTLE RAGE
Description : Provides a chance to counter attack an enemy after being
hit in Battle Rage.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : Maximum 15% chance to do a modest counter-attack ? I
think you can do MUCH better at this level, so I wouldn't
sink more than 1-2 points into this skill personally.
Skill Name : TRIUMPH
Must Have : BATTLE STANDARD
Description : Seeing the inevitability of your triumph, enemies lose
hope and the strength of their attack diminishes.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Definitely one to add to the already impressive Battle
Standard, as at maximum level this baby will reduce the
amount of damage your enemies can inflict by 40% !!!!!
Skill Name : LACERATE
Must Have : WAR WIND
Description : Adds bleeding damage to War Wind and increases the
number of enemies hit. Requires at least one weapon be
a sword or axe.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Decent attack that can hit up to 3 enemies at maximum
level, but which requires you to have a sword or axe in
your hand (which is POSSIBLE but not 100% certain given
your style of play obviously), reducing the appeal of
this power.
Skill Name : DOOM HORN
Must Have : WAR HORN
Description : Your War Horn heralds the doom of your enemies, shattering
their nerves and reducing their ability to defend
themselves.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Since it gives you (at maximum level) a 25% reduction in
your enemies' health, PLUS reduced armour, I think it is
worth at LEAST 2-3 points personally. Assuming you have
the War Horn skill at any rate !!!!!
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : TUMULT
Must Have : DUAL WIELD
Description : A Dual Wield technique that hits up to 3 adjacent enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : A good, firm attack that perfectly rounds off what is
without a DOUBT one of the Warfare Master's greatest
skills - Dual Wield. Definitely sink something into this,
even if it's just 1-2 points !!
Skill Name : ARDOR
Must Have : ONSLAUGHT
Description : You build momentum as you drive your attack forward,
attacking and moving more rapidly.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : As I have said previously, ANY skill that benefits your
attack speed gets two thumbs up in my book, and this one
works in conjunction with your Onslaught skill, meaning
that the more you hit people, the more powerful you
become AND the faster you move AND STRIKE !!!!! =)
Skill Name : ANCESTRAL HORN
Description : The ominous call on this ancient heirloom will summon
forth ghostly heroes of old from the Elysian Fields to do
battle once more.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Whilst it is undoubtedly a very impressive skill, being
as it is in fact the ONLY summon-skill which the Warfare
Master has at his disposal, it is time-limited, which
SUCKS in my opinion. At maximum level you will benefit
from the assistance of 5 warriors for a paltry 24 seconds
so this skill, whilst powerful, MUST be reserved for
desperate situations. It is DEFINITELY worth having, but
use it wisely.
Conclusions : If you have ever wanted to be in the movie 300 ... or
Gladiator ... or ANY other similar movie, then this is
MOST DEFINITELY the School for you. It has virtually NO
ranged attacks, and can only work its wonders up-close and
personal, like a good warrior should ;)
Sphere Rating /5 : 5 if you like up-close and personal, 3 if you don't.
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Game Description : The Theurgist combines offence and defence with insidious
life stealing skills that leech enemies' vitality while
bolstering their own. At higher levels the ability to
summon a powerful Liche King dramatically increases
damage-dealing ability.
Sinister says : NICE !! This School boasts some of the most VICIOUS
skills in the game, with powers such as Cascading Life
Drain and Enslave Spirit. It is definitely NOT one for
the goodies two-shoes out there, and it is HEAVILY
reliant on range for its powers to take full effect,
so those that like to wade in might want to avoid it,
unless it is coupled with Warfare of course.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : DEATHCHILL AURA
Description : A deathly chill radiates from the character slowing the
attack and movement of enemies as it diminishes their life
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : A decent aura, and a very helpful one to have early on in
the game. You might wind up reducing it in favour of
other skills later on, but I would never want to be
totally without its benefit.
Skill Name : LIFE DRAIN
Description : Leeches life from an enemy to replenish your own.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : YES !! THIS is what it's all about. Not only does this
power enable you to bleed life directly from your enemy
from afar, but it transfers a portion of it back to you,
healing you in the process !! We LOVE it !! At maximum
efficiency, it converts 260% of the attack damage back
to you as health ;)
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : TERNION ATTACK
Description : This powerful wizard's trick causes your staff to shoot
three projectiles by channeling magical energy into it.
Initially each hit is not as powerful as a normal attack
but the effectiveness increases every level.
My Rank (/5) : 4 (if playing a wizard) 1 (if playing anything else)
My Comments : This skill is either great or worthless, depending on the
type of character you want to play. Basically, if you
are going to be using a staff ? Then it can (if you have
a HUGE bank of energy to draw from) level large groups
of monsters in no time flat. If you are playing ANY other
type of character (hand-to-hand, archer, assassin, etc.)
then it is UTTERLY worthless.
Skill Name : RAVAGES OF TIME
Must Have : DEATHCHILL AURA
Description : Accelerates the effects of time on adjacent enemies'
equipment causing weapons to dull and armour to crumble.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : If you are going to be retaining the Deathchill Aura, then
this is a REALLY cool skill to use to augment its power.
At its highest level, it will deal a whopping -36% damage
to your enemies when they get into hand-to-hand, and that
CAN'T be bad news for you.
Skill Name : VISION OF DEATH
Description : Assaults the minds of surrounding enemies with images of
their own death causing the weak-hearted to flee in horror
and more resolute foes to fight less effectively.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Purely on the basis that fleeing enemies are still going
to return, I have to give this a 3. It may buy you some
time - perhaps time enough to destroy
Skill Name : SPIRIT WARD
Description : Casts a protective ward that will reduce the damage of
undead attacks on the player and nearby allies.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Whilst it does its job well, and benefits both you AND
any nearby allies, at the end of the day all this power
actually does is protect you from Undead, so it's NO
use against other types of creatures.
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : CASCADE
Must Have : LIFE DRAIN
Description : Causes Life Drain to blast through the primary target
and hit multiple enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : WICKED skill. This is the equivalent of Chain Lightning
to the Storm School, and you get it in a third of the
time !! Cascade makes Life Drain snake from one target
to another to another and so on (depending on the level)
which is VERY cool.
Skill Name : DARK COVENANT
Description : Mysterious otherworldly entities offer great power to
Spirit Masters who can commune with them. The cost,
however, is measured in life.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : To be honest the bonuses this skill imparts are poor
when contrasted with its cost. Any skill that bleeds
you of life to keep it running should be viewed VERY
sceptically in my eyes.
Skill Name : SUMMON LICHE KING
Description : In ages past, powerful sorcerers learned how to cheat
Hades and persist as undead liches long after death had
robbed their bodies of life. A dangerous practice of
Theurgists is to bind the souls of these ancient liches
to their will, thus acquiring their powers.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This is the first of TWO summons which the Spirit School</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
has to offer, the other being the Outsider. The Liche
King is a ranged unit, but a DAMNED handy one, who is
heavily upgradable. Whilst he won't last long if he is
made the object of repeat enemy fire, he can dish out
PLENTY of damage considering his frail exterior, and
makes a worthy addition to your entourage in my opinion.
Skill Name : SPIRIT BANE
Must Have : SPIRIT WARD
Description : Adds damage against undead to the attacks of those under
the effects of Spirit Ward.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : If you're going to, then sink 1-2 points into this skill,
but think carefully before you put any more in, as in my
opinion it ISN'T all that useful.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : ARCANE LORE
Must Have : TERNION ATTACK
Description : The magic practitioners of older civilisations devised
many insidious techniques to bolster the destructive
capabilities of their magical staves. Knowledge of these
methods will unlock the true power of your staff attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 4 (if you have a staff), 1 (if you do not).
My Comments : If you HAVE a staff and intend on relying on it almost
exclusively ? Then this is a REALLY cool skill. Its
only real drawback is the amount of energy that it takes
to cast, but this isn't so terrible at higher levels. If
you have no intention of using a staff, then you can and
SHOULD totally avoid this skill.
Skill Name : NECROSIS
Must Have : DEATHCHILL AURA
Description : Weakens the constitution of adjacent enemies making them
more susceptible to attacks that directly damage their
life such as vitality damage and life leeching.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : A healthy addition to the Deathchill Aura - why not sink
just a couplea points into it for good measure ? You
might as well, plus the benefits are quite good :)
Skill Name : ENSLAVE SPIRIT
Description : Slip through the barriers of your enemies' consciousness
and dominate their mind, binding them to your will. While
enslaved your enemy will be forced to obey your commands
but eventually they will regain control of their mind and
turn against you. Ineffective against monsters five or
more levels above you.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : I would have given this skill a 4 but the restrictions on
its use mean that you have to be dealing with characters
of your own level or only slightly higher (or much lower)
to get it to work, and later on in the game you will wind
up fighting beings that are CONSIDERABLY more powerful
than you are, which is when this skill comes a cropper.
It is DEFINITELY worth having, and it can get you out of
a LOT of jams ... but longer-term, think carefully about
it - you MIGHT want to reassign some points from it to
other skills.
Skill Name : DEATH NOVA
Must Have : SUMMON LICHE KING
Description : Emits a wave of death that will deplete life from any
living being it contacts.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Even if you only sink a point into this skill, it adds
another death-dealing attack to the repertoire of the
OH so cool Liche King, and that cannot be a bad thing :)
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : UNEARTHLY POWER
Must Have : DARK COVENANT
Description : Draw upon even greater otherworldly powers to augment
yourself and allies in battle, but be wary of the cost
exacted from your own vitality.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : Again, it's OK insofar as it benefits you and your
buddies, but the cost is direct to you, so it cannot be
sustained indefinitely, and it will leave you vulnerable
to attack from others. Perhaps best used (if at all),
in the presence of powerful allies ;)
Skill Name : WRAITH SHELL
Must Have : SUMMON LICHE KING
Description : Allows the Liche King to diminish its corporeal presence
making it less vulnerable to all types of damage.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This increases the life (or unlife) expectancy of your
Liche King, and that is a GREAT thing in my book. The
poor lad has a tendency of dying (again) prematurely
otherwise =./
Skill Name : CIRCLE OF POWER
Description : Creates a circle of power that protects allies from the
undead and damages any undead creatures that pass within
it.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Compared with the Spirit Ward and its upgrade, I find
this to be a MUCH more useful power. You can target a
specific area for it to affect, and if you are in ANY
doubt about just how effective it can be, just do battle
with some Empusa Soul Carvers, and you'll see ;)
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : DEATH WARD
Description : Places a magical ward on the player that protects them
from death by granting additional life when their life
gets dangerously low.
My Rank (/5) : 3 (sceptical)
My Comments : This is going to sound REALLY stupid, but I couldn't seem
to get this skill to work ... I just ... died !! I think
that, in order for it to work, the person hitting you
must knock you down below the pre-defined level of health
(which is calculated on the basis of your level of skill
with this power). Take too much damage too quickly, and
you're screwed. I think it's worth a point just for the
odd time it saves your life, but as I say, for ME ? It
just didn't seem to want to work =./
Skill Name : SUMMON OUTSIDER
Description : Calls forth a powerful extra-dimensional entity from
beyond the ether. The link can only be maintained for
a short time.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Although he is only available for a short period of time,
the Outsider can help you to turn the tide of battle in
your favour, as he is a BIG boy, quick, and reasonably
powerful to boot. At the very least he can act as
cannon fodder whilst your Liche King moves into a better
position to zap your enemies from afar ... and you just
throw your head back and cackle with glee !!!!! =)
Skill Name : ARCANE BLAST
Must Have : SUMMON LICHE KING
Description : Drawing upon ancient arcane craft the Liche King forms
deadly bolts of elemental energy and launches them at
enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : BIG ... UP ... THE LICHE ... KING !! These things are
VERY cool, and have a good range to boot !! Multiple
blasts and at higher levels, really quite good damage.
Definitely one to outfit the dead dude with.
Conclusions : The Spirit School boasts some impressive and powerful
skills, but its reliance on magic over physical attacks
is sure to be its greatest pitfall. When paired with
something like Warfare or even Defence, it would be
quite interesting though !!
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
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Game Description : The Defender specialises in surviving battles but offers
little in the way of offensive enhancements. Many skills
focus on utilising the shield to deflect attacks and
disable enemies.
Sinister says : Yyyyyyyyyyyyeah. Whilst this School of Training DOES
have SOME natty skills ? Like the Shield Charge ? For
me it is WAY too reliant on your having a shield. If
you like Eric from Dungeons and Dragons then this is
DEFINITELY the School for you - otherwise be VERY VERY
CAREFUL when picking it. You don't want to come a
cropper, especially since you can't undo it later ;)
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : CONCUSSIVE BLOW
Description : Adds a chance for attacks to stun enemies and increases
the duration of stun attacks when wielding a club type
weapon.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Stunning is COOL because it gives you the opportunity to
inflict even MORE damage on hapless opponents as they are
staggering about in their stupored state.
Skill Name : BATTLE AWARENESS
Description : Enter a state of heightened awareness that allows you
and your allies to perceive and respond to attacks more
effectively.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Granting a bonus to your Defensive Ability is never a
bad thing, and you must have this skill to be able to
benefit from its modifications further up the food chain.
I wouldn't sink TOO many skill points into it though ...
Skill Name : BATTER
Description : A shield attack that hits for increased damage and slows
enemies' attacks for a duration.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you rely on a shield), 1 (if you don't)
My Comments : A shield-only skill, but one which does have good
benefits. It is good being able to use what would
otherwise be a solely defensive tool for a bit of an
ass-whupping ;)
Skill Name : ARMOUR HANDLING
Description : Understanding how to properly adjust and move in armour
allows you to wear heavier armour and shields than an
untrained warrior of equivalent strength could manage.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Good Armour = Good Defence; Good Defence = Less Dying.
The reasons for having this skill are mathematically
simplistic - get it !! ;)
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : ADRENALINE
Description : Each enemy hit has a chance of triggering an adrenaline
rush that boosts life regeneration.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Fair play whilst I don't really like the Defence School,
I DO love this skill. They hit you and it makes you heal
quicker ? BRING IT ON !!!!! =)
Skill Name : RALLY
Description : The resolute call of your horn can turn the tide of
battle, inspiring all in its range to fight with renewed
vitality.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A decent skill which promotes your health regeneration
for a given period. Since it benefits your allies as
well as yourself, it can really help to turn battles in
your favour.
Skill Name : QUICK RECOVERY
Description : A strong shield arm allows you to block multiple attackers
with amazing speed when necessary but it can only be kept
up for a short time.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Considering that you lack range with Defence Mastery, you
could benefit from being able to block physical attacks
in multiples, and at high speeds. Therefore this skill
is well worth studying.
Skill Name : SHIELD SMASH
Description : A shield fighting technique that inflicts damage with both
the weapon and the shield.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Turn the shield into a WEAPON ?? BONZA !!!!! Definitely
one to invest in, even if only a couple of points.
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : RESILIENCE
Must Have : ADRENALINE
Description : Increases how often an Adrenaline rush can be triggered.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Big-up the number of times you can use the Adrenaline
Rush in a given period of time ? YES PLEASE !!
Skill Name : FOCUS
Must Have : BATTLE AWARENESS
Description : Focus allows you and your allies to react quickly to
enemy attacks increasing the chance of a successful
shield block.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you rely on a shield), 1 (if you don't)
My Comments : Another very useful skill if you are going to be relying
on a shield. If not then it's one to avoid really !!
But then if you AREN'T going to be relying on a shield,
why the HELL did you choose Defence Mastery !?!?! :)
Skill Name : SHIELD CHARGE
Description : A running attack that slams into the enemy with your
shield causing bonus damage and stunning them.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This skill is definitely one of the best the Defence
School has to offer. It enables you to close the gap
between you and your enemies rapidly, and to slam into
them causing damage and stunning them. It is also one
of the most visually impressive skills in the Defence
repertoire.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : INSPIRATION
Must Have : RALLY
Description : Gradually restores lost energy to allies allowing them
to continue the fight.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : I like this skill. Using an aura to bolster the health
recharge rate of your allies is COOL, as whilst they are
alive they WILL keep fighting for you. TO THE DEATH !!
Skill Name : REND ARMOUR
Must Have : BATTER
Description : Increases the effectiveness of Batter causing it to hit
three targets with enough force to dent their armour.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you rely on a shield), 1 (if you don't)
My Comments : As I have said repeatedly of these types of skills, if
you HAVE an intent to rely on a shield in combat in
general ? Then this is a cool skill to have, DEFINITELY.
If you do NOT ? Then why waste the points !!
Skill Name : DISABLE
Description : A fighting technique that utilises the shield to crush
foes and throw them off-balance.
My Rank (/5) : 3 (if you rely on a shield), 1 (if you don't)
My Comments : To be honest I think this skill arguably loses out to
Shield Charge - however it does give decent slow effects
at higher levels ... even if the damage isn't really
there.
Other Ideas : [Viro Melchior says]
"Disable is amazing. You are comparing it to Shield
Charge, but Disable (and the other two abilities on the
right hand edge of the Defender menu) are passive.
There is a chance every time you attack that they are
used, for ZERO energy. Plus they all add your shield
damage into the equation, which later on gets to be +100
damage or more (my Defender/Pyro has a purple shield
that hits for 199 damage)."
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : DEFENSIVE REACTION
Must Have : ADRENALINE
Description : Increases damage and attack speed during an adrenaline
rush
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Adrenaline Rush is one of your handiest skills, so if I
were you I would kit it out with additional powers at
every possible opportunity. This skill should get MORE
than a 5, as it increases your attack speed and you KNOW
how much I love that ;)
Skill Name : IRON WILL
Must Have : BATTLE AWARENESS
Description : Grants allies the resolve to hold out against great
adversity.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this power. It gives
stun resistance, reduces entrapment duration, reduces
freeze duration and gives skill disruption protection ...
but it's like Han Solo said ... it's no match for a
Blaster at your side ;)
Skill Name : DISRUPTION
Must Have : SHIELD CHARGE
Description : Increases the shock effect of Shield Charge, startling
adjacent enemies and disrupting spell use for a time.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you rely on a shield), 1 (if you don't)
My Comments : I think this is a really handy skill to have to be honest.
I SERIOUSLY rate the Shield Charge skill, and being able
to increase the number of people that you hit is ALWAYS
a good thing ... BRING THE NOISE !! :)
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : DEFIANCE
Must Have : RALLY
Description : A percentage of all damage inflicted by enemies will be
revisited back upon them for a short time after using
Rally.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Using this skill you gain increased elemental resistance
and can reflect some damage back at your enemies. At
maximum level 60% of it to be precise !! However the
effects are transient, and don't last too long ...
Skill Name : COLOSSUS FORM
Description : Assume the form of a towering Colossus and lay waste to
your enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Whilst I really do love this power ... and I do ... as
I cannot HELP but utter the words "Magic Sceptre ... make
my Monster GROW" every time I use it ... and it is REALLY
good for enabling you to cover distance very quickly and
to smite your enemies LIKE the Colossus ? Try going
through a door ... or down a flight of stairs, and you
will very quickly learn its shortfalls. It's CR@P at
that sorta thing !!
Skill Name : PULVERISE
Description : A fighting technique that utilises the shield to slam
into enemies, knocking them senseless.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : This power gives you the ability to strike multiple foes
causing damage, reducing their offensive ability, and
creating a skill disruption effect. In short, ruining
their day. It's not fantastic, but it ain't half bad ;)
Conclusions : Of the 20 skills in this School, 9 of them rely on you
having a shield in your possession, so if you are not
planning on using one, forget this school. Also, think
VERY CAREFULLY before pairing Warfare and Defence. They
may SOUND like they go hand-in-hand, but you will be
sacrificing almost all your ranged powers, PLUS you will
have to have two weapons on your primary, and a weapon
plus a shield in your secondary, to make full use of the
combined powers of both Schools. Defence is a handy
school, so don't think I'm being TOO harsh with it, but
for me it just doesn't cut the mustard.
Other Ideas : [Thomas Graham has gotten in contact with me to give you
guys a different perspective on the Conqueror (Warfare+
Defence Mastery), as he loves it. He says]
"(The Conqueror) was my very first character ... and
he's currently my strongest. Basically I gave him a
shield and grabbed all the shield attacks from Defence
and buffed him up with all the other melee power from
Warfare - completely ignoring dual wield/war wind/
ancestral horn. I took War Horn though, as it's useful
for running out of trouble. I also ignored Concussive
Strike from Defence as maces are really slow as to not
really make it worth it (As I also prefer to hit as fast
as possible, gives me more chances to get a shield
attack in).
"I always keep a bow handy in the second slot. I use it
for overly tough boss fights (Typhon on Normal, the bull
on epic and legendary etc) and for pulling out groups of
monsters in rooms where it'd be suicide to go Shield
Charging in. Generally he can wipe the floor with most
monsters and with Armour Proficiency, Ignore Pain and
all those other skills, he soaks it up very nicely too.
Not to mention that Warfare and Defence have the most
Health bonuses of all the schools as you level them up.
I also keep Shield Charge handy for getting rid of those
pesky archers and casters (Especially Machae Archers),
and even using it in melee range to just pummel some
monsters.
"The slowing effect on Batter is great, it really
reduces the amount of pain coming your way and as a
general rule I find my shield does more damage than my
weapons. This also makes it great for Disable, Pulverize
and Shield Bash. The slowing effect on Disable is too
chancey to rely on, but I only max it out because it's
another chance of hitting with my shield instead (Which
tends to deal a FAIR bit more damage than my main
weapon.) He also has Onslaught which powers him up
quite considerably. With +Speed and skills like Weapons
Training and Ardor, I seem to have hit some kind of
Weapon Speed cap =(. Nothing I do can make him strike
any faster than now - not even activating a Battle
Shrine!"
[He also points out that, if you check out the bonuses
gained from levelling up your masteries, Defence gives
the most health of all of them).]
Sphere Rating /5 : 2
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Game Description : The Wanderer can call on denizens of the forest to deal
damage and shield them from enemies. Healing and
defensive auras allow allies to survive longer and fight
more effectively.
Sinister says : Find me a RAINBOW !! Ok so it's not that bad really -
Nature Mastery DOES give you control over more creatures
than any other School - three in total - and it has a
healthy emphasis on healing and restoration which can
compliment other schools well - it just isn't that strong
as an offensive school unfortunately.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : REGROWTH
Description : A wave of healing energy rapidly restores lost life to
the target ally.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Basically ESSENTIAL maintenance for those times when you
get caught with no potions left ... and you will ;)
Skill Name : CALL OF THE WILD
Description : Summons a wolf companion to fight with you in battle. At
higher levels more wolves can be controlled at once.
My Rank (/5) : 5 to begin with ... 2 as the game progresses
My Comments : You can summon a wolf, which is cool because no other
School will give you a summon THIS quickly - however the
wolf is available at level 1 for a reason. At its best
level, this skill will enable you to summon 2 wolves -
however they are EXTREMELY prone to premature death -
especially when they face more powerful monsters later
in the game. Even when souped-up, they aren't all that,
unfortunately.
Other Ideas : [Viro Melchior says]
"I'd agree with (your ranking above) *until* you go to
Epic. All summoned monsters are given more hp and armor
at the Epic and Legendary thresholds. So while your
pets get ripped to shreds in the Orient and Hades of
basic difficulty, they are much tougher once you go up
to a harder mode. And because the "difficulty" scales
slower in these modes (along with your levels going up
slower), the pets remain useful in Orient + Hades on the
higher difficulties."
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : HEART OF OAK
Description : Bolsters the life-force of yourself and nearby allies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Boasting a steady increase to your health regeneration
rate, and extending same to nearby allies, this is a
COOL skill to have.
Skill Name : ACCELERATED GROWTH
Must Have : REGROWTH
Description : Allows Regrowth to be cast more frequently.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Even if you only sink a couplea points into this skill,
being able to heal yourself more frequently means you are
likely to survive longer.
Skill Name : MAUL
Must Have : CALL OF THE WILD
Description : A gnawing attack that rends enemy flesh causing bleed
damage for a short duration.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Whilst I would only learn this skill if you are SERIOUSLY
a dog lover, if you DO want to keep the wolves on, then
I would strongly recommend it be studied.
Skill Name : PLAGUE
Description : Plague afflicts nearby enemies with a debilitating ailment
that reduces their health and quickly spreads to other
nearby creatures.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Poison damage rocks - just ask the Rogue !! Being able
not only to poison your enemies, but also to see that
poison spread to their allies, is just plain fun :)
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : BRIAR WARD
Description : A protective grove of briars grows around you that
enemies cannot pass through.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : To be honest, most reasonably powerful enemies are just
going to smash their way through this, so it is of
SERIOUSLY limited use. It grows all around you, so you
cannot really use it to escape ... it is a PLOP power.
Skill Name : SURVIVAL INSTINCT
Must Have : CALL OF THE WILD
Description : An instinctual will to live is triggered whenever health
is low.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Again - a seriously cool power but only for the hardcore
dog lovers out there. It allows your poochies to absorb
a percentage of the damage they inflict, and to do more
damage than usual ... unfortunately it usually won't be
enough to save their furry little hides =./
Skill Name : FATIGUE
Must Have : PLAGUE
Description : Saps the strength from diseases enemies causing them to
move more slowly and fight less effectively.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Offering a myriad of nasty potential effects, this is
worth sinking at least a couple of points into as and
when you get the opportunity ... it can reduce enemies'
health, damage AND speed !!
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : TRANQUILITY OF WATER
Must Have : HEART OF OAK
Description : Provides a chance to use skills at 50% reduced cost while
under the effect of Heart of Oak.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Giving you the POSSIBILITY (as even at maximum power it
is a reasonably modest 28% possibility) to use your other
powers at a 50% reduction to their energy cost is worth
taking a gamble on - even if it's just one point you
sink into it as a skill, non ?
Skill Name : DISSEMINATION
Must Have : REGROWTH
Description : Causes regrowth energy to disseminate from the initial
target and leap to additional nearby allies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : VERY very useful when you are doing larger-scale combat
in Elysium later in the game. This is, in fact, the
power that the Elysian Warriors use to heal each other.
I definitely recommend getting at LEAST 2-3 points in
this power.
Skill Name : STINGING NETTLE
Must Have : BRIAR WARD
Description : Causes enemies who hit the Briar Ward to suffer poisoning.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Ok so it makes the Briar Ward a little bit more manly,
but still - it's a bit naff. Stinging Nettle ? Paleeze.
Skill Name : SYLVAN NYMPH
Description : Summons a powerful forest Nymph who can bring down enemies
with her magical bow and cast enchantments to strengthen
allies in battle.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : She's quick, she's mean-tempered and she has a VERY
naughty laugh when she does things she knows she shouldn't
like shooting monsters in the eye from afar. Also, you
can choose where you want her to materialise (which is of
very little consequence, but a nice touch). The Nymph
has a high rate of fire, but skips (SKIPS) everywhere
she goes, which is really NOT good if you are trying to
play a manly character. She is the second (or third if
you sank loads of points into the Call of the Wild)
summon for this School.
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : PERMANENCE OF STONE
Must Have : HEART OF OAK
Description : Protects allies from the elements, reducing the damage
caused by elemental based attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Whilst it may SOUND naff, and even at its highest level
you get a maximum of 18% resistance, this is ELEMENTAL
resistance - i.e. resistance to ALL the elements and, as
such, it cannot be sneezed it.
Skill Name : STRENGTH OF THE PACK
Must Have : CALL OF THE WILD
Description : The howl of your wolves emboldens the hearts of those who
hear it causing them to fight more fiercely.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : I like this skill, as it enables the wolves to do
something for you and your other allies (if you have any)
for a change. You will benefit from increased damage and
speed, and you KNOW that added speed makes me go weak at
the knees ... heh.
Skill Name : OVERGROWTH
Must Have : SYLVAN NYMPH
Description : Allows the Nymph to create a living shield around allies
that absorbs damage and harms enemies that strike it.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Another natty power - this enables the Nymph to give you
a level of protection from physical damage, PLUS it has
a chance to perform piercing retaliation against those
who would harm you whilst under its protection.
Other Ideas : [Viro Melchior says]
"Overgrowth is nearly useless. [The Nymph] doesn't cast
it often, and it isn't enough damage on any difficulty
to really make a difference considering how fickle she
is with it."
Skill Name : SUSCEPTIBILITY
Must Have : PLAGUE
Description : Weakens the constitution of adjacent enemies making them
more susceptible to physical and elemental damage.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Giving negative modifiers to the Damage Resistance and
Elemental Resistance of those people standing around an
afflicted (poisoned) adversary, this just makes the
pleasure spread like wildfire through the ranks !! :)
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : REFRESH
Description : Substracts time from recharging skills allowing you to use
them more frequently.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : I think this is a MUST HAVE skill for the Nature Master,
as it can enable you to employ some of your most powerful
skills more often. At its highest level it reduces the
recharge time of skills by 52 seconds when used, and that
can mean the difference between life eternal and a quick
and painful death on the battlefield.
Skill Name : SANCTUARY
Must Have : BRIAR WARD
Description : The power of the grove revitalises those within and
reduces the energy consumed by skill use.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : If ever you GET Briar Ward to this level, then I would
seriously look to invest in this skill, as it boosts both
Health AND Energy Regeneration whilst you are within the
Ward and, since you cannot go anywhere whilst it's up ?
That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me !!
Skill Name : NATURE'S WRATH
Must Have : SYLVAN NYMPH
Description : Imbues the Nymph's attacks with the power of the elements.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Giving that tricksy little Nymph the power to fire arrows
through her enemies (a skill otherwise reserved for the
Hunting School Masters out there), and enhancing her
strikes with Elemental Damage is COO-WELL !! :)
Conclusions : Clearly NOT a School for those people that like to fight
in the front lines, unless backed up by something very
physical like Warfare or Earth, Nature can easily be as
much a hindrance as a help. HOWEVER, when paired up
intelligently with other schools (i.e. using Nature as
pretty much a supporting School), it can be put to VERY
good use and, if you are looking to become a Druid, then
this is the way to go !!
Sphere Rating /5 : 3
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Game Description : Master of bow and spear combat. Piercing attacks
penetrate enemy armour and high level bow skills will tear
through large groups of enemies. The Hunter must rely on
speed and range to stay out of the reach of enemies.
Sinister says : I really like this School. If you want to fashion your
character into an archer, then this is the way to go.
NOBODY wields a bow and arrow better than those that
follow the Hunting School ... NOBODY. Of course if you
want to get up-close-and-personal ? Then this is NEVER
going to be a school for you.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : ENSNARE
Description : Casts a weighted net around the feet of an enemy holding
them in place but not preventing them from attacking if
you are within their range.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This is quite simply one of the single best low-level
skills in the whole game. You can pin a single enemy,
whether a low-level grunt or even in some cases a boss,
in place for a given period of time, which gives you
(depending on the level of the skill) usually plenty of
time to riddle them with arrows or other attacks. Go
on ... tie it to your right mouse button and have a
Legolas moment ;)
Skill Name : TAKE DOWN
Description : A brutal thrust from your spear delivers devastating
piercing damage to enemies and diminishes a portion of
your enemy's total life.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you wield a spear regularly), 1 (if you do not)
My Comments : Only of any use if you wield a spear as a regular part
of your arsenal. I never do, so this skill is totally
lost on me.
Skill Name : WOOD LORE
Description : Central to survival in the wilderness is the ability to
hunt with bow and spear. Great familiarity with these
weapons allows you to wield them with exceptional speed
and precision.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : ANY skill that increases your attack speed is quite
simply a must-have in my opinion, and this is one of
those. Increased speed gives you increased damage-
dealing potential :)
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : MARKSMANSHIP
Description : Marksmanship skill allows you to create and fire arrows
that fly faster and increase pierce damage. Apply this
skill to your left mouse button.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A very useful and improvable skill is Marksmanship. It
increases the effectiveness and damage of all your regular
arrow attacks, and as the Hunter you will be using PLENTY
of those !!
Skill Name : ART OF THE HUNT
Description : Hunting experience gives you the edge when facing familiar
quarry such as Animals and Beastmen.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Whilst I heavily improved this skill during my playtime,
it is best implemented against animals and beastmen, and
so part of its effectiveness is lost when it is used
against tougher and more powerful enemies ...
Skill Name : HERBAL REMEDY
Description : Living off the land, you learn to identify and utilise
medicinal plants to create healing salves. When applied
it will fortify against poison and healing is accelerated
for the duration.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : It's good to be able to use a healing skill now and
again, and this one is reasonably cool because it also
helps protect you from poison damage. I have never ever
used it in-game to be truthful, largely because being a
ranged character you tend to try and avoid taking hits
wherever possible, but it's cool to know it's available
should you want to learn it :)
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : BARBED NETTING
Must Have : ENSNARE
Description : Barbed hooks on the hunter's Ensnare net tear into
enemies as they struggle causing them to bleed.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Whilst I have never bothered to put any appreciable
number of points into this skill - I think I just put
one in for good measure - it is totally worth having,
as the opportunity to inflict additional damage on a
paralysed foe appealed to me ... and still does !!
Skill Name : CALL OF THE HUNT
Description : Those who answer the call of the hunt will fight with
increased speed and cunning.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A GREAT skill which is only restricted by the time limit
imposed upon it - however at higher levels it runs for a
respectable amount of time, and can DRAMATICALLY improve
your fighting skills for the duration (as well as those
of your allies !!)
Skill Name : EVISCERATE
Must Have : TAKE DOWN
Description : Targeting vital weak-points on your enemy causes sustained
damage from bleeding.
My Rank (/5) : 5 (if you wield a spear regularly), 1 (if you do not)
My Comments : Again, if the spear is your weapon of choice, then this
is going to be a very popular skill for you. If, like
me, however, you virtually NEVER use a spear, then this
skill is NEVER going to make your highlight reel.
Skill Name : MONSTER LURE
Description : Drops down a decoy to attract the attention of nearby
monsters.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : To be honest I think this is the worst skill in the whole
School. It creates a dummy a VERY short distance away
from you, which lures monsters to it until they smash it
to pieces. Since it's very close to you to start with,
they are not guaranteed to spot it and might hit you a
few more times until it catches their eye, so this isn't
a fantastic skill by any means :(
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : STUDY PREY
Description : By observing your prey from a distance you may discover
its weakness, resulting in greater pierce damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : This is a skill which you can use to target a small area
of enemies at a distance, increasing the amount of
piercing damage they take for a little while. A green
eye appears over their heads - it's the same power the
centaurs use on you ALL the BL**DY TIME !!
Skill Name : PUNCTURE SHOT ARROWS
Must Have : MARKSMANSHIP
Description : Incorporating a more streamlined shaft into your arrows
allows them to pass through targets and hit additional
enemies in their path.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : I would give this ability MORE than 5 if I could - it is
DEFINITELY one to get if you use a bow-and-arrow. The
chance of penetrating the bodies of your enemies and
hitting the people behind them increases as the skill
improves, as does the satisfaction of using this skill !!
Skill Name : GOUGE
Description : A combat technique that uses the spear or bow to inflict
deep wounds that will result in prolonged bleeding.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Increasing the amount of bleeding damage your spear OR
bow does, makes this a good skill to add to your
repertoire regardless of whether you prefer to use the
spear or the bow - I would recommend sinking at least
1-2 points into it personally.
Skill Name : FIND COVER
Must Have : ART OF THE HUNT
Description : Making use of available cover as you press your attack
allows you to avoid unnecessary damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Since you are at range anyway, you should find you are
able to avoid the majority of attacks - just stick and
move and you will be able to avoid many projectiles. This
is one of those nice to have powers, but I wouldn't say
it is in ANY way mandatory for this School.
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : EXPLOIT WEAKNESS
Must Have : CALL OF THE HUNT
Description : Take full advantage of your enemy's mistakes and
vulnerable moments to inflict savage wounds.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This skill enables you to inflict additional piercing and</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
bleeding damage when attacking. Consequently it is well
worth investing some pointage in ;)
Skill Name : TRAIL BLAZING
Must Have : ART OF THE HUNT
Description : Grants those who follow the hunt endurance to relentlessly
track their quarry, preventing even the most tangled
thicket from slowing pursuit.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This skill doesn't benefit your attack speed per se, but
instead it increases your movement speed. This has
certain obvious advantages insofar as you can peg it away
from combat quickly, or take advantage of mistakes your
enemies make in double-quick time.
Skill Name : DETONATE
Must Have : MONSTER LURE
Description : Adds a hidden explosive charge to the monster lure causing
it to detonate when destroyed. In order to detonate the
lure must be at full energy.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : Ok ... whilst I admit that love almost EVERYTHING about
this School, THIS and Monster Lure I just really don't
get. What makes THIS power really pants in my opinion
is that whilst it can cause the Monster Lure to explode
when it reaches zero health, it doesn't always, as the
Monster Lure MUST HAVE full energy to discharge this
power !! Why bother !?!?! Just SHOOT your enemies -
don't wait in hiding for this thing to take them out ...
JUST ... SHOOT ... THEM !!
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : FLUSH OUT
Must Have : STUDY PREY
Description : Draw your enemies into the open, making them more
vulnerable to attack.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : If you're a big fan of using Study Prey, then this power
should go from a 2 to a 4. I never use it personally, so
this is rather lost on me. However I can tell you that
it does reduce both the Defensive Ability AND the
Elemental Resistance of those enemies it affects.
Skill Name : SCATTER SHOT ARROWS
Must Have : MARKSMANSHIP
Description : A secret of master fletchers is the ability to craft
special arrow heads that burst on impact sending out
razor-sharp fragments in all directions. Each shard
delivers piercing damage to the enemies it hits.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : ANOTHER power which I would cheerfully give more than 5
points to were I able ... this one gives you a chance to
have any given arrow you fire explode into a set of
smaller barbs, each of which does additional damage.
Using this with the other Marksmanship upgrades can level
large (and I do MEAN large) numbers of enemies in one or
two arrows - it's SO COOL !!!!! :)
Skill Name : VOLLEY
Description : A combat technique that uses the spear or bow to rapidly
strike three times in succession.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : YET ANOTHER kickass power for the Hunting School - THIS
little beauty enables you to fire three arrows (from
time to time - there is a percentage chance that it will
work), which means you do even MORE damage to even MORE
monsters with your bow and arrows ... YEEEEEEES !!!!! =)
Conclusions : If you are an archer or have even the SLIGHTEST liking
for Legolas from the Lord of the Rings, then you should
SERIOUSLY consider this school. Whilst its emphasis is
on wielding a bow and arrow, it does have some spear
skills available, and some modest healing powers should
you want to brush up on those, so it caters to pretty
much two main types of warrior - the Archer and the
Pikeman. The biggest drawback of this school is in its
total lack of summons, but apart from that I love it !!
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
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Game Description : The rogue is unmatched at dealing rapid damage to single
opponents or wearing them down with poison and bleeding.
Reliant on hit-and-run tactics, the Rogue is less well
suited for handling hordes of enemies and must employ
trickery to avoid being overwhelmed.
Sinister says : Ooh ! NASTY. I love it !! I agree with the game - the
emphasis of this School is DEFINITELY on doing large
amounts of damage to very specific targets. Later on you
can pick up a couple of skills that will sort out larger
groups of enemies, but the mainstay of the skills
available in this School are for the Assassins out there.
People that single-out their targets and go for the
jugular.
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : CALCULATED STRIKE
Description : Used in place of your normal attack, every fourth hit
with calculated strike will deliver increased damage.
Apply this skill to your left mouse button.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This is a GREAT skill to pick up early on in the game.
It doesn't matter what type of weapon you wield - every
fourth time you strike with this power it makes a cool
noise, and your enemy goes DOWN ... it's cool !! :) Of
course it stops being QUITE so cool when you're fighting
stronger adversaries later on in the game, but UP UNTIL
that point it rocks.
Skill Name : BLADE HONING
Description : While active, this skill ensures that the blades on the
swords or spears of yourself and allies will remain razor
sharp and inflict increased piercing damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Similar to Marksmanship or Earth Enchantment, this power
can remain constantly active - however it is limited in
that you must be wielding either a sword or a spear for
it to remain on. Therefore even if your second weapon
is a bow and arrow, if you switch to it (i.e. away from
either a sword or spear), this power will automatically
switch itself off, which is a pain in the butt.
Skill Name : ENVENOM WEAPON
Description : Coats your weapon with deadly poison while activated.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Adds poison damage to all your attacks, which is great !
BE an Assassin ... g'wan ... ;)
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : THROWING KNIFE
Description : Throw a piercing blade at your opponent capable of causing
prolonged bleeding.
My Rank (/5) : 5 at the outset - 2 later on in the game
My Comments : When you first use this power you will throw your head
back and laugh with glee - I virtually guarantee it.
It's one of those "you think you have me ? Well think
again !!" kinda powers - however when you're throwing
these beauties into the knees of a cyclops and he's about
to hammer you into the ground with his club ? You will
come to see its limitations =./
Skill Name : DISARM TRAPS
Description : Expertise with traps and magical devices allows the Rogue
to easily disable them and avoid their damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Even if you just put a point onto this skill, its effect
is passive, so you never need to activate it, and it does
reduce the likelihood of traps going off in your face.
However if you have a good sense of hearing, reduce the
rating I have given this skill to 1 as you will be able
to get around traps that way.
Skill Name : NIGHTSHADE
Must Have : ENVENOM WEAPON
Description : Oils harvested from deadly Nightshade plants give your
Envenomed Weapons the ability to slow enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Since the poison effects you get from envenom weapon
work with your regular attacks, why not bolster them at
every opportunity ??
Skill Name : FLASH POWDER
Description : A magician's trick turned to more nefarious purposes,
flash powder blinds adjacent enemies impairing their
ability to hit with weapons and potentially disorienting
them.
My Rank (/5) : 1
My Comments : I LOVE this power, but it has all the practical use of
popping a balloon as a method of distraction. You throw
the powder down and BOOM - where's he gone !?!?! Oh
look !! He's RIGHT where he was to begin with !! GET
HIM BOYS !!!!! It's like that ;) It works great on
low-ranking enemies, so it might be worth a point or
two, but I wouldn't bother with any more than that ...
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : LUCKY HIT
Must Have : CALCULATED STRIKE
Description : Uncommonly good fortune provides a chance that calculated
strikes will slip past enemy armour causing tremendous
damage.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Even if you just pop a point or two into this skill, it
actively increases the chances of calculated strikes
doing more damage. I can't do maths to save my life,
but it's an (x)% chance of doing more damage on every
1 in 4 hits ... which is kinda slim, but worth adding
for the crack ;)
Skill Name : OPEN WOUND
Description : Adds a chance that weapon attacks will inflict bleeding
damage when using a sword, spear, bow, or axe.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Given that this skill can affect your bleeding damage
chances with no less than FOUR main weapon groups, I
think it deserves a high rating. Bleeding damage takes
a little while to slay your enemies, but it can weaken
them to the extent that they are like leaves on the
wind - pushovers in other words ;)
Skill Name : LAY TRAP
Description : Drops a mechanical bolt trap that will trip when enemies
draw near and rapidly fire out deadly bolts.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : GREAT when it comes to weakening larger numbers of enemy
troops (which as I have said before is something that
the Rogue School is a bit thin on the ground at doing
otherwise). It doesn't slay huge amounts as the bolts
are a bit hitty-missy, but it does its job well, PLUS
you can lob it ... use the shift key whilst aiming to
increase the range ;)
Skill Name : POISON GAS BOMB
Description : Lobs a bomb that will burst on impact releasing a cloud
of toxic gas that damages enemies and impairs their
attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Another lobbable weapon - this one causes a cloud of
toxic fumes to arise, poisoning all within the blast
area. Unfortunately it doesn't do huge amounts of
damage until higher levels, but it can be upgraded so it
is definitely worth putting at least a couple of points
into.
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : LETHAL STRIKE
Description : A single deadly hit that multiplies the damage of a normal
weapon attack.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : THIS skill is simply BEAUTIFUL. Think of it as focusing
your hatred and energy into doing just ONE hit ... JUST
one ... but that hit is usually going to be powerful
enough to slay the enemy you are aiming for. Simple,
effective ... just like an Assassin should be !
Skill Name : RAPID CONSTRUCTION
Must Have : LAY TRAP
Description : Expertise in assembling traps reduces the amount of time
it takes to create a new trap after one has been set.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : I think it's worth having even if just on a low-level,
as the quicker you can roll out your traps, the more
chance they have of damaging your enemies ... obviously !!
Skill Name : TOXIN DISTILLATION
Must Have : ENVENOM WEAPON
Description : Learn alchemical processes to distil natural toxins,
increasing the potency and duration of all poison attacks.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Increasing power and duration of ALL your poison attacks ?
HELL YEAH !! BRING IT ON !!!!! :)
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : ANATOMY
Description : With a deep knowledge of anatomy, attacks can be directed
at vital points in the body increasing the chance and
effectiveness of bleed damage.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Since poison and bleeding are two of the main weapons the
Rogue Master has at their disposal and, consequently, two
of the main areas which you should upgrade wherever the
opportunity presents itself.
Skill Name : MANDRAKE
Must Have : ENVENOM WEAPON
Description : Adds a chance for poison to cloud an enemy's mind, sending
them into a state of confusion.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : And here's another example of that ! With a chance of
sending your enemies loopy for a moment or two, you can
focus your attacks on those that are compus mentis, and
then pick off the stragglers afterwards. I love it !! :)
Skill Name : SHRAPNEL
Must Have : POISON GAS BOMB
Description : Packed with volatile liquid and metal scraps, the Poison
Gas Bomb will explode violently on impact showering the
area with deadly Shrapnel. Each fragment of shrapnel
inflicts piercing damage to the enemies it hits.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Expanding on the damage potential of the already rather
cool Poison Gas Bomb, once that explodes, additional
smaller fragments spray out in all directions, causing
EXTRA damage, and making a really cool snapping sound.
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : MORTAL WOUND
Must Have : LETHAL STRIKE
Description : Stuns victims of Lethal Strike and greatly magnifies the
impact of poison and bleeding damage caused by the attack.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Giving you a percentage modifier to both bleeding and
poison damage, this is YET ANOTHER must have skill for
the Rogues and Assassins out there.
Skill Name : FLURRY OF KNIVES
Must Have : THROWING KNIFE
Description : Learn to throw additional knives at once and cut down
enemies with a lethal flurry of razor-sharp metal.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Being able to throw not just one, but a whole BUNCH of
knives has a fantastic appeal I must say. It's kinda
like the ultimate in goodbye fatalities ... however
as with the Storm Skill Torrent, there isn't really a
whole lot of control you can exert over the direction
the additional knives go, making this a less than ideal
skill. It also gives the knives additional piercing
damage ;)
Skill Name : IMPROVED FIRING MECHANISM
Must Have : LAY TRAP
Description : Modifications to the Bolt Trap increase the number of
bolts fired per round.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Even if you don't like to set traps, I would sink at least
one point into this skill, as it will benefit any and
all traps you create. You never know when it might come
in handy, non ?
Conclusions : If you like the idea of being an Assassin, or just
focusing all your energy and attacking power into beating
your foes down, one at a time in devious and often brutal
ways ? Then this is a SERIOUS contender as a school for
you. If you like the wholesale slaughter of LARGE numbers
of troops at the same time ? Then consider looking at
other schools before plumping for this one.
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
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Game Description : Expand your consciousness to draw more deeply from the
power of the dream realm and exert your will upon
physical reality.
Sinister says : Ah yes, the NEWCOMER School. Dream wasn't available for
us to play about with in regular Titan Quest, and so it
is the one EVERYBODY that used to play Titan Quest wants
to explore. Is it worth it ? Read on ;)
LEVEL 1 SKILLS
Skill Name : SANDS OF SLEEP
Description : Puts enemies to sleep, rendering them immobile for a
duration or until awakened by an attack.
My Rank (/5) : 3
My Comments : Oh deary ... deary me. The first skill in this new school
and it's the power to send people to ... sleep ?? Truth
be told it's not THAT pants, but they will wake up as soon
as you hit them, which makes it more useful as a "let me
slip by" skill than a "now you DIE" skill. Having said
that, it does of course enable you to get a free hit in
before they can counter, so it's not THAT bad really !!
Skill Name : PSIONIC TOUCH
Description : Psionic energies focused within your weapons will create
a bone shattering resonance when they contact your
enemies. Apply this skill to your left mouse button.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : A skill which augments your regular attacks, enabling you
to do both Vitality Damage AND a percentage of additional
damage to boot ? FAIR PLAY !! The maximum you can do
using this skill is an additional 96% TOTAL Damage, in
3 charge levels. Pick it up !! PICK IT UP NOW !!!!! :)
Skill Name : DISTORTION WAVE
Description : A wave of force is projected outward that forms chaotic
ripples in the fabric of reality and delivers devastating
damage to the body and mind of enemies.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This is the same power that the Cyclops Polyphemus uses
against you when you fight him - a direct-line attack
that sends a wave of force out towards your adversaries.
It's upgradable, and impressive, and should form a good
part of your arsenal early-on in the game.
LEVEL 4 SKILLS
Skill Name : TRANCE OF EMPATHY
Description : Force enemies to share the damage they inflict upon you
by forming a telepathic link to their minds that conveys
only pain and siphons life in retribution. Trance
Skill - Only one trance can be active at a time.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : The first of three Trance skills that are available to
you as a result of studying this school, none of which
are dependent on each other to exist. This is one of
the best of them in my opinion - it converts a percentage
of the damage you do to your enemies back into life for
you, AND reflects a portion of the damage they do to you
back against them. KILLER :)
Skill Name : LUCID DREAM
Description : Increased conscious control over your dream state enhances
abilities that derive power from the dream world.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Even if you don't heavily upgrade it, this skill will
add damage, electrical burn damage AND vitality damage
to your dream powers (all as percentages - NOT fixed
numbers), so it's well worth having.
Skill Name : PHANTOM STRIKE
Description : Vanish from the waking world and reappear before a target
enemy to deliver a monstrous attack.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : AGAIN I find myself giving a 5 to a power in this school.
This is an AMAZING power to watch. You turn invisible in
a cloud of dream energy, and stalk your prey until you are
within striking distance, whereupon you decloak yourself
and hit them. If your enemies are closer to you than
their regular starting positions, they will try and fall
back to their regular starting positions which can help
or hinder you, depending on how many enemies stand by them
and where they started. Once upgraded sufficiently, you
can hit more than one person (six at the highest level)
with your strike. GET THIS SKILL RIGHT NOW DAMMIT !! :)
LEVEL 10 SKILLS
Skill Name : PREMONITION
Must Have : LUCID DREAM
Description : A precognitive sense of the imminent future allows you to
stay one step ahead of your enemies in combat.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Giving you bonuses to both your Offensive AND Defensive
Abilities is less than awe-inspiring, but you should feel
the benefits in battle. It's worth picking up even if
you don't sink massive amounts of points into it.
Skill Name : SUMMON NIGHTMARE
Description : Calls forth a nightmarish phantasm from the dream world
to serve as your familiar.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : The only summon that you can have in the Dream School,
and he is QUITE the little devil bless him. He can be
upgraded later on to give him extra powers, some of which
are quite unique. You should definitely get this little
dude at your back.
Skill Name : PSIONIC BURN
Must Have : PSIONIC TOUCH
Description : Psionic energy within the target ignites and explodes
outward, burning through their material being and
inflicting severe damage to adjacent targets.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : There is absolutely NO reason not to get this skill. It
gives you additional Electrical Burn Damage AND a bonus
percentage damage against Demons. The only reason I
wouldn't give it a 5 is because the additional percentage
damage you get only affects Demons. The Electrical Burn
bit affects everybody though ;)
Skill Name : DREAM STEALER
Must Have : PHANTOM STRIKE
Description : Devastate your enemies and steal their power by ripping
the very dreams from their minds.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Since Phantom Strike is such a cool skill, I would put
a few points into this skill as well. It gives you energy
leech potential, stun time and additional damage for your
enemies, so it's the icing on an already kickass cake.
Skill Name : CHAOTIC RESONANCE
Must Have : DISTORTION WAVE
Description : Amplifies the physical distortion effect, causing it to
shatter armour and break bones
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : This skill increases the damage of the Distortion Wave,
and reduces the Armour Rating of your opponents. Another
cool skill for the Dream School !!
LEVEL 16 SKILLS
Skill Name : TRANCE OF CONVALESCENCE
Description : A restful state of mind causes increased life recovery
and damage absorption for the player and allies. Trance
Skill - Only one trance can be active at a time.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Ah yes, the second Trance skill. This one increases
both your health and energy regeneration (but not to
insane levels), and gives you the ability to absorb a
percentage of the damage you sustain, which is nice. 15%
at its highest level.
Skill Name : HYPNOTIC GAZE
Must Have : SUMMON NIGHTMARE
Description : The mesmerising stare of the Nightmare is able to
dominate lesser minds and throw them into a state of
confusion, causing them to wander aimlessly and attack
phantom images.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : There is something very satisfying about a pet that is
able to think for itself. Your nightmare is quite the
little puppetmaster !! He can possess your enemies,
just as a Spirit Master might, and cause them to fight
at your side for a spell. Well worth having !!
Skill Name : DISTORTION FIELD
Description : A field of psionic power bends for fabric of reality
around the player, negating some of the damage from
enemy attacks and dealing retaliatory damage to enemies
that strike you.
My Rank (/5) : 2
My Comments : Warping the fabric of reality to both absorb some of the
damage that is dealt to you, and dealing damage to your
enemies in retaliation is all well and good, however at
its MAXIMUM level of power, there is a paltry 5% chance
that this skill will work ... which is MEGA plop. I'd
get it, but I wouldn't rely on it too heavily.
Skill Name : DISTORT REALITY
Description : Sends out a powerful ripple of distortion around the
player that tears the fabric of reality, causing severe
damage to enemies caught within it.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : THIS is, in my opinion, the best skill in this School.
It sends out a circular shockwave of force from you at
the centre through your enemies. The amount of damage
that it inflicts is great at higher levels, and the
attack can be further upgraded so as to freeze those
enemies that it doesn't kill outright !! I LOVE IT !! :)
LEVEL 24 SKILLS
Skill Name : TEMPORAL FLUX
Must Have : LUCID DREAM
Description : A subtle acceleration of time around the player allows
them to move more quickly, anticipate attacks, and
negate the slowing effects of enemy skills.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Giving you the powers of additional total speed, together
with a chance to avoid projectiles AND a resistance to
being slowed is NOT something to be sneezed at. It is
not the greatest of powers, but it can prove to be a VERY
helpful addition to your arsenal.
Skill Name : PSIONIC IMMOLATION
Must Have : DISTORTION WAVE
Description : Psionic energies ignite into a surge of electrical power
that causes horrific burning over a short duration.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Causing massive amounts of Electrical Burning Damage,
together with a bonus modifier when used against Demons,
this skill is a GREAT add-on for your Distortion Wave.
LEVEL 32 SKILLS
Skill Name : TRANCE OF WRATH
Description : Waves of negative psionic energy emanate from the player,
disrupting enemy thoughts and burning through their
physical being. Trance Skill - Only one trance can be
active at a time.
My Rank (/5) : 4
My Comments : Interestingly this skill isn't so dissimilar to the Earth
skill "Ring of Flame", which is available at level 4. It
actively attempts to zap anybody that comes within a
certain distance of you, and can be maintained for as long
as you wish (or have the energy to support it). It takes
a barely noticeable amount of energy to use, and can help
ward off those pesky hand-to-hand warriors that get a bit
too close for comfort.
Skill Name : MASTER MIND
Must Have : SUMMON NIGHTMARE
Description : The Nightmare is able to speak to the minds of your other
minions and coordinate their attacks, making them more
effective in combat.
My Rank (/5) : 1-5, depending on what other School (if any) you pick !
My Comments : First off, this skill ONLY affects other pets, so don't
misread "minions" and think it means "allies". Therefore
if you pair Dream with either Hunting, Defence or Rogue
say ? FORGET this skill entirely as it will do you NO
good at all. If you are a Nature Master or a Storm or
Earth Master for example ? Then it's well worth it, as
it gives your pet/s bonus Damage and increased Health
and Energy Regeneration rates.
===============================================
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS CONTRIBUTED BY JOHN JACKSON
===============================================
John Jackson has been in touch with me to point out that
the Master Mind Skill does increase the regeneration and
the damage of the Nightmare himself as well as his efforts
in training up your other minions, and additionally, the
level of regeneration it gives is PERCENTILE-based, rather
than integer-based, meaning (for example) that a standard
12hp/sec regeneration would, if this skill were cranked-up
to grant a 150% bonus, result in your pets recovering over
30hp/sec (when you take into account the standard recovery
rate), which isn't bad at all !! Thanks mon ami :)
Skill Name : TEMPORAL RIFT
Must Have : DISTORT REALITY
Description : Enhances the power of the distortion ripple, unleashing a
surge of psionic energy that causes massive damage to
enemies and temporarily freezes them in time.
My Rank (/5) : 5
My Comments : Petrifies those enemies that are not automatically slain
outright by the power of the Distort Reality skill, and
gives a great big fat Electrical Burn Damage bonus to
the latter as well. I HIGHLY recommend this skill.
Conclusions : Well I have to say I am VERY ... V-E-R-Y impressed with
the newcomer school. It has something for everybody
really. Phantom Strike is a GREAT hand-to-hand skill,
the Trances serve to benefit you and your allies, the
Nightmare is a very clever little pet, and can help out
other pets as well depending on what School (if any) you
pair Dream with, and your ranged attacks (both mid-range
as Distort Reality, and long-range as Distortion Wave)
are among some of the most powerful in the game. Bonza !
Sphere Rating /5 : 4
==============================================================================
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
==============================================================================
This guide is dedicated to my good friend Padopolis - mon canard !!
Thanks to John Jackson for his insight into the Master Mind Skill of the Dream
School.
==============================================================================
Copyright Mister Sinister, 2007
==============================================================================
