There is an untapped potential of lore in subclasses

Think about it, for the longest time you had 4 spells each with basic upgrades, but now you have so many options with the subclass system it’s somewhat crazy, but I feel like lore for some of the abilities can add a very small amount more depth to the world Wynn is in. Since assassin is my favorite class, I wrote “lore” for each of the red nodes. I would love to get ideas on lore for abilities.

Shadestepper

Surprise strike
The invisible killer p. 13 “From the shadows, an unseen blade is known to inflict a brutal attack…”

Marked
The invisible killer p. 66 “An exposed enemy will be left afraid, weakened, there should never be a moment where one doesn’t exploit this opportunity”

Satsujin
The invisible killer p. 1 “an act of murder should only be done in the most extreme and necessary of circumstances, but if one must preform such a heinous act, then one must preform it as swiftly, and efficiently as possible”


Trickster

Clones
“We cornered her, we had her dead to rights when all of a sudden as soon as we tried to take her in, she laughed at us and disappeared into smoke, it was a fake! She had deceived us and gotten away” -Detlas Guard

Echo
“I thought I saw an easy mark when I saw him walking down the road, all of a sudden a bunch of people who looked exactly like him pulled their knives on me, they took everything, they overwhelmed me easily” -Tromsian Pickpocket

Forbidden Art
“A technique deemed illegal by Gavellian law due to its use in some of the greatest heists and robberies known to the province. Despite this, not a single user of this technique has been brought to justice, as that would require catching them, an impossible feat” -Llevigar prison guard

Acrobat

Lacerate
Feel it, there is nothing below you. Feel it. This feeling is foreign and unknown, it’s quite terrifying, but it’s liberation…

Flow State
…and that feeling cannot be robbed from you. In moments of this new feeling of liberation one might realize their true potential, they get into the zone and obliterate everything in their path. Nothing should stand in your way and nothing can…

Jasmine Bloom
… and when nothing remains below you, it gives you a new appreciation for life. You are no longer chained to earth, you are free to touch the sky, this is liberation.



I would love to hear lore on more abilities from other classes, I think it’s a fun way to give the classes a microscopic amount of extra depth.

 

So the pattern is
Quotes from people
passages from a book
feelings

I will try!

Summoner

Puppet Master
"I was just trying to hunt a rabbit for lunch, and suddenly, I felt a barrage of knives slinging past! The ugliest creatures I had ever seen were behind me." -Iboju Tribesman

Crimson Effigy
"Suddenly, the driftwood on the deck began rising and smoking with energy! I had never seen anything like it before"- Pirate's Cove Brigadier

Shepherd
"Follow the souls of the dead beyond the pale, to where you can bring me POWER!!!"-Slykaar

 

It can take any form or pattern, I just picked those cause I thought it would best represent each archetype, feel free to experiment and try new ideas!

 

Ritualist
"I dunno. He wasn't entirely there. It's like something had taken over him. He seemed... possessed." - Anonymous Detlas soldier

Mask of the Lunatic
"Upon donning the Mask of the Lunatic, the wearer is filled the spirit of the Lunatic. The Lunatic, according to legend, was killed in its sleep, and its spirit has sought revenge, even to the point of madness. Even those who wear the mask do not believe that it is human. Wearers become completely insane until the mask is removed. Their fighting style becomes much more aggressive and chaotic, and seem to have a terrifying aura surrounding them and their totem. Most who see a shaman wearing this mask don't live to tell the tale." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 54

Mask of the Fanatic
"Upon donning the Mask of the Fanatic, the wearer is filled with the spirit of the Fanatic. The Fanatic, according to legend, fell victim to a terrible curse, which degraded her body until her death. Her spirit grants protection to those who may need more constitution than they may have. Wearers gain superhuman resilience, brushing off hits that may otherwise have brutally wounded them. They seem fond of the totem, some harnessing its power on scales higher than any other shamans, but often not for long." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 79

Mask of the Coward
"Upon donning the Mask of the Coward, the wearer is filled with the spirit of the Coward. The Coward, according to legend, died in a fight he could not win. He was too weak and too cocky. His death changed him, and his spirit is much more sheepish and careful than him during life. Wearers speed increases, as well as their jump. They seem fond of flying above their opponents, dropping in to deal damage and bouncing back out. Their totems also inexplicably hover above the ground, unlike other totems, and seem to follow the shaman." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 86

________________________________

Acolyte
"In my studies, I never came across any more horrifying, disturbing shamans than the Acolytes." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 103

Sacrificial Shrine
"Shamans are known for the protection that their totem provides, using mana as its power source. The Acolytes, instead, use the blood in their veins. Seeping out of their pores, it joins with their totem or flows into allies' bloodstreams. It sometimes radiates from the totem if the shaman so wishes it to." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 114

Twisted Tether
"Acolytes, when fighting, will tether their opponents with the blood of the totem. Any time the shaman is harmed, the blood will tighten, causing harm to the tethered." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 121

Blood Sorrow
"Perhaps the most disturbing habit of the Acolytes is their version of 'the beam.' The shaman will shoot blood at enemies and allies, in a chain, replacing the blood of allies and slamming enemies. Sometimes the shaman miscalculates and puts too much blood into an ally. It does not hurt the ally, however. It seems to just preserve them for longer." - A Study of Tribal Magick, page 134

 

This is neat, but there's the issue of Fallen. Fallen wouldn't be able to un-corrupt, and once you went corrupt you'd basically be forfeiting the character. That part is just purely gameplay, realistically the character would be Mega Dead.

 

just bullshit it
fallen becomes un-corrupt because they simply do not give a shit

 

I think it would be better to not try to explain it or entangle it in lore than to try to come up with a 'lore excuse'

 

I actually have an idea for how to explain fallen

a controlled corruption
Like microdosinge corruption, grookworks is working on applications of a faux corruption that can be controlled, to fight fire with fire

 

It just wouldn't work that way though. You cannot have a little bit of corruption as a treat.

 

Then maybe a faux corruption? Like imitation corruption created to wield it, it is in lore weaker than real corruption.

 

Did not make this out of spite, rather I made this cause I wanted to try and make fallen work in a lore standpoint

Bak’al’s Grasp
“Testing has shown that it has unstable properties… of the 10 test subjects nine of them died, but the survivor has shown colossal strength, this could prove useful in the war…” -Imitation Corruption trials p. 1

Bloodpact
“Those afflicted with the imitation corruption show immense magical power, the afflicted are feral, using whatever they can find to inflict tremendous damage to whatever they consider an enemy” - Imitation Corruption trials p. 55

Bloodlust
“Subject is getting significantly better at controlling the imitation Corruption, able to wield it significantly better, however there are side effects when releasing the Corruption. Death toll: Too high to count” - Imitation Corruption Trials p. 199