Arcist
“Arcists walk a narrow path—distrusted by Dezolians, watched by Palmans, and regarded with wary curiosity on Motavia. The clever Arcist adapts, knowing that power alone opens few doors without wisdom to guide it.”
Arcist Class (Resonance DPS/Blaster Archetype)
Archetype:
Caster / DPS (Glass Cannon – Aggressive Resonance Offense)
Core Concept:
Arcists are elemental savants, wielding the raw frequencies of the world—sound, ice, lightning, and vibration—as devastating weapons. They specialize in warping vibrational and elemental energies, channeling these primal forces through their own bodies and focus tools. Unlike Shamans and Wellsingers, Arcists are not healers or ritualists: they are pure offense, sacrificing defense and subtlety for overwhelming force. Their spells erupt in dazzling arcs, waves, and crystalline storms, annihilating enemies at range but leaving them vulnerable to direct retaliation.
Where Shamans use resonance for knowledge and connection to the universe, the Arcist bends resonance for domination and power. Arcists and Shamans tend not to be aligned, and are often rivals or outright foes rather than collaborators.
Available to Humans and Dezolians.
Design Pillars:
- Aggressive Elemental Offense: High damage output with a broad suite of elemental and resonance-based attacks.
- Glass Cannon: Minimal defense; high risk, high reward. Must rely on speed, positioning, or allies for survival.
- Elemental Versatility: Excels at exploiting weaknesses with sound, ice, lightning, and vibrational effects.
- Direct, Explosive Magic: Quick-cast, flashy, and built for immediate impact—little setup required.
Core Spell Toolkit:
| Spell Name | Type | Description/Role | Target Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resonant Pulse | Attack | Releases a burst of sonic energy, damaging all enemies in an area. | AoE |
| Glacial Wave | Attack | Unleashes a chilling harmonic that freezes and injures foes with cold energy. | AoE |
| Thunder Call | Attack | Channels atmospheric resonance to strike a single foe with lightning. | Single Target |
| Stonebreaker Chord | Attack | Shatters armor or barriers with low-frequency vibration, reducing defense and causing damage. | Single Target |
| Crystalline Storm | Attack | Rains razor-sharp ice crystals at high velocity across a wide area, shredding all within range. | AoE |
| Life Echo | Support | Reflects a portion of physical or magical damage back to attackers (minor effect, for balance). | AoE (Party) |
| Echo Shift | Utility | Shifts party's resonance for short-range teleportation or rapid escape (limited use). | AoE (Party/Self) |
Role in Party:
- Primary Damage Dealer: Annihilates enemy ranks with AoE and targeted elemental blasts.
- Elemental Breaker: Dismantles enemy barriers and punishes weaknesses to certain elements.
- Tactical Mobility: Can briefly reposition or escape danger via Echo Shift, but lacks sustained defense.
Weaknesses:
- Extremely low defense (“glass cannon”).
- Little to no healing or party support; must rely on others for survival.
- Not adept at ritual magic or environmental manipulation—specializes in combat
Game Notes & Social Hooks: Arcist Class
Dezolis:
- Social Status: Arcists are met with indifference to open hostility by most native Dezolians, who see them as reckless outsiders unbound by the Song of the Ice. Shamans, in particular, view Arcists as rivals or dangerous upstarts.
- Story Hooks: A Dezolian NPC might warn, “The ice does not forget those who wound it for glory,” or demand that an Arcist prove humility before receiving aid.
- Consequences: Arcists may be denied entry to sacred sites, overcharged in markets, or reported to the Shamans or Matrons if seen using their magic aggressively.
Palma:
- Social Status: The Palman Central Authority (PCA) regards all resonance magic users with suspicion. Arcists must constantly prove their loyalty—often through oaths, paperwork, or deeds of service.
- Story Hooks: A PCA officer may greet an Arcist with, “Show your writ of allegiance, or show your hands. Either way, we’ll find out what you’re hiding.”
- Consequences: Failure to provide satisfactory proof of loyalty can lead to surveillance, imprisonment, or worse. However, clever or ambitious Arcists can earn favor—and leverage—by serving the PCA’s interests, even if it means working as a troubleshooter, enforcer, or informant.
Motavia:
- Social Status: Arcists are treated neutrally, much like most offworlders. Motavia’s people are pragmatic and judge Arcists by their actions rather than their magical discipline.
- Story Hooks: An old Motavian might say, “We’ve seen stranger than you, Arcist. Just don’t turn the sand to glass and we’ll get along fine.”
Quick Reference Blurb:
“The Arcist channels the universe’s frequencies into elemental devastation—fast, volatile, and unstoppable until struck down.”