Though wondrous it may be, Avallen is also a dangerous place, home to warring factions, vicious predators, and otherworldly abominations known as Ffieidd-Dra (Fieithe-Dra). In the course of your adventures, you will need to learn abilities to defend yourself during a conflict, whether that be through martial prowess or an understanding of magic. Player characters in Legends of Avallen will pick up conflict abilities from character classes that they can cultivate alongside their starting profession, and later, their legendary paths.
Character Classes
There are four classes that give conflict abilities and they each have a different style of fighting. There are two martial classes—the Reaver and the Warrior—and two magic classes—the Mage and the Mystic. Each of these classes gives your character access to five ability schools to learn from that are exclusive to and embody the spirit of that class.
The Reaver is a scrappy skirmisher who uses Agility to always have the upper hand.
Martial schools: Acrobatics, Archery, Boxing, Dueling, and Two-Weapon.
The Warrior is a hardy fighter who uses Vigour to face challenges head-on. Martial schools: Athletics, Great-Weapon, Guardian, Shield-Mastery, and Wrestling.
The Mage is a student of magic who uses Wit to shape reality. Magic schools: Illusion, Psychic, Sigil, Time, and Void.
The Mystic is a medium of the Otherworld who uses Spirit to channel natural forces.
Magic schools: Aether, Divination, Elemental, Lunar, and Solar.
Each of these martial and magic schools has four abilities that characters will learn in order as they level up, much like profession schools. For example, the Archery school abilities are Steadied Aim, Pinning Shot, Eagle-Eyed, and Hail of Arrows.
Legendary Paths
Once you've gained enough experience with a class, you will choose to follow a legendary path. Following a legendary path grants powerful abilities that will change the way you approach the game and will see you become a mythical archetype from Vallic and Raxian folklore. There are ten legendary paths in total, and each class has access to four: one that is specific to that class and three that are each shared with another class.
For example, the Mage's specific legendary path is the Magister. The Mage can also follow the path of the Fae-Touched by learning from the Reaver, the Primus by learning from the Warrior, or the Bard by learning from the Mystic. If your path is shared by another class you also gain access to that class's ability schools.
Today we'll be going over the martial legendary paths, of which there are three: the Slayer, Teulu, and Gladiator. Let's see what they're all about!
The Slayer
Valens waits with a Slayer's patience, stalking his prey, searching for weakness. In a sudden blur of motion, he makes a flurry of exacting strikes against his target before nimbly escaping any reprisal. The monster falls, and thus his Slayer's contract is almost complete; Valens begins persuing the last of his quarry.
The Slayer is the unique path for the Reaver. Fighting as a Slayer, you can forgo actions to observe your foes from afar and gain your Slayer's patience. When the time is right, you can spend your patience to take multiple actions in a single turn using acrobatic movement, precise attacks, and enhanced evasion. This makes the Slayer potent against single targets, especially in an ambush.
In Vallic culture, Slayers are honoured Reavers called upon to lead quests against foul creatures terrorising communities. In Raxian territory, Slayers are coveted by politicians for their talents in subterfuge, reconnaissance, and assassination. Following the path of the Slayer will see you become a legendary hunter of beasts, man, and Ffieidd-Dra alike.
The Teulu
Llysaera charges ahead, shielding her companions, overpowering her foes. Each blow her armour turns, and each blow her hammer lands fuels the battle rush that lets her outlast all others. As the Teulu's foes surrender, her adrenaline subsides and the pain sets in; Llysaera looks back to her companions, certain that she rather it be her than them taking the brunt of it all.
The Teulu is the unique path of the Warrior. Fighting as a Teulu, you will want to be in the thick of it as each hit you make and take increases your battle rush. As your battle rush rises you will become ever more formidable with increasing toughness, damage, and control over your foes. This makes the Teulu an exceptional enforcer and protector, giving your allies room to breathe in the heat of battle.
In Vallic society, the Teulu are oath-sworn bodyguards of important groups and individuals. "Teulu" means "family" in Vallic, and the famed warriors treat their wards as such. The title of Teulu has become respected as a worthy foe in the Raxian military and it is now fashionable for bureaucrats in Avallen to use the word for their private bodyguards. Following the path of the Teulu will see you become a legendary fighter and a bastion to whom others turn on the battlefield.
The Gladiator
Neferu whirls her weapons, diving into the fray, dazzling the audience. Every motion is purposefully made to preserve her flow for the next as she weaves between her weapons, stances, and foes in a deadly dance. Neferu ends her performance with a flourish and relishes in the beat of silence that lingers before the roar of applause that only a Gladiator's work can bring; the audience was hers now, and hers alone.
The Gladiator is the path shared by the Reaver and Warrior. Fighting as a Gladiator you will begin each conflict with a level of flow that you must maintain and grow by using different martial schools to attack different targets. Keeping your flow makes you more difficult to hit and allows you to chain attack combos that end with vicious finishers. This makes the Gladiator a flexible fighter that is particularly skilled at handling multiple opponents.
In Raxian society, Gladiators are celebrated performers who often accompany a Legion to bolster troop morale and train elite soldiers. The Vallic have a long tradition of settling diplomacy with one-on-one duels to avoid the bloodshed of many and have recently adopted the title "Gladiator" to describe those that excel in this kind of negotiation. Following the path of the Gladiator will see you become a legendary master of spectacle and weaponry.
Those are the three purely martial legendary paths! The Slayer, the Teulu, and the Gladiator. What excites you the most about them? We want to hear what you think! So come let us know over on Discord or Reddit:
And don't worry, we haven't forgotten about the rest of them. Tune in next time when will we go over spell casting and the magic legendary paths!
- Team Avallen