Gods And Heroes: Blog for 07.07.06 - Mystic Madness!

So last week we revealed a slight change in our Priest and Mystic classes when we stated that the Priest would now have the full ability to curse and bless, thus leaving everyone wondering what the Mystic's capabilities would be. After spending some more time with Stieg Hedlund, our lead designer, it becomes apparent that the decision to make this slight alteration to the Mystic was the single most intelligent class change thus far.

By removing the Curses feat tree from the Mystic and granting it to the Priest class, the Mystic was opened up to new possibilities. From the start everyone knew that we would use the Mystic as the standard "nuker" class, but wasn't until we were able to settle on the god choices for the Mystic that the awesome potential of this class really opened up. While dealing immense damage from a distance is the core purpose of this class, the Mystic really shines with the addition of two new Feat Tree additions: Necromancy and Summoning.

Now before you ask, I should tell you that while both Stieg and I agree that blowing up corpses for AoE damage is quite possibly one of the coolest Necromancy feats ever, due to the current state of the political landscape, corpse explosion will not make a debut in Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. That said, let's take a look at what makes the Mystic the virtual powerhouse.

As some of you may or may not have noticed, the Mystic is the possibly the darkest class Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, especially when you consider that the god choices available are Bacchus and Trevia. While Bacchus is arguably the more "good" of the two, the Mystic presents a definite role-playing challenge to those who seek to play the more traditional hero-type. When compared against the other classes, even the Rogue, the Mystic rises to fill the role of the anti-hero to the letter. The Mystic's design is heavily influenced from ancient Etruscan culture and this translates to a more "shamanistic" influence. If the Priests are the direct line to the gods, then the Mystics are the perversion of that line with their darker magics and relationship with the spirits they summon to their side.

The Mystic has a strong command over a variety darker magic and even has the capability to summon various spirits and even snakes (do they come on a plane?) to their side. While some people think of Necromancy as raising an undead army to fight for you, the Mystic follows the more traditional definition, a practitioner of sorcery and magic qualities. The Mystic has the capability to drain energy and health from opponents to replenish their own, and they are exceptionally skilled at damage against the undead.

In addition to the massive amounts of damage, summoning, and life depleting powers of the Mystic, they are also able to help control enemies by stunning them (this is often referred to as 'mezzing'). As the Mystic becomes more proficient, they can then tap into their squad for additional support, including using them as a wall of sorts to delay and even stop advancing enemies. The squad can also be utilized in an elaborate summoning spell to call up a squad creature.

To even further twist the line between Priest and Mystic, the Mystic also has the ability to erode opponents weapons and armor during battle, thus causing equipment to fail and rendering the opponent all but helpless against the vicious attacks of the Mystic's nefarious powers. There are so many things that the Mystic is capable of, and what's more, the level 50 summon truly sets the Mystic apart as one of the most ruthless and devastating classes in the game. When it comes down to it, the Mystic is more than just your typical nuker, they're adept at rendering an opponent helpless, powerless, energy less, and defenseless.

A smart player will find the Mystic as one of the most challenging, but quite possibly one of the most rewarding classes that Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising has to offer, especially when they realize we've only brushed the tip of the iceberg with this article.

The concept sketches for the Female and Male Mystic
(Click for a larger view)

I hope you're all salivating at the prospects we've laid out before you, and next week be on the look out as we bring you the latest information on the Soldier class.

Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

-Deodatus