The Priest
Priests
are the primary magic based healing class in the
game. They are a cloth wearing class with a wrinkle - they
have the ability to equip a shield. Priests have the standard buffing,
shielding and healing abilities you would expect to find as well as
divinely inspired damage spells to strike down their attackers and most
importantly, Priests are the only class in game that can resurrect
other players. Priests go great with every ranged class but make the
most sense when paired with the mage or Warden.
The
Knight
The holy warrior makes an appearance here as the primary tank class for
the game. Knights are the only class in Runes of Magic that are capable
of wearing plate armor and can wield shields, one and two handed
swords, maces and two handed hammers. Featuring the usual
gallantry and code of honor often associated with knights, this class
merges well with the priest class or you can add the warrior for
additional weaponry skills.
The
Warden
One of two new classes introduced with the games first expansion, The
Elven Prophecy, The Warden is the games first pet class. Wardens have a
symbiotic relationship with nature in the game and summon nature
spirits to aid them in battle. Wardens are primarily melee based in
combat as they are charged to be the protectors of the Elven race, but
they also feature magical class buffs to strengthen their comrades. A
natural selection for your secondary class here would be either the
Druid or the Scout as both add a strong dynamic to this class.
The Druid
The
Druid is the healer of the Elves, similar to the priest in origins
but relying on a relationship with Mother Nature instead of the divine.
Druids are primarily a heal over time style of healer and players who
have played this class in other games will feel right at
home. As you level this class you will find more
specializations available in terms of healing, buffing or direct damage
but the Druid is capable of all three almost from the start. Druids and
Wardens are excellent class combinations in the dual class system but
for those who want some added firepower , I would suggest the Mage as
your secondary class choice.
Runes of Magic certainly has broken no new ground in available classes
as everything about them is fairly standard in the MMOG and fantasy RPG
world. What they have done however is infused each class with
enough power to be interesting on their own and to rise to new heights
when combined with a secondary class.
The overall class system is well
designed and they have achieved very good balance, which is something
many games with much larger budgets only wish they could say. The most
compelling element of the classes here is the dual class system that
will offer the alt-oholics out there a wide variety of class
combinations to explore.