Concept Class: Sentinel

When people get my brain going it takes a while to expunge all the new ideas I get. Therefore, another concept class for everyone to look at.

Sentinel

Medium Range Melee class. Uses Spears, two-handed swords, or two handed Axes.

This class has better elemental armor then physical armor.

Attributes:
(Primary)Haste: Increases the speed with which the player moves,attacks, and uses skills. Also effects some skills of this type.
Determination: Increases the effectiveness of defensive skills, and the amount of extra dmg done at close range.
Spear Mastery: Increases the effectiveness of Spear skills.
Two-Handed Sword Mastery: Increases the effectiveness of Two-Handed Sword skills.
Two Handed Axe: Increases the effectiveness of Two-Handed Axe skills.

Avg Health: 480 (Lvl 20, no mods.)
Avg Energy: 25
Energy Regen: +2
Health Regen: +1
(Normally attacks at twice a Warrior or Assassin's Range, but attacks slower. However, if a Sentinel attacks a foe at a Warrior or Assassin's range, they do a little less dmg, the damage reduction value can be lessened, based on attribute.)
(Normal Dmg Reduction at close range: 35%, each level of Determination reduces this by 2%.)

Summary: The Sentinel is bred from the best of those trained in war, assigned to defend the crucial and assault the
impossible, they weild massive two handed weapons to assert their talent. As opposed the thier closest "relative' class
the Warrior, Sentinels have better defense against the magics of the world, but lack the physical defenses of their bretheren.
Their extra training and constant exposure to magic have yeilded them a minor natural regenerative ability.

Reasons I made this class:
-A medium range, physical dmg. class, that uses adrenaline.
-I want to make a "melee" class that works better at killing casters.
-I want to make a "melee" class that weilds two handed weapons.
-I want to make a class that has specified skills to benefit group set ups. (i.e. mainly caster groups, or mainly melee groups, etc.)

The Look: The Sentinal is not outfited with the common armors of a Warrior, they are officers and commanders,
adorned in stately armors that glisten in the sun and inspire confidence in those around them. The Armors should be sleek
and polished, not as bulky as Warrior Armors. The helms encompase the entire head and have some sort of "decoration",
optional face plate for some.

The Spear: Designs should range for simple to highly adorned, standard two barb head, long spike,
cone frilled tip (Think of a thinner version of two barb, rotated around 360 degrees)

Max Dmg: 16-37: (Piercing)
Mod Types: Tip, Foreshaft, Backshaft

The Two-Handed Sword: It's a two handed sword, use your imagination.

Max Dmg: 16-37: (Slashing)
Mod Types: Large Pommel, Heavy Hilt, Extended Blade.

The Two-Handed Axe: Long shaft, single of double bladed, some with a hook of spike on the opposite end.
Please for all that's merciful and good, do NOT have a design that looks like the two-handed axes in Diablo II.

Max Dmg: 18-33: (Slashing)
Mods Types: Large Blade, Extended Haft, Heavy Grip.

The Armor:

Vigilant Armor:
AL: 75
Bonus: +30 Armor vs. Fire Dmg.

Resilient Armor:
AL: 75
Bonus: +30 Armor vs. Earth Dmg.

Radient Armor:
AL: 75
Bonus: +30 Armor vs. Lightning Dmg.

Diligent Armor:
AL: 75
Bonus: +30 Armor vs. Ice Dmg.

Ceremonial Guard's Armor:
AL: 75
Bonus: Each piece grants +1 health regen, while suffering from health degeneration due to a HEX.

15k Versions:
-Commander's (Fire)
-Citidel (Earth)
-Champion's (Lightning)
-War Hero's (Ice)
-Royal Guard's (Anti-Hex)


Skills: I based the skills around ficticious fighters and battles, much like a Ritualist's, however, not so....lacking in grammer.

Haste:

Saling's Mighty Charge:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: -- (However long it takes to get Adr. Back)

For (5...20)s, for every adjacent ally, you move 7% faster.

Mal-Kekai's Quicking:
Cost: 5 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

For the next (3...17)s, for each adjacent foe, you attack 7% faster.

Rise of the Red Brigade:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1.5s
Recharge: 20s

If 2 or more allies are below 50% health, for (7...15s), all allies attack 10% faster, and have +12 armor.

Fate of the Sol-keung Archers:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

For the next 10s, if you or any ally falls below 33% health, all your skills recharge immediately and you attack 5% faster for 5s.

March of Rothgaren:
Cost: 8 Adr.
Cast: .75s
Recharge: --

(Elite)
For (5...20)s, for every nearby ally and foe with health above 66%, you and nearby allies gain +2 armor, +5% casting speed, attack +3% faster, and move 4% faster.

Determination:

Mal-Kekai's Holding:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 10s

For (3...8)s, for each adjacent foe, in front of you, you gain +5 armor.

Barricade of Koth-Kel:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 45s

For (10...20)s, while one ally is behind you and one in front of you, you take 10% less dmg from attacks, Barricade of Koth-Kel ends if one ally moves to far out of position.

Walls of Grandeur:
Cost: 7 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

For 10s you gain +20% armor vs. Elemental Dmg.

Defense of the Vai-Sho Pass:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: 2s
Recharge: --

For 15s, every ally being attacked by more then one foe gains +5% armor vs physical dmg, and +10% armor vs. other dmg types.

Moren's Keep:
Cost: 4 Adr.
Cast: .75.
Recharge: --

For (4...10)s every ally with Sentinel as one of thier professions, you and those allies gain +5 armor and have +10% chance to block incoming attacks.

Bastion of Al-Kokel:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 50s

(Elite) For (10...20)s, every time an ally who has health below 50% takes dmg, you recieve 80% of that dmg reduced by (20...60)%.

Spear Mastery:

Break the Lines:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 12s

If this attack hits a foe with two or more allies nearby, target foe is knocked down and takes +(7...35)dmg. After using this skill, you must move within 3s or you lose 10 armor for 10s.

Shattering Attack:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 15s

If this skill hits a player casting a spell, that spell is interrupted and target loses 5 armor for 10s.

Sweeping Point:
Cost: 8 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

This attack strikes all foes in front of you for +(7...25)dmg.

Mal-Kekai's Needle:
Cost: 15e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 20s

If this attack strikes a foe with enchantments, that foe loses all enchantments, for each enchantment broken you do 5 less dmg.

Ostron's Impaler:
Cost: 5 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

If this attack strikes moving foe, that foe is crippled for (3...8)s and begins bleeding for (2...5)s.

Trap of Argu:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 15s

(Elite) If you are struck from behind while moving, your attacker is knocked down for 2s, is crippled for (5...10)s and begins bleeding for (7...12)s. You are knocked down for 1s.
(Animation suggestion: Player bends back awkwardly, pinning the attacker down with the spear before falling down themself.)

Two-Handed Sword Mastery:

Yoal's Bane:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

If this attack hits a player casting a spell, that spell is interrupted and you gain (10...30) health.

Mal-Kekai's Reflection:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .25s
Recharge: --

While weilding a Two-Handed Sword, the you block the next attack against you. If this attack was ranged, attack takes (15...50)dmg
(A reversed version of "Riposte" for a two-handed swordsmen. Works best against ranged/magical foes as opposed to melee like riposte is, does less dmg to account for the type of foe taking dmg)

Balenced Assault:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 15s

If this attack hits a player casting a spell, player loses 10e and suffers a critical hit.

Rotating Blade of Hy-Ri-El:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

If this attack hits, you do +20 dmg, if this attack is "blocked" you take the dmg, if this attack is "evaded" you each take half the dmg of the attack.

Smash the Lines:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 15s

If this attack strikes a foe with two or more adjacent allies, that foe and his adjacent allies are knocked down for 1.5s. If you do not move with 3s of using this skill, all your skills are disabled for 5s.

Scourge of Nemas:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 60s

(Elite)
You attack 4 times for 0 dmg, each attack that hits causes a condition in this order: (Dazed, Blind, Crippled, Bleeding) for 15s. Scourge of Nemas can not be "blocked" or "evaded"

Two-Handed Axe Mastery:

Sweep of Kaleb:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .75s
Recharge: --

Strike all foes adjacent to you, front and behind, for +(15...35)dmg

Mal-Kekai's Devestation:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

Target foe and all adjacent foes are struck for +(12...28)dmg and suffer from Deep Wound for (5...10)s

Yoal's Detriment:
Cost: 6 Adr.
Cast: .25s
Recharge: --

If this attack stikes a player casting a spell, that foe loses (3...12)energy.

Panicked Swings:
Cost: 5 Adr.
Cast: 1s
Recharge: --

For (8...15)s, if your health is below 50% you attack 20% faster, for 10% more dmg, but have a 30% more chance to "miss"

Demon's Sweep:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 20s

If this attack strikes a foe who has teleported by any means within the past 10s, that foe's teleportation skill is disabled for an extra (5...18)s.

Twilight at Dar-Keth:
Cost: 7 Adr.
Cast: .5s
Recharge: --

(Elite) For the next (2...8)s, every consecutive hit strikes for +10 more dmg then the last. Twilight at Dar-Keth ends if you are "blocked", "evaded", "dodged", or "miss"


As always, just sample skills, review, be polite. Enjoy.

Notes:
-One can assume that skills under certain Masteries require said weapon to USE them.

*cough*assasin*cough*

Grrrr... why are all these new class ideas melee characters? Assasins and warriors are plenty.
I'd be impressed if you cam up with something original,something more than just a new weapon. Say, a diplomat class. Argue the enemy to death.

Skill: Negotiate treaty
Energy: 15
Casting time: 5 minutes
Recharge: 5 minutes

When cast, this spell causes all adjacent monsters to cease fire, unless they refuse to sign.

A.) It's spelled Assassin.
B.) You're probably extrapolating from the medium armor value, and the condition adding that it's much like an Assassin.
C.) You're wrong.

Why you're wrong:
-An Assassin uses a weapon in each hand.
-An Assassin does not generally weild a two-handed weapon.
-An Assassin can not attack normally from a longer range like the Sentinel.
-An Assassin does not to my knowledge have so many skills based on the position of an enemy, in fact the only one that comes to mind is Ox Horns, whereupon if it hits and the target has no allies adjacent to them, they are knocked down, works well with Falling Spider.
-An Assassin required proper combonation completion to apply multiple conditions. A Sentinel does not.
- An Assassin gets their ass handed to them by elementalists, mesmers and necros if they do not die immediately. A Sentinel is built to kill them.
-An Assassin's purpose at this point in time to specifically set themselves to kill a single target, and then run.
-An Assassin has skills to mainly defend themself. Sentinel is built to provide minor overall protection for the team as a whole.
-Should I continue? I could probably think of a lot more differences if I tried.

As for why many of the new classes are melee, or medium range is because of the following:

-Warriors and Assassins don't cover it, as they are not very good at killing anything other then other Warriors, Assassins, and Monks. I didn't say BAD at killing other classes, they just aren't good at it.
-Warriors = Heavier Armor vs. Physical, you standard tank and bash.
-Assassin = Lighter Armor, hit and run tactics.
-There is not really a "Melee" class that is efficient in disposing of casters as a whole. And yes I have played as casters and they are far better at killing W or A then W or A is at killing them.
-People figure there should be more melee formats, to balence out with casters, and why not? Why shouldn't there be more versitile versions of melee?

P.S.
Of all those new "melee class ideas" that have come out recently, let's see...

4 of them are new caster classes.

I like this.. :d

Isn't the maximum health at level 20 480hp? I strongly dislike any class getting special treatment in this area as it's completely contradictory to the "everything on equal footing."

Keep every class at 480hp at level 20. Period.

Other than that, I love your ideas and your threads. I enjoy reading every single one, and this is no exception.

wuts rong with the axes in diablo 2?

Not to say it is another Warrior Clone.. but than I would be speechless....

I like the names and the descriptions. Good writing skills. The Haste like I like the most, in which have skills with the condition req of team mate's health is very creative and cleaver. Kurdos on it. For rest, it need something more to make it apar from a Warrior.

And have you read my Dragoon/lancer class before?

Well only noobs used 2h axes.... but besides that, absolutely nothing at all.

415% ebotdz all the way.

Logistical mistake on my part, I planned for it to have normal health, I will change it to 480. Thank you for the observation.

As for the Diablo II two-handed axes, I think the designs they had for them were ugly as sin.

I have no problem admitting it's VERY close to the Warrior. It's kinda supposed to be more of a reversed version, one that has more elemental defense. But I'll try harder with the uniqueness, not sure...though I have a thought....

More skills focused on what classes are on the feild....might roll the two-handed sword/axe masteries into one and add a new Attribute for the Class-Specific Skills, any suggestions on a name for that?

Finally! A class that uses a great sword (which is much needed)

How would you kill it?

Things that you can use to kill it:
-Empathy
-SS
-Minion Swarms
-Warriors
-Rangers
-Assassins

This class will be wary of other phy. damage class, as opposed to being scared of casters.

Also Armor ignoring spells always work well, and I'm sure casters can find interesting tactics if they have to.

Perhaps you'd like a specific build?

Also, now that Sentinel Armor is being introduced, I need a new name for the class.

Try "Guardian" for the name?

You haven't come up with stats for "Haste"?
I suggest

For every point in Haste,
movement speed increased by 1%
attack speed increased by 1%

How about the weapon range for Spears, 2-Handed Swords and Axes?
I think the melee range for Spears ought to be longer right?

Guardian would be a good name, I might pick that if no other suggestions come up to consider.

Good point about Haste, forgot about that. As for weapon range, all weapons have 2x the range of a Warrior's melee weapon. Just keeping it simple.

I really like this, I was thinking of a similar idea (even the name was the same), but with more focus on energy based skills and weaker armour. My idea was making a melee class with medium range spells involving 2 handed swords. Looks like I need a name change though ^^.

I would definately use your profession if they made it, but my only problem is with the endless noobs who would flock to use it too.

I like looking at new builds... very interesting.

I'll start by showing these to you, and you can tell me whether you agree or not:

Compare this skill to expunge enchantments and signet of disenchantment, and this attack is too strong. Neither skills do damage anyway, so this one shouldnt either. Even well of profane is more highly conditional.

How about changing break and smash the lines so that the condition is, "If your target foe is attacking while performing this attack, you take (such and such) penalty"

or

"If you are recieving attack damage while performing this skill, you take (such and such) penalty"

I think the second one is better IMO.

I would increase recharge time for this one, constant deep wound is not a good thing.

I really like your other skills too. Need more though.

With the names you have for your skills, it sounds like you ahve your own campaign in progress^^.

I had a question.... completely forgot what it was...

beautiful.

i was thinking about spear mastery too lol
and plus 3 melee characters would be fine cuz the rest are spellcasters
/signed
p.s. im not gonna say its gonna tank cuz assassins cant tank either

I like this idea. We already have 5 casters with Factions anyway; another melee class couldn't hurt.. and one that doesn't have 80 AL or look like a ninja stands a pretty good chance of being played intelligently.

On another note, I'd like to see a melee class that doesn't have weapon-specific attributes. It could have its own weapon, of course, but there'd be different versions linked to different attributes, like casters with their wands.

Well this is probably the first time I have responded to a class from the class suggestion list, because responding to most of them would be an idiotic bump. This class has some of the working of a very useful class, but I think it lacks greatly in function, Greatly. Although there are some simple things that can be done to fix this, I'm not going to stress it much because I am about to write my own class revolving around polearms in a short wile. Forgive me for my scathing review.

First of all, there certainly is a class that can do this better, Ranger. Ranger is equip with even longer range than any caster allowing him to match their spell casting with arrows. Rangers armor comes with a base 30 vs all elements rather than 30 vs a certain element, 30 vs a certain element is crap which is why the new elementist armor have more universal armor and some vs a certain element. At 70 + 30 on all elements, all elemental damage is severly reduced, to about half.

Second, Ranger is a peerless Interrupter, with abilities that can interrupt a single target, and skills which can put down a cloud that interrupts a group for a short duration, using some Mesmer skills to slow spell casting, Ranger can easily interrupt most spell caster, from a distance equal to or greater than a casters spell range, allowing him to get them as soon as they are within firing capability.

A two handed sword and axe are just larger versions of a warriors weapons, compared to Warriors mastery and Strength attribute, your probably still going to do less damage, or at the best, slower damage, this is a mockery. I would love to see two handed swords and axes, but I think a special skill set in sword and axe mastery can be made for new two handed swords and axes, and making another class with these weapons betrays the diversity of weapons which could be used instead. The spear is a great idea, and as a more intregal part of real warfar than swords and axes, I think it should be stressed more than several weapon types.

Spears are the initial weapon of real (historical) combat, where the only ranged attack is arrows and other projectiles. A spear serves as a offense which will clip ground fighters from a safer distance than a sword or axe, allowing them to ward away or reach foot troups before they can attack with such lower range weapons, and also allows advancing troops to provide equal distance to their attack range. Spears are not a substitute for bows, and are not a weapon useful for countering bows either, sheilds are....

As a good pole arm wielding class, I think the attack attributes should be Lance Mastery, the use of a polearm to jab and skewer enemies, and Halberd Mastery, the use of axe or blade type polearms to slash and chop with a polearm. With this, there can be lance/spear weapons, and Halbred/scythe weapons, each with special functions. The lance and scythe would work only for one attribute, and have slow but heavy attacks, lance would have armor penetration and scythe would have high damage figures. The spear and halberd would allow attacks skills from Lancing or Halberd mastery. The spear would use medium speed jabbing attacks, and the halbred would use simular chopping attacks, but the weapon would have 2 damage figures, Piercing for lancing damage, and Slicing for halbred damage, even though the normal attack of the weapon only uses one of these figures, it allows you to select skills from either Lancing or Halberd mastery, and both attributes increase the damage of the polearm attack allowing this class to increase his damage 2 fold like any good melee class.

Most importantly, the function of a "pikeman" would be to defend the casters on his team, not take out enemy casters. The last thing we need is another rush in melee unit, what we need is a melee "counter melee" unit, and a unit which focuses on the protection of his teammates instead of another advancing unit. The use of spears and halberds revolves around overcoming advancing units, or running them down, not catching up to casters and taking them down, taking down casters is certainly more effective with a ranger who can get them from the same range, or an assassin who can teleport to them instantly before they peel off some, by the time a "sentinel" gets to them, the necromancer could have easily neutralized their attack, this isn't very efficient.

These are my general thoughts on a spear "centric" class, and although your sentinel class isn't impossible, I don't feel it provides anything useful to the game. Unless it has more armor then a warrior so it can advance without perishing to attacks in general, can move to the enemy in an instant to avoid the damage of advancing, or has the range of a ranger and the second best interrupts in the game, it certainly isn't providing anything useful, it is significantly weaker then every exsisting class in one way or another for caster counters, and using a melee unit to counter ranged units is never wise, even if they have slightly longer melee range. As I said when I began, I am about to take some time and make a polearm class which also includes some interesting "moral" effects in the form of battle songs, or I would suggest more alternatives. Since the class idea was formed around the belief that we should have a melee "caster counter" and that polearms, and two handed swords/axes should be used to overcome casters, I think that this idea is best replaced instead of improved. As for a working caster counter melee unit, I would suggest my stalker concept, which instead allows the enemy to hit him with their spells and turns them around to punish them for it, it is much more feasible than thinking your going to take a ranged unit by surprise with a melee unit.