User:GoldenYak/The Art of War

Related to Golden Yak's Expansion Concepts. This new leveling system comes into play as characters grow in power and experience.

New ways of waging war have been developed to combat rising dark forces.

The Art of War
The world is filled with enemies more dangerous than mortal minds can truly understand. Distant lands thought lost to time have been found. New worlds have been discovered. Powers ancient and unfathomable have been harnessed. The mortal defenders of Azeroth are prepared to unlock new skills and new ways to wage war.

All classes have been granted 4 specializations, allowing players to unlock their character's full potential and take them into battle in never-before-seen ways.

Warrior - Weaponmaster
A peerless fighter, possessing formidable speed as well as strength.

Warriors who walk the path of the Weaponmaster focus on pushing their speed and agility to the utmost, combining these attributes with their fearsome skill with their chosen weapon. A Weaponmaster's depth of training and focus borders on the near-mystical, allowing them to accomplish tremendous feats of physical acumen.

Weaponmasters specialize in dealing steady, sustained physical damage. Their abilities render the enemy gradually more vulnerable to taking damage while at the same time reducing the enemy's capacity to inflict damage. Weaponmasters can move in and out of combat with ease, rapidly closing the distance between an enemy or quickly moving out of range.


 * Windwalk - Increases the Weaponmaster's movement speed for a short time and increases the critical strike chance of their next ability.
 * After Image - The Weaponmaster's speed is so great that he leaves behind an after-image of himself, appearing to his enemies as if he has become two. The mirror image absorbs 50% of the damage dealt to the warrior, and lasts for 4 seconds. After Images gain threat priority over the warrior against NPC targets.
 * Windcleave Strike - The Weaponmaster sweeps his weapon in a strike so swiftly the air itself is torn apart. Deals a burst of physical damage in an arc in front of the warrior, splitting the damage between up to 4 targets in the arc.

Rogue - Nightward
A shadowy protector that uses the powers of darkness to evade his foes.

Nightwards draw upon the powers of darkness to fuel their abilities, employing a rogue's martial shadow magic to its fullest extent. Weaving the shadows around themselves in a manner distinct from traditional spell-casting, Nightwards can stand against the strongest of foes.

Nightward is the rogue tank spec. Rather than using high health pools to absorb large amounts of damage, Nightwards use evasion-based abilities to survive. Nightwards can avoid damage entirely, re-direct is back at its source, or absorb it to fuel strong physical damage-dealing abilities.


 * Evasive Stance - Allows the Nightward to avoid all damage at the cost of Evasion Charges. Building charges to maintain Evasive Stance is the key to a Nightward's survival when tanking.
 * Shroud of Shadows - A magical shield that converts dodged attacks into a protective barrier, which absorbs direct damage. Absorbed damage generates Evasion Charges.
 * Spirit of Vengeance - The Nightward conjures an Avatar of the shadows to absorb damage inflicted upon them. Absorbing damage allows the Avatar to spawn invincible soldiers of darkness to assault the Nightward's enemies.

Paladin - Crusader
A noble knight that smites the wicked and defends the righteous.

Crusaders are paladins whom have been hardened through constant battle on the frontlines of a thousand conflicts. Experienced in wars against the foulest foes of Azeroth, Crusaders have learned the value not only of striking the enemy without mercy, but also of supporting their comrades-in-arms on the battlefield.

Crusader paladins use holy power to fuel their abilities. In the midst of combat they can decide between using their power to inflict damage upon the enemy, or to use it to heal and support themselves or their allies. A Crusader can extend magical auras across the battlefield which gradually increase in potency, slowly building up the might of his comrades or protecting them from ever-increasing damage.


 * Sword of Light - The Crusader hurls their weapon at a target location, suspending it in a Sword of Light that imbeds itself in the ground. The sword generates an aura around itself for 15 yards. Any target within the aura of the Sword of Light can be affected by the Crusader's abilities, regardless of range. If a Crusader moves more than 35 yards from the Sword of Light, their weapon will immediately return to their hands. Crusaders are disarmed while the Sword of Light is active.
 * Chastise - When the Crusader activates this ability, their physical strikes generate an aura of righteous anger around themselves. Enemies who stand within this aura gradually grow more fearful, steadily losing attack power, while allies have their attack power gradually increased.
 * Ardent Fear - The Crusader leaps to a target location, dealing a burst of holy damage to all nearby enemies. If this ability is used while Sword of Light is active, the Crusader will immediately leap to the location of the Sword of Light, canceling that affect and dealing a burst of holy damage to enemies within 15 yards.

Shaman - Chaos
A shaman who has forsaken balance to harness the raw destructive power of the elements.

The elements of the world have not escaped the conflict that has engulfed Azeroth in recent times. With the absence of many elemental lords, the chaos wrought by the Cataclysm has contributed to the instability of the natural world. Some shaman have embraced the imbalance as a source of great power, favoring chaos over order.

Chaos shaman are not bound to a single role in combat. They are capable of dealing out punishment at close range using the power of earth and fire, and call upon the storm to batter their foes from a distance. When their powers are fully unleashed, the elements blend together into raw elemental force, which can be dangerous to friend and foe alike.


 * Wrath and Storm - Chaos Shaman switch between Wrath Stance and Storm Stance, allowing them to be effective at both close and long range. Using the wrong stance will put the Shaman at a disadvantage.
 * Tremor Strike - A powerful blow that knocks back the enemy and reduces their movement speed. This is an ideal ability to use before switching to Storm Stance.
 * Font of Chaos - The Shaman tears open an elemental rift, allowing raw energy to geyser up from the Elemental Plane. Standing in the font greatly increases damage dealt and damage taken for the shaman and their allies.

Mage - Blood
A spell-caster who uses his very life's blood to fuel fearsome magicks.

The Blood Mage has uncovered the grim art of fueling magic using the vital energies of living organisms. Distinct from warlock magic that sacrifices life force to generate fel energy, blood magic redirects the vital forces of living beings to produce a wide variety of potent magical effects. Though Blood Mages walk a fine line between the arcane and the powers of darkness, blood magic is a power of potent and vital life, that can be used to protect as well as destroy.

Blood Mages are ranged spell-casters that can fulfill a tanking role. Their ability to convert mana to health and use health for their spells ensures that they will rarely run out of the resources necessary to maintain their abilities. Their special Blood Casting form also unlocks powerful abilities fueled purely by sacrificing health.


 * Blood Casting - A specialized form that the Blood Mage takes. When active, a Blood Mage's mana bar is converted into a second health bar, and their abilities cost health instead of mana. Health lost through damage or expended on abilities is split between their health and mana bars. Some spells can only be used while Blood Casting is active. Damage dealt by the Blood Mage while Blood Casting is active will heal the Blood Mage's allies.
 * Blood Elemental - The Blood Mage animates an elemental made from the shed life's blood of those around them, sacrificing some of their own blood to bind the creature to their will. Blood Elementals can attack the enemy and sacrifice themselves to absorb damage done to the Blood Mage. They can even be sent to protect a Blood Mage's allies. A Blood Mage may have several elementals active at one time.
 * Blood Reservoir - Any healing a Blood Mage receives while at full health contributes to their Blood Reservoir. This ability allows them to fuel abilities while Blood Casting is active without draining their own health.

Warlock - Dark Metamorphosis
A wielder of dark magic who has given himself over to his demonic side.

Warlocks who have unlocked the power of Dark Metamorphosis have fully given how their flesh and spirit to the powers of chaos, corruption, and darkness. Rare indeed are those who can invite the very essence of the demon into themselves and remain un-ruled by evil intent. These warlocks have enhanced the resilience of their demon form, allowing them to engage in close combat with powerful enemies.

Warlocks who take the Dark Metamorphosis spec unlock a new way to use their demon form. Rather than granting improved ranged DPS capabilities, the Dark Metamorphosis demon from improves survivability and close-combat abilities, allowing warlocks to tank. Like Demonology warlocks, a Dark Metamorphosis warlock fuels their demon form with Demonic Fury, but must maintain it at a certain level to avoid transforming back into their vulnerable mortal form. Tanking in demon form involves using abilities to maintain a sufficient level of Demonic Fury through the use of various close-combat abilities. Warlocks can also make creative use of their demon form to maximize DPS and safely escape combat.


 * Dark Focus - The warlock gathers his energies, rapidly regenerating Demonic Fury. This ability can be used in combat, but if they are struck during this spell, they lose all Demonic Fury.
 * Shadow Carapace - While in demon form, any damage the warlock suffers causes Shadow Fragment elementals to spawn. Shadow Fragments attack the warlock's enemies and can be sacrificed to shield the warlock from damage and restore Demonic Fury.
 * Demonic Diffusion - The warlock separates themselves from their demon side, allowing the two to act independently. Any damage the warlock deals while separated builds Demonic Fury.

Priest - Twilight
A powerful sage who walks the line between Light and Shadow, dealing harm and healing in equal measure.

Twilight priests are those who strive to find a balance between the forces of the Light and the Shadow. Believing that neither force can exist without the other, Twilight priests harness both, and in doing so have discovered a power that can be used to lift up as well as cast down. Rather than subscribing to the chaotic doctrines of the Twilight Cult who seek the doom of eternal nightfall, Twilight priests fight for the new dawn to come.

Twilight priests have found a balance between light and darkness, and so are able to use both restorative and damaging abilities. Twilight priests generate Twilight Power while using their abilities, and when sufficient amounts have been generated, their can empower themselves with either Light of Dawn or Nightfall. When empowered with the Light of Dawn, Twilight priests are capable of greatly enhanced healing, and can increase their resistance to damage, improve their combat capabilities, and perform other feats to support their allies. The power of Nightfall grants the priest increased damage to all of his spells and causes them to deal purely shadow damage.


 * Twilight Thorns - Wraps an enemy in mystical thorns that inflict damage whenever they attempt to move. With Nightfall active, thorns burn with dark energy and deal periodic damage over time, while with Light of Dawn active, this ability can be cast on friendly targets, granting them increased damage resistance and causing anyone attacking them in melee combat to take physical damage.
 * Nightfall - Grants access to a Twilight priest's strongest damage dealing abilities, and imbues all the priests holy abilities with shadow damage.
 * Light of Dawn - Grants access to a Twilight priest's mightiest support abilities, as well as allowing him to protect and strengthen his allies.

Hunter - Ranger
A roving mystic who combines unique spell-craft with unparalleled marksmanship.

Rangers are hunters who have become so attuned to the natural world that they are able to draw upon the inherent magical energies of nature. In their solitary wanderings, they have learned to focus the magical power within themselves to such a degree that they can project it outwards, infusing it into their weapons as extensions of themselves.

Rangers are hunters who rely more heavily on magical damage and effects than raw physical damage. A ranger can use a wide of variety of magical-based ranged attacks to not only damage the enemy, but debilitate and control them, ensuring that combat always proceeds as they see fit. A ranger can shape the field of combat with a handful of well place magical traps, and turn any region he wishes into a killing field that will see their enemies laid low.


 * Searing Arrow - When active, every attack the Ranger makes is imbued with searing light, dealing holy-fire damage to the target. Consumes mana with every attack.
 * Punishment Trap - Places a trap that binds a target with mystical filaments, causing them periodic damage. The further from the trap the target strays, the greater the damage they suffer.
 * Owl Scout - The Ranger summons a spectral owl to spy for them. Rangers may switch their sight to the Owl Scout at any time. Owl Scouts are invisible and and detect invisible units.

Death Knight - Lich
A fearsome dark warrior who has unlocked the full power of undeath to become a lich.

In the wake of the Lich King's demise, some death knights have embraced undeath completely, making the transformation into lichdom. Shedding most of their physical form and becoming creatures of powerful magic, Lich Knights trade martial prowess with their rune-weapons for deadly spell-casting abilities.

Death Knights who choose the Lich specialization use Lich Form to transform themselves into liches, allowing them to deal magical damage at long range. Liches can make use of every aura to unlock their ranged abilities, but can only effectively use an aura for a short time before needing to switch to another. Frost and Unholy auras are used to deal damage, while Blood aura is used to protect the Lich from damage.


 * Unholy Aura of the Lich - Transforms all runes into Unholy Runes. Grants some of the Death Knight's unholy melee abilities a 40 yard range and allows the Death Knight to use Runic Energy instead of runes. Prevents the use of certain abilities. Unholy Aura consumes Unholy Runes over time. Unholy Runes regenerate when Unholy Aura is not active. Blood and Frost auras operate in a similar manner.
 * Runic Shell - Surrounds the Lich in an aura that reduces all magical damage taken. The aura also has a chance to reflect a certain number of direct damage spells back at the caster.
 * Phylactery - The Lich places its phylactery at a target location. When reduced to below 15% health, the Lich automatically teleports to the phylactery. If the phylactery is destroyed, the Lich takes 20% of its total health as damage.

Monk - Thunderhand
A master of martial prowess who can focus their inner energies to perform tremendous feats.

Thunderhand monks have refined the art of chi manipulation to such a degree that they are capable of projecting it out from their bodies in destructive bursts. Thunderhands substitute ferocity in close-combat for the ability to defeat a foe before they can even approach.

Thunderhand monks are capable of battling effectively at both long ranged and in close combat, fueling their abilities with Thunder Chi. Whenever a Thunderhand uses an ability that requires Chi, the next orb of Chi that they generate will be a Thunder Chi orb. Thunderhand ranged abilities are fueled with both energy and certain amounts of active Thunder Chi orbs. Thunderhands specialize in building up Thunder Chi in close combat with steady melee DPS, and then bombarding their foes from afar with powerful ranged abilities. A Thunderhand's ranged abilities are effective at any distance, allowing them to remain mobile and effective in virtually any combat situation.


 * Thunder Palm - The monk focuses their chi into a sphere of energy and hurls it at the target, dealing a burst of magic damage.
 * Tiger Breaker - The monk focuses their chi into a kick that sends a spectral image of Xuen the tiger pouncing at the target. The spectral tiger will leap to attack additional targets if there are any nearby.
 * Noble Void Palm - Redirects the flow of negative energy in the area, forming a protective aura around the Thunderhand. The monk takes 50% reduced damage from all area of effect damage while standing within the aura, and any allies standing in the aura take 25% reduced damage.

Druid
Druids already got one, so nyeh.