RIFT Beta post #1

Date: January 26  (this is the whole email, copypasta)

Well, I went a bit into the testing, and so far, it seems pretty standard, as far as questing goes.  However, one thing that stands out, is the character customization.  You pick one of four Callings (Warrior, Cleric, Rogue and Mage) which are pretty self-explanatory, and then do what is called in-game as a 'soul attunement', meaning you pick specific characteristics, or 'souls' within your Calling.  Basically, a soul is a talent tree, in WoW terms, and you can 'attune' three souls at once.  Now, the EULA that I agreed to says I can't share proprietary information, stuff like that, but the Callings and the sub-categories are already on the website anyway, and I figure you guys probably wouldn't talk about it to others.  I just wanted to list the sub-categories, to show you guys, and to give myself a bit of a database to help me remember.

WARRIOR

Beastmaster - The Beastmaster is an offensive warrior whose strength comes from a deep bond with his spirit companion. This companion both manifests itself as an ally in battle, and also emboldens the Beastmaster, granting its master its virtues.

Reaver - Reavers are specialists who combine the art of combat with that of entropic death.  The slightest touch of their weapon can spread disease and incite madness leaving them incapable of mounting an assault against a Reaver and their allies. (Very cool.)

Void Knight - The Void Knight is a defensive specialist who uses eldritch techniques to combat those who wield magic.  Magic attacks that would bring another warrior low are shaken off by the Void Knight, reflected back at the magical caster, or stored in magical pacts they can unleash with devastating effect.

Champion - The Champion is an offensive powerhouse who specializes in two handed weapons.  They wade into battle, quickly closing on the strongest opponent they can find with a single goal in mind; to achieve glory by defeating any who stand in their way.

Paragon - The Paragon is an offensive fighter who does not pause long enough to give his opponents enough time to attack him.  A master of dual wielding blades, he builds up powerful attacks by parries and disciplined forms to both propel his attacks and keep him out of danger.

Paladin - A Paladin is a defensive warrior who specializes in the use of shields to deflect incoming damage, and set up powerful counter attacks.  In addition they call upon divine powers to bolster their defences as well as their allies'.

Riftblade - A Riftblade is an offensive warrior who uses both blade and elemental magic to attack his enemies.  Versatile in battle, they are able to attack at range with spears of elemental magic, or in close combat by enhancing their weapons with raw elemental power.

Warlord - A veteran and survivor of many battlefields, the Warlord is a support specialist who has lived his life in conflict and understands battle at an instinctual level. With powerful command auras, he controls the field of battle, emboldening allies, and weakening enemies.

CLERIC

Cabalist - The cabalist is an offensive cleric who draws on powers others fear.  Using ritual and sigil to call forth seeping death and suffocating water, they devastate the battlefield with powerful attacks that catch their opponents in a sinking grip.

Druid - The Druid is a powerful offensive melee combatant, who exists in harmony with the forces of nature.  They are able to call forth uncorrupted fae spirits from the plane of life to harry their foes, heal their allies, and even manifest a companion creature.

Inquisitor - Inquisitors are offensive clerics who specialize in the ministering of pain.  They channel their divine wrath into individuals they deem worthy of punishment, corrupting the blood in their veins and slowing the very beating of their hearts.  (AWESOME!)

Justicar - Justicars are healing clerics who specialize in fighting shoulder to shoulder with their allies in close combat.  Their conviction builds with each swing of their weapon, bolstering nearby allies and powering their potent healing magic.

Purifier - Are healing specialists who draw from a synthesis of life and fire spirits allowing them to focus incredible healing energies on an individual. Their spiritual power can also be focused outwards, smiting down any who oppose them.

Sentinel - The Sentinel is a healer who brings the blessings of light and healing to all who would do the will of the gods.  Capable of healing large groups of people, Sentinels bolster allies with the life of the gods, and protect themselves with the wrath of the divine.

Shaman - The Shaman serves as a conduit for the elemental forces that comprise the world.  These powers augment the Shaman's every attack, making them powerful melee combatants, as well as shielding them from harm. (sounds a bit like an Enhancement Shaman, right?)

Warden - The Warden is a healer who calls on the soothing power of water.  They specialize in slow healing that escalates over time, making them ideal for aiding allies in prolonged fights that would leave most exhausted and unable to continue.


MAGE

Archon - Archon's are support specialists who have mastered the art of stealing an opponent's strength and converting that raw energy into beneficial magic.  This allows them to bolster their allies, allowing them to turn the tide of battle when things seem bleakest.

Dominator - The Dominator is a support specialist who excels at terrorizing the opponents, leaving them unable or unwilling to act.  Those who manage to muster the courage to fight a Dominator will find themselves at the mercy of arcane shields that return the fury of their blows tenfold.

Elementalist - Elementalists are offensive mages who specialize in controlling the raw energies of the planes.  Through fierce discipline and study, they have learned to master the primal forces of the elements and bind them to physical form to serve their will.

Chloromancer - The Chloromancer is a healing specialist who draws on the energies of plants and nature to find a balance between life and death.  This allows them to harness energies into devastating force, or recycle destructive magic to heal their allies.

Pyromancer - Pyromancers are offensive mages whose sole focus is the mastery of fire.  They are capable of harnessing this power for a multitude of uses, from massively destructive fireballs to more subtle manipulations that trap their opponents behind a blazing wall of fire.

Stormcaller - A Stormcaller is an offensive specialist who has learned to harness the weather.  They can devastate a large area by calling on the power of wind and water, chilling their opponents with freezing air, or stopping their hearts with a bolt of lightning.

Warlock - Warlocks are offensive specialists who embrace the darker forces of entropy and death. From within a cloak of protective shadow, these mages direct deathly energies, inexorably consuming their opponents' lives and feeding the warlocks on their stolen breath.

Necromancer - Necromancers are offensive mages who have mastered the forbidden art of reanimating the dead and binding them to their will.  Their twisted magics allow them to siphon off the vital essences of their enemies, leaving them frail and unable to defend themselves from their undead minions.

ROGUE

Assassin - Assassins are offensive rogues who have mastered the arts of subtlety and subterfuge; they stalk the shadows, bypassing obstacles to launch devastating surprise attacks.  Those that survive the initial assault will find themselves rapidly falling to the rogue's virulent poison.

Bard - Bards are support specialists who use their songs to inspire their allies and dishearten their foes, and are most effective as part of a group of adventurers, where their musical codas, fanfares and anthems will be most effective.

Bladedancer - The Bladedancer is an offensive fighter who overcomes opponents with precision strikes and graceful agility.  Their deadly dance is so fluid as to be mesmerizing, enabling a talented Bladedancer to easily avoid or deflect attacks, while simultaneously allowing them to launch lethal attacks of their own.

Marksman - Marksmen are offensive sharpshooters who are trained to thin the enemy ranks with ruthless efficiency.  They combine swift hit and run attacks with devastating volleys, endlessly harassing the enemy, leaving behind a field of dead and crippled foes in their wake.

Nightblade - Nightblades are offensive rogues who mix arcane powers with cold steel for deadly efficiency.  Cloaked in shadow they rely on precise strikes of the blade and cold fires of death to leave nothing but ash in their wake (I know it uses the 'in their wake' again, but that is damned cool)

Ranger - Rangers are flexible rogues with an uncanny way with the beasts of Telara.  These masters of bow and blade develop a bond with their pets that lets them move as one in battle, each knowing what the other is thinking and reacting accordingly.

Riftstalker - The Riftstalker is a defensive specialist who has learned to bend the magic of the planes to aid them in battle.  They use this power to shift themselves in and out of the planes, granting them unprecedented mobility and the ability to shrug off the most lethal of blows.

Saboteur - The Saboteur is an offensive based rogue who specializes in explosives and other incendiaries to cripple their opponents and control their battlefield.  With proper preparation, a Saboteur can destroy a group of enemies without ever engaging them directly.


Heh, my first 'randomized' name was Phylgarigunoline.  Female Human warrior.  I think they're taking random names a bit far, huh?  In any case, while I was originally going for a dwarf warrior, Beastmaster/Champion/Void Knight, after looking at the choices, I want to give a human mage, Necromancer/Dominator/Warlock a try.  It's going to be verrry fun, sending in minions while I eat their souls.