Grim Misadventures is here, and this one is all about promises, or oaths, and keeping them.
Last time, we delved into haunting memories of the Korvan people. Some of them, bound by their oaths, stand to this day, defending cities and tombs as if those they swore to protect remained.
Today, we are going to look at another group of individuals for whom oaths are the foundation of purpose. For these warriors, priests, conquerors…oaths drive every action, every decision, for they are bound to the will of the gods, and through them the gods execute their celestial judgment.
Today, we are proud to announce the 9th mastery coming to Grim Dawn with the Forgotten Gods expansion: the Oathkeeper!
Available for download in the Wallpapers section
Whether they hail from the Temple of Menhir, or offer their souls to the Witch Gods, all Oathkeepers have two things in common: unflinching loyalty and zealous fury. Oathkeepers are the guardians of sacred tombs, keepers of the faithful and ardent enforcers of celestial will. They do not merely hide behind a shield or their divine powers; to Oathkeepers, these are weapons upon which they shall spill the blood of the unworthy and exact their righteous wrath.
Oathkeepers may be servants of divine forces, but such forces may not always hold humanity in high regard or be sanctioned by the fallen Erulan Empire. Some Oathkeepers serve dark and corrupted powers, others see salvation in the light of Empyrion; others still believe that the Witch Gods are the only true gods and through their blessing they become a force of change upon Cairn.
The role of Oathkeepers has existed for as long as the gods had influence upon the people of Cairn. Even in the far-off lands of the Korvan people, the Oathkeepers served under the command of the forgotten god and its priests. Their oaths resolute as steel, some remain as wraiths, bound to guard their devastated homelands.
While the world burns under the influence of the Aetherials and the Chthonians and the temples of old crumble, the Oathkeepers find themselves with renewed purpose. If the gods will not offer solace from the darkness, then the Oathkeepers will cut a swathe of carnage through the heathens in their name.
Driven by divine purpose and celestial fire in their hearts, Oathkeepers are a terror to the enemies of humanity. Their wills unbending, their faith their shield. None can withstand the righteous fury of a fully trained Oathkeeper.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the skills available to Oathkeepers:
Please note that as the mastery is still under development, the following information may change by release.
Oathkeepers crush their foes with shield and weapon alike. They are retribution made manifest. The blows they suffer in humanity’s defense are returned a thousand-fold. An Oathkeeper’s very presence bolsters allies in trying times and fills their foes with dread. They excel in melee combat, but will not shirk the use of ranged weaponry.
If Oathkeepers swear fealty to Empyrion, then their strength lies in brute force and burning vengeance, but if they set upon a darker path and offer themselves before the Witch Gods through Transmuters then disease and decay become the core of their arsenal.
Aegis of Menhir
”With the strength of the earth flowing through you by the blessings of Menhir, hurl a magical aegis that will home in upon your target and leave it staggered and dazed before returning to you.”
The shield is not just a form of defense for an Oathkeeper. In trained hands, it is a deadly weapon. With sufficient training, the Aegis will bounce from the initial target to additional nearby foes before returning to you and include a portion of your retaliation damage with each strike.
Pledge your soul to Dreeg and turn the Aegis into a vector for the Great Guardian’s suffering.
Vire’s Might
”First recorded in Arkovian texts when Agavold the Stalwart of the Temple of Vire selflessly charged through an entire legion of enemy forces, scattering their ranks and exposing them to an onslaught of arrows, all without taking a scratch. Vire’s Might has since become a prime display of an Oathkeeper’s strength, both physical and spiritual, in the face of seemingly impossible odds.”
What better way to show your stalwart faith than to charge into your enemies and leaving them scattered? Vire’s Might mechanically functions like the Rush archetype revealed with our new Rune Augments, but it carries an additional twist. With sufficient training, Vire’s Might will also leave a line of flames behind to incinerate any foes that remain standing.
Shattering Smash
”Such is an Oathkeeper’s prowess with a shield that the force of the blow resonates through the earth and sends an additional shockwave through your initial target.”
This weapon pool proc shatters the very earth underneath your target and beyond, exposing all struck to further physical harm.
New Mechanics
With the introduction of the Oathkeeper mastery in Forgotten Gods, you will see two new mechanics on skill and item tooltips:
[i]Increased Healing:[/i] This one is pretty self-explanatory. Whenever you received any form of healing, be it life steal or potion or a skill, this attribute will increase the healing received by that %.
[i]Retaliation Damage added to Attack:[/i] Just as a portion of Weapon damage can be added to certain attacks, in Forgotten Gods you will see some skills synergize with Retaliation damage by adding a portion of your Retaliation effects. The first example of this is the Aegis of Menhir above!
And more…
Become a whirlwind force of destruction. Conjure celestial allies to crush your foes. Pledge yourself to the gods and ascend to greater power through their blessing. Become an Oathkeeper and forge yourself into a beacon of celestial retribution.
Class combination names you can look forward to:
Soldier + Oathkeeper = Warlord
Demolitionist + Oathkeeper = Shieldbreaker
Occultist + Oathkeeper = Sentinel
Nightblade + Oathkeeper = Dervish
Arcanist + Oathkeeper = Templar
Shaman + Oathkeeper = Archon
Inquisitor + Oathkeeper = Paladin
Necromancer + Oathkeeper = Oppressor
The Oathkeeper mastery throws more awesome gameplay into the mix, bringing the total number of mastery combinations to a staggering 36.
If you’ve been joining us for livestreams, you’ve probably seen a few hints of this reveal but knowing what you know today, what has you most pumped for the upcoming Forgotten Gods expansion?!
Like knowing what is coming up next for Grim Dawn? Check back on 09/03/2018 for the next Grim Misadventure.
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