how about an enchanter/enchantress

[ltdan]

This class would be able to cast spells that boost you and your friends armour/weps/stats. They could also lower enemies armour/weps/stats. This class could also create magic items for use.

They also would have alot of "utility" spells that a party would find useful.

A seperate skill tree would involve casting/creating magic "pets" such as spinning blades, or a sword that floats in the air protecting the enchanter. Alot of possibilites for this type of class. What do you guys think?

[Zeek]

I think it could work well with a battle mage class. The enchantress is basically where I started. It was sort of a cool little build for D2 and they could easily add more melee skills for a sorc and come up with a pretty unique class.

I'd think they'd need more than just enchanting abilities though. I think some melee skills of their own are necessary. I can't really think of many different things to enchant a weapon with either. Enhanced damage, faster attack rate, increased attack rating...that's about it and then variants on those. Seems like that would pretty much just be one skill though. Even if they made each of those attributes seperate it seems like most people would end up maxing the most useful of the three and the others would sorta drop out unless they provide synergies.

[ltdan]

they could also be somewhat of a tinkerer. Engineering box traps, contructing various things for the party. perhaps some type of contructed mount you could ride. that would be fun as an enchanter..riding a mount that attacked with you while you ride it. there is alot of possiblities here

[Funkopotamus]

It would be fun, but it seems like the focus of all the characters is going to be AE dps.

[smartdot]

unfortunately i dont see how this could work with there being only 5 classes in the game. They each need to be unique, but broad enough to fit all the gameplay styles between the five. the enchantress/tinkerer sounds fun, but seems to narrow for the base game. I think we would have more of a chance of seeing this in an expansion.

[5zigen]

unfortunately i dont see how this could work with there being only 5 classes in the game. They each need to be unique, but broad enough to fit all the gameplay styles between the five. the enchantress/tinkerer sounds fun, but seems to narrow for the base game. I think we would have more of a chance of seeing this in an expansion.

Nah I could see this being a really cool character, or at least a really cool set of abilities.

For example, what if they changed the name of the Sorcerer to Elementalist and give them 3 trees, Enchanting, Evocation and Summoning.

One tree is for melee buffing abilities based on the elements, for example, you'd have your ice armors, mana shield, weapon enchants and other misc character buffs, some of which you can only cast on yourself and some you can cast on everyone.

The other tree, evocation is setup basically like D2's projectile spells, fireballs,frozen orb, glacial spike, lightning bolt, chain lightning, charged bolt etc.

Summoning could have all the misc spells w/ some new summons, Hydras, meteor, blizzard, thunderstorm and new spells like ice elemental etc.

[Cwicseolfor]

Sounds good. Needs to be combined with some offensive skills, unless it can be combined with melee/ranged in the same way Enchant in Diablo 2 can - though obviously with more deliberate support for such.

[5zigen]

Sounds good. Needs to be combined with some offensive skills, unless it can be combined with melee/ranged in the same way Enchant in Diablo 2 can - though obviously with more deliberate support for such.

Well standard attacks are looking like they will be AoE instead of simply hitting one enemy, so skills that basically buff your main attack could be much more effective than in D2.

Another way they could borrow from D2 is from the amazon tree with charged strike / lightning strike, basically making those the skills of the enchanter, along with a way to add explosive damage to your ranged / melee weapons.

I see a lot of potential in an elemental enchanter.

[Spinns]

I want a melee based enchanter boosting weapons and armor adding elemental damage open wounds more def ect

[ltdan]

I want a melee based enchanter boosting weapons and armor adding elemental damage open wounds more def ect


Yes this would also be part of the class. I am still liking the idea of some kind of contructed mount skill tree where you could build various pets with something that you could ride at the top of the tree.

[Leugi]

Iron Wolves! I'd love the idea of an enchanter, it'd be just great. Althought it would have to replace either the Sorceress or the Paladin, which makes me somewhat sad.

[ltdan]

Iron Wolves! I'd love the idea of an enchanter, it'd be just great. Althought it would have to replace either the Sorceress or the Paladin, which makes me somewhat sad.

I think this class would stand well on its own without replacing the pally or sorc. I also think it could also combine possibly with a sorc...with the enchanter being a seperate set of trees/skill sets away from the standard damage/aoe (fire,ice, electric) trees that make up a sorc. I am going to send the devs at blizzard a copy of this thread in hopes of giving this class some interest....

[Leugi]

You're right Itdan, but since there are only 5 classes it is inevitable of one of those classes to be removed instead of an Iron Wolf.

[andreasdr]

I like the idea. Maybe he could be created so that one build option for the character would be very much a fighter-type, able to tailor-make weapons and armor depending on the current situation. A skill adding elemental damage to weapons could perhaps be configurable so that you don't need to focus skill point placement on a particular damage type. This would stir things up a bit with respect to the old immunity-problem for character builds in D2.
Another direction then, as mentioned above, would be a "Gadget-master", a "mechanical summoner" of sorts. Maybe even take it a step further and introduce a "technologist" class, using primitive rifles, grenades and such, as in games like Arcanum or Warcraft 3 :) This feels like much more of an expansion-type of character though.
I'm just stream-of-consciousness-ing here :)

I'm hoping for some really unique classes in D3 (the Witch Doctor is so far promising in that respect), and this class seems promising as such.

[Chard]

A more arcane skewed melee/magic class would be pretty cool. Perhaps it could be one of the skill trees associated with the sorceress just to give her something new to do come this game. Perhaps even with the change of name. I am excited just in anticipation for what classes this company might think up and if they are half as good as I hope they are then we should all be amazed.

[5zigen]

You're right Itdan, but since there are only 5 classes it is inevitable of one of those classes to be removed instead of an Iron Wolf.

The iron wolves were just the sorcerer from D1...

[Dwovar]

I really like the idea of a warrior-mage. I think the archtype has been played down a lot in recent games (Diablo I had one of the best warrior mages in my mind.)

I would really dig my teeth into a character that was something like the oblivion knights in Act IV, ball of magic in one hand, sword in the other. And since I'd like to see the sorcerer or 'pure-magic-caster' of D3 go more along the lines of straight up magic, I could see the enchanter fit comfortably in with the elemental theme.

Here's how (at least how I think) it should be done (assuming the old skill tree system).
ENCHANTMENTS: You may only have one armor and one weapon enchantment active at a time. Armor enchantment applies only to body armor. You can enchant the weapons and armor of allies through the trade window.
-lvl 1: Iron Infusion: You bind your weapon/armor with the strength of wrought iron. Your weapons strike with power and your armor deflects heavy blows.
1 pt: 10 mana. Your weapon deals 10% more damage, your armor reduces damage taken by 2. Lasts 2 minutes.
10 pts: 20 mana. Your weapon deals 85% more damage, your armor reduces damage taken by 20. Lasts 4 minutes.
20 pts: 30 mana. Your weapon deals 150% more damage, your armor reduce damage taken by 30. Lasts 6 minutes.

-lvl 6: Fire Infusion: Much like the sorceresses of old, you bind the power of fire into your weapon and armor. Your sword burns and your armor retaliates against those that would strike you. Requies Iron Infusion.
1 pt: 10 mana. Your weapon deals 2-5 fire damage, armor resists fire 30%. Lasts 1 minutes.
10 pts: 20 mana. Your weapon deals 15-25 fire damage, armor resists fire 65%. Lasts 3 minutes. Lasts 3 minutes.
20 pts: 30 mana. Your weapon deals 55-75 fire damage, armor resists fire 100%. Lasts 5 minutes.

-lvl 6: Icy Infusion: You coat your equipment in a thin sheen of frost, chilling those you strike and who strike you. Requies Iron Infusion
1 pt: 10 mana. Your weapon deals 3-4 ice damage and chills for 2 seconds, armor resists cold 30%. Lasts 1 minutes.
10 pts: 20 mana. Your weapon deals 17-22 ice damage, armor resists cold 65%. Lasts 3 minutes.
20 pts: 30 mana. Your weapon deals 60-70 ice damage and chills for 2 seconds, armor resists cold 100%. Lasts 5 minutes.

-lvl 12: Static Infusion: The power of storms and thunder coat your equipment, shocking enemies and slowing them. Requies Iron Infusion
1 pt: 10 mana. Your weapon deals 1-6 lightning damage, your armor resists lightning 30%. Lasts 1 minutes.
10 pts: 20 mana. Your weapon deals 1-50 lightning damage, your armor resists lightning 65%. Lasts 3 minutes.
20 pts: 30 mana. Your weapon deals 1-100 lightning damage, your armor resists lightning 100%. Lasts 5 minutes.

Further abilities like Shocking Infusion, Blazing Infusion, Freezing Infusion would stun, DoT and freeze (respectively). Non-elemental infusions would add to general functions like AR, Str, Defense, and the like. The culminating Elemental Infusion would deal damage from all three elements and grant a lower resist all.

COMBAT
-lvl 1: Precise Strike: Hitting hard is not as important to the enchanter as hitting at all. Letting their enchantments deal the real damage, the enchanter focuses on landing a strike. 4 mana.
1 pt: -25% damage, +10 AR, +3% AR
10 pts: -25% damage, +100 AR, +20% AR
20 pts: -25% damage, +200 AR, +30% AR

-lvl 6: Bleeding Strike: A barbarian once mocked an enchanter for being frail, they exchanged a few blows before the barbarian had proved his point and walked away. Twenty steps later he collapsed in a pool of his own slowly leaking blood. The enchanter bought everyone a beer. Requies Precise Strike. 6 mana.
1 pt: +10 AR, 1-3 damage/second for 5 seconds.
10 pts: +30 AR, 10-15 damage/second for 7 seconds
20 pts: +50 AR, 20-30 damage/second for 10 seconds.

-lvl 6: Defensive Sweep: The enchanter impares his opponent with a badgering assault, making them less likely to land a solid blow. Strikes opponents in 30 degree arc infront of Enchanter.
1 pt: -10% damage, opponents attack and damage reduced by 20% for 3 seconds. 3 mana.
10 pts: +0% damage, opponents attack and damage reduced by 30% for 6 seconds. 10 mana.
20 pts: +10% damage, opponents attack and damage reduced by 40% for 9 seconds. 17 mana.

Further abilities like Counter-attack, Daze, and Lingering Strike would swing at any attacker for a certain period of time, slow and reduce the AC of a target, or cause the magical effects of their enchantments last longer.


MAGIC
-lvl 1: Spectral Bolt: Generalizing in a number of magics, the enchanter launches a multi-elemental bolt that deals raw damage.
1 pt: 2 mana, deals 1 cold, fire, and lightning damage.
10 pts: 5 mana, deals 4 cold, 2-6 fire, and 1-8 lightning damage.
20 pts: 10 mana, deals 10 cold, 20-30 fire, and 1-50 lightning damage.

-lvl 1: Mana Bolt: The only spell warping magic like a true sorceror, the enchanter throws out a bolt of raw magic.
1 pt: 2 mana, deals 1-3 magic damage.
10 pts: 4 mana, deals 12-15 magic damage.
20 pts: 6 mana, deals 40-50 magic damage.

Other abilities would do single element damage along with freezing, DoTs, Slowing, reducing Defense, AR, and others.