The Pinnacle Warrior

Astrid struggled, fought, and finally succeeded at keeping her mouth closed as the rest of her party went through their own options. In truth, the decision wasn’t difficult for any of them, with the exception of Benedict. Even then, it hadn’t been a choice that’d taken more than a few minutes’ conversation until he was decided. Instead of taking a variation from where his Acidic Bard Class was taking him, something called the Divine Voice that lost many of his damaging and debuffing options for a healing and buffing focus, he didn’t take too long to settle on what was basically a direct upgrade to his Class: Bittersweet Chorister. It doubled down again on the two-pronged approach of buffing allies and harming enemies at the same time.  Each of their Class descriptions were interesting enough, and Astrid wasn’t going to be so self-absorbed as to not even attempt to read them.

Shadow Executioner (Extraordinary): As a Lethal Shadow, you quickly became a deadly force. To become a Shadow Executioner is to become one whose shadow means death for those who have become so unfortunate as to earn your ire. It matters not if your target is a hydra, a giant, or a man, they have no option  but death upon your approach. You have come to understand mana, and now have integrated it entirely into your being. The path of the Lethal Shadow was a hidden one. That of the Shadow Executioner is one that others hide from, when they are so fortunate as to realize that you approach. 

This Class merges Shadow Strike (Steel) and Assassin’s Bearing (Steel) into Executioner’s Approach (Mithril). This Class merges Shadow Aura (Steel) and Elusive Executioner (Steel) into Executioner’s Presence (Mithril). This Class evolves Shadow Teachings (Steel) and Shadow Touched (Steel) into Shadow Teachings (Mithril) and Shadow Soul (Mithril). This Class evolves Lethal Shadow’s Equipment (Steel) into Shadow Executioner’s Equipment (Mithril) and grants the additional auxiliary Skill: Dismembering Blade (Mithril). 

Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of the Mana-Touched]: Power +26 (+3), Alacrity +29 (+1), Fortitude +10 (+2), Magical Potency +12 [+1], Self-Mastery +4 [+1], Acumen +13 [+1].

Dismembering Blade (Mithril): This Skill grants an 80% increase to all damage dealt with a cutting weapon.

Muti’s new Skills, other than the new auxiliary one, were about what Astrid expected. Executioner’s Approach gave the same teleporting ability as before, with a passive 50% boost to both Alacrity and Power, as well as the bonus damage to surprising attacks. In fact, it seemed like it was much like the offered Brutal Fury Skill, that it automatically drew on Muti’s attacks to make them more deadly. Executioner’s Presence, like Approach, had a passive and an active effect. The passive was a constant aura that hid her that could be fed mana to grow stronger and larger. Then, it could be activated, which would create an aura of shadow around her while also remaining a burst Skill that boosted her Power and Alacrity by 200% and strengthened her sneak attacks further.

Shadow Teachings and Shadow Soul were basically what they’d been before, just stronger.

True Guardian (Extraordinary): Your path has been one of finding yourself, of violence and then protection. With this, you solidify your path as a protector, to use your strength in the service of your allies, and to forget violence for violence’s sake. You have stood as the bastion before monsters watersheds and tiers higher than you, and have not faltered. The Guardian does not allow their allies to be struck, and the True Guardian does not fall and will not break.

Selecting this Class will bless you with the merging of the Defender’s Avatar and Guardian’s Amplification (Steel) into the Skill: Guardian’s Avatar (Mithril). Selecting this Class will bless you  with the upgrading of the Defender’s Mandate (Steel), Impenetrable Fortress (Iron), Raging Guardian (Steel), and Quick Recovery (Iron) Skills into the Guardian’s Mandate (Mithril), Impenetrable Fortress (Steel), Stalwart Defender (Mithril), and Recovery Surge (Steel). Selecting this Skill will bless you with the upgrading of the Guardian’s Equipment (Steel) Skill into the: Guardian’s Equipment (Mithril) Skill and grants the additional auxiliary Skill: Fierce Loyalty (Mithril)

Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of the Protector]: Power +19 (+1) [+1], Alacrity +10 (+1), Fortitude +31 (+1) [+1], Magical Potency +9 (+1), Self-Mastery +18 (+1) [+1], Acumen +7 (+1).

Of all of the Classes that the Wanderers received, this was the second closest to a direct upgrade option that was presented. The new Guardian’s Avatar Skill was Defender’s Avatar, while strengthening his allies within 25 meters. Now, the Skill granted a 200% increase to his Power, Alacrity and Fortitude, with a variable boost to his size. Fierce Loyalty was “just” another Skill that boosted his attributes while defending others—a 20% boost to all attributes.

He was more than satisfied with the growth, since the new Recovery Surge Skill gave him two charges, each healing 40% of all his resources. Then, Benedict had been quick to gloss over his Class, which was the most direct upgrade of all the Classes the Wanderers settled on.

Bittersweet Chorister (Extraordinary): You have, in spite of your own desires and aspirations, pushed beyond your initial limits. Dreams of relaxation and abandonment of this lifestyle have been lost, and instead, in their wake is left the Bittersweet Chorister. Your voice heals and chastises, often at the same time. Your regrets hound your foes and your hope uplifts your friends. This path is that of one who hopes for the future, even though they have lost or had to delay dreams for the present.

Selecting this Class will bless you with the evolution of the Overwhelming Speech (Steel), Song of Victory (Steel) Voice of Liberation (Steel), Restful Reverberations (Steel) Overwhelming Presence (Steel), and Inspiring Song (Steel) Skills into Overwhelming Speech (Mithril), Song of Conquest (Mithril), Voice of Liberation (Mithril), Restful Reverberations (Mithril), Staggering Presence (Mithril), and Inspiring Song (Mithril). 

Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of a Gentle Touch]: Power +10 (+1), Alacrity +14 (+1) [+1], Fortitude +14 (+1) [+1], Magical Potency +25 (+1) [+1], Self-Mastery +18 (+1) [+1], Acumen +13 (+1).

He didn’t get any new Skills or any different ones, just direct upgrades to what he already had. There were a couple of jokes he made about it, but he didn’t seem upset about the Skills being largely the same as ever.

Like Astrid and Muti, however, Skandr’s new Class was pretty different.

Anomalous Stormkeeper (Extraordinary): Where once you aspired to become an Archwizard whose words could work any magic, you have come to understand how limited your understanding of the world was. Now, with every further step of research you have conducted, you have learned that to focus on the specific is actually to broaden your understanding of everything. The life found in any storm is now yours to catalogue, understand, raise, create, and control. The path of the Anomalous Stormkeeper is one who researches what no other has learned and then to foster the various times of life to be found in any storm.

Selecting this Class will bless you with the merging of the Storm Wizardry (Steel) and Storm Companionship (Steel) Skills into the Skill: Stormkeeping (Mithril) as well as the merging of the Mental Bastion (Steel) and Spell Savant (Steel) Skills into the Skill: Storm Mastery (Mithril). Your existing Enchantment (Steel), Warlock’s Constitution (Steel), and Microburst (Steel) Skills upgraded to Enchantment (Mithril), Tempestuous Constitution (Mithril), and Microburst (Mithril). 

Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Tempestuous Constitution]: Power +4 (+1) [+3], Alacrity +6 (+1) [+4], Fortitude +7 (+1) [+4], Magical Potency +37 (+1), Self-Mastery +23 (+1), Acumen +17 (+1).

The changes from his Class were quite interesting. The experiments that he’d been doing until now had been entirely in service of better understanding these various types of storms. Evidently, it had paid off well, and though he had gotten other options offered to him, he hadn’t given them nearly as much attention as this one.

The new Stormkeeping Skill was still a spellcasting Skill, but it had greater ability to permanently bind aspects of storm to himself, to be able to keep them as companions like he’d had his pet cloud that’d disappeared for the past half year. Then, the  new Storm Mastery Skill worked in tandem with that, to hold tight to the summoned and bound storms, to be able to use them to fuel spells in the future. The new Enchantment, Constitution, and Microburst Skills were basically the same, though the new Tempestuous Constitution gave a greater increase in attributes than Warlock’s Constitution had. That didn’t really matter to Skandr, though.

“It just proves that I’ve been right,” he said with a smile as he focused on the existence of the Class in general. “The specific definition of storm, in accordance with mana manipulation, is much broader than I ever expected, and further specialization in this will just be better. If I want to have broader applications of my mana, I can use my enchantment Skill, especially since I can probably figure out a similar grimoire myself if we take more time at higher levels.”

“It sounds really powerful,” Astrid nodded along. “Do you think that other so-called natural manifestations of mana will come easier to you once you evolve? I mean, you know that you could create a lava storm of sorts. You think that localized lava storms can then be turned into lava explosions?”

“I’m sure I’m going to find out,” Skandr smiled. “But that’s enough about me. I’d say it’s pretty obvious that something’s been eating at you. Pretty hard to make your decision, again?”

Astrid scoffed, glaring a little bit at the Wizard. Even as she jokingly growled, she nodded and began explaining the different options to the party. As soon as she read the title “Immortal Berserker,” Muti basically vibrated where she stood, and the rest of the party looked similarly impressed with the options as she continued to read.

“A Class such as Immortal Berserker being offered is amazing,” Muti almost shouted as she jumped forward to grab Astrid by the shoulders. “Surely it’s a sign that you could create your own horde! Beneath your leadership... it would be awe-inspiring.”

“The loss of a real heal Skill is huge,” Felix disagreed before Astrid could. “I just have Quick Recovery now, and it’s already immensely valuable. She’s been using that basically as her main Skill ever since level 1. We’ve all heard the story of how she survived that fight against the wargs, and the only reason why she was able to win and then get all the way to town was because she had Quick Recovery.”

“Yes,” Muti agreed before continuing to disagree, “but the recovery rate granted by Immortality is overwhelming. In addition, the longer the berserking continues, the higher her bonus to Fortitude would be, meaning that her recovery rate would grow higher and higher the longer it goes. All of that combined would make for a virtually unkillable Astrid so long as she continued to fight and was able to keep going for a little bit of time. The Skills work together perfectly. It would make her more powerful than ever before.”

“It’s a great Class,” Felix shrugged, “but the loss of a healing Skill? I’d say that’s a massive downside, to say nothing of the loss of Smite and Spectral Graviton in exchange for Murderous Rage.”

“You may underestimate rage when you come to face it. I, for one, seek its lifelong commitment,” Muti snapped back.

“We’re getting off topic,” Skandr laughed. “I do agree that the Berserker Class could absolutely become terrifying if you give it just enough time to get started. The continuous buffing to your attributes is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t know that it would work as well within the party as either of the other two, though, especially Hammermaster.”

“To have a burst Skill indelibly linked to other benefits is very uncommon,” Gabriel said, briefly jumping in. He didn’t say anything else, so the conversation continued.

“Just like my Class is boring,” Benedict said, “Hammermaster isn’t particularly exciting compared to the other two. However, you wouldn’t have to learn how to use new Skills, there wouldn’t be much in the way of experimentation necessary to get you back to peak performance. The other two sound like really good Classes, but both have pretty significant changes to their Skill kit. If we’re going into a war, it’s probably best that you be intimately familiar with everything you’re capable of.”

“Plus,” Skandr continued, “it ends up with the most Mithril tier Skills among your options while also giving a bonus auxiliary Skill rolled into your equipment Skill. With the total number of Skills available in Mithril being ten, and this evolution giving you six total, you’re not going to be qualifying for another boon this time around. Even so, this remains the most diverse Skill set.”

“That said,” Benedict jumped back in as Astrid started to open her mouth, “I don’t know if I would say that Hammermaster is the best Class. Honestly, I can see the value in Berserker.”

“I already said that losing the healing Skill—”

“I know, Felix, losing the healing Skill sucks, but the synergies between the aspects of Berserker shouldn’t just be thrown away because she loses one aspect of one of her Skills.”

“Probably my most used Skill that isn’t a passive,” Astrid jumped in. “And if we’re counting the passive aspect which isn’t lost, Quick Recovery all the way up to Physique has been probably my most important Skill. I’m more than a little hesitant to lose any aspect of the Skill, much less the one that lets me jump back into peak fighting condition in the middle of battle.”

“Just saying that if you’ve got good healing to get you through the dangerous activation phase, then the peak capability of the Berserker is going to be significantly better than that of the Hammermaster,“ Benedict shrugged.

“In my opinion,“ Skandr jumped back in, “if you’re not going with Hammermaster, go with Unfallen Meteor. The absolute power that that Class is offering is insane. Since you’ve had ninety levels of having pretty good growth for your Alacrity, it means that one of the weaknesses of the Class will be avoided simply because this isn’t the Class you’ve had the entire time. Having Steady Load in your equipment Skill means that your Alacrity growth is basically doubled. Sure, instead of Body Surge, this new burst Skill is focused on being as immovable and strong as can be, but that’s not bad. If you are feeling miserable about the attribute growth partway through, I’m sure you can find a Skill or a piece of equipment that can take care of that for you. More than that, it’s got a lot of flexibility and it just sounds super powerful.”

“I like Unfallen Meteor,“ Astrid shrugged with a little smile. “However, I think that Hammermaster is probably a more reasonable choice. It’ll stick with things that I know and is a balanced Class.”

“Do you want to be a balanced Class person?” Gabriel asked, interrupting for the second time. When everyone turned their attention to him, he fully turned away from keeping a lookout to lock eyes with Astrid. When he was sure that he had her attention, he continued, “What have you always thought you should do? Should you spread yourself wide to accommodate your party? Or do you specialize?”

Silence settled over the party, every one of the eyes turning towards Astrid to wait for her to answer. She knew what the conventional wisdom was, but was left wondering if that same wisdom still applied to her. For a few moments, she allowed herself to think about that, but before she could come to a conclusion, she gave the answer. 

“As a kid, what I’ve been told is to specialize,” she shrugged. “There’s a finisher, a supporter, a frontliner, a scout, and damage support. There can be variation with the composition of that, sometimes with people taking one role as their primary and another as their secondary role, but each person should fill a single slot, primarily.”

Gabriel nodded slowly before he asked, “What roles do you currently fill?”

“Finisher and frontliner,” Astrid replied. “Only sometimes on the second.”

With the silence that fell heavy over the party, Astrid knew that her attempt to downplay herself had failed. There was nothing to do but continue, “Also a supporter.”

“And I would say you fill all three roles admirably,” Gabriel nodded. “I’ve seen you be a damage support with your sling, but that’s not really a role you fill. But you’ve filled three positions in your party, and you’ve grown organically into the two secondaries. And why is conventional wisdom to focus on a single role?”

“Because someone focused on a single role will typically do better than several people half-filling each role,” she replied. 

“You’ve been able to fill multiple roles primarily through sheer stubbornness and Class quality,” Gabriel said in agreement. “However, think of how much more effective you became once you got Smite. How much more would you all have struggled with the chimeras and, especially, the hydra and stone elemental irregulars, without Smite?”

Nobody needed to answer that. With that single Skill, Astrid’s ability to actually finish monsters had skyrocketed. 

“If you’d focused entirely on being a finisher with a secondary focus on survivability,” the old Captain said, his inflection not accusatory but teacherly, “you’d be in an entirely different situation. I won’t dare to say that it would be better or worse, but you wouldn’t have the Classes that you do, nor the versatility that you do. As a party, you’ve grown together to cover each others’ weaknesses. Benedict, as a Bard, is less of a healer, so Quick Recovery became what it is now. Felix and Muti initially tried to be half a finisher, so Astrid became more of a frontliner while Benedict and Skandr became more of scouts. Muti’s almost more finisher than scout now, so Skandr’s leaned into being able to find approaching threats. Astrid’s been spread thin so she’s not as much of a finisher as she could have been.”

A couple protesting words of disagreement started up in response to that, but the old man held a hand up. “I’m not criticizing anyone. It’s a cohesive, powerful party you’ve made here. The Wanderers could put up a good fight against a low Mithril tier party, possibly even win, and that’s some damn high praise.” The party puffed up at that, but Gabriel leveled his eyes at each of them, drawing their attention back in towards him. His gaze was heavy and focused as his final words fell with a heavy weight.

“However, the moment one of you leaves, that will fall apart. So, before any of you make plans for a Class that fits perfectly into this party, you need to have a conversation, a painfully honest one that talks about specific plans for the near and far future—are you always going to be together? If not, should you lean into a Class like one that a different party would expect?”

“I think that—”

“Astrid,” Gabriel interrupted for the final time. “Talk among yourselves. Really listen to each other. Talk about expectations. Because decisions at this point aren’t just for a few years. These choices, for each of you, when made, will leave only the evolution choices at Adamantium and Arcanite. This path you tread now will be more decisive than ever, and you need to have a clear vision of where you want to be in the future before you make damning decisions now.”

He didn’t say anything else, but his gaze was stern and kind as he looked at them each in turn. Then, he spun away to allow them their difficult conversations.