Runes of Magic: A Look at Each Character Class

Runes of Magic PH, published in the Philippines by E-Games, has just gone into alpha testing. Player testers were chosen from a multitude of eager gamers who registered in order to be able to have the chance of becoming one of the few who can experience the thrill of RoM PH first-hand.

Runes of Magic offers a good variety of classes, allowing for players to choose between the four standard archetypes of tank, healer, melee and ranged DPS with more than just a single selection for each. While the number of choices is hardly groundbreaking, it still gives players a chance to broaden their play style with some measure of nuance, and with the dual class system at level ten, the choices become even less pedestrian. Runes of Magic features eight character classes – The Warrior, The Scout, The Rogue, The Mage, The Priest, The Knight, The Warden and The Druid. We will take a look at each class and examine their strengths and weaknesses to help you determine which is right for you.


The Warrior



The Warrior class is the prototypical fantasy berserker, using all forms of melee weapons and using their strength and rage to bear down on their opponents with maximum power. Like all classes in the game, Warriors are capable soloing or as either a DPS or tank option in a group. The class is pretty standard fare for anyone who has played a warrior in any other game with nothing particularly groundbreaking, but when you reach level ten, the ability to couple it with a healing class can zero out its main weakness. Most solo players will look to do just that and make the secondary class a healing class to allow the most carnage with the least downtime. Players that group more often may want to look at the scout class for more versatility or even the rogue class to add extra punch and the use of projectile weapons. The only weapons a warrior is natively restricted to are all the ranged weapons in the game and they are unable to wear plate armor.

The Scout



Scouts are the masters of melee based range combat and the game’s trackers as well. Similar in many ways to the hunter of WoW or the ranger of EQ, the scout is a leather wearing class that uses a bow and arrow to inflict damage from afar. The scout is provided several evasion and “snare” type abilities to minimize damage at close quarters and allow for a return to a more favorable distance. Scouts are relatively weak in hand to hand combat, able only to use short swords and daggers, and have low mitigation and health compared to their melee counterparts. Pairing a scout with a stronger melee class is the most popular option to help even out their weak spot or you can choose the mage class to add additional long range firepower.

The Rogue



Everyone’s favorite (or most despised) rapscallion is available to play in Runes of Magic. True to typical fantasy form, the rogue here is a master of stealth and the sneak attack. They use poisons and bleed effects to maximize damage, preferably from behind. RoM rogues are also able to employ traps, have a scouting ability and the ever popular pick pocketing which presents itself in the form of increased money drops to a rogues group. While some rogue players may chose to combine this class with the scout, the diametrically opposed nature of these two classes creates and odd bastard child, look instead to the warrior as your back up to add some extra physical damage to the character.

The Mage



The Mage class here is the master of elemental magic, using firing and lightning to obliterate opponents. This is the glass cannon class of the game and the primary magic based ranged DPS, with single target and AoE abilities to crush enemies as well as some buffing and shielding abilities. Mages are restricted to cloth armor and rarely see any melee combat at all. Mages match up well with priests, druids and wardens.

The Priest



Priests are the primary magic based healing class in the game. They are a cloth wearing class with a wrinkle - they have the ability to equip a shield. Priests have the standard buffing, shielding and healing abilities you would expect to find as well as divinely inspired damage spells to strike down their attackers and most importantly, Priests are the only class in game that can resurrect other players. Priests go great with every ranged class but make the most sense when paired with the mage or Warden.

The Knight



The holy warrior makes an appearance here as the primary tank class for the game. Knights are the only class in Runes of Magic that are capable of wearing plate armor and can wield shields, one and two handed swords, maces and two handed hammers. Featuring the usual gallantry and code of honor often associated with knights, this class merges well with the priest class or you can add the warrior for additional weaponry skills.

The Warden



One of two new classes introduced with the games first expansion, The Elven Prophecy, The Warden is the games first pet class. Wardens have a symbiotic relationship with nature in the game and summon nature spirits to aid them in battle. Wardens are primarily melee based in combat as they are charged to be the protectors of the Elven race, but they also feature magical class buffs to strengthen their comrades. A natural selection for your secondary class here would be either the Druid or the Scout as both add a strong dynamic to this class.

The Druid



The Druid is the healer of the Elves, similar to the priest in origins but relying on a relationship with Mother Nature instead of the divine. Druids are primarily a heal over time style of healer and players who have played this class in other games will feel right at home. As you level this class you will find more specializations available in terms of healing, buffing or direct damage but the Druid is capable of all three almost from the start. Druids and Wardens are excellent class combinations in the dual class system but for those who want some added firepower , I would suggest the Mage as your secondary class choice.



Runes of Magic certainly has broken no new ground in available classes as everything about them is fairly standard in the MMOG and fantasy RPG world. What they have done however is infused each class with enough power to be interesting on their own and to rise to new heights when combined with a secondary class. The overall class system is well designed and they have achieved very good balance, which is something many games with much larger budgets only wish they could say. The most compelling element of the classes here is the dual class system that will offer the alt-oholics out there a wide variety of class combinations to explore.


Credits: Tentonhammer