Last time, I went over some of the roles that I wanted Arcana Unearthed classes to fill and talked about the non-spell-using combat classes. This time, I want to tell you about some of the other classes.

Akashics
Filling the role of the skill-user, the akashic is probably the strangest class in the book. The name comes from the "akashic memory," an actual concept from the real world. The idea is that all knowledge and experience of all conscious beings is collectively stored together somewhere. In Arcana Unearthed, then, the akashic is able to tap into this collective memory to gain knowledge. While he has many skills of his own, he can use this ability to improve his own skills or use skills he's never had any training in. He can also use it to improve his combat abilities, or gain general knowledge about topics. He can even use it to investigate other people's specific memories so fully that he becomes a master of impersonation. This character is so flexible and customizable that no two akashics will ever be alike -- each can even choose his or her own class skills.

The akashic is in the game for the person who wants to play a character who's a little different. Interestingly, you can design an akashic to be a specialist, taking all related skills and using the special abilities to augment them, or to be a generalist, taking a lot of different skills and using abilities to do even more different things.

Magisters
Magisters are the primary wielders of spells in Arcana Unearthed. They not only have access to both simple and complex spells, but they gain a few bonus feats to help them truly master magic. As they rise to very high levels, their innate power grants them minor special traits. Some magisters have the ability to make themselves heard at a good distance, even when whispering, some have a mysterious breeze blowing around them at all times, and some magisters can make their eyes flare with eldritch power at will -- that kind of thing. None of these high-level "aspects of power" are game-shattering, but they do add an aura of mystery and power to the idea of people steeped in magic.

Don't think of these guys are variant wizards, however. They are masters of all spells. They are not just capable of blasting foes or levitating off the ground, but also in healing and even in bringing back the dead (although the way those things work in Arcana Unearthed is a bit different -- have I mentioned how important truenames are in the game? I'll get to that eventually).

All magisters focus their spells through a staff. Theirs is known as the "path of the staff," and without one, their spellcasting abilities are diminished. (I'll also note that they do not have familiars -- familiars is not a concept adopted in Arcana Unearthed.)

Greenbonds
Some people possess a strong link to the earth and the forces of life that flow through it. These individuals are greenbonds. Tied directly to the environment, they are aware when the land is in danger, or in pain. They can tap directly into positive energy, which they call the Green, to heal and promote life. Unlike in D&D, no one class has a monopoly on healing spells, but with their class abilities, greenbonds are indeed the best healers. What's cool is that their ties to the land make them great central figures in a group, guiding others on a quest to right some wrong or cure some ill in the world. (Lots of Arcana Unearthed classes have a real focus and devotion to something beyond themselves: Champions, oathsworn, greenbonds all have a lot of good roleplaying "hooks" to grab hold of, and that's 100 percent intentional.)

Greenbonds are also animists, in that they recognize that all natural things -- rocks, trees, streams, and so on -- have spirits. They can see and speak with these spirits even when all others cannot. And they can cast simple spells and all plant-related spells (Plant is a new spell descriptor.) The greenbonds' attachment to nature spirits makes them clear associates of the totem warriors mentioned last time.

Next Week: The runethane, the witch, and the mage blade!

DESIGN DIARY PAST ENTRIES

* Build a Better Fighter -- February 23, 2003
"The title this week is facetious. It really should be 'build a different fighter'...."

* The Magic Balancing Act -- February 13, 2003
"In Arcana Unearthed I'm introducing a new method of magic item pricing. First, I streamlined the item creation feats..."

* More Magic -- January 23, 2003
"This week, I thought I'd talk more about the new magic system in Arcana Unearthed."

* Magic -- January 17, 2003
"As a designer, magic in Arcana Unearthed posed a huge challenge. I knew that I wanted to ditch the Vancian system...."

* Design Decisions, Part Two -- December 24, 2002
"Here's a bit more discussion of some of the general issues I faced as I began designing Arcana Unearthed...."

* Design Decisions, Part One -- December 19, 2002
"Before jumping into another big area of Arcana Unearthed's design, like classes or the magic system, I thought I'd discuss some of the general issues I faced as a designer starting the book...."

* Arcana Unearthed Races -- December 5, 2002
"I started with the races. While I knew that the game needed humans as a basis, I wanted all the other races to be new. I didn't want to just create dwarf and elf analogs with different names...."