Trying out the dual class system in Runes of Magic (ROM) was one of the features that excited me most about this MMORPG. The default classes are nothing special in and of themselves, discounting the Druid and Rune Dancer classes that we know nothing about yet. However, the wide open talent specialization allows you to take something common and turn it into something special. A Knight class alone is the standard defensive based class you’ve seen in other games. The elemental based Mage is nothing new either. It’s combining them as Knight/Mage or Mage/Knight that brings something new to the table. As Knight/Mage, you could create a strong offensive class that can off-tank as well as provide decent DPS. The World of Warcraft Death Knight immediately comes to mind. I’ve never played a Warrior. I’ve often rolled a healing class as an alternate character knowing that I’d never do end-game healing. Healing classes can be fun to level solo but can suffer from low DPS. Along comes ROM and I have the option of combining a traditional healer with a DPS class of my choosing which led me to the Priest/Warrior, a combination that plays like a Monk and boasts the highest DPS Priest combo.
How it works
You can choose any two classes for you dual class combination. And you want to choose two classes as there is no advantage for selecting only one. In fact, you’d be at a disadvantage in base stats as well as only having talent points from a single class. At any given time your choice is to play your combo Class A as primary with Class B as secondary, Class B as primary with Class A as secondary, Class A only or Class B only – A/B, B/A, A only or B only.
Once you have both a primary and secondary class established, you must specific which is the primary and which is the secondary. For example, do I want to play today as a Priest/Warrior or Warrior/Priest. Specify the choice by speaking to the Housekeeper in your house and you can flip back and forth at will. The decision of playing one versus the other is based on your play-style and what skills you’re most interested in using at any given time.
All classes have primary and secondary skills, where primary are the most basic skills for a class. For the primary class, you have access to the primary and secondary skills. For the secondary class, you only have access to the primary skills. Do you want have access to the full range of skills for a Priest and only the basic skills from a Warrior or do you want to be a Warrior that has a few healing options up her sleeve? Because there is NO advantage to playing with only a single class selected, you will want a synergistic combination and always play as a version of your combination - A/B or B/A.
Choosing Primary Class
Your primary class should reflect the class that you’d select if this was a traditional MMORPG with a single class selection. Do you want to play an offensive, defensive or utility/support role? Try the classes you think you’d enjoy playing a majority of the time. Read the forums to see how existing players feel about the class mechanics and abilities. Your primary class must reach level 10 before you’re allowed to choose a second class. Neither of these choices can be changed without re-rolling a new character. Take your time and pick your classes wisely. It’s Important to note that at any given time, XP is only going to the class that has been selected as “Primary”. Both the primary and the secondary class must be leveled. My personal technique for keeping my two classes leveled without having to explicitly level my second class can be found here.
Considerations for Secondary Class
At level 10, the Mayor of Logar will give you a quest to speak to your class trainer in Varanas. Before heading off to Varanas, you should have already decided on your second class. Choosing the second class is important. Not only will it grant access to the primary skills of that class, it also grants combination specific Elite Skills (ES) every 5 levels, starting at level 15. Each combination has a unique ES. Warrior/Priest has one at level 15, as does Priest/Warrior and the ES is only available when you are playing as that combination. For this reason, you’ll want to review the ES combinations and verify that the ones granted to your combo are beneficial and make sense for how YOU will be playing your classes.
Things to consider:
- Energy/mana consumption – do both classes rely on the same type of consumption to trigger abilities? While having two mana consumption classes might be mechanically easier to manage, it may become limiting if you frequently find yourself waiting to regenerate mana or energy which results in lots of down time or needing to use potions. Whereas a mana/energy combination allows access to both sets of abilities from different consumption pools – very little downtime. When you’re out of one use the other.
- Range vs. melee – While having to maintain both ranged and melee weapons requires more planning, the flexibility might prove worth the effort. You can use range abilities to pull and/or kite, while having melee against melee opponents, in addition to higher white damage (consumption less) DPS which typically yields less downtime.
- Offensive vs. defensive – do you prefer one or the other, or is a combination more beneficial to your play style.
- Armor type – Can both classes where the same type of armor? If not, will you find it troublesome to maintain two sets when you need to flip your combination?
- Weapon type – Same as armor type, are you going to have to maintain two sets of weapons
- Critical stats – Other than armor type considerations, I find this the most important thing to consider. There are only two means for improving your base stats – class specific abilities and gear. The one that will require effort on your part is the gear. Gear is augmented by using various enhancement mechanics, runes being the most common. Like the concept of Enchants in World of Warcraft, for the most part, runes buff a single stat – strength, stamina, mana, dexterity, etc. These buffs are applied to weapons and gear. Even if your class combination uses the same gear, if they require very different stat priorities, you’re going to find yourself having to collect and maintain two sets of gear. Runes are the “free” way of enhancing your gear. The Item Shop has others which cost real money. If you’re open to a bit of RMT for twinking your character, carefully consider the impact of twinking two sets of gear throughout your character’s progression.
Check Elite Skills
Each class combination has ONE elite skill for levels 15, 20, 25 and 30. Remember that you get one for playing A/B and B/A. These skills are not simply given to you at the appropriate level. You must have both classes at the right level AND you must purchase these skills using in-game gold and a required set of components. Before officially specifying your secondary class, which is a permanent and unchangeable choice, review the list of ES for that combination on the forums. For some players, the ES granted makes or breaks the combination for them. Save yourself heartache and the drama of a re-roll by carefully reviewing the lists.
Obtaining Elite Skills
At level 15, you’ll be sent to the Class Hall in Varanas to purchase your first ES. Be sure to have the necessary components plus required gold in your backpack. The required components can be found here. If you plan ahead, you can harvest and craft the components yourself. If not, you can purchase them on the Auction House. Purchasing them can be VERY expensive for something that you can essentially obtain for free with planning and effort.
Purchasing the skill can be confusing the first time. It’s a two step process. First you need to speak to the appropriate NPC and ask for a “level <insert number> training certificate”. The NPC will take the components and the gold, giving you a scroll (certificate) in return. Next you speak to the trainer again, this time saying that you want to “Purchase a skill”. The NPC will take the certificate from you and give you the elite skill based on the class combination you are at that time. See what I did there? It’s based on the class combo you are WHEN you conduct the transaction that determines which skill you’re given. For example, I show up as Priest/Warrior at level 15 and I’m given Monk Stance as my elite skill. I show up as Warrior/Priest at level 15 and I’m given Defender’s Roar. This means that you have to perform the transaction twice to get the ES for each combination, so that’s the materials and gold listed times two.
Playing dual classes is one of the more unique aspects of Runes of Magic. Your combination + spec + stat build can yield very personalized combat styles and roles. The Elite skill combinations are class defining attributes, where some of the combinations are less advantageous than others. Choosing your two classes is the most important decision you will ever make in this game. Take your time. Explore your options. Talk to other players and choose wisely. In another post I’ll talk in detail about my class combination and how it plays.
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