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Hello player.
Welcome to the Age of Excelsior.
You are an adventurer, an individual chosen by the gods to protect civilization and defeat the agents of the void in times of peril.
To begin enjoying the game, you will need to first create a character.
Player Races
The world of Age of Excelsior is home to a wide variety of life. Magic and technology have contributed to a large diversity across the many biomes. Players may choose from the following sentient races:
In-Game Lore: Touched with the spark of the divine, Aasimar are the embodiment of gods' influence on the earth. Though they are common to all areas of the world, Aasimar have no place to call home. Many choose to embrace their divine heritage while others seek to subvert the hand of Fate and take their destiny for their own!
(Requires the War In Heaven Expansion)
In-Game Lore: Delvers of the deep, dwarves have long been the xenophobic guardians of the mountains and twisting caverns below the surface. Some say they delved too deep or forces of darkness decided that their time was at hand, but either way they found their halls besieged from below and were forced to ask the surface dwellers for their aid!
(Requires the Whispers in the Deep Expansion)
In-Game Lore: Descendants of the fey and naturally gifted with magic, Elves are more at home in the wilds than in cities. They are known for their towering cities made of living wood and for guarding the secrets of their land jealously. Though they do not trust many of the other races, they have long held an uneasy alliance with humanity.
In-Game Lore: An unusually reclusive race, Firbolgs prefer to live deep within the wilds far from civilization. They protect the natural world from the predations of more sinister races like gnolls and goblins in order to keep balance. Those that make their way to towns and cities are typically outcasts or born from the rare clan that decides to leave the ways of their people.
(Requires the Guardians of the Wild Expansion)
In-Game Lore: Tall and powerfully built, Goliaths are related to the giants that make their homes in the mountains. Unlike their even larger cousins, who prefer to sit behind their walls and rule from above, Goliath live a nomadic lifestyle, roving from place to place in search of better hunting grounds. This wanderlust sometimes manifests in individuals who decide to leave kith and kin to explore the world.
(Requires the Guardians of the Wild Expansion)
In-Game Lore: Naturally drawn to gold and wealth, Kenku merchants are a common sight around the world. Sometimes, however, their desire for money leads them to follow a life of gambling, thievery, and shadowy black-markets dealings. Due to their ubiquity, they are regarded fairly well by all races, even if they are not always trusted.
(Requires the Deadly Shadows Expansion)
In-Game Lore: The most prolific of all sentient races, humans span every continent and are found in every major city to some degree. Some of the greatest empires that ever ruled were led by humanity, and even now, most areas that would be considered ‘civilized’ are in firmly human lands. They span every social or class construct and can be working in every role.
In-Game Lore: Highly scientific and motivated by the promise of a better tomorrow, gnomes are a progressive race that puts a great stock into development and invention. Though many are craftsmen, few reach great as their attention is too undivided for focused specialization. They are commonly found in human lands as inventors and educators.
In-Game Lore: Once a subservient race, Kobolds threw off the chains of oppression and rebelled against their masters when the dragons made their gambit to take over the known world and their dragonborn warriors clashed with the heroes of Excelsior. Considered dragonborn runts, kobolds come in as many colors as their larger kin, but lack any of their other abilities such as dragon’s breath or strength. Their diminutive size and natural bent toward magic does lend itself to other pursuits though.
(Requires the Rise of Dragons Expansion)
In-Game Lore: A hardy, spiritual race, Lizardfolk are devout followers of the gods, looking to the skies for omens and signs of the future. They were once slaves of the Yuan-Ti and Naga, but won their freedom with the aid of humanity long ago. Since then they have been devoted allies to mankind, but are still typically only found in more temperate or tropical climates.
In-Game Lore: Considered gruff and abrasive, civilized Orcs live on the fringes of society. Due to the nature of their more violent kin, many view them with suspicion, particularly elves. None can deny their martial prowess, however, and many who follow a warrior’s path come to respect their naturally regimented and disciplined inclinations. Those that do live among humans are hard-working and determined folk who have taken a great deal of time to earn the respect they have.
In-Game Lore: Possessing outstanding natural agility, Tabaxi are known for their skill with a blade and feats of acrobatics. The majority of them live a semi-nomadic life, traveling with their clan in covered wagons to sell their wares and trade, but many Tabaxi fall prey to the lure of adventure, whether it’s for the promise of fame or wealth. They are typically superstitious yet curious and have a natural inclination toward roguish pursuits.
(Requires the Deadly Shadow Expansion)
In-Game Lore: When the gates of Heaven opened and the celestial forces began their crusade on the world, their aggressive actions brought many Tieflings out of hiding and into the open. Many were the servitors of their demonic parents, but many were simply trying to live in relative peace, free from the persecution of others. In the resulting chaos of the war, many Tieflings took the chance to side with the forces of the world in order to make a place for themselves once the interplanar invaders were ousted, though many others still hold onto the superstitions that once surrounded them.
(Requires the Heaven’s Crusade Expansion)
In-Game Lore: Highly secluded and secretive, the Triton kingdoms of the ocean only recently opened their gates to outsiders. Though they have had trade relations with many coastal cities for some time, it wasn’t until the abominations that stirred in the deep rose that they invited adventurers to come to their realm. Many answered the call and promise of reward, and in return, many Tritons moved to land to see what fortunes it held for them.
(Requires the Whispers in the Deep Expansion)
Classes
The next step is selecting your class.
Each class is typically defined by their role.
Controllers sport many utility abilities to aid allies out of combat and usually have some way to deal damage over a wide area.
Leaders, or supports, are primarily concerned with keeping their allies health up and boosting their team’s defense or offense.
Strikers,sometimes referred to as DPS, focus on enhanced single-target damage to put down the most dangerous or heavily armored enemies.
Tanks go toe-to-toe with enemies in order to protect their allies.
Main role: Striker; Secondary role: Tank.
Bloodragers, Berserkers, Totemists. Berserkers go by many names, but all of them are defined by their ability to enter a state of pure instinct in the midst of combat. As a result, they become whirling storms of weapons and devastation, rushing across the battlefield and ignoring the most grievous of wounds. With their massive weapons and trophies, they strike fear into their enemies and draw their ire away from their allies!
Todoriki’s Player’s Guide: While they make for decent strikers, Barbarians usually build as tanks in order to make tactical use of their ability to reduce incoming damage while raging.
Main role: Leader; Secondary role: Controller.
Whether inspiring allies, calling on powerful spells, or charming the locals, Bards always have a song on their lips or instruments in their hands! Though they may seem like colorful musicians, don’t let them fool you! Their understanding of the magic of music allows them to adapt to many spellcasting styles to give them a diverse and surprising repertoire.
Todoriki’s Player’s Guide: Bards have some of the most diverse build options, but usually fill secondary roles. With their ability to take spells from other classes, they can fine-tune their role in the party, and most guilds have a few specialized bards in their ranks. Some solo players go for bards..
Main role: Leader; Secondary role: Tank.
Capable of directly channeling the power of the gods, the Cleric is an inspiring leader in combat and capable of bolstering their allies. Their touch is heals the sick, and they can call down holy flames with a wave of their hand. Typically, Clerics embody an aspect or ideal of the god they are devoted to and wield supernatural powers related to it.
Todoriki’s Player’s Guide: Most reliable healer, hands down. Most raid teams run a full complement. With tweaking they can also fill any other role, but most people consider these builds gimmicky.
Main role: Controller; Secondary role: Tank.
Main role: Tank; Secondary role: Striker.
Main role: Striker; Secondary role: Controller or Tank.
Main role: Tank; Secondary role: Leader or Striker.
Main role: Striker; Secondary role: Controller.
Main role: Striker. Secondary role: None.
Cunning Rogues take advantage of their enemies weaknesses and use their agility to move around the battlefield unhindered. They are adept at striking foes where they are weakest for bonus damage and work well with a good Tank by their side. Their ability to steal and plunder is unmatched, and no dungeon delver would dare quest without one at their side!
With the Deadly Shadow Expansion, Rogues have more options than ever before, becoming true masters of urban intrigue and subterfuge!
Todoriki’s Player’s Guide: Rogues are typically looked down on by most serious players due their average role as a striker. Unlike Paladins, teams usually have to support the rogue to get them to reach their full damage potential. The exception to this are Swashbucklers, but since their damage is best in a one-on-one scenario, they are typically only used by solo players.
Even Raid teams typically prefer to take Bards spec’d for trap removal instead of a rogue as the Bard is still able to fill a secondary support role. The Devs tried to give Rogues unique or specialized actions in cities so they would have a place in Guild vs Guild activities in cities where combat is restricted, but that just led to more Rogue mistrust and dislike by the average player. However, they are more popular on role-play focused servers.
Main role: Striker; Secondary role: Controller.
Main role: Striker; Secondary role: Any.
Main role: Controller; Secondary role: Striker.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:56, Sat 04 Nov 2017.
