SoD Classes

Devlog: Classes, Abilities & Trees – Become What the World Needs

In Shadows of Dragonholde, your class defines your combat style and core abilities.

There are currently three distinct classes—each with:

• ⚔️ A full set of abilities (Basic, Secondary, Utility, Mobility, Ultimate)

• 🌀 4 passive abilities

• 🌿 A full passive skill tree with build-shaping paths

Abilities can be unlocked through spell books dropped by enemies and given through quests. I haven't quite decided on which abilities will be gated this way, but not everything will be available immediately after starting a new character.

🪤 The Trapper – Chaos, Tech & Subterfuge

A tactical hybrid using gadgets, mobility, and battlefield manipulation.

🎯 Abilities

• Venom Trap (Basic): Throw a poison trap that explodes on enemy contact 🟢

• Grappling Hook (Mobility): Quickly grapple your way through maps or out of danger! ⛓

• Dimensional Nexus (Ultimate): Open a portal to summon unpredictable horrors from beyond 👾

🌀 Passives

• Grenades: Enemies drop grenades on death (or randomly when hit)

• Kinetic Armour: Stay mobile to build and maintain armor

• Overclock: Dealing damage buffs movement and attack speed

• Turret: Gather machine parts from enemies to spawn a deployable turret

🌿 Trapper Tree Themes

• Venom Branch: Focus on poisons and DoT.

• Technology Branch: Maximise trap up-time, chain explosions, and turret boost.

• Shadow Branch: Focus on stealth and subtlety.

• Swashbuckler: Build into a master of close combat and deceit.

⚔️ The Gladiator – Strength, Style & Execution

A brutal melee fighter who uses bleed, burst, and arena pride to destroy enemies. Deal extra damage depending on how glorious you are.

🎯 Abilities

• Flay (Basic): Apply stacking bleeds that can be consumed for burst damage 🩸

• Grasp of the Arena (Secondary): Throw a chain—if it slams an enemy into a wall, deal massive bonus damage 💪

• Call of the Arena (Utility): When you take 50% of your HP in a hit, release a damaging shockwave 💢

🌀 Passives

• Executioner’s Axe: Automatically execute enemies under 15% HP

• Show Off: Throw your weapon—catch it to gain bonus “Glory” (resource); fail and earn less

• Blood and Sand: Every 5s, gain a temporary buff to either damage or armor

• Adrenaline Rush: Sustained damage boosts health regen and damage

🌿 Gladiator Tree Themes

• Gladius Branch: DoT branch with a focus on bleed stacks and consumption.

• Retiarius Branch: Focus on attack range and crowd control.

• Crowd Crasher: AoE focused branch, physical domination

• Secutor Branch: Tank branch with focus on armour and resistances

🔥 The Elementalist – Magic & Mayhem

A hybrid spellcaster who channels elemental cycles and summons golems.

🎯 Abilities

• Spark (Basic): Chain-lightning bolt that bounces between enemies ⚡

• Earthquake (Secondary): Pulsing AoE zone that slows and damages enemies 〰

• Incinerate (Ultimate): Charge a massive fire beam—longer charge = more range + damage 🔥

🌀 Passives

• Golemancer: Every 5 spells of a single element spawns a matching elemental golem

• Charger: Gain elemental charges per cast, enhancing spell effects

• Earth’s Blessing: Boost regen and armor while channeling nature-based spells

• Zephyr’s Footsteps: Casting spells grants stacking movement speed

🌿 Elementalist Tree Themes

• Fire Branch: Melt the battlefield with a focus on crit damage, burn stacks, and explosions!

• Forst Branch: Freeze the competition with a focus on AoE and crowd control.

• Lightning Banch: Fast AF BOI! Speed and more speed!
  

• Earth Branch: Become an impenetrable wall of rock with key nodes like golem form.

🎯 About Passive Trees

Each class tree has:

• Branches tied to class fantasy(e.g., tech builds, bleed stacking, elemental mastery)

• Perks that radically shift your playstyle (e.g., key passive node that deals 30% of burn damage instantly)

Currently due to a priority on other systems I've only implemented the fire branch of the Elementalist tree. This is a rough idea of what I'm going for with the Elementalist tree:

There will be more connections between the branches to allow more synergy, I just haven't touched the passive tree system in a hot minute.

🔮 Bonus: Aura Enchantments

• Through enchanting, any active ability can become a passive aura instead

• Auras reserve resource % or HP instead of using consuming resources.

• This unlocks powerful options like:

  • Venom Trap aura = permanent poison field & +10% poison damage.

  • Earthquake aura = pulsing zone around the player that sends out smaller seeking earthquakes

  • Spark aura = Auto cast Spark to recover resource while focusing your hands on casting other stronger abilities

  • Some secondary skills will offer +x% to Attack Speed or +x% to x Damage type to help push your build to the next level.

Each class in SoD offers different paths, unique build synergy, and personal expression.

If you want to be a hash slinging slasher, a flashy gladiator,  or a golem commander — the combat system has you covered.

Eventually I'd love to add more classes like a Necrolord or Warden.

Next up: Enchanting Deep Dive → [Link when live]

Which class are you linking so far? And what kind of ability would you want to see next? 🔥🪤⚔️