#this is really feeding into my fantasy of Shepherds being a traditional RPG video game 😭

[shepherds-of-haven]

If the Shepherds were in a classic RPG, what fighter archetype would they be? Who's the tank, the healer, etc.? Who do you send into battle first and who hangs back because they're squishy?

Ooh, good question! Let's see...

Blade: fighter/warrior/damage-dealer. Best used in an offensive capacity, but not necessarily as a tank to draw enemy fire. If he can get within melee range of an enemy, he deals extremely high damage and should have his hands registered as lethal weapons. His abilities tend more towards stealth and disappearing on the battlefield, so I guess he would be placed in an assassin/vanguard/lead-the-charge capacity, not hanging back as much as a support character or rogue, but without the loudness and attention of a tank.

Special abilities: high critical hit rate and fatal strike rate, impervious to traps and poisons, can use [Intimidate] while negotiating with enemies or shopkeepers

Trouble: support/ranged fighter/gunfighter with brawler tendencies. While typically used in a support capacity, dealing damage from behind the frontlines with his sniper rifle and AOE-style explosive attacks, he's not squishy and is capable of holding his own in melee combat if enemies break the line to get close enough to him. He's capable of both taking and dealing lots of damage, though slower-moving than true DPS characters like Chase or Blade.

Special abilities: every tenth bullet is automatically a concussive or explosive shot, improved accuracy with firearms, triggers [Fighter's Fury] when HP is low, leading to increased DPS and endurance

Tallys: support/ranged fighter/archer with hunter/scout tendencies. Better to not place her on the frontlines, as her high accuracy and offensive abilities are best used when she's somewhat protected by tankier fighters. She does her best behind the frontlines, dealing damage with her bow in powerful ranged and AOE-style attacks. Quite stealthy, she can also be placed in a scout capacity to get a lay of the land ahead of the party, allowing her to always strike first in combat without being noticed by enemies first.

Special abilities: [Ambush Expert] - allows you to strike first when she's in your party, animal friends will randomly bring her herbs and consumables outside of combat, automatically restores some party health after combat

Shery: healer/cleric/support character. With few offensive combat abilities and extreme fragility, she's better off as far away from the active zone of combat as possible. However, from afar, she can both continuously heal the party of damage, status effects, and give them buffs and boosts to their various abilities, making her both a healer and an amplifier/buffer character. Pairs well with characters who have strong defensive capabilities that can protect her.

Special abilities: always restores the party to full health after combat, can use [Quartermaster] to score a heavy discount with certain vendors, particularly blacksmiths and artisans; can use [Angel's Wish] when taking her to visit Churches of the One-God, giving the party a protective buff that lasts for 1 full day; [Innocence] can be used in combat to make enemies reluctant to attack her (similarly to using Charm in Pokemon)

Riel: bard/dancer/support character. NOW HEAR ME OUT... I don’t think there’s a “tactician” archetype for traditional RPGs, but that’s basically what he would be. He’d be extremely squishy and fragile, but he’d be able to direct the party, point out enemy weak points, and coordinate the battlefield in such a way that it would give his companions strong buffs and advantages while applying strong debuffs and damage-dealing effects to enemies. Having him present (far, far behind the frontlines) would have effects like lowering enemy defense and raising ally attack and DPS. Pairs well with characters who have strong defensive capabilities that can protect him.

Special abilities: [Guildmaster] gives him extreme discounts with all vendors while [Interrogator] gives him a strong edge in any situation that requires charisma, intimidation, negotiation, or otherwise; [Twelve Steps Ahead] automatically exposes enemy weaknesses and elemental vulnerabilities at the start of battle; impervious to illusions, lies, enchantments, and shapeshifting

Chase: rogue/thief/stealth character with strong DPS/damage-dealing tendencies. He can be used both as an offensive scout/vanguard-type character or as a sneaky rogue that lurks on the edges of battle, striking from the shadows and remaining invisible to most enemies. He deals high damage in both melee and ranged combat, using both daggers and guns, but is less resilient than the sturdier Blade, Briony, or Trouble. He has one of the highest attack speeds of the party. 

Special abilities: [Backstab] deals ultra critical damage when enemies aren’t facing him, possesses lockpicking and pickpocketing abilities outside of combat, capable of throwing smokebombs that obscure the battlefield and blind enemies

Red: jack-of-all-trades/mage. While squishier than many of the outright fighters in the party, he has an array of useful spells in his arsenal and moves quite quickly, flash-stepping and phasing through enemies to keep himself out of harm’s way. He can be used for both offense or defense and is a more balanced character, capable of fitting most roles as needed. As a melee combatant, his warhammer is quite slow, but his reserves of magic are among the greatest, making him a more useful mage character. 

Special abilities: allows you to escape any dungeon and return to the entrance without using an item, allows you to fast-travel back to any previous location outside of combat, [Fadestep] makes him impervious to damage for a brief amount of time (but also prevents him from causing damage), able to perceive, evaluate, and craft magical loot and artifacts

Ayla: defense/mage with strong tank tendencies. She specializes in defense, shields, barriers, and protecting herself and her allies from damage, making her a good target to draw enemy fire because she can withstand most attacks. While her offensive abilities are not as powerful as some other fighters, her tankiness and resilience makes her a good choice as a frontline attacker. She deals strong AOE-style wind attacks that can slow, immobilize, or slowly deal damage to enemies over time, draining their health or vitality. 

Special abilities: increases sprinting/stamina/rate of travel for the party, can jump or glide over many physical obstacles, [Survivalist] allows her to find and forage herbs and consumables in unlikely places

Briony: tank/berserker/champion. The tankiest of them all, she’s the party’s brass cannon, equipped to deliver devastating blows and insane burst damage at close range. The loudness and flash of her attacks automatically draws most enemy fire, and she’s able to sustain quite a lot of damage while dealing very destructive magical attacks, making her the ideal tank. However, her ability has  occasionally backfires by dealing a small amount of damage to herself, making her tricky to work with. She has few defensive spells in her arsenal and focuses on damage-dealing, DPS strategies, meaning she’s better employed in a quick, explosive assault capacity rather than long, sustained battles. 

Special abilities: [Meteoric Impact] is a devastating AOE attack that rains meteor fire down on enemies, usually decisively ending battles; however, it drains Briony’s magic completely and has a cooldown rate lasting 1 day. Can pick up or punch through many obstacles outside of combat. Equipping her with Gonturan increases her attack rate by 100%. 

Halek: tank/berserker who deals extra damage against demons and demonic enemies. Another tank who can sustain and draw a lot of enemy fire without slowing down, he deals a lot of damage with his Hunter spear and has insane amounts of stamina when his [Blood-rage] is activated. However, when [Blood-rage] is activated, he won’t take health potions and will keep fighting until he’s knocked out.

Special abilities: he can always sense when a demon is nearby as well as when someone is lying; lower-level demons are automatically trapped and paralyzed in place when he enters the field of battle.

Lavinet: dragoon/lancer/cavalier. The only fighter in the party who always rides a mount, she is extremely armored and quite impervious to weapon damage, though weak to magical spells and attacks. Riding on top of her horse keeps her out of reach of most enemies, and in a turn-based RPG system, she is able to travel twice as far as any other party member during combat. Her strong leadership abilities on the battlefield can give her allies buffs and boosts to their strengths. 

Special abilities: her high [Charisma] allows her to persuade and bargain with diplomats and politicians, as well as net her high discounts with vendors; [Duelist] allows her to automatically return critical attacks with her own; [Lancer’s Charge] uses 1 turn that withdraws her from the field of battle (making her impervious to harm), only to return on the next turn to deal a devastating attack

#Shepherds of Haven #RPG #video game #video game AU #RPG AU #all characters #this is really feeding into my fantasy of Shepherds being a traditional RPG video game 😭 #imagine the party banter while you run around with different companions in your party... #my heart 💔 #thanks for the interesting question anon hope I didn't go too hard! #AU #classes #character classes