Lore-master, at last!

fter weeks of speculation and anxiousness the community has finally obtained what they have longed desired: a single paragraph detailing the Lore-master. At times I have often made Turbine the butt end of jokes in regards to these simple paragraphs that we receive on the seven cardinal classes. While I think in some instances the jokes are well deserved, it certainly is not for the Lore-master. What we have received is quite detailed information to the point where we can make well educated observations on how the Lore-master will operate within the confines of the game. Needless to say, I am very pleased at what I see.

Before I begin that argument I would like to comment briefly on the response that this new information governed. Many times, whether it is in writing or on From Middle-earth to Azeroth, I have stated continually that for good or ill, there would be a huge ruckus once the Lore-master information is released. While certainly a ruckus has occurred - mostly in the form of the absence of Dwarves -- it has not been on the scale that we certainly expected, or hyped it up to be. This is only a good thing.

I will be blatantly honest: I completely expected to see Turbine drop the ball with the Lore-master. To use a sports analogy, imagine your hometown basketball team is down by two points and there are only seconds left in the game. Added to that, a mediocre player has the ball at just below mid-court. There is only one play to make: attempt an impossible shot from mid-court and hope for the three pointer. This is the situation that I saw Turbine in; depending on how the Lore-master is structured it could make or break the game. Oh, and if you're wondering, Turbine made the shot.

I suppose then the next question that must be asked is: why did Turbine make the shot? That is the focal question of this entire editorial. I want to discuss why the Lore-master is designed properly, why, please ignore the pun, he is not lore breaking. I will even consider why Dwarves must be excluded at this present time, which is just repeating what hsinclair has already said. All of these factors are very important to consider.

A Master of the Right Role

Going into last Thursday no one really knew how the Lore-master would materialize. Personally, I saw the Lore-master as a buffer and debuffer of sorts. That is to say, the bulk of the Lore-master's capabilities would lie in producing beneficial effects for his or her allies (buffs) and impairing enemies (debuffs). Others suggested that the Lore-master would be the "primary healer" of sorts; the Cleric of EverQuest and Medic of Star Wars Galaxies. While neither assessment is absolutely correct - both lack the advent of "pets" -- neither is absolutely wrong either. In fact, it could be suggested that the Lore-master combines all of these elements and that will make them immensely successful.

To put it in a few words the Lore-master is the "utility mage combined with a summoner." Though that is broad and does not give the class any credit at all, particularly when it comes to the summoner aspect. There are definite hints that the Lore-master will be able to call upon nature, the animals, to his or her aid, but this does not mean pets will inevitably be the answer. Perhaps the more potent "call-ons" so to speak will be the "devastating, yet seldom used offensive capabilities of the Lore-master." I give a lot of credit to that argument but it is nothing more then speculation that few can agree upon.

What we seem to know for sure is the utility mage aspect of this class, but even then there are a plethora of questions raised. Turbine gives reference to the Lore-masters to being able to "heal the maladies of allies." While this is fine, the question we must ask is: how? Are these just impairments that enemies may cast on player characters - poison, diseases and the like - or perhaps sword wounds? This is a very important component to look at because if it is poisons and such, then the Lore-master truly is a utility mage and not a healer. Alternatively, if it is sword wounds, perhaps they are the stereotypical healer? What further compounds the issue is we don't have full knowledge of the morale system as how it relates to any further damage, such as wounds and the like. Ah well, at least speculation is abound in this respect.

With all of this speculation and confusion about the true nature of the design aspect of this class, how can it be done right? Unless Turbine really butchers the class in practical application, it stays within the confines of the lore. The reference to healing fits in rather well with the "Lore-masters" of the text, Elrond and Aragorn to name a couple. It is also reasonable to assume that such Lore-masters would be able to benefit their allies tremendously; where the buffs could come from. Further, the link to nature and utilizing it also falls in line really well. So despite confusion, we have a class that will obey the lore - the gravest concern anyone had about the class.

Dwarven Exclusions

Without realizing it I answered the second question when I laid out my first answer - why the Lore-masters aren't lore breaking - as my previous paragraph plainly states. This means we can effectively "leap frog" to the question of Dwarves and the fact that they won't be Lore-masters. Some people are upset by this, some are indifferent and others don't care. Despite the obvious differences in opinion, the answer to why is a very good one.

I have never tried to reinvent the wheel and I won't do so here. So what will follow is a quote that hsinclair made in regards to this issue on the official forums:

• "I feel that dwarf and elf loremasters would have to be presented in fundamentally different ways and that amount of difference is not something we can realistically do within a single class, and I did not feel we could just slap the same FX and skills on a dwarf loremaster that an elf loremaster used and have it feel right."

This is an argument that has generally been accepted and very difficult to disagree with. While both races - Elves and Dwarves - are both highly qualified to be designated as "Lore-masters" they are very different in practice. Given this difference, the Dwarves must be excluded from the class. That said, it wouldn't surprise me down the road if the Lore-master is changed slightly - this is looking at after release - to include Dwarves. It would do the lore its justice after all.

I have always held that I should give everyone its due, no matter who it is, and that is no different with the Lore-master details that Turbine presented us with. The most important factor behind this class - something that everyone can agree on - is that it stays as close to the lore as possible. No matter how each of the abilities describes turns out in practice, within reason, that goal will be obtained. That is the only thing we asked for in this class.

Bravo Turbine! Well done on the Lore-master class! I can certainly speak for everyone when I say that we'll be very interested in seeing future details about the class, with the abilities in practice. You're off to a great start and if it continues, this class will add a lot to the game, as opposed to taking away from it.