Hello! This guide has been created by myself, a world of warcraft rp and pve veteran of 20 years to help disenchant one of the longest running beliefs that warriors in world of warcraft RP are just regular people who are physically strong and have an aptitude for weapons and armour.
Its hit me over the years that for some reason while every other RPed class has all these mystical and amazing fantasy powers copied over from the OOC class, warriors have always been left behind as just regular people who have trained in physical strength, the only ones exhibiting special abilities normally being much larger than the average person. (Size = Strength)
I do not believe that warriors need to be locked into this small box and should be seen for the fantasy aspects they portray much as any other class, this isn’t to say they should be overpowered on the level of the “hero’s” in the lore but that a warrior is not just a soldier or mercenary. This guide is a set of notes anyone can use to bring out a more fantasy feel for a warrior without it being too overpowered by looking at some of the class abilities and seeing how well that can fit into a situation.
Part 1: A Warrior is not born, they are made.
So the first point I wanted to get at is that much like some magics, someone ascending from a normal fighter into a warrior is not an overnight process, years of dedication and training for one to bypass their physical limits is possible for any race, as to why warriors can be any race in the game.
It’s not just about the physical strength however when it comes to a warrior, the ability to empower others or cause foes to waver with a yell is also a fun thing that can be played with IC. It has never been determined where a warrior’s supernatural abilities come from but when it comes to fantasy it does not really need to be explained. However the piercing voice of a warrior charging the enemy front line speaks for itself in terms of inspiration.
Once you understand what sort of warrior you are wanting to roleplay there are pretty endless opportunities to enjoy, the one big key however is trying not to make the character too overpowered. A warrior should be able to go toe to toe with a spell caster if skilled enough however it should not be one sided. This is an issue mage RP has had since the early years, when one has such boundless power, what is the point in playing anything else?
Part 2: Resources
Something to keep in mind when playing any character is their physical limits, in pve we have things like mana, focus, energy and rage, these are used as limiters on the output a person can do. Any good caster RPer will have an either physical reminder or mental reminder as to how much magic their character can produce before they become exhausted. None can fight for hours without any rest, food or sleep no matter what the race or class.
For a warrior they use rage in pve however this may not fit every character’s narrative so unless you specifically want to play someone with uncontrollable anger issues i’ve determined that Adrenaline might be a good option. By definition Adrenaline is a hormone within the body which helps you prepare for stressful or dangerous situations.
I would explain this IC as a warrior either psyching themselves up before a battle or potentially building over the course of a fight, this would make a warrior most dangerous when backed into a corner allowing for superhuman feats of strength in an attempt for the body to get out of a dangerous situation.
This is not to say warriors won’t be unrealistically strong compared to the average person out of combat but think of it more like a warrior being dialled to eleven all of the time then turning up to twenty when the adrenaline is flowing.
Part 3: Combat Abilities.
This is probably the most dividing thing when it comes to warrior RP as many think they should just be regular fighters with no inhuman abilities which is just inherently wrong when it comes to fantasy RP.
Yells / Shouts - Having trained their own body to the peak of human possibility then going beyond it, even the words a warrior speaks would have more weight, a yell for battle would inspire allies (This can be shown in granting some HP back to allies or through a bonus to damage in their next round) A yell of rage could drive fear into the hearts of opponents. (Could be shown by a wavering in foes to reduce hit chance or even cause foes to flee with a high roll.)
Thunderclap - One of the most iconic abilities of a warrior which for some reason had been left behind due to the OOC animation looking magical. Honestly one of the biggest missed chances in RP, a warrior raising their foot then slamming it down with such force it shatters the ground a short distance around them, the sound ringing out like thunder to disorientate foes and throw off their footing.
Shield abilities - A warrior trained in using a shield would get a lot of mileage out their preferred bulwark. Larger shields can be used for slamming foes off their feet, blocking spells (Yes most spells can be blocked by a shield) or in a rough spot with adrenaline flowing could even stop a large monster in their tracks. It’s worth remembering that most shields in wow will be designed to block other things in wow, they aren’t just for blocking swords / arrows.
A small shield can be used to parry for a more dexterous fighter but we will go into that in more detail later on.
Weighted Swings - A swing from a warrior should not be easily stopped or shrugged off unless its by another armoured foe (Paladins / Death knights) Even a magic users barrier would be shunted a distance as they aren’t attached to the ground, dodging would be the best way for a foe who is not versed in taking such hits to avoid damage.
Part 4: Things to avoid.
This is an important part as it will define where you stand in RP, this is already going to be quite a new concept for many and some will refuse to accept it which is completely up to individual roleplayers however the community as a whole tends to be quite accepting to change when its not forced down their throats.
Heroic Leap - Yes it sounds fun, no it’s not really a good idea, when in full plate with weapons or shields the chances are even with a build up of adrenaline, you won’t be clearing a huge distance in a leap. While you could take a large drop onto your feet with less damage than average that is going to destroy even the best warriors knees. Just charge your foe like everyone else.
Blade Storm - Another funny one, great for a comedy attack but not good for actual combat situations, you WILL cut down allies, they won’t be happy. If you have a mage friend you will end up in falling portal jail.
Superman - This is something i leant back in cataclysm when i played a warrior who quite literally grabbed a twilight drake flying at him and slammed it, it seems cool, it’s really not, it will just ruin rp situations if you can manhandle things ten times your size.
Play your size - Something to keep in mind is that while all races can be warriors, they won’t all be equal as due to surface area and mass being factors a goblin or gnome warrior is not going to be able to pick up a Tauren in full plate, however a gnome or goblin warrior makes a great cannonball if covered in metal spikes.
The general rule is to play what’s fun without taking away fun from others, this is a MMORPG, it’s about community and the RP community does not need to get any smaller.
Part 5: Subclasses.
So when it comes to a warrior there is technically no reason you cannot cross over into the side of magic but i would not recommend going too far with it, to avoid becoming OP give yourself limiters built in via character or physical limitations, maybe the mana within the body has been disrupted by you going beyond the regular humans abilities.
A cooler way to do subclasses however would be things like warrior priests (go bald for the Empire) with minor light magic to enhance weapons or heal allies at the cost of some of the physical prowess. (Gotta sub out some of that physical training for prayer) or going for a more dexterous fighter build, light armour with a small shield allowing for a more fast and parrying fighting style, this would allow for an inhuman speed (and i might add makes me wish hunters could use shields as it would look awesome alongside a pet) you would obvious have to think of some less heavy moves to use, maybe subbing out thunderclap for whirlwind and yells for some bonuses to stealth.
Part 6: It’s a game.
So this part is pretty self explanatory, this is not a set of rules, or a fixed judgement call, this is just the view of one warrior player who has seen the waste of one class for many years. I think many do not attempt to do this sort of thing out of fear of the community rejecting the character for it. To this I say “It’s a game” You will find like minded people who want to enjoy all the classes as equals and there is always a way to make your idea’s work. My biggest rule when it comes to wow is that you should enjoy at least one aspect of the game and if you find yourself feeling forced to rp then it becomes no longer a game for you but a job and last time i checked your paying for it, its not paying you.
Obviously any constructive criticism is welcome along with any idea’s / changes people can think of.