Project Update #18: More classes!

Project Update #18: More classes!

<blockquote><b>Posted by Obsidian Entertainment</b>

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Hey everyone, there's exactly one more week left in the Kickstarter, and we are going to be kicking it up with bigger and better updates every day!

<b>New Add-ons and Rewards</b>

We were looking at the $140 tier and thought it needed something more, so we decided to throw a <b>Project Eternity Mouse Pad</b> into the Collector's Edition. The mouse pad features the painting from Kiernan Yanner. You can also add-on additional mouse pads at any physical tier for $15.

<b>• $140 Reward Tier and Above (excludes the digital only $165 tier)</b> - Now includes a Project Eternity Mouse Pad.
<b>• Project Eternity Mouse Pad Add-On</b> - $15 each*

Also we've been asked if we are going to have more physical rewards and add-ons, and we are listening. Today, we are announcing new t-shirt add-ons for you:

• <b>Obsidian T-Shirt Add-On</b> - $25 each*
• <b>Project Eternity T-Shirt Add-On</b> - $25 each*

For more information on how to add-on rewards, please see <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/311594">Update #4</a>. Sizes will be asked during the survey that will be sent to you after the end of the Kickstarter.

*You must be at a physical goods reward tier to add on any additional physical add-ons.


<b>New Stretch Goals for $2.7m and $2.8m</b>

We are happy to announce two more classes for the 2.7m stretch goal. With your pledges we now have <b>Barbarians</b> and <b>Ciphers</b> as playable classes, and now we would like to add <b>Paladins</b> and <b>Chanters</b> to round out our class selection for Project Eternity, bringing the class total to 11.


<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/199/570/0635ea8f437022696d117c499034941c_large.jpg" />


<b>Paladins</b> are extremely devoted, often fanatical, soldiers who have pledged themselves to a chosen cause, combining the zeal of a priest with the ascetic discipline of a monk. They have founded many elite fighting forces, from the original Darcozzi Paladini, a two thousand year-old order of palace guards, to the fledgling Fellows of St. Waidwen Martyr, zealous defenders of the Godhammer pilgrim trail. Often found at the vanguard of many conflicts, paladins are natural leaders and have the ability to quickly assist their allies with targeted commands. A paladin's commands can stave off impending death, overcome fatigue, or hasten the charge to close breached defenses. And though they are not always pledged to the service of a god or gods, paladins are so singularly focused on their chosen cause that their souls are continually creating a wellspring of spiritual energy from which they can blast groups of foes in their immediate vicinity. Despite their often stoic presence and explosive combat style, paladins work best alongside allies. When isolated, they can be vulnerable, especially against singular powerful foes.

<b>Chanters</b> can be found in almost any culture, but are most often seen in communities with a strong oral tradition. They are repositories of folk knowledge and common wisdom, tellers of tall tales and hallowed legends. Though chanters have a bit of minor talent in traditional arts of combat and soul-based magic, their true power lies in their chants. Chanters construct chants from individual iconic phrases and rhyming couplets they have memorized from hundreds of stories and poems, creating a chain of magical effects that plays out over time. While chanters do use the power of their souls to work their magic, chants are exhortations to the unconscious memory of wayward souls and the diffused spiritual energy of the world. That is, ambient spirits respond to the evocation of ancient, common story elements and play their part in reconstructing the chanter's tales. While a chanter's magic may seem modest compared to that of a wizard or a priest, chanters are able to recite their chants while occupied with other activities, making them extremely versatile.


<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/199/571/4530cf6cc4ba959a78c9e4d6de321f7d_large.jpg" />


It’s our pleasure to introduce our next stretch goal of <b>George Ziets</b> at $2.8m – with your help, we’ll be able to enlist the skills of George Ziets in shaping Project Eternity. For those not familiar with George’s work, he was the creative lead and core writer behind the acclaimed <i>Mask of the Betrayer</i> - the first expansion pack for <i>Neverwinter Nights 2</i>. George leant his talents to many of Obsidian’s other games including Fallout: New Vegas.


<img src="http://media.obsidian.net/eternity/media/updates/0018/nwn2-motb.jpg" />


George is gifted in designing lore, levels, and companions for role-playing games, and <i>Baldur’s Gate 2</i> is one of his favorite titles. His impact can be felt in <i>Mask of the Betrayer</i>, and the character concepts, story, and his narrative decisions to take a disused section of the Forgotten Realms and use it as a backdrop to weave a fascinating story is testament to his design skills. We’ve given him the rundown of Project Eternity, and he’s eager to help shape the lore, design areas, and bring the characters in the world to life.


<b>More DUNGEON!</b>

Yesterday Project Eternity hit 55,000 backers! Everyone loves bigger dungeons, and <i>The Endless Paths</i> Mega Dungeon is now 5 levels deep. We will add another level at 57,500 backers and another level if we get to 20,000 Likes on Facebook.


<img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/199/572/d07a62a70a4502b4a3fd341528e857a2_large.jpg" />


Don't miss the update on Thursday - Josh will be talking lore, and our first screenshot will be revealed. Everyone at the studio is really excited to show you what we've been working on.


Lastly, if you haven't checked out the Wasteland 2 Store that opened yesterday - head on over <a href="http://wasteland.inxile-entertainment.com/store">here</a>. You are still able to donate money towards Wasteland 2 to make it bigger and better!

<a href="http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/61253-update-18-george-ziets-paladins-add-ons-rewards-and-more/">FORUMS: Discuss Paladins, Chanters, George, and the rest of Update #18 in our Forums.</a>

<a href="http://www.facebook.com/obsidian">FACEBOOK: Like Obsidian on Facebook - We are about 6,000 more Likes away for another dungeon level!</a>

<i>Update by Chris Avellone, Josh Sawyer, and Adam Brennecke</i>


<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/325242?ref=email&show_token=d7ec9fe205e9ff3f">Care to comment? View this update on Kickstarter →</a>
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A thing that actually irked me in this update was the 4e reference. The Project Eternity Paladin works as the Warlord base class in 4th edition D&D, and that gives me all the wrong signals. One is left with the impression that the money would have been better spent on getting George Ziets in instead. Less is more, flesh out existing classes.