The Zealot uses physical melee attacks and magic skills to deal damage and can shapeshift into a powerful ranged caster.
Background
| Diablo III Class [e] | |
|---|---|
| |
Zealot
 Fan-made Class | |
| Role: | Melee, Caster |
| Primary Attributes: | Dexterity |
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Skills and Traits | |
| Origin: | Lut Gholein |
| Affiliation: | None |
| Friends: | None |
| Foes: | None |
War of the Gods
Long ago, a war between the forces of heaven and hell was waged over the rulership of Sanctuary. Human acolytes - ancestors of the zealot order fought on the side of the angels and the forces of heaven. Dark heretics from the north fought alongside the demons. It was these heretics who would scour the battlefield capturing the essences of the fallen angels in soulstones denying them death. The war ended with neither side claiming our world, as the gates between Sanctuary and the greater planes were sealed by a small band of human freedom fighters.
Discovery of the Soulstones
A thousand years passed and a party of acolytes led by Shia Koran discovered a cache of soulstones while raiding the derelict stronghold of the dark heretics. Unaware of the torment endured by the angels over the last millennium, Koran decided to free his trapped masters. Selecting a large soulstone, he opened himself as a channel for the soul to pass through. The being that was once an angel manifested fully within Koran, with chaotic fury clearly etched on its celestial features. Carnage ensued as the acolytes sought to banish the creature with full knowledge that doing so would also destroy their leader. Few acolytes survived the banishment ritual amidst the creature's devastation. Augus Moriden announced himself the new leader of the acolytes, and selecting a very small soulstone, tentatively attempted to draw a small amount of the angel essence into himself. The resulting form scorched his left arm with an intense white fire and burned his eyes, but with a strong willpower he found he could control the form.
Present
Through this discovery, the acolytes became what we now know as the Zealots. Warrior monks fighting with sword and sorcery, and when necessary - the chaotic powers of insane angels!
Class Design
In general, zealots excel against magic users, stand equal to most melee opponents but fail miserably when facing ranged attackers. There are several key builds for Zealots, and combinations are also viable.
These are:
Melee Zealot
Typical melee zealots weild 2-handed-swords (or dual-wield) as a shield is unnecessary. This is because zealot's are not afraid of using the maimed left arm they recieve from manifesting, and will even use it to block enemy attacks! The bandages they use to staunch the bloodied wounds and burns are usually wrapped thick, thus giving a decent protection against physical attacks and replacing a shield. When combined with a zealot's already high dexterity, this will gives a good block rate. Melee zealots mostly concentrate on the body skill tree and therefore do not require alot of mana.
Mana Burn Zealot
Mana burn zealots, or "Mage Slayers" specialize in skills like "Mana Burn"(Passive) and "Mana Blast" to deliver damage to enemies based on their current mana minus their maximum mana. This build is also the most viable for PvP, especially against Witchdoctors and Wizards who usually rely on a relatively large mana pool.
PvM Zealot
This build is best suited for single player or soloing, where you want all your bases covered in case you run up against (inevitable) immunes. This build focuses mostly on the Soul skill tree, especailly the Manifest skill, and skills which increase your attacks and survivability while in this state. This build often uses the elemental spells from the mind tree. Good solid damage output is the key.
Weaknesses
Zealots certainly do have their flaws. One such is that they are quite susceptable to ranged attacks. Many of their attack skills involve sprinting at the enemy which leaves them very vulnerable to attacks. Also they have relatively low Health and Defence, which can be accomodated for by investing skill points in such skills as Endure and magical defence/resistance. These skills however do not increase your survival chances by much when facing ranged attackers. Manifest form only gives them an easier target, as you move slower and are somewhat larger, but at least it gives you some nifty new ranged attacks to fight fire (or more appropriately - arrows), with fire! One skill which helps against ranged attacks is Sandstorm which will flick arrows away if it is timed properly, or you could simply run in circles...
Items
Zealot equipment tends to rely less on strength and more on dexterity in order to equip. Zealots can duel weild.
Armour
Zealots tend to equip light armour types made from fabric and/or leather. They rarely equip anything heavier than chainmail due to the wasteful strength requirements. Also light armour allows for fastest run/walk which is important for melee characters. Zealots have the passive skill Endure, which directly adds to defence and helps make up for the lack of defence provided by light armour.
Weapons
Zealots usually weild Scimitars, Falchions, Sabers and 2-handed-swords which rely less on strength, and more on dexterity. They are also capable of duel weilding. New Zealot characters begin the game weilding a plain scimitar.
Miscellaneous
Zealots can also equip the new class specific item Soustone Chain Which is a requirment for manifestation. New Zealot characters begin the game wearing soulstone chains that give +1 to Manifest.
Attributes and Skills
Zealots rely on dexterity for damage unlike most other melee classes which rely on strength. Strength still plays a minor role in base damage, but is usually only increased enough to equip the heavy curved swords zealot's seem to love so much. Next important is willpower for mana - which acts like health while the Zealot is in manifest form and obviously allows casting of spells. And then there is vitality, which should definitely get a stat point or two every time you level up.
Attributes
Starting Attributes
Level Increase
Zealot Skills
Zealot skills can be describes as eclectic, with a vast array to choose from. Some work well together, others don't. The skills are what make this class so fun, especially manifest and those that enhance it. There are skills for beginner players, such as the passive and defensive skills in the Body tree. Then there are skills for more strategic players, such as those in the Mind tree, which do more damage when the target is low on mana and/or has a large maximum mana pool, and ofcourse offensive elemental skills for blowing stuff up.
The Zealot skills are arranged into to three distinctive skill tree categories:
All three trees have a combination of active and passive skills. Active skills are used in combat, while the passive skills boost or change the behaviour of the active skills.
Soul Skills
The Soul tree skills are drawn from the crystal the Zealot wears on a chain around his neck. These crystals are actually soulstones containing the tortured souls of angels trapped for all eternity. Through training and discipline the Zealot learns to draw out just enough of the angel's essence to empower himself without being fully possessed by the chaotic being trapped within.
Soul skills can be divided into 4 catagories:
- Summoning
- Sight
- Wings
- Flesh
- Tier 1 Skills
- Manifest Shapeshift into a celestial being with the aid of a soulstone chain. Higher levels increase statistics and raises the cap on related skills. requires that a soulstone chain be equiped
- Brighteye (Passive) Increases light radius and attack rating while in manifest form.
- Levitation (Passive) Every level increases the range weapons require to hit you while in manifest form, and also allows you to navigate terrain with less obstacle collisions.
- Living Flame (Passive) Your left arm becomes engulfed in an intense flame which deals magic damage every time you block melee attacks in Manifest form.
- Tier II Skills
- Mind Lapse an active skill which allows the tainted angel to momentarily control your manifest form, dealing increased damage. Higher levels increase duration and attack damage. Low levels mhave a chance to attack allied characters and minions.
- Inner Fire (Passive) Greatly increases mana regeneration while in manifest form.
- Tendrils of Incense (Passive) Gives you Tyrael wings while in manifest form, which deal magic damage to nearby enemies.
- Burning Blade Invokes a small amount of angel essence to cover your blade with white fire, dealing bonus magic damage. This is a "per attack" skill similar to Amazon's Charged Strike, and does not require the zealot to be in Manifest form.
- Tier III Skills (10 points required in Soul Skill Tree)
- Summon Wisp Summons a spirit from the heavens to aid you. Higher levels increase duration and every 5 levels allows another Wisp
- Divine Visage (Passive) Gives you an aura while in manifest form which increases the attack rate of nearby allied characters and minions.
- Ascension Fly to target location, level increases flight distance. Does not require manifest form, but flight can be continued/altered during mid-flight while in manifest form.
- Tempered Flesh (Passive) Increases block rate, does not require manifest form. Recieves synergy from Living flame skill.
- Tier IV Skills (15 points required in Soul Skill Tree)
- Summon Angel Summons an angel to fight by your side. Angels have the same statistics to your own manifest form, but look a bit more holy {as apposed to the abomination you resemble). Does not require manifest form. Higher levels increase duration
- Holy Fire Mastery (Passive) Works in the same way as sorceress' elemental masteries by lowering enemy resistance to magic damage.
Body Skills
The Body tree skills are derived from the fact that Zealots are trained under the harshest conditions in the desert wastelands south of Lut Gholein. The harsh sun, the cruel night and the unpredictable sandstorms are just a few of the daily struggles a lesser man would not expect to survive. The active body skills cost no mana, but often involve running at the enemy which lowers your block chance drastically and cannot be stopped unless you are hit during the sprint. skills that utilize sprint do cost stamina.
Body skills can be divided into 4 categories:
- Endurance
- Evasion
- Fast Attacks (usually require stamina)
- Power Attacks (often require good timing)
- Tier 1 Skills
- Magical Resistance (Passive) Each level adds 1 point to fire and cold resistance and .25 to lightning, poison and magic resistance
- Dodge (Passive) Gives a chance to avoid melee attacks (exactly the same as Amazon)
- Sprint Attack Sprint at an enemy to deliver a knockback blow. Sprint speed depends on faster run/walk and armour weight. No mana cost.
- Blade Mastery (Passive) Each level increases attack rating and damage inflicted by swords, daggers and axes. Effect is doubled for scimitars, cutlasses, falchions, sabers and other curve bladed swords.
- Tier II Skills
- Magical Defence (Passive) Each level reduces damage taken from spells by .5
- Avoid (Passive) Gives a chance to avoid ranged attacks(exactly the same as Amazon).
- Blink Strike Sprint behind enemy and strike from behind. cannot be blocked and has a chance to open wounds. sprint speed depends on faster run/walk and armour weight. No mana cost.
- Parry Momentarily gives an increased chance to block melee attacks, inflicting great damage if the block is successful. Timing this move right before you are hit by an enemy melee attack is essential. No mana cost.
- Tier III Skills (10 points required in Body Skill Tree)
- Endure (Passive) Increases defence (which helps makes up for a zealots usual choice of light armour.)
- Evade (Passive) Gives a chance to evade melee and ranged attacks even while running/walking (exactly the same as Amazon)
- Lightning Assault A very fast combo attack which inflicts bonus lightning damage, has a small amount of knockback, a chance to open wounds and a chance to ignore target defence. The gap is closed with a short sprint every time enemy is knocked back.
- Shield Breaker A melee attack that does not use sprint, but requires a short period of standing still without being hit before unleashing a single devastating attack which always hits (as long as the enemy has not moved out of range), ignores target defence and cannot be blocked. No mana cost.
- Tier IV Skills (15 points required in Body Skill Tree)
- Agility (Passive) Increases run/walk speed, sprint speed and chance to dodge, avoid and evade
- Dedication (Passive) Every level gives a chance to inflict critical hits or stun with every attack. Also increases the chance your attack skills will knockback, cannot be blocked, ignore target defence, open wounds.
Mind Skills
The Mind tree skills are learned in the Lut Gholein monastery through years of training. For the most part they are offensive magic spells dealing different types of elemental damage. Some of the more unique mind skills involve the enemy's current mana in the damage calculation, dealing more damage when the target is low on mana and/or has a large maximum mana.
Mind skills can be divided into 4 categories:
- Mana Stealing
- Mana Manipulation
- Magic Damage (often based on enemy mana)
- Elemental Damage
- Tier 1 Skills
- Mana Burn (Passive) Gives your melee attacks a mana steal ability. Higher levels increase mana stolen.
- Mana Bolt Shoots a bolt which damages enemy's mana instead of health.
- Mana Flare Shoots 3 bolts that deal magic damage. Inflicts slightly greater damage when enemy is low on mana and/or has a large maximum mana. Higher levels increase number of bolts.
- Frost Shards Launches several low damage ice bolts
- Tier II Skills
- Mana Chain A ranged attack which connects the zealot to an enemy, stealing mana over time.
- Blood Mana A curse which swaps an enemy's mana and health for the duration. (Exactly like the harpies in DII)
- Mana Blast This is THE zealot skill. Inflicts damage that is multiplied by enemies maximum mana minus their current mana. Will still do damage if the enemy has full mana, though it works best against enemies with large mana pools who are currently low on mana. In such a case the damage would likely kill in one hit. Deals magic damage and has a medium area effect.
- Sandstorm Whips up a sandstorm which surrounds the zealot for a few seconds, giving a chance to deflect ranged attacks and physically damaging enemies that get too close.
- Tier III Skills (10 points required in Mind Skill Tree)
- Mana Vortex Creates an area of effect at chosen location with mana steal
- Mana Share Expel all your current mana, spreading it evenly between nearby allies.
- Fizzle Strikes all nearby enemies instantly with mana below 50% dealing massive magic damage. Spell has a 2 second cooldown period. Higher levels increase damage and enemy mana percent required with 75% as a cap.
- Ion Blast a ranged lightning attack which shoots out charged bolts when it collides with the enemy or obstacles.
- Tier IV Skills (15 points required in Mind Skill Tree)
- Spellbreaker A nova type spell that greatly damages the mana of all enemies it hits. (Does not have mana steal.)
- Holy Fire launches tendrils of fire in the direction the zealot is facing. (Exactly like Diablo's fire attack in DII)
Female Zealot
Male Zealot
Mana Blast
Magical Defence
Manifest
References
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