The Elder Scrolls Online’s Arcanist class is looking to be one of the most unique class additions to the game yet. Not only does it feature abilities unlike any other class, but it takes inspiration from a beloved Daedric Prince. However, it also features a mechanic that no other class has access to.
InThe Elder Scrolls Online’s next expansion,Necrom, the Arcanist class will make its debut. With it will come the unique mechanic of collecting bits of knowledge from Hermaeus Mora and adding it to their grimoire. While it’s an interesting way of expanding on the class, it should be something extended to the other classes of the MMORPG.
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The Arcanist’s Grimoire
Despite it featuring in the initial showcase, otherArcanist abilities such as its exploration and mobilitycapabilities took the spotlight from the grimoire mechanic. This is likely due to the fact that it was not explained in much detail. All players were told is that they would be able to collect knowledge and add it into their grimoire, which would allow them to “spice up” their abilities. While the details are most certainly sparse, it does allow for a little bit of theorizing as to what the grimoire can do for the class. Perhaps players will be more able to specifically tailor the class into certain build types, such as changing the elemental damage type of certain abilities.
The grimoire mechanic is also great for class identity as a whole. Unlike other classes, Arcanists will have to travel around the realm in order to unlock their true, full skill set. This not only encourages exploration, but also helps the player get immersed into the idea of searching for forbidden knowledge as an Arcanist. However, it also threatens to leave the other ofThe Elder Scrolls Online’s classesin the dust. The Arcanist class will feel like an incredibly unique experience, which may leave the others to feel much more mundane as a result. While this isn’t the intention of the developer, this may be the end result of creating a class with such an interesting mechanic.
For that reason, mechanics similar to the grimoire should be applied to the other classes ofThe Elder Scrolls Online. They could even easily be justified from a narrative perspective, which is doubly important for a franchise likeThe Elder Scrolls. For example, there is the Warden class. From its in-game description, it is known as a master storyteller whose tales can be spun into reality. If the grimoire mechanic were to be applied to it, perhaps the Warden class could go around learning new stories that could alter their existing abilities. For a more devious class likeThe Elder Scrolls Online’s Necromancer, perhaps necromantic experimentation with different types of enemies could allow them to unlock various undead summons. Anything that encourages exploration and delves into the class' identity would bode well for the class as a whole.
Inspiration could even be taken from howFinal Fantasy 14handles its classes. In that game, the classes feature a variety of quests pertaining to the class that help build up the identity as well as what it means to play as that class. While it doesn’t have to take as much of a narrative approach,The Elder Scrolls Onlinecould help players further understand what exactly it means to play as a Warden, Dragonknight, or any other class using similar methods. Theexperience of playing as an Arcanistcan be applied to other classes of the MMORPG through this approach.
While there is a possibility that this mechanic may only be seen inThe Elder Scrolls Online’s future classes, It’s interesting to think about how it could be applied to the currently available ones. It presents a narrative opportunity to immerse the player in the class and its history, which is somethingThe Elder Scrolls Online would largely benefit from.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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