In ExileCon 2023, Grinding Gear Video games took us by means of a piece of Act 3 and confirmed off two of its six new character courses. After all, I’m speaking concerning the Sorceress and the Monk. The demo confirmed half-hour of uninterrupted gameplay, the place many noticed how the courses work in observe. The co-founder of Grinding Gear Video games—James Rogers—emphasised that the dev group has finished critical work to make utilizing abilities satisfying.
Very like the shadow, the Monk relies on Intelligence and Dexterity, whereas the Sorceress relies on Intelligence alone. In the event you’re interested in their abilities and talents, learn our overview of the courses to seek out out!
Sorceress Abilities
The Sorceress is an Intelligence-based class that focuses on elemental destruction. By wielding lightning and ice spells, she will be able to use the next abilities:
Spark: A lightning assault that bounces round; nice to make use of in tight passageways. You should utilize a Piercing help gem to up the voltage, enabling Spark to hit a complete room of targets as an alternative of being a single-target assault. In the event you use Arc help with it, it’ll flip into a strong, single-target hit.
Ice Nova: An AoE ability that hits all enemies round you and slows them down. For the reason that Sorceress is squishier than most courses, having Ice Nova round is a wonderful method to escape the melee vary.
Frost Bomb: Locations a bomb on the bottom. Earlier than detonation, the bomb will cut back the enemies’ chilly resistance for some time. It’s an amazing ability to make use of together with your different chilly abilities earlier than it expires.
Arctic Armor: A buff that builds up when the Sorceress stands nonetheless. The armor helps enhance her melee protection, which is weak in comparison with the opposite courses. Monsters that hit the Sorceress whereas the buff is lively will take chilly injury till it builds up into the Freeze impact. The one caveat of Arctic Armor is that standing nonetheless will depart the category weak to enemy assaults.
Comet: A tough-hitting ability that prices a number of mana to make use of. It has an extended forged time, nevertheless it’s well worth the wait when you pull it off. Comet offers devastating injury, particularly on enemies that transfer slowly or stand nonetheless. At any time when the Sorceress casts this spell, she’ll routinely transfer again barely to maneuver out of the vary of hazard.
The Sorceress appears fairly rad regardless of being a glass cannon. Whereas the Witch class is centered round occult magic and summons, the Sorceress is all about utilizing elemental magic. Little doubt a few of her abilities will really feel acquainted when she goes stay in Path of Exile 2, however the dev group assures that they’ll play in a different way to the Witch in observe.
Monk Abilities
A melee fighter who excels in uncooked energy and mobility, the Monk’s major focus is energy prices, which considerably profit his abilities. The Monk’s abilities are the next:
Wind Blast: Blasts away enemies; nice for crowd management functions. The nearer the enemies are to the caster, the farther they get knocked again. Nonetheless, Wind Blast isn’t as efficient on bigger mobs.
Killing Palm: A strike that marks an enemy as culled. When the goal dies, the Monk will achieve an influence cost. Most of the Monk’s abilities work together with energy prices, making Killing Palm an amazing prep ability. It additionally has a built-in sprint ahead, enabling you to focus on the ability proper the place you want it.
Whirling Assault: It doesn’t do as a lot injury as the opposite abilities, nevertheless it covers a number of floor and lets you flip as you execute it. In the event you flip on the good time, you’ll be able to even get a few additional hits on the monsters.
Falling Thunder: Creates a small lightning AoE in entrance of you (with no energy cost). You probably have some energy prices added in, Falling Thunder turns into a bigger AoE assault with additional projectiles able to clearing out a mob.
Flicker Strike: In the event you’re actively taking part in Path of Exile, then Flicker Strike could be a well-known ability to you. This ability teleports you to a close-by monster by consuming energy prices and briefly rising your motion period. It’s an amazing finisher to make use of on a difficult boss ought to you may have energy prices constructed up beforehand.
Glacial Cascade: Creates a wave of ice in entrance of the Monk. A lot of the injury happens on the finish of the wave, so your finest guess is to cease the enemy in its tracks first, then place the wave good to finish on the mob. Hitting frozen mobs with Glacial Cascade will deal extra injury.
Shattering Palm: A palm strike that places an ice bomb on the goal. As soon as the goal has sufficient injury dealt to it or is useless, the bomb will explode. The explosion will deal injury and may freeze a mob or boss.
Ice Strike: Creates three sequential assaults which have an opportunity to freeze a goal.
Wave of Frost: An assault that has a built-in retreat. Tosses out a chilly assault that may freeze a mob and lets the consumer transfer backward; it pairs properly with Glacial Cascade.
Since lots of the Monk’s abilities have built-in actions, he’s a flexible and agile fighter. The category’s mobility is additional emphasised with the upcoming dodge roll mechanic, permitting you to rapidly reposition and evade assaults whereas in fight.