Heathen classes & the Templar
Mercenary, Cutthroat and Acolyte are named roles. Templar also appears in the gameplay overview, with Holy Diver and Smite. The final class roster has not been announced.
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The roles revealed so far
The three named roles offer a starting point for following Heathen’s character system. They are introduced as the ruthless Mercenary, cunning Cutthroat and power-hungry Acolyte. Those descriptions do not establish a weapon restriction, skill tree or damage ranking.
Templar is the playable role in the overview. Treat the four names as revealed roles rather than four guaranteed launch choices. Whether Templar replaces, extends or sits alongside the other names has not been announced.
4 roles shown. The final launch roster has not been announced.
| Role | Status | Character style |
|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | Named role | Ruthless; detailed abilities to be announced |
| Cutthroat | Named role | Cunning; detailed abilities to be announced |
| Acolyte | Named role | Power-hungry; detailed abilities to be announced |
| Templar | Demonstrated role | Defensive fighter; Holy Diver and Smite |
Templar: defense feeds offense
Templar is described as a mostly defensive fighter that turns defense into aggression as the build develops. Holy Diver dashes forward and deals holy damage that scales with armour. This gives the demonstrated fighter a way to close a gap, including the space between the player and a ranged enemy.
Smite adds holy damage to heavy attacks. The two abilities serve different moments: Holy Diver moves the fighter into reach, while Smite adds damage to a heavy swing. No cooldown, damage formula or point allocation is available for comparing builds.
| Item | Role | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Diver | Forward dash | Damage scales with armour |
| Smite | Heavy-attack damage | Adds holy damage |
Class is only part of a character
Attributes, weapons, armour and spells also shape a character. An equipment upgrade can arrive before the character can wear it: the overview shows shoes blocked by a strength requirement. That is a useful distinction when comparing loot, because a higher-looking item is not always immediately usable.
There is no reliable best-class ranking yet. Use the Templar demonstration to understand the combat style, then follow the remaining roles as more abilities become available. Character appearance is a separate part of creation, including the ability to play a woman.
For a closer look at these systems, read combat and equipment interactions and character creation and gameplay.
For its arrival, see the demo and release plan.