Wizards are known as both one of the trickiest and most satisfying classes to play in tabletop role-playing games. They can access a staggering array of spells, but also typically need to manage resources such as spell slots or Mana.Sunderfolk’sArcanist class is no exception. They possess some of the most powerful damage-dealing spells of the tactical RPG’s six classes, but need to use their Fate Deck and abilities to gather enough Mana to cast them. As one of the more complex classes,Sunderfolkplayers looking for a bit of a challenge should definitely give the Arcanist a try.
For Game Rant Advance, we spoke with several Sunderfolk team members about Sunderfolk’s classes. Narrative designer Neo Zhang highlighted how the Arcanist embraces the calculating wizard in gameplay, while campaign designer Kara Centell-Dunk discussed just how cool the Arcanist can look (especially with its Ultimate).
Sunderfolk Arcanist Abilities Explained
LikeDungeons and Dragons’Wizard, the Arcanist is a scholarly sort who has been studying magic most of their life. They are a crow, an animal known for its cleverness and problem-solving ability. Zhang describes the Arcanist as “that friend who treats spellcasting like doing taxes - carefully planning every move, managing mana, and positioning everyone perfectly.” The Arcanist’s kit centers around the generation of Mana, which they can do both passively and via activating certain abilities. They gain access to several abilities as they level up, including:
The Arcanist Has The Power Of The Stars
All six classes inSunderfolkhave an Ultimate Ability they can use when the time is right. The Arcanist’s is Starfall, which deals area-of-effect damage while also inflicting the Confusion status on every target it hits. Even better, the enemy at the center of the attack’s range is Stunned. It is reminiscent of some ofDungeons and Dragons’most powerful Wizard spellslike Sunburst. Centell-Dunk added just how cool-looking Starfall is in action:
“The player fantasy is a studied spellcaster archetype, right down to the character’s bespectacled glasses getting that anime-style threatening shine in their ultimate animation.”
The Arcanist’s Fate Deck Explained
Characters inSunderfolkdo not roll a d20 to determine how much damage their abilities do. Instead, they draw a card from theFate Deck, which can have a positive, neutral, or even negative effect. The Arcanist is particularly reliant on their Fate Deck, as it is one of the best sources of regaining mana. In addition, the Arcanist can use their Fate Deck to create extra decoys on the battlefield, debuff enemies, and increase their Strength score to ensure that abilities like Aetherize and Chaos Beam do as much damage as possible.
Sunderfolkis a game that is designed to be played with friends, replicating the feeling of playing a tabletop role-playing game such asDungeons and Dragonsin video game form. Developers Dreamhaven and Secret Door have ensured that the game will be accessible to both tabletop newbies and veterans. The Arcanist will be a particular treat for the longtime TTRPG fans in the party, as a trickier class that requires a lot of planning and careful mana management to use effectively. But for those who successfully use the Arcanist’s Fate Deck and Abilities to generate loads of mana, the damage that the class can do in battle againstSunderfolk’smany foes is unparalleled.
