Barik

Background

Barik of the Stone Shields.

Barik is the quintessential Disfavored soldier. He embodies all of the rigid and uncompromising values that Graven Ashe's iron legion holds dear. He's polite, respectful of authority, and doggedly intolerant of anyone born outside of the Overlord's long shadow.

He began his career with the Disfavored in the phalanx – his size and strength made him a perfect addition to the shield wall. His strong nerve and unwavering obedience quickly drew the eye of his superiors. Barik received several battlefield promotions before drawing the eye of Archon Graven Ashe, leader of the Disfavored. Once the Great General knew his name, Barik quickly ascended to the ranks of the Iron Guard – Ashe's select group of advisors and lieutenants.

It was one desperate mission that led to Barik's undoing. During the war against the Tiers, Barik did not retreat with the rest of the Disfavored when word came that the Overlord Kyros was about to proclaim an Edict upon the realm of Stalwart. Instead, he joined a select group that embarked on a daring rescue mission to the heart of Sentinel Stand Keep. When the Edict struck and ruined any chance of success, Barik faced a harsher punishment than disgrace. Unlike the rest of his squad, he survived to witness Kyros' judgment on Stalwart.

As Kyros' Edict of Storms swept across the land, Barik was caught in the magical winds – winds that bore the weapons and armor of Barik's phalanx and the enemies they fought. When the initial onslaught of the Edict subsided, Barik was found still alive, but trapped in a prison of twisted blades. To this day, Barik wears his armor of fused iron and bronze – durable protection, yet an unyielding mark of his failure. No one has been able to free him from the armor he was sealed into by Kyros' Edict.

Combat Role

Barik was designed to serve as a much-needed shield to protect the party from danger. Barik stands in the front line, engaging enemies, taunting them into attacking him, being a damage sink to keep the rest of the party alive.

Barik's talent trees allows players to specialize him in a couple of different themes:

Punisher tree

The Punisher tree transforms Barik into a warrior of retribution, excelling at slaying foes that dare to stand against him.

Barik's Punisher tree.

	Talent	U	Requirements	Effects	Description
	Striking Iron	0		AAA	Strike a single enemy, dealing significantly increased damage if the target is engaging Barik.
	Art of the Blade I	1		AAA	Increases one-handed and two-handed melee weapon damage.
	Engagement Attack I	1		AAA	Gain a chance to attack enemies as they engage you.
	Fierce Demeanor	1		AAA	Barik becomes an intimidating force on the battlefield. Enemies nearby Barik have their Resolve reduced.
	Art of the Blade II	3	Art of the Blade I	AAA	Moderately increases single one-handed and two-handed melee weapon damage.
	Breaking the Wall	3		AAA	A powerful multi-hit attack that Dazes, Stuns, and Sunders the opponent.
	Stance: Legs of Iron	3		Gain the stance "Legs of Iron"	Root in place, gaining immunity to Push and Prone effects and a large boost to Endurance at the cost of the ability to move.
	Training Ground	3		AAA	When Barik is in the party, all party members gain bonus experience for Athletics, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Skills.
	Engagement Attack II	6	Engagement Attack I	AAA	Increases the chance for Barik's Engagement Attacks to occur.
	Glory to the Bold	6		AAA	For each enemy engaging him, Barik gains a bonus to any damage he deals.
	Suffering Strength	6		AAA	Once per combat, when Barik's health is critical, he gains a bonus to Might and Resolve until combat ends.
	Art of the Blade III	9	Art of the Blade II	AAA	Greatly increases single one-handed and two-handed melee weapon damage.
	Engagement Attack III	9	Engagement Attack II	AAA	Further increases the chance for Barik's Engagement Attacks to occur.
	Last Stand	9		AAA	Once per encounter, when Barik would be defeated, he delays his unconsciousness for a short time.
	Resilient One	9		AAA	When a hostile effect expires on Barik, he gains a bonus to Endurance, Will, and Magic defenses for a short time.
	Blade's Embrace	12		AAA	Deal damage to all enemies nearby, this damage increases for each enemy engaging Barik.

Sentinel tree

The Sentinel tree focuses on allowing Barik to maintain control on the battlefield while increasing the amount of damage he can absorb.

Barik's Sentinel tree.

	Talent	U	Requirements	Effects	Description
	Clash of Iron	0		AAA	Issue a mocking invitation, challenging enemies to attack Barik.
	Pursuit	1		AAA	At the start of combat, Barik gains a large boost to movement speed for a short time.
	Retribution	1	Clash of Iron	AAA	After using Clash of Iron, Barik will attack twice with his normal strikes for a short time.
	Seasoned Veteran I	1		AAA	Allows Barik to engage an additional enemy.
	Stance: Phalanx I	1		Gain the stance "Phalanx I"	Fight defensively, gaining a bonus to Armor.
	Defender's Watch I	3		AAA	Barik and nearby party members take reduced damage.
	Seasoned Veteran II	3	Seasoned Veteran I	AAA	Further increases the number of enemies that Barik can engage.
	Shield Wall	3		AAA	Increases the defensive benefits from shields.
	Sound of War	3	Retribution	AAA	Barik's Clash of Iron bolsters the strength of his nearby allies, granting them a bonus to Armor for a short time.
	Bond of Honor	6		AAA	Bond with an ally, sharing the damage that they receive. While the bond lasts, both Barik and his bondmate gain Might and Vitality.
	Defender's Charge	6		AAA	Leap to the aid of an ally, taunting enemies nearby.
	Defender's Watch II	6	Defender's Watch I	AAA	Barik and nearby party members take moderately reduced damage.
	Heroic Defense	6		AAA	Once per combat, when Barik's health reaches a critical level, he will be healed instantly.
	Defender's Watch III	9	Defender's Watch II	AAA	Barik and nearby party members take significantly reduced damage.
	Stance: Phalanx II	9	Stance: Phalanx I	AAA	Maintain a stance that is equal parts offensive and defense, gaining an Armor bonus and dealing Pierce damage to enemy melee attackers.
	Vigilant Protector	9		AAA	When Barik uses Bond of Honor, both Barik and the target gain a damage absorbing shield for a short time.
	Wounded Defender	9		AAA	Once per combat, when Barik's health is critical, he will gain a significant Armor bonus for a short time.
	Shield of Suffering	12		AAA	Heal all nearby allies and gain a damage absorption shield proportional to the health recovered.

Abilities

• Blade's Embrace: Barik is able to command the weapons in his armor to strike out at nearby targets, dealing increased damage to anyone who is actively engaging him.
• Defender's Charge: Barik leaps to an ally's side, taunting nearby enemies into attacking him.
• Engagement Attack: A passive ability that grants Barik a free attack on any enemy who engages him.
• Stance: Phalanx: Barik "hunkers down" into a defensive stance, hiding his body behind his shield. While in this stance, Barik gains a bonus to Armor making him significantly more capable of weathering damage from enemy attacks.
• Striking Iron: A strong slashing attack that deals increased damage if the target is actively engaging Barik in combat.

Summary

We wanted players to see Barik as a protector in battle, but also as a tactical asset. Barik's Defender's Charge and Striking Iron abilities are powerful, but they excel the most when players find the right moment to take action. Striking Iron incentivizes standing toe-to-toe with enemy melee units, but isn't as effective when targeting an enemy archer or spellcaster. Defender's Charge can move Barik to any ally on the battlefield, effectively saving them, but his relocation may leave his previous position unprotected.

By making strong choices and careful tactical decisions, players can use Barik as a powerful commanding presence, emphasizing his strengths to shift the tide of battle.

Companions