Mythic Entertainment | Warhammer Herald

The Grab Bag of Questions # 28

Welcome to the Warhammer Online Grab Bag, where your friendly neighborhood community manager will answer the most popular, and most interesting, questions in a new regular feature. Many things aren't yet certain, so try to be patient with us. Trust me - we're as eager as you are to see the features finalized, so that we can hear what you've got to say.

Q: The Engineer turrets seem as if they are stationary, or at least I'd be a bit surprised to see one walking around. Will the Magus deamons stay stationary as well? Or will they move around?

A: Magus controlled pets are all confined to their summoning circles. As such they are immobile. However, a Magus specializing in Deamonology has additional pet options, but these are completely 100% uncontrolled and will attack whatever is nearby once summoned.

Q: Will all three Magus lines have pets, or will one be Point Blank Area of Effect (PBAoE) through the disc, one is pets, and the other is ranged single/AoE nuking?

A: Like the Engineer the Magus will get 3 primary pets which are split up between the mastery paths. Each is built to complement that Mastery Path. Pink Horrors are long range attackers, Flamers are mid range attackers, and Blue Horrors are short range & PBAoE. However, like I mentioned before, Deamonology Mastery has two additional uncontrolled pets that can be summoned under the proper circumstances as well.

The disc is not really a pet but an extension of the Magus themselves. There are a number of disc-related abilities but they are not independent of the Magus. For example a Magus can command his disc to use a Deamonic lash to strike out for high damage at nearby foes. But this is an action the Magus performs, not one the disc will do independently.

Q: I read that the Magus can only control a single pet at a time. Does this mean that summoning another pet will dismiss the existing one, or that it will simply send the first one into a rampage killing everything?

A: Summoning a new controlled pet will dismiss existing controlled pets. However a Magus could theoretically have 3 pets out at once: A single controlled deamon, and 2 Uncontrolled deamons. However, this is difficult to do and only lasts for a very short period of time.

Q: Does the Magus' disc do different things depending on the Specialization of the Magus, or are all discs pretty much the same?

A: The disc is functionally the same regardless of the Mastery Path. Like previously mentioned, a number of the Magus abilities might have animations or visual effects based around the disc, but going down a different Mastery Path does not really change the disc.

Q: Is the Magus going to be male and female?

A: Yes

Q: Does the Magus' disc receive graphical upgrades as he levels? Or is it associated with whatever boots he happens to be wearing? Is there a way for a Magus to change/customize the look of his disc?

A: Magus discs automatically upgrade their appearance as you level. Magus "Mounts" are different unique discs with special visual effects that replace your battle disc while you have them summoned. No you cannot fight on a Mount Disc.

Q: Can the Magus wear Chaos Armour?

A: The Magus wears robes just like any other Spellcaster. However, his robes generally have ornate metal breastplates, gauntlets and a full helmet so the appearance of a Magus is still the Chaos Sorcerer we all know and love.

Q: Will Order be able to kill deamons that a Magus summons?

A: Yes. Like any other pet in the game the Magus pets can be destroyed.

Q: Will deamons be more in line with squigs, as expendable fire and forget minions? Or more like the White Lion, where the pet is a core part of the class and losing the pet is a huge blow to effectiveness?

A: Deamons are supplemental pets. Like the Engineer turrets they are limited-duration companions that only have a tenuous grasp on reality and will quickly fade after summoned (just a few minutes). Magus & Engineers as a whole are more effective than the White Lion and Squig Herder when their pets are not available.

Q: If the Magus dies, will the pet become aggressive? Will it survive the Magus?

A: When the Magus dies, his concentration is broken and the wards holding the deamon in the material world break and the deamon dissolves (dies). However, certain uncontrollable pets will continue to rampage on after the Magus dies (like those spawned by indigo fire of change).

Q: I suspect when a Magus dies his/her deamons will probably despawn, however how far away can the Magus get from the deamons before they despawn? For instance, will the Magus be able to set up a defense around his/her groups rally point, and then move with the front line troops to assist with the offense, or will he/she have to remain fairly close to the summoned deamons in order to keep them active?

A: They will have a reasonably far range. This is not final yet and will be adjusted through play testing. However we do not allow pets to stray too far from players, period, so if you see a Pet of any type you know a player is right around the corner. We don't want players to be able to summon a pet and then run away to do something elsewhere and leave their pet fighting the battle for them without supervision.

Q: Let's say I was a Chosen and my friend is a Magus. I am riding my mount and he is on his disc. When we get to combat, I jump off my mount. Does he get to stay on his new tricked out disc? I mean, will he be allowed the mounted speed while in combat?

A: No. A Magus needs to concentrate to keep his disc in its more powerful "Mounted Form." If he attempts to enter combat while mounted, it will revert back to a normal disc.

Q: Do you have to summon the disc or does it just magically appear every time you respawn?

A: The disc is an extension of the Magus's being just like an arm or a leg. It goes with you everywhere all the time. If a Magus ever considered trying to get off his disc he'd probably immediately erupt into flames and melt into a pile of gibbering goo from the chaos energies unleashed.

Q: How does the disc work with character movement (swim, jump, etc)?

A: The magus is always on his disc. As such his animations look different for the same behaviours a player on foot would have.

Run / Walk / Sprint – Hovering / Flight
Jump – Quick Altitude change
Swimming – Disc Skims the surface of the water (you cannot swim UNDER water in WAR)