Learn more about the Arcanist Class in ESO. The Arcanist class is the seventh class to launch in The Elder Scrolls Online.
The Arcanist Class has three class based skill-lines, the skills all have a greenish look to them with a lot of different looking runes. The Arcanist also adds the unique Crux mechanic to the game. A Crux is a charge that empowers usage of skills.
Please visit the Build Editor to create Arcanist Builds or you can also find community created Arcanist Builds on the site.
| Ultimate abilities | ||
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Summon an Apocryphal glyphic, which you and your allies can heal. The glyphic spawns at 30% Health and grows stronger the more you heal it. The power within the glyphic grants up to 200 Weapon and Spell Damage and heals you and your allies around it for up to 927 Health every 1 second in proportion to its Health. | |
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Summon an Apocryphal glyphic, which you and your allies can heal. The glyphic spawns at 53% Health and grows stronger the more you heal it.
The power within the glyphic grants up to 200 Weapon and Spell Damage and heals you and your allies around it for up to 928 Health every 1 second in proportion to its Health.
At full Health the glyphic grants Major Protection, reducing damage taken by 10%.
The glyphic spawns at a higher Health percentage and grants additional damage reduction when it is fully powered. |
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Summon an Apocryphal glyphic while in combat, which you and your allies can damage. The glyphic spawns at 70% Health and grows stronger the more you damage it.
The glyphic grants up to 200 Weapon and Spell Damage and heals you and your allies around it for up to 958 Health every 1 second in proportion to its Health.
Dealing damage to the glyphic powers it up instead of healing it, but requires you to be in combat to activate. |
Active abilities |
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Craft a series of precise Apocryphal runes, then propel them at yourself or an ally in front of you. The runes heal for 1161 Health three times and generate Crux. Each active Crux reduces the cost of this ability by 3%. | |
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Craft a series of virtuous Apocryphal runes, then propel them at yourself or an ally in front of you. The runes heal for 1199 Health three times and generate Crux.
Healing a target under 50% Health grants them Minor Heroism for 6 seconds, generating 1 Ultimate every 1.5 seconds.
Each active Crux reduces the cost of this ability by 3%.
Healing low Health targets grants them Ultimate. |
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Craft a series of adaptive Apocryphal runes, then propel them at yourself or an ally in front of you. The runes heal for 1161 Health three times, an additional 1302 Health over 6 seconds, and generate Crux.
Each active Crux reduces the cost of this ability by 3%.
Heals for an additional amount over time. |
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Channel the abyssal sea to coalesce a beam of restorative energy. The beam heals you and your allies in its path for 11310 Health over 4.5 seconds. Consume Crux to also restore 728 Magicka and Stamina per Crux spent to your allies over 4.5 seconds. | |
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Channel the abyssal sea to coalesce a beam that heals you and your allies in its path for 11674 Health over 4.5 seconds.
The beam gradually grows stronger the longer you channel it, healing for up to 192% more at the end of its duration.
Consume Crux to also restore 728 Magicka and Stamina per Crux spent to your allies over 4.5 seconds.
The beam gradually heals for more the longer you channel it. |
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Channel the abyssal sea to coalesce a beam that heals you and your allies in its path for 11674 Health over 4.5 seconds.
The beam heals for up to 50% more in proportion to the severity of the target's wounds as you reweave fate itself.
Consume Crux to also restore 728 Magicka and Stamina per Crux spent to your allies over 4.5 seconds.
Heals for more on low Health targets. |
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Carve the runes of the Blind Man to call forth spinning mystical discs. Discs surround you or up to 4 allies in front of you, granting a shield that absorbs 3159 damage for 6 seconds. Discs prefer your reticle target, or low-Health targets without shields. | |
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Carve the Baron of Breakers' runes to create spinning discs. Discs surround you or up to 4 allies in front of you, granting a shield that absorbs 3264 damage for 6 seconds.
Consume Crux to cause the shields to heal for 33% of the shield's remaining strength every 1 second per Crux spent.
Discs prefer your reticle target, or low-Health targets without shields.
Consumes Crux to heal based on the shield's strength every second it persists. |
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Carve the Fate Crone's runes to create spinning mystical discs and generate Crux. Discs surround you or up to 4 allies in front of you, granting a shield that absorbs 3160 damage for 6 seconds.
Recasting on a target already shielded grants a new shield that is 30% stronger.
Discs prefer your reticle target, or low-Health targets without shields.
Creates a Crux. Recasting the shield on a target increases the maximum strength of the shield. |
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Draw forth your tome and invoke the vigoratum of Hermaeus Mora to conjure a vortex of eldritch power. Standing in this vortex grants you and your allies Minor Courage, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 215 and your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 15%. | |
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Draw forth your tome and invoke the leviathanum of the Abyssal Sea to conjure a vortex of eldritch power. Standing in this vortex grants you and your allies Minor Courage, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 215 and your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 15%.
The vortex also heals you and your allies for 4631 Health over 20 seconds.
Heals you and your allies in the area over time. |
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Draw forth your tome and invoke the enigmatum of Morian Zenas to conjure a vortex of eldritch power. Standing in this vortex grants you and your allies Minor Courage, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, and Minor Endurance, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 215 and your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 15%.
These effects cling to you and your allies for up to 10 seconds after leaving the vortex.
The effects remain on you and your allies for a short duration after leaving the area. |
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Breach the world walls to create a portal at a target location. Its twin appears directly before you. Crossing the threshold allows you to teleport from one to the other for as long as the portals remain open. Apocryphal Gate generates Crux each time you teleport. | |
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Breach the world walls to create a portal at a target location. Its twin appears directly before you. Crossing the threshold allows you to teleport from one to the other for as long as the portals remain open.
After teleporting, you gain Major Expedition for 5 seconds, increasing your Movement Speed by 30%.
Fleet-Footed Gate generates Crux each time you teleport.
Increases your Movement Speed after teleporting. |
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Breach the world walls to create a portal at a target location. Its twin appears directly before you. Crossing the threshold allows you to teleport from one to the other for as long as the portals remain open.
Allies standing within either portal can activate the Passage synergy, allowing them to teleport to the opposite portal.
Passage Between Worlds generates Crux each time you teleport.
Grants a synergy to allies allowing them to teleport from one portal to the other. |
Passive abilities |
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Your mastery of weaving fate and abyssal water increases your healing done by 3% for each active Crux. | |
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You've stared too long into the abyss. When you generate Crux, you restore 225 Magicka or Stamina, whichever maximum is higher. | |
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Knowledge is power. Your excessive scholarship increases your Magicka and Stamina Recovery by 18%. | |
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Your status as illuminatus reduces the cost and increases the strength of your damage shields by 10%. | |
| Ultimate abilities | ||
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Tear open the fabric of the Aurbis to summon a scion of Hermaeus Mora. This being casts forth a beam that rends asunder reality for 6 seconds and deals 1115 Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters every 0.5 seconds. The scion's beam can be repositioned by recasting The Unblinking Eye. | |
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Tear open the fabric of the Aurbis to summon a scion of Hermaeus Mora. This being casts forth a beam that rends asunder reality for 8 seconds that deals 1151 Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters every 0.5 seconds.
The scion's beam automatically follows the initial target, and hunts for a new one within 8 meters if it is slain.
Beam duration is increased, automatically follows the initial target, and searches for new targets if it is slain. |
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Tear open the fabric of the Aurbis to summon a scion of Hermaeus Mora. This being casts forth a beam that rends asunder reality for 6 seconds that deals 1115 Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters every 0.5 seconds and snares them by 50% for 3 seconds. Every 0.5 seconds, the beam's damage increases by 7%.
The scion's beam can be repositioned by recasting The Languid Eye.
Also applies a snare to enemies hit and damage increases over time. |
Active abilities |
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Craft a series of Apocryphal runes before launching them at a foe, dealing 695 Magic Damage three times and generating Crux. This ability deals 3% increased damage for each active Crux when cast. | |
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Craft a series of Apocryphal runes before launching them at a foe, dealing 718 Magic Damage three times and generating Crux.
This ability gains between 1095 and 2191 Weapon and Spell Critical rating and deals 3% increased damage for each active Crux when cast.
Has increased Critical Chance for each active Crux. |
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Craft a series of Apocryphal runes before launching them at a foe, dealing 696 Magic Damage 766 Magic Damage, and 917 Magic Damage and generating Crux. The last rune explodes, dealing damage to all enemies within 8 meters of the target.
This ability deals 3% increased damage for each active Crux when cast.
Deals increased damage and the last rune deals damage in an area. |
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Harness pure knowledge into a beam of energy that scars the world in front of you. Channel the beam for up to 4 seconds, dealing 820 Magic Damage every 0.3 seconds. Casting Fatecarver consumes all Crux and increases damage done by 33% per Crux spent. | |
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Harness pure knowledge into a beam of energy that scars the world in front of you. Channel the beam for up to 4 seconds, dealing 820 Magic Damage every 0.3 seconds and snaring enemies hit by 15%.
Casting Exhausting Fatecarver consumes all Crux and increases damage done by 33%, duration by 0.3 seconds, and snare by 15% per Crux spent.
Applies a snare to damaged enemies. Consuming Crux also increases the duration and snare strength. |
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Harness pure knowledge into a beam of energy that scars the world in front of you. Channel the beam for up to 4 seconds, dealing 820 Magic Damage every 0.3 seconds. While channeling, you also gain a damage shield that absorbs up to 3137 damage and grants interrupt immunity.
Casting Pragmatic Fatecarver consumes all Crux and increases damage done by 33%, and decreases cost by 16% per Crux spent.
Gain a damage shield while channeling and immunity to interrupts while the shield is active. Consuming Crux also reduces the cost. |
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Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentacles that lash out at your foes, dealing 1939 Physical Damage. Enemies are immobilized for 3 seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds. You deal 5% increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink. | |
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Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentacles that lash out at your foes dealing 1939 Physical Damage, healing yourself for 969, and generating Crux. Enemies are immobilized for 3 seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds.
Deals up to 100% more damage to enemies with less than 50% Health.
You deal 5% increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink.
On cast you heal yourself and generate Crux. You deal increased damage to enemies below half health. |
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Infuse your arm with abyssal magic to form tentacles that lash out at your foes, dealing 2002 Frost Damage. Enemies are immobilized for 3 seconds and marked with Abyssal Ink for 20 seconds.
You deal 5% increased damage to enemies drenched in Abyssal Ink.
Consume all Crux and increase Tentacular Dread damage by 20% and damage to foes drenched in Abyssal Ink by 2% per Crux spent.
Converts into a Magicka ability and deals Frost Damage. Consume Crux to increase the base damage and Abyssal Ink strength. |
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Etch a series of runes onto your weapon that pulse with power once every 5 seconds. Each pulse enhances your class abilities, and striking an enemy with one deals an additional 1161 Magic Damage and generates Crux if you have none. While slotted on either ability bar, gain Major Brutality and Major Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20%. | |
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Etch a series of runes onto your weapon that pulse with power once every 3 seconds. Each pulse enhances your class abilities, and striking an enemy with one deals an additional 935 Magic Damage and generates Crux if you have none.
While slotted on either ability bar, gain Major Brutality and Major Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20%.
Increases the frequency of damage. |
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Etch a series of runes onto your weapon that pulse with power once every 5 seconds. Each pulse enhances your class abilities, and striking an enemy with one deals an additional 1161 Magic Damage, restores 600 Magicka and Stamina, and generates Crux if you have none.
While slotted on either ability bar, gain Major Brutality and Major Sorcery, increasing your Weapon and Spell Damage by 20%.
When dealing damage, restore Magicka and Stamina. |
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Summon a flawed rune under an enemy that etches foes nearby with scrawled glyphs, dealing 4631 Magic Damage over 20 seconds. An ally near the initial target can activate the Runebreak synergy, dealing 2698 Frost Damage to enemies within 7 meters. | |
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Summon an explosive rune under an enemy that etches foes nearby with scrawled glyphs, dealing 4642 Magic Damage over 20 seconds.
The rune lingers on the initial target for 6 seconds before detonating, dealing 1438 Frost Damage to enemies within 7 meters. Rune detonation cannot be primed with Fulminating Rune again for 6 seconds.
Up to 3 allies near the initial target can activate the Runebreak synergy, dealing 2698 Frost Damage to enemies within 7 meters.
Deals additional area damage after a delay. Up to 3 allies can use the Runebreak synergy. |
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Summon a discharging rune under an enemy. After 2 seconds the rune pulses, pulling in foes between 2 to 10 meters and etching them with scrawled glyphs that deal 4780 Magic Damage over 18 seconds.
An ally near the initial target can activate the Runebreak synergy, dealing 2698 Frost Damage to enemies within 7 meters.
Places a rune under the target that deals damage and pulls nearby enemies after a delay. |
Passive abilities |
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Warp fate when you generate or consume Crux, increasing your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 12% for 7 seconds. | |
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You master the warp and weft of your very soul. When you are restored Magicka or Stamina, increase your Weapon and Spell Damage by 5% for 10 seconds. | |
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Your attacks wound the mind with heretical knowledge, increasing damage dealt by Status Effects by 15% and Status Effect Chance by 55%. | |
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What they don't know can kill them. Increase your Physical and Spell Penetration by 991 per Herald of the Tome ability slotted. | |
| Ultimate abilities | ||
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Gather the true strength of Apocrypha around you, forming protective tentacles and a damage shield that absorbs 60% of all damage for 10 seconds, up to a max of 31732 damage, scaling off your Max Health. When the shield collapses you lash out, dealing all of the damage absorbed as Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters over 10 seconds. | |
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Gather the true strength of Apocrypha, forming a tentacle damage shield that absorbs 60% of all damage for 10 seconds, up to a max of 31733 damage.
When the shield absorbs damage, pseudopods cascade out at up to 11 allies within 15 meters, granting them a damage shield for 4 seconds that absorbs up to 5462 damage. These shields can be applied once every 4 seconds. Both shields scale off your Max Health.
No longer deals damage to enemies and grants allies a damage shield when you are hit. |
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Gather the true strength of Apocrypha as protective tentacles rise from the Abyssal Sea around you. The tentacles form a damage shield that absorbs 60% of all damage for 10 seconds, up to a max of 37697 damage, scaling off your Max Health.
When the shield collapses you lash out, dealing all of the damage absorbed as Magic Damage to enemies within 5 meters over 10 seconds.
Damage shield gains an increase in strength. |
Active abilities |
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Craft a defensive Apocryphal rune that deals 1161 Magic Damage and applies Minor Maim for 15 seconds, reducing their damage done by 5%. The rune also taunts for 15 seconds if it would not cause taunt immunity, and generates Crux. While slotted, damage taken is reduced by 2% per active Crux. | |
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Craft a defensive Apocryphal rune that deals 1161 Physical Damage. The rune steals 2200 Armor and applies Minor Maim for 15 seconds, reducing their damage done by 5%.
The rune also taunts for 15 seconds if it would not cause taunt immunity, and generates Crux. While slotted, damage taken is reduced by 2% per active Crux.
Converts into a Stamina ability and deals Physical Damage. Reduce your target's Armor and gain Armor. |
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Craft a rune that deals 1161 Magic Damage and heals you for 1706 Health, scaling off your Max Health.
You apply Minor Maim and Minor Lifesteal for 15 seconds, reducing enemy damage done by 5%, and healing you and your allies for 600 Health every 1 second when damaging them.
The rune taunts for 15 seconds if it would not cause taunt immunity, and generates Crux. While slotted, damage taken is reduced by 2% per active Crux.
Heal yourself and apply Minor Lifesteal. |
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Like the rune knights of old, summon a shield that absorbs 4800 damage for 6 seconds, scaling off your Max Health. The first time you take direct damage, the shield retaliates and deals 0 Magic Damage to the attacker, scaling off your Armor. Consume Crux to heal yourself for 1600 Health, scaling off your Max Health, per Crux spent. | |
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Like the rune knights of old, summon a shield that absorbs 9916 damage for 1 second, and then 4958 damage for 5 seconds if the first shield persists. Both shields scale off your Max Health.
The first time you take direct damage, the shield retaliates and deals 0 Magic Damage to the attacker, scaling off your Armor.
Consume Crux to heal yourself for 1600 Health, scaling off your Max Health, per Crux spent.
Drastically increases the size of the damage shield for the first second. |
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Like the rune knights of old, summon a shield that absorbs 4800 damage for 6 seconds, scaling off your Max Health.
The first time you take direct damage, the shield retaliates and deals 0 Magic Damage to the attacker, scaling off your Armor.
Consume Crux to heal yourself 1600 Health, scaling off your Max Health, and refund 30% of Spiteward of the Lucid Mind cost per Crux spent.
Consume Crux to refund cost. |
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Forge defiant runic armor around you, granting Major Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by 5948. While the armor persists, taking damage applies Minor Breach, reducing the Armor of your attacker by 2974 for 6 seconds. | |
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Forge defiant runic armor around you, granting Major Resolve for 30 seconds, increasing your Armor by 5948.
While the armor persists, taking damage applies Minor Breach, reducing the Armor of your attacker by 2974 for 6 seconds. Blows against your armor also generate Crux, up to once every 5 seconds.
Increases the duration and when damaged, creates a Crux. |
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Forge defiant runic armor around you, granting 5% Block Mitigation and Major Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by 5948 for 20 seconds.
Consume Crux to gain 5% additional Block Mitigation per Crux spent.
While the armor persists, taking damage applies Minor Breach, reducing the Armor of your attacker by 2974 for 6 seconds.
Gain bonus Block Mitigation and consume Crux to increase the bonus. |
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Cast forth a complex rune granting you and your group members Minor Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by 2974. You gain Minor Protection for 20 seconds, reducing your damage taken by 5%. The first time you are damaged while below 50% Health, the Minor Protection is consumed to heal you for 4800 Health, scaling off your Max Health. | |
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Cast forth a complex rune granting you and your group members Minor Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by 2974.
You gain Minor Protection for 20 seconds, reducing your damage taken by 5%.
The first time you are damaged while below 50% Health, Minor Protection is consumed to heal you for 4800 Health, scaling off your Max Health, and gain 3000 Armor and Crowd Control Immunity for 6 seconds. This immunity can occur once every 30 seconds.
Also grants Armor and Crowd Control Immunity when the heal occurs. |
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Cast forth a complex rune granting you and your group members Minor Resolve for 20 seconds, increasing your Armor by 2974. After 1 second, the spellweave immobilizes enemies within 7 meters for 3 seconds.
You gain Minor Protection for 20 seconds, reducing your damage taken by 5%.
The first time you are damaged while below 50% Health, the Minor Protection is consumed to heal you for 4800 Health, scaling off your Max Health.
Immobilizes nearby enemies. |
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Etch an incomprehensible rune on your enemy's mind, paralyzing them in fear after a 1 second delay, stunning them for 4 seconds. This terror applies Minor Vulnerability for 10 seconds, increasing their damage taken by 5%. If used against a monster, the paralyze lasts for 8 seconds. This ability cannot be dodged. | |
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Etch an amorphous rune on your enemy's mind, paralyzing them in fear after a 1 second delay, stunning them for 4 seconds. This undimensioned phenomenon applies Minor Vulnerability and Minor Brittle for 20 seconds, increasing their damage taken by 5% and their Critical Damage taken by 10%.
If used against a monster, the paralyze lasts for 8 seconds.
This ability cannot be dodged.
Applies Minor Brittle to the target. |
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Etch a blasphemous rune on your enemy's mind, charming them after a 1 second delay for 4 seconds. This eldritch attraction causes them to move towards the player and applies Minor Vulnerability for 10 seconds, increasing their damage taken by 5%.
If used against a monster, the charm lasts for 8 seconds.
This ability cannot be dodged.
Charms the target and causes them to move towards you. |
Passive abilities |
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Form a secret soldier within your mind, a defense against arcane forces without. While a beneficial Soldier of Apocrypha ability is active on you, increase your Armor by 1980. | |
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Apocryphal knowledge bubbles up from the depths of your psyche, increasing your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 129 for each Soldier of Apocrypha ability slotted. | |
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Casting an Arcanist ability warps the weave of fate around you, granting you and your group members Minor Evasion for 20 seconds and reducing damage from area attacks by 10%. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds. | |
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The will of an Arcanist is absolute. When you consume Crux, gain 4 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 8 seconds. | |
The Arcanist is the seventh class in ESO (The Elder Scrolls Online).
Playing as an Arcanist, you will be able to cast powerful new abilities, drawing your powers from Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora's realm of Oblivion.
The Arcanist will also add a unique mechanic for players of the class to get to grips with. This new mechanic is known as Crux.
Cruxes are essentially points, or charges, that empower some of your abilities when consumed. Some abilities in the Arcanist class will generate Crux, and others will spend them (if available) to empower the skill. You can store up to three Crux at a time.
The ESO Arcanist comes with three class based skill lines:
The Arcanist Crux mechanic can be viewed somewhat similarly to a "combo" mechanic, rewarding players for certain ability combinations. However it is not exactly the same as that - it's more flexible than many combo systems in other games.
Crux is basically a "charge" that you can accumulate by using some abilities on your Arcanist. Then, you can cast other abilities to spend the Crux points. You can still cast these abilities if you don't have any Crux, but consuming the Crux will empower the ability. Some Arcanist abilities are independent from Crux and do not generate or spend any Crux points. You can store up to three Crux points at a time.
We have a couple of examples of skills that will make use of Crux. Runeblades is a skill that launches harmful projectiles at an enemy, and casting this spell will also generate Crux. On the other hand, Runespite Ward is a skill that conjures a damage shield that explodes after some time, and it can be empowered by consuming Crux.
As mentioned earlier, Zenimax have designed the Crux system to be easy to use, and the Arcanist class can operate perfectly fine without making active use of Crux at all. However to get the most out of the class it will be important to get to grips with this new mechanic and be conscious about which abilities use Crux and how much of it you have accumulated at any given time in combat.
