The Arcana Obscura welcomes all walks of life into its fold. It is the common goals of searching for hidden truths and particularly the recovery of the lost relics of the gods that unite its members. The journey through the Labyrinth Unending is one any inquisitive mind can undertake. While magic and divination are the strongest tools at their disposal, the use of them is not strictly required.
If you are a player looking to create a character for the Arcana Obscura but are struggling with which direction to take, the recommendations in these blocks can be a great way to hit the ground running. Feel free to follow your own path, however. These guides are meant purely as suggestions and starting points.
If you are just starting out, Mana and Ritual Magic are good choices for first abilities, as they will let you participate in and lead rituals. These abilities will also serve as a foundation for many archetypes that follow.
Oracles and Seers
Those who follow the Path of Vision often pursue magical skills and esoteric disciplines to their fullest extent, especially the realm of ritual practice. These mages go by many names but the two most commonly used are "Oracle" or "Seer" as many practice some form of divination. They form the core of most covens, being the Arcana Obscura's foremost practitioners of magic. Their visions guide many other aspects of the Arcana Obscura, from informing the Inquisitors of new leads to foreseeing new challenges for the Arbiters to confront.
If you are interested in portraying an Oracle, investing further in the Ritualist skill tree is a fitting path. Many would choose Divination as their specialization, but Oracles have found a variety of roles in the covens of the Obscura. The Warweavers of the Coven of Sword & Sorcery in Castellum, for example, assist in intelligence-gathering and magical support for the Enclave and its defenders.
Magisters
Most teachers and crafters in the Arcana Obscura have followed the Path of Veracity at one point of another as Magisters. Within the covens, their role is threefold. On the one hand, they often handle the testing of aspiring members and the early training of new initiates. Secondly, these cunning scholars are also the foremost experts on the tools and techniques that aid the Obscura in its pursuits. The Magisters are the purveyors of the potent substances that can induce visions or amplify magic and the fashioners of the foci that channel the mystical energies of Obscura's spells, rituals, and enchantments. As a result, many are known to have contacts, friends, and even rivals among the Runewrights.
If you are interested in making a Magister of the Arcana Obscura, combing one of the mage trees and one of the crafting skill trees is a quick way to flesh out your character's abilities. You can be an enchanter who sought to reconstruct the implements of pre-Cataclysm battle-magic, an alchemist who cultivated hallucinogens for their fellow ritualists, or even a historian who tried to create tools to help awaken the abilities of new initiates.
Anathemists
Followers of the Path of Vitality, these members of the Obscura have learned to treat a variety of maladies both mystical and mundane. Magic as a force carries an inherent risk, and the Anathemists are responsible for repairing the damage to body and mind. As the name suggests, their specialty is in the countering of hexes and the lifting of curses. Such are the dangers their fellows face when delving into forgotten powers.
If you are interested in styling yourself as an Anathemist of the Arcana Obscura, specializing in Enhancement rituals and investing in the Healer skill tree would be a great way to support your fellow adventurers and provide the tools needed to deal with many dark magics encountered on quests.
Inquisitors
Arcane investigators, spellswords, and eldritch sentinels, the Inquisitors of the Obscura are adherents of the Path of Volition. Overseen by the Visage of the Quaestor, these brave souls take to the field more so than their other comrades as agents of the covens or even on behalf of the Visages. Whether it is to further the search for the missing relics of the gods, protect their fellow Obscura, or hunt down dangerous forces that would capitalize on the disorder caused by the Cataclysm, the task of Inquisitors is to follow the leads provided by the Oracles. At times they've even been called on to curb the activities of members of the Obscura itself, earning them the moniker of "Spellbreakers" for their skills at countering hostile magics.
Players interested in making an Obscura Inquisitor might consider starting off in the the Battlemage tree to portray a Spellsword. Those that are more interested in the watchdog role of the Spellbreaker inquisitor might consider the Banebinder skill tree instead. Alternatively, the Champion skill tree with an eye toward the Eldritch Knight capstone carries the flavor of the guardians who defend the covens.
Arbiters
The Path of Voice is no less hard to walk than the others, and Arbiters are its keenest adherents. Their philosophy of tempering ability with wisdom has drawn many of their number into positions of leadership. Part judge, part politician, these members of the covens are the mediators and ambassadors who resolve disputes and represent their coven to others. They are also the quartermasters and administrators who oversee their respective covens in general and ensure their fellows are taken care of. Owing to the many faces they have to wear, Arbiters are no stranger to the other Paths of Journey, and many have walked one or more before coming to the Path of Voice.
If you are interested in playing an Arbiter from the Obscura, the Bard skill tree is a fitting way to represent the diplomacy and charisma of these figures. From there, investing in one of the Mage trees is an effective way to demonstrate your character's particular areas of interest and past experience in the Obscura.
