Perilous Gladiator
Tank and bruiser - the only class with double damage reduction, built to stand in the front and stay there.
Overview
The Gladiator is the durability class. It is the only one whose damage-reduction passive runs at double the others - -2% per level instead of -1% - and it stacks that with bonus HP, bonus stamina and a stronger two-handed swing. It is the front-line anchor: the character built to take the hits so someone else does not have to.
It plays off your weapon skill and Tactics. Its durability comes from stacking bonus HP, bonus stamina and a stronger two-handed swing on top of the heaviest damage reduction on the shard.
Passive Bonuses
Always on against monsters, scaling with your Gladiator level (suppressed in PvP). Maxed at level 10:
| Bonus | Per level | At level 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Hit Points | +2% | +20% |
| Maximum Stamina | +2% | +20% |
| Two-handed weapon damage | +2% | +20% |
| Damage taken | -2% | -20% |
Signature Procs
Two procs fire off your own attacks against monsters. The weaker triggers at 0.5% per level (5% at 10); the stronger at 0.1% per level (1% at 10). PvM only.
- Wicked Swing (weaker): the hit deals double damage and opens a 5-second bleed ticking 0.1x weapon damage per 2 levels (0.5x per tick at level 10).
- Decapitate (stronger): instantly kills any monster sitting at or below 10% HP; against a healthier target it deals 1x weapon damage per class level instead.
Fork Abilities
At levels 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 you pick one of two, permanent for the build. Each costs Glory Tokens (10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50).
| Level | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Two-Handed Mastery - +2% damage per level with all two-handed weapons | One-Handed Mastery - +2% damage per level with all one-handed weapons |
| 4 | Battle Scars - +3 flat Armor per level | Iron Skin - -1% damage taken per level (stacks with the passive, up to -30% at L10) |
| 6 | Robust - +5% stamina and HP regen rate per level | Endurance - +3 max Stamina per level |
| 8 | Brute Force - +2 Strength per level | Quick Strike - +2% swing speed per level |
| 10 | Tactical Genius - +2 Tactics per level (can exceed the skill cap) | Blood Rage - +3% damage per 10% HP missing, up to +30% at 10% HP or below |
Naming note: the level-2 pick shows in-game as Two-Handed Mastery and now boosts every two-handed weapon, not just polearms - if you remember it as "Polearm Mastery," that is the same fork, updated.
How It Plays
PvM. You are the wall. Between -20% damage taken from the passive, Iron Skin stacking that to -30%, Battle Scars armor and +20% HP, very little chews through a maxed Gladiator. Pick a weapon lane at L2 and a finisher at L10 - Blood Rage rewards fighting at low health, Tactical Genius just makes you a flatly better swordsman. Decapitate turns any chip damage into an execute, so tough mobs still die fast once you soften them. This is the class you bring to hold a boss's attention while the group works.
PvP. Like every class, the Gladiator's bonuses switch off against players, so in a duel you run on your raw skills, gear and weapon skill rather than class buffs. Play the Gladiator to anchor a group and hold the front line against monsters, where its durability shines.
Coins & Leveling
The Gladiator spends Glory Tokens. Earn class XP worth 10% of the gold your kills drop (active class only), fill the bar, then pay the Gladiator Guildmaster the target level times ten in Glory Tokens per level (about 550 for the full climb to 10). Fork abilities cost extra coins. Coins drop for everyone off tough monsters, and Prism Coins cover any class coin you are short.
Not Locked In
Your first class is free and instant. Changing later takes a 2-minute channel (hold still, take no damage) plus a cooldown between swaps. Each class keeps its own level and forks, so leaving and returning does not reset your Gladiator.
One character can also hold multiple skill builds through the Personality system - two slots to start, up to five for gold or Ether Charged Powder, swapped with a 2-minute channel (a fresh slot starts your skills at zero to retrain). A tank build and a caster or crafting build can share the same character.