Crusader and the Templar

09/23/2013 06:05 PMPosted by Cerberus

Different orders, same zealotry.

This is a pretty good summary of their differences.

The Templar order remains an enigma to many on the outside, and there are rumors abound regarding their exact founding and purpose. Though the Templars profess a dedication to the Light and seek to rid Sanctuary of demonic corruption, they are not officially sanctioned by the Zakarum church, while the Paladin and Crusader orders were founded within it. Rather, they have risen from the ashes of the Paladin order after it fell to corruption, and they view themselves as the new, pure continuation of that faith.

As for Paladins and Crusaders: A long time ago, the Paladins headed west under the command of Rakkis seeking conquest, a historic march which ultimately ended in the founding of Westmarch. Meanwhile, the Crusaders – an elite group of fighters who rallied under a different Zakarum leader – headed east on a secret mission to search for a way to cleanse their faith of the perceived taint left behind by Mephisto. Unlike the Paladins, the Crusaders have never been corrupted, and in their journeys abroad have honed new skills and talents that set them apart on the battlefield.

To put it a different way, think of the Crusaders as the “veterans of the veterans.” They take zealotry to an entirely new level, finding comfort and strength in their unshakable confidence in their cause. Their only goal is to find a way to save their faith; any other objectives will fall to the wayside should it ever threaten to impede their quest. Whereas the Paladin might meddle in a town’s affairs -- settling disputes, converting new followers, burning some witches -- and then move on, the Crusader, despite brandishing a similar level of intimidation, would quietly enter the town, ask a few questions, restock their supplies, and then depart, leaving little more than confusion in their wake. (To give you perhaps a more relatable image, if you were put a Crusader in space, he’d probably be a lot of like Hicks in Aliens. Very experienced, a little easy going on the surface, but doesn’t fool around when stuff hits the fan.)

More specific details on the Crusader will, naturally, be covered in Reaper of Souls (as well as in Acts I-V). However, if you really dig that sort of lore, definitely keep an eye out for the Book of Tyrael. You can expect to find some good juicy historical tidbits on several of the orders, the Crusader's included.

09/24/2013 04:40 PMPosted by Cable01

I just want the Crusader to have some "tank-esque" skill. Firing shells of holy artillery sounds boss.

That is definitely the design intent of the Crusader. When designing the Crusader, our lead designer, Kevin Martens, asked the question "What if a modern armored division tank was a medieval warrior?" There's loads of fun mid-ranged skills, including one that literally turns you into a divine artillery shell, whistling in to obliterate the hordes of demons below. It's called Falling Sword, and you can take a peek of it in action here. (I may be guilty of giggling incessantly when using this ability...)

09/24/2013 06:08 PMPosted by Jalandar

Was always wondering, why you guys sometime name him Tyreal instead of Tyrael.

Oops, my bad on the typo. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Corrected, thank you!

09/25/2013 02:19 AMPosted by Matius

So Crusaders were formed around the time of Rakkis or after the events of Diablo 2?

The former. They were founded at about the same time Rakkis set out to conquer the west. The leader of the Crusaders sensed Mephisto's taint in the Zakarum faith, though it had not yet been uncovered, and independently/secretly founded and sent the Crusaders off on their mission. They have remained a mostly secretive sect of the Zakarum faith until now. Crusaders tend to travel alone, occasionally with a ward or apprentice, and rarely interact with one another or the public as a unit. It's part of the reason they've remained unnoticed for so long.

09/25/2013 05:32 AMPosted by Matius

@Revan I think in terms of lore the Crusader will be fitted like he was the original cast of heroes, not only joining in act V but another hero that searched for the Fallen Star, so he will be a Nephalem.

The Crusader has been integrated into all five Acts. You'll learn their motivation behind pursuing the Falling Star in New Tristram, and the NPCs surrounding them will question and interact with their presence as well. The Crusader's story should look and feel as if they were there from the start, and we hope you enjoy getting to re-explore Sanctuary from a different point of view.

Is falling sword similar to Leap in that it can be cast to move the paladin towards the enemy? Or is it simply straight up and down?

There's definitely some movement involved. :) There's a great example of Falling Sword being used to close distance in the Crusader gameplay demo here.

09/26/2013 02:40 AMPosted by Matius

Maybe it will be delving too far but what did the Crusaders accomplished? After some centuries of as you say secretive war with Mephisto, someone else did their job. And as you present them this way I see a similarities with present Barbarians, the loners, the sacred duty at which they kinda failed (it was not their victory), for many years aimless (?).

Their quest is one that's eternal. The taint of Mephisto runs deep in the Zakarum, and even now it is still a recovering faith. The goal of the Crusader is to remove not just this taint and save their faith, but to purge all evil. As we know, it's not quite as easy as simply removing one Lord of Hell from the equation. As long as Hell’s influence persists in Sanctuary, the Crusader will never rest.

As for how the Crusader goes about doing that, I'm afraid you'll need to wait for Reaper of Souls to learn more. ;)

09/27/2013 11:28 AMPosted by Godric

just teasing you about this, but technically Hell's influence will ALWAYS persist in Sanctuary since nephalem/humans are the descendents of a demon (and angel).

Well, of course. There’s always going to be evil, and the Crusade (in that sense) will never stop.

I'm pretty sure Maltheal also has some feelings on that topic, though. ;P

09/27/2013 11:28 AMPosted by Godric

Sucks to be a Crusader. His new Crusade will be a trip to the convenience store to pick up several cases of 5-hr energy since he's gonna be awake a LONG time.

I imagine I'll feel the same when Reaper of Souls releases. At the very minimum, a similar trip is in store for me. =X