Overview
Each of the six Pathways confirmed playable in the Crimson Test of Lord of Mysteries maps to a primary holy-trinity role (Tank, Healer, DPS) and a secondary capability. This table is the first reference point for new players choosing a Pathway at character creation.
Holy-trinity composition
Group instances (dungeons and raids) use a standard tank / healer / DPS structure. A 6-player dungeon party typically runs 1 tank + 1 healer + 4 DPS; a 12-player raid runs 1 main tank + 1 off-tank + 2 healers + 8 DPS.
Pathway-to-role mapping
The full per-Pathway breakdown for the six Crimson Test Pathways:
Tank
Bard Pathway (Sun Pathway, Sequence 9 Bard): primary tank. Holy Song party buffs plus durable melee presence. The default tank slot in most parties.
Healer
Spectator Pathway (Sequence 9 Spectator): primary healer. Healing spells (via Mr. Fool grafting at Sequence 9), mental support, and crowd control. The default healer slot in most parties.
Damage
Warrior Pathway (Twilight Giant, Sequence 9 Warrior): melee DPS with weapon-and-armor mastery. Off-tank capable.
Apprentice Pathway (Door Pathway, Sequence 9 Apprentice): magic-damage assassin with high mobility (Sequence 5 Traveler-style blink at Sequence 9 via grafting). Burst-and-evade playstyle.
Seer Pathway (Fool Pathway, Sequence 9 Seer): ranged DPS with tarot-card combat and divination buffs. Strong party utility through enemy-weakness reads.
Hermit Pathway (Sequence 9 Mystery Pryer): knowledge DPS with mystery prying, occult abilities, and counter-illusion utility.
Choosing your Pathway
A few practical heuristics for choosing your starting Pathway:
Want to lead a party and be welcome in every group? Pick the Bard or Spectator. Tanks and healers are perpetually under-supplied in MMO content; Pathway choice doubles as 'how fast can I get into a dungeon'.
Want classic melee combat? Pick the Warrior. Most weapon-and-armor-mastery feel; least kit complexity at the entry Sequence.
Want high mobility and burst windows? Pick the Apprentice. The Sequence 5 Traveler-style blink at Sequence 9 (grafted) is the most distinctive defensive tool in the test.
Want ranged damage and party utility? Pick the Seer. The Pathway leans heavily on its divination buffs and party-amp through enemy-weakness reads.
Want thoughtful, knowledge-leaning damage with counter-illusion utility? Pick the Mystery Pryer. The most cerebral damage Pathway, with the strongest counter-illusion toolset.
Secondary capability per role
Each Pathway has secondary capability outside its primary role: the Bard tanks but also buffs and contributes melee sub-damage; the Spectator heals but also contributes mind-pressure damage; the Warrior is melee DPS but takes hits well enough to off-tank; the Apprentice is magic DPS but also provides mobility utility; the Seer is ranged DPS but also buffs the party through divination reads; the Hermit is damage but also peers through illusions and counters trap mechanics.
Composition tips
Mixed-Pathway parties outperform mono-Pathway parties. The synergies between Bard buffs, Spectator heals, Warrior weapon damage, Apprentice burst, Seer ranged amp, and Hermit reads are designed to amplify across Pathway pairs.
AI companions can fill any role but skew slightly weaker in the tank slot than in DPS or healer slots. If you need an AI tank for a high-difficulty pull, consider running two healers and over-investing in damage to compress the encounter window.
Acting consistency matters more than role optimisation at low Sequences. A well-acted Bard with the wrong gear outperforms an under-acted Bard with the right gear inside the Crimson Test's Sequence 9-7 range.