So, I’ve got a good question that is kinda becoming a nagging idea that I want to actually flesh out.
Warlocks in Destiny and Destiny 2, if not the entire franchise, are seen as “Warrior Scholars”
Warrior-scholars of the Light, Warlocks devote themselves to understanding the Traveler and its power. A Warlock’s mind is an arsenal of deadly secrets, balanced between godhood and madness. On the battlefield, those secrets can shatter reality itself. [Warlock, Grimoire Card]
So, is it possible for Warlocks, or any class for that matter, to mold or “Sculpt” their light? Warrior Scholar makes me think of a Wizard or, well, Warlock. And that makes me wonder if they could, in canon, very well have the ability to cast “Spells” similar to the idea of a Wizard. (I.E Can a Sunsinger cast fireball?)
And, is it possible for Warlocks to, in canon, wield a weapon similar to a Staff or a Wand that is used as a “Focus”? Like, can a Warlock walk into battle wielding a Staff and their Light, and just cut down hordes of Thrall or Fallen as they slowly create what would be considered a Firestorm?
I dunno it was an idea.
So to summarize, could a Warlock, or any class, have the ability to wield their Light in the form of Spells, similar to that of a Wizard?
And is it also possible that we could use objects like a Staff or Crystal as a kind of Focus to do so? Also, if this seems like a stretch to the Lore category, let me know. I just want to know what exactly is the extent of the power which we call “The Light”.
So. I’ll try to answer your question. In theory, you would be able to shape it like that. This is proved when Shin Malphur creates the golden gun for the first time(I’ll try to in the lore card). The reason we can’t do it in game is probably because it would require so much more development time for bungie, or maybe they don’t want to implement it or haven’t though of it.
But in theory, you should be able to shape the light how you want. Back to theory though: according to a card or discussion on this forum somewhere, (I don’t remember the name or where it is), creating a new super or just practicing a super need an INSANE amount of concentration and is very hard. Overall I think its more on bungie’s side that they haven’t thought of it or cannot implement it in game. Also on this note. If we lived in the destiny universe and were guardians, you could, in theory, keep on using supers as long as you can keep your focus… Imagine the crucible…
I would say that this would be possible. Remember, classes are created by the guardians; classes are not inherent to being a guardian. Thus, it stands to reason the applications of the light were also created. Byf came to a similar conclusion in a video early in D2 when discussing the new subclasses added. Also, a couple of things to think of. A Dawnblade can either use their sword as just that, or can plunge it into the ground and heal everyone. A Gunslinger can use Golden Gun or Blade Barrage. And the top tree of Sentinel has both the shield and Ward of Dawn in the same tree. This is because it is a game, as we know. However, a possible in-lore explanation could be that since certain ideas are easier to grasp and concentrate on, like shooting a magic gun, it is easier to manifest, and thus is more common among Guardians.
I don’t think Supers are necessarily infinite. In the lore card for Gunslingers, the narrator reaches for his gun, but can’t use it because he already did. Near as I can tell, the best analogy I can think of is like physical endurance. Guardians have an upper limit on the Light they can draw, like how the human body only has so much energy, so is ultimately limited. By focusing and training, you can push your Light closer to that limit, and even raise that limit through prolonged “exercise,” but in the moment, you have a finite amount of Light you can use. This would explain how some Guardians are more powerful, like Shin keeping his Golden Gun lit during his conversation with Aunor, and also how Guardians can push themselves harder in extreme circumstances. In one of the lore tabs for the Solstice Armor, Ikora says that a single Nova Bomb wasn’t normally enough to drop a Harvester, but she could do it during the first Battle of the Tower. This would make sense, since she was desperate and pushing herself to her limit.
(This is my opinion) I believe any light-users can use the light in whatever form they want, they just have to understand how it works. For example, in D1, you had Sunsinger and now, in D2, you have Dawnblade. I think light-users could actually use any abilities they wanted, as long as it is within their power, or the power of the light. I believe the only reason that we don’t make our own supers or grenades is because the game itself limits us, or the developers just didn’t feel like making any more subclasses. Another example is that in D1 hunters had Bladedancer, while in D2, they have Arc Staff. (I completely agree with what @Orion_Skyre is saying)
I think that every class has a specialty when it comes to the light; Warlocks seem to channel it through their bodies and become the weapon, Hunters (from my perspective) seem to channel the light through weapons like hand cannons(Gunslinger) and knives(Bladedancer) (not so sure about Arcstrider and Nightstalker though) and Titans just enhance their physical abilities through their supers
What it means to be a Warlock to me is this quote from a song I have listened to, “In whatever case, I am in a business of obtaining results; I am a scientist.” As well as “truth at any cost” (the second is probably a quote but idk who it’s from).
So, if someone really wanted to, it is entirely possible to focus their light into more minor effects (Similar to Spellcasting in other Games.) Rather than focus it to a massive blast such as a Fist of Havoc or Nova Bomb?
Yes, probably, which is why we can make grenades, our class ability, and our melee ability. I think its more from a gameplay perspective that we cant do other things like that.
I would say the use of weapons as a channel is still present. Instead of using a physical weapon though, they form one out of the light. Who says the mind cannot be used as weapon? Perhaps there are more similarities between Warlocks and Hunters than originally thought.
A lot of people have already made really good points, but I’m just going to add this: Lore wise, I believe we’re supposed to take it that the Guardians can shape their Light (I haven’t played as a Warlock in ages, but I think I remember one of those voices talking about learning to cast one of the supers, Nova Bomb, when you first get it back at the Shard of the Traveler). However, at least while the game was being developed, Bungie’s artists considered the Supers to be physical object imbued with Light. They made the Arc Staff, Dawnblade, and Sentinel Shield as they would look without the Light energy around them, and they appear to be metal and traditional weapons, rather than made of energy (from The Art of Destiny Vol. 2). Just an interesting contradiction within the game.