High templar

High Templar are Protoss warriors that use powerful psionic powers to support other Protoss forces.

Overview
High Templar are veteran Templar who forgo the rage and traditional forms of combat common to Zealots in order to better develop their psionic powers into potent tools and weapons through the Khala. Although they are equipped with Light Armor Suits and through them, Psionic Blades, this is not their standard form of attack.

High Templar use the Archives to directly commune with their ancient ancestors and thereby gain knowledge inaccessible to ordinary warriors. They may also wear amulets carved from Khaydarin Crystals to improve their connection with the Khala and thus channel their psionic abilities with greater efficiency.

Those treading the path of the Khala are taught to close their minds to the outside world. For powerful psychics like the Protoss this may produce psychic ripples that are harmful to other life forms. High Templar are trained to focus these ripples into terrible storms of psychic energy that destroy the minds of other living creatures.

A more subtle power is the ability for High Templar to create illusory duplicates of other objects. While these phantoms have no substance and cannot affect the material world, they are useful to confuse and divert the attention of the Protoss' enemies.

At one time, High Templar merged with another High Templar to form an Archon, thus sacrificing themselves to complete the Warrior Path and attain legendary status within the Archives. After the Brood War, High Templar could sacrifice themselves by merging with another High Templar, or with a Dark Templar, to form a Twilight Archon.

Another change brought on by the Brood War was the role of High Templar politically. Previously, political decisions had been left to the Judicator Caste. With the destruction of the Conclave however, High Templar have been able to take on the role of teachers and leaders of their people.

StarCraft
High Templar are support units with powerful abilities. They are not particularly durable and do not have an attack, not to mention their slow movement. Although High Templar hover, they still activate Spider Mines.

Abilities

 * Psionic Storm
 * Cost: 200 200
 * Researched at: Templar Archives
 * Energy Cost: 75
 * Range: 9
 * Inflicts 112 damage to all units within a certain area over seven seconds. The storm does not harm structures or units within Bunkers. Units may move out from under the storm thus limiting the damage they take. It is most effective against groups of weaker units clustered together. A few Psionic Storms are sometimes even enough to turn back large fleets of powerful vessels such as Battlecruisers and Carriers and if possibly, a large attack force of mixed units.
 * Hallucination
 * Cost: 150 150
 * Researched at: Templar Archives
 * Energy Cost: 100
 * Range: 7
 * Hallucinations appear with a blue tint to the creating and controlling player, while all other players will see them as duplicates of the original. Hallucinations do not inflict damage when they 'attack', may not cast spells, or produce units (important for hallucinated Carriers and Reavers), and take double damage from all attacks. Hallucinations last about 180 seconds, as determined by a countdown on the energy bar, but may last shorter if they are 'destroyed'. Hallucinations last for a limited time and automatically disappear when hit by spells (eg. EMP shockwave, mind control).
 * Summon Archon
 * Starting Ability
 * Cost: Two High Templar
 * Once the merging process begins it may not be reversed. The merging process may be started at any time but for efficiency it should be done only when the High Templar are out of energy or are severely injured.

Upgrades

 * Ground Armor
 * Plasma Shields
 * Khaydarin Amulet
 * Cost: 150 150
 * Upgraded at: Templar Archives
 * Adds 50 to maximum energy.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft I High Templar Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost
Judging by screenshots and concept art, the High Templar was set to appear in StarCraft: Ghost. Its exact abilities are unknown but based on concept art, it is possible that it has a ranged attack similar to that of Tassadar.

StarCraft II
The High Templar in StarCraft II is very similar to the unit from the original StarCraft. Like the previous version of the High Templar, it does not have an attack.

Abilities

 * Psionic Storm
 * Allows High Templar to cast Psionic Storm
 * Hotkey: E
 * Cost: 200 200  110 seconds.
 * Upgraded at: Templar Archives
 * High Templar still have the ability to use psionic storm, whose potency is comparable with the StarCraft I version. It deals damage in small packets over time, and hits both air and ground units.
 * The ability costs 75 energy.


 * Hallucination
 * High Templar can produce false copies of units to distract their opponents. The ability costs 50 energy (significantly less than in StarCraft I) and lasts two to three minutes (much longer than in StarCraft I). Duplicates have the same number of hit points as the original but take double the damage.

Upgrades

 * Khaydarin Amulet
 * Increases the maximum energy of High Templar by 50.
 * Cost: 150 150  110 seconds
 * Upgraded at: Templar Archives
 * Hotkey:K.

Shields

 * Level 1
 * Cost: 200 200  140 seconds
 * Upgraded at :Forge
 * Hotkey: S
 * Upgrades the shields of all Protoss units.


 * Level 2
 * Cost: 300 300  170 seconds
 * Upgraded at :Forge
 * Hotkey: S
 * Further upgrades the shields of all Protoss units.


 * Level 1
 * Cost: 400 400  200 seconds
 * Upgraded at :Forge
 * Hotkey: S
 * Maximizes the shields of Protoss units.

Famous High Templar

 * Adun
 * Aldaris (actually a Judicator)
 * Artanis (portrayed as a Scout)
 * Tassadar

Other High Templar

 * Blackman (alias, actually a Judicator)
 * Garius
 * Heiberg the Heretic (mercenary leader)
 * High Templar Hero
 * Ketalis
 * Koronis
 * Mess'Ta: Served onboard the Carrier Qel'Ha. Killed in the battle at Bhekar Ro.
 * Naganis
 * Oong (possibly non-canon)
 * Rassidan