Arthur C. Clarke once said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and it is exactly this concepts that Torment: Tides of Numenera's Nano class embodies. Unlike sorcerers and wizards you might be familiar with from other RPGs, the Nanos posses knowledge of ancient, advanced technologies (the titular Numenera) with which they can unleash a variety of 'magical' abilities.
If you're interested in what this means in gameplay terms, allow me to show you one of Torment's most recent videos. Its a brief preview of the Nano class, how it plays, and what's it truly capable of. Have a look:
As it so happens, the Nano is my favorite class in Torment, and one that I've spent numerous hours playing so far. When it comes to combat they play more or less exactly the same as the wizards of old, though there is one very important difference! Due to the Nano's ability to use and manipulate ancient technology you will often be able completely turn the tide of battle by messing around with derelict machinery and long-forgotten wonders. No matter how skilled in the arts of war your enemies may be, they can't really prepare themselves for the rather lovely experience of having the floor they stand on suddenly erupt in flames because you overloaded its circuitry!
But if you're like me and you prefer to talk your way through problems, you'll be glad to hear that the Nano excels in this regard as well. If you take the 'Scan Thoughts' ability, and I believe the majority of you will because reading minds is awesome, then you will have an edge during every single conversation. Is your fellow speaker trying to betray you? If you're a Nano, you will know! Are they trying to hide something? Good luck with that! Are they trying to lead the dialogue away from a certain topic? Push them for more information! Its not as overpowered as it seems because you don't get to see all of their thoughts, but its still a pretty damn cool ability that goes a long way towards making the classic mage archetype all the more enjoyable.
If you're interested in learning more about Torment: Tides of Numenera I welcome you to check out my second Early Access review. But long story short, its shaping up to be a worthy successor to one of the finest RPGs out there - Planescape: Torment!