[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: TheSwede.9512

TheSwede.9512

Wanted to create a more Supportive Necromancer Elite Spec, while still keeping true to the original Profession’s image and giving them a unique angle of Support.

Necromancer – Warlock
Weapon: Axe Off-hand
Utility Skills: Pacts (New)
Mechanic: Death Shroud is replaced with Grand Shroud, which expands the life force onto nearby allies and Minions, sharing a portion of the extra HP with them. Pact skills are brand new Utility Skills that further work with the idea of Sacrifice, similar to Corruptions.

Mechanic: Grand Shroud
The Warlock is a mage who walks a dark path, but uses said darkness in order to aid his allies just as much as he uses it to call unholy forces to rend his enemies asunder. The Grand Shroud is an enhanced Shroud that extends the effects to nearby Allies and Minions.
Allies within 600 radius upon entering Grand Shroud gain equivalent 20% of your Accumulated Life Force as their own Lesser Shroud, independant of yours, over their own current HP. Unlike the Warlock, their skills are unchanged and Direct Damage is only reduced by 25% rather than half. They still have access to their Utility Skills and can still be Healed, however replenishing your own Life Force while still shrouded won’t replenish Lesser or Minion Shroud. Up to 5 Allies can gain a lesser shroud like this.
Minions are also shrouded. This Minion Shroud is only 10% of accumulated Life Force and carries no additional Damage Reduction, however any number of Minions can be given this shroud.

Naturally, if the Warlock ends the Shroud or has their Life Force depleted, the Shroud effect for all allies or minions end immedietally.

Grand Shroud Skills

  • Life Rend – Send a Spectral claw racing along the ground, damaging enemies in front of you up to 3 times, Crippling them if all 3 claws hit.
  • Cursed Brand -> Fatal Allure – Brand a target, causing them to stack Vulnerability when Struck. Consume the Brand to Pulls your target to your position, transferring up to 2 Conditions from yourself to them.
  • Inscribe Terror – Summon a terrifying visage at the target area, Fearing and Weakening enemies struck.
  • Nexus of Pain – Channel, creating an area that pulses Torment to nearby Enemies and Stability to yourself, while transfering a Condition from nearby Allies to yourself with each Pulse.
  • Blood Harvest – Target area pulses, Crippling and Bleeding all enemies caught within it every second, Granting Life Force to you with each Pulse. At the end of the Channel, Heal all allies within the area.

Weapon: Off-hand Axe
The off-hand Axe offers the Warlock a Sustain-centric off-hand through means of AoE denial and Conditions, creating zones where the enemy are at a disadvantage against allies.

  • Blighted Ground – Tear open a fetid portal, creating a slowly expanding Poison Field that Corrupts Boons into Weakness. Everytime a Boon is corrupted, Allies within the field gain Retaliation.
  • Soul Vortex – Channel and Surround yourself with a vortex of tormented spirits, Dealing Damage to all nearby enemies and pulsing Protection. The vortex destroys projectiles fired at it and lashes out with a Tormenting pulse whenever you’re attacked.

Utility Skills: Pacts
What would a Warlock be without their dark pacts signed in blood and allegiance pledged to forces from beyond the veil? The Warlock does not shy away from making friends on the other side… but these “friends” are rarely kind, and never misses a payday. The Warlock is not stupid, of course, and will readily manipulate these spirits for his or her own gain, a deadly gamble with their life on the line whenever battle approaches.

Pacts are Utility Skills that stick to the idea of Self-harm in exchange for boons, similar to Corruption skills. However, whereas Corruption skills are one-time use only, the Pact skills instead causes the Warlock to pulse a Unique Debuff over time with the option to “Terminate” the contract once activated. The longer the Pact Debuff is allowed to linger on the Warlock, the stronger the Termination spell becomes in return.
When first activated, the Pact stacks to 20 with 1 stack gained every second while in Combat, and 1 stack gained every 5s while outside of Combat. Every 10 stacks, the Pact skill progresses to the next Stage, resulting in a higher Pay-off when the Termination skill is used. There is a total of 3 stages (0-9, 10-19 and 20). Multiple Pacts can be held at the same time, and Pacts persists through Shroud (But you cannot end the Pacts while Shrouded as you have no access to Utility Skills). At 30 Stacks, the Pact will remain for an additional 5s before canceling itself, ending and placing itself on Cooldown without activating the Termination Skill.

Warrior – Wardancer | Guardian – Lorekeeper | Revenant – Vindicator |
Thief – Duelist | Ranger – Strider | Engineer – Technician |
Elementalist – Spellweaver | Necromancer – Warlock | Mesmer – Trickster |

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: TheSwede.9512

TheSwede.9512

  • Borrowed Life – Healing Skill. Sign a Life Pact, reducing All Healing you recieve by 25% for each Stage, excluding Life Stealing effects. Steal a small amount of Health from nearby enemies whenever you gain a Stack of this debuff.
    • Life Surge – Healing Skill. Terminate your Life Pact, instantly regaining Health equivalent to the Stage you’ve accumulated, placing a constant aura of Healing around you that heals you and nearby allies.
  • Unholy Strength – Sign an Unholy Pact, increasing All Damage that you take by 1% for each Stack. Your outgoing Damage and Condition Damage increases by 1% for each Stack as well.
    • Ruinous Envoy – Terminate your Unholy Pact, creating a summoning circle that spawns a Spirit of Ruin for a short time dependant on your accumulated Stage, Pulsing Damage to enemies near it and Absorbing Conditions from Allies with each Pulse. The Spirit will remain in place, shooting out orbs around itself that damages and Transfers Conditions from it to them.
  • Sinful Burden – Sign a Sinful pact, decreasing your Movement Speed by 10% for each Stage. You are Immune to Movement Speed increases and Movement-impairing Conditions while under the effect of this Pact.
    • Absolve – Terminate your Sinful Pact, Converting Conditions on nearby Allies into Boons, and Corrupting Boons on enemies into Conditions, depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated.
  • Malaise – Sign a Fetid Pact, causing you to stack Conditions every 2 stacks. Stacks Bleeding and Weakness during Stage 1, additionally Poison at Stage 2 and finally Torment at Stage 3. Condition Duration of all your skills is Increased by 25% while under the effect of this Pact.
    • Outbreak – Terminate your Fetid Pact, making nearby enemies unable to remove Conditions for a short time (2-4s), depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated. Also transfers up to 5 Conditions on you to each nearby enemy.
  • Abyssal Gaze – Sign an Abyssal Pact, causing you to stack Blindness and Chill every 4 stacks. Every 4 stacks, you Reveal enemies around you in a limited area and make them Vulnerable.
    • Evil Eye – Terminate your Abyssal Pact, Breaking out of Stun and turning surrounding enemies to Stone for a short time, depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated.
  • Possession – Sign a Demonic Pact, Constantly losing Health and Life Force depending on your accumulated Stage. Once this counter hits 30, you will instantly be downed after 3s unless you hit a target with the Termination Skill.
    • Condemnation – Terminate your Demonic Pact, Immobilizing and Dooming a target enemy for a short time, depending on which state you’ve accumulated. A Doomed targets takes Damage over time and grants you Life Force while you’re near them, and if they are Downed while Doomed they are instantly Defeated.

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

  • Demon’s Deal – You gain access to Pacts and Death Shroud is replaced with Grand Shroud.
  • Vengeful Protector – Allies affected by Lesser Shroud gain Retaliation (3s) when Shrouded.
  • Shrouded Killers – You and your allies deal More Damage and Condition Damage while Shrouded. Personal Bonus: 7%. Ally Bonus: 13%.

Adept Traits

  • Dark Riders – You, allies and minions gain Swiftness (5s) when you enter Shroud.
  • Evil from Beyond – When you sign a Pact, Chill (2s) all nearby enemies and gain Life Force. Life Force gain: 5%. ICD: 10s.
  • Bladed Cloak – Whenever you grant Protection to an Ally, they also gain Retaliation (3s). ICD per ally: 10s.

Master Traits

  • Unfathomable Darkness – Blind (2s) enemies around yourself and each Shrouded ally when you Enter Shroud.
  • Flesh of my Flesh – Whenever you Siphon Health from an enemy, heal nearby Allies for a Small amount. ICD: 1s.
  • Share the Pain – Whenever you gain a new Stage of a Pact skill, you and nearby Allies gain Retaliation (3s).

Grandmaster Traits

  • Empowered Shroud – Lesser Shroud is increased to 30% of your Accumulated Life Force and Minion Shroud to 15%. Grand Shroud’s activation radius is increased to 750.
  • Soul Exchange – Gain Retaliation (3s) when Downed. Striking an enemy below the Health Threshold while you are downed Dooms them for 3s. Health Threshold: 25%. Doom ICD: 90s.
  • Vampiric Vengeance – Retaliation you apply now causes allies to Siphon Health from enemies that strike them. ICD: 1s.
Warrior – Wardancer | Guardian – Lorekeeper | Revenant – Vindicator |
Thief – Duelist | Ranger – Strider | Engineer – Technician |
Elementalist – Spellweaver | Necromancer – Warlock | Mesmer – Trickster |

(edited by TheSwede.9512)

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: coolkillend.7529

coolkillend.7529

I really like this, I hope that whatever spec we get in the next update uses a system like this since it kinda fits the necro in general.

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: xXLuggXx.4018

xXLuggXx.4018

Like the idea of a support-necromancer while maintainng the “dark” characteristics
Also your e-spec made me think that torch (your oh-axe-skills could also be done with torch) won’t be toooo bad

Some of my thoughts, if you are interested:

The idea of a passive but also active party buff (shrouded killers) is really cool! It is really strong (so maybe it should be a major not a minor trait?) BUT in comparisson with GotL I would say it’s not broken.

The vampiric retaliation is cool too – you could think of it working like retaliation/ signet of vampirism instead. Being hit while under the effect siphones health. Would be more the “if you hit me you’ll have a bad time”-theme of retaliation and won’t overlap with vampiric presence f.e.

I like the pacts! This mechanic is already in game – hammer fractal (I know you had this in mind, din’t you? ). The elite could get an positiv effect while active, like crit damage or reduced incoming condiduration or … ?

But I’m not sure about the overall theme of the pacts tbh… they could use kind of a supportive character too. (But maybe you wanted them to be more selfish in balance with the support-mechanic -than it’s your design and it’s fine). I think I would have gone into the support-y way Like orders from gw1.

Allies do more dmg/ have higher cirt-dmg/ … for each hit you suffer 1% HP
Reduce incoming condi duration on allies/ condis on you last longer

I would like to see these benefits not as boons so the necro could offer something unique. It would change the debuffer to a buffer wihile keeping the necromatic-theme.
There’s still the option to “cancel” the pacts/ orders for an other effect – this one could be selfish or a PbAoE for example.

I could see a really cool BM/ SR/ Warlock -Support Necro. It’s about buffing the dmg and keeping your allies alive without beeing an active “healer” spec like druid. Not sure weather it would be viable but could be fun to play. Nice synergies with wells for example.

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: Yannir.4132

Yannir.4132

The only thing I have a major issue with is the name. I cringe every time somebody comes up with an idea that reminds me of WoW. And I strongly associate warlocks with WoW. Fortunately the ESpec itself doesn’t remind me of it. So while I think another name would serve better, it’s your idea and you are in charge of it!

Yannir for males. (guard,thief,war,ele)
Sonya for females. (necro,rev,ranger,mes,engi)
All classes lvl 80.

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: TheSwede.9512

TheSwede.9512

Like the idea of a support-necromancer while maintainng the “dark” characteristics
Also your e-spec made me think that torch (your oh-axe-skills could also be done with torch) won’t be toooo bad

Some of my thoughts, if you are interested:

The idea of a passive but also active party buff (shrouded killers) is really cool! It is really strong (so maybe it should be a major not a minor trait?) BUT in comparisson with GotL I would say it’s not broken.

The vampiric retaliation is cool too – you could think of it working like retaliation/ signet of vampirism instead. Being hit while under the effect siphones health. Would be more the “if you hit me you’ll have a bad time”-theme of retaliation and won’t overlap with vampiric presence f.e.

I like the pacts! This mechanic is already in game – hammer fractal (I know you had this in mind, din’t you? ). The elite could get an positiv effect while active, like crit damage or reduced incoming condiduration or … ?

But I’m not sure about the overall theme of the pacts tbh… they could use kind of a supportive character too. (But maybe you wanted them to be more selfish in balance with the support-mechanic -than it’s your design and it’s fine). I think I would have gone into the support-y way Like orders from gw1.

Allies do more dmg/ have higher cirt-dmg/ … for each hit you suffer 1% HP
Reduce incoming condi duration on allies/ condis on you last longer

I would like to see these benefits not as boons so the necro could offer something unique. It would change the debuffer to a buffer wihile keeping the necromatic-theme.
There’s still the option to “cancel” the pacts/ orders for an other effect – this one could be selfish or a PbAoE for example.

I could see a really cool BM/ SR/ Warlock -Support Necro. It’s about buffing the dmg and keeping your allies alive without beeing an active “healer” spec like druid. Not sure weather it would be viable but could be fun to play. Nice synergies with wells for example.

I did a few changes to make the Utility skills and Traits more supportive, but it bears mention that Necromancer and by extent Warlock focuses more on Debilitating Support, weakening enemies as often as or even more often than they Buff allies, although some levels are of course required.

The Elite has a really big and useful Pay-off in the Doom effect, which is why it lacks the buff aspect other Pact skills. I decided to focus on Pact Skills giving party Support on the end effect rather than while active, so as to not encourage just activating them and leaving them be for Team Buffing, rather than take the gamble of a long-duration debuff in return for an eventual spike.

And looking at it again, yes. Torch could definitely be a good or better fit than Off-hand Axe, with the skills being what they are. Of course, with Torch I’d feel obligated to toss in some Burning somewhere there.

Thanks for the input!

The only thing I have a major issue with is the name. I cringe every time somebody comes up with an idea that reminds me of WoW. And I strongly associate warlocks with WoW. Fortunately the ESpec itself doesn’t remind me of it. So while I think another name would serve better, it’s your idea and you are in charge of it!

I actually based this E spec on the DnD Warlock, especially the Pacts and making deals with evil forces in exchange for power. I didn’t even know WoW had beat me to it, but I guess that’s not a big surprise after all, heh.

Warrior – Wardancer | Guardian – Lorekeeper | Revenant – Vindicator |
Thief – Duelist | Ranger – Strider | Engineer – Technician |
Elementalist – Spellweaver | Necromancer – Warlock | Mesmer – Trickster |

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: Yannir.4132

Yannir.4132

The only thing I have a major issue with is the name. I cringe every time somebody comes up with an idea that reminds me of WoW. And I strongly associate warlocks with WoW. Fortunately the ESpec itself doesn’t remind me of it. So while I think another name would serve better, it’s your idea and you are in charge of it!

I actually based this E spec on the DnD Warlock, especially the Pacts and making deals with evil forces in exchange for power. I didn’t even know WoW had beat me to it, but I guess that’s not a big surprise after all, heh.

When I think DnD, Warlock doesn’t usually come to mind, but that’s just because most of my experiences with it are from 3rd ed, and warlocks weren’t a very common class back then. I think it might just have been that the Warcraft universe influenced DnD in this regard.

Yannir for males. (guard,thief,war,ele)
Sonya for females. (necro,rev,ranger,mes,engi)
All classes lvl 80.

[E. Spec Concept] Warlock

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lordrosicky.5813

Lordrosicky.5813

Pacts is a fun idea.

Character: Henry rank million/Duke Henry
Necromancer/Casual Warrior
[Team] Best WvW guild of all time. EASILY.