Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Seeing that various elite suggestions have been made recently, I might as well make one too.

“Grave Wardens” lose the (traditional) shroud mechanic for, essentially, a Ranger pet (considered a minion for traits). The minion, “Flesh Hound”, is summoned by F2 so long as the Warden has at least 1% life force; the minion will attack foes with its 1 skill chain. The Flesh Hound’s health is the Warden’s life force, but constantly drains (1% per 1 second) until it is depleted, the Flesh Hound is killed, or the minion is manually “deactivated” (consumed by the Warden). F1 allows the Warden to take direct control over the Flesh Hound’s attacks in a manner that functions nearly identical to a traditional shroud (includes losing 4% life force per 1 second, traits, etc.); however, the Warden doesn’t have the typical “second health bar” and can freely use all healing, utility, and elite skills while controlling the Flesh Hound. Grave Wardens utilize swords and Needles of Fate (function similarly to Daredevil’s Impairing Daggers) to strike down those who would desecrate the Wardens’ undead (a bit ironic but oh well).

Flesh Hound Mechanic and Sword Skills:


Flesh Hound Skills:
F2a. Summon Flesh Hound: Summon a flesh hound that attacks your foes (30s cooldown).
-Cast Time: 1s
F2b. Devour Flesh Hound: Consume the flesh hound, restoring your health and life force.
-Healing: 3,200 (0.4)
-Life Force: 15%
-Cast Time: 0.25s

F1a. Command Flesh Hound: Assume direct control of your flesh hound (10s cd).
F1b. Release Flesh Hound: Relinquish control of your flesh hound.

1a. Gnaw: Your flesh hound strikes foes in front of it, tormenting them.
-Damage (x2): 400 (0.6)
-2x Torment: 6s
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 130
-Cast Time: 1s
1b. Gorge: The flesh hound bites its foe, granting its master regeneration.
-Damage: 340 (0.8)
-Regeneration: 1s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 130
-Cast Time: 1s
2. Consuming Leap: Your flesh hound leaps towards its foe, stealing a boon and lifeforce (16s cd).
-Damage: 512 (0.6)
-Boons Stolen: 1
-Lifeforce: 7%
-Targets: 1
-Range: 450
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Leap
3. Wail of Sorrow: The flesh hound lets out a sorrowful howl, fearing foes and stealing life force from each foe struck (40s cd).
-Damage: 150 (0.4)
-Fear: 1s
-Life Force: 6%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 0.5s
4. Agonizing Bile: The flesh hound expels noxious bile, damaging and tormenting foes around it (25s cd).
-Damage (x6): 1200 (1.5)
-12x Torment: 4s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Channel time: 2s
5. Wail of Vengeance: The flesh hound lets out a vengeful howl, granting nearby allies and its master a variety of boons (40s cd).
-Fury: 10s
-4x Stability: 8s
-Resistance: 6s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Sword Skills:
1a. Leeching Blade: Siphon health from each foe you strike.
-Damage: 300 (0.6)
-Life Siphon Damage: 108 (0.02)
-Life Siphon Healing: 100 (0.01)
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.25s
1b. Lamenting Strike: Lash out at your foes with a tormenting strike.
-Damage: 220 (0.75)
-1x Torment: 5s
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.25s
1c. Agonizing Gash: Torment your foes and leech life force from each foe you strike.
-Damage: 280 (1.05)
-1x Torment: 6s
-Lifeforce: 4%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Grave Robber: Steal boons and life force from your foe. Recharges faster and generates additional life force when striking low health foes (20s cd).
-Damage: 465 (1.2)
-Boons Stolen: 2
-Life Force: 10%
-Additional Life Force: 20%
-Health Threshold: 33%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Recharge Reduced: 50%
-Range: 600
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3. Dread Grasp: Pull foes at the target location towards you and siphon health from each foe you strike (30s cd).
-Damage: 230 (1.8)
-Life Siphon Damage: 1200 (0.025)
-Life Siphon Healing: 900 (0.02)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s

Needles of Fate (Classified as Physical Skills):


Healing Skill:
Needle of Hunger: Throw a needle that siphons health from your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 120 (0.3)
-Life Siphon Damage: 1300 (0.01)
-Life Siphon Healing: 4100 (0.03)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)

Utility Skills:
Needle of Dismay: Throw a needle that steals boons from your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 220 (0.4)
-Boons Stolen: 3
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)
Needle of Despair: Throw a needle that transfers your conditions to your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 130 (0.4)
-Conditions Transferred: 4
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)
Needle of Anguish: Throw a needle that torments your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 150 (0.5)
-6x Torment: 10s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)
Needle of Woe: Throw a needle that fears your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 200 (0.3)
-Fear: 2s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)

Elite Skill:
Needle of Horror: Throw a needle that summons a jagged horror next to your foe (20s cd).
-Damage: 318 (0.6)
-Jagged Horrors Summoned: 1
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (100%)

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Graveyard Shift: Gain access to flesh hound abilities, swords, and physical skills.

Major Adept:
Twilight Vigil: You and your minions take less damage while under the effects of a boon:
-Damage Reduced: 10%
Feast of the Dead: Gorge now grants allies near your flesh hound regeneration. Your siphons are more effective against low health foes.
-Regeneration: 1s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Effectiveness Increased: 30%
-Health Threshold: 25%
Hand of Misery: Grave Robber and Dread Grasp inflict torment. Sword skills have reduced cooldowns.
-2x Torment: 8s
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%

Minor Master:
Rejuvenating Tears: You and your minions siphon health from foes at or above the torment threshold.
-Life Siphon Damage: 40 (0.003)
-Life Siphon Healing: 37 (0.002)
-Torment Threshold: 2x Torment

Major Master:
Deathly Chime: Wail of Sorrow and Wail of Vengeance now cast instantaneously, breaking stun for the flesh hound and its master. Gain might whenever you break a stun.
-2x Might: 7s
-Stun Break
Blood Seeker: Summoning a flesh hound leeches health from nearby foes.
-Life Siphon Damage: 540 (0.01)
-Life Siphon Healing: 525 (0.01)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
Heightened Grief: Needles of Fate inflict torment. Torment you apply lasts longer.
-3x Torment: 4s
-Duration Increase: 25%

Minor Grandmaster:
Warden’s Guard: You and your flesh hound gain a copy of each other’s boons.
-Quickness: 2s
-Protection: 2.5s
-Resistance: 2s
-Fury: 3.5s
-1x Stability: 3s
-Swiftness: 4s
-Vigor: 3s
-Aegis: 4s
-Regeneration: 2.5s
-Retaliation: 3.5s
-1x Might: 5s

Major Grandmaster:
Fate-weaver: Needles of Fate are unblockable and grant boons to you and nearby allies when cast.
-3x Might: 12s
-Regeneration: 4.25s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Unblockable
Ceaseless Hunger: Devour Flesh Hound breaks stun and reduces the recharge of Summon Flesh Hound. Flesh hounds leech health for their master.
-Life Siphon Damage: 210 (0.002)
-Life Siphon Healing: 185 (0.001)
-1x Stability: 1s
-Recharge Reduced: 33%
-Stun Break
Claws of Lament: Torment you apply scales with Power instead of Condition Damage; torment delivers a physical strike when it ticks. Cannot critically hit.
-Torment Power Scaling: (0.058 * Power) + 10.5 damage per stack per second at level 80.

Additional Notes:
-Though heavy on life siphons, the spec. has no real means of defense and/or evasion.
-Utilizes boons/boon steal for a similar reason as above.
-All numbers are guesstimates.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

This would never fit with the necromancer’s design and trait system.

Doc Von Doom – Asuran Necromancer
Gate of Madness
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Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

This would never fit with the necromancer’s design and trait system.

I don’t know about “never” but no doubt it certainly is a stretch.

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Posted by: Pulse.6120

Pulse.6120

I like the idea of necro getting new pet or even pets. This theme gave me an agile feel which is opposite of Reaper (signature slow big Grave Digger) and I like it too. I do hope Anet look at this and maybe make use of some of the ideas here.

edit: pets/minions or whatever you like to call them

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

There is a thread like this called Grave Keeper that has some really great suggestions. I really like their approach at this sort of Elite Spec more.

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Gate of Madness
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Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

There is a thread like this called Grave Keeper that has some really great suggestions. I really like their approach at this sort of Elite Spec more.

Fair enough and I partly agree; I saw that thread and, though it had some seemingly random ideas, it had a better feel than mine currently does. What suggestions do you have for this concept? More specifically, what do you dislike?

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

I mainly dislike ditching the shroud mechanic in favor of a minion. In the other thread, a suggestion came up of making a shroud that summons temporary minions, that you could then buff with meditation skills outside of shroud. I feel that is an incredibly interesting play style for a minion build and would love to play it.

Also, though I may not agree on the specific hammer skills suggested, I feel a Hammer much better fits the theme of this build rather than a Sword.

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Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

As much as I like the shroud mechanic, I figured at least one elite spec. that didn’t have it would be a nice addition. I opted for a sword because an enemy type in Dark Souls 3, I believe called “Cathedral Grave Wardens”, used swords; so I figured that would be appropriate. Also, hammers are typically slow and we already got a slow weapon with the Reaper spec. (great sword).

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

I get that you may want something other than shroud, but the shroud is the necromancer mechanic. Elite specs change mechanics in some ways. What you are suggesting is swapping our mechanic with the ranger’s mechanic.

As for hammer being slow, I have no issues with that with the theme of a minion build. Also, just as we already have a slow weapon, we also already have a fast weapon, the dagger.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Well it’s not quite the Ranger mechanic and the concept still largely functions as a shroud would except the player is no longer, well, “shrouded”. Honestly, I can’t argue with your second and third points. I personally don’t think a minion build has to be thematically slow but it certainly caters to that idea.

Edit: Besides, didn’t Rangers practically get the shroud mechanic with the “Celestial Avatar” form with the Druid spec.?

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

Yes, those kittens did steal our shroud from us. The catch is, it didn’t replace their pet mechanic. So in that sense you could introduce your pet summon mechanic as the F2, but still keep a shroud for the F1 that maybe has skills that interact with the pet in some way.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I’ve always thought that their “shroud” seemed awfully familiar. Yeah, I suppose having the “minion/pet” act as/be the shroud could be rather difficult to balance and even play as/against; not to mention it could remove some of the necro’s thematic identity. I probably won’t go and change it, since it is just an idea, but if you feel compelled enough for whatever reason to change it go right ahead. Or not, doesn’t really matter. Regardless, I appreciate all of your feedback; thanks.

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Posted by: Shaogin.2679

Shaogin.2679

Yeah no problem. It is always interesting reading these Elite Spec idea threads.

Doc Von Doom – Asuran Necromancer
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