Hi all,
I would like to know if you think that following idea is feasible or even makes sense in the greater picture.
To make the necromancer a little bit more interesting and maybe fill a niche I would like to suggest implementing other abilities that use life force.
In regard to the fact that it is called ‘Life Force’ and not ‘Death Shroud Shield Energy of Death’, it would make sense to use the energy of our enemies for more than “just” a second HP Bar. Yes, using Life Force to extend your life is making sense, but if I were a necromancer I could imagine so much more, especially when I am not targeted. The following ideas would also reflect a lot of what made necromancers so special in GW1 (example: resurrecting minions from dead bodies, getting Mana on enemy death for more buffs/debuffs).
What I would like to see from these changes is a more interesting mix of game mechanics that makes fun and gives us a better place in PvE. PvP wise I don’t think these changes would be OP, as we would sacrifice a lot of survival using LF for something else than DS. Currently LF feels Kind of useless if untraitet. With traits on the other hand, DS is strong. But you lose a lot of potential while being in normal form. I realize that the DS traits are made especially strong to reflect this.
To the ideas:
The basic idea is to create other F-Abilities that use the Life Force instead of Death Shroud. Due to the mutual exclusion this is already balancing in itself and would not require a complete change of the necromancer. In the end, the new abilities and traits need to be created while maybe weakening some DS traits and putting them together.
Example for a new F2 (MM):
Create Minion: The minion would be a shadow fiend that does not regenerate health and has no second ability to klick (the blind). It just attacks in melee range and adds some dps, eats AoEs, stares at rocks or whatever minions do at daytime. The cost could be anywhere around 25-100% of life force on use. But you can create an armee of minions via this choice as long as they are not killed. Too soften this, the minions could also surge Life Force as long as they are alive. Maybe 10% every 10 seconds per minion and if you are out of LF the minions health begins to degenerate. This mechanic would work like a passive Blood of the Master from GW1 and would reduce the maximum amount of minions to maybe 4 while having to regenerate LF ferociously to keep them alive. As soon as you are out of combat for some time, all minions will die.
Some traits could be implemented to halve the degeneration or change the summoned minion to a Bone fiend. I think this would be fun mechanic for every MM in PvE or PvP and actually create the feeling of being a Minion Master and not just the guy who has a few silly pets in his/her utility bar. Also, as some traits in the toughness line just benefit minions, any necromancer would be able to benefit from these traits without having a minion in the Utility Slot. As MM is already a thing, the creation of new traits could be neglected. Maybe.
Example for F3 (Support):
Another possible ability could be a F3 which uses life force to switch conditions to boons on group (maybe one condition per 10% LF) or to buff boons to the Group. Regeneration, vigor and might come to mind in regard to using life force. This skill consumes all LF at once, and per 1% of LF consumed the boons stay for 0.1s. Which means, at most you get 10s of boons group wide. This might also work as a well, using LF to create the well and time the well exists is 1s/10%LF. Then the well gives those buffs every second. This would make it necro specific and is in line with lore/class profile. This would also increase effect due to already existing well traits.
Example for F4 (Condition):
An F4 ability could then be created for Condition Necromancer that increases condition damage done on your enemies while toggled on, but keeps eating 10% LF per second (definitely OP in current meta), or decreases condition damage on Group by 20% per second per 10% LF, which might be more in line with the current meta.
These are just some ideas and might be OP or UP, the actual numbers and effects are flexible and open to debate.
All in all it might be too wide spread and the necromancer might lose even more of his profile, but as there seems to be not that much profile to begin with, I guess these changes would define the necromancer really good. Other classes might rage, because this would put the necromancer in the jack of all trades slots, but let`s be honest, that’s where the necromancer already is.
(edited by sternenstaub.8763)