Note: This a work in progress. Any suggestions and constructive criticisms are welcome.
Weapon: Off-hand Axe? Torch? (range: 600)
Skill type: Spirits
Changed mechanic: Empowerment (F2). Costs 5000 life force. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, it applies might to up to 5 allies (radius: 600). When this spirit dies, up to 5 allies receive one stack of might for every 5 seconds it was alive.
Note: Empowerment is thus there in addition to the core version of Shroud. Ritualists would thus have 2 different options available them to spent life force.
Weapon skills:
Skill 4: Essence strikes. Throw out three projectiles to your enemy. Each projectile deals additional damage for each stack of vulnerability on their target. 100% Projectile finisher.
Skill 5: Spirit Rift. Create a spirit rift between you and your enemy. Enemies caught within it take x damage and gain 1 stack vulnerability each second. Dark Field. (Note 1: This would be a dark field in the form of a thin line (similar to Spectral Wall). Note 2: This would be the opposite of a field growing in size, it would be a field shrinking in size. It would start disappearing at your location)
Qualities of spiritis:
Like ranger spirits, they are stationary
Like ranger spirits, using a spirit changes the skill to a destruct button.
Like ranger spirits, they have a recharge time of 20 seconds and a duration of 60 seconds.
Unlike ranger spirits, they attack with ranged attacks (range: 900? 1200?). Their attacks have a 20% chance of being projectile finishers.
Traits that affect minions, also affect spirits.
Necromancers gain life force when spirits die (similar to how they can life force when minions die).
Utility skills:
Healing skill: Recuperation. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, up to 5 allies near it gain regeneration (radius: 600). When this spirit dies, you are healed for x for every second it was alive.
Utility skill 1: Disenchantment. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, that enemy loses a boon. When this spirit dies, it converts boons from nearby enemies into conditions. One enemy is affected in this way for every 10 seconds the spirit was alive (max enemies: 5).
Utility skill 2: Destruction. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, it applies vulnerability to that enemy. When this spirit dies, it deals x damage for every second it was alive (number of enemies: 5).
Utility skill 3: Shadowsong. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, it places a small and short smoke field around that enemy (similar to the one from Black Powder). When this spirit dies, it applies blind to nearby enemies. One enemy is affected in this way for every 10 seconds the spirit was alive (max enemies: 5).
Utility skill 4: Anguish. The more conditions there are on enemies attacked by this spirit, the more damage it does. When this spirit dies, it applies fear to enemies for ¼ second for every 5 seconds the spirit was alive (number of enemies: 5).
Elite skill: Wanderlust. Whenever this spirit hits an enemy, that enemy is dazed if standing still. When this spirit dies, it knocks enemies down who are standing still and deals damage to them (radius: 600). They are knocked down for ¼ seconds and damaged for y for every 5 seconds the spirit was alive (number of enemies: 5).
Minor traits:
Adept: You can equip ? and use ritualist spirits. Gain access to empowerment.
Master: While near your spirit of empowerment, your damage is increased by 5% (range: 300).
Grandmaster: When using empowerment, you gain fury for x seconds.
Adept major traits:
Ritual Lord. Gain bonus power for each minion or spirit you control (+20 per minion or spirit). In addition, for every 3 seconds a spirit dies before its duration is up, its cooldown is reduced by 1 second.
Vengeful Weapons. You and your nearby allies siphon health when attacked (range: 600).
Master major traits:
Boon of Creation. Gain health each time you create a minion or spirit. In addition, when a spirit or minion hits an enemy it gains x health.
Splinter weapon. When dealing damage to an enemy due to life siphoning, enemies around that enemy also take that same amount of damage (range: 360). (Note: The damage dealt to enemies around the enemy, is not itself life siphoning and does not benefit from traits like vampiric or vampiric presence. )
Grandmaster major traits:
Agony. When a spirit or minion hits an enemy, it applies torment. In addition, spirits and minions gain quickness for 5 seconds when created.
Ghostly Weapon. Life siphoning is unblockable. In addition life siphoning can crit. (Note 1: This means that if a siphoning attack made by the ritualist is blocked, then the siphoning part of the attack hits, the rest of the attack is still blocked. Note 2: The crit chance for this is just your normal crit chance and if life siphoning crits both the healing and the damage are increased by your crit damage percentage.)
Note on Ghostly Weapon and Splinter Weapon: While it would be fun and flavorful if these affected all life stealing caused by you (thus also life stealing done by allies due to vampiric presence and vengeful weapons or life stealing done by minions due to vampiric) it would probably be more balanced if it only applied to life stealing done by you directly. I’m not sure.