Alright warriors, after gathering all your feedback, we are ready to present the next set of changes to the Berserker specialization. These changes primarily address the concerns with the torch weapon and some of the traits, but also include changes to berserk mode and several primal burst and rage skills.
Smoother Berserk Mode
Berserk mode was pretty good overall, but we felt like the global cooloown on burst skills and the attack speed not matching with other attack speed bonuses felt a little awkward in practice.
- Berserk: Removed the 0.5 recharge before you are allowed to activate a berserk burst after entering berserk mode. Increased attack speed bonus from 10% to 15%. The voice line that plays when berserk mode is about to run out will now has a 1 in 3 chance of playing (“Grrr no!”). Fixed a bug that caused the recharge of this skill to be reduced by the trait Versatile Power
More Competitive, Less Confusing Traits
We’re bringing up the power of some of the weaker or more niche traits to be more reliable while removing some of the elements from other traits that didn’t make sense (example: adrenaline bonus for Dead or Alive). These should help make the traits easier to understand while making them more competitive at each tier. Smash Brawler and Bloody Roar have significant changes this time around as feedback indicated that the top row of traits was the weakest by far.
- Always Angry: This trait now refreshes when berserk mode ends.
- Bloody Roar: Removed bonus effectiveness based on range. Now taunts for 1.5s and applies 4 stacks of bleeding at all distances. Now gives 3s of Fury for each foe taunted.
- Dead or Alive: This trait now heals for a flat amount which is approximately 100% more than the original minimum value rather than scaling with your adrenaline level. Added 30s ICD.
- Distracting Strikes: Fixed an issue which caused the the stun from Headbutt to confuse the caster.
- Fatal Frenzy: Increased quickness duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds. Now also grants 3 seconds of swiftness when berserk mode is activated.
- Last Blaze: Increase burn duration from 2s to 3s. Changed timing of the burning caused by this trait to occur with the skill hit.
- Smash Brawler: Changed functionality of this trait. This trait now reduces the recharge of berserk mode and primal burst skills by 33%.
Torch Burns Faster
Most of the torch feedback we got tended to focus around how the torch felt to use rather than its functionality. Torch skill activation speed and burning have been tuned up a bit to make it feel more like weapon worthy of the speedy Berserker.
- Blaze Breaker – Lowered damage of strikes by 20%. Increased range from 400 to 600. Increase burning duration from 2s to 3s. Increased radius of individual attacks so it is easier to hit foes with multiple strikes. Lowered cast time by 0.15 seconds, reduced aftercast by 0.18 seconds. Fixed a bug which caused this skill to go on full recharge if it was canceled before it fully activated.
- Flames of War – Added icon to show duration of this skill. Added additional effects to final explosion. Lowered duration of burning applied by final hit from 5 seconds to 3 seconds. Lowered cast time by 0.25 seconds. Fixed a bug which caused this skill to go on full recharge if it was canceled before it fully activated.
Stronger Primal Bursts
We’re tuning up a few of the more lackluster primal burst skills and toning down Gun Flame, because as awesome as it was, it was a little too strong. Arcing Sear has had the most significant change in that it’s been changed from a condition burst back to a power based burst similar to the old Arcing Slice. This new version, Arc Divider, has some clear tradeoffs: larger range, more execute damage, but no fury to differentiate it from Arcing Slice.
- Arcing Sear: This skill has been replaced with Arc Divider. Arc Divider creates a 450 range shockwave that damages up to 5 foes it hits. This skill deals 75% more damage to foes below 50% health.
- Decapitate – The shockwave from this attack now deals the same damage as the initial attack. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to list higher than actual damage when traited with Burst Mastery.
- Flaming Flurry – Increase burn duration from 1s to 2s.
- Gun Flame: Now only explodes on the first target hit. This skill now allows player movement during casting.
- Rupturing Smash: Instead of knockback this skill now causes 1 second of immobilize on hit. This skill can no longer hit the same target twice. Increased damage by 100%.
- Scorched Earth – Updated to be a rectangular area of effect. Adjusted arrow flight type to more closely match ground AoE.
- Skull Grinder: Replaced Weakness condition with 4 stacks of Bleeding for 8 seconds.
Rage Skills
Blood Reckoning and Sundering Leap were consistently pointed out as being pretty weak in the last beta so we’re making some changes to make them feel more valuable. Wild Blow and Shattering Blow are getting increased hitboxes to make them easier to use.
- Blood Reckoning: Changed functionality. This skill now has a small heal on activation and grants 25% bonus critical hit chance for its duration. During its duration you are healed for 35% of critical hit damage and receive 1 adrenaline when you land a critical hit. Reduced aftercast by 0.3s. Fixed a bug which prevented this skill from receiving the benefits from the Restorative Strength trait.
- Outrage: Updated FX for this skill.
- Shattering Blow: Increased area of initial projectile reflection zone by 100%. Increased radius of secondary reflection zone by 33%.
- Sundering Leap: Now also inflicts cripple for 5 seconds on targets hit. Increased damage by 250%.
- Wild Blow: Increased hit box size to match other melee attacks.
These changes will be available for you to test in the next BWE and we hope that they will improve your experience with the Berserker specialization.