Showing Posts For Dignified Loser.7689:

Return the glory of Minions

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Lily.1935:

Two points.

First the bone minions. With the current way the traits work there really isn’t room to modify just one minion skill in how they work. Its also just better to improve it at its base. And I’ve been doing some major thinking on that and I feel that 5 is the best number for them at least in terms of PvE.

The second point is I purposely left open idea for Shadow fiend, Bone Fiend, flesh worm and Flesh Golem for people to make suggestions to make them higher quality.

Two points:

First, yeah, that’s fair. 5 seems a little much in my opinion, but I may very well be wrong.

Second, I haven’t particularly used Shadow Fiend and Bone Fiend so I’ve no clue what to do about those (besides a cooldown reduction). The rest I feel are adequate from my own experience, but if I had to say anything I might change:
-Flesh Wurm: Give it a melee attack in addition to it’s current ranged one. Instead of teleporting to the wurm maybe swapping places with it (without killing it) could make it more versatile.
-Flesh Golem: Allow it to work underwater? Give a temporary buff to nearby allies and/or minions when activating it’s “charge” ability (like a 10% damage/condi damage buff for 15 seconds)?

Predictions for Sandshroud & Torch Mechanics

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

So long as it can be used for both condi and power builds (even if catering to/favoring condi) and it’s “fun/interesting” I’m down with whatever.

Signet of Undeath

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Beyond the much needed cooldown and cast time reductions, if it healed some amount in addition to resurrecting it wouldn’t be bad and could be used more often and less situationally.

Or something like this:

Lahmia.2193:

Why not just go the Illusion of Life route and have it on a short-ish cast time (1.25s) and res downed allies. However if they do not kill a exp giving foe within 15s they go back down again.

Return the glory of Minions

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Though I too personally prefer the idea of a lot of little kittens swarming someone, I feel that both options of a couple bulkier minions and many little ones should be available. Maybe readjusting the number of Bone Minions to 3 or 4 inherently or through a trait could help as well as a much needed “fix” to Lich Form/Mark of Horror (jagged horrors) to be more active and useful without being (too) exploitable. Perhaps like the often suggested complete overhaul of the skill and a new one for jagged horrors (like the multiple suggestions for a “Signet of Horror” if I’m not mistaken). As it stands, the only way to get a large “zerg” of minions reliably is through “Rise,” which is locked behind an elite specialization (for better or for worse).

Perhaps the trait “Death Nova,” or any other minion traits, could adjust/modify Lich Form if it will never be significantly changed. Like maybe have an incrementally reduced cooldown based on the number of summoned minions and/or foes killed by minions?

Also, maybe minions could use lifeforce instead of, or at least with a reduced, cooldown. That way lifeforce could be used beyond just a “second health bar” and minions/their skills could be used more frequently/actively.

That’s my two cents at least.

Design The Two "Missing" Elites!

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Signet of Woe: (50s Recharge)
Passive: Foes that strike you may become vulnerable.
Active: Fear foes at the target location.
- Passive Damage: 12 (0.1)
- Active Damage: 560 (1.8)
- Vulnerability (x1): 10s
- Fear: 2s
- Number of Targets: 3
- Chance: 33%
- Range: 900
- Radius: 240
- Cast Time: 1s

Well of Dismay: Target area pulses, crippling and slowing enemies (50s recharge).
- Damage (x6): 936 (1.1)
- Crippled: 3s
- Slow: 1.5s
- Number of Targets: 5
- Pulses: 1s
- Duration: 5s
- Range: 900
- Radius: 240
- Unblockable
- Combo Field: Dark
- Cast Time: 1s

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Elite Concept: Harbinger

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Dadnir.5038:

Do you lose LF while being hitten in shroud or life? I’d really like the idea of an external shroud surrounding the necromancer instead of the necromancer becoming the shroud.

I am wondering how you see :
- Gorge interacting with Path of corruption
- Gnaw interacting with Transfusion

I’m seeing a bit late that rodent are not minion? Are they some spectral thing image that surround the shrouded necromancer (visual effect)?

Sacrifice : In my opinion sacrificing health directly is a bad idea. This is the kind of thing that would work in a game with dedicated healers but gw2 is not this kind of game. The idea is interesting in itself but in the end it is a bound to be as flawed as corruptions are right now.

Regarding life force drain while active there is none, since the idea was to drain all life force up “summoning” the mischief. As for the mischief/rodents, though not minions, “they” are an external shroud of sorts, but it does not protect your actual health, hence why slot skills are still usable. That being said, how many are “summoned” does impact the usefulness of the “shroud” skills. Regarding Path of Corruption and Transfusion does hold some balance issues, mostly Transfusion since Gorge is a single strike, multi-target attack. Transfusion on the other hand, since the “shroud” doesn’t function quite the same, would heal/revive the player necromancer, which, in correspondence with Sacrifice skills, could be balanced, maybe.

Sacrifices I agree are more interesting than practical, but I don’t feel like changing them so I guess it is what it is.

I adjusted the mentioned traits accordingly as you suggested.

Thanks for the feedback, it’s always appreciated.

Elite Concept: Harbinger

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Thanks for the feedback and no need to apologize.

I will offer at at least one point of clarification though:

  • The rodents/mischief aren’t minions/pets, you could say “dark energy” or simply “do more damage” or whatever; so no, no need to be concerned about too many minions. It’s really just a thematic choice if anything.

As for the rest of you points it’s all fair, specifically:

  • Boring sword skills. Yeah, I suppose I was sick of seeing conditions and wanted something without them, but I suppose, at the very least, some combo finishers and movement skills could be added.
  • Health -> Life Force is a precarious effect but I’m unsure how to improve it’s appeal. As for the two or so skills specifically mentioned, I will take your suggestions and make some edits.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Elite Concept: Harbinger

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I suppose this is an attempt at providing an atypical shroud: functions very similarly to traditional shroud skills but rather than replacing your health bar, life force is consumed, enhancing skills when more life force is consumed. You also maintain access to healing, utility, and elite skills while “shroud” is active.

Harbinger: Focuses on manipulating health and life force to gain a risky advantage. Gains access to main-hand swords and sacrifices. Sacrifice skills consume health (and/or life force when traited) in exchange for stronger abilities/effects.

Mischief Skills and Main-hand Sword Skills:


F1a. Summon Undead Mischief: Consume your life force to summon undead rodents to attack your foes; summoning rodents based on your current life force (10s cooldown).
-Life Force Consumed per Rodent: 10%
F1b. Dismiss Mischief: Disperse all remaining rodents, gaining a small amount of life force for each rodent dismissed.
-Life force: 1%

Mischief “Shroud” Skills:
1. Gnash: Command a rodent to attack your foe; attacking more frequently the more rodents you have.
-Damage: 600 (0.75)
-Bleeding (x1): 6s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Gorge: Send a group of rodents to leech health from your foes (15s cd).
-Damage: 512 (0.6)
-Bleeding (x3): 7s
-Life Siphon Damage: 115
-Life Siphon Heal: 175
-Targets Above Five Rodents: 3
-Targets Below Five Rodents: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
3. Dreadful Cry: Command the rodents to let out a cry, fearing foes near you (24s cd).
-Damage: 135 (0.6)
-Fear Above Five Rodents: 2s
-Fear Below Five Rodents: 1s
-Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Cast Time: 1s
4. Gnaw: Send the rodents into a frenzy, leeching health from nearby foes (35s cd).
-Damage Above Five Rodents (x10): 1800 (1.7)
-Damage Below Five Rodents (x5): 900 (1.7)
-Life Siphon Damage: 80
-Life Siphon Heal: 75
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Channel time: 2s
5. Devour Vermin: Consume a rodent, healing yourself (2s cd).
-Healing: 375 (0.2)
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Main-hand Sword Skills:
1a. Consuming Stab: Stab your foes and generate life force for each foe struck.
-Damage: 540 (0.6)
-Life Force: 3%
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.25s
1b. Nefarious Slash: Slash your foes twice, bleeding them.
-Damage (x2): 440 (0.8)
-Bleeding (x2): 6s
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s
1c. Leeching Gash: Strike your foes again, leeching health from each foe struck.
-Damage: 510 (0.9)
-Life Siphon Damage: 64
-Life Siphon Heal: 100
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Devouring Blade: Leap towards your foes with a ghostly blade, leeching health and life force from them (12s cd).
-Damage: 512 (1.8)
-Life Siphon Damage: 200
-Life Siphon Heal: 475
-Life Force: 2%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 600
-Combo Finisher: Leap
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3. Soul Siphon: Leech life force from your foe, dealing more damage while above the life force threshold (20s cd).
-Damage (x15): 550 (1.2)
-Life Force: 2%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Damage Increased: 15%
-Life Force Threshold: 66%
-Range: 900
-Channel Time: 3s

Sacrifices:


Healing Skill:
Ceaseless Hunger: Sacrifice a portion of your health to break stun and cause your attacks to leech health for a period of time (20s cd).
-Life Siphon Damage: 115
-Life Siphon Heal: 300
-Health Sacrificed: 12%
-Duration: 12s
-Breaks Stun

Utility Skills:
Harbinger’s Balance: Drain your health while bleeding and leeching life force from your foe (18s cd).
-Damage (x20): 600 (1.2)
-Bleeding (x20): 2s
-Health Sacrificed (x20): 1%
-Life Force (x20): 2%
-Range: 900
-Channel Time: 5s
Fetid Consumption: Sacrifice a portion of your health to convert conditions you’re suffering from into life force (24s cd).
-Health Sacrificed per Condition: 2%
-Life Force per Condition: 1%
-Cast Time: 0.75s
Jagged Horror: Sacrifice a portion of your health to summon a jagged horror (3s cd).
-Health Sacrificed: 10%
-Cast Time: 0.75s
Harbinger’s Reprisal: Sacrifice a portion of your health to cause all incoming attacks to damage the attackers for twice the amount (30s cd).
-Health Sacrificed: 7%
-Duration: 5s
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Elite Skill:
Dread Grasp: Sacrifice a large portion of your health to heavily damage your foe. Recharges faster when killing or downing a foe (60s cd).
-Damage: 1800 (2.2)
-Health Sacrificed: 33%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Recharge Reduced: 50%
-Range: 900
-Unblockable
-Cast Time: 1.25s

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Ravaging Mischief: Gain access to undead mischief summoning, main-hand swords, and sacrifice skills.

Major Adept:
Hunger Pains: While below the heath threshold your attacks leech health.
-Life Siphon Damage: 60
-Life Siphon Heal: 50
-Health Threshold: 50%
Sacrificial Resurrection: Sacrifices heal and partially revive you and nearby allies when cast.
-Revive Percent: 2.5%
-Healing: 422 (1.0)?
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 360
Harbinger’s Persistence: So long as you have enough life force you can summon a mischief from the downed state. Take less damage while controlling a summoned mischief (15s cd).
-Damage Reduced: 10%

Minor Master:
Fate’s Will: Whenever you kill a foe you and your minions gain health (3s cd).
-Healing: 600 (0.3)

Major Master:
Devouring Swarm: While controlling a mischief periodically leech health from nearby foes.
-Life Siphon Damage: 85
-Life Siphon Healing: 70
-Number of Targets: 5
-Interval: 3s
-Radius: 360
Spiritual Blade: Sword skills have a reduced cooldown. Generate life force and partially revive nearby allies when you swap to sword (9s cd).
-Revive Percent: 3%
-Life Force: 15%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Recharge Reduced: 20%
-Radius: 300
Necrotic Nutrition: Devour Vermin additionally cleanses conditions and generates a small amount of life force.
-Conditions Removed: 1
-Life Force: 2%

Minor Grandmaster:
Harbinger’s Wrath: Deal more damage and take reduced damage based on your current health.
-Damage Increase below 75% Health: 5%
-Damage Reduced below 75% Health: 5%
-Damage Increase below 50% Health: 10%
-Damage Reduced below 50% Health: 10%
-Damage Increase below 25% Health: 15%
-Damage Reduced below 25% Health: 15%
-Combat Only

Major Grandmaster:
Ravaging Thirst: Siphoning health grants you and nearby allies a stacking power and healing power effect. Cast a Lesser Ceaseless Hunger when striking foes below the health threshold (10s cd).
-Ravaging Thirst (10s): 10 Power and 10 Healing Power
-Maximum Stacks: 10
-Life Siphon Damage: 94
-Life Siphon Heal: 260
-Health Sacrificed: 3%
-Duration: 4s
-Health Threshold: 50%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
Feast of Souls: Sacrifices instead consume life force and convert life force into health respectively. Sacrifices generate life force when cast below the life force threshold.
-Life Force: 6%
-Life Force Threshold: 50%
Mischief Pundit: Whenever you summon a mischief, summon additional rodents, increasing the effectiveness of mischief skills so long as you do not fall below the rodent threshold.
-Additional Rodents: 5
-Rodent Threshold: 10
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%

Additional Notes:
-All numbers are guesstimates.
-Naming scheme is a work in progress.
-Generally speaking, the stronger the skill the higher the health/life force cost.
-Finally, aside for the numerical aspect of “undead mischief skills”, the rodents are mostly aesthetic and can be altered accordingly.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

GS needs massive buff

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

So my two cents would be:

Greatsword Skills:
-Reduce all cooldowns by about 10% or so.
-Skill 1: reduce the cast time of each strike by 0.25s and slightly increase the range of Chilling Scythe.
-Gravedigger: Reduce the aftercast.
-Death Spiral: Add a 450 range leap/teleport.
-Nightfall: Nothing?
-Grasping Darkness: Fix its finicky nature.

Soul Eater: While wielding a greatsword your attacks leech health and deal increased damage. Gravedigger grants stability for each foe struck.
-Damage Increased: 10%
-Life Siphon Damage: 70 (0.02)?
-Life Siphon Heal: 55 (0.03)?
-1x Stability: 3s

or

Soul Eater: While wielding a greatsword your attacks leech health and deal increased damage. Cast a random (reaper) shout when you swap to greatsword (cooldown is dependent on the shout cast).
-Damage Increased: 10%
-Life Siphon Damage: 70 (0.02)?
-Life Siphon Heal: 55 (0.03)?
-Combat Only

Axe is still bad

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Might as well throw my two cents in:

I propose both axe skills 1 and 2 along with the two “axe” traits are completely changed.

Axe Skills:


1a. Rending Scythe: Slash your foe twice and make them vulnerable with a ghostly scythe.
-Damage (2x): 238 (0.88)?
-2x Vulnerability: 7s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 750
-Cast Time: 1s
1b. Unholy Scythe: Slice your foes with a ghostly scythe, crippling them and gaining retaliation for each foe struck.
-Damage: 350 (0.75)?
-Retaliation: 1s
-Crippled: 1s
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 750
-Cast Time: 0.5s

2a. Fettering Scythe: Strike your foe with a ghostly scythe and bind them to you with Ghastly Shackles. So long as the bind doesn’t break, damage your foe and generate life force every second; if enemies move out of range of this ability, the bind will break (10s cooldown).
-Damage: 298 (0.8)?
-Ghastly Shackles Damage (2x): 180 (1.5)?
-Life force per strike: 1.5%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Duration: 4s
-Range: 750
-Ghastly Shackles Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2b. Spiteful Severance: Sever the binding shackles, damaging your foe and gaining might.
-Damage: 390 (2.5)?
-2x Might: 15s
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Traits:


Unholy Fervor: Each stack of might you apply heals you every second.
-Healing per stack: 5 (0.07)?

Spiteful Spirit: Axe skills have reduced cooldowns; Ghastly Shackles have a chance to bounce and bind to an additional target. Cast Fettering Scythe when entering shroud.
-Trigger Chance: 50%
-Maximum Additional Bounces: 1
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%

Additional Notes:
-All numbers are guesstimates.
-Essentially, the axe skills become ranged/extended melee attacks (neither hit-scan or projectiles) at the expense of slightly reduced base range.
-I find the weapon skills to be rather boring to use and would like something with at least a little pizzazz.

[Suggestions] Future Elite Specializations

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Poltergeist: Focuses on taunting/impeding foes while maintaining a high retaliation up-time. Gains access to off-hand axes and manipulations.

Phantom’s Shroud and Off-hand Axe Skills:


Phantom’s Shroud Skills:
1a. Necrotic Tears: Cast two darts of necrotic energy that bleed your foes.
-Damage (x2): 400 (0.75)
-2x Bleeding: 3.5s
-Targets Per Tear: 1
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (20%)
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Consuming Grasp: Teleport towards your foe and steal their life force (15s cooldown).
-Damage: 460 (0.8)
-Life Force: 10%
-Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Mocking Cackle: Taunt foes in a cone pattern (24s cooldown).
-Damage: 512 (0.6)
-Taunt: 1s
-Targets: 3
-Range: 450
-Cast Time: 0.5s
4. Lamenting Wail: Let out a cry, bleeding nearby foes (20s cd).
-Damage (x6): 1200 (1.7)
-6x Bleeding: 5s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Channel time: 2s
5. Wrathful Cry: Shout, granting yourself and nearby allies retaliation (32s cd).
-Retaliation: 16s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Breaks Stun
-Radius: 600

Off-hand Axe Skills:
4. Unholy Thirst: Strike nearby foes, healing yourself and generating life force for each foe struck (25s cd).
-Damage: 440 (0.7)
-Healing: 520 (0.2)
-Life Force: 4%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 1s
5. Scornful Claw: Strike your foe with ghostly claws, taunting them (30s cd).
-Damage: 475 (1.8)
-Taunt: 2s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s

Manipulations:


Healing Skill:
Spiritual Rejuvenation: Heal yourself and cleanse conditions over a period of time (30s cd).
-Healing: 2000 (0.5)
-Conditions Cleansed: 1
-Duration: 3s
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Utility Skills:
Specter: Break stun and gain swiftness and retaliation (20s cd).
-Retaliation: 4s
-Swiftness: 7s
-Breaks Stun
Scourge: Summon a swarm of rats to attack your foes (30s cd).
-Damage (x18): 936 (1.6)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s
Mournful Wail: Wail in a cone pattern, terrifying foes (40s cd).
-Damage (x2): 260 (0.75)
-Fear (x2): 1s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Channel Time: 1s
Ghostly Culling: Knockback and bleed your foe (35s cd).
-Damage: 200 (0.3)
-3x Bleeding: 16s
-Knockback: 450
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Elite Skill:
Possession: Teleport towards your foe, taunting them based on their current health (60s cd).
-Damage: 510 (0.9)
-Above 75%: Taunt: 2s
-Below 75%: Taunt: 3s
-Below 25%: Taunt: 4s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Unblockable
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Poltergeist: Gain access to phantom’s shroud, off-hand axes, and manipulation skills.

Major Adept:
Manipulative Soul: Manipulation skills have reduced cooldowns and grant nearby allies retaliation.
-Retaliation: 4s
-Radius: 300
-Number of Targets: 5
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%
Spirit of Twilight: Gain life force for each foe you taunt.
-Life Force: 5%
Lingering Woe: Your control effects (stun, daze, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and taunt) have increased durations.
-Duration Increase: 12%

Minor Master:
Ghostly Guard: Entering shroud grants you retaliation.
-Retaliation: 4s

Major Master:
Revitalizing Retaliation: Retaliation you apply lasts longer. Gaining retaliation heals you.
-Healing: 115 (0.3)
-Duration Increase: 25%
Mocking Shroud: Taunting foes recharges your shroud skills. Take reduced damage from taunted foes.
-Damage Reduced: 12%
-Recharge Reduction per Pulse: 1.5s
-Interval: 1s
Ravenous Mischief: Taunting foes below the health threshold summons a Lesser Scourge to attack them.
-Health Threshold: 50%
-Damage (x5): 260 (1.6)
-Number of Targets: 1

Minor Grandmaster:
Phantom’s Finesse: While under the effects of retaliation, your successful attacks grant a stacking Ferocity and Healing Power effect.
-Phantom’s Finesse (10s): 10 Ferocity and 10 Healing Power
-Maximum Stacks: 15

Major Grandmaster:
Harbinger of Wrath: While under the effects of retaliation you deal more damage. Scornful Claw now pierces, granting retaliation for each foe struck.
-Retaliation: 3s
-Damage Increase: 10%
-Pierces
Spiritual Grief: Upon reaching the maximum stacks of Phantom’s Finesse, consume all stacks to taunt your foe on your next attack. Taunt deals damage, delivering a physical strike based on your Power; cannot critically hit. (30s cd).
-Damage: (0.4 * Power) + 325
-Taunt: 1.5s
Bane of the Haunted: Inflicting foes with fear or taunt also immobilizes them and transfers conditions.
-Immobile: 1s
-Conditions Transferred: 1

Additional Notes:
-All numbers are guesstimates.
-Some of the naming schemes are merely placeholders.

Banshee's Wail

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Dadnir.5038:

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curses. Afterall, when death spreads, there is always flies…

That’s a thought, it certainly would fit better and could perhaps move Death Magic beyond just minions and enhance it’s “defensive” and life force options, like bringing back Decaying Swarm as a minor perhaps? If only to get rid of or enhance Soul Comprehension.

Will Necros Ever Get a "Stealth" E-spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Dadnir.5038:

It’s better like this, however:

- I’m still not convince that an LF cost with no trait involved to support this kind of “sacrifice” is necessary
- Fantom’s finess seem like a “nerf me!” banner. (beside, there is a trait that support fantom’s finess before it’s availability. I’m sure that the community would complain about that kind of thing if something like that was going live)

I’d see more something like :
Spirit of twilight : Gain 5% LF per foe you taunt.

Fantom’s Finess : While under the effects of retaliation, your successful attacks grant a stacking Ferocity and Healing Power effect. 10 Ferocity and 10 Healing Power for (10s)
-Maximum Stacks: 15

Harbringer of wrath : While under the effects of retaliation, you do more damage 10%. Scornful Claw now pierces, granting retaliation for each foe struck.

Noted; I prefer these suggestions over mine anyways.

Banshee's Wail

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

It seems like a decent trait, but does anyone actually use it? Is it in the wrong tier/should be “buffed” (switches tiers with Unholy Martyr)? Hell, is it in the wrong specialization (Blood Magic)? If the latter should it be in Curses? If the prior, here’s a thought:

Banshee’s Wail: Reduces recharge on warhorn skills and increases their effect durations. Wail of Doom leeches health from each foe struck. Gain Locust Swarm when striking foes below the health threshold (30s cooldown).
-Life Steal Healing: 600 (0.01)
-Life Steal Damage: 425 (0.02)
-Health Threshold: 75%
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%
-Recharge Reduced: 20%

Edit: As per suggestion(s)/thought(s) below, this is a thought if Banshee’s Wail was moved to Death Magic (as a major grandmaster trait). In this case, Unholy Sanctuary is merged with or replaces Unholy Martyr in Blood Magic. Also, Banshee’s Wail is renamed to Lord of the Flies (or something similar):

Lord of the Flies: Reduces recharge on warhorn skills and increases their effect durations. Killing an enemy grants Locust Swarm. Locust Swarm can now be sent to target locations as a Pillar of Locusts so long as the effect is active (30s cooldown).
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%
-Recharge Reduced: 20%
-Pillar of Locusts: Send the swarm of locusts to the target location (1s cd).
-Damage: 61 (0.2)
-Crippled (2s): -50% Movement Speed
-Life Force: 1.5%
-Number of Impacts: 10
-Number of Targets: 5
-Duration: 10s
-Range: 900
-Radius: 210

Notes: Pillar of Locusts would function similarly to a Mordrem Troll’s Insect Swarm.

Thoughts?

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Will Necros Ever Get a "Stealth" E-spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Fair points, I suppose I’ll focus on taunt (and retaliation) since that likely has a higher chance to be implemented rather than stealth; thanks for the feedback.

Poltergeist: Focuses on taunting/impeding foes while maintaining a high retaliation up-time. Gains access to off-hand axes and manipulations.

Phantom’s Shroud and Off-hand Axe Skills:


Phantom’s Shroud Skills:
1a. Necrotic Tears: Cast two darts of necrotic energy that bleed your foes.
-Damage (x2): 400 (0.75)
-2x Bleeding: 3.5s
-Targets Per Tear: 1
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (20%)
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Consuming Grasp: Teleport towards your foe and steal their life force (15s cooldown).
-Damage: 460 (0.8)
-Life Force: 10%
-Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Mocking Cackle: Taunt foes in a cone pattern (24s cooldown).
-Damage: 512 (0.6)
-Taunt: 1s
-Targets: 3
-Range: 450
-Cast Time: 0.5s
4. Lamenting Wail: Let out a cry, bleeding nearby foes (20s cd).
-Damage (x6): 1200 (1.7)
-6x Bleeding: 5s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Channel time: 2s
5. Wrathful Cry: Shout, granting yourself and nearby allies retaliation (32s cd).
-Retaliation: 16s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Breaks Stun
-Radius: 600

Off-hand Axe Skills:
4. Unholy Thirst: Strike nearby foes, healing yourself and generating life force for each foe struck (25s cd).
-Damage: 440 (0.7)
-Healing: 520 (0.2)
-Life Force: 4%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 1s
5. Scornful Claw: Strike your foe with ghostly claws, taunting them (30s cd).
-Damage: 475 (1.8)
-Taunt: 2s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s

Manipulations:


Healing Skill:
Spiritual Rejuvenation: Heal yourself and cleanse conditions over a period of time (30s cd).
-Healing: 2000 (0.5)
-Conditions Cleansed: 1
-Duration: 3s
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Utility Skills:
Specter: Break stun and gain swiftness and retaliation (20s cd).
-Retaliation: 4s
-Swiftness: 7s
-Breaks Stun
Scourge: Summon a swarm of rats to attack your foes (30s cd).
-Damage (x18): 936 (1.6)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s
Mournful Wail: Wail in a cone pattern, terrifying foes (40s cd).
-Damage (x2): 260 (0.75)
-Fear (x2): 1s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Channel Time: 1s
Ghostly Culling: Knockback and bleed your foe (35s cd).
-Damage: 200 (0.3)
-3x Bleeding: 16s
-Knockback: 450
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Elite Skill:
Possession: Teleport towards your foe, taunting them based on their current health (60s cd).
-Damage: 510 (0.9)
-Above 75%: Taunt: 2s
-Below 75%: Taunt: 3s
-Below 25%: Taunt: 4s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Unblockable
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Poltergeist: Gain access to phantom’s shroud, off-hand axes, and manipulation skills.

Major Adept:
Manipulative Soul: Manipulation skills have reduced cooldowns and grant nearby allies retaliation.
-Retaliation: 4s
-Radius: 300
-Number of Targets: 5
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%
Spirit of Twilight: Gain life force for each foe you taunt.
-Life Force: 5%
Lingering Woe: Your control effects (stun, daze, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and taunt) have increased durations.
-Duration Increase: 12%

Minor Master:
Ghostly Guard: Entering shroud grants you retaliation.
-Retaliation: 4s

Major Master:
Revitalizing Retaliation: Retaliation you apply lasts longer. Gaining retaliation heals you.
-Healing: 115 (0.3)
-Duration Increase: 25%
Mocking Shroud: Taunting foes recharges your shroud skills. Take reduced damage from taunted foes.
-Damage Reduced: 12%
-Recharge Reduction per Pulse: 1.5s
-Interval: 1s
Ravenous Mischief: Taunting foes below the health threshold summons a Lesser Scourge to attack them.
-Health Threshold: 50%
-Damage (x5): 260 (1.6)
-Number of Targets: 1

Minor Grandmaster:
Phantom’s Finesse: While under the effects of retaliation, your successful attacks grant a stacking Ferocity and Healing Power effect.
-Phantom’s Finesse (10s): 10 Ferocity and 10 Healing Power
-Maximum Stacks: 15

Major Grandmaster:
Harbinger of Wrath: While under the effects of retaliation you deal more damage. Scornful Claw now pierces, granting retaliation for each foe struck.
-Retaliation: 3s
-Damage Increase: 10%
-Pierces
Spiritual Grief: Upon reaching the maximum stacks of Phantom’s Finesse, consume all stacks to taunt your foe on your next attack. Taunt deals damage, delivering a physical strike based on your Power; cannot critically hit. (30s cd).
-Damage: (0.4 * Power) + 325
-Taunt: 1.5s
Bane of the Haunted: Inflicting foes with fear or taunt also immobilizes them and transfers conditions.
-Immobile: 1s
-Conditions Transferred: 1

Additional Notes:
-All numbers are guesstimates.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Will Necros Ever Get a "Stealth" E-spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

You’re probably right; that’s a shame.

Will Necros Ever Get a "Stealth" E-spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

As the title asks, will they? It certainly seems thematically appropriate (phantoms, spirits, etc.) and would offer a new way to play. Of course, being the class it is, any stealth related “thing” would likely have a cost, like a percentage of health or life force. I suppose this is an attempt for such an idea.

Poltergeist: Focuses on taunting/impeding foes while remaining unseen. Gains access to off-hand axes and manipulations. Manipulation skills and shroud skills consume available life force in exchange for stealth and/or stronger abilities.

Phantom’s Shroud and Off-hand Axe Skills:


Phantom’s Shroud Skills:
1a. Necrotic Tears: Cast two darts of necrotic energy that bleed your foes.
-Damage (x2): 400 (0.75)
-2x Bleeding: 3.5s
-Life Force Consumed: 1%
-Targets Per Tear: 1
-Combo Finisher: Projectile (20%)
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
2. Mocking Cackle: Taunt foes in a cone pattern (25s cooldown).
-Damage: 512 (0.6)
-Taunt: 1s
-Life Force Consumed: 5%
-Targets: 3
-Range: 450
-Cast Time: 0.5s
3a. Midnight Traversal: Vanish into the shadows, gaining stealth every second. You may leave stealth to fear nearby foes (40s cd).
-Stealth: 1s
-Life Force Consumed: 14%
-Duration: 6s
-Interval: 1s
-Radius: 300
-Cast Time: 1s
3b. Dreadful Cry: Reveal yourself and fear nearby foes.
-Damage: 135 (0.6)
-Fear: 1s
-Revealed: 1s
-Life Force Consumed: 1%
-Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s
4. Lamenting Wail: Let out a cry, bleeding nearby foes (20s cd).
-Damage (x6): 1200 (1.7)
-6x Bleeding: 5s
-Life Force Consumed: 12%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Channel time: 2s
5. Wrathful Cry: Shout, granting yourself and nearby allies fury (32s cd).
-Fury: 18s
-Life Force Consumed: 10%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Breaks Stun
-Radius: 600

Off-hand Axe Skills:
4. Unholy Cloak: Strike nearby foes, gaining stealth and life force for each foe struck (30s cd).
-Damage: 340 (0.6)
-Stealth: 1s
-Life Force: 4%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 1s
5. Scornful Claw: Fear your foes at or above the health threshold, taunt them if they are below the threshold (30s cd).
-Damage: 475 (1.8)
-Fear: 2s
-Taunt: 2s
-Health Threshold: 50%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s

Manipulations:


Healing Skill:
Spiritual Rejuvenation: Heal yourself and cleanse conditions over a period of time (30s cd).
-Healing: 2000 (0.5)
-Conditions Cleansed: 1
-Life Force Consumed: 5%
-Duration: 3s
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Utility Skills:
Specter: Break stun and vanish in stealth (20s cd).
-Stealth: 2s
-Life Force Consumed: 5%
-Breaks Stun
Scourge: Summon a swarm of rats to attack your foes (25s cd).
-Damage (x18): 936 (1.4)
-Life Force Consumed: 18%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
Mournful Wail: Wail in a cone pattern, terrifying foes (40s cd).
-Damage (x2): 260 (0.75)
-Fear (x2): 1s
-Life Force Consumed: 15%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Channel Time: 1s
Ghostly Culling: Knockback your foe and vanish in stealth (35s cd).
-Damage: 200 (0.3)
-Stealth: 3s
-Knockback: 450
-Life Force Consumed: 10%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Elite Skill:
Possession: Teleport towards your foe, taunting them based on their current health (60s cd).
-Above 75%: Taunt: 2s
-Below 75%: Taunt: 3s
-Below 25%: Taunt: 4s
-Life Force Consumed: 20%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Unblockable
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Poltergeist: Gain access to phantom’s shroud, off-hand axes, and manipulation skills.

Major Adept:
Manipulative Soul: Manipulation skills have reduced cooldowns and grant nearby allies fury.
-Fury: 4s
-Radius: 300
-Number of Targets: 5
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%
Spirit of Twilight: Gain life force every second while in stealth.
-Life Force: 2%
Lingering Woe: Your control effects (stun, daze, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and taunt) have increased durations.
-Duration Increase: 12%

Minor Master:
Ghostly Guard: While in stealth, conditions are less effective on you.
-Effectiveness Reduced: 15%

Major Master:
Revitalizing Fury: Fury you apply last longer. While under the effects of fury, a percentage of your critical hit damage heals you.
-Duration Increase: 25%
-Percent: 6%
Unseen Malice: Cast Unholy Cloak at the end or your dodge roll (30s cd).
-Damage: 340 (0.6)
-Stealth: 1s
-Life Force: 4%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Combat Only
Ravenous Mischief: Taunting foes at or below the health threshold summons a Lesser Scourge to attack them.
-Health Threshold: 50%
-Damage (x5): 260 (1.4)
-Life Force Consumed: 5%
-Number of Targets: 1

Minor Grandmaster:
Phantom’s Finesse: Striking foes while in stealth generates life force and grants fury (1s cd).
-Fury: 2s
-Life Force: 6%

Major Grandmaster:
Harbinger of Wrath: While under the effects of fury, your successful attacks grant a stacking ferocity effect. Scornful Claw now pierces, granting fury for each foe struck.
-Harbinger of Wrath (10s): 10 Ferocity
-Maximum Stacks: 20
-Fury: 3s
-Pierces
Whispering Shroud: Wrathful Cry additionally grants stealth to you and nearby allies. Shroud skills recharge faster while you are in stealth.
-Stealth: 4s
-Recharge Reduction per Pulse: 1.5s
-Interval: 1s
Bane of the Haunted: Inflicting foes with fear or taunt also immobilizes them and transfers conditions.
-Immobile: 1s
-Conditions Transferred: 1

Additional Notes:
-All numbers are guesstimates.
-Generally speaking, the stronger the skill the higher the life force cost.
-Life force still drains while in shroud in addition to the life force cost.
-Manipulations can still be activated even if you have 0% life force as they only consume available life force.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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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.

Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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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)

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).

Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

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.

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?

Elite Spec. Concept: Grave Warden

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Shaogin.2679:

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.

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)

(Rework) Necromancer Axe

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Erasmus.1624:
Dignified Loser.7689:

I too agree that axe should remain as a ranged weapon, but, no matter how unlikely, I’d like it to be almost completely reworked. My biggest gripe is that it’s boring to use and I can do similar, if not better, “things” using a dagger at close to mid range (Life Siphon and Dark Pact). I also feel this way about the corresponding trait Unholy Fervor. So if we’re bullkittenting ideas I might as well put my two cents in.

Axe Skills (skills are no longer “hit-scan”):


1a. Rending Claws: Slash your foe twice with ghostly claws to make them vulnerable.
-Damage (2x): 260 (0.9)?
-2x Vulnerability (7s): 2% Incoming Damage, 2% Incoming Condition Damage
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s
-Projectile Finisher: 20%
1b. Ghastly Claws: Summon spectral claws to slash your foe in a quick flurry of strikes, gaining life force per strike.
-Damage (3x): 375 (0.9)?
-Life Force: 6%
-Range: 900
-Channel Time: 0.75s
-Projectile Finisher: 20%
1c. Ghastly Talon: Slice foes in front of you with a conjured spectral scythe, gaining life force for each foe struck.
-Damage: 214 (1.3)?
-Life Force: 2.5%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.75s

2. Debilitating Talon: Weaken foes and make them vulnerable with a conjured ghostly scythe (15s cd).
-Damage: 380 (2.1)?
-3x Vulnerability (18s): 3% Incoming Damage, 3% Incoming Condition Damage
-Weakness (4s): -50% Endurance Regeneration, 50% Fumble (Unrestricted)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s

3. Unholy Feast: Cripple nearby foes and convert their boons into conditions. Gain retaliation for each foe you strike (12s cd).
-Damage: 272 (0.8)?
-Retaliation (3s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.
-Crippled (5s): -50% Movement Speed
-Converted to Conditions: 1
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Cast Time: 1s
-Combo Finisher: Blast

Trait (switches tiers with Spiteful Spirit):


Unholy Fervor: Regenerate health every second and deal more damage while under the effects of retaliation. Rending Claws and Ghastly Claws projectiles can now bounce, granting struck allies retaliation. Axe skills have reduced cooldowns.
-Healing: 75 (0.18)?
-Retaliation (2s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.
-Number of Bounces: 1
-Damage Increase: 10%
-Cooldown reduced: 20%

I can appreciate the work on trying to update the weapon! My only issues are:

  • 1) The cooldowns you’ve slapped onto the 2 and 3 skills are horrendous. I mean, I get that most weapons are often skill dumps that lead into 9 seconds of autoattack spam with sometimes 1 skill in reserve for panic twitching, but it’d be nice if we could move away from that for the sake of making a weapon set worth camping outside of it having a powerful auto.
  • 2) The single bounce in the trait isn’t going to be worth it because of how cluttered fights will probably end up seeing that effect lost in a cloud of AI units and players of both sides. It’ll be probably OK in a 1v1, but that’s it; that really sort of dooms its potential versatility and pigeon-holes it into a selfish role. I know that that’s probably what you were going for (buff for 1v1s), but balancing around 1v1s really limits the potential of an ability when the rest of the game often involves far more numbers on either side.

I kind of like the Unholy Ferver rewarding the maintenance of a boon (or at least promoting a window of benefit), but keeping boons up in this game is too easy. It’s not an intuitive benefit; it just encourages spamming to maximize the retal upkeep. Sure, there’s some level of optimal usage placed in the hands of the player (waiting for a lot of targets for longer retal) and the fact that you might want to corrupt a specific boon, but ultimately the fact that boons are so widespread and spammy nowadays undermines any sort of intended accuracy for a single-boon corrupt and leaves the player mostly just recasting the ability off cooldown with no real consequence.

All fair points, well except for the commentary of skill 3 as I only added a blast finisher aspect a did nothing else; so that’s how it functions in game now. That being said, I’m torn between weapon sets having powerful skills used intermittently or average skills used often. I figured axe skills would be the prior and so I wanted to at least make skill 1 interesting if it were to be used “too” much. I suppose I can take a look into it and reduce the dependency of spamming skill 1 as well as the all too situational design(s) of the trait. Thanks for the suggestions.

(Rework) Necromancer Axe

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I too agree that axe should remain as a ranged weapon, but, no matter how unlikely, I’d like it to be almost completely reworked. My biggest gripe is that it’s boring to use and I can do similar, if not better, “things” using a dagger at close to mid range (Life Siphon and Dark Pact). I also feel this way about the corresponding trait Unholy Fervor. So if we’re bullkittenting ideas I might as well put my two cents in.

Axe Skills (skills are no longer “hit-scan”):


1a. Rending Claws: Slash your foe twice with ghostly claws to make them vulnerable.
-Damage (2x): 260 (0.9)?
-2x Vulnerability (7s): 2% Incoming Damage, 2% Incoming Condition Damage
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s
-Projectile Finisher: 20%
1b. Ghastly Claws: Summon spectral claws to slash your foe in a quick flurry of strikes, gaining life force per strike.
-Damage (3x): 375 (0.9)?
-Life Force: 6%
-Range: 900
-Channel Time: 0.75s
-Projectile Finisher: 20%
1c. Ghastly Talon: Slice foes in front of you with a conjured spectral scythe, gaining life force for each foe struck.
-Damage: 214 (1.3)?
-Life Force: 2.5%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.75s

2. Gouging Talon: Blind foes and make them vulnerable with a conjured ghostly scythe (10s cd).
-Damage: 380 (1.9)?
-4x Vulnerability (10s): 4% Incoming Damage, 4% Incoming Condition Damage
-Blind (2.5s): Next outgoing attack misses
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.5s

3. Unholy Feast: Weaken nearby foes and steal their boons. Gain retaliation for each foe you strike (12s cd).
-Damage: 272 (0.87)?
-Retaliation (3s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.
-Weakness (4s): -50% Endurance Regeneration, 50% Fumble (Unrestricted)
-Boons Stolen: 1
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Cast Time: 1s
-Combo Finisher: Blast

Trait (switches tiers with Spiteful Spirit):


Unholy Fervor: Regenerate health every second and deal more damage while under the effects of retaliation. Gouging Talon can now grant you and nearby allies retaliation and regeneration for each foe successfully struck. Axe skills have reduced cooldowns.
-Healing: 75 (0.18)?
-Retaliation (2s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.
-Regeneration (1s): Gain health every second; stacks duration.
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 360
-Damage Increase: 10%
-Cooldown reduced: 20%

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

New Elite Specialization Contest (Closed)

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

nopoet.2960:

Ok so while we wait I wanted to ask a question. Did anyone else think the current core necromancer trait list severely limits how creative Anet can be with elite specs in the future? They are just too specific to exist and will cause problems for the designers when they think though future elite specs. What do you all think?

Yeah, I believe they definitely will cause some problems. However, in my opinion, that’s okay. Some of the incredibly specific traits, like Transfusion, are some of my favorites simply because of their potent yet specific enhancement(s). If anything it would be rather bland without them and I probably wouldn’t mind one or two more specific traits (not necessarily related to shroud/shroud skills). The designers could leave the traits as is and simply make some elite specs incapable of interacting with those traits. Well, incapable of interacting so long as the specs have other (equally) desirable qualities/traits/skills/whatever. But, yeah, I still think they might cause issues in the end.

New Elite Specialization Contest (Closed)

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I refuse to believe all necros have to be lumbering “sticks in the mud.” So I would appreciate a more mobile, evasive elite specialization. “Cultists” (Occultists/something similar/better) quickly harass foes with debilitating and impairing conditions while supporting allies at a variety of ranges; often at the expense of oneself. Cultists utilize pistols as “modern age” conduits of magic for afar confrontations while conjuring a ghostly blade to eviscerate those nearby. Dabbling in the dark arts, Cultists enchant their weapons to inflict debilitating and horrific effects upon their adversaries. These practitioners attempt to support their fellows as well, if only to further their foes’ demise.

Shroud and Pistol Skills:


Shroud Skills:
1a. Phantom Blade: Lash out at your foes with a ghostly blade.
-Damage (x2): x
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.5s
1b. Spectral Strike: Strike your foes again.
-Damage: x
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Number of Targets: 2
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.25s
1c. Nefarious Slash: Slash foes around you, gaining fury for each foe struck.
-Damage: x
-Fury: 1s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 1.25s
-Combo Finisher: Whirl
2. Ghastly Blade: Stab the phantom blade into foes, leeching lifeforce from each foe struck (20s cooldown).
-Damage: x
-Lifeforce: 6%
-Targets: 3
-Range: 300
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3. Dread: Teleport to your foe, inflicting heavy damage and fearing them (30s cd).
-Damage: x
-Fear: 1.5s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
4. Despair: Send out withering shadows toward your foes (40s cd). (something similar to the Thief elite Trick Dagger Storm)
-Damage (x12): x
-Weakness: 4s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 900
-Channel time: 4s
-Projectile Finisher: 100%
5a. Mournful Dusk: Envelop yourself in shadows becoming a mobile dark field, gaining lifeforce and retaliation every second (50s cd).
-Retaliation: 2s
-Lifeforce: 7%
-Radius: 180
-Duration: 5s
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Combo Field: Dark
5b. Rending Shadows: Cast off the shadowy cloak, blinding and crippling enemies.
-Damage: x
-Blind: 7s
-Crippled: 7s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 600
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Pistol Skills:
4a. Field of Dismay: Fire a shot, causing shadows to rupture at the target location, pulsing damage every second and generating lifeforce for each foe struck (28s cd).
-Damage (x4): x
-Lifeforce: 1.5%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 1200
-Radius: 240
-Duration: 4s
-Cast Time: 0.75s
-Combo Field: Dark
4b. Shadowed Traversal: Teleport to the field, consuming the shadows and gaining lifeforce.
-Liferforce: 12%
-Range: 1200
5. Whispering Twilight: Shoot a burst of four shrouded shots; the first inficts blind, the second weakness, the third crippled, and the fourth inflicts fear (32s cd).
-Damage (per projectile): x
-Blind: 7s
-Weakness: 5s
-Crippled: 6s
-Fear: 1s
-Number of Targets: 1 (per projectile)
-Range: 1200
-Channel Time: 1.75
-Projectile Finisher: 100%

Enchantment Skills (Essentially Venom skills, but with the caveat of one “charge” only hits one foe):


Healing Skill:
Enchantment of Leeching: Your next attacks leech health (42s cd).
-Siphon Damage: 1200
-Siphon Heal: 2300
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3

Utility Skills:
Enchantment of Withering: Your next attacks inflict weakness and crippled (42s cd).
-Weakness: 6s
-Crippled: 9s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3
Enchantment of Gouging: Your next attacks inflict blind and remove boons (42s cd).
-Blind: 7s
-Boons Removed: 2
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3
Enchantment of Horror: Your next attacks summon jagged horrors (42s cd).
-Jagged Horrors Summoned: 1
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3
Enchantment of Agony: Your next attacks transfer conditions (42s cd).
-Conditions Transferred: 3
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3

Elite Skill:
Enchantment of Dread: Your next attacks inflict fear (42s cd).
-Fear: 1.25s
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Charges: 3

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Occult Emissary: Gain access to Cultist’s shroud, pistols, and enchantments.

Major Adept:
Writhing Shadows: Your dark fields last longer and generate lifeforce upon being cast. Casting a dark field has a chance to blind you.
-Self Blind: 2s
-Lifeforce: 7%
-Duration Increased: 1s
-Chance: 33%
Dread Paranoia: You can use Dread twice before it goes on cooldown. Whenever you inflict a foe with fear, you have a chance of fearing yourself.
-Self Fear: 1s
-Chance: 12%
Soul Bound Sorceries: Enchantments have reduced cooldowns and grant you and nearby allies fury, but now consume available lifeforce upon being cast.
-Fury: 4s
-Lifeforce Consumed: 5%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 360
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%

Minor Master:
Rising Conspirator: Your critical hits grant you retaliation when striking foes above the health threshold.
-Retaliation: 3s
-Health Threshold: 75%
-Cooldown: 1s

Major Master:
Spectral Blade: Phantom blade skills (shroud 1 and 2) have increased range and generate lifeforce for each foe they strike but do less damage when you are below the lifeforce threshold.
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Range Increased: 150
-(Self) Damage Reduced: 15%
-Lifeforce Threshold: 50%
Midnight Traversal: Field of Dismay and Shadowed Traversal have significantly increased ranges but reduced durations and increased cast times.
-Range Increased: 600
-Duration Decreased: 2s
-Cast Time Increased: 0.25s
Gnashing Coalition: You and nearby allies gain a stack of “Gnashing Coalition” whenever you are struck while under the effects of retaliation. You take increased damage while under the effects of retaliation.
-Gnashing Coalition (8s): Gain increased ferocity.
-Ferocity per Stack: 20
-Maximum Stacks: 10
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 360
-(Self) Damage Increased: 10%

Minor Grandmaster:
Enraging Contingency: While below the health threshold your attacks grant fury.
-Fury: 2s
-Health Threshold: 33%

Major Grandmaster:
Spectre of Mourning: While under the effects of fury you take less damage and your critical hits reduce the cooldown of your shroud and Mournful Dusk. Fury has significantly reduced effectiveness on you.
-Cooldown Reduced: 1s
-Damage Reduced: 12%
-Effectiveness Reduced: 50%
Revitalizing Dark Arts: Enchantments can now be cast instantly, breaking stun and restoring health but have one less charge.
-Healing: 1000
-Charges Removed: 1
-Stun Break
Rend the Wolves; Tend the Flock: Despair and Whispering Twilight have reduced cooldowns and ricochet to additional targets while granting struck allies retaliation. However, the skills cripple you and consume available lifeforce upon being cast.
-Retaliation: 6s
-Self Crippled: 3s
-Lifeforce Consumed: 10%
-Additional Bounces: 1
-Cooldown Reduced: 20%

Additional Notes:
-Any (all) mentioned numbers are “guesstimates”.
-Ironically, I was already thinking of something with “venom” skills, impairing conditions, and retaliation; so similarities to others are merely coincidental.
-I believe “self-harming/trade-off” skills/traits would be interesting beyond Corruptions and this attempts to satiate that desire in part.
-Edits are for clarification/adjustments and correcting typos.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

[Suggestion] Next elite spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Ceit.7619:

While I appreciate the effort you went through to list all that, I would say that the skills/traits would only serve to overwrite rather than add to, with some redundancy through in. Necro already has one of the best condi specs around in pve and this would only serve to compete with their own other specs. Shroud 1 alone is probably too powerful when you consider people speccing into Dhuumfire being able to stack burning, poison and torment by pressing 1. Confusion on the sword skills is too much as well, as this is in general a Mesmer condition and kind of comes out of nowhere for this. The spec enhanced condi setups, siphon setups, and crit setups which is a little all over the place if you ask me.

You know what, you’re absolutely right. Honestly, I was just kinda kittenting ideas out, but I suppose I should’ve reigned it in a bit more. Thanks for the feedback; I’ll make some adjustments.

Thoughts on Death Magic

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Figured I might as well put what I believe should be changed without all the “or’s”

Death Magic 2.0:


Minor Adept: Armored Shroud
Unholy Providence: Whenever you gain protection, gain retaliation.
-Retaliation (3s)

Major Adept: Putrid Defense
Death Nova: Minions explode in a cloud of poison when they die. This effect also triggers when you are downed. Take less damage from poisoned foes.
-Damage Reduced: 10%

Minor Master: Soul Comprehension
Dark Armor: Gain toughness based on your current lifeforce.
-Toughness above 75% Lifeforce: 125
-Toughness below 75% Lifeforce: 250
-Toughness below 50% Lifeforce: 375
-Toughness below 25% Lifeforce: 500
-Combat Only

Major Master: Reaper’s Protection
Channeled Fervor: Gain increased toughness and generate lifeforce while channeling and while afflicted with crowd control effects. Successfully channeling a skill grants you protection.
-Protection (4s)
-Lifeforce: 2%
-Attribute Adjusted: 400
-Interval: 1s

Minor Grandmaster: Beyond the Veil
Reaper’s Protection: Leaving shroud grants you, your minions, and nearby allies protection.
-Protection (3s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300

Major Grandmaster: Death Nova, Unholy Sanctuary
Beyond the Veil: Shroud 5 inscribes a Mark of Horror; however, the skill has an increased cooldown. (Potentially too strong but it would be fun to use)
-Minion Damage: 318
-Minion-Inflicted Bleeding (5s)
-Radius: 360
-Cooldown Increased: 20s (could probably be more)

Unholy Sanctuary: Regenerate your health and endurance while in shroud. If struck with a lethal blow, fully regenerate your lifeforce and activate shroud.
-Healing: 165
-Endurance Gained: 3 (guessed; could be more or less)
-Lifeforce: 100%
-Interval: 1s
-Cooldown: 90s

[Suggestion] Next elite spec?

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I refuse to believe all necros have to be lumbering “sticks in the mud.” So I would appreciate a more mobile, evasive elite specialization. For example:

Poltergeist (or something more suitable): Haven’t thought of a good description, but something similar to a “caster/summoner” in some way. The E-spec grants access to swords (main hand) and “tricks” for utility skills. The tricks are broken up into two sub-categories:
-Harrowing Blades: Thin, shadowy blades that jut from the ground (similar to Mind Stab: Mesmer greatsword 3) leeching health and lifeforce from up to three targets in a 180 radius. (Note: blade skills get an equivalent skill for underwater combat)
-Phantoms: Shadowy figures that are impervious to damage but are still susceptible to impairing conditions and cc. All phantoms fade after 10 seconds if they do not successfully strike (includes blocked attacks) a target or have their sequence skill activated (when applicable).

Shroud and Sword Skills:


Shroud Skills:
1. Whispering Twilight: Lash out at your foes with sundering shadows.
-Damage (x3): x
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 600
-Cast Time: 1.5s
2. Ghastly Blade: Summon a blade at the target location, leeching lifeforce from foes (12s cooldown).
-Damage: x
-Lifesteal Damage: 35
-Lifesteal Heal: 30
-Lifeforce: 6%
-Targets: 3
-Radius: 180
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3a. Dismay: Teleport to your foe and fear them (32s cd).
-Damage: x
-Fear (1s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3b. Despair: Teleport to your foe, fearing and crippling them.
-Damage: x
-Fear (1s)
-Crippled (4s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3c. Dread: Teleport to your foe, inflicting heavy damage and fearing them.
-Damage: x
-Fear (1s)
-Lifeforce: 12%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s
4. Mournful Dusk: “Breathe” festering shadows onto your foes (32s cd). (something similar to Cleansing Fire: Guardian torch 5)
-Damage (x10): x
-10x Torment (5s)
-10x Vulnerability (8s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Channel time: 2.25s
5. Withering Blades: Send out several blades in a line before you (30s cd).
-Damage: x
-Weakness (4s)
-Number of Blades: 8
-Radius: 180
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1.25s

Sword Skills:
1. Rending Shadows: Cast out three projectiles in front of you, inflicting vulnerabilty on the first projectile, cripple on the second, and torment on the third.
-Damage (per projectile): x
-1x Vulnerability (6s)
-1x Crippled (0.75s)
-1x Torment (5s)
-Range: 1000
-Projectile chance: 20%
-Cast Time: 1s
2. Harrowing Blade: Summon a harrowing blade at your targets location (8s cd).
-Damage: x
-Lifesteal Damage: 35
-Lifesteal Heal: 30
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Radius: 180
-Range: 1000
-Cast Time: 0.75s
3a. Festering Omen: Curse your foe with a festering omen, inflicting conditions and generating lifeforce while it’s active (35s cd).
-1x Torment (2s)
-1x Weakness (1s)
-Lifeforce: 2%
-Range: 1000
-Interval: 1s
-Duration: 10s
-Cast Time: 1.5s
3b. Bane of the Chosen: Teleport to your target, removing two boons and gaining fury.
-Damage: x
-Boons Removed: 2
-Fury (7s)
-Range: 1500
-Cast Time: 0.25s

Trick Skills:


Healing Skill:
Leeching Blade: Heal yourself and summon a blade that leeches health from foes (10s cd).
-Initial Heal: 1000
-Damage: x
-Lifesteal Damage: 325
-Lifesteal Heal: 900
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Number of Targets: 3
-Radius: 180
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Utility Skills:
Blades of Lament: Summon several blades at the target location (25s cd).
-Damage: x
-1x Torment (5s)
-Lifesteal Damage: 35
-Lifesteal Heal: 30
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Number of Blades: 5
-Radius: 240
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 1s

Phantom of Hosts (a): Summon a phantom at the target, or your, location, periodically inflicting conditions on nearby enemies (15s cd).
-Damage: x
-1x Crippled (2s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Range: 600
-Interval: 3s
-Duration: 10s
-Cast Time: 1s
Parasitic Gathering (b): Teleport toward the phantom, consuming it and gaining lifeforce.
-Lifeforce: 7%
-Range: 600
-Breaks Stun

Phantom of Condemnation (a): Summon a phantom that follows behind you, periodically taking your conditions to itself (40s cd).
-Conditions Removed: 1
-Interval: 1s
-Duration: 10s
-Cast Time: 1s
The Sins of One (b): Cause the phantom to rupture, spreading all of its conditions to nearby enemies.
-Damage: x
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Cast Time: 0.5s

Grieving Phantoms: Summon three phantoms that attack your target, inflicting conditions (32s cd).
-Damage (per phantom): x
-Blind (7s)
-Boons Removed (per phantom): 1
-Duration: 10s
-Cast Time: 1.5s

Elite Skill:
Blades of Despair: Summon a multitude of blades at the target location over a period of time, inflicting conditions and removing boons (90s cd).
-Damage: x
-1x Weakness (5s)
-Boons Removed: 1
-Lifesteal Damage: 35
-Lifesteal Heal: 30
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Number of Blades per Interval: 5
-Interval: 1
-Duration: 3s
-Radius: 240
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 2s

Traits:


Minor Adept:
Poltergeist: Gain access to Poltergeist’s shroud, swords, and tricks.

Major Adept:
Leeching Phantoms: Your phantoms leech health. Summon a phantom when you use your heal skill.
-Siphon Damage: 80
-Siphon Heal: 125
-Cooldown: 8s

Debilitating Blades: Your blade skills inflict cripple. Deal more damage to crippled foes.
-Blade Skill Crippled (3s)
-Damage Increased: 5%

Boisterous Entity: Whenever you gain fury, nearby allies do as well. Gain fury when you evade an attack.
-Fury (1.5s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Cooldown: 1s

Minor Master:
Enraging Contingency: Fury you apply lasts longer.
-Duration Increased: 15%

Major Master:
Gnashing Hunger: Gain a stack of “Gnashing Hunger” when you siphon health.
-Gnashing Hunger (10s): Gain increased healing power and ferocity.
-Healing Power per Stack: 10
-Ferocity per Stack: 10
-Maximum Stacks: 15

Swift Condemning: Reduces the recharge of Infectious Omen. Whenever you critically hit a target, summon a Harrowing Blade.
-Cooldown Reduced: 33%
-Cooldown: 8s

Delightful Dread: Dismay, Despair, and Dread remove boons. Whenever you remove a boon, gain fury.
-Boons Removed: 1
-Fury (0.75s)

Minor Grandmaster:
Nefarious Leech: While under the effects of fury, your critical hits siphon health and lifeforce.
-Siphon Damage: 50
-Siphon Heal: 60
-Lifeforce: 0.5%

Major Grandmaster:
Purgatory’s Emissary: Phantom skills inflict vulnerability and have a reduced recharge. Your Harrowing Blade skills are now equivalent Phantom skills.
-1x Vulnerability (5s)
-Cooldown Reduced: 15%

Midnight Traversal: Teleporting reduces the cooldown of Harrowing Blade skills and removes conditions. Your dodge roll is replaced with a short range teleport.
-Conditions Removed: 1
-Cooldown Reduced: 2s
-Range: 350

Dhuum’s Enlightenment: You periodically gain fury. Sources of fury outside of Dhuum’s Enlightenment now grant a stack of Dhuum’s Wrath, increasing the damage of your next critical hit.
-Dhuum’s Wrath (20s): Increases your next critical hit’s damage.
-Fury (2.5s)
-Interval: 7s
-Critical Hit Damage per Stack: 2%
-Maximum Stacks: 25

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Thoughts on Death Magic

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Linnael.1069:

Corrupter’s fervor, deadly strength, reaper’s protection are borderline OP and should absolutely not be touched. Try death magic in a build thats built for it; just because it doesnt synergize with the meta archetypes doesn’t mean it needs to be shoehorned into that role.

Of the ones you mentioned, I only touched Reaper’s Protection since I too think Corrupter’s Fervor and Deadly Strength are strong enough. Personally, I don’t like most of the “anti-cc” traits and Reaper’s Protection is no exception. Regardless, I was actually attempting to help the traitline better fill its own roles, not shoehorn it elsewhere. But I’m not perfect so I could have very likely glossed over some of the specialization’s subtle strengths. Ultimately, I just wanted to make suggestions and get a discussion going; not kitten on anyone’s parade, so to speak.

[Suggestion] Core Specializations Update

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I’ve been toying about the idea that if “they” ever adjust core specializations (largely “lackluster” and/or “awkward” traits versus petty number adjustments) before anything else, it would be convenient to compile all thoughts in one spot. Though, yes, other suggestions about adjusting/improving everything are around, it would be (arguably) better to start with traits:

Spite:

Major Master: Unholy Fervor
Spiteful Spirit: Remains as it currently is; just dropped down a tier

Major Grandmaster: Spiteful Spirit
Unholy Fervor: Axe skills inflict vulnerability and you deal more damage to vulnerable foes. Unholy Feast now strikes foes in a cone in front of you at longer range, granting might and recharging all axe skills for each struck foe.
-1x Might (5s)
-1x Vulnerability (3s)
-Damaged Increased: 10%
-Range Increased: 300
-Recharge Reduced: 1s

Curses:


Minor Adept: Barbed Precision
Hemophilia: Your critical hits have a chance to inflict bleeding. A portion of your condition damage heals you.
-1x Bleeding (3s)
-Chance on Critical Hit: 50%
-Percent: 4%

Major Adept: Terrifying Descent, Plague Sending, Chilling Darkness
Chilling Descent: Chill nearby foes when you take falling damage and take less falling damage. Blinding a target will also apply chill.
-Chilled (2s)
- Damage Reduced: 50%
- Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Cooldown: 3s

Plague Sending: Shroud 1 transfers conditions to your enemies.
-Conditions Transferred: 2
-Number of Targets: 1
-Cooldown: 15s

Corrupter’s Brew: Corrupting a boon grants a stack of Defiling Invigoration.
-Defiling Invigoration (12s): 10% chance to gain 1.5% lifeforce when corrupting boons.
-Maxium Stacks: 10

Major Master: Master of Corruption, Terror
Master of Corruption: Corruption skills have a reduced recharge and inflict you and you target(s) with additional conditions.
-Recharge Reduced: 20%
-(Note: Conditions inflicted are the same as the current iteration)

Lingering Curse: Increase expertise and condition damage for nearby allies. This effect is increased while wielding a scepter.
-Lingering Curse (9s): Increases expertise and condition damage of nearby allies by 60 points
-Effectiveness Increased: 100%
-Interval: 3s
-Radius: 600
-Combat Only

Major Grandmaster: Parasitic Contagion, Lingering Curse
Terror: Fear lasts longer and deals damage; deals additional damage if the target is afflicted with another condition.
-Damage Damage – conditions: 444
-Damage Damage – no conditions: 296
-Duration Increased: 50%

Harbinger: “Locust and Pestilence skills” (Locust Swarm, Deathly Swarm, Enfeebling Blood, Putrid Mark, Deadly Feast, Signet of the Locust, Plague Signet, and Plague) have reduced cooldowns, increased effect durations, and inflict torment.
-2x Torment (2s)
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%
-Recharge Reduced: 15%

Death Magic:


Minor Adept: Armored Shroud
Unholy Providence: Whenever you gain protection, gain retaliation.
-Retaliation (3s)

Major Adept: Putrid Defense
Death Nova: Minions explode in a cloud of poison when they die. This effect also triggers when you are downed. Take less damage from poisoned foes.
-Damage Reduced: 10%

Minor Master: Soul Comprehension
Dark Armor: Gain toughness based on your current lifeforce.
-Toughness above 75% Lifeforce: 125
-Toughness below 75% Lifeforce: 250
-Toughness below 50% Lifeforce: 375
-Toughness below 25% Lifeforce: 500
-Combat Only

Major Master: Reaper’s Protection
Channeled Fervor: Gain increased toughness and generate lifeforce while channeling. Successfully channeling a skill grants you protection.
-Protection (4s)
-Lifeforce: 2%
-Attribute Adjusted: 400
-Interval: 1s

Minor Grandmaster: Beyond the Veil
Reaper’s Protection: Leaving shroud grants you, your minions, and nearby allies protection.
-Protection (3s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300

Major Grandmaster: Death Nova, Unholy Sanctuary
Beyond the Veil: Shroud 5 inscribes a Mark of Horror; however, the skill has an increased cooldown. (Potentially too strong but it would be fun to use)
-Minion Damage: 318
-Minion-Inflicted Bleeding (5s)
-Radius: 360
-Cooldown Increased: 20s (probably could be more)

Unholy Sanctuary: Regenerate your health while in shroud. If struck with a lethal blow, fully regenerate your lifeforce and activate shroud.
-Healing: 165
-Lifeforce: 100%
-Interval: 1s
-Cooldown: 90s

Blood Magic:

Major Master: Banshee’s Wail
Unholy Flow: Whenever you, a nearby ally, or a nearby enemy is bleeding, gain swiftness and regeneration.
-Regeneration (2s)
-Swiftness (2s)
-Interval: 5s
-Radius: 300
-Combat Only

Major Grandmaster: Unholy Martyr
Hunger Pangs: Siphon abilities are more effective and inflict bleeding while you’re below the health threshold. Life Leech can now be used as a healing skill.
-Hunger Pangs (3s): Siphon Abilities are more effective and inflict bleeding.
-1x Bleeding (2s)
-Effectiveness Increased: 100%
-Health Threshold: 33%
Life Leech: Leech a foe’s health to heal yourself.
-Damage Damage (20x): 1,100
-Pulse Heal: 215
-Channel Time: 6.25s
-Range: 900
-Interval: 1s
-Cooldown: 7s

Soul Reaping:


Minor Adept: Gluttony
Gluttony: Activating your heal skill generates lifeforce.
-Lifeforce: 5%

Major Adept: Unyielding Blast, Speed of Shadows
Unyielding Specter: Periodically gain quickness while above the lifeforce threshold.
-Quickness (3s)
-Lifeforce Threshold: 75%
-Interval: 18s

Speed of Shadows: Move faster; this effect is doubled while in shroud.
-Movement Speed Increased: 15%
-Movement Speed Increased: 30%

Major Master: Fear of Death
Reaper’s Finesse: Critical hits have a chance to generate lifeforce. Increases lifeforce gain from skills.
-Lifeforce: 1%
-Effectiveness Increased: 20%
-Chance: 33%

Major Grandmaster: Foot in the Grave, Dhuumfire
Foot in the Grave: Gain stability and break stuns when you enter shroud. Reduces the recharge of shroud.
-1x Stability (3s)
-Breaks Stun
-Recharge Reduced: 30%

Dhuumfire: Shroud 1 inflicts burning and vulnerability on your target.
-1x Burning (3s)
-1x Vulnerability (10s)

Anyways, that’s my two cents on the matter.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Thoughts on Death Magic

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Thanks for the feedback; it’s always appreciated. Also, most of these comments/suggestions I agree with so I suppose I’ll make some adjustments.

Thoughts on Death Magic

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Krysard.1364:

Except for the interrupt ones, which imo doesnt make that much of a sense for necros, I think those are good suggestions

You have a point, but there’s a decent amount of ways, notably by corrupting stability, to interrupt others while using a necro. That’s why I thought a perk to capitalize this capability would be nice.

Lahmia.2193:

The Beyond the Veil – jagged horror mark buff would be crazy to abuse. 5 jagged horrors every 30s or less. That would be even more broken than the Viper Horror adrenal mushroom abuse on Sabetha, that was nerfed.

Oh no doubt it would be too strong, but it still would be one hell of a thing to have/use.

Thoughts on Death Magic

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Death Magic has a clear purpose and isn’t bad, but several traits, especially the minors, need improvement. Without further ado, these are my thoughts on traits that should be adjusted:

Minor Adept: Armored Shroud
Unholy Providence: Whenever you gain protection, gain retaliation.
-Retaliation (3s)

Major Adept: Putrid Defense
Putrid Defense: Take less damage from poisoned foes. Whenever you are below or at the health threshold, striking a foe or being struck by a foe poisons them.
-1x Poison (3s)
-Damaged Reduced: 10%
-Health Threshold: 40% (could be lower)
-Cooldown: 5s
Or
Death Nova: Minions explode in a cloud of poison when they die. This effect also triggers when you are downed. Take less damage from poisoned foes.
-Damage Reduced: 10%
Or
Channeled Fervor: Gain increased toughness and generate lifeforce while channeling.
-Lifeforce: 3%
-Attribute Adjust: 400
-Interval: 1s

Minor Master: Soul Comprehension
Dark Armor: Gain toughness based on your current lifeforce.
-Toughness above 75% Lifeforce: 125
-Toughness below 75% Lifeforce: 250
-Toughness below 50% Lifeforce: 375
-Toughness below 25% Lifeforce: 500
-Combat Only
(Similar to Last Rites in Blood Magic)

Major Master: Reaper’s Protection
Beyond the Veil: Generate lifeforce and blind nearby enemies when leaving shroud.
-Blind (2s)
-Lifeforce: 6%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
Or
Channeled Fervor: Channeled attacks generate lifeforce and grant protection for each successful strike. Successfully channeling a skill heals you.
-Protection (0.5s)
-Healing: 275
-Lifeforce: 1%
Or
Soul Comprehension: Gain a portion of lifeforce from nearby deaths while in shroud. Heal for a small amount when you gain lifeforce from nearby deaths.
-Healing: 50
-Percent: 15% (I guessed, could be more or less)

Minor Grandmaster: Beyond the Veil
Reaper’s Protection: Leaving shroud grants you, your minions, and nearby allies protection.
-Protection (3s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300

Major Grandmaster: Death Nova, Unholy Sanctuary
Death Nova: No change except for a cooldown reduction on spawning jagged horrors.
-Cooldown: 10s
Or
Beyond the Veil: Shroud 5 inscribes a Mark of Horror; however, the skill has an increased cooldown. (Potentially too strong but it would be fun to use)
-Minion Damage: 318
-Minion-Inflicted Bleeding (5s)
-Radius: 360
-Cooldown Increased: 15s (probably should be more)
Or
Re-animator: Whenever a minion or foe dies summon a jagged horror to fight for you. Summoning disposable minions (Summon Bone Minions, Summon Flesh Wurm, Summon Blood Fiend) has a chance to summon additional minions.
-Additional Minions: 1
-Chance: 33%
-Cooldown: 10s

Unholy Sanctuary: No change except for slightly increasing the healing per second.
-Healing: 175
Or
Unholy Sanctuary: Regenerate your and nearby allies’ health while in shroud. If struck with a lethal blow, fully regenerate your lifeforce and activate shroud.
-Healing: 120
-Lifeforce: 100%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 300
-Interval: 1s
-Cooldown: 90s
(A bit like Guardians’ Battle Presence but oh well)

Thoughts? Better suggestions?

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Soul Reaping Adjustments

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Mateo.1045:

What if Death’s Knock would instead just lower the cooldown of lifeforce generating abilities by X% instead of attack speed/damage? That wouldn’t be unprecedented, and still fit the theme of Soul Reaping being about lifeforce generation and Shroud uptime. (Mesmers get an identical trait in Illusions that lowers the recharge of all abilities that generate illusions, and it affects 1-2 abilities on absolutely every weapon)

That’s a fair point, but since several lifeforce generating weapon skills are auto-attacks it would reduce the trait’s appeal. Unless you were referring to all abilities (beyond my suggestion for just weapon ones) that generate lifeforce it could work; of course the “X%” would have to be a maximum of 10-12% to avoid significant cooldown reductions by taking both “Death’s Knock” and Spectral Mastery or Soul Eater (a real shame it hasn’t been buffed yet) for example. Though even 10% (resulting in 30% when combined) would be arguably too much for how many abilities could be affected by it.

Soul Reaping Adjustments

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

The increased attack speed and damage is a bit much actually, though it’s not as though you can have all the weapons/skills equipped at the same time. As for the Spectral Grasp aspect, it is similar to Grasping Darkness, but I envisioned it still pulling 1 target (not 5 like Grasping Darkness); the additional (5) targets just take damage and reduce the recharge of lifeforce generating weapon skills by 1s each. Also, having two “Grasping Darkness-like” skills would be somewhat amusing to use, but that’s beside the point.

Soul Reaping Adjustments

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Lahmia.2193:

I’m not too sure but the suggested idea above seems way too overpowered.

Sometimes I’m a bit dense, how specifically could it be “way too overpowered”? Though my suggestion certainly can be quite strong (and now looking back, even too strong, my apologies), I attempted to reign it in by means of access. Personally, I feel that if a trait/modifier affects one skill (like Transfusion) or specific ones (similar to Signets of Suffering and Lingering Curse), it should be relatively stronger compared to a more general modifier (like Close to Death). I also have a tendency toward “interesting ideas” rather than tediously balanced ones (regarding numbers and potential); so my suggestion(s) should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

Soul Reaping Adjustments

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Reknarok.7582:

>trait line about empowering shroud
>give us a grandmaster trait that doesn’t empower shroud

lol

To be fair, the trait line’s secondary focus is generating lifeforece i.e. Soul Marks and Spectral Mastery. So it wouldn’t completely be (but definitely some) out of place to have a grandmaster trait that indirectly or directly affects lifeforce generation rather than shroud alterations. Regardless, would it actually be a bad thing to slightly shift/reduce the “shroud only” focus of Soul Reaping? “Empowering shroud” can be done multiple ways afterall; not just futzing with on enter/exit of shroud or “x happens” while in shroud (though these definitely have some merit).

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Soul Reaping Adjustments

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

In general, if one takes Soul Reaping one also takes Vital Persistence and either Death Perception or Dhuumfire. This gets rather stale, so why not make a couple adjustments:

First, Shroud’s passive drain, as someone else suggested, could be reduced to 3% (from 4%) and Vital Persistence could be adjusted accordingly.

Second, merge Fear of Death with Terror and either forge a new trait or move Foot in the Grave here (I prefer the latter). If Foot in the Grave is moved, this is the more general (sort of), less shroud based trait I propose in its stead:

Death’s Knock: Spectral Grasp deals damage and pierces and chills up to five foes before it reaches your target. Spectral Grasp recharges lifeforce generating weapon skills for each enemy struck. Weapon skills that generate lifeforce attack faster and deal additional damage.
-Damage: x
-Chilled (4s)
-Lifeforce: 15% (the maximum regardless of the number of affected targets)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Pierces
-Range: 1200
-Damage Increase: 7%
-Attack Speed Increase: 10%
-Recharge Reduced: 1s

Third, Unyielding Blast could not only cause shroud skill 1 to inflict vulnerability but also cause the skill to strike one additional target (or something like that).

Finally, it would be nice if Gluttony also caused your healing skill to grant about 5% lifeforce on activation or simply raised the lifeforce gain increase from 10% to around 12%.

Of course this is largely superfluous since there are more pressing, “needed” changes elsewhere. Anyways, thoughts?

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Minion Abilities/Skills Without Minions

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

WereDragon.6083:

Your suggested “Putrid Explosion” Skill is quite effective for clearing out the whole second floor to my house after Taco Bell.

My condolences; I suppose one person’s “gas” is another’s “Excalibur” though.

Minion Abilities/Skills Without Minions

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I dunno if anyone else would like this or use it, but I certainly would like an option to use minion skills without the minions themselves. They have interesting effects, but I would like to have more direct control and involvement. It would obviously be through a (likely grand-master) trait, but I’m not sure which one (the trait could be called Hive-mind or some kitten). Regardless, the skills could be as follows:

“Minion-less Minion Skills”


Healing Skill:
Fiend Leech: Heal yourself and leech health from your foe (10s cd).
-Initial Heal: 1800
-Siphon Damage: 329
-Siphon Heal: 1100
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s

Utility Skills:
Putrid Explosion: Expel necrotic energy around you, blasting the area and damaging foes (12s cd).
-Damage: 1592
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Combo Finisher: Blast
-Cast Time: 0.25s

Wurm Spit(a): Vomit a projectile towards your foe, marking them and gaining access to Necrotic Traversal for 10s with a successful strike (20s cd).
-Damage: 833
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1200
-Hunted: 10s
-Projectile Finisher: 100%
-Cast Time: 1s
Necrotic Traversal(b): Teleport towards the Hunted foe and poison them.
-3x Poison (6s)
-Lifeforce: 10%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 1500
-Breaks Stun

Crippling Barbs(a): Lash out at your foe with two cripple barbs, gaining access to Rigor Mortis for 10s if both successfully strike a target (28s cd).
-Damage (2x): 572
-Crippled (3s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Projectile Finisher: 100%
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s
Rigor Mortis(b): Lash out at you foe with two immobilizing barbs.
-Damage (2x): 716
-Immobilize (2s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Projectile Finisher: 100%
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1s

Haunt: Teleport towards your foe and blind the area around them (18s cd).
-Damage: 525
-Blind (5s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 1200
-Radius: 120
-Cast Time: 1.25s

Elite Skill:
Crippling Claw(a): Slash your foes with a crippling strike, gaining access to Charge for 10s if it successfully hits (35s cd).
-Damage: 750
-Cripple: (2s)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 200
-Cast Time: 1s
Charge(b): Lurch towards your foe, knocking down or launching enemies in your path.
-Damage: 193
-Final Strike Damage: 1,444
-Stability (8s)
-Launch: 300
-Knockdown: 1s
-Number of Hits: 10
-Range: 1200
-Cast Time: 1.5s

On a completely unrelated note, I would like Spectral Walk and Spectral Wall to get slight cooldown reductions (5-10s) so they aren’t as reliant on Spectral Mastery to be generally more useful. 60 seconds and 45 seconds are a bit too high for what they inherently do. But these are purely superfluous suggestions.

Perhaps? Thoughts or other suggestions/things you would like to see?

Fixing Core Necro. Share your ideas here.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

And another thing I would like to see, others would too, is noticeable adjustments to the Axe skills and the corresponding trait Unholy Fervor. It’s not that they’re bad necessarily, just “meh” or, as stated before, flaccid:

Axe Skills: (Notably changed (auto-attack) with pieces of its current form lingering)


1a. Rending Talon: Slash your foe, making them vulnerable.
-Damage: x
-1x Vulnerability (7s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.5s
b. Gouging Talons: Summon talons to slash your foe, inflicting vulnerability per strike.
-Damage (3x): x
-3x Vulnerability (6s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Channel: 1.25s
c. Mark of Debility: Inscribe a mark that weakens and cripples foes while granting retaliation to allies when triggered.
-Damage: x
-Retaliation (2.5s)
-Crippled: 2s
-Weakness: 1.25s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Blast Radius: 300
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s

2. Ghastly Claws: Summon spectral claws to slash your foe with a flurry of strikes, generating lifeforce per strike (15s cd).
-Damage (10x): x
-Lifeforce: 18%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 900
-Channel: 2s

3. Unholy Feast: Cripple nearby foes and consume their essence, gaining retaliation for each foe struck (12s cd).
-Damage: x
-Retaliation (3s)
-Crippled (5s)
-Lifeforce: 2.5%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Blast Finisher
-Radius: 600

Unholy Fervor: (Similar to what it is currently, but with a little more “pizzazz”)


Unholy Fervor: Reduce the recharge of axe skills and while wielding an axe deal more damage to vulnerable foes. When channeling a skill, gain retaliation.
-Damage Increase: 10%
-Retaliation (2s)
-Interval: 1s
-Recharge Reduced: 20%
Or
Unholy Fervor: Unholy Feast recharges all axe skills (including Unholy Feast) and grants might for each target struck. While wielding an axe deal more damage to vulnerable foes. Striking a foe at or above the vulnerability threshold inscribes a Mark of Debility at their location.
-Damage Increase: 10%
-1x Might (8.5s)
-Vulnerability Threshold: 7
-Mark Damage: x
-Retaliation (2.5s)
-Crippled: 2s
-Weakness: 1.25s
-Number of Targets: 5
-Radius: 240
-Cooldown: 8s
-Recharge Reduced: 1s
Or
Swap Spiteful Spirit and Unholy Fervor
Unholy Fervor: Unholy Feast recharges all axe skills (including Unholy Feast) and grants might for each target struck. While wielding an axe, deal more damage to vulnerable foes. Gain retaliation when channeling a skill. You now have access to off-hand axe skills.
-Damage Increase: 10%
-1x Might (9s)
-Retaliation (2s)
-Interval: 1s
-Recharge Reduced: 1s

4a. Unholy Hunger: Lurch towards your foe and daze them, gaining access to Unholy Consumption for 8s with a successful strike (32s cd).
-Damage: x
-Daze (1.5s)
-Number of Targets: 1
-Leap Finisher
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 1.25s
b. Unholy Consumption: Bite your foe repeatedly, stealing boons and lifeforce per strike.
-Damage (5x): x
-Boons Stolen: 1
-Lifeforce: 15%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Range: 600
-Channel: 1.75s

5. Woeful Talon: Slash foes in front of you, weakening them and making them vulnerable (18s cd).
-Damage: x
-6x Vulnerability (12s)
-Weakness (5s)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 900
-Cast Time: 0.75s

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Fixing Core Necro. Share your ideas here.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I also would like to see adjustments to both Plague and Lich Form:

Plague: (Stays the same)
-A) Reduce the cooldown from 180s to 150s.
-B) Reduce the duration from 20s to 15s.
-C) If point B is done, I would also like to freely enter and exit Plague throughout its duration even if it means the added toughness and vitality is reduced.

Lich Form: (Becomes a two part skill forged from the original transformation’s skills)

Palm of the Lich (A): Send out a piercing claw, chilling and stealing boons from foes (54s cd).
-Damage: x
-Chill (4s)
-Boons Stolen: 2
-Lifeforce: 2%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Pierces
-Range: 1200
-Cast time: 1s

Fingers of the Lich (B): Teleport to the claw, cleansing conditions and inscribing a Mark of Horror, summoning five jagged horrors when triggered.
-Minion Damage: 318
-Minion-Inflicted Bleeding (5s): 110 Damage
-Conditions Removed: 5
-Lifeforce: 5%
-Breaks Stun
-Radius: 360
-Range: 1200

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Fixing Core Necro. Share your ideas here.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Sadrien.3470:
Dignified Loser.7689:

Life Transfer
-A) Reduce the channel time from 3s to 2.5s.
-B) Reduce the cooldown from 40s to 35s.
-C) Each pulse inflicts weakness (1.5s).
-D) If all pulses hit at least one target gain access to Essence Leech for 10s:
Essence Leech: Siphon health from nearby foes and bleed them.
-Damage (5x): x
-Siphon Damage (5x): 112
-Siphon Heal (5x): 100
-10 bleed (6s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Duration: 1.75s
-Radius: 600

Why add essence leech on the end? You could just make it actually apply bleeds and be done with it.

I was thinking it could be used for a “double Transfusion” where you could teleport downed fellows twice and it could also be a means to heal (through leeching health) without taking Blood Magic. Also, I felt weakness is better suited than bleed on Life Transfer thematically as well as practically: it could lessen the damage you take while siphoning lifeforce, ultimately improving your shroud uptime (perhaps just theoretically). That is, if weakness does actually reduce the drain physical damage does to you while in shroud. Finally, and possibly most importantly, I thought it would just be an interesting touch.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Suggested Soul Eater buff

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I agree, an attack speed increase and, for the sake of the trait being called Soul Eater, some form of life steal is needed. It could be interesting; however, if the attack speed (and life steal as already suggested) worked for everything as long as a greatsword was in your hands. Also, though a general cooldown on greatsword skills would be nice, I would trade it for enhanced or altered greatsword abilities:

Soul Eater: While wielding a greatsword, you attack faster and steal health. Greatsword skills are enhanced.
-Life Siphon Damage: 65
-Life Siphon Heal: 50
-Attack Speed Increase: 10%
Chilling Scythe creates a frozen line in front of you, damaging and chilling enemies.
-Damage (2x): x
-Chill (1s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Range: 600
-Radius: 150
-Pulses: 1s
-Duration: 2s
Or
“Greatsword Auto-Attack Chain Skills” each send a frozen arc/bolt towards your foes, damaging and chilling them. (Does not travel along the ground like Reaper’s Touch or Deathly Swarm)
-Damage: x
-Chill (0.5s)
-Number of Targets: 3
-Range: 750
-Radius: 150
Gravedigger steals health when it hits. (Stays the same)
-Life Siphon Damage: 130
-Life Siphon Heal: 271
Death Spiral teleports you toward your target.
-Range: 600
Nightfall poisons foes below the health threshold.
-1x poison (6s)
-Health Threshold: 50%
Grasping Darkness steals boons from each foe it strikes.
-Boons Stolen: 2

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Elite well idea:D

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

Interesting idea; however, if an elite well was ever put in the Necromancer’s repertoire, I’d figured it would be more like this:

Well of Condemning: Target area pluses, tormenting enemies and finishing off those who are downed (120s cd).
-Damage (5x): x
-15 Torment (20s)
-Lifeforce: 2%
-Number of Targets: 5
-Pulses: 1s
-Duration: 5s
-Cast Time: 1.5s
-Radius: 240
-Range: 900
-Unblockable

Revamped Parasitic Contagion/Unholy Martyr

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

As the title says, this is yet another attempt at improving Parasitic Contagion and Unholy Martyr.

First, Parasitic Contagion has its uses no doubt, but is all too circumstantial and overall bland. Also, condition damage builds, though a bit over-tuned currently, tend to struggle with generating lifeforce and a trait could remedy this. So I suggest tossing Parasitic Contagion out the window and replacing it with a new trait:

Unholy Saint: Periodically draw conditions from allies while in shroud. “Locust and Pestilence skills” (Locust Swarm, Deathly Swarm, Enfeebling Blood, Putrid Mark, Deadly Feast, Signet of the Locust, Plague Signet, and Plague) have reduced cooldowns and cleanse conditions on allies they strike. Cleansing and drawing conditions from allies generates lifeforce.
-Conditions Cleansed (per hit): 1
-Conditions Transferred: 1
-Lifeforce: 1.5%
-Lifeforce Generated in Shroud: 7%
-Number of Targets: 1
-Interval: 3s
-Radius: 600
-Recharge Reduced: 15%

Second, Unholy Martyr is a bit of an outlier in Blood Magic, since the “three themes” of the trait line seem to largely be life siphoning, rezzing/healing allies, and mobility (Quickening Thirst and high swiftness uptime through Banshee’s Wail). Accordingly (and since the original effect was moved to my proposed trait), Unholy Martyr now needs a more “thematically appropriate” effect:

Unholy Martyr: Periodically draw the bleeding condition from nearby allies. Do increased damage to enemies, take reduced bleeding damage, and grant nearby allies swiftness when at or above the condition threshold; the effect stacks whenever the threshold is doubled. Downed/Drowning state skills (Necromancer specific ones) can now be used as healing/utility/elite skills respectively.*
-Conditions Transferred: 1
-Number of Bleeding Stacks: 7
-Martyr’s Reprise: +12% damage, -15% bleeding damage
-Maximum Stacks: 3
-Swiftness: 3s (5s cd)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Number of Targets: 1
-Interval: 3s
-Radius: 240
-Radius: 600

*As I’ve mentioned before (at least I think I have), I like the Necromancer’s downed/drowning skills and would like to use them (or something similar) outside of being nearly dead and Unholy Martyr seems like the most appropriate trait to place that option.

Thoughts? Better suggestions?

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Fixing Core Necro. Share your ideas here.

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

For Death Shroud, I think the following could work, at least in part:

Life Blast
-A)Reduce the cast time to 0.5s/0.75s and adjust the damage/coefficients appropriately.
Or
-Increase the cast time to 1.75s and burst-fire three projectiles at the end of the cast; adjusting the damage/coefficients appropriately.
-B) Life Blast inflicts 1 torment (4.5s).

Dark Path
-A) Increase the projectile velocity.
Or
-Make Dark Path a ground targeted teleport.
-B) Generate 2.5% lifeforce for each target hit.

Doom
-A) Increase the duration of fear by 0.5s.
Or
-Reduce the cooldown from 20s to 18s.

Life Transfer
-A) Reduce the channel time from 3s to 2.5s.
-B) Reduce the cooldown from 40s to 35s.
-C) Each pulse inflicts weakness (1.5s).
-D) If all pulses hit at least one target gain access to Essence Leech for 10s:
Essence Leech: Siphon health from nearby foes and bleed them.
-Damage (5x): x
-Siphon Damage (5x): 112
-Siphon Heal (5x): 100
-10 bleed (6s)
-Number of Targets: 5
-Duration: 1.75s
-Radius: 600

Tainted Shackles
-A) Reduce the cooldown from 40s to 32s.
-B) Gain 1 stack of stability (8s) for each target hit with the initial cast.
-C) Increase the number of torment stacks added per pulse by 1.
-D) If targets break the bind early, they are immobilized (1.25s).
-E) If targets do not break the bind, transfer 1 condition to each target and chill (6.5s) them.
-F) Increase the physical damage by an appropriate amount.

(edited by Dignified Loser.7689)

Small tweaks to Dagger MH

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Posted by: Dignified Loser.7689

Dignified Loser.7689

I always thought it’d be nice if the MH dagger (auto-attack), or even greatsword, had a means to be a pseudo ranged weapon (300-750 range) through a trait or something. Regardless of that thought, I certainly wouldn’t mind if the dagger became more focused around leeching health, especially through Life Siphon, and gained access to bleed (more for triggering traits as you mentioned) as that would certainly be more interesting than auto-attacking from dusk ’til dawn.