Section 1: Basics
Pets need health bars (see my post
here)
Pets should scale based on sorcerer level and on choices made by the sorcerer in attribute, skill, and enhancements allocation (including armor set bonuses). For example, increasing sorcerer spell resistance increases pet spell resistance by some amount. Pets should also benefit from choices made in the assignment of champion points.
When any pet is summoned, basic pet controls appear (aggressive/passive, attack/return, unsummon, etc.) These can be hotkeyed.
Section 2: The Summons
Rename the skill line to
Summoning
Present at least 3 sub-choices initially:
The current skills
Daedric Curse,
Bound Armor, and
Conjured Ward will remain functionally the same, although the name and perhaps visuals will be different based on the chosen sub-line.
This sub-line choice is locked when chosen (and confirmed), but becomes unlocked at any respec. The three skills that are the same regardless of sub-line chosen will be considered
learned upon respec if already learned via any other sub-line (there will be no need to build them back up to level IV upon respec). The pets could function similarly, or could be set to start at base level and have to be raised per standard skill progression.
Section 3: The Looks
The
Daedric line would present the current pet summoning options as base models.
The
Spectral line would present a 'warrior' spirit and a 'mage' spirit, the base model being of the same race as the sorcerer (perhaps ancestral spirits).
The
Nature line would present as base models a spriggan and a lurcher.
In each line, either permit a choice in the 'skin' outright, via gaining skill levels (I-IV and then morphed I-IV), or require/encourage the sorcerer to quest for new pets to summon. The spectral line improvement would allow other races and armor/weapon choices. Each 'skin' or pet can be set via selections in the skill line window.
Here is a Crown Store opportunity for you ZOS - new pets/'skins' could be available via store purchase.
For
Nature based pets (spriggan and lurcher), the accent glow color will change based on the type of weapon used. A fire staff will result in a fire (red) spriggan and lurcher. An ice staff will result in white, lightning in blue, and healing in green. Pet summons from other skill sub-lines can be similarly trimmed if desired.
Section 4: The Skills
Summoning skills need be placed in only one skill slot, and the pet will remain even if the weapon is swapped. If the pet dies, the pet must be re-summoned via switching to that weapon skill bar (if necessary) and selecting the skill for the summon.
The basic nature of the pet (available attack/defense) will be determined by the weapon type of the bar on which it is placed. For example, if placed on skill bar 1 associated with a destruction staff, the basic nature of the pet will be tanking/damage. If placed on skill bar 2 associated with a healing staff, the basic nature of the pet will be defense/healing.
In the case of a destruction staff, the nature of the attacks will change based on the type of destruction staff much like the entire destruction staff skill line changes based on which type of staff is chosen (fire, ice, lightning).
Stamina based weapons will provide for stamina based pets and physical/disease/poison attacks. The skill will functionally be a stamina based skill.
NOTE: This will change the resource used for the initial summons to stamina, but this could instead be set by a toggle in the skill window, by using whichever basic resource is higher (magicka vs. stamina), or some other method such as spell damage vs. weapon damage.
Each pet will have a variety of basic attacks: knockdowns, stuns, taunts, 'heavy' attacks, 'short' attacks, etc.
The special ability of the pet can be activated only when the weapon bar on which it appears is active. This ability functions separately from the type of weapon used and (as above for basic attacks) draws on the resource pool associated with the caster's build, either stamina or magicka. The familiar/clannfear, warrior spirit, and lurcher will have a special 'attack' ability. The twilight, mage spirit, and spriggan will have a special 'healing' ability.
Summoning skills cannot be placed on the overload bar.
Section 4: The Ultimate
The
Ultimate summon will be immune to CC and mobile. Initial skins are:
- Daedric: Storm Atronach
- Spectral: Wisp Mother
- Nature: Nereid
Disclaimer: Some of these ideas were my own, and some were based on posts in another
thread.