Sorc 1.6 Discussion

Erock25 · January 2015

As the NB's have done, I think it would be good to discuss the Sorc changes all in one location for the Devs to have easy access. I have some initial thoughts but will save them for later after some testing. Please voice any comments or concerns you have about the below patch notes.

Sorcerer

Daedric Summoning
- Storm Atronach
  - The Charged Synergy is now instant and provides both you and the Atronach the buff Major Berserk for 8 seconds. This Synergy is available to other player characters within 2.5 yards of the Atronach until one player character triggers it.
  - The Greater Atronach now does 15% more damage as compared to the normal Storm Atronach.
- Unstable Familiar
  - The unstable familiar (as well as the pets from the morphs of this ability) will now taunt monsters if the summoning player character is the only one on the hate list for that monster.
- Daedric Curse
  - Increased the single target damage for all ranks and morphs of this ability by 25%.
  - Increased the AoE damage from this ability by 15%.
  - Removed the morph Explosive Curse.
  - Multiple Sorcerers can now stack this ability on the same target, though you can only have one curse active at any given time.
  - Daedric Prey (morph): Added this morph to the game, which increases the damage your pets will do to a target affected by your curse by 20%.
- Winged Twilight
  - Increased the damage dealt by the winged twilight and all its morphs by 15%.
  - Summon Restoring Twilight (morph): Slightly increased the damage boost, and slightly reduced the twilight’s health. The Restoring Twilight also now grants nearby allies the Minor Intellect buff.
  - The Restoring Twilight pet gets 1% more bonus damage with each rank.
  - Summon Twilight Matriach (morph): This pet now heals for the same amount at each rank of the ability, and also receives increased bonus damage with each rank.
- Bound Armor
  - This ability now grants you the buff Minor Resolve, and increases your maximum magicka by 5%. This bonus magicka does affect your ability damage.
  - The cost of the ability decreases with each rank of Bound Armor.
  - Bound Armaments (morph): This ability now costs Stamina instead of Magicka, gives you a bonus to stamina instead of magicka, and increases the damage done by heavy attacks.
  - Bound Aegis (morph): This ability now grants the Minor Warding and Minor Resolve buffs instead of additional armor.
Dark Magic
- Crystal Shards
  - Reduced the cast time on all ranks and morphs to 1 second from 1.3 seconds.
  - Fixed an issue with the impact timing with this ability.
  - Crystal Shards and its morphs will now show the correct icon in the death recap screen.
  - Crystal Fragments (morph): Fixed an issue where this morph was applying multiple passives each time it was cast.
- Encase
  - Reduced the cost of this ability by 15%. Each additional rank of the ability increases the cost reduction slightly.
  - Reduced the cost of the morphs of this ability to match the lowest cost tier for the base ability.
- Rune Prison
  - Rune Cage: This ability will no longer break due to damage over time. Each rank of Rune Cage now increases the disorient duration.
  - Weakening Prison: This ability now puts an aura of protection on you that lasts for one minute. The first player character to attack you during that one minute will be put in a Rune Prison. Each additional rank increases the duration of the aura by 20 seconds.
- Dark Exchange
  - It is now possible to move while channeling all ranks and morphs of Dark Exchange.
  - Dark Deal (morph): This ability now converts magicka into health and stamina.
- Daedric Mines
  - Increased the damage of all ranks and morphs to 150.
  - All boss monsters and any monster with boss immunities will be immune to damage from this ability for one second after being affected by a Daedric Mine.
- Negate Magic
  - Supression Field (morph): This ability has been redesigned, and now applies the Minor Protection buff to your allies inside the field.
  - Absorption Field (morph): This ability has been redesigned. Allies who pass through the field now gain the buffs Major Expedition, Major Intellect, Major Fortitude, and Major Endurance for 12 seconds.
Storm Calling
- Overload
  - Reduced the initial cost of Overload and its morphs to 75 Ultimate from 125 Ultimate.
  - Overload light attacks no longer trigger the global cooldown, which will result in an overall increase to Overload DPS.
  - Overload and Power Overload will now properly scale their damage off Weapon Damage and Stamina in the event that they are higher than Spell Power and Magicka.
- Mages Fury
  - Endless Fury: Increased the base value of the magicka regeneration by 25%. Fixed an issue where this ability was exploding multiple times; it is no longer endless!
- Lightning Form
  - Lightning Form now lasts for 15 seconds and grants you the Major Resolve and Major Ward buffs.
  - Thundering Presence (morph): This ability now starts at 20 seconds and increases in duration by one second with each rank.
  - Boundless Storm (morph): This ability now grants the Major Expedition buff for 6 seconds. This duration increases with reach rank, up to a duration of 7 seconds at Rank 4.
- Lightning Splash
  - Increased the duration of Lightning Splash to 4 seconds.
  - Reduced the Synergy range for this ability. Activating the Synergy no longer removes lightning.
  - The Synergy damage now scales off of stamina/power.
  - Fixed an issue that allowed the synergy to be used repeatedly if no enemies were nearby.
  - Liquid Lightning (morph): Increased the bonus initial damage to 94%, and will increase by an additional 2% with each rank.
- Surge
  - This ability now applies the Major Brutality buff.
  - Power Surge: This ability now applies the Major Brutality and Major Sorcery buffs.
  - Critical Surge: This ability now has a one second cooldown on the heal.
Passives
- Dark Magic
  - Exploitation: This passive now provides nearby allies with the Minor Prophecy buff for 15 seconds at Rank I, and 30 second at Rank II.

Pets

Pets now take 90% less damage from AoE’s, up from 50% less damage.
The Crit rating for pets is now equal to your Spell Crit rating.
Summoning a pet no longer reduces your available magicka.

Wisler89 · January 2015

I am unsure what to think about the critical surge changes...

My first thought was: "I can no longer bomb a craglorn mob group...". We will see if this is true or not but as of now I don't like the changes to surge (and morphs) and daedric mines (srsly, why make bosses immune to damage, even partial).

Glory · January 2015

I think that this update will do mediocre for sorcerers.

It seems like most changes were intended to buff pet builds (which are not very viable in many circumstances).

Seems like sorcerers will remain negate monkies in PvP.

Dark Deal does sound like a cool (and extremely useful) stamina build component.

Taonnor · January 2015

You forgot one thing.

If you morph correct you got no more -% on max magicka pool. Better. You got for specific morphs +% magicka pool.

There are no softcaps anymore.

The sorcerer class can now get the highest max magicka pool of all classes. So the highest magicka scaled dmg.

Kilandros · January 2015

These changes do absolutely nothing for the Sorcerer except shift some numbers around and nerf our already underwhelming self heal.

- No stamina morphs (and yet Surge buffs weapon damage)
- No meaningful DPS increase (Crystal Frag still has a global cooldown/cast time)
- No meaningful survivability buffs (Storm Armor duration increased--its duration was never a problem. The skill was fine.)

Because Sorcerers received no Stamina morphs they are effectively locked into Destro/Restro combos.

Furthermore, the Pet "improvements" are an indication that the Developers are trying to shoehorn the class into a fairly passive Pet playstyle.

Abandon ship. It is not going to improve for Sorcerers--ever. ZOS has indicated they don't plan to address balance again anytime soon, so there will be no stamina morphs / hybrid opportunities for Sorcerer in the foreseeable future. Even if they do balance class again sometime in the next couple of years, they've demonstrated that they want Sorcerers to be strictly magicka-based Pet users.

That's it. Get the hell out now. You've been warned.

OtarTheMad · January 2015

Looking over the other changes the other classes got, I'd say Sorc got the least buff out of all the classes... but I'll have to wait and play to see if that is really true or not.

Garion · January 2015

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Kilandros · January 2015

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

Emma_Overload · January 2015

Crit surge has a cooldown, now... a COOLDOWN? Are you kidding me?

Are sorcs only supposed to fight one mob at a time?

Please tell me this is joke.

Erock25 · January 2015

Kilandros wrote: »

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

While I am as disillusioned as you appear to be when first reading these notes, I don't think the hyperbole is necessary YET. Reading the notes on paper and experiencing them in action are two very different things. I am shaking my head at some of their decisions, however, for sure.

Kilandros · January 2015

Erock25 wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

While I am as disillusioned as you appear to be when first reading these notes, I don't think the hyperbole is necessary YET. Reading the notes on paper and experiencing them in action are two very different things. I am shaking my head at some of their decisions, however, for sure.

I admire your optimism. But in the end I think I'm right. No stamina morphs. No meaningful self heal (just a nerf). No increase in class DPS.

I've played the class enough to know what the class needed, and I can read from the notes that we didn't get what we needed.

I'm not going to keep banging my head against a concrete wall with the hopes that someday the Developers get it right. DKs and NBs look awesome right now with plenty of magicka/stamina/dps/tanking/utility options.

So yeah, I admire your optimism. But take my advice and just shelve this class--don't waste time ranking up in Cyrodiil on a Sorc like I did.

Erock25 · January 2015

Kilandros wrote: »

So yeah, I admire your optimism. But take my advice and just shelve this class--don't waste time ranking up in Cyrodiil on a Sorc like I did.

Too late on that front.

Kilandros · January 2015

Erock25 wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

So yeah, I admire your optimism. But take my advice and just shelve this class--don't waste time ranking up in Cyrodiil on a Sorc like I did.

Too late on that front.

I feel ya. Honestly the only thing that can save Sorc right now I think is Spellcrafting. But that could be years and it might not have nearly as much freedom as ZOS is currently advertising.

Armann · January 2015

Kilandros wrote: »

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

Emma_Overload · January 2015

I think it's hilarious that they finally buffed Lighting Splash enough to be useful, but simultaneously killed any kind of AOE/survival build by nerfing Crit Surge.

Wait, that's not hilarious. It's just horrible!

Iselin · January 2015

I've been ridiculing Sorc pet builds for months for 3 reasons:

1. Pathetic Damage
2. Magicka reduction
3. need to use 1 bar slot on both bars

#1 may have been improved some...we'll see. #2 is finally gone. #3 is still very much there and a PITA

I think I'll go from ridiculing to just mild sarcasm now.

OtarTheMad · January 2015

Kilandros wrote: »

Erock25 wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

While I am as disillusioned as you appear to be when first reading these notes, I don't think the hyperbole is necessary YET. Reading the notes on paper and experiencing them in action are two very different things. I am shaking my head at some of their decisions, however, for sure.

I admire your optimism. But in the end I think I'm right. No stamina morphs. No meaningful self heal (just a nerf). No increase in class DPS.

I've played the class enough to know what the class needed, and I can read from the notes that we didn't get what we needed.

I'm not going to keep banging my head against a concrete wall with the hopes that someday the Developers get it right. DKs and NBs look awesome right now with plenty of magicka/stamina/dps/tanking/utility options.

So yeah, I admire your optimism. But take my advice and just shelve this class--don't waste time ranking up in Cyrodiil on a Sorc like I did.

I feel the same way, although I am also slightly optimistic but I am not holding my breath... cause I'd probably die. I already started leveling a Dunmer light armor DK that will be my "Sorc" if this class is killed.

And I also ranked up pretty high in my Alliance Rank. Oh well, I'll test it out and hope you're not right but... yeah... Sorcs seem to be sinking faster than Lindsey Lohan's career.

Kilandros · January 2015

Iselin wrote: »

I've been ridiculing Sorc pet builds for months for 3 reasons:

1. Pathetic Damage
2. Magicka reduction
3. need to use 1 bar slot on both bars

#1 may have been improved some...we'll see. #2 is finally gone. #3 is still very much there and a PITA

I think I'll go from ridiculing to just mild sarcasm now.

The ONLY good thing to come out of the Pet change is that Familiar won't aggro anymore in solo play.

Why is this a good change?

Because the dopes who use Pets to level through solo 1-50 content and VR zones won't come on the forums and be like "LOL PETZ R AWESUM IZ SOLOING CADWELS SILVER WITH NO PROBZ L2P NOOB."

Pets are garbage, always have been garbage, always will be garbage. The sooner EVERY SINGLE SORCERER realizes this, the better.

ThatHappyCat · January 2015

Sorcs did get two stamina-oriented morphs. Dark Deal will convert magicka into stamina, and Bound Armaments will increase your maximum stamina.

Derra · January 2015

(Power)surge is now completely pointless for magica builds. Why would you use it for a spellpower buff when you can use entropy for the same buff + dmg + mages guild passives?
The only application for powersurge right now is on a hybrid build? Completely pointless skill imho.

Nice on the nerf for criticalsurge. Completely related to pvp that one and majorly screwing pve sorcs.

Leovolao · January 2015

ThatHappyCat wrote: »

Sorcs did get two stamina-oriented morphs. Dark Deal will convert magicka into stamina, and Bound Armaments will increase your maximum stamina.

We want stamina management, not a god damn channel ability or a flat increase.

OtarTheMad · January 2015

Armann wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Garion wrote: »

Post here what I posted elsewhere:

The change to crit surge is unacceptable. You take the ONLY viable class specific healing spell which is COMPLETELY reliant on combat anyway and significantly reduce its viability? It is absolutely ridiculous.

ZOS please fix this. This change may seem trivial, but to a lot of sorcs this fundamentally destroys our build and significantly decreases our viability in anything but 1v1 situations.

Dude. Just abandon ship. Sorc is done.

Legit lol. Just awesome.

Snit · January 2015

It's difficult to see what will work for us in 1.6, at least for those who don't want to play a pet-herder. The removal of the Crit Surge heal is a really unfortunate decision, and Light Armor doesn't look too promising in any case.

Sorcs will still be awesome at running away in Cyrodil, I suppose, but that's not a core concept with tremendous appeal.

Kilandros · January 2015

ThatHappyCat wrote: »

Sorcs did get two stamina-oriented morphs. Dark Deal will convert magicka into stamina, and Bound Armaments will increase your maximum stamina.

lol

OtarTheMad · January 2015

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gzKAut3sVrw#t=18

Dear ZOS,

This is what Sorcs want to really do with the Clannfear and Twilight.

Sincerely,
-Every Sorc in the game.

Snit · January 2015

The new Rune Prison and Entropy both look potentially interesting. (And yes, I include Mage Guild skills when thinking of sorcs)

Erock25 · January 2015

Snit wrote: »

The new Rune Prison and Entropy both look potentially interesting. (And yes, I include Mage Guild skills when thinking of sorcs)

Rune Prison

Rune Cage: This ability will no longer break due to damage over time. Each rank of Rune Cage now increases the disorient duration.

Weakening Prison: This ability now puts an aura of protection on you that lasts for one minute. The first player character to attack you during that one minute will be put in a Rune Prison. Each additional rank increases the duration of the aura by 20 seconds.

I don't know ... Rune Prison seems bad. So Rune Cage doesn't break from damage over time. Good thing we have all of those awesome DOTs in our arsenal. Weakening Prison is weird (a skill that only works in PVP?) and still completely useless when it can be broken out of so easy.

Snit · January 2015

Erock25 wrote: »

Weakening Prison is weird (a skill that only works in PVP?) and still completely useless when it can be broken out of so easy.

It might give you a moment to react to nasty surprises (Snipes, stealthed attackers, etc). I'm not sure it'll earn a spot on the bar, but I'll give it a try in Cyrodil.

Kilandros · January 2015

Snit wrote: »

Erock25 wrote: »

Weakening Prison is weird (a skill that only works in PVP?) and still completely useless when it can be broken out of so easy.

It might give you a moment to react to nasty surprises (Snipes, stealthed attackers, etc). I'm not sure it'll earn a spot on the bar, but I'll give it a try in Cyrodil.

This is what I was thinking, too.

Erock25 · January 2015

Snit wrote: »

Erock25 wrote: »

Weakening Prison is weird (a skill that only works in PVP?) and still completely useless when it can be broken out of so easy.

It might give you a moment to react to nasty surprises (Snipes, stealthed attackers, etc). I'm not sure it'll earn a spot on the bar, but I'll give it a try in Cyrodil.

I don't know. You will still take damage and assuming it still has a cast time it will be a skill that you only use initiating combat or as a prebuff so costing your enemy 1 CC break worth of stamina isn't really worth the slot IMO.

Rylana · January 2015

The era of tank PvP sorcs is over. You either go all damage or you go all utility.