Food For Thought Patch Notes.

Disclaimer: These “patch notes” are NOT real. They do not reflect any desire that ZOS may or may not have for the future. I am only posting these to encourage theory craft and community involvement. It saddens me to see that there are so many players that care about this game and the direction it is headed.
And yet it feels like they are nothing more than a dying breed among a player base that doesn’t care what happens anymore. There will always be room for both “casual” and hardcore players in a community. I would implore ZOS to realize that they have a player base that plays their game for more than just a time kill. I hope that I am not speaking alone when I say that.
All that being said, I am also in NO WAY saying that ANY of these changes “should” take place or are the best option for the game. I am a PvP player and these strongly represent my feelings about PvP balance with little to no care towards PvE. I have no more wish than to stir people to think about what they would like to see, and to pursue it in a non-toxic and involved way that doesn’t shame you because you think differently.
We all play this game. We all may want different things. And in the end only ZOS is in charge of what actually happens. But that doesn’t mean that their players don’t have a voice that SHOULD be heard. 
Please NOTE. Any numbers OR percentages are merely placeholders and do not reflect how the skill “would definitely” work. Something along those lines is what I imagine though. Also for the ultimate additions, I am NOT replacing old ultimates. Rather adding an additional option inside the skill line. These "patch notes" wouldn't really be reflective of a balance patch. More along the lines of a revision patch. In any case, this is a glimpse into how I personally feel some of these skills should be altered (if only in PvP) and what ones could be implemented.


Dragonknight changes

Ardent Flame Skill line

Dragonknight Standard and ALL its morphs.
Activating this ability stuns up to 6 enemies within its drop radius for 5 seconds.

New Ability Ultimate option for Ardent Flame: Wildfire
Wildfire Ultimate – Become the center of a wildfire that has a radius of 12 meters. Deal 400 flame damage a second to all enemies within range for 10.5 seconds. Ultimate Cost – 275

Wildfire Morph: Purgatory – Become the center of a wildfire that has a radius of 12 meters. Deal 400 flame damage a second to all enemies within range for 10.5 seconds. Enemies within the radius have the cost of all their skills increased by 10%.

Wildfire Morph: Conflagration – Become the center of a wildfire that has a radius of 12 meters. Deal 400 flame damage a second to all enemies within range for 10.5 seconds. Increase range from 12 meters to 15 meters.

Lava Whip – Flame Lash Morph.
This ability no longer heals you when you hit an off-balance enemy. Instead, targeting an off-balance enemy procs a tether between you and the enemy up to 15m dealing the sum of both attacks over 7 seconds.

Searing Strike – Burning Embers morph.
This ability will no longer heal you at the end of its duration. Instead, it will apply a DoT effect that’s potency scales on a percentage number according to how many existing DoT effects are already on the target. This DoT is NOT purgeable.

Fiery Grip and all of its morphs.
This skill receives an entire rework.

Fiery Grip – Launch a fiery chain to grasp an enemy immobilizing them for 2seconds and dealing 412 flame damage. Granting you Major Expedition for 2 seconds.

Morph Crushing Grip – Launch a fiery chain to grasp an enemy dealing 412 flame damage and immobilizing them for 2seconds. Also cause Major fracture reducing their Armor and Spell Resistance by 5280 for 12 seconds. Granting you Major Expedition for 2 seconds.

Morph Constricting Chains – Launch a fiery chain to grasp an enemy dealing 412 flame damage and an additional DoT that scales with the distance the chain traveled. Granting you Major Expedition for 2 seconds.

Inferno and all of its morphs.
This skill receives and entire rework.

Inferno – Activate an aura of flames that surrounds the user for 12 seconds increasing magicka and stam recovery by 10%.

Blessing of Fire – Activate an aura of flames that surrounds the user for 8 seconds increasing magicka and stam regeneration recovery by 10%. Nearby Allies gain Minor Intellect and Minor Sorcery for the duration. While slotted, gain major prophecy and major savagery.

Oblivion – Activate an aura of flames that surrounds the user for 8 seconds increasing magicka and stam regeneration by 10%. Nearby enemies have their magicka and stamina regen reduced by 10% for the duration. While slotted gain major prophecy and major savagery.

New Passive for Ardent Flame Skill line: Watch it Burn

Watch it Burn – Increase spell and weapon damage for each enemy under the effect of one of your DoTs within 18 meters by 1.5% up to 12 enemies. For the Duration of the DoTs. (Multiple DoT effects on the same target do not add to the damage stacks.)
Scales to 3% with 2 skill points invested.

Draconic Power Skill line

New Ability Ultimate option for Draconic Power: Power Within

Power Within – Call upon the blood of your dragon ancestors that flows through you. Reduce all incoming damage by 20% and reflect all forms of damage mitigated returning 30% to all enemies within 8 meters. 6 second duration.
Ultimate Cost - 200

Power Within Morph: Endure - Call upon the blood of your dragon ancestors that flows through you. Reduce all incoming damage by 10% storing all damage endured up to 35% of your max health for 6 seconds. After 1.5 seconds release all damage absorbed as an area of effect attack around you up to 10 meters.

Power Within Morph: Dragon’s Blessing - Call upon the blood of your dragon ancestors that flows through you. Reduce all incoming damage by 20% and reflect all forms of damage mitigated returning 30% to all enemies within 8 meters. Also absorb 10% of all damage taken by allies within 12 meters.


Dragon Blood’s Morphs receive changes.

Green Dragon Blood – Draw on your draconic power to heal 33% of your missing health and 12% of your missing stamina. Also grant Major Fortitude and Major Endurance for 20seconds.

Coagulating Blood – Draw on your draconic power to heal yourself with a DoT that heals you for 1200 every second for 5 seconds. The strength of the dot is determined by your MAX magicka. Also, grant Major Fortitude and Minor Vitality for 20 seconds.

New Passive Ability for Draconic Power: Bolster
Bolster – While a Draconic Power ability is active further reduce all incoming damage by 1.5%. Scales to 3% with two skill points invested.

Earthen Heart Skill line

Obsidian Shield’s Morphs receive changes.

Obsidian Shield and BOTH its morphs now scale off of MAX magicka instead of health.

Igneous Shield – Call the earth to your defense, creating a damage shield for you and your nearby allies that absorbs 1314 damage. Your own damage shield absorbs 100% additional damage. Your allies’ shields absorb 20% additional damage.

Fragmented Shield – Call the earth to your defense, creating a damage shield for you and your nearby allies that absorbs 1314 damage. Your own damage shield absorbs 100% additional damage. When ANY of the shields expire, they deal 400 magic damage to nearby enemies. (this skill would have an ICD of 10 seconds for your allies’ shields exploding and doing damage.)


Ash Cloud’s morphs receive a rework.

Cinder Storm – Summon a cloud of ash at the target location, dealing 103 flame damage to nearby enemies every 1 second. Also, reduce enemies’ movement speed by 70%. You can have three active clouds at a time. (Note this effect does not stack on itself.)

Eruption – Summon a cloud of ash at the target location, dealing 103 flame damage to nearby enemies every second. Also reduce their movement speed by 70% while they remain in the cloud. Adds a DoT effect when they leave the cloud persisting for 7 seconds dealing 200 flame damage every .5 seconds.



Sorcerer Changes

Remove ALL toggles from Sorcerer skill lines. Instead turning every toggle into a buff duration of 15s. Everything about the skills remain the same.

Daedric Summoning Skill line

Summon Storm Atronach Morphs:

Summon Charged Atronach – Summon a storm atronach at the target location. The atronach’s arrival deals 819 shock damage and stuns nearby enemies for 3 seconds. The atronach cannot move but attacks nearby enemies with targeted and area attacks. The atronach’s targeted attack acts as a taunt and the area attacks cause Minor Maim reducing the damage of all enemies by 8%.

Greater Storm Atronach – Effectively increase the damage and health of this morph by 65%. The Atronach can target up to 3 enemies and its channeled attack snares enemies by 50%. Increase base cost of this morph to 250 Ultimate.

BOTH morphs are immune to any CC effect.

New Ability Ultimate Option for Daedric Summoning: Summon Flame Atronach

Summon Flame Atronach – Summon a flame atronach at the target location. The Atronach’s arrival does 980 area of effect flame damage and snares nearby enemies by 20% for 4 seconds. The Atronach cannot move but targets up to 3 enemies at a time dealing 1546 flame damage with a fireball attack. Ultimate Cost 200 Ultimate. Duration 18 seconds. Summon Flame atronach and all its morphs are immune to all CC effects.

Summon Flame Atronach Morph: Hellfire Atronach - Summon a flame atronach at the target location. The Atronach’s arrival does 980 area of effect flame damage and snares nearby enemies by 20% for 4 seconds. The Atronach follows the player around dealing 1990 flame damage a second to all enemies within 12 meters. Ultimate Cost 250 Ultimate. Duration 18 seconds.

Summon Flame Atronach Morph: Summon Ice Atronach
Summon Ice Atronach - Summon an Ice atronach at the target location. The Atronach’s arrival does 700 area of effect cold damage and snares nearby enemies by 80% for 6 seconds. The atronach cannot move but spawns several area of effect attacks that move outward from the atronach dealing 1500 cold damage and rooting all players hit. Ultimate Cost 250 Ultimate. Duration 18 seconds.

Summon Unstable Familiar Morph “Summon Volatile Familiar”. Fixed an issue where this ability was utterly useless by reworking the skill.

Summon Fire Scamp – Command the powers of oblivion to send a daedric familiar to fight at your side.
Familiar’s attacks deal 200 flame damage plus an additional 15%.
Once summoned, you can activate the familiar’s special ability, causing the familiar to become immobile and immune to all CC effects shooting out 3 balls of fire at the nearest enemies. The balls explode on contact with the enemy dealing 1000 flame damage and carpeting the ground persisting for 6 seconds. While inside the area of effect enemies take 120 flame damage every second.
The familiar remains until killed or for 2 minutes.

Storm Calling Skill line changes

Lightning Splash and its morphs receive the following changes.

Lightning Splash – increase the radius from 4 meters to 12 meters and increase the damage that the skill and its morphs deal by 65%. Reduce duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds.

Lightning Flood – Increase the radius of this morph from a base of 6 meters to 12 meters with the previous skill change. Further increase the radius from the base 12 meters to 15 meters when morphed to Lightning Flood. 4 second Duration.

Liquid Lightning – Increase the radius of this morph from a base of 6 meters to 12 meters with the previous skill change. Increase the duration of the skill to 6 seconds.

Bolt Escape and all its morphs receive the following changes

Reduce the cost increase from repeated use to 30% from 50%.

Ball of Lightning receives the following changes
Increase the time the ball of light remains active from 2 seconds to 4.5 seconds.

Dark Magic Skill line Changes

New Ability Ultimate option for Dark Magic Skill line: Inflation

Inflation – Create a globe of magic inflation, increasing the cost of all enemies’ abilities within the globe by 40%. Duration 9.5 seconds. Ultimate Cost 225 ultimate. Range 28 meters. Cast time instant. Target ground.

Inflation Morph: Additive Magic - Create a globe of magic inflation, increasing the cost of all enemies’ abilities within the globe by 40%. Every enemy ability cast inside the globe returns 10% the resource used to you and nearby allies (up to 12).

Inflation Morph: Subtractive Magic - Create a globe of magic inflation, increasing the cost of all enemies’ abilities within the globe by 40%. All damage dealt to enemy players within the globe is returned as 20% health to you and nearby (up to 12) allies.

Dark Conversion: Base morph goes back to being the old 4 second stationary channel, where it ticks each second and you can cancel at any time

Dark Deal: Adjust the scaling so it doesn't provide as much stamina return to allow for more balance.

Dark Exchange: keep the 4 second immobile channel of the base morph. Keep the stamina cost reduction. Adjust scaling to return 15-20% of magicka at the cost of 10-15% stamina.



Nightblade Changes

Assassination Skill line changes
New Ability Ultimate option for Assassination skill line: Reaper’s Trade

Reaper’s Trade – This ability is a toggle ultimate that turns the cost of all of your abilities into Ultimate instead. Every skill is equivalent to 25 ultimate. The cost is increased according to the amount of ultimate the player has stored to balance cost increase. While Reaper’s Trade is active increase both spell and weapon damage by 20%. (note this effect DOES stack with Major Sorcery/Major Brutality)

Reaper’s Trade morph: Deathbed - This ability is a toggle ultimate that turns the cost of all of your abilities into Ultimate instead. Every skill is equivalent to 25 ultimate. The cost is increased according to the amount of ultimate the player has stored to balance cost increase. While Reaper’s Trade is active increase both spell and weapon damage by 20%. (note this effect DOES stack with Major Sorcery/Major Brutality) Every killing blow while Deathbed is active grants an additional stack of 30 Spell damage that persists even after the toggle is ended. Up to 10 stacks. The player keeps their stacks until they die.

Reaper’s Trade morph: Dark Will - This ability is a toggle ultimate that turns the cost of all of your abilities into Ultimate instead. Every skill is equivalent to 25 ultimate. The cost is increased according to the amount of ultimate the player has stored to balance cost increase. While Reaper’s Trade is active increase both spell and weapon damage by 20%. (note this effect DOES stack with Major Sorcery/Major Brutality) Any player death, (friendly or foe) grants you 50 ultimate while Dark Will is active.

Shadow Skill line changes
Consuming Darkness’ morph “Veil of Blades” receives the following changes.

The ability is no longer a placed effect. It now becomes a player buff and originates from the player and follows the player for the duration of the effect. Duration is reduced from 14 seconds to 8 seconds. The damage reduction only affects the user. Everything else about the skill remains the same.

Aspect of Terror’s morph “Manifestation of Terror” receives the following changes.

Manifestation of Terror – The ability becomes a single targeted skill at 15meters. Casting the ability on a target causes them to flee in terror for 4 seconds. All allies (up to 6) around the targeted player within 4 meters also flee in terror for 2 seconds. Even after recovering all enemies have their movement speed reduced by 50% for 2 seconds.




Templar Changes

Aedric Spear Skill line Changes

New Ability Ultimate option for Aedric Spear: Heaven’s Wrath

Heaven’s Wrath – Summon a volley of spectral spears of light from the heavens piercing the target location dealing 1800 magic damage every second on impact to the target and an additional 400 area of effect damage within 6 meters. Duration 9 seconds. Range 28 meters. Target ground. (Share the same radius as nova/standard) Ultimate Cost 250 Ultimate.

Heaven’s Wrath morph: Darkest Light - Summon a volley of spectral spears of light from the heavens piercing the target location dealing 1800 magic damage every second on impact to the target and an additional 400 area of effect damage within 6 meters. Enemies within the target area cannot cast.

Heaven’s Wrath morph: Heaven’s Sorrow - Summon a volley of spectral spears of light from the heavens piercing the target location dealing 1800 magic damage every second on impact to the target and an additional 400 area of effect damage within 6 meters. Enemies within the target area are initially rooted and snared after by 60% for 4 seconds.

Restoring Light Skill line changes

Rushed Ceremony’s morphs receive the following changes.

Breath of Life – This ability now heals three friendly targets for 1232 health and 25% of the total healing done to yourself.

Honor the Dead – This ability will always heal you and one other wounded ally for 1232 health. If either of you are below 75% health when healed you are refunded the cost of the spell. If only you are healed the heal is 20% weaker.

Vampire Skill Line Changes
Addition of a skill, a new ultimate option for vampires

Vampire Lord – Imbue yourself with the true form of your vampiric powers, increasing spell and weapon damage by 850 and gaining Major Expedition for 12 seconds. All Regeneration halts. Skill duration 10 seconds. Ultimate Cost - 220

Vampire Lord morph: Demon Within - Imbue yourself with the true form of your vampiric powers, increasing spell and weapon damage by 1650 and gaining Major Expedition for 12 seconds. All Regeneration is slowed by 75%. Skill duration 9 seconds.

Vampire Lord morph: Sanguine Demise - Imbue yourself with the true form of your vampiric powers, increasing spell and weapon damage by 850 and gaining Major Expedition for 12 seconds. All Regeneration halts. Skill duration, 10 seconds. Every killing blow adds 1 second to the duration and restores 20% of your stats.

Werewolf Skill line Changes
Addition of a new skills for werewolves while transformed.

Ravage – Every consecutive light attack over the next 6 seconds adds a stack of 120 weapon damage up to 10 stacks.

Ravage morph: Beast Within - Every consecutive light attack over the next 6 seconds adds a stack of 120 weapon damage up to 10 stacks. If you achieve 10 stacks increase the duration of werewolf form by 30 seconds.

Ravage morph: Brutality - Every consecutive light attack over the next 6 seconds adds a stack of 40 weapon damage up to 10 stacks. You keep every stack you earned until you die even after transformation.

Armor Skill line changes
Each respective Armor Skill line, Heavy, Light, Medium, will now grant the player an Ultimate ability; IF the player is wearing 7 pieces of that armor type.

Heavy Armor Ultimate: Relentless – For 12 seconds you become completely immune to all CC effects including silence. Gain Major Resolve and Ward while this ability is slotted. Ultimate Cost 250

Heavy Armor Ultimate Morph: Titanium Armor – For 9 seconds you become completely immune to all CC effects including silence. Gain Major Resolve and Ward while this ability is slotted. Absorb all incoming damage within 8 meters including damage intended for your allies. Further reduce incoming damage up to 50% of your max health.

Heavy Armor Ultimate Morph: Unbound - For 9 seconds you become completely immune to all CC effects including silence. Gain Major Resolve and Ward while this ability is slotted. Increase all regeneration for you and your allies within 6 meters by 30%. (Up to 12)

Light Armor Ultimate: Augment – For 12 seconds increase the strength of you and your allies shields by 20%. While this ability is slotted increase your base magicka recovery by 10%. Ultimate Cost 200

Light Armor Ultimate Morph: Imbue - For 12 seconds increase the strength of you and your allies shields by 20%. While this ability is slotted increase your base magicka recovery by 10%. While active you and your allies gain 3000 spell penetration and reduce the cost of all abilities by 5%.

Light Armor Ultimate Morph: Infuse - For 12 seconds increase the strength of you and your allies shields by 20%. While this ability is slotted increase your base magicka recovery by 10%. Increase the armor value for you and every ally nearby (up to 12) by 5% per piece of light armor worn.

Medium Armor Ultimate: Conceal – Increase critical strike rating for you and nearby allies (up to 6) by 30%. Also, increase miss chance for you and nearby allies (up to 12) by 12% for 6 seconds. Ultimate Cost - 220

Medium Armor Ultimate Morph: Feign - Increase critical strike rating for you and nearby allies (up to 12) by 10%. Also, increase miss chance for you and nearby allies (up to 12) by 15% for 6 seconds. Every skill that is dodged adds 10% critical strike chance to you and your allies. Critical Strike gained persists for 4 seconds after Feign ends.

Medium Armor Ultimate Morph: Skirmish - Increase critical strike rating for you and nearby allies (up to 6) by 30%. Also, increase miss chance for you and nearby allies (up to 12) by 12% for 6 seconds. Every critical strike adds 4% dodge chances to you and nearby allies (up to 12) that persists for 4 seconds after Skirmish ends.

Alliance War Skill line changes
Assault Skill line changes
New Skill: Plague

Plague – Applies a self-buff “plague” covering your weapons in a deadly disease for 6 seconds. When you land the killing blow on a player, their body instantly becomes the host for plague. This immediately applies a debuff to ALL enemy players within 8 meters. Once plague has been applied to a player they lose 50% of all their regeneration for 4 seconds. This debuff is not purgeable, cleansable, or otherwise removable. While active, increase critical strike chance on you by 50%.

Plague morph: Infection - Applies a self-buff “plague” covering your weapons in a deadly disease for 6 seconds. When you land the killing blow on a player, their body instantly becomes the host for plague. This immediately applies a debuff to ALL enemy players within 8 meters. Once plague has been applied to a player they lose 50% of all their regeneration for 4 seconds. This debuff is not purgeable, cleansable, or otherwise removable. While active, increase critical strike chance on you by 50%. All players who received the plague debuff will now further transfer it should they be killed within 3 seconds of receiving the debuff.

Plague Morph: Patient Zero - Applies a self-buff “plague” covering your weapons in a deadly disease for 6 seconds. When you land the killing blow on a player, their body instantly becomes the host for plague. This immediately applies a debuff to ALL enemy players within 8 meters. Once plague has been applied to a player they lose 50% of all their regeneration for 4 seconds. This debuff is not purgeable, cleansable, or otherwise removable. While active, increase critical strike chance on you by 50%. Increase the regeneration debuff from 50% to 75% BUT, should the caster die at any time while the plague buff is active they spread the full debuff to all allies within 28 meters for 6 seconds.

Support Skill line changes
Siege Shield’s morphs receive the following changes.

Siege Weapon Shield – Create a protective sphere over your location that reduces damage from siege weapons by 35%. The sphere also protects your allies’ siege weapons, reducing damage from enemy siege weapons by 100%. This effect stacks up to three times.

Enhanced Shield - Create a protective sphere over your location that reduces damage from siege weapons by 35%. Ally siege weapons within the sphere do an additional 5% damage against keep walls.

Barrier and its morphs receive the following changes.

Increase base cost of the ultimate from 200 to 300. Increase the number of players Barrier and its morphs cover from 4 to 12.

Purge’s morph “Cleanse” receives the following changes.

Cleanse – If a negative effect is removed, the target becomes immune to that negative effect for 4 seconds. Players can only be immune to 2 negative effects at once. Please note, the duration of any other negative effects is no longer reduced by 50% for 6 seconds by THIS morph. This morph also no longer heals the target if a negative effect is removed.


Like I said, none of my ideas are any better than anyone else's. This is just my two cents worth. Lmk what you all think? Agree/disagree, I'm interested to hear from the community I play alongside most every day. Even if we all don't always get along .
-Like a Bulbasir