Future Werewolf Scribing Abilities should be useful for Healers, Tanks, and Damage Dealers alike

Erickson9610 · August 19

This thread is intended to be a current summary of the capabilities of the Werewolf playstyle, as well as a suggestion for the direction of potential Werewolf skill line Grimoires/Scribing skills.

For those unaware, the Werewolf Transformation ability locks you into Werewolf form, in which you are only permitted to slot and use abilities located within the Werewolf skill line. That means Werewolf players can only use the 5 Werewolf Active Abilities given to them, as well as a select few Passive Abilities, such as all Werewolf passives, all Armor passives where applicable (medium armor sneak bonuses are irrelevant since Werewolf can't sneak), all Racial passives, a select few Class passives, and so on.

Given that the Scribing system adds new customizable Active Abilities to pre-existing skill lines, a Grimoire for the Werewolf skill line would have huge implications for the playstyle going forward. For instance, it would give Werewolf players the choice to swap one of their default Werewolf abilities for a Werewolf Scribing ability, and perhaps said Scribing skill could open up new gameplay options that were previously inaccessible to Werewolves.

Here is a brief summary of every Werewolf Ultimate, Active and Passive ability:

Werewolf Transformation — Fears enemies for 3 seconds when used. While slotted, gain +15% Stamina Recovery. While transformed, gain +30% Max Stamina. Light/Heavy attacks deal Bleed Damage and have a chance to apply the Hemorrhaging status effect. Heavy attacks count as channeled direct damage abilities, and light attacks count as instant direct damage abilities.
- Pack Leader — While transformed, also reduce incoming damage by 10%, summon two direwolves (which count as pets for set bonuses or passives like Sorcerer's "Expert Summoner" passive), and grants you and your group members Minor Courage.
- Werewolf Berserker — While transformed, light attacks also apply a Bleed Damage damage over time and heavy attacks now deal area of effect damage.
Pounce — Gap closer which deals single target direct damage Bleed Damage and applies the Hemorrhaging status effect. Changes to Carnage for 5 seconds when used.
- Brutal Pounce — Now deals direct area damage. Applies Hemorrhaging in an area of effect.
- Feral Pounce — Restores Stamina to the user and adds time to Werewolf Transformation whenever this ability or Feral Carnage deals damage.
Carnage — Replaces Pounce for 5 seconds, and is subsequently replaced with Pounce. Single target damage over time which deals execute Bleed Damage.
- Brutal Carnage — Applies in a conical area of effect. Grants 100 Weapon/Spell Damage for each enemy hit, up to 6 times.
- Feral Carnage — Restores Stamina to the user and adds time to Werewolf Transformation whenever this ability or Feral Pounce deals damage.
Hircine's Bounty — Magicka-costing single target self direct heal which scales off Max Health. Gain Major Brutality and Major Sorcery when slotted. Casting this ability at full Health restores Stamina to the user.
- Hircine's Rage — Casting at full health also grants Major Berserk and increases your damage taken by 5%. Decreases the cost.
- Hircine's Fortitude — Casting at any health % also grants Minor Endurance and Minor Fortitude. Increases the amount healed.
Roar — Area of effect fear for 4 seconds. Sets enemies Off Balance for 7 seconds and makes them Terrified for 10 seconds. Grants Major Savagery and Major Prophecy when slotted.
- Ferocious Roar — Also increases heavy attack speed by 33% for 10 seconds after casting.
- Deafening Roar — Replaces Major Savagery and Major Prophecy with Major Protection. Also applies Major Breach and Minor Maim to enemies. Heavy attacks now taunt enemies. No longer Terrifies enemies.
Piercing Howl — Single target direct damage projectile which deals Physical Damage. Deals 10% more damage to enemies who are Terrified.
- Howl of Despair — Also applies the Feeding Frenzy self and ally synergy which grants Empower and Minor Force for 20 seconds.
- Howl of Agony — Also deals an additional 10% damage to Off Balance enemies.
Infectious Claws — Conal area of effect direct damage which deals Disease Damage. Applies a single target damage over time Disease Damage effect to enemies hit. Applies the Diseased status effect on the initial hit.
- Claws of Anguish — Also applies Major Defile to enemies hit with the initial attack. Reapplies the Diseased status effect when an enemy is hit with any part of this ability.
- Claws of Life — Also heals the user for 66% of the damage done with the damage over time portion of the ability.
Devour — Enables the use of the Devour synergy, which is a channeled heal over time corpse ability which scales off your Max Health and adds time to your Werewolf Transformation.
Pursuit — Gain +30% Movement Speed and +50% Stamina from heavy attacks
Blood Rage — Increase the duration of Werewolf Transformation by 4 seconds once every 5 seconds
Bloodmoon — Allows you to infect other players with Lycanthropy once per weekly reset
Savage Strength — Gain +18% Weapon and Spell Damage. Gain Major Resolve.
Call of the Pack — Reduce the cost of remaining in Werewolf Transformation by 20% per transformed werewolf and direwolf in your group, up to a maximum of 80%.

This section will compare the elements of Werewolf's toolkit to the existing set of Scripts, in order to illustrate what is missing from the Werewolf toolkit that could be added to it via Scribing. Werewolf abilities which are similar in some sense to some existing Script will be listed by each Script, though keep in mind that Werewolf currently doesn't have any Grimoires and thus does not have any applicable Scripts in reality.

Focus Scripts

Werewolf has the following somewhere in their toolkit:

Bleed Damage (Light/Heavy Attack, Pounce/Carnage and its morphs, Werewolf Berserker Light Attack DoT)
Physical Damage (Piercing Howl and its morphs)
Disease Damage (Infectious Claws and its morphs)
Taunt (Heavy attacks with Deafening Roar slotted)
Healing (Hircine's Bounty and its morphs)
Stun (Roar and its morphs, the initial fear from Werewolf Transformation)
Mitigation (Pack Leader 10% damage reduction)
Multi-Target (Werewolf Berserker heavy attack, Brutal Pounce/Carnage, Infectious Claws and its morphs)
Restore Resources (Feral Pounce/Carnage stamina restore, Hircine's Bounty and its morphs stamina restore)

...meaning they don't have access to the following:

Damage Shield
Dispel (remove effect from enemy)
Flame Damage
Frost Damage
Generate Ultimate
Immobilize
Knockback
Magic Damage
Poison Damage
Pull
Shock Damage
Trauma (heal absorption)

Signature Scripts

Werewolf has the following somewhere in their toolkit:

Assassin's Misery (guaranteed Hemorrhaging proc on Pounce and its morphs, guaranteed Diseased proc on Infectious Claws and its morphs)
Druid's Resurgence (Feral Pounce/Carnage stamina restore, Hircine's Bounty and its morphs stamina restore)
Gladiator's Tenacity (Pack Leader 10% damage reduction)
Leeching Thirst (Claws of Life 66% of damage done heal)
Lingering Torment (Werewolf Berserker light attack bleed, Carnage and its morphs DoT, Claws of Anguish and its morphs DoT)
Sage's Remedy (Devour channeled heal over time)
Thief's Swiftness (Pursuit passive +30% movement speed)
Warrior's Opportunity (Terrified effect increasing damage of Piercing Howl and its morphs by 10%, Howl of Agony +10% damage when target is Off Balance)
Wayfarer's Mastery (Pack Leader's direwolves extending the duration of Werewolf Transformation via the Call of the Pack passive)

...meaning they don't have access to the following:

Anchorite's Cruelty (consumes soul gem to deal Oblivion Damage)
Anchorite's Potency (consumes soul gem to generate Ultimate)
Cavalier's Charge (increase to damage as ability persists)
Class Mastery
Crusader's Defiance (removal of debilitating effects, i.e. purge or cleanse)
Fencer's Parry (deflection of direct damage attacks)
Growing Impact (enhanced buff/debuff application)
Hunter's Snare (snare)
Immobilizing Strike (immobilize)
Knight's Valor (bash/block buffs)
Warmage's Defense (damage shield)

Affix Scripts

Werewolf has the following somewhere in their toolkit:

Berserk (Major, from Hircine's Rage when cast at 100% Health)
Breach (Major, from Deafening Roar)
Brutality and Sorcery (Major, from slotting Hircine's Bounty and its morphs)
Courage (Minor, from Pack Leader)
Defile (Major, from Claws of Anguish and its morphs. Also Minor, if you count the Diseased status effect.)
Empower (From Howl of Despair's Feeding Frenzy synergy)
Force (Minor, from Howl of Despair's Feeding Frenzy synergy)
Intellect and Endurance (Partially! Only Minor Endurance, which comes from Hircine's Fortitude. Note that Hircine's Fortitude also has Minor Fortitude, which does not currently have an associated Affix Script)
Maim (Minor, from Deafening Roar)
Off Balance (from Roar and its morphs)
Protection (Major, from slotting Deafening Roar)
Resolve (Major, from the Savage Strength passive)
Savagery and Prophecy (Major, from slotting Ferocious Roar)

...meaning they don't have access to the following:

Brittle
Cowardice
Enervation
Evasion
Expedition
Heroism
Interrupt
Lifesteal
Magickasteal
Mangle
Uncertainty
Vitality
Vulnerability

This section is where I'll summarize the above sections and give my opinion for what I'd like to see from Werewolf Scribing skills moving forward.

So, Werewolves are largely a martial melee subclass, primarily oriented for damage dealing, but also with some basic support for tanking. It's impossible to play a healer as a Werewolf because none of the abilities allow ally healing. While this could be solved by allowing Hircine's Bounty or its morphs to heal a nearby or additional target, this could also be implemented as an option for a Scribing ability.

For instance, here is one idea (which I'm particularly fond of) for one Werewolf Grimoire which can be adapted to fit damage dealing, tanking, and healing roles, while being thematic to Hircine and his Hunting Grounds:

Erickson9610 wrote: »

Hunter's Grounds (Somewhat like Secluded Grove or Ritual of Retribution. Ground AoE effect themed after The Hunting Grounds. Maybe this skill reuses the animation Werewolves do when they revive a player, where they hold their hand towards the ground. It could also just reuse the same "howling" animation as Hircine's Bounty. Like Mender's Bond, this ability doesn't change its name via the Focus Script prefix.)
Focus Scripts: Magic Damage, Poison Damage, Dispel, Pull, Restore Resources, Mitigation, Immobilize, Healing, Damage Shield, Generate Ultimate

Signature Scripts: Class Mastery, Hunter's Snare, Immobilizing Strike, Lingering Torment, Thief's Swiftness, Wayfarer's Mastery, Warrior's Opportunity, Sage's Remedy, Druid's Resurgence, Crusader's Defiance, Growing Impact, Gladiator's Tenacity, Knight's Valor, Thief's Swiftness

Affix Scripts: Vitality, Breach, Evasion, Resolve, Protection, Courage, Expedition, Intellect and Endurance, Magickasteal, Berserk, Vulnerability, Cowardice, Brutality and Sorcery, Savagery and Prophecy, Defile, Heroism

This one is the most versatile of the three. It could be used as an AoE damage ability, similar to Ritual of Retribution, using Poison Damage or Magic Damage, both of which aren't found in Werewolf's toolkit. Or, it could be used as a support ability, to heal and buff allies within it, which would make for Werewolf's first in-kit crossheal ability. Werewolf tanks could use it to pull in enemies, since they lack a pull in their toolkit.

The theming of the skill is also very nice. The idea of Hircine blessing the grounds you hunt on would be a good reason to include an AoE ground effect in Werewolf's toolkit. Scripts such as Hunter's Snare are particularly appropriate for such a skill. I imagine the VFX for this ground AoE might be similar to Secluded Grove, but with flora taken from The Hunting Grounds:

Here's a few mockups of how this skill could be configured:

Damage Dealer (Poison Damage, Cavalier's Charge, Berserk)

I'd replace Roar with this ability on my damage dealer. Roar is a stun/fear ability, so damage dealers shouldn't use it. I'd get more DPS if I had an ability like this to serve as an extra damage over time effect.

Tank (Pull, Hunter's Snare, Breach)

I'd replace Piercing Howl with this ability on a tank build. I definitely still need Deafening Roar for the taunt and the stun/fear, but Piercing Howl is a damage dealer ability and can be swapped out. Claws of Life is useful for healing myself in PvE, Feral Pounce/Carnage gives me Stamina in return, and Hircine's Fortitude is still a great self heal.

Healer (Healing, Thief's Swiftness, Vitality)

I'd replace Infectious Claws with this ability on a healer build. I won't need the healing from Claws of Life, but maybe I'd want to support my allies by giving them the Feeding Frenzy synergy from Howl of Despair.

In my opinion, the first Werewolf Grimoire should have this degree of flexibility. This proposed ability would count as a ground ability for the purposes of triggering effects which require ground effects (such as the Dark Convergence set, the Magical Multitudes Verse in the Infinite Archive, and so on) which couldn't be done with Werewolf's regular toolkit. Plus, the ability to pull enemies, heal allies, and have access to a new damage type would all go a long way to making the playstyle much more diverse and interesting.

While it would still be nice to have a Werewolf Grimoire that is as simple as a biting or claw attack that allows us to change the damage type and source some buffs/debuffs which currently don't exist in the toolkit, I don't think an ability designed to be a damaging ability from the ground up would do as much for the Werewolf playstyle.

Simply put, Werewolf Grimoires should open up a lot of possibilities, by simply being types of abilities other than what Werewolf currently has access to, such as a ground effect, a channel, an ally heal, a pull, and so on. Our first Grimoire shouldn't be limited to only one or two particular roles; it should encompass damage dealing, tanking, and healing, depending on which Scripts are used.
@ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_BrianWheeler

Celas_Dranacea · August 19

Thank you for the thoughtful and rigorous post Erickson and agreed. What I would most like to see is ability for werewolves to customize group buffs or provide group heals. This goes along with the theme of werewolves that hunt in a pack, and would give werewolves better ability to customize and be relevant in group play