The Gold Road Chapter – which includes the Scribing system – and Update 42 is now available to test on the PTS! You can read the latest patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/656454/
Maintenance for the week of April 22:
• [IN PROGRESS] PC/Mac: NA megaserver for maintenance – April 25, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 2:00PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8098811/#Comment_8098811
• [IN PROGRESS] PC/Mac: NA megaserver for maintenance – April 25, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 2:00PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8098811/#Comment_8098811
Necro Ability Synergy
ZhrIcon
✭✭
Hello everyone! First time poster, long time player. I've been playing ESO since launch in 2014, I've spent a lot of time in game, a good majority of it in PvP. I was really excited to hear about the Necromancer class coming to the game, but like many, I was disappointed with the class. Now, that's not to say that I don't like it, I absolutely do, more so the stam variant than the magicka though. I feel that the Stam Necro has a lot going for it, and believe that once some of the bugs are fixed, it's going to be a top tier PvP class. Yes, I have all the same issues as everyone else with the class. Lack luster spammable, buggy blastbones, yada yada yada, we've all heard about all of that a million times. But that's not what I'm here to discuss. I think what the Magicka Necro lacks most of all, is synergy between it's abilities, and ways to differentiate it from the other classes. It basically feels like a more offensive magicka Warden, but a worse class overall (as far as solo play goes, they're both great in group and have a place in the gameplay.)
Here is what I propose... More abilities that interact with the Necromancer's core mechanic, corpse play.
Animated Blastbones
This skill is practically useless. Between the insanely powerful Colossus ult, and the battle altering Renewing Animation, there is really no reason to use this skill. It has a high ult cost (336 on my necro) which is more than the Colossus ult, deals less damage (although can be burstier when used correctly since most people won't stay in the colossus ult) and obviously has no place on a support character in PvP since the resources gained form Renewing Animation is much more useful. Here is what I propose...
Animated Blastbones
Cast Time Instant
Target Ground
Range 28 Meters
Radius 12 Meters
Cost 150 (200 ult?)
You consume up to 3 (maybe 4?) corpses in the area and summon a Blastbones for each corpse.
Now, what this would do for the class, is give the class an offensive option that isn't the Colossus. Don't get me wrong, the Colossus is insanely powerful, but the cost is too high in my opinion to use as a primary damage ultimate when playing solo. It's very useful against multiple enemies, but is easily avoidable in a 1v1 fight or other similarly small engagements.
Keep in mind, the blastbones summoned from this ability will drop a corpse, which can be used in synergy with a later ability that I will mention. Also, this would give the Necromancer a cheaper offensive ultimate to use, that wouldn't be too overly powerful since it would no longer resurrect allies.
Empowering Grasp
This skill doesn't see a whole lot of use either, and I think that is mostly due to the short up time on the empowerment (plus the Necro summons being rather weak atm.) And as far as I can tell, it does not empower the damage on Blastbones, only on the skeletal mage/archer and the spirit mender. Here is what I propose.
Empowering Grasp
Cost 3591
Cast Time Instant
Target Area
Radius 18x5
Duration 14 seconds
Summon the spirits of the fallen in an area, empowering you and your allies light attacks by 40% for 10 seconds.
Hitting a Skeletal Mage or Spirit Mender increased it's effectiveness (healing and damage) by 40% for 14 seconds.
Blastbones that are hit with Empowering grasp have their damage and movement speed increased by 25%
My thoughts on this one is, for PvE, it gives another ability for healers to use that could be unique to them, by increasing their allies light attack damage by empower, and increasing the healing of the spirit mender. I did 10 seconds of Empower so it wouldn't be too strong, but maybe even reduce it down to 8 seconds.
It also adds more synergy to the undead minion gameplay by actively strengthening your minions when you need to. The 14 second duration on the "increased effectiveness" for necro summons was to fit well into the damage necro rotation if the player so desires to use it.
As for the graphical effect, I was thinking something along the lines of path of darkness from the NB, but with green/blue spirits coming up instead of red glow, and would operate similarly.
Deaden Pain or Necrotic Potency
Personally, I think Deaden Pain is absolutely bonkers. No class should have access to that much up time on major protection (I'm looking at you BRP DW). Although, this is one of my favorite abilities on the Necro, I think it's over the top. But, I do like the idea of an offensive and defensive morph, so perhaps Necrotic Potency should be the one that is changed. Afterall, that's an absurd amount of Ulti gen.
Release Agony
Cost 3000 Magicka/Stamina
Cast Time Instant
Target Ground
Range 16 Meters
Radius 8 Meters
Release the anguish of the fallen into a violent explosion at the target location. Dealing X amount of damage in a 6 meter radius and dealing Y damage every second for 2 seconds for every corpse consumed. Each corpse consumed grants the caster 2 ultimate.
Adds a cost to the ability, the damage done and cost depend on primary resource.
While slotted, your damage taken is reduced by 3%
As you can see, this becomes an offensive morph. What it does, provide a corpse explosion effect, removing the corpses from the target area, dealing a bit of burst for each corpse consumed, and deal a small dot (same numbers as the heal on the other morph.) What I find interesting about this idea, is it allows the Necromancer to attempt to play the corpse 'mini game' at a new level. The goal would be to stack corpses somewhat close to each other, and then release them as your blast bones and ulti's are hitting. The damage would probably be about 25% less damage than your typical spammable, per corpse. So the more corpses in the area, the more damage.
These could all use some tweaking I'm sure, but I feel as though the overall concept is good. It plays well into the Necro's identity, as well as allowing for more skilled gameplay with corpse management and maintaining buff timers on your summons to increase effectiveness. It's all about corpses, and undead. As well as playing into the "temporary summoning nature" of necromancers. I'd love to hear any feed back on the ideas!
And for the love of god, please allow us to consume a corpse and attach the damage tethers to our target so we can have a proper dot. We get 15% more DoT damage after all. Why does the necro have no real class dots?
Here is what I propose... More abilities that interact with the Necromancer's core mechanic, corpse play.
Animated Blastbones
This skill is practically useless. Between the insanely powerful Colossus ult, and the battle altering Renewing Animation, there is really no reason to use this skill. It has a high ult cost (336 on my necro) which is more than the Colossus ult, deals less damage (although can be burstier when used correctly since most people won't stay in the colossus ult) and obviously has no place on a support character in PvP since the resources gained form Renewing Animation is much more useful. Here is what I propose...
Animated Blastbones
Cast Time Instant
Target Ground
Range 28 Meters
Radius 12 Meters
Cost 150 (200 ult?)
You consume up to 3 (maybe 4?) corpses in the area and summon a Blastbones for each corpse.
Now, what this would do for the class, is give the class an offensive option that isn't the Colossus. Don't get me wrong, the Colossus is insanely powerful, but the cost is too high in my opinion to use as a primary damage ultimate when playing solo. It's very useful against multiple enemies, but is easily avoidable in a 1v1 fight or other similarly small engagements.
Keep in mind, the blastbones summoned from this ability will drop a corpse, which can be used in synergy with a later ability that I will mention. Also, this would give the Necromancer a cheaper offensive ultimate to use, that wouldn't be too overly powerful since it would no longer resurrect allies.
Empowering Grasp
This skill doesn't see a whole lot of use either, and I think that is mostly due to the short up time on the empowerment (plus the Necro summons being rather weak atm.) And as far as I can tell, it does not empower the damage on Blastbones, only on the skeletal mage/archer and the spirit mender. Here is what I propose.
Empowering Grasp
Cost 3591
Cast Time Instant
Target Area
Radius 18x5
Duration 14 seconds
Summon the spirits of the fallen in an area, empowering you and your allies light attacks by 40% for 10 seconds.
Hitting a Skeletal Mage or Spirit Mender increased it's effectiveness (healing and damage) by 40% for 14 seconds.
Blastbones that are hit with Empowering grasp have their damage and movement speed increased by 25%
My thoughts on this one is, for PvE, it gives another ability for healers to use that could be unique to them, by increasing their allies light attack damage by empower, and increasing the healing of the spirit mender. I did 10 seconds of Empower so it wouldn't be too strong, but maybe even reduce it down to 8 seconds.
It also adds more synergy to the undead minion gameplay by actively strengthening your minions when you need to. The 14 second duration on the "increased effectiveness" for necro summons was to fit well into the damage necro rotation if the player so desires to use it.
As for the graphical effect, I was thinking something along the lines of path of darkness from the NB, but with green/blue spirits coming up instead of red glow, and would operate similarly.
Deaden Pain or Necrotic Potency
Personally, I think Deaden Pain is absolutely bonkers. No class should have access to that much up time on major protection (I'm looking at you BRP DW). Although, this is one of my favorite abilities on the Necro, I think it's over the top. But, I do like the idea of an offensive and defensive morph, so perhaps Necrotic Potency should be the one that is changed. Afterall, that's an absurd amount of Ulti gen.
Release Agony
Cost 3000 Magicka/Stamina
Cast Time Instant
Target Ground
Range 16 Meters
Radius 8 Meters
Release the anguish of the fallen into a violent explosion at the target location. Dealing X amount of damage in a 6 meter radius and dealing Y damage every second for 2 seconds for every corpse consumed. Each corpse consumed grants the caster 2 ultimate.
Adds a cost to the ability, the damage done and cost depend on primary resource.
While slotted, your damage taken is reduced by 3%
As you can see, this becomes an offensive morph. What it does, provide a corpse explosion effect, removing the corpses from the target area, dealing a bit of burst for each corpse consumed, and deal a small dot (same numbers as the heal on the other morph.) What I find interesting about this idea, is it allows the Necromancer to attempt to play the corpse 'mini game' at a new level. The goal would be to stack corpses somewhat close to each other, and then release them as your blast bones and ulti's are hitting. The damage would probably be about 25% less damage than your typical spammable, per corpse. So the more corpses in the area, the more damage.
These could all use some tweaking I'm sure, but I feel as though the overall concept is good. It plays well into the Necro's identity, as well as allowing for more skilled gameplay with corpse management and maintaining buff timers on your summons to increase effectiveness. It's all about corpses, and undead. As well as playing into the "temporary summoning nature" of necromancers. I'd love to hear any feed back on the ideas!
And for the love of god, please allow us to consume a corpse and attach the damage tethers to our target so we can have a proper dot. We get 15% more DoT damage after all. Why does the necro have no real class dots?
0