Sorceror Skill Idea

Somnilux

So. I have felt for a while that stamina sorcerors really lack much in the way of gameplay modes that make them feel distinct and they have the fewest useful class skills in the game. Also the fact that sorcerors of either spec do not have a useful class spammable. While both have an incredibly useful morph of a skill that alters their gameplay, between bound armarments and crystal blast, on a short 3-5s cooldown, it would be engaging to at least give the class an option that alters their gameplay further.

Many classes right now do not exclusively use their class spammable, only stamina Templars use theirs exclusively. So it wouldn't ruin the class flavor to add one.

The dark magic line has two redundant skill lines that serve similar purposes. Rune Cage and Daedric Mines are incredibly redundant. I would look at combining the skills into two morphs of one. Allowing for an offensive and defensive stun choice. Freeing up the dark magic skill slot to add in a new spammable.

It would be channeling dark magic directly into an enemy. It should be baseline a 7 or 9m range skill, slightly extended melee. The baseline skill should be Magicka with magic damage that puts a stacking buff on the enemy. It can only be on one target and creates an aura maybe 9m that increases the damage taken of enemies around. Each stack with a maximum of let's say 10 or 20 add up to a sizeable damage bonus to other Enemies. It doesn't affect the primary target and using the skill on another resets the stacks.

The Magicka morph would extend the range and when you change targets the stacks collapse on the target causing it to explode dealing damage to itself and others based on the number of stacks. That explosion would need to be similar in scale to the base hit at Max stacks with a fraction of it so continually swapping targets is not a dps boost.

The stamina morph converts it into a stamina skill and changes the magic to be contained within the enemy entirely causing it to take damage each second. Changing the target still causes the energy to explode out however for a set amount of damage. (At Max stacks it would be the equivalent of the baseline hit in aoe form. Not talking a ton of damage

I was thinking that allowing the stacks to simply expire does not cause the explosion. Only changing targets before it expires.

Obviously this is an ability concept. Mostly was trying to think of ways that would work to help give sorcs some benefit for their current weaknesses, make the skills not exclusively the best choice for every fight.

Magsorcs have a ton of single target damage but little cleave. This wouldn't probably do as much damage as elemental weapon or force pulse but should do similar without the elemental effect of bonuses while boosting cleave. Stamina sorcerors have a lot of cleave damage with hurricane and need something that would do damage that is in line with the weapon spammables and exceeds in some cases but not in others.

It allows Stam sorcs to proc minor sorcery for the group without having to force dark deal into their rotation.

It also gives them access to the self healing from the dark magic skill line passive.

zvavi

No.

Edit: rune cage is unused ability indeed that needs to be reworked, but we dont need all classes to have a spammable.

MashmalloMan

If you're in for a read, I've included my thoughts below. TLDR: I agree, the only distinguished Class Idenity of Sorc is Magicka. ZOS needs to combine morphs/passives and release more interesting options for Healing/Tanking/Stamina Damage Dealing.

To OP: I like your ideas, I agree. If they're going to make a new damage ability, it should be a part of Dark Magic to make the class feel more rounded out for a Stam Sorc kit. Still hoping for Stam Frags personally, but that looks unlikely since Bound Armaments fills that type of ability role now(poorly).

Thank you if you decided to read this all..

I'd have to agree, there are a ton of redundant skills that show the clear lack of focus on updating Sorcs to be good at a more even balance between the 4 basic roles; Healer/Tank/Stam DD/Mag DD. A part of why I think this happened is because Mag Sorcs have gone through arguably the largest amount of nerfs/buffs given the fact that Mag Sorc was/is the most chosen class in the game. There was a solid 2 years where every new patch seemed to only focus on balancing Mag Sorc for pvp starting with Crystal Frags when it lost its stun, Rune Cage changes, Shield Changes, then lastly Pet changes, etc.

We've only recently come out of that entire rollercoaster near the end of 2019 and unfortunately they decided to put Class Identity on hold for update 25, but they are potentially still working on this issue. If you re-read the class identity article from the Fall, they made it clear that the update for Bound Armaments and Stone Fist was a first step in a larger picture towards better Class Identity.

When you compare Sorcs to other classes, Mag Sorcs have the most Magicka focussed damage abilities in the game, despite missing a spammable. Due to this fact, I don't believe adding a spammable is completely necessary (while it would be nice).

Mag Sorcs are capable of playing 2 vastly different playstyles, pet and non pet. On top of this, they have multiple abilities dedicated to CC (like you mention in the op). This design is DATED. Over the years, ZOS has continued to make other classes more viable at the roles they weren't intended to compete as because they changed their tune to "Play as you want" abonding the early design philosephy of the standard 3 roles present in most mmos. Sorc on the other hand is still largely built for Magicka Damage Dealing and it's very dissapointing when you try the other 3 roles.

Original Design: DK= Best Tank, Templar= Best Healer, Sorc= Best Ranged Damage Dealer, NB= Best Melee Damage Dealer.

So what needs to change? Well for starters, ZOS needs to bite the bullet and combine some of the lack luster morphs to clear up room. They've been trying to make Crystal Blast work for YEARS. The only people who use it are new players and Gank Sorcs, they have the data to prove it's not chosen nearly as much as it could be.

5/6 ultimates should not be Magicka Damage focussed. Throw Tanks/Stam a bone and update Absorption Field to be better for Healers somehow.

Many passives can be combined and updated to make room for some Tank/Healer specifc passives that don't affect how Stam/Mag DD play. In all honesty, the damage passives are what have been carrying Stam Sorc for years while they depend on Weapon/World/Guild skill lines to round out the build.

Rune Cage/Defensive Rune can be combined.

• 5-7 stun morphs in the class is NOT necessary. (Crystal Blast/Rune Cage/Defensive Rune/Volitile Familiar/Streak/Atro Morphs).
• This is somewhat a result of changing the "Disorient" status effect into a "Stun" with the Rune Cage changes (good thing, because the effect sucked). Disorient was a debilitating effect which briefly stunned a target. The stun ended as soon as the target took damage.

Endless Fury/Mages Wrath can be combined.

• Wrath Morph barely changes the base ability. Since ZOS is fine with the AOE potion of damage being present on both morphs, why not cobine them. Increase the base AOE damage, decrease the Magicka return.

Daedric Tomb/Daedric Minefield and Shattering Prison/Restraining Prison can be combined in some shape or form.

• 4 Immobilize morphs in 1 class is not necessary.
• Restraining Prison seems to be meant for tanks, but it is used in front instead of around the caster making it annoying to use.
• Shattering Prison doesn't deal a lot of damage and is completely negated by rolling out of it which is the natural reaction when Immobilized defeating the purpose of the morph.
• Daedric Tomb is an awful "morph" that allows you to cast from range. Similar morph situations in other classes like Warden's Winter's Revenge and Necro's Remote Totem have clear and distinct morph differences.

Crystal Frags/Crystal Blast.

• The 35% chance to proc for instant cast is what makes this ability fun and rewarding to use. This should be added to the base ability with the morphs offering more interesting functionalty.
• Potential for a Stam Damage morph here, however I now see this as unlikely given the fact that Bound Armaments serves a similar purpose as a "delayed burst ability". Albeit, it does it very poorly for pvp circumstances, but this could/should be tweaked.

Overload and Atro ultimates I have more distinct ideas for. Keep in mind, Atro idea is 2years old. If we got a new morph for Overload, I think Atro should be changed to tanking morph instead. See spoiler for picture/links.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/510837/stam-sorc-overload-morph-idea#latest

MashmalloMan wrote: »

Light Attacks


Heavy Attacks

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/438419/stam-sorc-air-atronach#latest

MashmalloMan wrote: »

(This would replace the Charged Atronach morph, Greater Storm Atronach is great the way it is.)

paganslyer

new skills can be great. eso Suffers from lack of skills options.

Joxer61

mines is quite strong on some builds....