Introducing a Bat Swarm Dash for Vampire

Vevvev

I had a very interesting conservation a while ago with a friend about Blood Mist after they saw this thread, https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/585213/blood-mist-vampire-skill-for-tanking , and one of the comments by code65536 mentioned the devs did not intend for Blood Mist to be used the way it is. This had me thinking of the ways they'd fix it from changing the encounters all the way to nerfing Blood Mist, but if they were to nerf or remove Blood Mist then it'd be a big blow to the Vampire skill line unless....... they rework the morph completely. Hence this thread.
(code65536's comment. Should have included this but forgot to while typing)

Amottica wrote: »

LOL.

So, yes, you can use Blood Mist for tanking.

And right now, if you are doing Rockgrove Hard Mode, the use of Blood Mist is required in order to survive the hilarously unbalanced levels of incoming damage on Bahsei HM.

That having been said, ZOS doesn't like that tanks are using Blood Mist. One dev had characterized its use as "abusing Mist Form", and another dev said that this is something that will be addressed in the future. So, while you can use Blood Mist now, but just be aware that it may not remain viable for that much longer.

Also, you can't use Blood Mist in The Dread Cellar (new dungeon) because the Scorions in that dungeon are programmed to shed taunt if the tank uses mist.

Gap closers are something many people on these forums have wanted in the Vampire toolkit since the rework, especially due to Vampire's heavy reliance on melee combat. Elusive Mist is used by many as a source of mobility in combat, especially in PvP, and changing Mistform's Blood Mist morph to be a bat swarm dash that functions like Streak would be very interesting in my opinion. In order to differentiate it from the Sorcerer's bread and butter skill the ability would not stun but instead heal the user for the damage dealt to all targets they pass through.
Effectively the skill would look something like this.

Blood Swarm: ((Or whatever other name they come up with like Bat Dash, Materialize, etc))
Transform yourself into a cloud of bats and charge forward, dealing X Magic Damage to enemies in your wake and healing yourself for ((Insert % of healing value here)) of the damage you do. Casting again within 4 seconds costs 33% more Magicka. This ability scales with your highest offensive stats.

Would give the vampire a mobility tool, a different way to heal that's more active than passive, not stun like Streak, and ramp up in cost like Streak does so you wouldn't wanna be spamming it like crazy. The heal would also scale off the damage done like Blood Mist does currently meaning the more offensive DPS focused vampires with not a whole lot of health have a better option than Vampiric Drain that restores missing health only.

vms11934

Cool idea, but it would still be a big blow to vampire if they changed it. I prefer Blood Mist as it is. There is nothing wrong it with it now aside from (supposedly) some idiot dev who has a very narrow and restrictive idea on how every one should play.

Vevvev

vms11934 wrote: »

Cool idea, but it would still be a big blow to vampire if they changed it. I prefer Blood Mist as it is. There is nothing wrong it with it now aside from (supposedly) some idiot dev who has a very narrow and restrictive idea on how every one should play.

Agreed, I'd prefer it remain unchanged but if they were to change it... I feel like this idea would be better than whatever nerf they toss at it. But that's just my opinion on the whole thing.

Amottica

code65536 wrote: »

LOL.

So, yes, you can use Blood Mist for tanking.

And right now, if you are doing Rockgrove Hard Mode, the use of Blood Mist is required in order to survive the hilarously unbalanced levels of incoming damage on Bahsei HM.

That having been said, ZOS doesn't like that tanks are using Blood Mist. One dev had characterized its use as "abusing Mist Form", and another dev said that this is something that will be addressed in the future. So, while you can use Blood Mist now, but just be aware that it may not remain viable for that much longer.

Also, you can't use Blood Mist in The Dread Cellar (new dungeon) because the Scorions in that dungeon are programmed to shed taunt if the tank uses mist.

I am placing Code's comment mentioned to keep it in context. They also note a different issue which I feel is important. They discuss a mechanic in a Dread Cellar that could be used to make it useless for tanks. Personally, I think it is a poor fight design if BM is essentially required. That is a very poor fight design IMO.

Code has other comments in that thread the OP linked to shed more of their thoughts on the matter. I suggest reading them.

Vevvev

Amottica wrote: »

code65536 wrote: »

LOL.

So, yes, you can use Blood Mist for tanking.

And right now, if you are doing Rockgrove Hard Mode, the use of Blood Mist is required in order to survive the hilarously unbalanced levels of incoming damage on Bahsei HM.

That having been said, ZOS doesn't like that tanks are using Blood Mist. One dev had characterized its use as "abusing Mist Form", and another dev said that this is something that will be addressed in the future. So, while you can use Blood Mist now, but just be aware that it may not remain viable for that much longer.

Also, you can't use Blood Mist in The Dread Cellar (new dungeon) because the Scorions in that dungeon are programmed to shed taunt if the tank uses mist.

I am placing Code's comment mentioned to keep it in context. They also note a different issue which I feel is important. They discuss a mechanic in a Dread Cellar that could be used to make it useless for tanks. Personally, I think it is a poor fight design if BM is essentially required. That is a very poor fight design IMO.

Code has other comments in that thread the OP linked to shed more of their thoughts on the matter. I suggest reading them.

Added the quote to the OP ((I should've done that, my bad!))

And I agree in that it's bad design on ZOS's part.

Spectral_Force

I'm all for it - pretty sure we were brainstorming a Streak-like Vampire ability at some point during Greymoor PTS. Also would make me happy to see the strange red mist VFX replaced with something more recognizable. Would it be too much to ask that the new ability still gives you 75% damage reduction for the duration? Still makes sense thematically and can be used as a dodge if timed right.

Add another suggestion to the "Cool but won't make it into the game" list. What do you think is actually going to happen - a nerf to the Blood Mist damage reduction? A drastic increase in cost? Less damage/fewer ticks?

Vevvev

Spectral_Force wrote: »

Add another suggestion to the "Cool but won't make it into the game" list. What do you think is actually going to happen - a nerf to the Blood Mist damage reduction? A drastic increase in cost? Less damage/fewer ticks?

One can only speculate, but there's a possibility they might continue down the route of having mistform shed taunt from the user making the enemies seek new targets.