Suggestion for a New Weapon Skill Line Pole-arms

Kronos

So at first i was thinking, why not just add pole-arms to the game and put them under the 2 handed weapon class? Then, I thought why not make a Hybrid (dps/tanking) skill line. A weapon class that does less damage than 2 handed, and does not offer all the benefits of 1 hand and shield, but meets the middle ground for each. It's just a suggestion, and pole-arms tend to be my favorite weapons so i would love to see them implemented here in some way.

Here is just a basic outline of what i would like to see.

(level 1 character no weapon in hand)

Weapon Class: Pole-arms

Skills
Active:
1) Thrust
Range: 5m
Cost: 32 stam
Deals 5 damage to all enemies directly in front of you.
Taunts targets taking damage.
Morphs:
- No longer taunts targets, but deals 7 damage to all enemies
- Deals 3 damage to all targets, and target(s) bleed for 5% of total damage

2) Sweeping Strike
Range: 5m
Cost: 60 stam
Deals 10 damage to a target, and knocks them down for 3 seconds
Morphs:
- Snares Target 40% after stun ends
- No longer stuns, instead becomes and AOE knockback (4 meters)
3) Counter
Range: Self
Cost: 49 stam
Self buff that auto counters next hit against player for 6 damage
buff last 8 seconds
Morphs:
- Buff last 12 seconds
- Reduces damage to 4, but attack can never miss and damage is unresistable.

4) Parry Stance
Range: Self
Cost: 32 stam
places player in a defensive stance for 4 seconds, parrying all atacks without the cost of stamina
slotting the skill reduces the cost of parrying by 5% and reduces damage taken while parrying by 5%
Morphs:
- Increases passive slotting bonuses to 8% each
- Removes passive bonuses, increase duration to 8 seconds

5) Vault
Range: 6m - 28m
Cost: 46 stam
Vault with your weapon to target's location dealing 6 damage in a 4m radius
2 second cast time
Morphs:
- Creates a barrier for 7% of total damage
- Increase damage to 15 damage, no aoe damage

(Passive coming next)

Kronos

Passives:
1) Pole-arm proficiency
Pole-arms ignore 20 armor and bleed target for 1 damage (1/2)
(basically half the bonus from maces and half the bonus from axes)

2) Defensive Sacrifice
Reduces the cost of blocking by 15%, but reduces damage by 5% (1/2)

3) Long Reach
Pole-arm weapons have a striking distance of 4m (1/2)

4) Pole-arm Mastery
Reduces the cost of pole-arm skills by 10% (1/2)

5) Recovery
Melee attacks have 10% chance to restore 2 HP (1/2)

So, again, this is just a basic outline that i tossed together for something i would like to see in the game. A weapon skill line that can tank, but is not the most ideal tanking line, and/or can do decent damage.

I tried to make the morphs have deciding factors on what role you as the player would fill if you chose pole-arms. That way you have to give up defense to become offensive and vice-versa. I think that would help in balancing the skill line for pvp.

As for the actual numbers and percentages, i just pulled basic numbers off level 1 skills posted on eldersouls.com, they do not necessarily represent actual numbers i would like to see in game, just a starting off point.

I would like some feedback on this.
Would you play this skill line?
Would it be to over powered, and kill any balance that already exist?
Do the damage sacrifices balance out for the defensive power while still making one-hand and shield the most viable tanking option?
Do the defensive sacrifices compensate for the offensive power gained, without making pole-arms do more damage than 2 handed (or dual)?
How would this affect pvp? pve?

If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read my post, and thanks in advance for any feedback.

Erotes

This is a fantastic idea. It is completely logical as well. Staves and spears aren't as heavy as most two handed weapons so they wouldn't be as powerful but they do give you added range and defense. I am a big fan of quarter staves and would love to be able to use these skills.

My only concern is that if it were a "polearms" skill tree, that would encompasss both spears and quarterstaves. I would hate it if they surmised that staves are weaker so therefore beginner weapons for the polearms skill tree and the advanced polearms would be spears. I would want a mix of the two at any lvl.

sCouraGeFire

if it is indeed a polearm, the skills need a range larger than 5m, 1h shield skills have a 5m range. Maybe 8m range on the melee polearm skills?