Nightblade Abilities

Sylveria_Relden · March 2015

Ok, serious question-

Why do almost all of the Nightblade's class abilities consume magicka in order to activate them? Last time I checked... it's a melee-based class, not a caster-based class. Sure, some special abilities should consume magicka- but 85%+ of them???

theweakminded · March 2015

Sylveria_Relden wrote: »

Ok, serious question-

Why do almost all of the Nightblade's class abilities consume magicka in order to activate them? Last time I checked... it's a melee-based class, not a caster-based class. Sure, some special abilities should consume magicka- but 85%+ of them???

ALL class abilities use magicka by default. It is implying that class skill are magic use among the races. Recently some morphs have been giving stamina use/scaling. Also, ultimites scale of the higher stat (magi/spell power or stam/wep power).

nerevarine1138 · March 2015

theweakminded wrote: »

Sylveria_Relden wrote: »

Ok, serious question-

Why do almost all of the Nightblade's class abilities consume magicka in order to activate them? Last time I checked... it's a melee-based class, not a caster-based class. Sure, some special abilities should consume magicka- but 85%+ of them???

ALL class abilities use magicka by default. It is implying that class skill are magic use among the races. Recently some morphs have been giving stamina use/scaling. Also, ultimites scale of the higher stat (magi/spell power or stam/wep power).

Pretty much this. Almost every Nightblade ability that's used for melee damage has a morph that lets it scale off of weapon damage and use stamina instead of magicka.

But that said, every class in this game is capable of playing as a melee or a caster build. Caster Nightblades can be extremely effective, as can be melee Sorcerers. Your class has very little impact on what weapons you specialize in.

AlnilamE · March 2015

Here we go again...

Class skills = Magicka

Weapon skills (with exception of staves) = Stamina

1.6 introduced some class skill morphs that use stamina instead.

Athas24 · March 2015

Basically what everyone is saying here. I'm going to assume that you've recently returned or haven't followed the recent patch notes on stamina based abilities. I for one am LOVING the morphs that consume stamina on my NB. Stamina and magicka consumption aren't honestly an issue until mid to later levels anyway so these morphs become available rather early and it doesn't harm the build. Some things like darkness should consume magicka since it's clearly a spell and always will though. It actually works great because not all of your abilities are stuck pulling from one resource. You can set it up to pull from multiple resources and not lose all of just one.

Keep on playing and experimenting with the builds, I think you'll love them eventually.

Shunravi · March 2015

Again, what everyone is saying, the classes do not determine melee or caster based. What you chose to build with does.

jelliedsoup · March 2015

To do high dps with class and weapons skills use stam. Use the class skills which use stam.

Sylveria_Relden · March 2015

Athas24 wrote: »

I'm going to assume that you've recently returned or haven't followed the recent patch notes on stamina based abilities.

Actually- you'd be correct in that assumption. And so far my NB is around 33 or so, and balancing magicka versus stamina has always been an issue with the NB (yes, I fall into the category of people who doesn't believe the NB should be wearing a robe and a staff in order to be viable...) and your response actually helps me to understand better the direction I should focus.

I'll definitely love when I can morph the abilities to stamina use- will take better advantage of my racial (Redguard) bonuses with Medium Armor.

Thanks for not being condescending with your response- and actually being helpful!

Endurance · March 2015

Sylveria_Relden wrote: »

Ok, serious question-

Why do almost all of the Nightblade's class abilities consume magicka in order to activate them? Last time I checked... it's a melee-based class, not a caster-based class. Sure, some special abilities should consume magicka- but 85%+ of them???

your not supposed to spam nightblade abilities your supposed to spam weapon skills

jelliedsoup · March 2015

I'm a bow/dw nb. 8k mag 20k health 27k stam i rely on my dodgy evasion build.

But I'm happy with my build. There are builds which i need the initiative and have to continually pound them while dodging but i can still get them down...sometimes.

panemetcircenses · March 2015

Athas24 wrote: »

Basically what everyone is saying here. I'm going to assume that you've recently returned or haven't followed the recent patch notes on stamina based abilities. I for one am LOVING the morphs that consume stamina on my NB. Stamina and magicka consumption aren't honestly an issue until mid to later levels anyway so these morphs become available rather early and it doesn't harm the build. Some things like darkness should consume magicka since it's clearly a spell and always will though. It actually works great because not all of your abilities are stuck pulling from one resource. You can set it up to pull from multiple resources and not lose all of just one. Keep on playing and experimenting with the builds, I think you'll love them eventually.

Having recently returned, I'm finding that I'm on the other end of the spectrum... I kind of miss some of the previous abilities.

Having built my character as an offensive healer, I've found that the changes actually thinned out the abilities that are useful to the build. Mostly that relates to Soul "Siphon", which doesn't actually siphon anything (This ability no longer does damage. Instead, it grants the Major Vitality buff to up to six ally targets and heals those targets.) and doesn't actually affect my character, meaning I have to pay more attention to keeping my own health up and can't use the ability to clear out (or at least weaken) trash mobs. Killer's Blade being Stamina based on top of this leaves most of my class-based healing capabilities are pretty much "meh" at this point... only Funnel Health remains useful.

The changes to Light Armor don't really seem to be helping things, either...

A Breton Nightblade is sort of a waste now that the class is so well-suited to Stamina builds, and it is utterly unsuited to the role of healer (Restoration Staff has never really been that impressive on its own). Any advice in making a Magicka-based Nightblade more effective? Should I do a respec into offensive Magicka abilities, or re-roll into a Race capable of making better use out of the new Stamina-based abilities? Any advice from those that have had a chance to experience these changes would be appreciated.

nerevarine1138 · March 2015

Sylveria_Relden wrote: »

Athas24 wrote: »

I'm going to assume that you've recently returned or haven't followed the recent patch notes on stamina based abilities.

Actually- you'd be correct in that assumption. And so far my NB is around 33 or so, and balancing magicka versus stamina has always been an issue with the NB (yes, I fall into the category of people who doesn't believe the NB should be wearing a robe and a staff in order to be viable...) and your response actually helps me to understand better the direction I should focus.

I'll definitely love when I can morph the abilities to stamina use- will take better advantage of my racial (Redguard) bonuses with Medium Armor.

Thanks for not being condescending with your response- and actually being helpful!

I'm not sure why you read condescension in to everyone else's replies (all of which were accurate and helpful, by the way). And you probably have been gone for a while, because robe-and-staff is no longer considered needed (it never was, but now stamina builds are even more effective).

Suntzu1414 · March 2015

when they mentioned (pre-1.6). that you could morph some abilities to Stam.
It was encouraging...

When they took, some of the best NB abilities..a moved them to Stam Only.
this was discouraging...

without moving siphon abilities (too) -- all of them.
this made pre-1.5 builds (magica) ... out of luck.

--I built 2 VR14 NB (I love NB)

Now, I play only my Templar.....

Kill Well
ST

Sylveria_Relden · March 2015

panemetcircenses wrote: »

Having recently returned, I'm finding that I'm on the other end of the spectrum... I kind of miss some of the previous abilities.

Having built my character as an offensive healer, I've found that the changes actually thinned out the abilities that are useful to the build. Mostly that relates to Soul "Siphon", which doesn't actually siphon anything (This ability no longer does damage. Instead, it grants the Major Vitality buff to up to six ally targets and heals those targets.) and doesn't actually affect my character, meaning I have to pay more attention to keeping my own health up and can't use the ability to clear out (or at least weaken) trash mobs. Killer's Blade being Stamina based on top of this leaves most of my class-based healing capabilities are pretty much "meh" at this point... only Funnel Health remains useful.

The changes to Light Armor don't really seem to be helping things, either...

A Breton Nightblade is sort of a waste now that the class is so well-suited to Stamina builds, and it is utterly unsuited to the role of healer (Restoration Staff has never really been that impressive on its own). Any advice in making a Magicka-based Nightblade more effective? Should I do a respec into offensive Magicka abilities, or re-roll into a Race capable of making better use out of the new Stamina-based abilities? Any advice from those that have had a chance to experience these changes would be appreciated.

I personally wouldn't be able to offer any "solid" advice on this- however, I can the opinion that because ZOS decided to introduce the hybridized "class" system into ESO from inception- it's likely the cause of a lot of their current issues with "balance" in the classes. I would have liked it if they had left it "open" like in almost all the Elder Scrolls games- instead of an MMO "holy trinity" focus which is now more hybridized. They should have instead gone completely the route of the forced class system, making "roles" clearly defined instead of attempting what is currently a huge conundrum (sorry, couldn't help it- did the Sheogorath quest recently and the word is stuck in my head now) or just completely left it open like in previous ES games. Sure, there were "classes" to pick from- but you really weren't *locked* into them like you are in ESO.

Should you have the choice of playing any role/class combination? Sure, I think so- but the way it's currently implemented, it's going to limit someone, somewhere and no one will be happy. I say get rid of the "classes" and just make all lines open to anyone- you'd still have to "level" them to be viable, anyway- and if they're all open, you have more choices (and everyone can make unique combos, instead of invariably cookie cutter templates) available to you. Will this inevitably show the "weaker" lines with less use and overuse of the stronger ones? You betcha, but it will definitely make ZOS's job of knowing what to change much easier. What should be "buffed"? Most likely the stuff no one uses, right? (imagine that!)

I found myself at odds with the nightblade originally, because in almost every ES game I played the sneaky rogue archer type- and because in this game it's not "viable" (really no sneak bonuses for surprise attack, which I find odd) and it's almost all forced melee with the exception of the sorcerer - which I think if they hadn't implemented this game would have truly been DOA. I still remember at launch when the only "viable" nightblade wore a robe and used a staff... because that's what everyone had envisioned when they imagined a "sneaky rogue archer type", right?

I do like that they added "extra" skill lines in the form of "World" etc, because it at least makes the ability to customize a little more evident- but in reality your best bet will be picking the obviously "more suited" class for healing. (and sorry, "Cleric" isn't really available- but the Templar & Sorc are)

Keron · March 2015

I have petitioned for ages (ups, of course not petitioned but suggested! No locking topic please!) to rename Magicka to "Class-Ability-Resource" and Stamina to "Weapon-Ability-and -Defensive-Skills-Resource" to stop this misconception that a melee physical skill is not supposed to use Magicka because "it is unrealistic".

But apparently my cleverly thought out names are not catchy enough to make it into the change process...