New class: Invoker (A Necromancer/Chanter)

Dubhliam · January 2016

Saltypretzels wrote: »

@OP, you should come up with a new name. Clerics have been around since the first D&D books and everyone has very preconceived notions about them . "Cleric" does not inspire me in any way...

And "Sorceror" or "Templar" are oh so inspiring.

I chose the name "Cleric" because it can bear a Necromancy tree without restricting it to purely foul magic.

SahrotRein · January 2016

I see a lot of Necromancer class demands in this thread again, I've said my opinion several times before, but I can do it again if it serves its purpose.

Necromancer class is just a cheap spin-off from Sorcerer class, just like having another class dedicated to purely Storm abilities (as Sorcs already have that implemented in their ability tree). The "problem" of ESO classes is that one class stands up for several other. Other MMOs have greater variety of classes with less options, ESO has fewer classes with a lot of abilities and options.

I'm not even bringing up lore issues with being a Necromancer, even if you would roleplay as a good guy. Regarding to Necromancer abilities, what would you imagine such class would cast? Summoning creatures, resurrecting the dead. End of the line - would you really want to spend the whole game just controlling your pets and summoning stuff? Trying to come up with original abilities for Necromancer that would not feel to Sorcerer-like wouldn't have a bright future.

On a side note to what I said above about classes' variety - each of ESO classes is already consisting of some that we know.
Templar = Paladin, Priest, Cleric, Monk
Nightblade = Thief, Rogue, Assassin
Dragonknight = Warrior (with a greater variety), Hunter
Sorcerer = Mage, Shaman, Wizard, Warlock

My point is that all of your ideas for classes would just end up in us getting a sub-class. ESO's few classes bear original name and that differs them from other MMOs. But I am completely down with Necromancer being a new ability tree, just like Vampirism or Lycantrophy, that sounds reasonable enough to me.
Or you know what, just don't name the new class Necromancer, no - that already sounds too narrow-oriented. Rather something, that would sound more "in-general".

To the OP: I definitely agree for a new class, however this topic is somewhat delicate.

Zardayne · January 2016

We need a warden (nature) and a necromancer styled class. Perhaps the necro could have some frost mastery since we already have lightning and fire covered. If we had a nature themed class you might keep me subbed for another 2 + years..Trying to create a druid with what we have now is pretty hard (and I'm talking more Daoc or EQ2 druid here)...

TheShadowScout · January 2016

Zardayne wrote: »

We need a warden (nature) and a necromancer styled class. Perhaps the necro could have some frost mastery since we already have lightning and fire covered. If we had a nature themed class you might keep me subbed for another 2 + years..Trying to create a druid with what we have now is pretty hard (and I'm talking more Daoc or EQ2 druid here)...

I still think we don#t need new classes, that in fact adding new classes -now- would be bad for the game.
That stated...
Oh, we definitely need something along the lines to cover nature magic and death magic!

Either following my class morph notion, or as standalone skill line - personally I prefer the former of course, to make people have to -choose-, and to limit their available choices as to diversify characters instead of pigeonholing all into cherry-picking the best skills...
(For example, with my concept any sorceror could choose to study necromancy... or ice magic... or battle magic... and add either to their usual skills... but not cryomancy and necromancy, thos people have to make a choice. And templars couldn't go necromancer at all, but they could choose to diversity into other fields, like shamanistic plant magic... etc.)

But it is really vexing that we see NPCs use nature magic, have this neat idea for a nature-based character, be it wyress, treeminder, spinner... and pop goes that thought, no nature magic, no character.

Or wanting to play some revolting (against mannimarco, not the other kind) antihero nercomancer and then seeing there is no skills that let players raise corpses to herd.

Or seeing an NPC ranger/hunter summon a wold during battle and going "Hey, that would work sooo well for my bosmer archer too..." and finding the game just won't let you.

...I could go on...

PainfulFAFA · January 2016

Clerics?
What is this? maplestory?

AnnieBeGood · January 2016

Hmmm. All very interesting. But most of all I NEED another button on my bars....... I need 6 + ultimate. The you can add skills.
But right now..... I just don't have enough, its all too limiting.

But then I play a templar.

I need help.

Dubhliam · January 2016

Okay, I've added some skills into the Necromancy tree, will add more skills in time.

Undying Lich (base Ultimate)
While slotted, if killed you take a Spectral form instead. While in Spectral form, you are unkillable and immovable. Your ultimate gets depleted every second and this effect ends when you lose all your ultimate.

Unstoppable Lich (morph) No longer immovable. Undying Horde (morph) Now also ressurects nearby dead allies as Spectres. Their effect ends when their ultimate is depleted. Raise skeleton (base skill)
Raise a skeleton form a fallen monster in target area. The skeleton fights for you until killed. You can have only one skeleton active at any time.

Skeleton Army (morph) Now can have up to three skeletons active at any time. Bone Collosus (morph) The skeleton how has more health and damage. Pit of Undead (base skill)
Create a pit in target area. Enemies that enter that area get their movement reduced by 50% and get afflicted with Minor Defile, reducing healing on them.

Grasping Pit (morph) Targets are now debuffed for two more seconds after leaving the pit. Also an enemy stays in the pit for 3 seconds, he gets rooted for 2 seconds. Pit of Befouled (morphed) Now inflicts Major Defile and deals X damage every 0,5 seconds. Summon Ghost (base skill)
Summon a Ghost to fight for you for 30 seconds. The ghost deals long range Frost damage.

Summon Spectre (morph) The ghost is now untargetable and unkillable. Summon Wispmother (morph) The ghost now has AoE damage skills and occasionally spawns Wisps to fight.

Zardayne · January 2016

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Zardayne wrote: »

We need a warden (nature) and a necromancer styled class. Perhaps the necro could have some frost mastery since we already have lightning and fire covered. If we had a nature themed class you might keep me subbed for another 2 + years..Trying to create a druid with what we have now is pretty hard (and I'm talking more Daoc or EQ2 druid here)...

I still think we don#t need new classes, that in fact adding new classes -now- would be bad for the game.
That stated...
Oh, we definitely need something along the lines to cover nature magic and death magic!

Either following my class morph notion, or as standalone skill line - personally I prefer the former of course, to make people have to -choose-, and to limit their available choices as to diversify characters instead of pigeonholing all into cherry-picking the best skills...
(For example, with my concept any sorceror could choose to study necromancy... or ice magic... or battle magic... and add either to their usual skills... but not cryomancy and necromancy, thos people have to make a choice. And templars couldn't go necromancer at all, but they could choose to diversity into other fields, like shamanistic plant magic... etc.)

But it is really vexing that we see NPCs use nature magic, have this neat idea for a nature-based character, be it wyress, treeminder, spinner... and pop goes that thought, no nature magic, no character.

Or wanting to play some revolting (against mannimarco, not the other kind) antihero nercomancer and then seeing there is no skills that let players raise corpses to herd.

Or seeing an NPC ranger/hunter summon a wold during battle and going "Hey, that would work sooo well for my bosmer archer too..." and finding the game just won't let you.

...I could go on...

I could go for skill lines as well instead of new classes. Really just more options would make me a happy camper. I get tired of playing my templar sometimes since so many abilities are the same color, golden. I ended up throwing more mage guild, destro, and other skills just to keep it fresh looking instead of jabs spam..If they went with a class to inherit the nature based spells I'd say either templar or dragon knight. I love the earthen heart tree for my healer and the mix of plants with earth magic would be a pretty tight fit.

In the past I had an idea to try and create a necromancer type character and the first class I went too was the nightblade. With the lifetaps, shades, and other darker skills they seemed like a good fit. If they go with an extended morph route perhaps they could use nightblades as the base class.

edorfeus · January 2016

Why in the hell would we need a cleric in ESO when we already have a TEMPLAR class, which is pretty much a cleric basically, if you want him to be. There's a reason why this game has only 4 classes, because you can customize your gameplay and skills according to the concept you want.
Wanna be a paladin? Here you go, take templar, gear up some heavy armor and matching skills, done. Wanna be a cleric? No problem! Get a light armor on your templar, pick the matching skills for healing and buffs, done.
ESO doesn't need another divine class, what it really needs is a different base classes, like ice-based, or necromancy, or maybe nature-based.

Lightninvash · January 2016

see when I think of cleric I think more buffer/healer with lightning elemental damage personally this would be a cool alternate to my thoughts of a cleric.

TheShadowScout · January 2016

Zardayne wrote: »

I get tired of playing my templar sometimes since so many abilities are the same color, golden...

I know, right?

What do you think spawned the part of my class morph idea where morphing the class would recolor your effects with a simple palette shift? Templar going shaman, yellow-golden spells going green/brown; going crusader and the spells become white-gold in color, going witch-hunter and they get spanish inquisition red and purple (Yes, I know, noone expected that...

)

Zardayne wrote: »

If they go with an extended morph route perhaps they could use nightblades as the base class.

Personally I went with Sorceror as base class for Necromancer in my concept because it meshes far better with that then with a nightblades stealth-support skills... the lifetaps would fit, agreed, but then, for one the mages guild could fill that slot, for another necromancers would be well served with their own version of some lifedrain spell. And the nightblades backstabs, executions, invisibility and such aren't really all that good for necromancer options, while the sorcerors dark magic and deadric summoning meshes pretty well in theme with death magic for a nice dark mage build...

Dubhliam · January 2016

Added some more skills:

Aedric Banishing

Meridia's Smite (base ultimate)
Creates a vortex at target location that deals initial X magic damage to nearby enemies and Y magic damage every 0.5 seconds for 10 seconds. Deals 50% more damage to undead and daedra.

Meridia's Wrath (morph) Now deals fire damage instead and nearby undead and daedra are slowly pulled to the center. Allies can activate a synergy that deals Z fire damage to nearby enemies. This effect is increased up to 300% on targets closest to the center. Meridia's Light (morph) Now heals allies in that location for X instead and additionaly Y every 0,5 seconds for 10 seconds. Allies can activate a synergy that slows nearby enemies for 70% for 2 seconds. Undead and daedra are feared instead. Ray of Light (base skill)
Deals X magic damage to target and knocks it back. Undead and daedra are stunned for 2 seconds instead.

Ball of Light (morph) Now deals additional Y magic damage near the target. Repelling Light (morph) Now affects nearby enemies instead. Radiant Armor (base skill)
Grants Major Resolve and Major ward for 15 seconds. Restores X% of damage taken as magicka.

Radiant Resolve (morph) Now restores stamina instead. Costs stamina. Shared Radiance (morph) Also restores Y% of damage taken as magicka to nearby allies.

Necromancy

Dark Chain (base skill)
Bind a target with a chain that steals X life from the target each second and heals you for X% of health each second. The link remains unbroken as long as the target is within 20m.

Death Chain (morph) The target is now also inflicted with Major Defile and if the link is not broken in 5 seconds, the target gets stunned for 3 seconds and is dealt X Disease damage. Dark Bonds (morph) Now steals life from 3 targets and heals X% health to all allies within 10m for each unbroken link.

Soothing Voice

Chant (base ultimate)
Channel for 4 seconds to grant nearby allies Major Protection reducing incoming damage by 30%. Also grants nearby allies X ultimate each second.
Allies can activate a synergy to grant them Empower.

Empowering Chant (morph) Now also grants Major Force for 8 seconds. Warding Chant (morph) Now reflects spells and projectiles twice for each ally. The synergy now also restores X% of stamina for 4 seconds. Totem (base skill)
Create a totem at target area that grants all nearby allies Minor Ward and Minor resolve. Allies nearby the totem lose X% health each second and are restored Y% magicka each second. When the totem is destroyed or unsummoned (toggle) nearby allies are get a Z damage shield.

Leaf Totem (morph) Now also restores stamina. Life Totem (morph) Nearby allies no longer lose health, but get their Weapon and Spell power reduced by 20%.

The word totem might imply this is a shaman, so I would really love to hear some alternate names for those skills.

bertenburnyb16_ESO · January 2016

sounds like an awfull michmash of skilltrees

a world skill line Necromancer (like vamp/WW) I could see, with undead pets/desease/Ice skills I could see working (also Ice and desease skills are not present enough) and ultimate could be litch form changing the player into a undead behemoth with its own skillset

the soothing voice skill line is something for a warrior/berserker using shouts to buff himslef and debuff enemys

and the aedric banishing line is more something for a evil/witch hunter, with other skill lines like counter magic and stuff

and a real pet skill line is more something for a ranger/archer or even Druid type char where the pet takes on the enemy close range and the player keeps his distance, but then again, pet AI and health (not to OP small scale and not totally useless big scale like zergs) is another issue in this and other games alike

but baseline I'm not really for new classes,
new skill lines that exclude each other (like ww/vamp work) and things like that, I am for

Dubhliam · January 2016

Edited the class name to reflect more on the actual skill trees.

"Cleric" was obviously misleading to most people.

Lightninvash · January 2016

Dubhliam wrote: »

Edited the class name to reflect more on the actual skill trees.

"Cleric" was obviously misleading to most people.

new name works bravo it does look like a fun class

Sausage · January 2016

Invoker sounds like excellent addition to ESO classes, just the name I mean. Ive tried to think forever something suitable.

I think Monk, class based on Regeneration, Aura of Magicka, Aura of Health and Aura of Stamina as skill trees, add Staff and Fist weapons as new weapon skill trees. Class what can really take advantage of Light Armor, somekind of Light Armor warrior/tank.

nimander99 · January 2016

I want a class called Agitator: Who draws his skill energy from being Politically Correct

Skill Line:

Everyone is Equal: An ability that turns all players on screen into copies of each other.
Government Protection: 6 hour cast time then nothing happens except your gold disappears.
Dunmer Lives are More Important: Summon a group of 50 Dunmer who attack all enemies.
RedguardCare: A 2 second cast healing spell that costs 50% of your gold to cast and only heals 2% of all players health, enemies included. If you have no gold the skill still works, it just takes the gold from other players in the area.
Ultimate; Hermaeus More: Transform into a Gender Neutral NPC that is ignored by all enemies!

I may get into trouble for this, but I thought is was funny. If its moderated then I apologize and won't joke like this again

Zardayne · January 2016

Soothing Voice and chant sounds like a bard skill line & skill. Another skill line or class to add..Bards/Minstrels/Skalds!

TheShadowScout · January 2016

I would also really like to see more skill lines in the tradition of mages guild and fighters guild, that any class can pick up.

Bardic guild, anyone?

I imagine, they could have a musical instrument as "special weapon" (another thing for woodworkers to craft!) and play toggle-able magical AoE spellsongs to support and buff your group, and maybe debuff (or perhaps even put to sleep) enemies that come in range?

Say… one song to buff offense, one song to debuff enemies, one song to buff defense, one song to buff resource regeneration, one song to buff XP gains… and perhaps an ultimate song that stuns/paralyzes enemies?

Each song would be a different melody/lyrics, to be played with different sounds depending on equipped instrument – there could be choice of stringed instruments like lute, fiddle or harp, blown instruments like flutes, horns or bagpipes, and drums… each available in racial styles for visual goodieness… some locations could even have large fixed-place instruments a bard could play to extend their buff beyond their usual AoE and throughout the whole are (big organs or magical crystal harmonium)

Said songs to be played on a toggle, continuously for an large AoE effect (as in, listening distance) for a very low magica cost – balanced by the fact that the bad is holding a dainty instrument in their hands instead of a weapon, and thus have no attacks with it – it would be entirely buff-debuff based effect from a bard practicing their craft.

Also possible would be “speechcraft” style passives…

And there could be daily missions, like… playing in several different inns, one per homeland map… perhaps even a “hit that note” minigame…

attackjet · January 2016

This is really good news. This game continues to absolutely amaze me and exceed my expectations.

I love you @zos

Mason22 · January 2016

Online games with this much skill customization seem to never get balanced without forcing us into cookie-cutter templates.

Dubhliam · January 2016

Zardayne wrote: »

Soothing Voice and chant sounds like a bard skill line & skill. Another skill line or class to add..Bards/Minstrels/Skalds!

Yes, that was the premise behind the Soothing Voice tree.
The idea was to combine Necromancer/Cleric/Bard into one class.

To be perfectly honest, I never actually wanted a new class in ESO. It provides so much customization that you can play any role with any class.
But IF[/] they were to add another class, I would have wanted it to fill all the gaps the current classes are missing.

Hence Invoker.

Mason22 wrote: »

Online games with this much skill customization seem to never get balanced without forcing us into cookie-cutter templates.

That is somewhat true.

Damage builds are almost min-max builds and each class runs an almost identical build and skills.

But you must realize that there are a lot of players that play this game in a non-competitive way. And this is where character customization comes to shine in ESO.

To get back on the customization problem: I think devs could spend a little more time crunching the numbers. Some games juggle a balance for many playable characters and weapons on a regular (weekly) basis. Take LoL for example.
Those games however don't have casual gameplay and are purely competitive.

ZOS has their resources divided among many aspects of this game, and competitive play (PvP and a portion of PvE) is just a small part of their development.
Which is unfortunate, because it is competitive gameplay that keeps a game alive for extended periods of time.

My suggestion to the devs would be to add another tier of buffs, somewhere in between the current two (Major and Minor). The restrictions those two buffs put on the balance makes it hard to optimize skills.

EDIT: Moderate buff maybe?
EDIT2: Actually, I might have not thought this one through. Stacking Minor, Moderate and Major Sorcery... GTFO.

Dubhliam · January 2016

Added some more skills:

Conjure Deathmark (Necromancy base skill)
Cast for 2 seconds to create a rune in target location that explodes for X disease damage after 4 seconds. Enemies that enter the target area are marked with a Death rune for 5 seconds.
While marked, all damage dealt to that enemy is increased by Y%.

Scattered Deathmark (morph) Now after being cast also sends out three pulses in triangular directions that Mark enemies. If cleansed, the Mark deals Z unresistable damage to the target. Conjure Deathcloud (morph) Now instantly deals Z poison damage and blinds all enemies for 5 seconds as well as marks them. Blinded enemies have a 100% miss chance.
Refreshing Presence (Soothing Voice base skill)
While toggled mag regen becomes 0, and lose X magicka each second. Enemies in the vicinity are healed for Y each second and get Major Fortitude.

Invigorating Presence (morph) Allies now also get Major Endurance and Major Intellect. Healing Presence (morph) Now has increased healing and radius.
Also reworked one of the Chant morphs: (former reflect morph)
Rushed Chant (morph)
No longer immovable and grants allies Major Expedition for 6 seconds.
The synergy now also restores Y stamina for 6 seconds.

Sicarius1988x · January 2016

I'd like to see something similar to the image I upload. I wouldn't like to see another class. Fix the current ones !https://i.imgsafe.org/55d8b14.jpg

D0ntevenL1ft · January 2016

Im all for a new class but i just don't feel like the necromancer class and skills outlined fit into the current battle mechanics of this game. Would this class even be able to compete with current classes? Sadly there is really only one way to find out and IMO the implementation of the new class would either be OP or just completely useless...

ParaNostram · January 2016

Pleeeeaaaaaase add a Necromancer class. I've been playing a Necromancer since Morrowind, I want to actually be one in this game. I have friends who refuse to play until Necromancy is a thing. ZOS, hear my prayers! Please add Necromancy to the game!

dodgehopper_ESO · January 2016

What about the Warden?

dodgehopper_ESO · January 2016

Nahz wrote: »

I sincerely enjoy using a pet build when I'm pvping. Before the imperial city update, I was able to use it effectively while soloing in cyrodiil. However, bugs with the pets made me a liability when playing in a group. In particular, the pets would not go into stealth (and would actually completely stop functioning) when the ping spiked.

This issue got worse after the imperial city update as the pets completely stopped going into stealth. I've submitted numerous bug reports, and have made posts on the official forums about this bug, but there's been no word about a potential fix.

The article mentions how the pet class in DAoC is easy prey when the pets are not summoned. I've never played that game, so I can't speak to exactly how defenseless they were, but my pet build in ESO is extremely vulnerable when my pets are not present.

Dreadric prey, hardened ward, both pet toggle abilities...on both bars... There are so many skills which must be slotted in order to effectively use the pets that it leaves me with very few slots for utility skills. The saving grace for some of the must-have skills I use for my build (crystal frags, ward, etc.) is that they're boosted by the stat which governs the pets: Magicka. If the pets' damage scaled off of magicka, and ward scaled off spell power, I would be out of luck.

To make matters worse, both pets have a casting time. That 3 seconds it takes just to bring out my pets, means it's that much more difficult for me to get the jump on enemy players. Those casting times are a little much considering the pets have poor survivability, and their dps is low.

I honestly don't mind that the pet skills are toggles, or that they have cast times. Having limited skill slot options adds a unique degree of difficulty to creating an effective build. A casting time means that I'm going to have to strategically choose when to let my pets die, because I can't just recast them on a whim in the middle of a fight. These cons have to be balanced by appropriate pros though, and I don't think the pets are at that point yet.

Seeing how ZOS has managed the sorcerer pets, I do not have high hopes for an official pet class being released, and I don't think that's a bad thing. I would prefer more world, guild, and weapon skill trees over new classes. Skill trees that can be accessed by any of the existing classes would allow for greater build diversity. A necromancy skill tree, which includes pets that can benefit from sorcerer skills like dsedric prey and hardened ward, would be so fetch...

P.s. @ZOS_GinaBruno, any word on when we can expect that pet stealth bug to be fixed? It's totally not fetch.

I really wish they would do away with toggles in all their forms. I'd rather long duration clickies myself.

teladoy · January 2016

step by step.

First fix and balance the current game, then add new content.

TwoFingersInCider · January 2016

This is unrelated to the topic but in the article it says most MMO need the holy trinity pilgrim(tank dps healer).. It my case it will be hard to balance that out character to character. They should create/add a brand new class which he/she actually support those 3 main class like.. Debuffing adds or boss.. CC, and adding either stamina or magicka to party members.