Idea for Necromancer’s Siphon Targeting

WrathOfInnos · September 2019

Since this skill is pretty unreliable, and often fails to cast regardless of corpses, I’d like to see a QoL update for it. Here is what I propose: Make it target an enemy instead of a corpse, creating a tether between you and that enemy (visually similar to Guard or Soul Tether) as well as an AoE centered on the enemy. Give it a Stamina or Magicka cost (depending on morph choice), but make it free to cast if there is a corpse present within the AoE. This way we could aim at the enemy, and not have to do the clunky corpse targeting (which ends up hitting the wrong corpse or no corpse more often than not), and worst case we end up spending resources if something happens where the corpse disappears.

I also like the idea of an AoE DoT centered around an enemy player, because unlike corpses it could move, just not very controllably. It would be fun in PvP, forcing groups to step away from their tethered ally. Also would be nice in pug dungeons, and AoE that follows enemies even if the tank runs around kiting.

WrathOfInnos · September 2019

To elaborate on this, the Siphon would remain connected as long as the enemy stayed within 28m of the caster, and break beyond that distance. The targeted enemy would have a 5m radius AoE surrounding them for the duration, to damage any other nearby enemies. The entire effect would be purgeable in PVP (like Zaan) to remove the tether and AoE at any time. The damage would be considered a single target DoT on the enemy targeted, and an AoE DoT on other enemies within 5m.

J2JMC · September 2019

I'd rather they just treat all siphons like necrotic potency. Drain the nearest corpse regardless of where the cursor is.

WrathOfInnos · September 2019

J2JMC wrote: »

I'd rather they just treat all siphons like necrotic potency. Drain the nearest corpse regardless of where the cursor is.

The problem with that is that you have no control over the location. Maybe you’re fighting an enemy in front of you and the Siphon pops up behind you. I think you need control over its location, which leaves 3 options:
- The Siphon is centered on the consumer corpse, which must be targeted (current behavior, clunky)
- The Siphon is placed on the ground at targeted location (too similar to Boneyard, and no physical object for the tether to connect to)
- The Siphon is centered on the targeted enemy (what I’m suggesting, since Necro has no ST DoT and it is usually where you’ll be aiming)

Any one of these 3 can gain auto consumption on the nearest corpse, I just don’t want it to end up centered on said corpse if you don’t have control over which one is consumed.

Alidel · September 2019

I agree with tether targeting enemy and healing tether targeting ally. It's an obvious solution to current problem with them.

pharlex · September 2019

Problem with tethering an ally is that you then won't be able to heal yourself with it when solo, which doesn't always work well if you are a tank using the stamina regen morph for sustain and healing. Another option is what I posted before, that we have more control over how and where corpses are spawned specifically with the support versions of the class. (blast bones overall in pve doesn't have as many issues as in pvp but if they fixed the blast bones issue dps wouldn't have a hard time with the tethers which leaves only issues with the supports), my suggestions were to have either grave grasp or bone totem drop corpses since these corpses would appear in a controlled location (either directly in front of you with grave grasp or at the summoned location with bone totem).

Though personally if it were up to me I would change the class to have only 2 or 3 abilities that spawn corpses (not summoned pets or bone armor but spam abilities like grave grasp and flame skull) and everything else has either added effects via corpse usage or like tether uses corpses for its effects. This way you use spam abilities to generate corpses and weave those to power up and use your other abilities. But I doubt they would consider doing that now that the class is already out but I can dream at least.

WrathOfInnos · October 2019

I was just discussing the targeting on Shocking Siphon and morphs. I can’t comment on Restoring Tether targeting since I do not have a Necro healer. Does it have the same issues?

Starlock · October 2019

Something definitely needs to be done about these skills. I've only developed a necromancer character relatively recently, but there were a few things about this mechanic that I noticed almost immediately as problematic. While I have never had problems getting the ability to fire off correctly, the targeting is just very weird. It is especially bad in first person, which is how I often play while questing (as a hardcore storyteller/roleplayer does because it's more immersive).

The OP's solution is one, but if we want to preserve the flavor of drawing life from corpses, the auto-target idea would be a good solution. It's basically auto-target anyway on console as it is, just... clunky.