New Class: Shaman

[LightningCape]

Lets bring back discussion.

So how is this going to work? Are you dead set with 1 totem @Kainzo

I prefer the 2 totem setup since it allowed for more fun game play and cool combos.
If you are truly set for one totem, thing that will need to be changed:

• We need to make totems more powerful ( To compensate for only 1 now)
• We need more skills (Need more anyway, but need more to further compensate that half the skills can only be used 1 at a time)
• Need a full kit ( It's hard if not impossible to balance if we don't have the full kit. Individual skills can be balanced , but the big picture requires all skills)

I agree with all the points except the 1st one. Totems wont/shouldn't be the only thing Shaman does so they should only encompass a fraction of the class' true power. Just my opinion (doesn't mean I want weak totems either)

 

[malikdanab]

I agree with all the points except the 1st one. Totems wont/shouldn't be the only thing Shaman does so they should only encompass a fraction of the class' true power. Just my opinion (doesn't mean I want weak totems either)

I meant in the sense that the way we where balancing totems would be thrown out the window. We have been doing it with the fact that you had 2 in mind. Now we would have to balance them to be more powerful (since you only have one.)

 

[Kainzo]

Totems should be an additive to their power, imo.

Having them with the ability for more than one will mean they will rely on them too heavily.
I think totems should be potent, of course.

 

[malikdanab]

Totems should be an additive to their power, imo.

Having them with the ability for more than one will mean they will rely on them too heavily.
I think totems should be potent, of course.

Ok then, we DEFINITELY need more skills. I think the amount of totems is good atm.

If we break it down:

Offensive:

• Shock
• Firestrike
• Bolt*
• Kick*

Utility:

• Force
• Engulfing
• Reincarnate*

Heals:

• Healing
• Soothe*

* Are these skills staying?

If the said skills are staying, that gives us 9 skills. I think it would be nice to have something of an even amount of the 3 times of skills with 5 each (15 skills total). So what we need to decided:

• Are we keeping Bolt, Kick, Reincarnate, and Soothe?
• What new skill should shaman get?

Only then, will we be able to balance the class.

 

[Kainzo]

Ok then, we DEFINITELY need more skills. I think the amount of totems is good atm.

If we break it down:

Offensive:

• Shock
• Firestrike
• Bolt*
• Kick*

Utility:

• Force
• Engulfing
• Reincarnate*

Heals:

• Healing
• Soothe*

* Are these skills staying?

If the said skills are staying, that gives us 9 skills. I think it would be nice to have something of an even amount of the 3 times of skills with 5 each (15 skills total). So what we need to decided:

• Are we keeping Bolt, Kick, Reincarnate, and Soothe?
• What new skill should shaman get?

Only then, will we be able to balance the class.

We can rename all the skills that are duplicates except Kick. Instead of Bolt, they need ChainLightning... I'm fine with them having two heals and they can be renamed as well, we just need to come up with the names.

 

[malikdanab]

So...
Reincarnate- Rebirth?
Soothe- Primal Surge? (Sounds too much like a buff...But could be a cool Heal/Mana/Stam regen)

Also, in the initial post you said Shamans will minor in melee. Does that mean shaman is going to get some melee oriented skills?

 

[malikdanab]

Level 1: Surge (Soothe)
Level 5: Kick
Level 10: Firestrike Totem
Level 15:
Level 20: Healing Totem
Level 25:
Level 30: Engulfing Totem
Level 33: Gills
Level 40: Shock Totem
Level 45:
Level 50: Force Totem
Level 55: Chain Lightning?
Level 60:
Level 65: Rebirth (Reincarnate)

That gives us room for 4 more skills. 2 more heals, a melee skill (Maybe?!?), and one more damage skill. Time to brainstorm guys.

Possible Melee Skills:

• Flame Strike: Deals magic damage (Scales with STR) and applies fire
• Frost Strike: Deals magic damage (Scales with STR) and slows. Basically a magical maim.
• Shocking Strike: Deals magic damage (Scales with STR) silences. Could replace kick.
• Storm/Tempest Shield: Reduces incoming melee damage by X%(Scales with STR) and shocks the attacking user for X damage(Scales with INT)

Possible Healing Skills:

• Healing Winds: Dragon's Breath-esque skill (Colored Green) that heals allies in the area.
• Healing Rain: Creates a storm around the user that heals him and his allies (HOT). Also slows enemies in the area (As if the ground turned muddy)
• Exorcise: Removes all debuffs and heals the target

Possible Non-Totem Skills:

• Flame Nova: AOE Damage with fire tick? (Same as that old pyro skill...what was it's NAME?!?)
• Earth Ring: Creates a circular ring of Stone
• Storm Gale: Similar to Healing winds (Colored Grey), but deals damage and knocks back enemies.

Also could we have a skill similar to "Absorb Rune" or at least let us be able to "Override a totem" by placing an new one and removing the old one.

 

[0xNaomi]

Also could we have a skill similar to "Absorb Rune" or at least let us be able to "Override a totem" by placing an new one and removing the old one.

Since mana cost is set at the start of a totem use, could have a skill similar to runes that recalls the totem and applies its effect to your axe.

 

[malikdanab]

Since mana cost is set at the start of a totem use, could have a skill similar to runes that recalls the totem and applies its effect to your axe.

That would be great! Not only would it solve the problem, it would allow shaman to be semi-viable in melee (That's still the plan...right?). Though, IDK if that's the kind of thing @Kainzo wants the class to be like.

 

[Kainzo]

Since mana cost is set at the start of a totem use, could have a skill similar to runes that recalls the totem and applies its effect to your axe.

I'm okay with it - but applying something to the axe would take more coding and may be too overpowered. Simple reclaim mana would be nifty.

 

[0xNaomi]

I'm okay with it - but applying something to the axe would take more coding and may be too overpowered. Simple reclaim mana would be nifty.

Hm. I was thinking about replacing the ideas of Malik's Frost/Flame/Shocking Strike with that, rather than just a button to get mana back.

Sly edit: Doesn't need to literally apply to the axe, just next hit(s) with it. Maybe an Effect or something?

 

[0xNaomi]

Okay, so here's the latest idea for Shaman, collaborated with @malikdanab
Totem Recall!

So, the idea is that you can recall your active totem, and apply its effect to your weapon.
The effect would be an ExpirableEffect, not something actually applied to the weapon.
Sounds like Runeblade, but I swear that the implementation is different enough to be unique.
So, you have a Totem with a lot of power that lasts X time. While it's out, you can recall it (possibly at a mana cost, possibly not; the Totem does have a mana cost of its own.) and use a variant of its power as your attack.
The key word is as, your normal melee damage is cancelled and all that applies is your power.
Now, the time and power of the totem was brought in because the weapon effect is less powerful (except for Engulfing which'd need its own power balance for that) however it lasts longer on your weapon than as a totem. It's also single target being a melee weapon, so your choice on how to use a power is a powerful stationary AOE or a longer mobile single target.
Once a Totem is recalled, you can place another. However, the recall grants none to only some mana back, so attempting to do this all the time would not only put you in the way of the GCD a lot, but eat up your mana.

Totem Effects as a recalled effect:
Firestrike - dmg/fire
Shock - possibly lightning, might be too spammy. Probably more damage. (Or just make this do ChainLightning possibly? Maybe an interrupt? not sure)
Engulfing - A show that's longer than a Totem tick but shorter than the totem
Healing - A melee heal, may or may not also work on enemies depending on what you want actual skill to be.
Force - NOT throw people into the air, that'd be OP. Instead more like a forcepush or knockback weapon, hits them. (Personally I'd map this to a different stat than anything else so this being powerful takes from your attacks)\

Look for more elaboration as we remember what to add! This isn't the complete thing, just a good deal of it.

 

[LightningCape]

Isn't Shaman meant to minor in melee? I like the idea but it kinda glorifies melee. imo

 

[0xNaomi]

Eh, it went from malik's ideas for elemental skills to absorbing it to use. It still has totems and they're still more powerful, it just grants a different way of using that power when a totem isn't quite as practical, as well as solving the problems there would have been with two totems.

 

[malikdanab]

Isn't Shaman meant to minor in melee? I like the idea but it kinda glorifies melee. imo

Yes and no. Keep in mind that the infused melee strikes replace your normal melee damage (They aren't an added hit effects like runeblade). Yes the shaman WOULD be melee alot, but it's not like the will melee for pure damage (Or physical damage).

 

[LightningCape]

Eh, it went from malik's ideas for elemental skills to absorbing it to use. It still has totems and they're still more powerful, it just grants a different way of using that power when a totem isn't quite as practical, as well as solving the problems there would have been with two totems.

Yes and no. Keep in mind that the infused melee strikes replace your normal melee damage (They aren't an added hit effects like runeblade). Yes the shaman WOULD be melee alot, but it's not like the will melee for pure damage (Or physical damage).

I'm not really 100% against this. If melee dmg in general was lowered (after totems are lowered/balanced) this might work. Though These affects should do zero raw dmg and be "expensive". If this was implemented Shaman should have to be carefully about using totems vs affects (mana wise).

 

[0xNaomi]

I'm not really 100% against this. If melee dmg in general was lowered (after totems are lowered/balanced) this might work. Though These affects should do zero raw dmg and be "expensive". If this was implemented Shaman should have to be carefully about using totems vs affects (mana wise).

The way I see the balance is this:
You can't summon a totem with a totem out.
Recalling a totem is the only way to prematurely cancel a totem sans death, and aside from recalling another one you can't prematurely cancel the effect sans death.
You have to deal with the mana cost of the totem you're absorbing and deal with it at least until whatever cooldown on the absorbtion is over. If you don't want to absorb the current totem that's out, you have to wait for it to expire by time.

 

[LightningCape]

@malikdanab Old name was inferno btw :3 Shaman doesn't need Inferno. AoE fireticks = slow, made pyro last map annoying

We don't need to jam back it with skills. 4 is the max not the min for me tbh

• Healingwinds could work
  • As a past healer people have wanted something like this for a while

 

[LightningCape]

The way I see the balance is this:
You can't summon a totem with a totem out.
Recalling a totem is the only way to prematurely cancel a totem sans death, and aside from recalling another one you can't prematurely cancel the effect sans death.
You have to deal with the mana cost of the totem you're absorbing and deal with it at least until whatever cooldown on the absorbtion is over. If you don't want to absorb the current totem that's out, you have to wait for it to expire by time.

Could totems be made to actually do this? Currently/last I saw it the you can place any totem you want and it just removes the last one.

Would be amazing if this was possible and would make balancing totems oh so much easier.

 

[0xNaomi]

Could totems be made to actually do this? Currently/last I saw it the you can place any totem you want and it just removes the last one.

Would be amazing if this was possible and would make balancing totems oh so much easier.

It is. My old codebase just replaced, now it's @PattersNET codebase which limits to one at a time but doesn't let you place if one is out