Talk to the Team: Sorcerer

[AmonGwareth]

So, I was reading OLD (2004-2005) suggestion threads just to see what was being suggested post-merge and I came across a good thread about Mind spells and Sorcerer. It got me intrigued so I jotted down the suggestions and then I wanted to post here and get your feedback and ideas.

That original thread called for one new additional technique: Mind Range. But, I think you'd also need Mind Damage.

It also called for a number of new abilities and spells. Some of which were:

Mind Wrack
Mind Damage, DoT
% chance of short stun

Mind Lock
Stun, varying length (short to long)
Ablative (damage breaks it)

Psychic Shockwave
Mind Damage, AoE
% chance of short stun

Blindness
Lowers target's range by an amount for a duration

Mind Lasher
Mind Damage
Chance to apply a debuff that causes future mind spells to do extra damage

Reduce Will
Debuff, damage does not break
Chance to increase (make worse) recycle of abilities

Confusion
Debuff, damage does not break
Chance to increase delay (make worse) delay of abilities

So, given the above I also wanted to get your thoughts and feedback and suggestions regarding the Sorcerer school.

[Sereamha]

This actually exciting to see. I play a sorcerer and really, they are not entirely different than a standard mage in most cases. These abilities would actually make the sorcerer DIFFERENT and a worth while path to go down!

[rizo/nawkia]

Adding these would definitely put sorcerer on the more offensive side of the classes. I approve.

[Abbie]

This is good to see, i LOVE sorcerer class.

One thing thats also needed for mind skill, is mind bolt. Like there are energy and gflame bolt, we also need mind bolt, and maybe some other mind spells. And maybe a spell that makes the monster run away in fear?

[Knossos]

As for new Sorcerer Abilities, it would be of interest to those who are/will be multiclassed: Which of these (of those to be adopted) will be masterable when gained by Sorcerer at level 50 or below?

Knossos

[AmonGwareth]

As for new Sorcerer Abilities, it would be of interest to those who are/will be multiclassed: Which of these (of those to be adopted) will be masterable when gained by Sorcerer at level 50 or below?

Knossos

Didn't say any of them would be for sure. Just some ideas. Hence the post asking for suggestions, ideas, feedback.

[tjl]

I really love the spell ideas. Sorc really does need more spells, and spell techs. And if there are new spells with techs... 1 more point of mind skill per level might be needed. Only 960 base at level 100 if I remember correctly.

Before anything totally new gets added, it could use a quick overhaul of what's already there though... some redundant spells and overlapping abilities need looking at.

Lessen Power vs. Stupidity
Lessen Focus vs. Scatterbrain

The Lessen spells really belong to the mystic caster domain. Perhaps move the Lessen power/focus to the blight skill like the other Lessen spells? All four of those are classified as mind skill and I don't think it's needed.

Abilities:
Disconcert (15% chance proc on mind dmg)
1 min target debuff: 80% base focus and power, 20% delay. The stat reduction is a % of base, so it has odd stacking problems with the spells stupidity and scatterbrain (-115 power/focus reduction at tier 5). Remove the stat reduction and buff the delay a little? And naturally, more mind damage sources will help this ability tremendously.

Mystify (cast, 2 min cool down)
80% dex and focus, 65% base speed. For a level 70 ability, this one seems weak. Sorcs have debase, which is a much better speed reduction. The dex/focus reduction is a little confusing. Shouldn't it be dex/str anyway? Focus is already debuffed by disconcert. I would totally revamp this one and incorporate one of your great ideas into this ability to bring it on par with the other level 70 abilities.

Also I love the ideas for the DoT, and the AoE spell.

[Guaran]

Good ideas. What about an epic mind damage spell?

[AmonGwareth]

Good suggestions on the Lessen spells. You are correct, they overlap so they aren't needed as mind spells.

Some additional ideas:

• Mind Bolt – (Active) Bolt spell similar to Blood Bolt, repeater (class-restricted)
• Night Terrors – (Active) Epic single-target mind damage spell, % of mind DoT, and % of debuff that powers all core stats. (Uses Banshee effect)
• Psionic Blast – (Class-Restricted) AoE damage spell

[Abbie]

Good suggestions on the Lessen spells. You are correct, they overlap so they aren't needed as mind spells.

Some additional ideas:

• Mind Bolt – (Active) Bolt spell similar to Blood Bolt, repeater (class-restricted)
• Night Terrors – (Active) Epic single-target mind damage spell, % of mind DoT, and % of debuff that powers all core stats. (Uses Banshee effect)
• Psionic Blast – (Class-Restricted) AoE damage spell (NOTE: Not available on live, add to the game)

Now where talking Amon :D

I know that the Banshee effect have been missed for years, so i claps my hands now :D

Any idea what kind of effect the mind bold might have?

[AmonGwareth]

Now where talking Amon :D

I know that the Banshee effect have been missed for years, so i claps my hands now :D

Any idea what kind of effect the mind bold might have?

Bolt. So, same as Flame or Energy Bolt. Straight damage.

[Sereamha]

Pleaaaaase help the sorcerers out there....

[RuneDragoon]

Good suggestions on the Lessen spells. You are correct, they overlap so they aren't needed as mind spells.

Some additional ideas:

• Mind Bolt – (Active) Bolt spell similar to Blood Bolt, repeater (class-restricted)
• Night Terrors – (Active) Epic single-target mind damage spell, % of mind DoT, and % of debuff that powers all core stats. (Uses Banshee effect)
• Psionic Blast – (Class-Restricted) AoE damage spell

Name suggestion for night terrors: Nightmare? :D

[AmonGwareth]

Name suggestion for night terrors: Nightmare? :D

Night Terrors are actually very severe nightmares.

[Khalon]

Sorcerer absolutely, positively needs a mind bolt. I'm less enthusiastic about the option to add a tech that would increase delay and/or recycle if you're going to put in the mind bolt though. Right now, enemy sorcerers are #3 on my list of high value targets due to the potentially crippling mezzes and anti-alacrity effects ;P. If they start using mind bolts to deliver those effects, whittling away health while crippling you, they would quickly go to #1 or #2!

An epic mind spell would definitely be quite welcome, especially if you implement the really cool banshee visual effect with it :)!

Amon, you expressed concern about sorcerers stun locking their opponents, and I think that concern is well placed. If you change the number of hits needed to ablate spellbind/area spellbind, imo it will have the effect of making solo adventuring anywhere you can run into an enemy sorcerer nigh impossible. Stuns/mezzes are the bane of all solo characters, and having to wait longer to be free of them will definitely impose some new limits on where I hunt solo.

[Alisto]

Good suggestions on the Lessen spells. You are correct, they overlap so they aren't needed as mind spells.

Some additional ideas:

• Mind Bolt – (Active) Bolt spell similar to Blood Bolt, repeater (class-restricted)
• Night Terrors – (Active) Epic single-target mind damage spell, % of mind DoT, and % of debuff that powers all core stats. (Uses Banshee effect)
• Psionic Blast – (Class-Restricted) AoE damage spell

This needs to be done :D

*shameless bump to thread, if it works that way when someone posts*

[terrox]

I still don't see why clarity II has to be changed .. it does not give you any super powers .. just the ability not to be stunned or mezzed , it does not mean you are invincible !!! as per your suggestion now we see where all these changes come from .. from players that use support tickets instead of putting their suggestions in forums on the proper threads like the rest of us .... what are they scared of some feed back on their suggestions from other players. Any suggestions to changes should be redirected to forum threads where they belong !!!

[Litarath]

Good suggestions on the Lessen spells. You are correct, they overlap so they aren't needed as mind spells.

Some additional ideas:

• Mind Bolt – (Active) Bolt spell similar to Blood Bolt, repeater (class-restricted)
• Night Terrors – (Active) Epic single-target mind damage spell, % of mind DoT, and % of debuff that powers all core stats. (Uses Banshee effect)
• Psionic Blast – (Class-Restricted) AoE damage spell

These look like abilities and spells befitting a Sorceror, I can agree with these.

However, I also disagree a bit with changing Blur into only avoiding spells. To me it would seem more fitting to make both physical evasion and magic evasion better, kind of similar to what it does now, but instead also adding a boost to magic evasion.

Or, instead, you could change it to give the chance of both spell and melee avoidance as an alternate way of adjusting it, which would be along the lines of what you were initially thinking about. However, I would still want it to remain a passive, masterable ability.

After all, you are manipulating the enemies' mind to make yourself appear as a blur, it would be hard for them to see you if your image is distorted to them.

[Daulnay]

some redundant spells and overlapping abilities need looking at.

Lessen Power vs. Stupidity
Lessen Focus vs. Scatterbrain

These are not redundant, but are instead incompletely implemented. They are the Mind analogs to the Raise/Enhance pairs in Augmentation and Life, and to the Lessen and Clumsiness/Weaken line in Blight. However, the Lessen spells in Mind have not been made available to all schools, unlike their counterparts in Augmentation, Life, and Blight. Does anyone know why not?

The Lessen spells really belong to the mystic caster domain.

Not really... Physical debuffing is the domain of Blight, in mystic caster. Mental debuffing is in the domain of Mind, in Arcane. Lessen Power and Lessen Focus should stay right where they are, but made available to all schools like their Blight counterparts have been.

If you take them out of Mind and put them in Blight, then Mind has even less to make it special. Moving them out and adding damage to Mind just makes Sorcerer more like Wizard, Flame, and Ice, and even less interesting. Besides which, it destroys a nice symmetry in the game between Arcane and Mystic.

--
Daulnay