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Warlock Changes - Powers - DPS
silverwolf
Member Posts: 187 Arc User
Warlock powers are, unfortunately, a little lacklustre and disjointed in how they perform with each other. The powers don't really compliment each other resulting in only 3 viable 3 powers for AoE and 3 for Single Target/Boss fights. The powers on offer and they synergy between them eseentially give the player no choice on what to run and some powers are never used at all in either loadout.
https://ibb.co/2y392Mr
The above graphic shows that the Warlock has powers available for Single Target and AoE, a little bit of utility and 2 mechanic based but nothing for additional hit or buff.
The Warlock is limited in choices here, these are compounded by the fact the class theme doesn't actually work.
If I consider the Wizard, arguably a well delivered class. Their cold-based powers deliver stacks of chill, fire adds smoulder; both can alter the effect of one another.
The Warlock has necrotic powers, some will apply curses and some won't; fire that doesn't give any additional effect at all, it's simply "fire based".
A proposal for making a theme that works would be to have :
Necrotic : Apply Lesser/Warlock's Curse
Fire : Remove Warlock's/Lesser Curse
Synergy : Convert Warlock's/Lesser Curse into Soul Investiture
Naturally some of the powers that the Warlock has would need to change their types.
I've spent some time analysing how this could work and added a graphic here to highlight the changes and effects.
https://ibb.co/3sv1cyP
Some proposed changes might not be to everyone's liking, feel free to make some suggestions as to how you'd like to see your Warlock deal damage in combat
If you've read the graphic you don't need to read further; I've typed the changes below for those that cannot read the graphic.
Killing Flames : Fire Based : Min Mag 500, Max Mag 500.
When attacking an enemy afflicted with a "Synergised" curse, Killing Flames will deal an additional hit 250 Magnitude to enemies within 10' of the target.
Causes Hadar's Grasped enemies that are lifted into the air to be slammed to the ground for 100 Magnitude damage. DoT damage from Hadar's Grasp ends. Added effect : Prone for 1.5 seconds.
Vampiric Embrace : Necrotic Based : Will grant the Warlock Temp HP equal to 30% of the damage dealt.
When attacking enemies with a "synergised" curse will additionally heal the WArlock for 10% max HP, grants a Soul Puppet on activation, does not add a stack of Soul Investiture. Added effect : Prone; pulls the enemy forward and off-balance.
Dreadtheft : Necrotic Based : Adds a stack of Dread to the Warlock increasing the damage of their next fire based attack by 1% per stack, max 5 stacks.
Curse Bite : Synergy : Remove charges and change magnitude to 375
Fiery Bolt : Fire Based : Change magnitude to 175
Infernal Spheres : Synergy : Remove the defnse stat as this will depreciate in value as gear improves.
Reduce number of active spheres to 5 down from 6
When receiving damage, one sphere will absorb 5% of the incoming damage and shoot off to hit the target for 10% of the damage absorbed.
Arms of Hadar : Necrotic Based : Allow player to target an area (Like Hellfire Ring), the arms strike that are 3 times (1 strike every 1.5 seconds) then go on cooldown for 18 seconds. Power magnitude 420 (140 per strike).
Blades of Vanquished Armies : Synergy : At the end of the power duration, 11 blades will seek out and deal damage to one cursed target for 10 magnitude per blade. If there are no cursed targets with HP > 0, the blades will be absorbed by the Warlock and reduce all current powers on cooldown by 3 seconds.
Flames of Phlegathos : Necrotic Based : Rename to "Army of the Damned". For each stack of Soul Investiture, summon 2 Soul Puppets to swarm the target enemy dealing damage for 10 seconds. Consumes all stacks of Soul Investiture.
Soul Scorch : Fire Based
Double Scorch Feat : Causes the sparks to go through the enemy dealing damage and knocking the enemy backwards. The sparks then double back and hit the same enemy from behind dealing damage.
No Double Scorch Feat : (Given the issues with how cooldowns are applied) : Can only be used when the Warlock has 30 sparks, consumes all 30 sparks to deal damage and reduce currently cooling down powers by 5 seconds.
https://ibb.co/2y392Mr
The above graphic shows that the Warlock has powers available for Single Target and AoE, a little bit of utility and 2 mechanic based but nothing for additional hit or buff.
The Warlock is limited in choices here, these are compounded by the fact the class theme doesn't actually work.
If I consider the Wizard, arguably a well delivered class. Their cold-based powers deliver stacks of chill, fire adds smoulder; both can alter the effect of one another.
The Warlock has necrotic powers, some will apply curses and some won't; fire that doesn't give any additional effect at all, it's simply "fire based".
A proposal for making a theme that works would be to have :
Necrotic : Apply Lesser/Warlock's Curse
Fire : Remove Warlock's/Lesser Curse
Synergy : Convert Warlock's/Lesser Curse into Soul Investiture
Naturally some of the powers that the Warlock has would need to change their types.
I've spent some time analysing how this could work and added a graphic here to highlight the changes and effects.
https://ibb.co/3sv1cyP
Some proposed changes might not be to everyone's liking, feel free to make some suggestions as to how you'd like to see your Warlock deal damage in combat
If you've read the graphic you don't need to read further; I've typed the changes below for those that cannot read the graphic.
Killing Flames : Fire Based : Min Mag 500, Max Mag 500.
When attacking an enemy afflicted with a "Synergised" curse, Killing Flames will deal an additional hit 250 Magnitude to enemies within 10' of the target.
Causes Hadar's Grasped enemies that are lifted into the air to be slammed to the ground for 100 Magnitude damage. DoT damage from Hadar's Grasp ends. Added effect : Prone for 1.5 seconds.
Vampiric Embrace : Necrotic Based : Will grant the Warlock Temp HP equal to 30% of the damage dealt.
When attacking enemies with a "synergised" curse will additionally heal the WArlock for 10% max HP, grants a Soul Puppet on activation, does not add a stack of Soul Investiture. Added effect : Prone; pulls the enemy forward and off-balance.
Dreadtheft : Necrotic Based : Adds a stack of Dread to the Warlock increasing the damage of their next fire based attack by 1% per stack, max 5 stacks.
Curse Bite : Synergy : Remove charges and change magnitude to 375
Fiery Bolt : Fire Based : Change magnitude to 175
Infernal Spheres : Synergy : Remove the defnse stat as this will depreciate in value as gear improves.
Reduce number of active spheres to 5 down from 6
When receiving damage, one sphere will absorb 5% of the incoming damage and shoot off to hit the target for 10% of the damage absorbed.
Arms of Hadar : Necrotic Based : Allow player to target an area (Like Hellfire Ring), the arms strike that are 3 times (1 strike every 1.5 seconds) then go on cooldown for 18 seconds. Power magnitude 420 (140 per strike).
Blades of Vanquished Armies : Synergy : At the end of the power duration, 11 blades will seek out and deal damage to one cursed target for 10 magnitude per blade. If there are no cursed targets with HP > 0, the blades will be absorbed by the Warlock and reduce all current powers on cooldown by 3 seconds.
Flames of Phlegathos : Necrotic Based : Rename to "Army of the Damned". For each stack of Soul Investiture, summon 2 Soul Puppets to swarm the target enemy dealing damage for 10 seconds. Consumes all stacks of Soul Investiture.
Soul Scorch : Fire Based
Double Scorch Feat : Causes the sparks to go through the enemy dealing damage and knocking the enemy backwards. The sparks then double back and hit the same enemy from behind dealing damage.
No Double Scorch Feat : (Given the issues with how cooldowns are applied) : Can only be used when the Warlock has 30 sparks, consumes all 30 sparks to deal damage and reduce currently cooling down powers by 5 seconds.
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Comments
I was thinking today that Soulscorch should be more like what Killing Flames currently is. And Killing Flames should be more like what Soulscorch is supposed to be, or the way Creeping Death was.
With the Double Scorch, I'd prefer a knockdown, root, or daze over a push - unless it pushed the enemy toward you - more of a pull, then. Push always causes so much aggravation. One of the wizard's big damage dealers was ruined with a push effect. I'd hate to see that happen to another one.
Except, in my opinion, for this:
"to enemies within 10' of the target."
Warlocks are usually squishy, and these distances are very hard to grasp ingame, all the more for people whose intuition works with meters instead of feet. Warlocks make for a great class who can also work from distance, which saves the healer some healing, the warlock some dying and which is important for soloing content successfully.
Enhanced close range dmg for non-melee-range powers only forces a certain playstyle instead of allowing to use the warlock's full potential.
I really like the added effects like prone to vampiric embrace, since it allows some sort of battlefield control different to that of the wizard. What's in dire need though is a reduced casting time for area effects, for most of their effect is usually lost in any kind of ranged playstyle, again forcing a melee-like style and thus to buff oneself with hp and armor at all costs, while the need of dps, on the other hand, encourages a glass cannon setup (which I personally prefer in a class which is as swift and could be as versatile as the warlock).
The Warlock is able to cast Killing Flames from range. The close-range part for the additional damage to enemies that are close to the target, I was thinking about when a tank has then grouped up around him, or you've targetted the boss and the nearby adds take some damage too.
If I'm solo and a mob comes close, this could be one way to deal good damage to the target (hopefully killing it) and also has a small AoE to those surrounding me.
When you read the part about Killing Flames, what scenario did you picture ?
My scenario was a party, tank getting all the aggro, but (as in the last CTA) newcomers rushing in from the outside or the tank being not able to aggro everything, and since there are also leveling tanks, that will inevitably happen. So in order to max out their damage, warlocks will need to use this power from close up and risk being killed, thus losing dmg again and forcing someone to raise them.
All in all I see your changes bringing back more possibilities for warlocks, which I like a lot.
Thanks for all the work and thought you put into this!
So close proximity bonuses would be very welcome - be even better if it was a feat that applied to multiple powers.
My character Tsin'xing
Lot of players have been asking for a decent aoe, and we really need one. 175 is still really low, though.
Mightier Leap (500 magnitude)
Stealthed Blade Flurry (220 magnitude x2)
Daunting Light (550 magnitude, no cooldown)
Bane (480 magnitude, no cooldown)
Spell mastery Chill Strike, Conduit of Ice (150 and 175 magnitude respectively, with a side of cheese)
- not sure what kind of aoe Rangers or Fighters are capable of. I don't have one of either yet.
what I think,
1st: Sparks. Why we collect sparks in battle? Only warlock and dreadnought (and maybe barbarian) - the lowest DPS classes do the same.But even dreadnought can full scale in few secs. We need more more time. Every other class have immediately mechanic. (also Warlock is a healer if you forgot). and the another problem as a healer we have - 0 sparks if you fall. Pals and Cleric haven't such problem. 0 sparks = 0 heals.
2nd. Hellfire Ring. You need enter a place on a ground and than activate it. When you mostly remove this mechanic from other classes like wizards (Clerics still have the same problem with DL and Rangers with their RDD spells. Maybe if I got some 'free' casts like cleric or some tab mechanic like ranger have I will not shame so much)
but as you know warlock haven't any pluses or bonuses now.
3rd. tab mechanic. absolutely worst. and you know irt.
Eldritch Blast is a good choice, if they could just make it so that every hit has the same effect as the third hit as it is currently.
Barbarian, Paladin, Cleric, and Wizard all have an aoe at-will, and some of them are quite powerful.
We have [Hellfire Expertise] 25% + fire and necrotic dmg + soulinvestiment 25% + [Tyrannical Curse] + 15%.
even though everything does not work, something very wrong is in sw!