Necormancer class feedback.

[Xilphyr]

Hi! I've been testing the Necromancer class recently and I've come up with a number of support ideas for the class based on the skills/mechanics you've already implemented. I would also like to address a problem I've encountered and recommend a pet that's party friendly.


I think pets are a large part of necromancy. I'll now detail the problems I've found using necromancer pets and my suggestions to fix them.

My first suggestion would be to add an 'attack' command for pets.

Create Shambling corpse rework:

I was really stoked when I got shambling corpse. It seemed to fill the role of a panic button "my pet's dead and I really need to save my bacon." So when I went to use it I immediately found it was rather clunky.

Targeting Rework:
How it currently works: Break target -> Select corpse -> cast spell -> select target -> attack target -> shambling corpse attacks.
This is really annoying to do this while being nommed on. The shambling corpse doesn't seem to pull aggro either.

My suggestion for reworking it: Keep target -> cast spell -> If corpse is in range then summon zombie immediately. Zombie taunts target.
I like this idea since I can keep the target and the summoned creature knows immediately what I want it to do. In the context of a party I like the idea of having something that can potentially save a party member in a pinch.

Shambling corpse ability rework: Is it me or is this thing screaming to go boom?
When I use this ability I often find myself wishing I could make it explode. I mean c'mon, overloading a minion with necromantic energy as a final hat trick is thematically bad ass.

Add equiment modifiers too:

Unnerving Howl: Shambling corpse AoE taunts when summoned instead of single target taunts.

Clinging Miasma: Shambling corpse explosion snares the targets and leaves them vulnerable to damage for a time.

Caustic Spray: Shambling corpse explosion does damage over time and makes targets take more armor damage.

Party friendly pet suggestion:

The skeletons are nice when I'm soloing but I have a problem in groups keeping my pets from behaving like brainless automatons, which is a problem because they are brainless automatons.
problems I've encountered:

-Pathing during combat. I've had problems with skeletons, particularly archers/mages running down hallways/into rooms and aggroing additional opponents. I can't give them a command to hold their ground.

-Random agro. The risk of an extra monster add is not worth the damage a pet brings. they generally die in a few hits and leave me holding the bag.

My suggestion for a party friendly pet would be to have a ghost pet that could passively haunt targets. A ghost would be nice because
-No pathing mechanics necessary. Also if it floats through walls; it's not a bug, its a ghost!
-It makes thematic sense that ghost abilities don't cause targets to agro or call for help. They just have a vague sense of unease and impending doom.
-When a target gets haunted they could be distracted and attack slower, take more damage from elemental attacks, or have increased vulnerability to lifedrain. Ghosts could also reduce healing enemies receive or steal it and give it to the group. Throw pots and pans around to stun enemies for 1 sec. I think there are a lot of possibilities.

Skill changes: These are suggestions to make some skills more party-orientated.

Death's Hold: Change "Death's Hold causes target to take +28% damage from Slashing for 15 seconds" to "Death's Hold causes target to take +10% damage from physical for 15 seconds".

Deathgaze: Remove fear component, increase range, Make the target cower (attack slower? do less damage? can't evade?) make the target vulnerable to damage. (I don't want it to run or get close but I like the idea of it debuffed and scared)

Life steal: Debuffs the target so a % physical attacks leech health. (player hits target 50dmg, player +5 hp, monster -5hp). (I'd like to provide a healing mechanic that synergizes with my vulnerability debuffs. You don't have to make this a % it could also be a flat rate leech that does a flat bonus for each "debuff on target)

Spark of death: When target dies there's a chance to have it's remains summoned as a skeleton pet. (I'd like to replace pets that I've lost when I'm far away from a graveyard/out of femurs)

Change "Spark of Death makes the target 10% more vulnerable to Electricity damage" to "Spark of Death makes the target 10% more vulnerable to Elemental damage" Electric is way too specific.

Closing thoughts:

I really like the necromancer thus far. I think there's a lot of utility the class can provide without falling into the "pump it's damage" pit fall. Instead I focused on making mobs attacks slower, making mobs vulnerable to other attacks and distracting mobs at key moments.

I know I mention "vulnerable to damage" a lot. I don't mean to imply a blanket damage buff (I think that would be boring). I would like to see certain skills give vulnerabilities to "physical" or "spell" or "elemental". That way I can come up with interesting combinations based on group make up.

Thank you for the work you've done so far!