Idea for a spell/AA Pet in new expansion (Priest pet)

[mercurial]

<DIV>Just a thought--since conjurors have 3 archtypical pets (scout, tank, mage) the only one missing is priest.   I think a situational priest pet would be an interesting addition for the new expansion.   Since we currently only have swarm water based pet (aqueous line)---what about a permanent water pet that has priest based spells?    I know this might cause some annoyance from priest based players--but it really isn't any different then using Tellurian Myrmidon as MT in the abscence of a group tank.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by mercurial88 on <SPAN class=date_text>12-27-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>04:39 PM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by mercurial88 on <span class=date_text>12-27-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:39 PM</span>

[mercurial]

<DIV>Credit where credit is due--although i've thought about this many times it was Edgrin's post on the boards that prompted me to post this.</DIV>

[Xalmat]

It would cross the class lines too much, i'm afraid. Besides, I'd rather use a damage dealing pet than rely on the artificial intelligence of an NPC to keep my HP up.

[mercurial]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Xalmat wrote:<BR>It would cross the class lines too much, i'm afraid. Besides, I'd rather use a damage dealing pet than rely on the artificial intelligence of an NPC to keep my HP up.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I see your point Xalmat--but just for the sake of argument, let's say it was a timed pet.  20 min duration with a 60 minute reuse timer.    Although it would never be my first choice it could provide added utility in certain situations.   For instance--group's healer has to leave, priest pet fills in while waiting on replacement.  Or in raids using priest pet for spot heals for the cumulative AE's from a particularly tough boss mob.   The 20 min timer would prevent the pet from ever really serving as a priest replacement....and quite honestly no one would ever prevert AI to a player character who can follow specific healing assignments.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[XtremSummo]

<P><SPAN>As I said in the recent thread - if the pet is a strong enough healer to be worth casting, then it would almost certainly step on the toes of the healing classes. If it's weak enough to not be a threat to the healing classes... then it wouldn't be worth casting, you'd probably be better off putting up a DPS pet and killing the mob faster in order to improve survivability.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>You need to view the thing as a whole I think. Conjuror has damage reduction utility through AoE Stifle, AoE Knockback, Stun and Mitigation buffs. If you had decent healing on top of that, then you have an excellent ability to keep a tank alive in a great many situations. </SPAN><SPAN>All those times that you hear people putting together teams and saying "we need a healer" is an expression of the utility of the healing professions in groups. The priests aren't good soloists because of the time needed to take down mobs, so they need to have really compelling contribution to groups and raids. Any healing pet that made it possible to work a group without a healer, would be a class imbalance issue.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>Even if there were some restriction such as making the healing pet last 20 minutes and giving it a 3 hour recast time in order to make it useable only rarely would cause problems, because much content that requires healers is already short-term and situational. Healers will be called upon to take down named heroics for quests for example... a stifling, stunning conjuror with a heal pet would potentially take that spot in the group and a healer wouldn't be looked for. It's a part of the role of the healing classes that could be taken by the conjuror and thus affect class balance.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>Conjurors are already great all-rounders. We solo excellently, can tank for small groups or with care and co-ordination for full groups against easier content. We deliver excellent DPS for groups and raids and have a series of handy utility spells too. I think that any conjuror would struggle to say that we need further functionality of any kind right now. Other than trying to find a rationale to add a water pet... there's just no need for a heal pet.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>Looking at the broader game, you might make a case for a need to have more healers in game at higher level - but then I think the fix for that would be to make the healing classes better and a more common choice... not to make the conjurors another healer. </SPAN></P> <P><SPAN></SPAN><SPAN>It's a nice enough idea if you look just at the conjuror and don't take into account whether we need new functionality or class balance... but in the larger scheme of things I don't think it's an idea we could defend in good conscience.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>X</SPAN></P>

[Magu]

It's a horrible idea. We don't do enough damage on our own for a healer pet to be worth it. Plus as mentioned, it crosses the line too much. If it was worth using, it would be way too powerful. <div></div>

[Banditman]

One rationale that might be useful for a Water pet is to give us a cold based damage pet to complement our Igneous line.

[Xalmat]

The Aqueous line now deals cold damage, FYI.

[GSOO]

<P>Ahh Xalmat, I got the AI already......it will go something like this.</P> <P> </P> <P>Conjuror takes 30% damage. Healer pet emotes (hold on panzy boy heal coming).</P> <P>Pet cast heal.....Fizzles. Pet emotes (Hold dang it heal incoming........Last time I get a [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] tank in a bath robe)</P> <P>Pet cast heal....interuptted because of a scout mob. Pet emotes (Sorry dude stunned and stiffled.....I am training the mob back to my home plane of light....ohh btw SCREW YOU).</P> <P>Now that will be a great healing pet<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />....I would have to get the master 2 option...btw the higher the ability...the more demeaning it is to the caster<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>

[Banditman]

And Pyrotechnics deals heat damage.We don't have a permanent pet that deals consistent cold damage.

[Xalmat]

I coulda swore that the Aery pets dealt Cold damage with their special attacks (in addition to their slashing/piercing/whatever auto-attack). At least they did prior to LU18.

[XtremSummo]

<DIV>Yup all of the air pet abilities deal cold damage. See Pet abilities thread I've been running.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>X</DIV>

[EDofEDs]

I have two ideas for this... 1) Make it a timed pet along the lines of the water swarms.  Not near the duration (maybe 15 secs), long reacast (3-5 mins).  It heals ok but in teh end it is only up 33% of teh time.  Its the kinda situational thing that would cover a really mean mob, or a long fight where you just need a little bit longer but the healer is OOP.  It wouldn't really be overpowering in terms of making us the next healing class but it would come in handy from time to time. 2) The other thought i had was a shard that wards or sorts when used.  When activated the hit you take reduces your hate on said mob.  Would be handy for when a mob nabs a scout or priest.  Because its only one hit it wont let a nuke happy mage or heal spamming priest loose a whole group of agro, but it might save you in the right instance.  It doesnt have to be a huge amount of hate a modest amount would due.  Just enough that if you pushed just a little to hard and got agro you could pop it and drop said agro.  Much like the mana shards we have today it would have a recast on it and you could only carry one at a time so you couldnt use it for constant agro managment, just for emergencies. Oh well, Im really tired, ben up all night, so if this makes no sence try reading it drunk... <div></div>