Idea to Improve the Flexibility of Necros

[Burningho]

<DIV>I really enjoy playing a necromancer, and like the ability to solo when needed.  However, it does get annoying at times that necros can't contribute very much while in a group.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have an idea that I think would greatly improve the necro's flexibility, and make them a more useful group member.  My suggestion is to change the necro's pet heals into target heals whenever the necro does not have a pet summoned.  That way, a necro could become a backup healer when needed by getting rid of their pet (which would greatly reduce their dps).  This would make them niche characters that could either dps or do some light healing depending on what the group needed.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Since a necro's pet heals are no where near as powerful as a priest's heals, the best option would always be for a priest archtype to heal.  However, being able to contribute to a group by doing some light healing (at the expense of dps) would make necro's much more group friendly, and give them a lot more flexibility in how they play their characters.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This would also help to solve the problem of 2 necro's in one group being largely ineffective.  One could focus on dealing damage while the other played the role of backup healer.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What do you other necro's think?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Burningfury<BR>43 Necro<BR>Oasis </DIV>

[El Chupacabr]

Necro's are completely focused on DPS and their pets, allowing them to heal others would go against everything a necromancer (in this game) stands for.  Necro's only care about death and destruction, allowing player heals would go against what we are (again, in this game). The core problems of the class need to be corrected while giving us something that is necro specific, not shanghi'ing another classes niche... I guess I disagree with you.  A single health transfer spell may not be a bad idea but we just don't have the hp's to make this a worthwhile proposition. <div></div>

[Silverdrop]

Backup healer is not a suitable role for a necromancer. At the very best an emergency healer with a significant health transfer (not a normal heal) to save the bacon of another group member. But rather than devising new spells for this, it's much better if existing problems are solved. <div></div>

[Gin]

<P>What do you mean by can't contribute with much in groups?</P> <P>I'm under the impression, that I really makes a difference to a group. In fights, the overall damage output is raised quite a bit when a necro is in it. Also, we can fullfill many roles in a group:</P> <P>We can function as a mana dump to casters.</P> <P>We can tank a while if tank goes down, by the use of our pet, and heals.</P> <P>We can heal ourself by the use of our life converting spells.</P> <P>We can group fire away at the mobs, and by doing that, be a high damage output role for the group.</P> <P> </P> <P>Anyway, that is just some of the things we add to a group, so i dont understand your what you mean.</P>

[schrammy]

<DIV>I completely agree with ginan. I feel i am a real asset to my grps. Heck if i'm not around, the tanks die more often cuz the healers are oop more often. They DEMAND dark hearts when i'm there <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have virtually unlimited power, and i can supply healers/casters with more. Whenever there are adds on healers/casters, my thrall can jump in and save their butts. I do a fair share of the dps in my grps (mostly at the top except for warlocks <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV>We have arez spell in case it hits the fan, ...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What more do you want us to contribute to the grp?? Like chupa said, i rather have them fix all the broken stuff first</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[El Chupacabr]

<P>I didn't mean to imply that Burninghope's assertion that we don't contribute much to a group was incorrect as it isn't, from a certain standpoint.  From a utility/buffing standpoint we are the weakest mage class... our two group buffs are about equal to all the other mages plus they get good damage shields, proc spells, stuns, roots, power regens and mezzes that are all superior to ours.</P> <P>In a group environment, if the tank goes down the pet sure isn't getting the agro before someone else dies.  If our rez was in combat I'd call that a good utility but it isn't since anyone can rez as well as us via priest rez stones.  Hearts are ok but they aren't a whole lot better then manastones and cost us health and power while costing the recipient health along with the large delays associated with the summoners power dump compared to other mages power replenishment.</P> <P>I believe it was Moorguard that stated classes need to have balance between armor-dps-utility.  Our utitlity is quite horrible in comparison to the other mages which should equate to us having the highest dps of the mages... that is not the case in most settings.  Our group utility needs to go way up and in that respect the OP's post was well intentioned, I just disagree with the implementation.</P>

[Dastion]

<DIV>El Chuca, I don't remember anyone handing you the rights to the class concept.  Be critical, not narrow minded.  No, necro's should not be able to take up the role as a backup healer, however having a health transfer spell would not be beyond reason. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Good Idea, but the implementation is a little skewed.  Perhaps a timered heal which heals a decent amount in exchange for a large portion of the necro's life?  This keeps the necro from being able to heal himself (currently the HoT we get heals a LOT more than we give up for it) and gives him something to use in a pinch to help out.   And with a bit of a delay on it, not to mention the health used, it keeps the necro from playing the role of a healer.  Better yet, make it require the use of an essence of anguish so we actually have something we actively use that requires them.  Waiting 23 levels for the out of combat rez just to use the things is plain silly (dare I say stupid) anyhow.   How's this sound?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dark Sacrifice</DIV> <DIV>-Transfers a portion of the necromancer's life to the target, cannot be cast on self, requires an essence of anguish to cast.</DIV> <DIV>Power: yadda yadda, something decent</DIV> <DIV>Casting time: Depends on the recast, I'd say 2-4 seconds.  Maybe even instant if it has a significant reuse timer.</DIV> <DIV>Recast: Depends on the other factors, such as how much is healed.</DIV> <DIV>Effect: Takes a % of the necromancer's life  and transfers it directly to the target.  Keep in mind that a percentage of a necromancer's health pool won't be near as much for a fighter class or even priest.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ideally, it would be a way to give necromancer's slightly better pet healing capabilities and group utility.  I'd say a 40 second or so recast (which plays into how much more useful a necro is in long fights) and a heal that's noticeable...keep in mind the bigger the heal the worse it is on the necro casting it.  This would also allow necromancers who are not yet 50 and don't have lich to use their own life as power to cast Bloody Ritual on their pet and then transfer their life into him when he's low..effectively transfering their own health into power.  Keeping the spell percentage based also makes it where an upgrade at later levels is not completely neccessary..though perhaps if they ever add training options in at 50 a version that cures noxious might be interesting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>See, look, death and destruction..the necromancer first harvests the anguish from an opponent and then uses it as a conduit to transfer his own life blood to someone else.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Another good idea might be one that links the necromancer's pet to a subject, in such a way that the pet takes a percentage of the damage dealt to the target.  It could be implemented as a minor 15 minute buff that just, effectively, gives him a little more mitigation or else a focus spell (click it and stay still, stuns you for duration or until removed)  In this way, the necromancer cannot really heal a player, but, if needed, he can make his pet take a bit of the damage dealt..sort of like a castable Intercept for the pet.  He can then heal his pet up and, once the reuse timer is up, do it again.  This also compliment's the necro's usefulness on single mob tough fights.</DIV>

[El Chupacabr]

<span><blockquote><hr>Dastion84 wrote:<div>El Chuca, I don't remember anyone handing you the rights to the class concept.  Be critical, not narrow minded.  No, necro's should not be able to take up the role as a backup healer, however having a health transfer spell would not be beyond reason.</div><hr></blockquote>When did I say I was?  I said I disagreed and gave my reasons for it and even said a health transfer may not be a bad idea...  I'm allowed to disagree just like anyone else.  We already have one "heal", why do we need another while sacrificing something that could be necro specific?  Most of our abilities are cut-rate versions of other classes abilities, my feeling is we need something that can distinguish us in a group apart from imparting disease buffs. I'm a player, just like you... just because I don't agree with you or the OP doesn't make me narrow minded.  You're always welcome to debate an issue with me and I've never once tried to stand on a pedestal and say I'm a this or that or I did this and that.  Disagree with me all you want but I don't appreciate the name calling. </span><div></div>

[ume]

<P>just a side note:  EQ necros had heals.  At least one was a health "transfer" from the necro to the other player.  My real good EQ buddy had a high lev necro and cleric.  We would do some really cool things together.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Not to mention that necros rocked in pvp on Rallos Zek.</P>

[Burningho]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Dastion84 wrote:<BR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Perhaps a timered heal which heals a decent amount in exchange for a large portion of the necro's life?  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Another good idea might be one that links the necromancer's pet to a subject, in such a way that the pet takes a percentage of the damage dealt to the target. <BR> <HR> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>Excellent ideas Dastion.  I would love to see both of those things.  I also think that your ideas on this topic fit with the general concept of a necro better than my OP.  Your post really takes the spirit of what I was trying to getting at, and frames it within the context of how a necromancer would accomplish the same result.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In retrospect, I think the term "backup healer" in my OP overstates what a necro should be able to accomplish.  "Emergency heal" is a better term.  I don't think it is out of character for a necro to be able to pull out the occasional heal, especially considering that we get a ward and a rez.   A health transfer from the necro to the target would be perfect.  Or perhaps even a transfer from the pet to the target that drains a large amount of health from the pet and gives a smaller amount to the target.   Either way, I think that some form of a target heal for necro's would be appropriate. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I really like the angle of requiring an essence of anguish for an emergency heal, and the idea of a pet buff that allows the pet to take some of the tank's damage.  Both of those things would be small changes that would really help our utility.  </DIV><p>Message Edited by Burninghope on <span class=date_text>05-27-2005</span> <span class=time_text>12:00 PM</span>