Grink's Long List of Placeholder Tome Ideas

Seichusen said:
I like where this is headed. Anything regarding throwing stuff or utility would be welcomed. The new construct stance for instance, is incredibly useful in a handful of instances, while not being game breaking.
Still hoping they'll get something roughly equivalent to the Ranger's Return Shot AA at some point.
Cool ideas Grinks
Click to expand...

Thank you for the input. My aim with this one was to bring something new to a skill that all Monks are familiar with, yet most rarely use. I could imagine a soloing Iksar Monk rooting a mob with Tail Rake, backing up, and healing up a bit using Throwing with this tome, for example.

My other idea for your class was a tome called Drunken Master that would somehow involve alcohol consumption, but I am just not sure how exactly that could be worked in without aggravating players; the duration of alcohol's effect is pretty vague in this and all other clients, and the tunnel vision effect that it leads to is simply not fair to ask a whole class to put up with simply to gain tome bonuses.

Perhaps one method could be to assign, say, each of four different alcoholic drinks a unique modifier, and whichever one the monk last drank would confer a specific bonus until s/he next zones, such as +X% melee damage versus undead, ability to convert incoming spell damage to a percentage of stamina, and so on. Again, I'm not sure how practical this would be from a coding standpoint, but if it were viable and well thought out, it could give a few new utility options for the mid-to-high-end Monk.

Then again, maybe there's a much more suitable approach to this "Drunken Master" theme that simply hasn't occurred to me...
 
4-6% of throwing damage converted to healing is less healing than just meleeing and using the lifetap combo though, even before you take into account high end items like Nightwhisper and Horok that have additional heal procs. It might be useful in very uncommon scenarios but I'd rather have something that has a broader application. Or the percentage would have to be bumped up substantially, to something like 20%.

Then again, monks are supposedly getting something to replace the combo system at some point so IF that happens and IF new class tomes are being considered, I'd want something that is based on whatever the monk class looks like then rather than now.
 
Dinadass said:
Then again, monks are supposedly getting something to replace the combo system at some point so IF that happens and IF new class tomes are being considered, I'd want something that is based on whatever the monk class looks like then rather than now.
Click to expand...

Of course, but for now just having something would be swell. In a game where classes have been heavily redesigned, retooled, and been knocked silly with the nerf/buff bats it is really really really weird that devs wouldn't just plug in something for class tomes. Even if the tome did something that bordered on useless it would be better than dead inventory space or completely useless drops.
 
Dinadass said:
4-6% of throwing damage converted to healing is less healing than just meleeing and using the lifetap combo though, even before you take into account high end items like Nightwhisper and Horok that have additional heal procs. It might be useful in very uncommon scenarios but I'd rather have something that has a broader application. Or the percentage would have to be bumped up substantially, to something like 20%.

Then again, monks are supposedly getting something to replace the combo system at some point so IF that happens and IF new class tomes are being considered, I'd want something that is based on whatever the monk class looks like then rather than now.
Click to expand...

Instead of this, how about the expanded utility of mend hitting all group members (or a chance to) instead of just the monk. (By the time you xp this tome, how often do you root mobs, and how many don't summon lol...)

"You have mastered the skill of mending wounds ailing yourself and your companions."
 
Last edited:
Shadowknight -- Curse of the Mind, innate group mana tap at 50/100/150/200. It is the ying to the paladin yang of crusader,
 
Shadowknight

Gift of Marlow - 2%/4%/6%/8% of damage done by the SK heals the SK. It is a mini /s 7

Two Handed Mastery - While in /s 9 2%/5%/7%/10% chance to proc song window buff of some % overhaste and % chance to proc DD.

Two Handed Specialty -- While using a 2h upon critting there is a 5%/10%/15%/20% chance of the next round or hit to ignore targets defense.

Defensive strategies (for all tanks not just sks) -- an innate 12%/25%/37%/50% chance to avoid a riposte.
 
This tome idea is not so people can be bad and rage plow it is so people can keep aggro on mobs that hit too freaking hard and just try and rely on spell aggro.
 
I like the Idea for the ranger pet tome but not an AoE proc since I tend to kite several npc's at once it would probably get it killed often.
 
Imagine the proc rate would be around that of the tears of te crusader maybe the mana per proc would need adjuste some.
 
Have an idea about 3rd tome for bst - Tome of Unity

Rank 1 - 1 or 2% chance of proccing what the bst wears on his feet and fist

Rank 2 - 2 or 4% chance of proccing what the bst wears on his chest, feet, and fist

Rank 3 - 3 or 6% chance of proccing what the bst wears on his chest, feet, fist, and wrists

Rank 4 - 4 or 8% chance of proccing what the bst wears on all slots except weapon slots.

Not sure if it would be OP or not cause, just an idea. Bst are about giving their pets procs so thought it plays in line. Maybe something to this effect but on a much lower spectrum not sure if it would be too OP once it gets to high tier with shadow proc bracers and boots and such. But with that at least it scales with tier. If not a third bst tome that does not have a side effect like the other 2 tomes would be nice.
 
I’m so pleased to see the staff implementing some tomes! :) I guess there wasn’t some sort of secret moratorium on replacing placeholders after all. With this in mind, I thought I’d update this thread with some fresh ideas in case the remaining placeholders are not already spoken for. I’m being a bit bolder this time around, though I’m still mostly shying away from tomes that will make nukers nuke harder, tanks tank harder, and so on.

Also, could a member of the staff please speak to the curious case of Third Beastlord Tome? I have heard reports that it simply does not exist in the item database, and until yesterday, nobody had put it on the wiki. Has it recently been coded in as a placeholder after all? Was it in all along? In case it does exist, I’ve included a BST idea in my list.

BEASTLORD​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Proliferation of Spirit: The Beastlord strengthens the ability to project his/her spirit. At first rank, the duration of AA: Paragon of Spirit is extended by one tick. At second rank, it will land on all Clerics, Druids, and Shamans in the raid force, including those beyond the Beastlord’s targeted group. At third rank, its duration is extended by an additional tick. At fourth rank, the Paragon will land on all Enchanters, Magicians, Necromancers, and Wizards in the raid force.
    Justification: This tome capitalizes on Paragon’s utility by extending its duration and by allowing it to benefit members beyond the Beastlord’s immediate group. It is also designed to give the class one tome that is not centered on the pet. Its power is offset by the 15-minute cooldown of AA: Paragon of Spirit, the omission of several mana-wielding classes (hybrids), the staggered inclusion of healers followed by casters, and only partial usefulness beyond raiding (ranks I and III). If the two-tick extension (which would yield 160 mana) is regarded as too powerful, perhaps one of these ranks could be changed out for a one-minute reduction on the reuse timer of the AA, which would bring it to a 14-minute cooldown.​


CLERIC​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Godsbreath: After tending to the wounded in so many battles, the Cleric refines his/her ability to breathe new life into fallen comrades. Anyone revived by the Cleric's Reviviscence spell will have the remaining duration of the Death Fatigue debuff reduced by up to 5 / 9 / 12 / 15 ticks (i.e. 30 / 54 / 72 / 90 seconds). This tome has no effect on Death Fatigue (Event).
    Justification: This tome aims to pare down recovery time following death or even a near-wipe by spotlighting an ability central to the class. It will enable a fallen comrade to jump back into the fray more quickly following a death and, in the case of raid wipes, will allow fresh buffs to be done sooner if a Cleric was lucky enough to have survived/camped out. Its power is offset by its restriction to a single rez spell and by the fact that a Cleric is not always able to administer rezzes before Death Fatigue wears off (either because a fight takes too long or the Cleric him/herself has also died). Additionally, because rezzing people requires a certain amount of time, the tome will yield diminishing returns as the minutes tick by following a wipe; in other words, rezzes initiated very quickly will confer the full benefit of the tome to recipients, whereas those who are last on the rez list may already be nearing the end of their Death Fatigue duration. If the numbers outlined here are regarded as out of line, they could be adjusted as seen fit prior to implementation.​


DRUID​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Druidic Thunderhead: The Druid learns to call forth storms of increasing intensity, empowering AA: Crown of Storms. At first rank, the storm’s winds gather momentum, inflicting Dizzying Wind on the target every 10 seconds. At second rank, the storm’s rainwater takes on self-sustaining properties, casting Healing Waters on itself (and only itself) every 4 ticks. At third rank, the vanquished storm will die with a violent thunderclap 33% of the time, casting Lightning Slice on its target upon defeat. At fourth rank, the chance that the storm will cast Lightning Slice upon death increases to 66%. In addition to these bonuses, the Crown of Storms elemental grows in size with each rank.
    Justification: This tome line would represent the only improvement available to Druids for this AA and spotlights an association that could do with strengthening in Shards of Dalaya—the Druid’s ability to shape the weather to his/her will. For flavor, I have indicated that the Crown of Storms elemental should grow in size with each rank; this is purely aesthetic and has no bearing on the pet’s output. The first rank nuke yields a tiny boost to DPS (up to ~7.4 points) and a chance to interrupt a (stunnable) mob’s spellcasting. The second improves the pet's chances of surviving PBAEs, ripostes, etc. The third and fourth rank are straightforward in that they simply add a chance for the storm to “go out with a bang.” This tome line’s power is offset by the lengthy (22 min.) reuse timer of the AA, the inability to keep Healing Waters on itself nonstop (this small HoT lasts 2 ticks yet is only cast every 4 ticks), the chance that the third and fourth rank nuke will not activate upon death (not to mention the possibility that the pet will live through the fight and simply depop at the end), and the overall poor survivability of this swarm pet. In short, this tome would be most useful versus very difficult solo mobs, such as high-end nameds or raid bosses; using it on common trash mobs would likely not see the improved AA to its full potential.​


ENCHANTER​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Mimetic Manalust: The Enchanter’s Ancient: Guardian Animation pet begins to take after its master’s talent for interfering with the mana of adversaries. At first rank, the animation’s successful bash will proc Curse of the Simple Mind 100% of the time. At second rank, the animation gains a 2% chance to proc Theft of Thought each mainhand round. At third rank, the animation’s bash will inflict Wandering Mind 100% of the time alongside Curse of the Simple Mind. At fourth rank, the animation gains a second and independent mainhand 2% proc in the form of Lagarn’s Lamentation.
    Justification: This adds utility a pet which is often ignored altogether by players of this class, especially beginning in the mid tiers. Such a tome line would give the Enchanter incentive to reconsider using the animation in any exp group or raid where mana-wielding mobs may be encountered and would further differentiate the Enchanter’s pet from those of the more “traditional” pet classes without modifying its damage output. Its power is offset by the debatable usefulness of ranks I and III, the small proc percentages of the more useful ranks II and IV, the fact that the Enchanter could, in theory, cast all of these spells him/herself, the low survivability of the pet, and the inability to employ Charm spells while the pet is up. If one of these four theoretical procs is regarded as too weak or too powerful, perhaps the rarely-mentioned Torment of Argli, another Enchanter mana-oriented spell, could be substituted.​


MONK​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Perfect Stillness: The Monk exerts his/her stillness of mind onto the body while feigning death. At first rank, the Monk gains a (hidden) bonus of 40 points to Magic, Fire, and Cold resists while successfully feigned. At second rank, the Monk gains a 10% chance to prevent an unresisted spell from breaking his/her successful feign. At third rank, the feigned Monk gains a further (hidden) bonus of 40 points to Magic, Fire, and Cold resists (bringing the total to 80). At fourth rank, the feigned Monk gains an additional 10% chance to overcome an unresisted spell (bringing the total to 20% chance, or one-in-five).
    Justification: This spotlights an ability central to the class. Broken feigns only serve to slow down the raid process, and this tome aims to mitigate this by conferring bonuses strictly while the Monk is already feigned, meaning that breaks due to DDs will occur less often. Currently, there are no in-game worn mods for Feign Death and no stance to improve it, so this tome line fills that void. Its power is offset by the need for the Monk to be already feigned to gain the bonuses, by the continued possibility that, even at fourth rank, an inconvenient spellcast could still ruin a feign 80% of the time, and by the omission of Poison and Disease from the resist bonuses. If something along these lines were implemented, Monks would likely appreciate some form of textual emote (possibly in a color other than white) to alert them when the rank II and IV component works. Again, numbers could be adjusted if they are out of line.​


RANGER​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Raven’s Winter: The Ranger’s use of cold-based spells sends an energizing chill down the spine of his/her raven companion. Each time the Ranger casts Icerend, Exposure, or Glacial Strike, the pet is instantly healed for 100 / 200 / 250 / 300 hit points. This heal produces no aggro and is not subject to any modification via crits, focus effects, time of day, etc.
    Justification: This tome merges two key aspects of this class: the raven pet and cold-based nukes. It aims to add survivability to the lamentably squishy Ranger pet by allowing the player to keep the pet’s health up somewhat without the need to interrupt his/her battle routine to throw a heal on the bird. Because the bird is never (intentionally) used as a tank, this tome effectively translates to an improved chance of surviving whirlwinds, phantom strikes, ripostes, PBAEs, etc. Its power is offset by the fixed heal values, the natural delay between a player's spellcasts, its restriction to three specific spells, and the fact that it does not in any way enhance the class’s DPS—it simply provides a means of sustaining an already-present bonus to archery.​


SHADOWKNIGHT​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Denial of Elael: In defiance of the sun, the Shadowknight imbues his/her lifetaps with an impenetrable darkness. At first and second rank, the Shadowknight’s lifetap spells are strengthened by 5 / 10% during the daytime. At third and fourth rank, the lifetap spells are given even greater power during the night, gaining an additional 3 / 6% power on top of the innate 10% nighttime bonus.
    Justification: This tome employs the name of Elael, a figure that is central to Shards of Dalaya lore. Its power is offset by the fact that its daytime component simply secures the Shadowknight a constant bonus that s/he has already been able to enjoy on and off since level 9 depending on the time of day; the third and fourth rank may raise the nighttime lifetap bonus from the natural 10% to 13 / 16%, but lifetaps are not the only spells cast by this class.​

SHAMAN​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Ancestral Ally: A departed ancestor of the Shaman's lupine companion transcends death itself to reward the unfailing loyalty the wolf has shown his master. On a successful bash, the wolf has a 10 / 20 / 27 / 33% chance to summon “a departed lupine” to his side, which will bombard the pet with Chloroblast once per tick for 3 ticks (18 seconds). The departed lupine does not engage in melee and is immune to damage. Only one departed lupine may be active at a given time.
    Justification: This tome plays off of the spiritual, "witch-doctory" aspect of this class by calling forth the spirit of a dead wolf in order to add survivability to the Shaman’s own wolf, a pet which is sometimes regarded as useless in high-end situations. The departed lupine, which appears as a tiny, ghostly wolf, can be coded as a “swarm” pet to the Shaman’s wolf pet itself (which should be possible from a coding standpoint, as evidenced by this Emberflow pet weapon). Its power is offset by the long(ish) timer on the bash skill, the chance that bash will miss altogether and/or not activate the proc, the inability to summon more than one departed lupine at once, and the fact that it does nothing to further the Shaman’s own healing abilities. A difficulty might arise in making sure the heals do not trigger assistance penalties, though I am uncertain if this will be an issue. Some adjustment may be necessary either with the proc component or the spells cast by the departed lupine to find a suitable balance.​


WARRIOR​

  • Placeholder Tome --> Battlegleam: Following years of battle, the Warrior stumbles upon a method of polishing his/her armor to take on a uniquely reflective gleam that may deflect spells from hostile creatures. The Warrior is granted an innate 5% chance to Counterspell an incoming single-target detrimental spell cast by any enemy whose level is at or below 55 / 58 / 61 / 64.
    Justification: The tome gives the Warrior added resilience versus casters, a subset of enemies who typically represent one of this class’s weaknesses. Its power is offset by the small percentage, the chance that the enemy may shrug the stun component of Counterspell, the fact that spellcasts are often set apart by a period of several seconds with no guarantee that the tank will be the target of a spellcast, and the inability of this tome to apply to mobs at or above level 65 (i.e., high-profile nameds and raid bosses).​

Other ideas I had that I did not flesh out for one reason or another were:
  • A Cleric tome that gives two independent stances, /cm commands, innate procs, or some other special ability (whatever the devs find most suitable/doable in terms of coding) based on the Cleric's alignment, one based on the Good / Neutral / Evil category and the second based on the Lawful / Neutral / Chaotic category. Perhaps one category could confer an offensive benefit while the other confers a defensive benefit. It could possibly be time-based (breaking the 24-hour in-game day into three 8-hour increments) to balance out the tome's applicability across all possible alignment combinations. Special care would need to be taken to ensure that the benefit of each alignment were balanced evenly against the others (that is, making sure that Evil Clerics do not have an undeniable advantage over their Good brethren, for instance), but if done well, this tome idea could add a lot of variety to the class while simultaneously strengthening the Cleric's roleplay value.
  • A Druid tome that would instantly summon a random global animal (rabbit, black bear, skunk, etc.) to the Druid's side upon activating the Forage button; the animal could be hailed and commanded to stealthily "forage" about the zone for a useful item, at which point it would scamper away, depop, and return perhaps 30 / 20 / 15 / 10 minutes later with a [NO DROP] item for the Druid's use, such as something similar to a Potion of Superior Mana or five pieces of stat-boosting food. If the Druid simply wanted to use Forage the "old-fashioned" way, the animal could be ignored and it would depop after, say, 30 seconds.
  • A Druid tome that would expand the reach/range of Druid group heals by 25% per rank.
  • An Enchanter tome that would turn the animation pet into an exact body double of the Enchanter for a short period of time, including worn/held gear, once AA: Guarding Rune, Dilated Shelter, and/or Relic: Runecloak are broken. The "doppelganger" pet would distract/deflect a mob away from the Enchanter by suspending combat, teleporting to the Enchanter's side, and doing animated emotes (/dance, /point, etc.) that gradually decrease the Enchanter's aggro. I believe the identical worn/held gear aspect is doable from a coding standpoint, as a similar code seems to be in place for the Lower Thaz Earth boss fight (strat leak!); This aspect would purely be superficial and would not confer any worn/held item bonuses to the pet.
 
Last edited:
Enchanter Tome Idea: Guardian Angelmation/True Guardian(RIP True Giant)/Animated Rune/Secrets of the Enchanter Folk/
The enchanters Animation has a 3/6/9/12% chance to sacrifice itself to save the enchanter from a fatal blow, similar to Wee Folk tome. It could even have a cool emote that everyone can see to let them know your pet is a true hero.
"Meowmix is destroyed as it guards Tevinter from a fatal blow!"

Gives the Enchanter pet more utility along the lines of the Guardian Animation AA.



Alternative Idea
Animated Shield/Animated Protection/Meowmix the Martyr/Magical Efficiency/Mana Shield
When the enchanters animation dies, the enchanter is shielded for 150/300/450/600 Magical damage. Nifty emote could go along with it.
"You gather the mana from your animation to shield yourself!

Gives the Enchanter pet more utility, and makes the pet useful for when it inevitably dies from its pathetic amount of hit points.

Its really late and these ideas/tome names may not be very well thought out, will post more whenever I roll out of bed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom