Suggestion: Update Enchanter Spell Somatic Bond.

MrJohnM

Dalayan Beginner
Hello,

I have been maining an enchanter for quite some time now, and as I raid more and more and experience more and more content, I am learning quite a bit about encounters and DPS etc. I realize that going into this post, Enchanters are never meant to parse very high and are not going to ever do the type of DPS that wizards, rogues, rangers, and other classes do. And I certainly don't want this post to turn into something that criticizes raid tactics or anything like that.

That being said, I have two very (what I think is reasonable) small request/suggestions:

Can the range for the spell Somatic Bond be increased slightly from 100 to 150?
Can a sister type spell be invented? Explanations below...

For MOST boss fights (let's assume that there really isn't anything I can mez, and or charm) I am really limited to a *very* niche role depending on the encounter:

-Cast Tash (range 200)
-Cast Slow (range 250) (as a backup, as BSTs, pets, Shaman all slow before I do anyway)
-Chain cast Rune on hurt people MT/Ramp tank to ease burdon on healers (I hate this, by the way).
-Cast DoT (lol)
-Cast DD nuke (range 200) over and over again when the gem refreshes.
AND
-Cast Somatic Bond on the worthy melee to increase both of our DPS.

The FIRST problem herein lies in the fact that all of the worthy dps to cast Somatic Bond on (rogues, monks, some bards/bsts/etc) are all VERY far away, usually on a boss on the other side of the room. Most times, I literally have to wait for an AE to hit, time it perfectly, run out into the middle of the room INTO harms way just to cast Somatic Bond, OR I don't really contribute to DPS. It would be nice if the range was increased just slightly so someone other than the rangers can get bonded during boss fights.

The SECOND problem with the spell comes with having multiple enchanters on a raid. I know, I know, this rare occasion is such a rare thing that it shouldn't even be an issue but -- unless one or both of the enchanters have their runic spells, it's assumed that both of them will be using Somatic Bond. There are only a handful of DPS that we can cast somatic bond on, because the other enchanter over-writes the spells of the first enchanter and visa versa.

Would it be completely unbalancing and impossible to create perhaps a sister type somatic bond spell that can maybe be cast on healers that would maybe mirror heals or something for a few ticks or maybe a somatic bond type spell that could be cast on tanks to maybe increase their threat generation based on the DPS that the enchanter does? So like, maybe cast it on the tank and then nuke gives a small +threat?

Anyway, just thinking of ways to make it better... I can understand now why people don't main enchanters. Unless you have full runics, full relics, Murk spells, and T10 gear, you end up just dying to AE when trying to contribute to DPS.

My guild is VERY awesome and has been supportive for months before I even joined, but most of the time on raids they're like "Yeah just go sit in a corner and don't die...thx!" :p

P.S. - It might also come into consideration to mention the fact that Somatic Bond requires a buff slot for melee, AND also doesn't stack with tons of forms like frog form, skeleton form, and a lot of all the other clicky forms that DPS uses...
 
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Enchanters are fine in raids and borderline overpowered. Also in regards to you laughing at the dot, it is an amazing debuff. Casting nuke is useless and even at t11 w/ relic nuke it does pathetic damage and isnt even worth casting because of how inefficient it is. Somatic bond range is fine and i cant really think of a time i needed more range. My only request for SB/AoD is that the LoS requirement is removed.

P.S. - It might also come into consideration to mention the fact that Somatic Bond requires a buff slot for melee, AND also doesn't stack with tons of forms like frog form, skeleton form, and a lot of all the other clicky forms that DPS uses...

Working as intended.

I can understand now why people don't main enchanters. Unless you have full runics, full relics, Murk spells, and T10 gear, you end up just dying to AE when trying to contribute to DPS.

People dont want to main enchanters because they are literally the worst duoing partner you can have compared to pretty much every class unless you are in one zone in the game literally nobody goes to.

-Chain cast Rune on hurt people MT/Ramp tank to ease burdon on healers (I hate this, by the way).

Enchanters arent the only class to spam the same button on a single target.

Would it be completely unbalancing and impossible to create perhaps a sister type somatic bond spell that can maybe be cast on healers that would maybe mirror heals or something for a few ticks or maybe a somatic bond type spell that could be cast on tanks to maybe increase their threat generation based on the DPS that the enchanter does? So like, maybe cast it on the tank and then nuke gives a small +threat?

No.

The SECOND problem with the spell comes with having multiple enchanters on a raid. I know, I know, this rare occasion is such a rare thing that it shouldn't even be an issue but -- unless one or both of the enchanters have their runic spells, it's assumed that both of them will be using Somatic Bond. There are only a handful of DPS that we can cast somatic bond on, because the other enchanter over-writes the spells of the first enchanter and visa versa.

Boon of the Garou, rune, dampening x2, double curses.

TL;DR Enchanters are fine and probably too good already.
 
Enchanters are fine in raids and borderline overpowered. Also in regards to you laughing at the dot, it is an amazing debuff.

We probably aren't talking about the same spell. I don't have my Voices spell yet, which I realize is good.. I was referring to:
http://wiki.shardsofdalaya.com/index.php/Spell:_Chokehold
I didn't realize that the -50 str -50 agi was that good, but the 60 damage/tick isn't very good imo.

Casting nuke is useless and even at t11 w/ relic nuke it does pathetic damage and isnt even worth casting because of how inefficient it is.
I only cast Insanity now because I don't have a lot of bonding targets -- and or I am literally out of peridots by casting rune on people, etc.

Somatic bond range is fine and i cant really think of a time i needed more range. My only request for SB/AoD is that the LoS requirement is removed.
Okay, maybe I didn't articulate properly enough -- but I think maybe that is my issue. If you read my post that's what I am saying is the crux of the issue. I hate that I have to "run out into danger" just to bond the melee. Maybe removing the LOS requirement would help so I can hide behind a wall and avoid AOE like the rest of the casters?


Working as intended.
I can see that -- I understand that SB also gives the melee some +attack and helps them too...so that's understandable.

People dont want to main enchanters because they are literally the worst duoing partner you can have compared to pretty much every class unless you are in one zone in the game literally nobody goes to.
That's too bad. I like enchanters. I'd like to see them be more than just buff bots that people log on. I wish more encounters required skilled mezzing/charming, etc. Or something that made them unique...other than turning myself into a tuna fish every once and a while for giggles.

Enchanters arent the only class to spam the same button on a single target.
I understand -- I am not looking for insane game changes. Like I said in my thread, I was only looking for flexibility for ONE spell to be slightly easier to use/cast based on range/LOS. I figure, if I am required to spam one spell on a single target, maybe it can at least be somewhat easier to spam.

No it would be overpowered? No it wouldn't?

Boon of the Garou, rune, dampening x2, double curses.
I sometimes cast Boon, *IF* melee has a buff slot for it and I can spare the spell gem. I already mentioned that I cast rune, which i do, and the curses *are* good, admittedly, which I keep up as frequently as i can -- but it's rough to spare the spell gems for 30 minute cooldown spells.

Too bad there isn't an AA or Tome that reduces those curse timers.

TL;DR Enchanters are fine and probably too good already.

I read your entire post. I slightly disagree. I think a more accurate statement would be:
"T10 geared enchanters with ALL of their relics *and* their runic spell is very good, and probably equal to a wizard that also has these things."
I didn't particularly want to get into a suggestion or argument that enchanters were or were not good or worth their salt, or worth bringing along for XP etc. I just wanted to address a potential issue that I saw with the Somatic Bond spell.
 
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I can see that -- I understand that SB also gives the melee some +attack and helps them too...so that's understandable.

SB doesn't actually increase the DPS of the people you cast it on. All of the extra damage that they would do from that bonus ATK is what shows up in your melee spam and gets attributed to you. Just to clear that up.
 
I've frequently boxed a guild enchanter due to absence, illness, or intoxication (lookin' at you Stral) clear back to progressing through IP on-tier, and clear up to Spires of Saitha when it first came out and then a year or more later.

Enchanters are goddamn awesome on raids. They can be plenty potent in practiced hands duoing (lookin' at Stral again, dominating RSM when it was THE money-spot with his ENC and a WIZ).

The only gripe I would have about playing an enchanter at all is that there are SOOOOO many useful things you can do, and only so many spell gems, and that's discounting the fun stuff like turning into a vandathian during a med-break and scaring the crap out of everyone.

As far as buffing your melees and taking AE damage, sneaky-cast or time the AEs, and life's good.

tl;dr - if you aren't having a good time with an enchanter you're doing it wrong.
 
Short on peridots? Pester that lazy mage to summon you a few more stacks. No excuses for not having enough dots for spells.

If your raid exp consists of spamming Rune and dodging ae's to cast SB, you are doing things wrong. Those curses are a huge boon on boss mobs, not having them up during a raid is just silly. And no, you do not need all your relics and runics to be effective as an enchanter. They can be a nice boost, but are far from required to do your job.

He said No, because he doesn't agree. Those spells are not needed at all. I could understand a small boost to the range of SB, and maybe eliminate the LoS requirement of it, but the rest of what you asked for would be overpowering. A well-played enchanter is almost a requirement later on in raiding (also 6-man and 12-man) when done on-tier, there is no reason to make them even more required.
 
They can be plenty potent in practiced hands duoing

They can be, but the amount of effort required, amount of skill required, and places they can go to is a limiting factor.
 
I've frequently boxed a guild enchanter due to absence, illness, or intoxication (lookin' at you Stral)

I will have you know I never sat out due to intoxication. Power through.

Also, I don't really fully understand the sentiment that enchanters might be overpowered atm. How so, SB?
 
tl;dr - if you aren't having a good time with an enchanter you're doing it wrong.
Agree.

And also agree that enchanters are even more superfun with all the runics/murk/refuge spells and tomes.
I think the only occasion where they lack slightly is 6man content before these spells/tomes, at least compared to other classes of same tier (if a dps class dies, you're losing ~127% of the dps that would be done with them alive), but on raids they still have plenty to do.
Depending on the fight you can spam vex, construct curse, stun, aux, manadrain.. in addition to the regular bond/debuff/slow/rune/curse things.

ps: I don't know which enchanter you play, but since spell ward changes were put in, my enchanter's survivability vastly increased.
 
Also, I don't really fully understand the sentiment that enchanters might be overpowered atm. How so, SB?
For enchanters being a support/utility/buffing class, an enchanter w/ runic 1, decent gear and tomes can outparse bards/beastlords(idk how beast parse, im assuming near bards?) Enchanters are required for a lot of content and can completely trivialize other content. But i think the main reason enchanters are considered OP by some people is the fact they can look 100% more badass than anyone else without using a buffslot, troll(and wipe) an entire raid by running around, and make 5 people look like you to aid you in you shenanigans.

it's rough to spare the spell gems for 30 minute cooldown spells.
Load non-curse spells during trash, when you get to the raid boss load curses, and then refresh.

Try doin' anything with a rogue =\
I wouldnt mind being a rogue when i farm because i use a paladin as a box. For me it could just be im bad/jealous/grass is greener issue and like to ramble and complain about things.
 
an enchanter w/ runic 1, decent gear and tomes can outparse bards/beastlords(idk how beast parse, im assuming near bards?)
This was way more true before AoD got nerfed into the ground. Has anyone actually bothered to do thorough parses comparing the dps output of SB and AoD after that change?
 
I haven't played in years, but I doubt anything has changed. We were the strongest six man class in the game. We weren't the weakest duo. Chaotic Visions is fine and has plenty of uses. Curses are cool in concept and flashy but ultimately partially retarded in design due to the client. I just wanted to clear some misconceptions! But what do I know, right?
 
Our dps is good.

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Anyways yea on the topic of this thread as far as los and range on sb goes, for better or worse, some of the most involved I ever had to get in this game was a result of having to bounce between casters and melees when they were separated (back when I was 100% convinced AoD was worth casting at all). I found those fights fun. They were the "you best be sober for this" fights, because you typically needed to know exactly where your group healer was at all times, and b-line it to him regardless of what you were doing if you got hit too hard with ae's. Then again, I probably could have not done this at all and just picked a camp to hit with stuff, but that was infinitely less fun.

-Chain cast Rune on hurt people MT/Ramp tank to ease burdon on healers (I hate this, by the way).
And a side note about this. This does suck (I always saw people piss away heal after heal when I chain runed), but you don't really need to be doing this. If you place yourself in the tank group you'll have an eye for the tanks hp bar (plus the tanks get added avoidance from shared mind), so if the tanks drop dangerously low you can be johny on the spot with a rune, or better yet a vex (faster cast time, way more damage avoided) inbetween casting SB/AoD/curses/debuffs. You can do the same thing with the runic 2, but hopefully by the time you get your runic 2 that spell will be something else entirely because fuck that spell. An added bonus of being in the tank group is that you'll be with the tank group's group healer, so you'll be in range for all their area heals since you are out in the frey. If you're still dieing, tell your guild to quit being retarded and start feeding you loot (or stick a second healer in the tank group like they probably should). At least, that would be the suggestion I have for you, given the fact that I don't see this changing in any way whatsoever.

*super important edit*: Oh, and go get yourself a cripple wand, and keep cripple and your dot up on every raid boss for the stat debuff. As far as I've ever been able to tell, I only ever debuffed for the sake of passing on the myth that stat debuffing actually does something, but I'll be damned if I don't tell you to do the same.
 
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Hello,
Unless you have full runics, full relics, Murk spells, and T10 gear, you end up just dying to AE when trying to contribute to DPS.

Your lack of uberness is not what is causing you to die. Your lack of resists is. You're currently at a similar level of exp and non-uberness as me, but I'm not dying all that much to AE. Go farm some plat and put some resist augs in all those empty slots and I guarantee you'll be dying less.
 
Originally Posted by MrJohnM
Hello,
Unless you have full runics, full relics, Murk spells, and T10 gear, you end up just dying to AE when trying to contribute to DPS.
Sneaky casting/stealth casting or whatever you want to call it also helps alot, if you just dodge AE's you can take almost no damage. Can also cast dampening for unavoidable AE's, MoTS from a bard, and can seek out spell ward gear if unavoidable AE's are the cause of your death.
Go farm some plat and put some resist augs in all those empty slots
This. Empty aug slots give you nothing\
go get yourself a cripple wand
http://wiki.shardsofdalaya.com/index.php/Wand_of_the_Coercer Its a free spell slot, and reccommend doing HFB until you can get one if the mob doesnt drop it first time.
 
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