Twenty-five New Tome Ideas (just Read What Interests You)

[Grinkles]

Not to be the Debbie downer or anything but if you don't play the class then you probably shouldn't give these tome ideas...

I simply wanted to put forth some ideas that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Admittedly, the target is probably off in several places, but the concepts themselves could still be put toward a fresh target.

The idea of the gods sending down a holy book for the Cleric to glimpse during his/her healing duties, for example, seems like it'd be a fun thing to look out for during battles. Using the same concept, the target could easily be shifted from healing spell speed (which you say is useless) to something like a boost to group weapon proc rates, substantial increase to DB's chances of going off while the book is present, the group being partially shielded from spell damage, or whatever else might be deemed appropriate. A savvy dev could probably think of a dozen other things that'd probably be even more interesting and/or useful while still using the "book falling from the heavens" or some cooler variation of that as the starting point.

Again, I may not be a guru of all classes, but I still think several of these ideas have strengths at least at the concept level, and I'm proud to have been able to share them here. Even if none of the above are deemed worthy of pursuit by the Powers That Be, I still had a lot of fun racking my brain to come up with them.

Thanks to everyone who has given feedback.

 

[Breigon]

Again, I may not be a guru of all classes, but I still think several of these ideas have strengths at least at the concept level, and I'm proud to have been able to share them here. Even if none of the above are deemed worthy of pursuit by the Powers That Be, I still had a lot of fun racking my brain to come up with them.

Thanks to everyone who has given feedback.

I think that someone that doesn't play the class or has limited exposure is probably one of the best people to give fresh new ideas. It is the simple fact that they are not as familiar that allows them to be, in my opinion, more creative. People that play the class also give solid ideas to flesh it out due to being familiar with some short comings of said class but *sometimes* those short comings are via design to balance for other abilities they have.

Good post Grinkles.

 

[donfolstar3]

I simply wanted to put forth some ideas that I hadn't seen elsewhere [and flesh out ideas other have proposed in passing].

Fixed. Most of the Druid tomes had something similar suggested in one of the bazillion "3rd Tome/Fuck Tome 2" threads. Mad props to you Grink for putting in the time to work with the idea, but my Frogsong was way [read: entirely way to much] better

I think people get way too far up their own butts about what it takes to have a good grasp on a class or propose ideas. If someone honestly believes you need hundreds of hours plugging away mashing the same handful of buttons to make suggestions then it is probably THEIR ideas that should be questioned. SoD ain't exactly rocket science and even if it was a fresh perspective is rarely a bad thing.

 

[Grinkles]

Fixed. Most of the Druid tomes had something similar suggested in one of the bazillion "3rd Tome/Fuck Tome 2" threads. Mad props to you Grink for putting in the time to work with the idea, but my Frogsong was way [read: entirely way to much] better

Aha! I had forgotten you were the one who came up with the Frog Song idea. It rekindled in my mind while playing some Final Fantasy recently and I forgot I had read it in a post of yours months ago. It goes hand in hand with the Froggy's Song of the Frogloks clicky already in game, so maybe it'll be picked up eventually!

 

[vistachiri]

I like the druid ones quite a bit. It's difficult to pick a favorite out of those honestly, though I am not a big fan of stances so that probably ranks last for me. I'd say frogsong and upheaval are the best of them.

 

[speakeroo]

Maybe with the Frog Song, the little froggy can also add ale to you inventory. He sings the Froggy Song of The Bro.

 

[Fanith]

Cause bards have three tomes already.

Quite reflection is a very lack luster 3rd class tome to begin with and on top of that there are already multiple threads that ask for something that isnt focused purely around decreasing down time as bard mana is not an essential anyway yea its nice for a boost but i would much rather have something to increase my damage during fight or my utility during fight rather than something that decreases my down time. 2nd of all blademaster tome is really a great idea and a lot of fun but it is really painful that in order to get the benefit you must use a song that is group wide only it would be really cool to see the effect added to tarhyls maybe with a much lesser chance of occuring.

 

[dracosf22]

blademaster tome is fine as is. Yes, sometimes your in a situation you can't make use of it, but I think it's a fair tradeoff. But let's not just hijack this thread for bards. So, how about them warriors?

 

[enasc]

Quite reflection is a very lack luster 3rd class tome to begin with and on top of that there are already multiple threads that ask for something that isnt focused purely around decreasing down time as bard mana is not an essential anyway yea its nice for a boost but i would much rather have something to increase my damage during fight or my utility during fight rather than something that decreases my down time.

Lackluster tomes appear to be a sign of your class being balanced right about where staff wants it to be.

In my opinion, as little as it is worth, another +dps bumping tome for bards would make them do too much dps compared to other classes. Should bards consistently out dps pure casters? Maybe they should, but I don't think so. Of course, I would say the same thing about the (also considerably more tanky than caster) rogue and ranger classes, and we know how that is.

The bard guys I generally group with are nearly caster dps, though I do hang out with some pretty outstanding bards. Sometimes they out parse the #1 wizard on big monsters, but maybe that's a caster dps problem, idk.

 

[Fanith]

You completely ignored the portion about increased utility. They could replace quite reflection with something to increase song radius as an example for more utility similar to an extended version of the AA. would that help the bard? Not really im always in range of my songs would it help his raid/group thereby increasing their effectiveness? Most definately since that would allow them to actually use their range increment items without losing bard songs. Second of all if a bard dps is out doing your number 1 wizard dps consistently time to look at the wizards casting rotation. is bard dps great not extremely bards will get out dpsed by similarly geared rangers and wizards rightfully so.
If you are saying bard dps is the same as wizard/ranger dps for the same teired peeps then obviously i need some advice on my dps rotation. (which is always welcomed anyway)

 

[Fanith]

On a different more thread related note (im done discussing bard dps vs other here id gladly discuss it elsewhere but not going to completely ruin this thread) I think a cool monk tome would be something along the lines of:

<insert name here>
a failed FD will instantly reset the fd cooldown allowing the user to stand and re-feign. starting at like 20-30% for rank 1 and going up to like 90% for the last rank.
This would allow the monk to split with a lower risk of death (keeping raids moving) but also not take away from the active play-style that players desire since it wouldnt increase their feigning to a no fail point and would force the monk to actively stand and re feign (can be hot keyed but you still have to pay attention to your fd messages)

 

[enasc]

The bard guys I generally group with are nearly caster dps

Sometimes they out parse the #1 wizard

Never said they out dps rangers. imo, rangers are silly op right now, but this is not the thread for that. I said bards are nearly caster dps. Nearly, and they are. I don't have parses with me now, but even if I did, also not the right thread for that.

Anyways, back to classes that don't have three class tomes:

How about something for warriors to make shielding a target more interesting? Something like a %bash or something for every time the monster hits the shielded person.

Monk guys often need to run back to the group/raid for heals while pulling, just slowing everything down. How about a Deathly Meditation tome that improves monk hp/sta regen only while feigned.

 

[Yale1]

Lackluster tomes appear to be a sign of your class being balanced right about where staff wants it to be.

In my opinion, as little as it is worth, another +dps bumping tome for bards would make them do too much dps compared to other classes. Should bards consistently out dps pure casters? Maybe they should, but I don't think so. Of course, I would say the same thing about the (also considerably more tanky than caster) rogue and ranger classes, and we know how that is.

The bard guys I generally group with are nearly caster dps, though I do hang out with some pretty outstanding bards. Sometimes they out parse the #1 wizard on big monsters, but maybe that's a caster dps problem, idk.

Never said they out dps rangers. imo, rangers are silly op right now, but this is not the thread for that. I said bards are nearly caster dps. Nearly, and they are. I don't have parses with me now, but even if I did, also not the right thread for that.

These forums really go nowhere because people just ninja in constant blanket statements. I have news for people, What level you are, what gear, AA, tomes, playing ability and such are different on everybody , every class at different levels at different points in the various eras of SoD. To simply say "rangers are OP" means nothing. Which is funny, because rangers haven't changed in years, ohh yeah, I'm wrong they lost a broken r2 a few years ago capable of making them do 5 digit Dps.. and people were complaining about them at that point about being weak. To take a few people who have maximized their characters and compare them to other peoples characters is not an intelligent way to balance an entire game, especially since to my knowledge there has never been an official DPS chart released that says, "this is what it has to be" That comparison or antidote is not proof that certain classes are OP, that is proof someone has maximized their character and that your observation is or could be partial and not viewing the big picture.

Every class is SoD is very good, this idea that some class is overpowered would be very difficult to prove seems A. There is no official chart to go by B. If you have to get out measuring tools than there is not enough difference to worry about. (I would admit that it would be nice to have the non casters on a similar system to warriors)

Lets stop posting annoying blanket statements and get some damn tomes made because I have had mine in my bank for YEARS and I think just giving rangers reduced arrow usage or something to increase melee for ranger would suffice, heck I would even take track master back. Anything is better than a tome that just takes up bank space.

Yale
<Exodus>

 

[darksabbath]

Quite reflection is a very lack luster 3rd class tome to begin with and on top of that there are already multiple threads that ask for something that isnt focused purely around decreasing down time as bard mana is not an essential anyway yea its nice for a boost but i would much rather have something to increase my damage during fight or my utility during fight rather than something that decreases my down time. 2nd of all blademaster tome is really a great idea and a lot of fun but it is really painful that in order to get the benefit you must use a song that is group wide only it would be really cool to see the effect added to tarhyls maybe with a much lesser chance of occuring.

Sure, it is lackluster, I agree. I am not sure I'll ever bother worrying about it, honestly. But I was pointing out that there is classes w/o 3 tomes already, and that was more the focal point of the thread. Though, suggestions for a change/improvements to this tome sure are welcome. As for Blademaster, please leave it as is. The mild downside of it is cool imo, makes a good song that much better. (Purposely ignoring the dps derail argument.)

 

[Fanith]

Sure, it is lackluster, I agree. I am not sure I'll ever bother worrying about it, honestly. But I was pointing out that there is classes w/o 3 tomes already, and that was more the focal point of the thread. Though, suggestions for a change/improvements to this tome sure are welcome. As for Blademaster, please leave it as is. The mild downside of it is cool imo, makes a good song that much better. (Purposely ignoring the dps derail argument.)

I was just looking to add input as to improve tomes for a class i relatively well. There was no intention to take focus away from those that dont have a 3rd tome but in hall fairness is not having a tome better than having a lack luster tome? Not really in my opinion seeing as not having a tome means atleast something cool may be coming where as having one that no one wants to discuss and is lack luster leaves an ever lackluster tome as a third tome.

 

[Valv]

This thread is for tome ideas, its big enough for new and existing tomes... If people would stop arguing about it.

Quite Reflection I would hate slightly less: the bard hums quietly during meditation, anyone with a bard song buff has increased med skill.

Then it speeds up the grp/raid downtime instead of just my own.

I liked all of the enc ideas but guessed the charm one would be too imbalanced. Of the three left i think the raid wide agro and mirror illusion are the coolest. For the druid frog song if you had 2 bards in a raid and frog song on you wouldn't be able to double hot the tank out of combat, which might be annoying.

Enc-Mastermind- Increases the enc ability to share his skills with the group, based on his tome of striking, tome of crit evo, resist tomes, ect

 

[Tevinter]

ENCHANTER TOME IDEA: Mana Fountain
When the enchanter gathers mana from his surroundings, the excess mana burst out of the enchanter, restoring 2/4/6/8% of the enchanters maximum mana to his group members

 

[Fanith]

This thread is for tome ideas, its big enough for new and existing tomes... If people would stop arguing about it.

Quite Reflection I would hate slightly less: the bard hums quietly during meditation, anyone with a bard song buff has increased med skill.

Then it speeds up the grp/raid downtime instead of just my own.

I liked all of the enc ideas but guessed the charm one would be too imbalanced. Of the three left i think the raid wide agro and mirror illusion are the coolest. For the druid frog song if you had 2 bards in a raid and frog song on you wouldn't be able to double hot the tank out of combat, which might be annoying.

Enc-Mastermind- Increases the enc ability to share his skills with the group, based on his tome of striking, tome of crit evo, resist tomes, ect

Quite reflection idea sounds cool probably would not be able to share the full benefit of it with anyone under bard song maybe half? would probably also be only on quite reflection 2 and higher to balance things more but would be a good addition to provide more utility to bard class.

mastermind idea sounds very cool but also probably unbalanced would need a lot of balance testing.

 

[huey]

Monk guys often need to run back to the group/raid for heals while pulling, just slowing everything down. How about a Deathly Meditation tome that improves monk hp/sta regen only while feigned.

I would be so down with this. I hate having 17 other people all waiting for me to keep the raid moving because if I get up I die or at least have to be a lot more careful (slow) because I'm sitting at half or something... (Make it replace force of body! (or at least swap round kick and flying kick in all spots in combos, heh....) /shamelesslobbying off )

 

[Gawain]

Honestly the frog song would get annoying unless they make it get overwritten by hots. If two bards are present on a raid, I don't want a song blocking a pre-fight HoT