Soulbeast grandmaster traits

Comparing the soulbeast grandmaster traits to the grandmasters of other elite specializations from PoF or Hot is painful. Although "Leader of the Pack" saw a small buff, they are still underwhelming, and some of our adept and master traits are better then the grandmasters... This doesn't mean the masters and adepts are too strong, the grandmasters are just weak...Some health dependent passive? If that would have been a minor, nobody would notice a difference. Some pvp-related trait, I guess, that's worse than a warriors master, having higher CD and less healing... And it doesn't even fit the style of rangers, it does not improve the gameplay in an interesting way. Make it steal endurance from enemies hit while below the health threshold or st. That would have synergy with other traits.A trait that shares stances for group support, but the ranger has no other support, because it is not a class designed for support without elite specializations. Taking a side frost spirit and spotter...Just to put an example. Now look for example at the holomith. Each grandmaster changes the way it plays, because it modulates the way the new class mechanic works. It offers different ways of approaching combat...Taking any of the soulbeast grandmaster traits won't change the way soulbeast plays... There are so many different options to go with soulbeast mechanics.For example allowing pet swap in beast mode, as a grandmaster, for players who don't like the pets,Improve on the burst dmg soulbeast is designed around (to an extent, I feel) by adding bonus dmg after entering beast mode for 6 seconds (+25%) and reducing dmg after you left it for 6 seconds (-25%)... Make the grandmasters feel impactful, not useless, compared to others...

What do you guys think? ?

Eternal Bond is just a rubbish higher tier version of the Berserker Dead or Alive Trait, which comes in at Master Level, has more healing and a lower cool down :/Leader of the Pack got a slight buff, but it needed more love something like additional effects when using Stances.Oppressive Superiority is just really meh. Boring. Nothing special.

I remember the Daredevil Grandmasters, they were how grandmasters should be done (excluding the dreadful balance - Dodge venom spamming anyone?) Where the KEY aspect of Daredevil (the dodges) changes based on which trait is taken - Condi, Damage or Utility. Thats a GOOD way of having grandmaster traits, they should be class and build defining. Not just boring "meh" traits some of which are MUCH worse than what other classes get...

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:Leader of the Pack got a slight buff, but it needed more love something like additional effects when using Stances.

It really doesn't, and neither would it give you that change of playstyle you want from grandmaster traits. It just needs a little buff to the duration on allies. If they do more than that we end up with stances that are only useable with the trait because they won't be able to buff the individual stances any further. Moa stance already went slightly on the OP side of things with the buffed base duration and then the buffed trait duration on top of it. Stances are a simple kind of utility. Keep the trait simple, balance the skills accordingly.

Eternal Bond however. I hate it. Scrap it.

Eternal bond could be good if they added either resistance/pet taunt/super speed and also ability to swap pet while merged. That would be "eternal bond". Now as for oppressive superiority, they should add a for x seconds after merge gain ferocity.

Leader of the Pack is debatable and not as bad as the other two, that's right. But it lacks other support synergies, imo. The other grandmasters are incredible underwhelming, neither strong nor interesting...

So far, pretty much. Leader of the Pack is better than before, but sharing stance durations at 100% with allies would make it straight up solid. The other two are bland and not really GM status.

Oppressive Superiority (as many before have pointed out) is just Light on Your Feet's dodge bonus with a different stipulation to proc it. OS could be merged into Poison Master, overwriting the pet poison on swap, to keep the PvE people happy while Eternal Bond could be merged with Second Skin as a master trait and it would be all right.

Makes room for 2 GM traits that could have an impact and are defining.

I don't think they can do 100% duration because they are trying to avoid the need to take ranger into a group, hence the nerf on GotL.

Before the balance patch dropped I created a long suggestion post in another thread detailing a potential scheme for the Soulbeast's traits, including the grandmaster traits. The essence of this scheme was to slice the trait table into four horizontal rows: powerDPS for the minors; selfish condiDPS for the top row; support for the middle row; and counterplay for the bottom row. Looking back on this post now I still feel that this horizontal structure is important, but I agree with you that the class could also do with some vertical structuring similar to what the Daredevil or Holosmith provides which interfaces directly with the core mechanic of the class. In particular, I'm interested in the idea that, through a combination of merged pet skill changes, unmerged pet changes and trait changes they could increase build and pet diversity by diversifying the considerations at play when the ranger decides to merge or unmerge with their pet.

Without going in to too much detail on a full scheme, one option would be to have the traits in grandmaster tier support the player in terms of their approach to beastmode: do they camp in the mode for most of the fight to access DPS buffs and sustained DPS pet skills; switch in and out of beastmode to use Sic 'Em and less sustain-focused pet skills; or do they keep their pet out most of the time and only enter beastmode in order to react to something? Along these lines, my initial draft would be the following:

Selfish condi sustain DPS trait: Replacement for Oppressive Superiority "Using Beast skills whilst in beastmode causes your pet to deal increased damage after you leave beastmode.". (Grants a stack of a unique buff to the ranger everytime the ranger uses an F1-F3* skill whilst merged, capped by stack count. These stacks do nothing for the ranger, but after exiting beastmode they are copied to the pet whereupon they provide to +X% damage +X% condi duration per stack for 10 seconds). This trait supports condiDPS players who want to camp Beastmode as they will build up more stacks this way; but also encourages them to eventually break out of beastmode in order to transfer the buff stacks and deal maximum sustained DPS. The stack cap and benefit per stack would need to be carefully balanced, but a 10-second buff duration makes sense to me as this is the cooldown time for entering Beastmode again.Support trait: Leader of the Pack, functioning as it does for now. This trait would interest those whose choice of pets & skills is already encouraging them to swap in and out of beastmode fairly often, who don't favour camping beastmode for condiDPS nor using it reactively for defence. These people don't want to change up the rules and so have the freedom to spend their grandmaster on something else.Counterplay trait: Improved Eternal Bond "Gain the benefit of your beastmode passives when not merged with your pet. When you or your pet would be downed, you instead enter beastmode and recover health. Cast Lesser Bear Stance when entering beastmode."[Lesser Bear Stance lasts only 2 seconds, converts only 1 condition per second]. This trait would support more survival-oriented players who don't use beastmode for DPS, but rather for reactive defences such as Defy Pain or Spiritual Reprieve. Getting the passive stat buffs at all times would mean players lose less by adopting this playstyle, and synergises well with what I think they were going for with Eternal Bond. Casting Lesser Bear form on entering beastmode synergises with both effects, gives the class better more condi counterplay and doubling down on the playstyle of Unstoppable Union.

@extremexhero.9178 said:I don't think they can do 100% duration because they are trying to avoid the need to take ranger into a group, hence the nerf on GotL.

They can. They would also make adjustments too, for better or worse.

I think there are many possibilities that would improve the grandmasters, Im not sure for which ones the devs will go but right now this kind of design makes the elites feel boring. It takes away potential possibilities players feel like they should habe, especially if this kind of design flaw only applies to a few classes. (not only grandmaster traits ;) )

Having a strong class doesn't necessarily make it interest to play,, having an easy to play class, doesn't mean it can't be interesting at the same time. Having the opportunity to change playstyles, if you get tired of any of them jeeps your character alive...

I think giving Leader ogf the Pack 100% duration increase to allies should NEVER happen. I hate the fact it already buffs allies. Along with Moa it would be SO insanely broken when it comes to group content. Boon spamming is just as cheese as condition spamming. Moa + 100% duration increase would be total unbalanced madness!

Soulbeast should be ALL about the Ranger and pet. Ranger already have Druid and other builds if they want to be support based. I'd be happy if they removed the ally aspect of it and actually mean that the stances and/or the trait got more of a buff. Eternal Bond just flat out sucks and Oppressive Superiority is just a VERY lazy damage trait, very boring, very meh.

Interesting idea about adding Beastmode Pet swap into Eternal Bond. An idea could be (though VERY much not going to happen) would be to make it so that it allows beast mode pet swap and make it so when melded your damage gets a buffed the longer that you are in it, but at the same time your defense gets reduced and when you are outside it your defense is increased the longer you are out at the cost of your damage - something a long those lines, make it so Beastmode is like 5seconds (would require certain traits given ICD)

This sort of thing (but better lol) would actually mean dancing in and out of Beastmode a little more, make it meaningful to be inside, to be outside to enter and leave it. I personally spend a LOT of time inside it due to the MUCH needed mobility increase with the added 25% movement speed as well as Beast mode mobility skills. Mobility is VERY important and when im not merged i have ZERO increased movement and its MIND NUMBING how slow it is :/