Death Magic ideas

What would you all think of modifying traits in Death Magic to add a bit of functionality in PvE and compensation for taking DM in PvP?

1. Add 2 sec block (60 degree cone) to fear skills (locks player position until it expires). This is for PvE tanking.
2. Add 1.5 sec AoE retaliation on exiting shroud. This is for PvP and as a group support trait.

When used in conjunction with SR and/or BM, this could be enough to make DM worth taking in some compositions.

Perhaps add (1) to Unholy Sanctuary or Corruptor's Fervor and (2) to Deadly Strength.

Replace Soul Comprehension by Insert Name : When struck below 75% health, summon a locust swarm. 45 second ICD. (Similar in all functions to te warhorn's #5, and affected by Banshee's Wail).Replace Deadly Strength by Life's Force : Gain Vitality based on Power(8%) and Condition Damage(12%), and gain Power and Condition damage based on Toughness(8% & 12% respectively).Replace Armoured Shroud by an upgraded version of Putrid Defense : In addition to previous effect, Putrid Defense cause the necromancer to release a poison pulse once every 5 seconds (Combat only). Poison applied by this pulse lasts 3 seconds.Replace Putrid Defense by Fearsome Apparition : Upon entering shroud, inflict fear on nearby foes (0.75 seconds, more to function as an interrupt than a solid CC skill).As for Necromantic Corruption, replace it by Master's Might : Any boons the necromancer grants itself are applied to minions as well for the same duration.

I'm all out of ideas...

@killfil.3472 said:Replace Soul Comprehension by Insert Name : When struck below 75% health, summon a locust swarm. 45 second ICD. (Similar in all functions to te warhorn's #5, and affected by Banshee's Wail).

Coruptors fervor, remain the same but add: when wielding a great sword gain 33% chance to block incoming attacks 1 sec ICD.

Firstly you must decide what you want to do with it. The key reason Death Magic sucks is that every other line has at least two major specializations at which they are very effective:

a) spite - power damage + healing (especially with reaper's blighter's boon)b) curses - everything condi (damage, removal, boon corruption, healing off condies) + crtical strike chancec) blood magic - healing, ressing, party utility, mobilityd) soul reaping - all rounder with focus on life force generation and shroud boosts. Crit builds boosts, condi boosts (dhuumfire + fear of death), defense boosts (foot in the grave, extra life force + incoming healing).

All of those are their major strengths, either by having multiple traits for a given aspect, or one, but powerful, build defining (like parasitic contagion). Death Magic on the other hand only majors in one thing - passive damage mitigation, especially in shroud. Anything else it tries to do is too weak to be of real consequence. Talking of condi damage from death nova, healing from unholy sanctuary or power boost from deadly strength. All far too weak to give Death Magic a second role.

So to "fix" Death Magic we first need to ask:what should it major in, asides damage reduction?

So to "fix" Death Magic we first need to ask:what should it major in, asides damage reduction?

I think we all agree it is the tank spec so mitigate all incoming damage and increase out going damage. This is done with minions or shroud

One of the main problems.with death magic is that 1/3 of its traits are all for one single type of utilities. One aspects need to be made baseline , namely the damage and health , then the remaining be consolidated into 1 trait.

Soul comprehension also need to be changed into something else since it is a weaker version of gluttony as it works only on deaths.

Having 1/3 of the traits for one utility just seems bad. They got rid of it with staff.

I do feel they are repeating to make more changes to the time though.

@"ZeftheWicked.3076" said:Firstly you must decide what you want to do with it. The key reason Death Magic sucks is that every other line has at least two major specializations at which they are very effective:

a) spite - power damage + healing (especially with reaper's blighter's boon)b) curses - everything condi (damage, removal, boon corruption, healing off condies) + crtical strike chancec) blood magic - healing, ressing, party utility, mobilityd) soul reaping - all rounder with focus on life force generation and shroud boosts. Crit builds boosts, condi boosts (dhuumfire + fear of death), defense boosts (foot in the grave, extra life force + incoming healing).

All of those are their major strengths, either by having multiple traits for a given aspect, or one, but powerful, build defining (like parasitic contagion). Death Magic on the other hand only majors in one thing - passive damage mitigation, especially in shroud. Anything else it tries to do is too weak to be of real consequence. Talking of condi damage from death nova, healing from unholy sanctuary or power boost from deadly strength. All far too weak to give Death Magic a second role.

So to "fix" Death Magic we first need to ask:what should it major in, asides damage reduction?

Personally I think DM is decent with the new Dark Defiance trait if we build around it.We could have very high protection uptime similar to a boonbeast or weaver.The line could still use some buffs though.Like shrouded removal removing 1 condi every second (instead of every 3 seconds), or 2 condis every 3 seconds.Or increase the healing amount in shroud for unholy sanctuary.

Ty bro! (that Dark Defiance functionality was actually my idea posted on forums some months ago, har har!).And as i said - in it's own specialized role - passive damage mitigation, Death Magic is indeed good.

Problem is other lines have their own sustain tools that also work, while providing meaningful benefits in other areas of gameplay which Death Magic doesn't.For example, Blood magic, which is the reverse twin brother of Death Magic (tons of healing, some damage mitigation), also has strong party play options and mobility traits. Both of these very viable and impactful.

Shrouded removal - yeah it needs a boost. Also agreed about unholy sanctuary. Atm this skill is a joke- traited signet of vampirism is 3x more poweful with it's passive and it works all the time, not just in shroud.