Spectral necro

[Samuel.4812]

Is there any room in the lore or role for necromancer to have an espec focused on spectral energy and ghosts? Verdarachs ghostly effects are just begging for a trait line.

Thoughts? Ideas?

[Dadnir.5038]

The whole shroud thing is a form of spectral form, life force is the equivalent of what you call spectral energy and we already have "spectral" skills. But ghosts could open a mesmerish e-spec I guess.

To stay in the classic, I guess ANet could give the necromancer an e-spec that modify the 3rd skill of each weaponset (thief/weaver) into skills that summon "ghost" and grant a shroud or scourge like F skills related to these ghosts things.

All in all, with necromancer's core profession this won't really appeal to exciting gameplay whatever they do, so...

[derd.6413]

core already has plenty of spectral ellements so it might be redundant. other then that, yeah sure

[ZDragon.3046]

I mean shroud is already a spectral form and we have core and reaper both of which are spectral forms. That said I would like to see a spec that opens up to better spectral utility i suppose but most of our current spectral utility is pretty solid too.

Ideally to some extent core is spectral basic in the current idea of necroReaper is the boosted state of that same form in my head its also a spectral form but it looks more refined and focused. Its form does not visually evaporate like core shroud and it its able to form its own weapon to attack with. To go farther than reaper would be a pretty hard job for anet to do if we are sticking with spectrals it would have to be an even more refined form than reaper. or maybe something that stops in the middle ground of core and reaper but this might not appeal to alot of people.

I think to do it again would be limited in choices i suppose you could do something more ghost like that focuses on evading attacks via becoming more spirit like and less physically but ideally this is partly how the current shrouds already work. It would be the same thing with different visual effects and sounds and maybe some new utility.

Dont get me wrong i would love more spectral stuff but im not sure anet can pull it off or would want to.

[Hesacon.8735]

I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of maybe someday adding a spectral heal.

[Lahmia.2193]

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of maybe someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

[Hesacon.8735]

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

[derd.6413]

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

didn't they change blood fiend to grant LF on death (also the reaper heal grants LF)

[Lahmia.2193]

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

I mean its in line with the other "convert damage to healing" skills, except its life force instead and the base heal is more to compensate.

[Hesacon.8735]

@derd.6413 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

didn't they change blood fiend to grant LF on death (also the reaper heal grants LF)Yes, but you could easily soak up the entire life force bar in damage. If you went into death or reaper shroud after healing, you'd basically be immortal for however many seconds the effect was in play for. This is a class with no invulns as a design choice, and the effect Lahmia described is essentially an invuln.

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

I mean its in line with the other "convert damage to healing" skills, except its life force instead and the base heal is more to compensate.I got that that was the basis for the idea, but most of those skills are designed differently and have a very low base heal.

[Lahmia.2193]

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

didn't they change blood fiend to grant LF on death (also the reaper heal grants LF)Yes, but you could easily soak up the entire life force bar in damage. If you went into death or reaper shroud after healing, you'd basically be immortal for however many seconds the effect was in play for. This is a class with no invulns as a design choice, and the effect Lahmia described is essentially an invuln.

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

I mean its in line with the other "convert damage to healing" skills, except its life force instead and the base heal is more to compensate.I got that that was the basis for the idea, but most of those skills are designed differently and have a very low base heal.

They could easily fix that aspect by adding a disable to death/reaper shroud for 3 seconds.

[Obtena.7952]

@Samuel.4812 said:Is there any room in the lore or role for necromancer to have an espec focused on spectral energy and ghosts? Verdarachs ghostly effects are just begging for a trait line.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Based on the two especs we have now, I would say no. It seems that the especs provide a new family of skills for the class; Necros already have Spectrals. The good news is that whatever spec you play, you can play a spectral Necro.

[Nerah.8235]

The spectral skills were severely undertuned until recent patches, and are only now getting a little help. In general, they appear to be geared at patching some of the major weaknesses of the profession (specifically relate to sustain and movement), but not completely, and on a temporary basis with long-ish cooldowns. Honestly, I don't think that Spectral abilities as currently conceived, are a good basis for building an espec. That said, I had them on heavy rotation on my utility bar, and really enjoyed using them, especially since they were considered trash tier.

[Lumin Arius.6952]

I wouldn't mind a specialization that enhances and builds off of the current spectral skills. You could even say from a lore perspective that Necromancers have been able to harness the effects from the Foefire or something along that vein. Just my two cents.

[Crinn.7864]

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:

@Lahmia.2193 said:

@Hesacon.8735 said:I could see another class picking up spectral skills like how chrono got wells and MAYBE getting a rune set that influences spectral skills in some way. But I don't see a big change short of

maybe

someday adding a spectral heal.

Heal yourself for ~4k and for 3 seconds convert all damage taken into life force. Please thank you Anet.

I think that specific example would be overpowered, but it also occurs to me that none of the necro heals provide life force. I think a less broken approach would be something like a signet of vampirism effect for a few seconds that gave 100-200 life force per time hit.

I think we'd be more likely to expect something like Frost Aura as a spectral-armor lite.

didn't they change blood fiend to grant LF on death (also the reaper heal grants LF)Yes, but you could easily soak up the entire life force bar in damage. If you went into death or reaper shroud after healing, you'd basically be immortal for however many seconds the effect was in play for. This is a class with no invulns as a design choice, and the effect Lahmia described is essentially an invuln.

No it wouldn't be a invuln at all. Lahmia's suggestion only negates damage, a invuln negates all incoming effects. A necro using such a skill could easily be stunlocked, condi-bombed, etc.

And really the whole "necro can't have blocks, evades, or invulns" is freaking stupid in this day and age. The damage output in the current meta is soo high in sPvP, that it's entirely common for a necro to be 100->0'ed within the 10s shroud cooldown. Shroud's non-scalar defense only works if the devs bother to keep it adjusted to current damage levels. Since the devs haven't bothered to adjust shroud size since 2012, well...