I want a block node in the Spellblade tree on the mastered side of the tree. Something like a mini Moenia Mentis. As an example, it could be 5 points and as follows.
+5 Mana [+5 per point]
+Block Effectiveness —> 20% to your Ward Retention [+20% per point]
1% of Current Mana gained as Ward on Block [+1% per point]
(Ward is gained after damage is taken from the hit)
+5% Block Chance [doesn’t change with more points]
Hello to the community!
I’d like to propose big changes for Spellblade, because while I love the idea of a melee caster, I don’t quite like how Spellblade has been structured. You see, while I like the idea of having a mage that can use melee elemental attacks, I also want to use spells and spellblade in its current state has awful support for spells.
The changes I want to propose aim towards turning Spellblade into a mastery that benefits from using both attacks and spells while still allowing you to focus on attacks or spells entirely.
I know that the changes I am going to propose need testing and some amount of dedication to evaluate or implement from the devs, but I tried to keep it as simple as I could by simply adding new elements to already existing passive nodes and only making a few changes and adding new passive nodes in the direction that aims towards my goal.
My propositions not only affect the passive nodes of Spellblade, but also his main passive ability as I feel that his current passive ability doesn’t serve the purpose of the changes I’m going to propose. Along with these changes, I also want to present 2 new skill ideas for Spellblade.
Passive Ability Change:
Gain 20 Ward on hit with melee attacks (1 second cooldown).
X% (60-80) of mana spent gained as Ward.
Passive Nodes Changes:
Infused Weapon:
Renamed to “Elemental Boon” or sth like that to suit the changes:
Changed to also give +2 Fire/Cold/Lightning Damage to Fire/Cold/Lightning Spells per point respectively.
Flame Walker:
Changed to: “Each second while you are moving or using a melee attack or spell you have a chance to cast Fire Aura”. Values unchanged.
Frozen Steel:
Changed to also grant +1 Spell Cold damage per point.
Elemental Strikes:
The chance to ignite/chill/shock changed to also apply to spells.
Fire Blood:
Changed to also grant +1 Spell Fire damage per point.
Essence Duel:
Renamed to “Arcane Power” (or sth). Changed to grant increased cast speed and ward gained on hit with Spells and also give a chance to gain Ward each second while channeling. Values undetermined.
Storm Blade:
Changed to also grant +1 Spell Lightning damage per point and chance to apply Spark charge on hit also changed to apply to Spells.
New Node: Essence Rush
You have additional spell damage if you‘ve used a melee attack recently. Value undetermined.
New Node: Arcane Momentum (Connection with Essence Rush)
Using a melee attack grants a stack of Energy Flow (maximum 4 stacks). Using a spell grants a stack of Adrenaline (maximum 4 stacks). Each stack of Energy Flow grants increased cast speed and each stack of Adrenaline grants increased attack speed. Stacks fall off after 4 seconds. Should probably be a 3-max-points node with 1% attack/cast speed per stack per point.
New Node: Elemental Might (Connection with Arcane Momentum)
Each stack of Energy Flow and Adrenaline also grants increased Elemental Damage and Ward generated per second. Values undetermined.
New Node: Arcane Adept
+X% Spell damage
+X Mana
+X% Mana regen
Inferno:
Changed to have connection to both Mana Reaver and Arcane Adept.
Changed to also grant an equal chance to cast Fire Aura when you use a spell.
Blades of Fires:
Changed to grant generic Elemental damage per Fire Aura (rather than only melee).
Burden of Knowledge:
Buffed or entirely removed. (The buff should probably be with less cast speed penalty).
Molten Edge:
Ignite chance and ignite effect changed to also apply to spells.
Awe Strike:
Changed to also grant +1 Spell Lightning Damage and increased shock effect changed to also apply to spells.
New Skills:
Arcane Barrier (Spell)
Create a Shield which generates Ward per second and causes Mana to shield health from damage for a short time.
Possible Specialization nodes:
Lightning Tendrils (Spell)
Channel to release Bursts of Lightning at nearby enemies in a cone in front of you.
Possible Specialization nodes:
As a conclusion, I want to state that the changes I propose are by no means what I want to see exactly on Spellblade, but rather a guideline to the changes I want to see so that spells are equally good on Spellblade as attacks.
Thanks for taking the time to read this long post (especially to the devs) and my hopes lie on devs taking the changes I propose seriously.
Hey there… Interesting suggestions… Thought I would comment as there are quite a few discussions specifically around Spellblade from Nov last year that raised quite a few concerns about the class… While they focus more on the limitations of the Spellblade you may find them interesting to read.
Imho, Spellblade needs some serious thought and possibly more than a just a little tweaking… When I first started playing LE over a year and a half ago now, I played Spellblade and it was effectively a mage god that could facetank things better than a sentinel and do more damage than virtually anything else in the game at the time. Then it got some nerfs and now it hits a ceiling in empowered corruption very quickly compared to other builds (especially dps) and is no longer any fun. imho at least.
I am not entirely in agreement with you that a Spellblade should be able to use spells equally as good as melee attacks - to me thats muddying the water in terms of the class concept/design vs a Sorceror… However, I do agree that a Spellblade is a Mage and it should not exclude spell use as much as it tends to do right now… Some of the discrepancies you touch on in your suggestions… Imho, in keeping with the concept of a sword wielding mage (another possible area of concern/frustration), rather than direct spell damage, I would prefer to see the spellblade be boosted rather by spell enchancing things like ailments rather … Some of your suggestions hit this - but boost spell damage… I would perfer things like boosting the mage mirages from Teleport like shadows in Rogue or the Teleport node having a spellblade enhancement that gave your mage Dancing Strike like attacks… or even just simple things like massively improving elemental ailments to the levels of poison and bleed…
Anyway… I hope that the devs have a Spellblade rework on their list… I really did enjoy playing it… now, its like its using a rusty blade…
Thank you for giving your thoughts about my proposal! I’m not as deep into the game as to discuss empowered monos and stuff like that but I do have a basic grasp of the game and it’s good to see that there are other people who agree that Spellblade needs a serious rework. I don’t really mind about the form of the rework, I just want to use spells with my spellblade, because… hello, Spell-blade!! I even don’t mind if spells are weaker, I just want to see them being viable!! This is what my suggestion is about!
Hi all, a few more ideas I had for Spellblade new nodes:
As a melee mage mastery, I 'd like to see something related to shield-weilding on it. Something like this:
Another aspect of melee mage that I believe has been neglected or overlooked is the dodge aspect. All melee elemental attacks scale with both Dexterity and Intelligence and as a matter of fact, there is actually a node on the Spellblade tree that boosts Dexterity. I 'd like to see more nodes related to Dexterity and dodge. A few ideas from me:
Hope the devs implement something like this.
i think just adding some nodes like this in more places, (skill trees / passive tree/uniques) would go along way for the fantasy of a melee-spell weaver.
Bumping this thread as we need Runemaster implemented.
Which is happening in 1.0 regardless of how much bumping of the thread happens.
I think some sort of Ward → Mana passive interaction could be neat on Mage as an alternative to Focus. I really hate Focus and its one of the reasons I rarely play Sorcerer. Having multiple options would really open up the class.
Passive Suggestion:
(7/7) Energetic Shield - If possible, 10% of mana cost instead taken from ward at 5 ward for every 1 mana. (5 point bonus) Gain 50 ward every third skill usage
This would still require a method of generating ward in order to fuel mana.
Alternatively you could make a Runemaster toggle skill that has something to this effect on its skill tree. This would give mages an alternative mana management technique.
I think that there needs to be more synergy with having a large mana pool. I think building a sorc that stacks mana should work as a less damage but tankier version of the sorc. I feel right now sorc stacking mana simply doesn’t do enough nearly enough damage compared to a crit sorc. A generic node on the passive tree that generically increases spell damage based on the mana cost of the spell would be a good start.
It’s the passive of the mastery
Mage has a fire+cold and fire+lightning passive node. ive it a cold+lightning node as well
I have a strong feeling runemaster is going to have the tanky nodes. When you think mage defense, runes/wards come to mind pretty easily.
Baseless assumption but I’m assuming the first half of the runemaster tree will provide some much needed class appropriate survivability for mage builds.
suggestion for the changes to prepared wards. instead of putting frostwall on cooldown for 12 seconds could it possiably be worded to effect may only occur once every 12 seconds. putting frostwall on cooldown seems a bit excessive. i understand putting it flame ward on cooldown but also making frostwall have a cooldown makes it a 50-65% uptime skill depending it you take marching winter as it is the only node that gives duration to frost wall. it would feel alot better to still use the skill and not get the HUGE defensive layer that it had given pre-1.0. i dont disagree with the prepared wards node as a whole. just the fact that it puts both frostwall on a 12 second cd as well as flame ward.
or it could be worded similar to astonish node in flame ward (if flame ward is off cooldown and you have positive mana)
Would love to give desintegrate some more love.
Special unique/affix that enables it to Crit would be nice.
Also seems like class would overall benefit from some more ways to gain mana
Weakened Glacier Node that allows you to surf(skate) forward on top of the ice. Fills out the bottom nodes into a kite pattern as well.
Spellblade passive (Defensive). “Incinerating March”. 4 points. When Flame Reave hits a target, player has a 12.5% chance per point to destroy all incoming projectiles, including non-dot DD spell damage (passive). Player also becomes immune to stun effects and movement speed is increased by 10% for 4 seconds (on activation, 8 second cooldown).
Extension path: “Fight in the Shade”. 2 points. Whenever Flame Reave destroys a projectile, player gains 10 ward.
Familiars to summon/conjure would be super cool to see. I’d really love for Enchant Weapon to proc Flame Reave in place of Elemental Nova, or perhaps an option of nodes for Enchant Weapon that can either auto cast an equipped melee skill, or adds some other kind of visual on hit bonus to equipped melee skills while active. Also, can we pretty please get added projectiles for Fireballs cast by Flame Reave?