Necromancer and Reaper buff/rework/fix

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

Hi people, since Anet has posted the new upcoming balance split I would like to make a thread to actually contribute with QoL and buffs to necromancer underperforming skill and traits, here I'm going to suggest things that should not be splitted among PVP and WvW but should be all across game modes (some of them are only for PvP and WvW). My intentions are not to make necromancer overpowered but to improve his tools to make it more efficient and amplify it's build capabilities (I'll include things that Anet suggested as split buffs but that in my opinion should be across all game modes). Feel free to comment and add more suggestions or rework.

 

**NECROMANCER**

 

Core necromancer is really in need of help since we can't even have competitive build without elite specialization and that's wrong.

The Death Shroud feels now more clanky than ever, so here's some easy suggestions to improve it.

 

**Life Blast**: reduce cast times to 3/4s and increase the velocity of the projectile. Reason: it's too unreliable to be used as actually auto attack especially in pvp and www scenarios.

 

**Dark Path**: Reduce cast times to 0.5s and increase the velocity of projectile to make it almost instant or change the skill into a shadowstep, because it's clear now more than ever that people can simply get out of range by walking. As teleport is so unrealiable it's frustrating.

 

**Life Transfer**: Either buff life force gain to at least 5% and a slight dmg increase or reduce cast time and cooldown both by at least 30% plus 2 stack of stability for 4s to cover cast time(this in both the cases). Reason: right now unless you benifit from a lot of targets the life force gain from this skill on single target barely cover the normal decay of shroud and if you consider that 3.5s it's one of the longest cast times in games that can be easily interrupted and coupled with low dmg...you get the point

 

**HEALING, UTILITY AND ELITE SKILLS**

 

_**Wells:** _

 

"**Well of Blood**: Increased the base heal from 5240 to 6026 (+15%) in PvP and WvW. Increased the heal per pulse from 280 to 490 (+75%) in PvP and WvW"

This change should be also for pve, making a support necromancer more capable to heal allies.

 

"**Well of Suffering**: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. Increased the amount of Vulnerability applied per pulse from 2 stacks to 4 stacks in PvP only."

This change should be also for pve since it would allow more power damage to non condi build via an utility

 

**Well of Darkness**: This utility is almost never used since the outside of blind it's useless. The internal cooldown to the Curses' trait Chilling Darkness doesn't even make it a decent chill source. Here is my suggestion: Make this another projectile block/destroy field, this would rewamp this utility for all the power build that can't benefit from Corrosive Poison Cloud and would like to use wells traited with Vampiric Rituals from Blood Magic. I think this change would really make Well of Darkness competitive with Corrosive Poison Cloud since it would be 28s Cd vs 35s cd (traited 20s vs 28s) and 8s of duration for the corruption skill while 5s for the well(considering the well is unblockable and can give protection traited)

 

_**Spectral Skills:**_

 

**Spectral Walk**: Increase Life force gain when gaining damage from 2.5% to 3.5% and reduce cooldown to 45s. This would make this skill a competitive break stun and life force generator instead of spectral armor.

 

"**Spectral Grasp**: Reduced the cooldown from 50 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP and WvW"

This change should be all across game modes because since the increased cooldown this skill has become useless.

 

This Lich Form rework is pure fantasy but I really like the idea

**Lich Form**: Despite the fact that this transformation isn't that bad, trasformations limit the player ability to combo skill since you're tied to transformation skill and can't use anything else. In my opinion a good rework would be to make lich form skills available in shroud for the duration, so that lich form becomes a boost to shroud that expand the kit of skills rather than limiting it. It would suggest to replace this Lich form skill on the 1 to 5 weapon skills via a kit mechanic, if elite kit is active then skill are replaced for the duration of this transformation otherwise you would still have normal skills. You should be able to toggle this on and off at your liking for the duration of the elite. The duration should be reduced(nerf) and the cooldown should be reduced(slight buff). This change could really completely rebuild necro playstyle with this skill, giving a boost to core shroud and a temporarely range option to Reaper shroud. I don't know how to handle this rework with Sand Shroud from Scourge.

 

_**Sigils:**_

 

"**Signet of Vampirism**: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the base heal from 3960 to 4950 (+25%) in PvP and WvW"

If Anet decide to go for this then it's fair to spread it all across game modes, since would only make this sigil more worth taking. I would still make this sigil passive a passive heal like warrior Healing Signet instead of having it tied to an enemy that struck you. The reason behind this is that this passive component is useless against foe that range you, making the sigil only work for the active part.

 

"**Signet of the Locust**: Increased the power coefficient from 0.65 to 1.0 (+54%) in PvP and WvW. Increased the base heal per hit from 970 to 1455 (+50%) in PvP and WvW"

Great change in my opinion should be for pve too.

 

"**Signet of Undeath**: Reduced the cooldown from 150 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP and WvW"

Great change in my opinion should be for pve too.

 

_**Minion:**_

 

**Summons Blood Fiend**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s

 

**Summon Bone Minions**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s

 

**Summon Bone Fiend**: Reduce cast time 0.5s. Rigor Mortis: This skill is on 50s cooldown which is ridicolous for a bit of dmg and immobilize. Should at least be reduced to 30s

 

**Summon Flesh Wurm**: Make this skill instant, so that with a double activation of it, it becomes a more realiable teleport. No class in game has a teleport with a cast time of 1.5s

 

**Summon Shadow Fiend**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s

 

**Summon Flesh Golem**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s. Charge: Fix the tracking issue, the skill can so easily miss targets that are in front of the golem to the point that's ridicolous. Also please look into the path done by the golem since it can easily get stuck in terrain bumps (like stairs etc...)

 

TRAIT LINES REWORK

 

_**Curses**_

 

**Chilling Darkness**: This trait right now has a cooldown that make it really synergize badly with skills like Nightfall from reaper greatsword and Well of Darkness. This skill only get 2 ticks of chill despite the fact that last quite a bit. My suggestion is reduce cooldown to 2 sec so that this trait synergize better with Nightfall but to compensate and not make chill to oppressive reduce its duration to 1s.

 

**Terror**: Make this trait do the max fear damage indipendentely from the fact that enemy has another condition or another kind and more usefull rework the fear damage is increased by a certain % based on the number of conditions on the enemy.

 

**Parasitic Contagion**: It's a pretty underwhelming trait to be at the spot of grandmaster. An awesome rework that would grant more support capabilities via the necromancer damage would be to share this heal with allies. So we would have "A percentage of your condition damage heals you and your allies"

 

_**Soul Reaping**_

 

**Speed of Shadows**: Add the 25% bonus speed in shroud that was there in old trait. It's crucial this speed boost to keep reaper more in melee range with enemies.

 

**Vital Persistence**: 180 vitality is equal to 1800 hp and 1400 life force pool. Let's be honest this thing is pretty useless. I would like to have back the cooldown reduce on shroud. So that with reaper and core necromancer we get shroud cooldown to 7s. Edit: I meant to get the cooldown reduction on shroud and on shroud skills but removing that 180 vit

 

**Fear of death**: Merge this trait with Reaper's Protection from death magic trait line. The single fear duration boost is not competitive with the other option in this trait line. An since Death Magic desperately need

 

**Foot in the grave**: Add another stack of stability or increase the duration of the single stack of stability. The reason behind this change would be to give core necromancer a bit more stability to defend from CC.

 

_**Spite**_

 

**Dread**: Since it's almost pretty impossible to attack someone that has fear because everyone insta break stun when they've on it. My suggestion is give necro via this trait something like Peak Performance of Strenght trait line from warrior. It would be pretty to cool to have that damage boost after fear for like 5s. This trait would benefit a lot power build both core necromancer and reaper.

 

_**Blood Magic**_

 

**Quickening Thrist**: Reduce the dagger recharge skill by a flat 20% and not 33% only if above 75% of health, keep the movement speed bonus. Add a 10% percent shared heal with allies from dagger 2 skill, so that we can actually have a weapon skill can heal our allies.

 

**Vampiric Presence**: Make the internal cooldown not global but for each target affected and reduce it to 1/4s. This change is important to make vampiric aura more usefull as a passive healing tool.

 

**Unholy Martyr**: Increase the number of conditions consumed to 5, so we can full cleanse the conditions that we draw from allies, but reduce the life force gain for condition to 4.25 %. So this trait has still the same life force gain but it's better because more competitive with Vampiric Rituals and Transfusions that are the most used.

 

_**Death Magic**_

 

This trailine is pretty much never used outside minion builds which aren't that popular or great anyway. The point of this rework is to actually make this trailine competitive among all the others.

 

**Putrid Defence**: when compared to flesh of the master or Shrouded Removal this trait fall behind. Infact I think this trait could benifit from a buff. The 10% damage reduction should also be on condition damage.

 

**Reaper Protection**: Since with the changes I proposed before to merge this trait with Fear of Death, there would be a empty trait slot. I would make this trait increase protection duration by 20% on skill that apply protection and each time protection is self applied gain 1s of resistance. This would make this trait synergize really well with Vampiric Rituals in blood magic line.

 

**Unholy Sanctuary**: even with a lot healing power this skill feels a bit lacking, maybe adjust the healing power coefficient to make it heal a bit more.

 

**STAFF**

The necromancer staff in my opinion could see a really interesting rework by adding an ammo mechanic to Mark of Blood (with a maximum count of 3) and to Chillblains ( with max count of 2). Full cooldown should be increased since the ammo mechanic makes this skill more reliable and effective.

 

**REAPER**

 

**Chilling Nova**: Since this trait has received in past a nerf in damage and in chill duration, a cooldown reduction seems pretty fair to me. Maybe reduce from 8s to 5s.

 

**Augury of Death**: The scaling of healing power with the Life Siphoning Healing is really bad. Should be increased a lot.

 

**Chilling Victory**: Revert the nerf in pvp. Keep the 1s cooldown, because with the nerf to degeneration at least this can give a bit more shroud uptime sustain.

 

**Soul Eater**: Increase healing power scaling to make the passive healing heals a bit more and increase life force gain from 0.5% to 1%. This change is to make it more competitive with Chilling Victory and Decimate Defence and to give greatsword a bit more of sustain, since you've to pretty much stay always in close range melee.

 

**HEALING, UTILITY AND ELITE SKILLS**

**"Your Souls is Mine!"**: It is a good healing skills, but when single target the amount of life force is not that great. So to keep the total amount of life force gain fixed(20%), while increasing the single target one, I would grant this skill a 10% of life force and only 2% of life force on hit.

 

**"Rise!"**: Since the cooldown increase this shout it's not that good as a frequent damage mitigation tool. So I would suggest to revert the cooldown to 40s but nerfing the duration, this shout could be used more frequently but last less.(this change would be pvp only)

 

**"Nothing Can Save You!"**: Make this shout instant cast or at least reduce it 1/4s cast time, it would really be beneficial for combos like: shout + gravedigger or grasping darkness.

 

**REAPER SHROUD**

 

**Death's Charge**: Fix tracking issues and getting stuck in terrain bumps at half of the travel distance. Reduce the cast time to 3/4s. This changes would make this a more reliable leap for reaper.

 

**Executioner's Scythe**: The damage on target at 50% health of Above is too low for the cast time. The split in tier above 50%(tier 1), below 50%(tier 2) and below 25%(tier 3) is unnecessary. Make this skill do damage of tier 2 at 50% health or above and damage of tier 3 on targets below 50%. The max damage is still the same, but this change make this skill more usefull on targets with more health, which considered its cast time makes it more reliable.

 

**GREATSWORD**

 

These change are necessary to make greatsword a faster weapon to use, because since it's realize it has always felt clanky and too slow, especially in pvp and wvw.

 

**Dusk Strike**: Reduce the cast time to 1/2s like all other greatsword first auto attack in game.

 

**Chilling Scythe**: Reduce the cast time to 3/4s. It's necessary since this skill is so easy to interrupt. Reduce after cast to make the auto chain less clanky.

 

**Death Spiral**: Reduce cast time to 3/4s.

 

Many might disagree on this but I would trade a bit of damage for a faster cast time of gravedigger only in pvp and wvw. **Gravedigger**: Reduce cast time 3/4s and shave off a bit of damage.

 

**Grasping Darkness**: Still feels pretty unreliable on moving targets, sometimes an enemy can just walk out of it the claws will pass right next to him without pulling the enemy to you. Please look at weird terrain interaction with this skill, especially on stairs or not flat surfaces. The claws shouldnt be a projectile.

 

Edit: made the wall of text more readable

[DeceiverX.8361]

Generally your suggestions are fine, but there are a few that might be a bit excessive.

 

- Life blast is pretty damned strong to go to a 3/4s cast. I understand that it doesn't have amazing synergy with spite/might ramp, but I see that more of a reaper thing. Projectile weakness is a problem with projectiles as a whole right now, but this skill pretty frequently hits into the 8-10k area on power builds, which is very strong considering it can come from 1200 range from a fairly durable profession.

- Well of darkness being a projectile denial skill seems a little excessive for sPvP and WvW as it really cuts down on the weaknesses of necro for an extended period of time and makes guardians a lot more optimized by not needing to run Wall of Reflection. Faster blind pulses or just simply a lower cooldown to 20s or so would probably do the trick. Dark fields are already pretty strong on the reaper due to them making leeching bolts finishers, so there ends up a ton of synergy overall with just the lowered cooldown when used in melee.

- With the changes to Vampiric Presence causing its damage to be elevated dramatically each hit, I think the 1/4 icd is too low as lifesteal effects in the game ignore armor and some invuln abilities like endure pain and signet of stone. 1s from ANet does seem quite high, so I'd compromise on 1/2 to give some channels extra oomph but not be dealing several thousand damage.

- I think GSAA1/2 are in a pretty good spot overall. The coefficients on necro GS are very high to take them down to what other professions have, and honestly, I think the first two at 3/4s are fast enough to work; I'd much prefer the highest coefficient than the higher speed. There may be a case for a change-off for GSAA3, however; it is quite slow.

 

Otherwise, these are pretty level-headed suggestions that wouldn't break much. If anything, I think they could possibly go a little further in some areas.

- You should probably just merge the 7s shroud cooldown back into Speed of Shadows, or make both baseline for core/reaper and suggest a completely new trait for SoS.

The swiftness definitely sucks.

- VP's vitality increase should be bumped up further from 180. It is pitifully bad.

- Onslaught needs its reset-on-kill back. It made this trait way better than it is now overall; if shroud skills are on too high of cooldowns for PvE encounters, just reduce them for PvE and revert the changes. Onslaught's reset potential made the reaper fantastic in group PvP settings and open-world, which is where the spec was supposed to flourish, anyways.

- Infusing Terror should have its cooldown reduced when active via Onslaught.

- Shroud degen in Reaper Shroud should be made 3%. 5% is just too much.

 

[Nimon.7840]

The signet changes are all pretty useless.

 

Vampiric:

The passive heal should have been buffed, not the active one.

 

Locust:

Nobody plays it especially not for dmg or healing, only in open world pve for movement speed where we now got mounts.

 

Undeath:

Useless change. Nobody plays this as well. The casttime is just way too long for a 180range rez.

I mean. What is this supposed to do? Pull allies via transfusion to rez them with this signet? Well, just press f and they are way faster and safer alive than with this signet.

[Sigmoid.7082]

>Parasitic Contagion: It's a pretty underwhelming trait to be at the spot of grandmaster.

 

It's one if the most powerful sustain traits in the game for pve. It's not underwhelming at all. There are time where it will flat out make your immortal.

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

> @"Nimon.7840" said:

> The signet changes are all pretty useless.

>

> Vampiric:

> The passive heal should have been buffed, not the active one.

>

> Locust:

> Nobody plays it especially not for dmg or healing, only in open world pve for movement speed where we now got mounts.

>

> Undeath:

> Useless change. Nobody plays this as well. The casttime is just way too long for a 180range rez.

> I mean. What is this supposed to do? Pull allies via transfusion to rez them with this signet? Well, just press f and they are way faster and safer alive than with this signet.

 

I agree with what you said, the change to signet should have been a bit more powerful. Vampiric passive heal should have been buffed also with the active one.

Locust: yeah pretty much taken only for movspeed, I really would like to see it heal more and not only the necromancer but allies too.

Undeath: the radius should be increased to 360 and cast time reduce to max 1.5s

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

> @"Sigmoid.7082" said:

> >Parasitic Contagion: It's a pretty underwhelming trait to be at the spot of grandmaster.

>

> It's one if the most powerful sustain traits in the game for pve. It's not underwhelming at all. There are time where it will flat out make your immortal.

 

To be honest I find it pretty bad in pvp the heal is not there even with high damaging condi spike. Maybe on WvW is better.

 

Edit: Didn't see you said pve. Still my points remain in pvp is underwhelming

[Nimon.7840]

> @"NecroSummonsMors.7816" said:

> > @"Nimon.7840" said:

> > The signet changes are all pretty useless.

> >

> > Vampiric:

> > The passive heal should have been buffed, not the active one.

> >

> > Locust:

> > Nobody plays it especially not for dmg or healing, only in open world pve for movement speed where we now got mounts.

> >

> > Undeath:

> > Useless change. Nobody plays this as well. The casttime is just way too long for a 180range rez.

> > I mean. What is this supposed to do? Pull allies via transfusion to rez them with this signet? Well, just press f and they are way faster and safer alive than with this signet.

>

> I agree with what you said, the change to signet should have been a bit more powerful. Vampiric passive heal should have been buffed also with the active one.

> Locust: yeah pretty much taken only for movspeed, I really would like to see it heal more and not only the necromancer but allies too.

> Undeath: the radius should be increased to 360 and cast time reduce to max 1.5s

 

I think that would be too much. Even though comparing it with battle standard from warrior: 600 radius + 2sec casttime.

But we are speaking about necromancer here. It needs to be a underperforming class.

 

Anet logic and logic of non necro players

[Nimon.7840]

> @"NecroSummonsMors.7816" said:

> > @"Sigmoid.7082" said:

> > >Parasitic Contagion: It's a pretty underwhelming trait to be at the spot of grandmaster.

> >

> > It's one if the most powerful sustain traits in the game for pve. It's not underwhelming at all. There are time where it will flat out make your immortal.

>

> To be honest I find it pretty bad in pvp the heal is not there even with high damaging condi spike. Maybe on WvW is better, can you elaborate a bit more and clarify why you think is that strong to claim to make you immortal?

 

He said pve.

Well. Noone plays it outside of open world pve.

In wvw its pretty good, cause you will most likely always hit 5 people with your conditions.

 

But for raids its never taken, cause it does no dmg.

So yes it makes you tanky in open world. But you can play almost everything in open world. And i think its a really bad idea, to balance necro around open world and all other classes get a competetive balance

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Few of mine:

 

**Spite** - spiteful removal - reduce icd to 3s, make it activate off healing skill's heal and not activation (so blood fiend and signet of vampirism passive trigger it too) Adjust healing values to new functionality and cooldown.

 

**Well of Darkness** - i would add a stunbreak and stab on it. Taking a page from well of power since both are 0 damage pure utility wells, except here stab would be longer (as not to just to cover the cast). Get yourself outta cc chain with stunbreak, get a stab for good mesure and few seconds of greater safety with pulsing blindness.

 

**Foot in the Grave** - defo prefer one more stack over longer duration.

 

**Summon Flesh Golem** - make charge stunbreak the necro as well.

 

**Dark Path** (a.k.a. worst necro skill) - yes!! HUGE cast time and projectile velocity upgrades are needed. Current version is beyond pathetic! Abysmal cast time, abysmal velocity, too often terrain issues because by the time it was casted enemy already LoS'd it.

 

**Unholy Sanctuary** - i would change it to create a zone that reduces damage of incoming projectiles by a large margin. That would fit the word "sanctuary" much better. Additionally, reduce the duration of condies applied to allies inside of that field as well.

[vicious.5683]

I don't understand why people spend so many time on those fixes, when it's widely known that Anet devs, doesn't give a shit about forum ideas. And IF they do, it takes at least 3 to 4 years, I mean, they are fixing things they should have fixed in 2014.

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"vicious.5683" said:

> I don't understand why people spend so many time on those fixes, when it's widely known that Anet devs, doesn't give a kitten about forum ideas. And IF they do, it takes at least 3 to 4 years, I mean, they are fixing things they should have fixed in 2014.

 

This is not totally right, some of the e-spec are really close to what players suggested and the breakbar system was suggested by a player for example. As for the necromancer, tons of idea that were suggested on it's forum ended up fleshing out the revenant and lately, we even had the widely asked "signet's passive available while in shroud" granted (at last).

 

Anet can pick some idea in the sea of suggestion. Well it show that their customers are interested in their game and it allow them to have acces to a lot of new idea that they might not have considered. It's comon thing to ask your customers for suggestion and when it's done spontaneously it's even better.

[ZDragon.3046]

 

 

> @"NecroSummonsMors.7816" said:

> Hi people, since Anet has posted the new upcoming balance split I would like to make a thread to actually contribute with QoL and buffs to necromancer underperforming skill and traits, here I'm going to suggest things that should not be splitted among PVP and WvW but should be all across game modes (some of them are only for PvP and WvW). My intentions are not to make necromancer overpowered but to improve his tools to make it more efficient and amplify it's build capabilities (I'll include things that Anet suggested as split buffs but that in my opinion should be across all game modes). Feel free to comment and add more suggestions or rework.

>

> **NECROMANCER**

>

> Core necromancer is really in need of help since we can't even have competitive build without elite specialization and that's wrong.

> The Death Shroud feels now more clanky than ever, so here's some easy suggestions to improve it.

>

> **Life Blast**: reduce cast times to 3/4s and increase the velocity of the projectile. Reason: it's too unreliable to be used as actually auto attack especially in pvp and www scenarios.

Im sorry but whut.... life blast is one of the most reliable projectiles in the game. It almost always hits unless you time you dodge perfectly. Ive had this thing cut 180 degree turns and still hit a target or hit a target after blinking. The projectile tracking and velocity is perfectly fine. The damage could be higher and the cast time could be shorter that much ill agree on.

 

> **Dark Path**: Reduce cast times to 0.5s and increase the velocity of projectile to make it almost instant or change the skill into a shadowstep, because it's clear now more than ever that people can simply get out of range by walking. As teleport is so unrealiable it's frustrating.

Once again the track on this skill is actually one of the best tracking skills in the game. Not to mention its unblockable. Yes its a bit slow but I would say I tend to land it 80% of the time most people dont look to dodge it or simply cant dodge it because they are blocking or under fear. If you just use it out in the open yes its not going to hit.

A shadow step would be nice but with core shroud being mostly ranged most people wouldnt use it offensively they would just use it to port away.

 

>

> **Life Transfer**: Either buff life force gain to at least 5% and a slight dmg increase or reduce cast time and cooldown both by at least 30% plus 2 stack of stability for 4s to cover cast time(this in both the cases). Reason: right now unless you benifit from a lot of targets the life force gain from this skill on single target barely cover the normal decay of shroud and if you consider that 3.5s it's one of the longest cast times in games that can be easily interrupted and coupled with low dmg...you get the point

They just need to make this skill channel about 50% of its current duration and add some poison application for 1 second on each pulse. Doing this would make it a better burst tool and This skill needs a condition attached to it.

 

> **Well of Darkness**: This utility is almost never used since the outside of blind it's useless. The internal cooldown to the Curses' trait Chilling Darkness doesn't even make it a decent chill source. Here is my suggestion: Make this another projectile block/destroy field, this would rewamp this utility for all the power build that can't benefit from Corrosive Poison Cloud and would like to use wells traited with Vampiric Rituals from Blood Magic. I think this change would really make Well of Darkness competitive with Corrosive Poison Cloud since it would be 28s Cd vs 35s cd (traited 20s vs 28s) and 8s of duration for the corruption skill while 5s for the well(considering the well is unblockable and can give protection traited)

 

I would love some immobilize in this well over a projectile block. Ideally poison cloud is a better projectile block in most situations because it last longer. Well of darkness should be used aggressively not defensively because its a blind. Ideally you should be able to throw this thing down to trap people for well setups. IE chilling darkness but due to the icd of that trait it does not work as well as it should.

 

Most importantly we really dont need 2 projectile blocks. Another tool would be more welcome.

 

 

> This Lich Form rework is pure fantasy but I really like the idea

> **Lich Form**: Despite the fact that this transformation isn't that bad, trasformations limit the player ability to combo skill since you're tied to transformation skill and can't use anything else. In my opinion a good rework would be to make lich form skills available in shroud for the duration, so that lich form becomes a boost to shroud that expand the kit of skills rather than limiting it. It would suggest to replace this Lich form skill on the 1 to 5 weapon skills via a kit mechanic, if elite kit is active then skill are replaced for the duration of this transformation otherwise you would still have normal skills. You should be able to toggle this on and off at your liking for the duration of the elite. The duration should be reduced(nerf) and the cooldown should be reduced(slight buff). This change could really completely rebuild necro playstyle with this skill, giving a boost to core shroud and a temporarely range option to Reaper shroud. I don't know how to handle this rework with Sand Shroud from Scourge.

 

This is a neat idea but it will never happen because other professions that also have transforms would need the same and that would make them infinitely stronger. IT also leaves less room for counter playing the activation of an elite like this or warriors rage form or ele tornado etc.

 

 

> "**Signet of Vampirism**: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the base heal from 3960 to 4950 (+25%) in PvP and WvW"

> If Anet decide to go for this then it's fair to spread it all across game modes, since would only make this sigil more worth taking. I would still make this sigil passive a passive heal like warrior Healing Signet instead of having it tied to an enemy that struck you. The reason behind this is that this passive component is useless against foe that range you, making the sigil only work for the active part.

 

The when stuck part is fine they just need to remove the icd on the struck healing maybe slightly reduce the healing of the passive. This could be a very good signet if they just didnt limit it via icd for its passive sense you actually have to get hit.

 

 

> **Summon Bone Minions**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s

This wont fix anything with this minion

> **Summon Bone Fiend**: Reduce cast time 0.5s. Rigor Mortis: This skill is on 50s cooldown which is ridicolous for a bit of dmg and immobilize. Should at least be reduced to 30s

This wont fix anything with this minion

 

> **Summon Flesh Wurm**: Make this skill instant, so that with a double activation of it, it becomes a more realiable teleport. No class in game has a teleport with a cast time of 1.5s

 

Just make this like shadow step. Break stun & Teleport to a target location summoning a flesh wurm at your previous location. You may reactivate this skill to teleport back to your wurm destroying it (Remove the poison application keep the 10% life force gain) A smaller cast time is required to teleport back (this port will not break stun)

 

>

> **Summon Flesh Golem**: Reduce cast time to 0.5s. Charge: Fix the tracking issue, the skill can so easily miss targets that are in front of the golem to the point that's ridicolous. Also please look into the path done by the golem since it can easily get stuck in terrain bumps (like stairs etc...)

Just make the golem faster similar to what ranger pets movespeed is with beast mastery.

Tracking is usually pretty good but yes it can get stuck some times but i dont think thats anything they can fix. if the golem can run over a certain spot its likely that your character cant either.

 

> **Terror**: Make this trait do the max fear damage indipendentely from the fact that enemy has another condition or another kind and more usefull rework the fear damage is increased by a certain % based on the number of conditions on the enemy.

 

Lets leave terror as it is because its more likely that if you fear some one they likely have another condition not to mention there are traits that 100% promise that when you inflict fear they target will have another condition to get the full damage Dread/Terrifying Descent etc. The idea of making it hit lower damage then trying to tack on a few % per condition is a bad idea as of right now it doubles in damage for any other single condition. What you could do though is combine terror with fear of death in the soul reaping line this way to use terror properly wouldn't require 2 full trait lines.

 

>

> **Parasitic Contagion**: It's a pretty underwhelming trait to be at the spot of grandmaster. An awesome rework that would grant more support capabilities via the necromancer damage would be to share this heal with allies. So we would have "A percentage of your condition damage heals you and your allies"

 

NO please no more altruistic support stuff we have enough of it and none of its is all that great. The healing on contagion is bad on a single target but easily good on a group during a team fight. While i think it could use a boost maybe to 15% at most it should remain as it is. Please leave necro some selfish things it can use for itself.

 

>

> _**Soul Reaping**_

>

> **Speed of Shadows**: Add the 25% bonus speed in shroud that was there in old trait. It's crucial this speed boost to keep reaper more in melee range with enemies.

 

Just make this ele's version of One with Air when entering should gain super speed for x seconds.

 

> **Vital Persistence**: 180 vitality is equal to 1800 hp and 1400 life force pool. Let's be honest this thing is pretty useless. I would like to have back the cooldown reduce on shroud. So that with reaper and core necromancer we get shroud cooldown to 7s.

 

That vitality and cooldown reduction is critical on many current builds while i know players really want that 7s back on shroud entry is it worth giving up cds on your skills. You go into shroud more often but now cant use your skills because they are not off cooldown yet.

 

>

> **Fear of death**: Merge this trait with Reaper's Protection from death magic trait line. The single fear duration boost is not competitive with the other option in this trait line. An since Death Magic desperately need

 

Or merge terror into fear of death and leave it where it is. Death magic has nothing to offer currently unless you run minions. To real Terror hardly sees any use as it is right now it would surely see no use if you did this.

 

> **Foot in the grave**: Add another stack of stability or increase the duration of the single stack of stability. The reason behind this change would be to give core necromancer a bit more stability to defend from CC.

 

Change this with Strength of Undeath This allows all builds of necro to have a break stun on shroud if they run this traitline. (remove the stack of stability because its duration is too short and 1 stack is not enough in real situations) This provides better synergy across all current specs of necro.

Strength of undeath gets a slight buff for becoming a new grandmaster option.

 

> _**Spite**_

>

> **Dread**: Since it's almost pretty impossible to attack someone that has fear because everyone insta break stun when they've on it. My suggestion is give necro via this trait something like Peak Performance of Strenght trait line from warrior. It would be pretty to cool to have that damage boost after fear for like 5s. This trait would benefit a lot power build both core necromancer and reaper.

 

This idea is not too bad so long as it keep the vuln application. Thats currently the best part of dread its the vuln not the bonus damage from fear.

 

> **Vampiric Presence**: Make the internal cooldown not global but for each target affected and reduce it to 1/4s. This change is important to make vampiric aura more usefull as a passive healing tool.

 

I could see them saying that doing this would put too much strain on the system They should just remove the icd in general and reduce the healing slightly. Instead of that 1200% buff they gave it they could knock it down to a solid 600-800% and remove the icd all together

 

>

> **Unholy Martyr**: Increase the number of conditions consumed to 5, so we can full cleanse the conditions that we draw from allies, but reduce the life force gain for condition to 4.25 %. So this trait has still the same life force gain but it's better because more competitive with Vampiric Rituals and Transfusions that are the most used.

 

Not a bad idea here

 

> _**Death Magic**_

>

> This trailine is pretty much never used outside minion builds which aren't that popular or great anyway. The point of this rework is to actually make this trailine competitive among all the others.

>

> **Putrid Defence**: when compared to flesh of the master or Shrouded Removal this trait fall behind. Infact I think this trait could benifit from a buff. The 10% damage reduction should also be on condition damage.

 

They could simply make it so foes over a condition threshold deal 10% less damage to you condition- threshold 3 conditions

 

>

> **Reaper Protection**: Since with the changes I proposed before to merge this trait with Fear of Death, there would be a empty trait slot. I would make this trait increase protection duration by 20% on skill that apply protection and each time protection is self applied gain 1s of resistance. This would make this trait synergize really well with Vampiric Rituals in blood magic line.

 

I still dislike this idea because i dont see them reworking this whole line.

 

> **STAFF**

> The necromancer staff in my opinion could see a really interesting rework by adding an ammo mechanic to Mark of Blood (with a maximum count of 3) and to Chillblains ( with max count of 2). Full cooldown should be increased since the ammo mechanic makes this skill more reliable and effective.

 

Ideally if you trait for staff all of them should at least have 2 counts period mark of blood is also very lacking it feels like its just there but does nothing. Perhaps also add one stack of torment to it.

 

 

 

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

Thank you ZDragon for reviewing my suggestions. Just want to clarify one thing: on vital persistance I meant to get the cooldown reduction on shroud and on shroud skills. To get 7s shroud cd + the normal cooldown reduction of shroud skill instead of that 180 vit ( I'll add an edit to clarify my point). On parasitic contagion I disagree with you I think necro should get that heal for himself and allies. The reason behind this is because Scourge lacks the real support healing it should have had, and this would be an easy way to get a bit of it( of course it doesn't make scourge a full support class but it helps). Btw I'm full on board with a total rework of minion but I highly doubt that will happen, also I like your suggestion on Flesh Wurm and Foot in the Grave (but Strenght of Undeath should receive a really big buff to even compete with Dhummfire or Death Perception)

[trixantea.1230]

Merging **Reaper's Protection** with **Fear of Death** is a great idea. Very few people are using both traits these days.

It will also make people consider picking up **Terror**.

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

> @"vicious.5683" said:

> I don't understand why people spend so many time on those fixes, when it's widely known that Anet devs, doesn't give a kitten about forum ideas. And IF they do, it takes at least 3 to 4 years, I mean, they are fixing things they should have fixed in 2014.

 

I like to think I can help them fix the class I love. But yes they're to slow on making changes and too scared of implemeting them more frequently

[Rhyse.8179]

Before anyone gets down to the nitty gritty of specific skills, the core problem with life force needs to be fixed. It needs to be gained/lost only through player action. That means no life force from nearby deaths. That will unbalance a lot of skills right there, so the skill rework should follow that.

[Arzurag.7506]

> @"vicious.5683" said:

> I don't understand why people spend so many time on those fixes, when it's widely known that Anet devs, doesn't give a kitten about forum ideas. And IF they do, it takes at least 3 to 4 years, I mean, they are fixing things they should have fixed in 2014.

 

Everyone needs a hobby, right ? ^^

In a way they show a bit commitment and want necro to be better than it is currently or at least nigh competitive in pve.

[Sublimatio.6981]

> @"vicious.5683" said:

> I don't understand why people spend so many time on those fixes, when it's widely known that Anet devs, doesn't give a kitten about forum ideas. And IF they do, it takes at least 3 to 4 years, I mean, they are fixing things they should have fixed in 2014.

 

**it is known.**

 

hands up people who complain on necro forums since 2013 or earlier

[cobracommander.5861]

i wish anet cared. but its pretty plain that reaper is on the bottom of their list of priorities. They're still trying to nerf scourge into oblivion, the elite that probably shouldn't' exist in the first place. oh well.

 

I hope anet proves me wrong, and brings back some pretty obvious things they nerfed unnecessarily before. WE NEED OUR OLD SPEED OF SHADOWS BACK ANET. MAKE IT BASELINE FOR CORE/REAPER.

 

Got that off my chest.

[killfil.3472]

I agree with all those suggestions.

Core necromancer definitely needs these updates.

 

[ZDragon.3046]

> @"NecroSummonsMors.7816" said:

> Thank you ZDragon for reviewing my suggestions. Just want to clarify one thing: on vital persistance I meant to get the cooldown reduction on shroud and on shroud skills. To get 7s shroud cd + the normal cooldown reduction of shroud skill instead of that 180 vit ( I'll add an edit to clarify my point). On parasitic contagion I disagree with you I think necro should get that heal for himself and allies. The reason behind this is because Scourge lacks the real support healing it should have had, and this would be an easy way to get a bit of it( of course it doesn't make scourge a full support class but it helps). Btw I'm full on board with a total rework of minion but I highly doubt that will happen, also I like your suggestion on Flesh Wurm and Foot in the Grave (but Strenght of Undeath should receive a really big buff to even compete with Dhummfire or Death Perception)

 

No problem

 

Parasitic contagion is a weird one I just dont know how it could realistically support via healing unless they turned it into an aura or something. But then we already have vampuric pres. as an aura. Not to mention your healing effectiveness now becomes based directly off the necromancers damage. Means you really gotta bring your A game to get the best heals. Though one day I hope for a selfish necro spec. I guess reaper is kind of selfish in a way it does have blighters boon etc.

 

Would have been nice to have somethinge like

When barrier expires it heals you and allies that it was applied to (not the actual barrier amount but just when it expires in general no matter how much you had left you just get a heal out of it) but thats a penny in the wishing well.

 

As far as strength of undeath ideally if you move that to a grandmaster it would become a stronger damage modifier or perhaps even improve shroud skills giving them bonus effects above 50% LF while at the same time foot in the grave would get a nerf for being moved to a minor (hints the stability loss while keeping the break-stun functionality)

[trixantea.1230]

Some of these tweaks are really helpful for the class. I wonder if Anet is reading this kind of threads.

[NecroSummonsMors.7816]

> @"trixantea.1230" said:

> Some of these tweaks are really helpful for the class. I wonder if Anet is reading this kind of threads.

 

Thanks for reading. I hope too Anet reads this thread like all the other with hundreds of suggestions.

[Drarnor Kunoram.5180]

I would say Parasitic Contagion just needs to heal the Necro while they're in Shroud as well. It's actually a very good trait for Scourge who can benefit from it 24/7, but it's garbage for core Necro and Reaper.

 

Vampirc Presence is actually fine as it is value-wise. Its added damage on the average skill is less than that of Empower Allies on Warrior, which is fine since it also adds some healing. However, it needs to lose the ICD entirely to actually be "fine."

 

Signet of Vampirism needs the ICD removed on the passive.

 

Lich Form I would personally like to see removed and replaced with Grim Specter (Lich Form 5): either the old version or the current one. Obviously, re-balance the cooldown and area for being its own elite skill, but the exact effects are awesome. Heck, old version that was 600 range PBAoE and gave 1% life force per condition and boon removed would be awesome (though wouldn't have a duration to be increased via Spectral Attunement)!

 

Though I have to say that your suggestions disappoint me greatly in one respect. You didn't suggest anything at all for SOUL COMPREHENSION!!!

[ZDragon.3046]

> @"Drarnor Kunoram.5180" said:

> I would say Parasitic Contagion just needs to heal the Necro while they're in Shroud as well. It's actually a very good trait for Scourge who can benefit from it 24/7, but it's garbage for core Necro and Reaper.

 

^ This

> Vampirc Presence is actually fine as it is value-wise. Its added damage on the average skill is less than that of Empower Allies on Warrior, which is fine since it also adds some healing. However, it needs to lose the ICD entirely to actually be "fine."

 

^This

> Signet of Vampirism needs the ICD removed on the passive.

^This

> Lich Form I would personally like to see removed and replaced with Grim Specter (Lich Form 5): either the old version or the current one. Obviously, re-balance the cooldown and area for being its own elite skill, but the exact effects are awesome. Heck, old version that was 600 range PBAoE and gave 1% life force per condition and boon removed would be awesome (though wouldn't have a duration to be increased via Spectral Attunement)!

^questionable.... but i mean i hardly use lich form as it is so why not???