Shadowcraft (A Wild Sciomancer Idea)

Kalak

First of all I have no idea whether or when Mages will stop being copy/paste classes and get rid of Enchantments. But one thing I notice is that, while Shadow/Spirit duality seems to be big on planar level, it is not stressed enough within the game, on skill level. And this similarity, while acceptable on balancing viewpoint (One side has this, let us give it to the other side too), it takes away massively from Mages' uniqueness. So before reading;

- This idea has no intention to balance Mage class. So disregard balance discussions.
- This idea must be considered wild and on conceptual plane.
- Some ideas might have similarities with other abilities you saw in this game or another game. I definitely do not track it, but rather give my answer to question "What kind of semi-utility tertiary I'd like if Enchantments was scrapped?"
- Be prepared to read word "shadow" many times.
- This is a long post, you are warned.
- Some skills might be redundant or useless, but I aim to reach to an average number of abilities reflecting styles of current skillsets.
- Apologies in advance for any formatting issues!

Strengthen.........Establish stronger connection to the Shadow Plane.
Discern..............Know the influence of shadows around you.
Shadowcast........Channel the wild forces of shadow.
Form..................Partial existence is no longer a dream.
Resilience...........Your grasp upon living shadows speaks for itself.
Durability...........You can go longer without mortal necessities.
Speed.................Traverse with the speed of shades.
Beckon...............Gorge yourself on residual energy surrounding you.
Peace..................Avoid the aggressive stares of enemies.
Dark Messenger..Send your shadeling to do your bidding.
Cloak..................Hide your shadeling from prying eyes.
Project................Project your likeness to somewhere in the world.
FormAdept..........You can manipulate and bind shadows to your will easier.
Link....................Link yourself with your shade.
Vigilance............Mold your shadeling into a protective shell.
Malleability.........Warp the threads of reality.
Momentum.........Gain momentum as you decimate your foes.
NocturnalWarp....Link your target to the Shadow plane.
Call.....................Call your linked target.
Absorb................Absorb your shadeling to restore your health and mana.
ToxicInfuse.........Infuse your shadeling with a venom.
FormExpert.........Your mastery over Shadow Plane is admirable.
ElementalInfuse..Infuse your shadeling with your elements.
Shadowglobes.....Wild globes vexing your enemies as they swirl.
Step....................Step towards a direction through shadows.
Latch..................Latch your cloaked shadeling to your unsuspecting victims.
Senses................Your senses are heightened against hidden.
RobeInfuse..........Infuse your shadeling into your robes.
ShadowRift..........Travel through Shadow Plane.
Readiness............Ready yourself for the impact.
GreaterShade.......Create a stronger form of shadows to your service.
FormMastery........You are master of your shadowy existence.

QUICK EXPLANATIONS

Basically the concept of this idea revolves around providing yourself limited enhancements, priming your shadeling for different setups and providing a bit of defensive/offensive capabilities.

Strengthen: Alone this ability only gives a modicum of Spirit resistance, as your connection to Shadow Plane is solidified.

Discern: The power of Shadowcraft abilities are influenced with the time of day and further, the place they are standing in. So discerning will give you information about shadow strength.

Shadowcast: Staffcast with shadow element. Subject to influences of Shadow Plane.

Form: Form allows you to become partially existent in both planes. It provides you 1 enhancement slot. This ability is created to stress on "formless" property of shadows as they can become anything.

Resilience: (ENHANCEMENT)This will make your shadeling far more durable then before.

Durability: (ENHANCEMENT)This will reduce need for food and sleep.

Speed: (ENHANCEMENT)This will give you +1 speed while walking through the world.

Beckon : (ENHANCEMENT)Provides a small willpower and endurance regeneration while active.

Peace: (ENHANCEMENT)Creatures become aggressive on you a bit more later when this enhancement is active.

Dark Messenger: Use your shadeling as a cool mailman.

Cloak: Obscure your shadeling from others' notice. To be used with follow-up skill Latch.

Project: Sends a projection of yourself to anywhere on wilderness. You can speak through it. Monoliths can prevent it to form. Not possible to send projections into cities from outside or vice versa.

FormAdept: +1 enhancement slot.

Link: (ENHANCEMENT)A small amount of damage upon you will be delivered to Shadeling and vice versa. The percentage of delivered damage is greater when the source is a denizen. This could allow some survivability in bashing.

Vigilance: (ENHANCEMENT)Your shadeling watches over a limb giving a chance (not guaranteed) to parry attacks upon them. Shadeling cannot attack since it is part of this defensive enhancement.

Malleability: (ENHANCEMENT)Shift a portion of your max mana to health or vice versa. (Also this could be used for stats but only once a week and stays for an Aetolian day.)

Momentum: (ENHANCEMENT)If you kill a denizen with a critical hit, you recover equilibrium 1 second faster.

NocturnalWarp: This affliction will induce shadow-weakness upon target as long as it stays upon it.

Call: A target afflicted with NocturnalWarp can be summoned immediately.

Absorb : This ability restores a portion of your health and mana respective to the health of your shadeling. After absorbing a shadeling you cannot summon another for 5 minutes.

ToxicInfuse: (ENHANCEMENT)Cannot be activated with Vigilance, ElementalInfuse or RobeInfuse. Infuse your shadeling with a venom-type. With a small chance the shadeling will afflict with it instead of freezing.

FormExpert: +1 enhancement slot

ElementalInfuse: (ENHANCEMENT)Cannot be activated with Vigilance, ToxicInfuse or RobeInfuse. Infuse your shadeling with an elemental attack type. With a small chance the shadeling will do small elemental damage along freezing.

Shadowglobes: (ENHANCEMENT)These shadowglobes can transmute an affliction applied to you by your opponent to damage or another affliction with a chance.

Step: Dash towards line of sight without giving any entrance or exit information. It has two charges and you gain one charge per minute.

Latch: Your cloaked shadeling latches itself on someone without their notice. You will know their position whereever they are.

Senses: (ENHANCEMENT) Better detection on hidden players.

RobeInfuse: (ENHANCEMENT)Cannot be activated with Vigilance, ToxicInfuse and ElementalInfuse. Whenever you are struck by your enemies, there is a chance that your shadeling will do shadow damage to them and freeze them.

ShadowRift: (ENHANCEMENT)You can establish shadow links across places and then open shadowy portals to those places. Each link will take up one enhancement slot. These kind of links can only be established upon wilderness.

Readiness: (ENHANCEMENT)Readiness will give you add chance to avoid charge type attacks done upon yourself, stacking with Avoidance chance.

GreaterShade: Pinnacle of your prowess that you can call upon a stronger version of your Shadeling which can also induce shadow-weakness along usual shadeling attacks.

FormMastery : +1 enhancement slot.

Megiddo

I have to agree 

Sigmund

Damn, you put a lot of thought into this. I'm impressed.

Teani

It's a generally good concept, and it has quite a few well thoughtout concepts. However, there are a few problems in this, in regards to the lore of the game. Important things.

"Form: Form allows you to become partially existent in both planes. "

We, as mortals, cannot travel to the Shadow Plane. Even Divine have issues with this, so it wouldn't make any sort of sense to add that as a skill. When we CHANNEL, we are simply able to establish a strong enough connection to draw energies from the Plane, to use for our magic. This does not mean that we have a stable enough connection, or can master it enough to actually enter the Plane safely.

"ShadowRift: (ENHANCEMENT)You can establish shadow links across places and then open shadowy portals to those places. Each link will take up one enhancement slot. These kind of links can only be established upon wilderness."

Even though it requires a target, we can portal to people using crystalism, making this somewhat redundant. Also, it would, according to the short description used, mean travel through the Shadow Plane, which is, as already mentioned, nothing we can do.

I really like the expanded use of the Shadeling. It could do with a little more depth and utility, as right now it is quite toothless. I also think it makes a lot of sense that we should be able to utilize the shadows that exist on the Prime Material Plane, which is a good aspect of the above suggestion. Just -please- consider the lore?

Kalak

Teani said:

It's a generally good concept, and it has quite a few well thoughtout concepts. However, there are a few problems in this, in regards to the lore of the game. Important things.

"Form: Form allows you to become partially existent in both planes. "

We, as mortals, cannot travel to the Shadow Plane. Even Divine have issues with this, so it wouldn't make any sort of sense to add that as a skill. When we CHANNEL, we are simply able to establish a strong enough connection to draw energies from the Plane, to use for our magic. This does not mean that we have a stable enough connection, or can master it enough to actually enter the Plane safely.

"ShadowRift: (ENHANCEMENT)You can establish shadow links across places and then open shadowy portals to those places. Each link will take up one enhancement slot. These kind of links can only be established upon wilderness."

Even though it requires a target, we can portal to people using crystalism, making this somewhat redundant. Also, it would, according to the short description used, mean travel through the Shadow Plane, which is, as already mentioned, nothing we can do.

I really like the expanded use of the Shadeling. It could do with a little more depth and utility, as right now it is quite toothless. I also think it makes a lot of sense that we should be able to utilize the shadows that exist on the Prime Material Plane, which is a good aspect of the above suggestion. Just -please- consider the lore?

Actually partially existent statement was added to emphasize on having such a strong connection. Actually the concept of enhancements and the fluidity of choices were emphasis. One could call it something else such as that your connection has deepened etc. etc.

Currently portals are quite lackluster, they are considered offensive (if you use on people to travel around) and nowadays I noticed that they started to work one way. Several times I went through them, and they simply disappeared. I am not sure if something interfered, but could be a hidden nerf.

All in all though, I do not expect any of this to go through, because in some thread it was stated that whenever something is offered on ideas thread it is nearly certain that will not happen. Especially when it is an extensive concept such as a skillset. I think copyright infringements and intellectual property worries were mentioned.