Posted by Retroman 10 months ago (Source)

These are the changes for the next content update, Into the Fray. This includes the new and overhauled abilities for Fire, Holy, Cursed and Nature Staffs. Other balance changes focus primarily on improving recently reworked abilities, which are still not performing well enough.

Bows
To make Lucent Hawk feel more fluid to use, we are eliminating the first activation of the buff. Instead it is now possible to directly shoot the first arrow.

• Lucent Hawk (Mistpiercer)
  
  • Doesn't require a buff activation as a first step anymore, instead activating the ability will now directly shoot the first arrow
    

Cursed Staffs
We added two new abilities: Anguished Soul and Cursed Tar. For Demonic Staffs, Field of Death has been replaced with Anguished Soul, which summons a ghostly creature that fears enemies. Cursed Tar is a new Q-slot ability which places cursed areas on the ground applying Vile Curse Charges. Cursed Beam has been improved to make it more threatening in PvP scenarios by making it consume Vile Curse charges at a slower pace and increasing the guaranteed base damage. Grudge now deals different damage depending on how fast the ally attacks, so it now works with every auto attack speed and adds a bit more depth to the ability. And various other improvements and adjustments to make the staffs feel more polished.

• Vile Curse (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Hitdelay 0.2s -> 0.4s
    
• New Q-slot Ability: Cursed Tar (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Create a Cursed Tar puddle with a 2.5m radius at target location lasting 4s.
    
  • Slows all enemies in the puddle by 10%.
    
  • Applies one Vile Curse Charge every 1s.
    
  • Cooldown 3s
    
• Cursed Beam (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Vile Curse Stacks are now removed every second tick
    
  • Channel Duration: 4.5s -> 3s
    
  • Damage with 0 stacks: 36 -> 48
    
  • Damage with 1+ stacks: 72 -> 68
    
  • Castrange: 11m -> 13m
    
• Grudge (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Grudge hit effect delay: 1s -> 0s
    
  • The Grudge effect now stacks up on the ally every 0.5s
    
  • Each Auto Attack consumes all stacks
    
  • Grudge Stacks 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
    
  • Damage 5 / 7 / 9 / 12 / 16 / 21 / 27 / 34
    
  • (Grudge tick damage before the rework = 8 )
    
  • This way Grudge triggers with all Attack Speed builds, but the damage is diminished if the attack interval is too fast.
    
  • Death Curse (one-handed Cursed Staff)
    
  • The Death Curse Debuff can’t be cleansed anymore
    
  • Hit Delay for the Projectile: 0.4s -> 0.15s
    
• Removed the ability Field of Death (Demonic Staff)
  
• Added a new E-slot Ability: Anguished Soul (Demonic Staff)
  
  • Send an Anguished Soul in targeted direction, passing through all enemies.
    
  • Deals 175 magical damage.
    
  • Any enemy hit will be feared for a duration based on the amount of Vile Curse Charges on them.
    
  • Vile Curse Charges: 0 / 1 / 2 /3 / 4
    
  • Fear Duration: 0.4s / 0.8s / 1.2s / 1.6s / 2s
    

Daggers
Even after the latest buff, Demonfang still has difficulties competing with other weapons. To help it work better as an assassin weapon, we removed the DoTs on enemies and instead the damage is now applied instantly. The self Bleed is now also only triggered on the 3rd activation, which increases the incentive to just go for one or two hits and allows the caster to use this ability for two activations even when low on health. We also made various improvements to make aiming and hitting opponents more reliable.

• Blood Ritual (Demonfang)
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.3s -> 0.15s
    
  • Instant Damage: 100 -> 140
    
  • Fixed AoE Escalation
    
  • Removed the DoT Damage on enemies
    
  • The Self Damage is now only applied after the 3rd cast
    
  • Self DoT Base Damage: 12 -> 60
    

Fire Staffs
Pyroblast is now a channeled skillshot that rewards positioning and timing. Ignite has been replaced with a new ability: Flame Blast. And Infernal Staff's Contagious Fire has been replaced with Combustion, which ignites an enemy leaving a flaming trail behind that silences. The Burn effect of Fire Bolt now triggers earlier, increasing the damage output if the same target is hit multiple times. Flame Pillar now has significantly more damage, on a higher 15s cooldown. But if at least one enemy is hit, the cooldown gets reduced back to 10s. And various other improvements and adjustments to make the staffs feel more polished.

• Fire Bolt (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Burn Damage over Time Delay: 1s -> 0.3s
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0.12s
    
• Burning Field (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.1s -> 0.15s
    
• Searing Flame (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0s -> 0.15s
    
• Removed the ability Ignite (all Fire Staffs)
  
• Added a new W-Slot ability Flame Blast (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Select a target (Ally, Enemy, Self), after 1.6s an explosion occurs around the target, deals 150 magical damage to all enemies in a 5m radius.
    
  • If the main target is an enemy they also take an additional 45 magical damage immediately.
    
• Wall of Flames (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.6s -> 0.4s
    
• Fire Wave (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Fire Wave area Duration: 0.8s -> 1s
    
• Fire Ball (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Cast Range: 18m -> 22m
    
  • Instant Damage: 124.63 -> 135
    
  • Projectile Speed increased by 10%
    
• Fire Artillery (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Hitdelay: 0.1s -> 0s
    
  • Projectile Hitdelay: 0.5s -> 0.2s
    
• Pyroblast (one-handed Fire Staff)
  
• Completely reworked the Ability:
  
  • Charge up a Pyroblast, while channeling for up to 2s (You can aim while channeling).
    
  • Deals magical damage in a 4m radius upon impact with an enemy based on how long you have channeled.
    
  • Charge Up: 0.5s / 1s / 1.5s / 2s
    
  • Damage: 240 / 280 / 320 / 360
    
  • Pyroblast instant Damage before the Rework: 300
    
  • If you channel for the full duration the Pyroblast will also knock back 2.5m.
    
• Flame Pillar (Great Fire Staff)
  
  • Damage: 184 -> 218
    
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    
  • If at least one enemy is hit the cooldown is reduced by 5s
    
  • Energy Cost: 13 -> 9
    
• Removed the ability Contagious Fire (Infernal Staff)
  
• Added a new E-slot Ability: Combustion (Infernal Staff)
  
  • Inflame the targeted enemy dealing 143 magical damage over 5s.
    
  • After a short delay, the burning enemy keeps leaving a fiery trail that lasts 4.6s.
    
  • Deals 45 magical damage (vs. players) / 26 magical damage (vs. mobs) every 0.5s
    
  • Enemy players on the trail are silenced.
    

Hammers
Forge Hammers are currently underrepresented. The low cooldown and moderate damage on each hit in giant form made it too easy for enemies to just move out of the effect area. Giant Smash now also knocks enemies into the air and deals more damage. This makes the ability more threatening and makes it easier to stick to targets. To offset this buff we increased the cooldown between each Smash.

• Giant Steps (Forge Hammers)
  
  • Giant Smash
    
    • Cooldown: 1.2s -> 3s
      
    • Now knocks players up for 0.6s
      
    • Damage: 75 -> 90
      
  
  

Holy Staffs

Healing Staffs don’t have the 50% damage reduction on the staff anymore. Smite has been reworked to make a more enjoyable solo PvE & PvP experience, and it is now possible to move while channeling Holy Beam, albeit at a reduced movement speed to allow for enough counter play. Desperate Prayer's Healing Output is increased and if used above the 40% health threshold it now gives the caster a buff that increases Healing Output. Creating an incentive to use the ability above the threshold. And various other improvements and adjustments to make the staffs feel more polished.

• Base Stats (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Removed the 50% damage Reduction
    
• Smite (all Holy Staffs)
  
• Completely reworked the Ability:
  
  • Smite all enemies at the targeted location, dealing 120 magical damage in a 2.5m radius.
    
  • The next time any enemy hit takes damage within the next 5s, they will take an additional 40 magical damage.
    
  • Hitting at least one enemy will reduce this ability cooldown by 50%.
    
• Sacred Pulse (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • When used vs mobs, they are now knocked into the air, instead of knocked back
    
• Holy Beam (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • The caster can now move while channeling, with 30% reduced movement speed
    
• Desperate Prayer (one-handed Holy Staff)
  
  • Heal Value below 40%: 200 -> 220
    
  • Heal Value above 40%: 82 -> 100
    
  • Additionally if Desperate Prayer is cast on a target above 40% the caster receives a buff which increases Healing Cast by 5% for 12s. (stacks up to 3 times)
    
  • Energy Cost: 15 -> 12
    
• Holy Touch
  
  • Heal per Tick: 55 -> 59
    
• Celestial Sphere:
  
  • Base Heal: 60 -> 86
    
  • Healing the same target twice doesn't increase the Healing Output anymore
    
  • Initial Hitdelay: 0.4s -> 0.15s
    

Nature Staffs
Healing Staffs don’t have the 50% damage reduction on the staff anymore. Improved solo PvE & PvP experience, with a reworked Thorns spell and a new Brambleseed spell that knocks enemies airborne. Rejuvenating Mushroom has been replaced with the new Rejuvenating Flower multi-part spell: Grow multiple flowers on the ground that can be picked up and thrown to a specific spot to provide instant healing and Rejuvenation stacks. Revitalize is now on a much shorter cooldown, and is more limited by energy cost than cooldown, to make it more useful in PvP and provide higher single target healing output to compete with Holy in group PvE. And various other improvements and adjustments to make the staffs feel more polished.

• Base Stats (all Nature Staffs)
  
  • Removed the 50% damage Reduction
    
• Thorns (all Nature Staffs)
  
• Completely Reworked the Ability:
  
  • Conjure Thorns with a 3m radius at the targeted area, lasting 4s.
    
  • Deals 40 magical damage and applies one Thorns Charge to all enemies within the area every 0.5s. (stacks up to 5 times).
    
  • Slows by 25%.
    
  • The ability goes on cooldown if you either cast it the maximum of 3 times or don't recast it for 3s.
    
  • Thorns Charges can be consumed by your normal attacks and deal an additional 30 magical damage.
    
• Removed the ability Rejuvenating Mushroom (all Nature Staffs)
  Added new Q-slot Ability: Rejuvenating Flower (all Nature Staffs)
  
  • Plant a magical flower at the targeted position, lasting 20s. The flower grows stronger over time.
    
  • Collecting the flower gives you the ability to throw it at a targeted location. On impact it heals and applies Rejuvenation Charges on up to 5 allies within a 3m radius based. (only you can collect the flower).
    
  • Grow Time: 0s / 3s / 6s
    
  • Heal: 17 / 41 / 70
    
  • Rejuvenation Charges: 1 / 2 / 3
    
• Added a new W-slot Ability: Brambleseed (all Nature Staffs)
  
  • Throw seeds along a 16m line in targeted direction, dealing 54 magical damage.
    
  • After a 1s delay brambles will grow along the line, dealing 162 magical damage.
    
  • Throws all enemies hit in the air for 0.71s.
    
• Revitalize
  
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 7s
    
  • Channel Duration: 4.5s -> 3s
    
  • Energy Cost per Tick: 6 -> 9
    
• Living Armor (Great Nature Staff)
  
  • Cast Time: 1s -> 0s
    
  • Cooldown: 25s -> 15s
    
  • Duration: 8s -> 4s
    
  • Heal Value on each hit: 27 -> 40
    
  • Can’t be stacked from multiple casters anymore
    

Spears
Glaive has been consistently very strong in 5v5 Crystal League, due to its threatening kidnap potential and high sustain damage. To make it less oppressive we adjust the Fling distance. And because this alone won’t be enough we are also increasing the cooldown of Harpoon. This is a change on the Q and W abilities that doesn’t affect other spear lines base gameplay as much as other changes would (like reducing Q damage for instance).

• Harpoon (all Spears)
  
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
• Fling (Glaive)
  
  • Pull Distance: 10m -> 7m
    

Swords
Dual Swords still are still underperforming after the latest rework. To improve the abilities utility and damage output players won’t use the stacks after using it. The stacks helps to keep up with the target because of the move speed and the increased auto attack speed synergizes with attack damage buff at the end of the Spinning Blades.

• Spinning Blades (Dual Swords)
  
  • Doesn't consume Heroic Charges anymore
    

War Gloves
Fleet Footwork's second ability was too situational to be reliably useful and the reduced damage output for using it once was a big drawback. To make it more useful and fun to use, it is now a ground target dash that provides an auto-attack damage buff. This buff makes sure that the damage output doesn’t drop too much when using the second ability. Spiked Gauntlets in large scale fights have become too oppressive when stacked. To make it less desirable to stack Spiked Gauntlets, enemies can only be hit once per second by the effect. Ravenstrike Cestus is also very dominant in large scale fights, that is why we have reduced the damage output, to offset the fact that one usually gets high AoE Escalation due to the large radius.

• Fleet Footwork (all War Gloves)
  
  • Step:
    
    • Range: 5m -> 7m
      
    • Doesn’t require a target anymore, it is instead a ground target Dash
      
    • Increases Attack Damage by 100% for 3s
      
    • Removed the Damage Reduction during the quick Step animation
      
• Gravitational Collapse (Spiked Gauntlets)
  
  • Enemies hit become immune to getting hit by another Gravitational Collapse for 1s
    
• Earth Crusher (Ravenstrike Cestus)
  
  • 0 Charge Damage: 188 -> 160
    
  • 1 Charge Damage: 200 -> 170
    
  • 2 Charge Damage: 212 -> 180
    
  • 3 Charge Damage: 224 -> 190
    

Corrupted Dungeons
With the overhauled Magic Staffs, we want to make solo Healers feel more powerful again. But we also don’t want out sustaining strategies to dominate Corrupted Dungeons.

• Healing Reduction inside Corrupted Dungeons: 20% -> 30%