Necromancer Rework

[SpasMaster]

Hello guys. As 2.0.0 draws near, I am planning to make a major rework of the Necromancer class. He has many potential and is loved by many players and I believe he can be much more than what he is currently. I'll be posting each of his abilities here along with a comment. You can share thoughts and suggestions on what you'd like to see changed!

Dark Ritual: Sacrifices a targeted undead minion to restore mana equal to 15% of the target's current health and to reset the cooldown of the last ability casted by the Necromancer (excluding Abomination).

I find Dark Ritual as a good pair to Raise Dead. It offers utility that is unique to the class and makes the player keep track of when he casts his abilities, due to the reset.

Raise Dead: Any damage dealt by the Necromancer or his minions that is greater than 3 times his hero level will have 8% chance to summon an undead minion to fight by his side for 20 seconds (+10% of Intelligence). This ability levels up on levels 5 and 10. Minions benefit from ESC Stat Points.

Reviving the dead to fight for the Necromancer is an essential ability to the class and is here to stay. I am not a fan of the way it works currently: a passive ability that procs when dealing damage. I seek to explore different ways for this ability to work.

Extract Life: Damages (+100% of Intelligence) an enemy and leaves a debuff that deals damage (+8% of Damage) over 13 seconds. While it lasts, the enemy has 30% miss chance and the Necromancer restores health equal to 35% of periodic damage. If casted after Carrion Swarm miss chance will be increased by 15%.

Extract Life isn't exactly an ability that I am proud of. The idea of the Necromancer draining the life from his enemies is all good, but I am looking for different ways to achieve that other than single target damage spell that applies a DoT. It's an ability that I am either going to rework or replace with a new one.

Carrion Swarm: Releases multiple swarms of locusts at a targeted area that deal damage (+70% of Intelligence) to all enemy units within it. If casted after Reanimate, applies the Reanimate buff to friendly units caught within the area.

Carrion Swarm is a visually pleasing ability, but lacks effects other than pure damage. I am looking for ways to improve this ability in some way.

Reanimate: Raz heals an ally, instantly restoring health (+50% of Intelligence) and leaves a buff that restores health (+10% of Intelligence) over the next 12 seconds. If casted after Extract Life, increases instant heal by amount equal to 20% of Extract Life instant damage.

Reanimate is the Necromancer's heal and it will surely stay. I am hoping to make it a Normal-type ability instead of Levelable.

Abomination: Summons an undead Abomination which hungers for the flesh of the living. Has the Envenomed Attacks, Disease Cloud and Cannibalize abilities. The duration of the Abomination increases by amount equal to 10% of the Necromancer's Intelligence. Benefits from ESC Stat Points.

This ability is surely going away. It's just another summon and the Necromancer has plenty of those. The ultimate spot is open for suggestions

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Feel free to suggest anything that comes to your mind. We are trying to achieve the best possible result for the Necromancer. Please write down your thoughts and ideas. If you have a specific ability idea, you can use the following template to make your suggestion:

[table][img]*Ability Icon Link Here*[/img][c][b]*Ability Name Here*:[/b] *Ability Description Here*[/table]

 

[GennGreyCrest]

Oi, matey.

As for the "identity-skill" itself, Raise Dead, I give you this:

Raise Dead: Raz can both create undead minions "out of thin air", or raise the bodies of the dead to do his bidding. Undead created solely by magic fight by his side for X seconds (+Y% of Intelligence). If, however, there are corpses nearby Raz, they're raised as significantly stronger minions for Z seconds (+Y% of Intelligence). This ability levels up on levels 5 and 10. Minions benefit from ESC Stat Points.

This way, you need to make choices - will you need some mediocre runts to quickly pull enemies, or can you afford to slay weakest enemy and create vastly more powerful soldiers?

Now, for the "Extract Life" case, I propose something different, yet in similiar style:

Mark of the Necromancer: Raz places a cursed sigil on chosen enemy for X seconds to feed upon their pain. A portion (Y%) of the damage suffered by the curse bearer replenishes Necromancer's mana. If the target dies while still cursed, this ability's cooldown is refreshed (optionally: and Raz instantly regains Z% of his max mana).

With this spell, Necro players would have to put more care into positioning, as their ways to self-sustain would get cut down. On the other hand, it would give them steady supply of mana to stay in the back and create more and more undead. Preferably while cackling maniacally.
I'm awere of Dark Ritual also offers mana restoration, but there is no thing that cannot be tweaked.

For that lacking Carrion Swarm, I toss you some ideas:

Vampiric Embrace: Necromancer infuses nearby allies with the power to feed upon the lifeforce. For the duration of the spell (X seconds), all afflicted units restore health equal to Y% of the damage dealt (optional: just damage from basic attacks).

This would make a simple spell, both useful and true to Necromancer's theme.

Torment Funnel: Necromancer tethers himself to one of his minions. For the duration of the spell (X seconds), all damage suffered by Raz is transfered upon his targeted minion.

You're getting focused by those bash-happy murloc? Let ypu're faithful minions take some laod off of you! They're all dead anyway...

Death Vision: Necromancer confronts nearby enemies (optional: just one target enemy) with visions of their own death. Enemies are struck by realization of their mortality, which slows them down (AS&MS reduced by X%) and makes them more sustainable to magic damage (by Y%). Lasts Z seconds.

Additional debuff that lets Necromancer control multiple enemies, significantly reducing their DPS and making them more vulnerable to harm.

Lastly, I'll show you two ideas for ultimate ability:

For Whom The Bell Tolls: Necromancer brings down the gaze of Grim Reaper upon target enemy. The victim is doomed to die (bosses are immune; optional: just deals MASSIVE damage) after the debuff associated with this ability expires. This ability cannot be purged, but killing Raz before tolling of the bell saves the target.

Will of the Damned: Raz places a sigil on his ally (optional: Necromancer's passive ability) for X seconds. In the event of sigil bearer's death, nearby enemies around the target are drained for Y life, which is then used to reform sigil bearer.

Hope I were of any help. I obviously didn't use proper icons, but we can look for something if you decide to keep any of ideas presented.

Best regards,
Genn

 

[Lots30]

Hi, Spas

Here are my thoughts and suggestions.

【Cast】Abomination: Influence himself into Abomination state[Melee], and grants X% of Damage Dealt Leeched as Life and due to maladjustment (Health decaying as X% of Total Health). During abnormal state amount of Health = Less than X% Abomination state cancel.

【Cast/Passive/Channel】Swarm: Necromancer suffocate himself as % of Str as Damage and Unleash X amount of locusts per X% of Int, Max locusts spawn = X, Locusts Damage Deal = X, Duration = X, Dealt Damage by locusts Heal nearby allies.

【Cast】Release Spirit: Cast on an enemy = Deal Damage as X% of Int and bounce X times. Cast on an Allies = Heal as X% of Int. No bounce.

Regards,
Ori

 

[San]

Here's my one idea,
Channeling ultimate maybe?
The Necronomicon
Raz chants the dark word from his book,the Necronomicon.
which cause the area to suffer X% of damage of the Necromancer's Intelligence
and a chance of miss rate(to enemy unit inside the area) equal to how much skeletons has been summoned.
With dispeling enemy's positive buff or drains some life from enemy within area would be cooler
*Note : This idea might be weird,but the "Necronomicon" is really a good source to improve Necromancer's awesomeness.Sorry for my bad english.

By NegativeGamer.