Barbarian TM Suggestionapalooza 07/31/2016 08:46 AM CDT
As per Gabriela's request, let us suggest how barbs and TM could be bffs.

My first suggestion: we used to have a roar in 2.0 that acted like tingle. I already forgot what it was called, but I want that back. Roar at someone, he/she drops what he/she is holding.

"Brace yourselves, Squanto is going to bleh blah fart fart bleh.." -the player of the character formerly known as Pureblade
Reply
Re: Barbarian TM Suggestionapalooza 07/31/2016 09:22 AM CDT

>>how barbs and TM could be bffs

Or how TM-like abilities could be built that use expertise and weapon ranks to generate accuracy and damage, ala thieves and their primary skill backstab. Just saying, as we're trying to fill a damage void, turning to a tertiary magic skill for a barbarian might end up being a sort of perfunctory bandage. The precedence for damage generation in a non magic using guild is already there post 3.0 in the restructure of thief abilities, and backstab remaining. Using expertise, from the weapon skillset, is if anything more reasonable.




Single-target:

Some single target ideas have been proposed in the past, with flavor based on the barbarians skill with a weapon. Phsyical damage dealt at range, instantly, with a (short) cooldown and inner fire cost. The damage would have to be decent enough to make it worth more than another >lob or it won't be worth the use of inner fire, or even developing at that point. For an edged weapon, potentially dragging the tip of the blade pre-swing, slashing some kind of blade of sand/water/etc through the air. Blunt weapon? Some non-specific debris kicked up off the ground and battered at the target, and for piercing weapons, a puncture version of what aether lash accomplishes, almost, forcing a pinpoint current of air with a thrust of the weapon at range.

Ignite?
I think barbarians could benefit from an ignite-like mechanic, using naphtha to temporarily ignite a blade at the expense of durability. Make the weapon take damage slowly over the course of the fire as a trade-off.


AoE:

Possibly ramped up versions of our roars with the capacity to deal physical damage via impact, heat, or whatever unleashing a shockwave of rage. Maybe a thief-like combination of weapons and naphtha involving whirling fire, modeled almost like harm horde.
Reply
Re: Barbarian TM Suggestionapalooza 07/31/2016 09:33 AM CDT
Dropping something to at-feet would be more Debil, although I thing an Expertise-based combat maneuver to do the same thing would be cool. Paladins have a TM spell, Footman's Strike, that does damage based on the weapon they're holding. I could see a berserk that works like a cyclic that splits damage maybe 75/25 highest weapon damage stat/fire, hitting everything in melee range of the barb. A 'TM' roar where you throw your weapon and it returns to your hand might be another option. Or something like Hulk, where you roar and slam your hands together and create a massive damaging shock-wave.
Reply
Re: Barbarian TM Suggestionapalooza 07/31/2016 11:24 AM CDT


Is the general idea to focus on roaring instead of 'things that use weapons', to prevent any weirdness therein? Because I'd love to see a berserk that basically fired off an RTless WHIRLWIND every time it pulsed, and a meditation that fired off an RTless counter-attack at some percent of all attacks made on the barb.

Another option is linking Expertise to a set of barb only attacks (crazy kungfu!) that fill an AoE and other damage avenue requirement.

-Wide Swing, that does damage to what you're facing and is flanking you, at the RT of a normal attack with no CD.
-Out Thrust, does damage to what you're facing and is behind you, at the RT of a normal attack with no CD. Requires dual wielding.
-Rapid Strike, channeled attack and cancellable, puts you in 10s RT, and over the duration of this 10s does x number of attacks to all engaged based on what weapons you're holding (x is increased by Expertise). The scroll from using brawling here should be spectacular, and it should result in more attacks than would normally be doable in 10s. Maybe make the RT adjustable (RAPIDSTRIKE 20, lasting 20s, for example), with longer times favoring more attacks but also making cancelling harder or taking longer or such
-Hulk Smash, grabs two opponents and slams them together.
-Slow Wrench, grappling move that immobilizes one opponent and applies a DoT, does not prevent other actions. Maybe damage ramps up, escalating in a broken limb, maybe not.

Etc.
Reply
Re: Barbarian TM Suggestionapalooza 08/03/2016 10:13 PM CDT

Not to interrupt the party because I love ideas and I love how active everyone has been in the barb folder lately, but

>-Wide Swing, that does damage to what you're facing and is flanking you, at the RT of a normal attack with no CD.

Kodius at one point said he had planned to make sweep actually sweep and hit more than one target, dunno whatever happened to that though, and afaik it was going to be open to everyone.
Reply