Idea: Profession Talents

[Drilnos]

Professions are one of the biggest ways available to customize one's character. But currently, most of them don't provide much actual customization. Profession bonuses are bland, static stat boosts. All except for Engineering, with its usable abilities. So the other day, this idea came up in a thread about those Engineering abilities. And this is it with some flesh on it. Here's the idea.

All those personal boosts you get from your professions? The ones you can't sell? Gone. In their place are instituted fully formed talent trees along the lines of the current class talents, separated from the profession interface by a simple tab. In order to respec, you must visit a profession trainer. At each skill cap - 300, 375, 450, 525, 600, and into the future - a new tier of talents unlocks. Some are cosmetic. Some enhance the profession itself. And some enhance your combat ability, giving you engineering-like skills or stat boosts (and yes, this would go for engineering too). Example.

Blacksmithing

Tier 1 - Requires 300 Blacksmithing Skill

Tools of the Trade
Summon a forge and anvil for 5 minutes. 30 minute cooldown.

Iron Might
The crafting time for Blacksmithing and Smelting products is reduced by 50%.

Set Up Shop
Set up a stand where you act as a repair vendor for 5 minutes. 30 minute cooldown. (Just like the noodle carts)

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Tier 2 - Requires 375 Blacksmithing Skill

Fists of Felsteel
Replace your equipped weapon with Felsteel Knucklespikes, increasing haste, crit or mastery (whichever is highest) by X for 10 seconds. 1 minute cooldown.

Adamantium Blades
Each attack or spell cast has a chance to hurl an Adamantium Throwing Knife at one nearby enemy for X damage. 1 RPPM.

Hammer of the Naaru
Slam at a target with a lightforged hammer, dealing X damage or X healing. 1 minute cooldown.

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Tier 3 - Requires 450 Blacksmithing Skill

Riddle of Steel
Reduce damage taken by 10% for 10 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Chains of the Lich
Anchor yourself to the ground with cobalt chains and pitons for 5 seconds or until cancelled, becoming immobile but immune to knockback effects. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Helm of Domination
Don a saronite helmet for 5 seconds, becoming immune to stun and disorient effects. Has a chance to cause you to uncontrollably lash out at your allies for the duration. 1.5 minute cooldown.

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Tier 4 - Requires 525 Blacksmithing Skill

Weaponmaster
Your character is shown carrying an assortment of up to five random weapons from your bag in addition to your regular equipment, and may be seen to switch out weapons during attacks, spells or abilities. Cosmetic effect only.

Twilight's Hammer
Replace your weapon(s) with the Hammer of Twilight and become dark and transparent for 10 minutes. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

Free Advertising
Wear a tattered blademaster's banner on your back for 15 minutes, proudly displaying your professional sigil and tools of craft. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

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Tier 5 - Requires 600 Blacksmithing Skill

Quick Temper
Movement speed increased by 12%. Passive effect. Does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.

Forgemaster's Leap
Hurl yourself through the air to the targeted location within 25 yards, trailing the flames of the forge in your wake. 3 minute cooldown.

Breath of Hanzo
Enter a state of stealth for 3 seconds, while increasing movement speed by 100%. Does not drop combat or cancel targeting. "Should you encounter God, God will be cut." 3 minute cooldown.

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That's all I've got for now. Drastic? Yes, absolutely. Unlikely? Oh my, yes. But would it be cool if it were to happen at some point? That's up to you. If you like the idea, feel free to leave ideas for any other profession talents. Any at all, even the gathering ones, even ones for blacksmithing. In any case, what do you think?

Other examples and ideas:
Herbalism
Tailoring

yarkee

[Natylyaz]

Great idea, actually.
Moreover, your suggestions are not too overpowered to endanger the balance of the game.

[darkwarrior42]

Love the concept, way too much customization for Blizzard to actually offer it.

[Drilnos]

Love the concept, way too much customization for Blizzard to actually offer it.

Well, I don't know about that. Every expansion they seem to do at least one major thing to professions. This could be that thing for some future expansion. They already have all the tech for it - I think it would mostly be a matter for the user interface guys to deal with. At least, given what I know about their setup, which admittedly is very little.

[Deleted]

it is a good idea as with the talents they could bake in the profession benefits and take away the whole "professions X and Y are needed to raid optimally" but they would need to be careful to do it in a way that doesn't step on the toes of other professions, for example the repair shop and anvil would be counter productive when Engineers need to farm mats to do both of those things, with repair bots needing quite a bit and the anvils being a consumable and tradable. so you would need to be really careful with the choices to not make other profession "toys" irrelevant.

[blaqkmagick]

I think stuff like Tier 1 and 4 would be great. But I couldn't see the other tiers working.

[Deleted]

I think stuff like Tier 1 and 4 would be great. But I couldn't see the other tiers working.

they could if they were in replacement of things like the extra sockets for BS, as it would also make it somewhat easier to balance.

[blaqkmagick]

they could if they were in replacement of things like the extra sockets for BS, as it would also make it somewhat easier to balance.

I could see that happening for tier 2, because tier 2 is basically what engineers have right now. But things like tier 5 could never be balanced. Extra passive movement speed or an additional gap closer? Those kind of things are invaluable and much harder to balance compared to things like 10% haste for 10 seconds on 2 min CD. I could easily see all melee changing to BS if something like that went through
That's why I think the cosmetic and QoL talents could work but the dps and gameplay affecting ones couldn't.

[DarthMonk79]

That was awesome. Would have to think up some ideas for the other profession, can't off the top of my head. Only one I can think of is for all crafting professions to have that the Set Up shop one should be passive and you actually make the money people use to repair. I had always wished they'd do that with the repair mounts. It would make sense being a blacksmith, tailor, leather-worker that you should be able to repair peoples gear and get money from it. Especially since now and days unless its a over the top epic armor/wep/mount you really don't make much money from professions anymore. Dungeons, LFD rewards, etc are all better than what is normally crafted.

[Drilnos]

I could see that happening for tier 2, because tier 2 is basically what engineers have right now. But things like tier 5 could never be balanced. Extra passive movement speed or an additional gap closer? Those kind of things are invaluable and much harder to balance compared to things like 10% haste for 10 seconds on 2 min CD. I could easily see all melee changing to BS if something like that went through
That's why I think the cosmetic and QoL talents could work but the dps and gameplay affecting ones couldn't.

The idea is that every primary profession, even the gathering ones, would have a tree like that with a dps and a defensive and a movement tier and whatever else they could be themed around, and possibly sharing cooldowns. So you'd have a choice between, say, the Blacksmithing tier 2, or an Herbalism tier 2 like

Tier 2 - Requires 375 Herbalism Skill

Deadly Nightshade
Infuse your next ability or spell with poison herbs, dealing an additional X nature damage over 10 seconds. If infused into a heal, it will have a therapeutic effect, healing X damage over 10 seconds. 1 minute cooldown.

Bramblescar
Cause a thorny vine to erupt from the ground under the target, dealing X damage. 1 minute cooldown.

Spore Cloud
Every spell and ability has a chance to enshroud the target in a cloud of spores for 5 seconds, doing X damage or healing per second to everything in an 8 yard radius. 1 RPPM.

...or any of the other professions and they'd all be roughly balanced against each other. I had a defensive and a movement tier because Engineering can do those things too, with the defensive bubble and the target dummy and the glider and the rocket belt. But it's all fluid, nothing's really set in stone with it.

[Deleted]

I could see that happening for tier 2, because tier 2 is basically what engineers have right now. But things like tier 5 could never be balanced. Extra passive movement speed or an additional gap closer? Those kind of things are invaluable and much harder to balance compared to things like 10% haste for 10 seconds on 2 min CD. I could easily see all melee changing to BS if something like that went through
That's why I think the cosmetic and QoL talents could work but the dps and gameplay affecting ones couldn't.

but they could counterbalance the talents by having similar talent sets for all professions, then you can offset them against each other leading to a greater option setup, so if all professions had tier 2 as stats and tier 5 as movement, it would work out.

[Drilnos]

it is a good idea as with the talents they could bake in the profession benefits and take away the whole "professions X and Y are needed to raid optimally" but they would need to be careful to do it in a way that doesn't step on the toes of other professions, for example the repair shop and anvil would be counter productive when Engineers need to farm mats to do both of those things, with repair bots needing quite a bit and the anvils being a consumable and tradable. so you would need to be really careful with the choices to not make other profession "toys" irrelevant.

Ideally the Thermal Anvil would become one of Engineering's talents as well, just a differently-flavored way to do the same thing. Or they could get a talent that makes a Thermal Anvil item which can be traded or used. A lot of Engineering's tricks would move into the tree - the glove, belt and cloak tinkers are prime candidates, since you already have to pick one out of a list for each gear slot. The mailbox, various teleporters and droppable robots would probably stay as items though, though having both a Jeeves and a Repair Station talent could work for the profession as well, making sure they remain the kings of item repair.

[The Stormbringer]

I love the idea, but what would it go towards? Just crafting professions, or all Primary professions? I could also see them maybe paring it down to two choices per tier, and minimize any percentage bonuses to a minimum.

[Drilnos]

I love the idea, but what would it go towards? Just crafting professions, or all Primary professions? I could also see them maybe paring it down to two choices per tier, and minimize any percentage bonuses to a minimum.

I answer the first...with this!


Herbalism

Tier 1 - Requires 300 Herbalism Skill

Dextrous Fingers
Herb gathering time is reduced by 50%.

Herbal Lore
Each plant has a 10% chance of containing an extra herb from a different plant. Procs separately from the guild perk.

Miracle Grow
Plant a seed and watch a harvestable plant native to your current location grow right before your eyes. 2 second cast, 5 minute cooldown.

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Tier 2 - Requires 375 Herbalism Skill

Remedy
Apply an herbal liniment, increasing haste, crit or mastery (whichever is highest) by X for 20 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

Bramblescar
Cause a thorny vine to erupt from the ground under the target, dealing X damage. 1 minute cooldown.

Spore Cloud
Every spell and ability has a chance to enshroud the target in a cloud of spores for 5 seconds, doing X damage or healing per second to everything in an 8 yard radius. 1 RPPM.

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Tier 3 - Requires 450 Herbalism Skill

Thornwatch
Enshroud yourself in thorny branches, absorbing 5% of incoming damage and reflecting it back at the attacker for 10 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Lifeblood
Absorb energy and nutrients from the earth to instantly heal X damage from yourself. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Flash Nut
Throw a nut of the Northern Ekud Tree to the ground, releasing a blinding flash to disorient all enemies within 8 yards for 3 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

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Tier 4 - Requires 525 Herbalism Skill

Lifebinder's Regrowth
Your character's feet come aflame for 5 minutes, leaving behind scorched footprints which bloom with plants and flowers. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

Twig of the World Tree
Plant a seed which slowly grows into a sprout of Nordrassil, sparkling with soft inner light and changing the background music in the immediate area to Nightsong. The tree lives for 3 minutes. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

Emerald Dream
Your character turns green and translucent, and constantly sheds falling leaves for 10 minutes. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

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Tier 5 - Requires 600 Herbalism Skill

Lasher's Grip
Lash out at a target within 25 yards with long vines, pulling yourself to its location. 3 minute cooldown.

Leaf on the Wind
Glide on a giant leaf, slowing your descent and traveling at increased forward speed. Only usable in the air. 3 minute cooldown.

Floral Infusion
Abilities and spell casts increase movement speed by 1% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 12 times. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects. Passive effect.


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And as for the second, two choices per tier would be fine. Honestly it's only three in this concept to try to cram as many of engineering's tinkers as can fit into the structure. It would also be conceivable that you would have to choose one profession's tree out of the two you have available to you, or have both professions' options shown in the same view so you have to choose one of six options per tier. It would make it easier to balance, to be sure.

[Deleted]

I think, we have already seen polite requests to reroll a profession because bonus from profession A was 0.05% better / worse than profession B.
Recall WotLK and saronite grenades in rouge rotation.

On the other hand I love the Idea and would like to see it implemented. Regardless of what Blizz keeps saying: no choices < illusionary choices < less choices < more choices

I can actually add a couple of my suggestions:

Blacksmithing: 750 [Armour rack] - Builds an rackfor your armour. The rack can store 8 pieces of armour for slots: head, shoulders, chest, wrists, hands, waists, legs, feet. You cannot remove or replace the items, but you can use the rack to transmogrify all of your current equipment. Right click to place the full armour for 10 minutes, 1h cooldown. Lasts 24 hours, if placed in the Sunsong Ranch or your Garrnison. Placing an item into the rack causes it becomes soulbound and non-refundable.

"You need rack for leather or cloth? You go speak to tailor or leatherworker. Me work with steel!"

Mining 300: [Tools of choice] - Replaces your weapon graphics by pickaxe / dual wielded pickaxes for 10 minutes. Also adds a stylish quarry helmet. 1 hour cooldown. Cosmetic only.

Herbalism 300: [One with the nature] - Grass and herbs grow from your hair and bread. Cosmetic only. "Watch for birds looking for a nice nest spot!"

Jewelcrafting 150: [Shinees!] - You sometimes find extra valuable items from monsters. [passive]
Jewelcrafting 300: [Taste the rainbow!] - Socketing an item makes it appear in a colour of the inserted gems. [passive] "So you think that transmogrification is passe?"
Jewelcrafting 600: [Purple is so... common] - Teaches you how to cut colour gems, These gems do not have stats, but can be used to alter the colour of the socketed item. [passive] "Crismon mageroyal or Fiery spark? I can't decide! "

Tailoring 600: [Nearly a Picasso] - Teaches you how to dye your cloth armour with new colours! Suitable for transmogrification, but self use only. Passive.

Inscription 300: [Shh! I'm trying to think here!] - Places a magical glyph over your head. Does not increase your intellect like Arcane Brillance, but at least does not dissappear, at least not until 10 minutes,

Inscription 600: [Do not disturb!] - Places a magical glyph on the ground preventing enemies from entering into it. The glyph lasts 10 seconds (3 sec in PvP zones), 5 meters radius, 5 minutes cooldown

First aid 300: [Where's my mummy?] - Turn yourself into a mummy for 10 minutes. Cosmetic only. "You slightly overdid with the bandages!".

Skinning: 300 [Trophy!] - After skinning a beast, you place its head as a trophy on top of your helmet for 5 minutes. Passive. Cosmetic only. "Keep out from D.E.T.H.A. while showing off with this"

Enchanting: 150 [Even more dust] - You sometimes find enchanting dust on monsters.
Enchanting: 300 [They're so heavy] - Enchants your shoulder armour to became invisible. Can be used with other shoulder enchants and overrides transmogrification. Cosmetic and self-use only. "Why? Because it's fun!"
Enchanting: 600 [What's that spinning around your sleeve?] - Teaches you how to enchant your armour to give amazing visual effects. They don't actually do anything, but nobody knows. Can be used with regular enchants. "Butterflies around your helmet, bats hanging on shoulders, burning gloves, electrified cloak, fel footsteps..."

[The Stormbringer]

Throw this idea at them for the next Xpack, Drilnos. XD

[Blithe]

Creative ideas, but I feel the discrepancies between professions is already too unbalanced to warrant more (much more!) customization such as this.

[Drilnos]

I think, we have already seen polite requests to reroll a profession because bonus from profession A was 0.05% better / worse than profession B.
Recall WotLK and saronite grenades in rouge rotation.

On the other hand I love the Idea and would like to see it implemented. Regardless of what Blizz keeps saying: no choices < illusionary choices < less choices < more choices

I can actually add a couple of my suggestions:

Blacksmithing: 750 [Armour rack] - Builds an rackfor your armour. The rack can store 8 pieces of armour for slots: head, shoulders, chest, wrists, hands, waists, legs, feet. You cannot remove or replace the items, but you can use the rack to transmogrify all of your current equipment. Right click to place the full armour for 10 minutes, 1h cooldown. Lasts 24 hours, if placed in the Sunsong Ranch or your Garrnison. Placing an item into the rack causes it becomes soulbound and non-refundable.

"You need rack for leather or cloth? You go speak to tailor or leatherworker. Me work with steel!"

Mining 300: [Tools of choice] - Replaces your weapon graphics by pickaxe / dual wielded pickaxes for 10 minutes. Also adds a stylish quarry helmet. 1 hour cooldown. Cosmetic only.

Herbalism 300: [One with the nature] - Grass and herbs grow from your hair and bread. Cosmetic only. "Watch for birds looking for a nice nest spot!"

Jewelcrafting 150: [Shinees!] - You sometimes find extra valuable items from monsters. [passive]
Jewelcrafting 300: [Taste the rainbow!] - Socketing an item makes it appear in a colour of the inserted gems. [passive] "So you think that transmogrification is passe?"
Jewelcrafting 600: [Purple is so... common] - Teaches you how to cut colour gems, These gems do not have stats, but can be used to alter the colour of the socketed item. [passive] "Crismon mageroyal or Fiery spark? I can't decide! "

Tailoring 600: [Nearly a Picasso] - Teaches you how to dye your cloth armour with new colours! Suitable for transmogrification, but self use only. Passive.

Inscription 300: [Shh! I'm trying to think here!] - Places a magical glyph over your head. Does not increase your intellect like Arcane Brillance, but at least does not dissappear, at least not until 10 minutes,

Inscription 600: [Do not disturb!] - Places a magical glyph on the ground preventing enemies from entering into it. The glyph lasts 10 seconds (3 sec in PvP zones), 5 meters radius, 5 minutes cooldown

First aid 300: [Where's my mummy?] - Turn yourself into a mummy for 10 minutes. Cosmetic only. "You slightly overdid with the bandages!".

Skinning: 300 [Trophy!] - After skinning a beast, you place its head as a trophy on top of your helmet for 5 minutes. Passive. Cosmetic only. "Keep out from D.E.T.H.A. while showing off with this"

Enchanting: 150 [Even more dust] - You sometimes find enchanting dust on monsters.
Enchanting: 300 [They're so heavy] - Enchants your shoulder armour to became invisible. Can be used with other shoulder enchants and overrides transmogrification. Cosmetic and self-use only. "Why? Because it's fun!"
Enchanting: 600 [What's that spinning around your sleeve?] - Teaches you how to enchant your armour to give amazing visual effects. They don't actually do anything, but nobody knows. Can be used with regular enchants. "Butterflies around your helmet, bats hanging on shoulders, burning gloves, electrified cloak, fel footsteps..."

There are some really good ones in here. Only ones I'd be iffy about are the armor dyes and other ones that would require a whole new interface to be built rather than one button. Those would probably be more suited to a different new profession system. That first aid one is great too, but I think if they threw in trees for all of the secondary professions, that would be a bridge too far. Those should probably have cosmetic abilities only, if any.

Creative ideas, but I feel the discrepancies between professions is already too unbalanced to warrant more (much more!) customization such as this.

I think this would actually be somewhat easier for them to balance than their current setup, because it is a type of homogenization. It's applying Engineering's perk model to every profession, rather than have four or five different perk models all trying to come to the same result. It's easier to tune active abilities against active abilities, rather than throwing static boosts and variable gem setups into the mix. It would be an additional layer of complexity to deal with, but they'd be replacing a different set of balancing problems with it, one which they've historically had not much success reconciling. Maybe they'd have better luck with this one.

Great stuff there. If nothing else, some profession should really have perks, like tailors being able to repair cloth armour, BS plate and mail etc. (for free), faster smelt / craft times or gathering times at an advanced level. Hell..at least a "smelt everyhing in my bag" button.

I agree. Professions have been mostly unchanged since WoW's release. It's about time they got jazzed up a bit in some way. Maybe not in this exact way, but some way.

I think I'll do another one today. Maybe Tailoring.

...

Yup. Tailoring.

- - - Updated - - -

Tailoring

Tier 1 - Requires 300 Tailoring Skill

Eye for Quality
You have a chance to find 50% more cloth from any humanoid.

Bazaar
Set up a stand where you act as a repair vendor for 5 minutes, and can sell goods such as dyes and threads. 30 minute cooldown.

Magical Loom
Place a magical loom on the ground, which speeds the crafting of Tailored items by 50% and allows the craft of any specialty cloths which require specific locations. The loom lasts for 10 minutes. 1 day cooldown.

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Tier 2 - Requires 375 Tailoring Skill

Blessing of Mooncloth
Invoke the secrets of the Moonwells, increasing spell power or attack power (whichever is highest) by X for 15 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Frozen Shadoweave
Deepen your attunement to the Altar of Shadows for 10 seconds, causing 5% of all damage and healing you do to be copied to an additional nearby target. 1 minute cooldown.

Spellfire Weaver
Your knowledge of arcane tailoring grants your spells and abilities a chance to summon an Angered Nether-Wraith to attack your enemies with arcane missiles for 10 seconds. 1 RPPM.

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Tier 3 - Requires 450 Tailoring Skill

Sword's Guard
Replace your cloak with a Swordguard Mantle, reducing damage taken from physical attacks by 15% for 10 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

Web of the Crypt Lord
Throw a net of Nerubian silk at an enemy up to 15 yards away, freezing it in place for up to 5 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

Darkglow Embroidery
Activate a Darkglow embroidery in your gear, causing you to fade into the background and increase dodge by X for 10 seconds. 1.5 minute cooldown.

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Tier 4 - Requires 525 Tailoring Skill

Embersilk of Beth'tilac
Irritate strands of the Cinderweb Queen's silk woven into your gear, transforming your chestpiece to look like the Black Embersilk Gown and causing you to occasionally glow red and emit blasts of harmless flame for 5 minutes. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

Archmage's Hat
Summon a floating Archmage's Hat to act as your familiar. Occasionally a disembodied voice will echo from its ornate folds. Cosmetic effect only.

Tailor's Mysterious Pack
Your character wears a large backpack for 10 minutes, covered with cloth bolts and draped with lengths of cloth. Occasionally the clasped opening of the bag will glow white, black or arcane purple, and begin trailing motes of that color. 30 minute cooldown. Cosmetic effect only.

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Tier 5 - Requires 600 Tailoring Skill

Threads of Fate
Ensnare a target within 25 yards with threads, restricting it to base running speed for 5 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.

The Emperor's Old Clothes
Don the Vestments of Shaohao for 5 seconds, becoming ethereal and increasing run speed by 70%. 3 minute cooldown.

Lightweave Boots
A lightweave embroidery in your boots causes movement speed to increase by 2% per second while moving, stacking up to 6 times. The effect is cleared when movement stops. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects. Passive effect.

[Deleted]

That all is very interesting but blizz is cutting 20% abilities for wod, but you want bring so much new spells in game. I still like your approach with giving some utility with professions instead of raw stats