One way to solve all problems of the DK class at once without reinventing it

[Deleted]

So I had the idea to write down the minimum that would have to be done to fix all DK issues I could think of, while also changing as few things as possible. Unfortunately the list is still rather long, not because these changes are so complicated, but because DKs just have so many issues.

Please note: The changes I mention are not intended to be the only/optimal solution. They are intended to provide an overview over the problems DKs are currently facing, and to show how much work would be required to fix them all without reinventing the DK class completely. All numbers mentioned are (of course) not balanced and should only be considered as rough guesses to where these numbers might be. All changes are designed on top of the planned changes for WoD.
All of the changes I mention (with the exception of the talent section) are intended to be minimal changes while still fixing all issues.


1. General changes

a) presences reworked
Our presences being mandatory for the respective spec does not create any sort of gameplay, which is why they should be changed to be beneficial to all specs:
The offensive effects (and the defensive effects of blood presence for blood) should be made baseline for the respective spec. The presences themselves only keep their utility effects, and you should not be able to change presences during combat.
UH Presence should increase movement speed by 20%
Frost Presence should reduce the duration of (most) debuffs by 10%
Blood Presence should grant the DK 5% Leech
This way you'd change presences based on the situation without feeling the need to stance dance.

b) haste scaling changed
Currently, haste increases our resource regeneration, as is the case with most melee classes, however our specific resource system has some problems because of this. Our runes have to scale a certain amount in order for haste to be valuable, the base regeneration time cannot be too low in order to prevent enormous downtime, and it can not be too high so it is impossible (or very unlikely) to gcd-cap. Unfortunately, these three goals are incompatible, at least one of these goals has to be broken, and currently it's the one about gcd-capping, because that has the least negative effects on the class. In order to fix this problem, haste should no longer increase rune regeneration, but fulfill a different purpose, based on spec. Since gcd-capping is no longer an issue, we can once again have a 1.5s gcd, which fits the DK theme a lot more (DW frost being the only exception to this. I'll get to this later).
Haste should affect diseases, and also do the following things for the respective specs:
For Unholy, haste affecting diseases should be enough to keep it valuable
For Frost, haste should increase the proc chances of Rime, KM and CG
For Blood, haste should lower the gcd (I'll get to the benefit of that later), as well as reduce the cd of RT.

c) movement
DKs have the theme of an unstoppable force that slowly but steadily carves a path through its foes. As such, DKs shouldn't have any sprint-like abilities. Unfortunately this gives DKs a huge disadvantage in PvE, since a lot of boss mechanics require movement speed increases. In order to add movement capabilities to DKs without interfering with their theme, only a few changes need to be made:
DA baseline. DA fits the DK theme perfectly by adding a slight but permanent movement increase (as opposed to a speed boost), while also making them more resilient against slows. However, I would like the active effect to change from a slight speed boost to a complete immunity against movement impairing effects.
For situations which still require more movement speed, the reworked Unholy Presence should be sufficient

d) Raid Utility
DKs lack a bit in terms of raid utility compared to other classes. To address this, our Presences should once again affect our party members (not including the DK himself). Frost and Unholy should get AMZ as a baseline raid cd.
Unholy Presence should increase the movement speed of all party members by 10%.
Frost Presence should reduce the duration of movement impairing effects on party members by 5%.
Blood Presence should grant all party members 3% Leech.

e) Diseases
As has been pointed out numerous times, diseases no longer fulfill much purpose for DKs, and there defiantly is no need for either spec to have 2 diseases, which is why each spec should only have one, which should deal more damage to compensate. Outbreak, IT and PS should be removed, because they are no longer needed.
Blood should only have BP left, and BB should automatically apply BP to all targets hit.
Frost should only have FF left, which will still be applied by HB.
Unholy should have NP baseline, making Festerblight the only available rotation for unholy. SS should automatically apply NP, and reapplying doesn't do anything (neither reset duration nor add a stack)

f) Runeforges
With WoD we are even more bound to a specific runeforge for each spec, so there is no point in having to manually apply it to each new weapon you get, which is why runeforges as a concept should be completely removed, and the intended runeforge added as a passive to each spec:
SSG for blood
FC for unholy
CG for frost, RI removed
While this change would require DKs to use weapon enchants as well, I believe it is for the better overall. Of course it would be possible to only enable one specific runeforge for each spec (and make CG have a reduced proc chance for dw), I don't see a reason why DKs should not require weapon enchants like any other class (since that is basically the only use of the runeforge system now).


2. Talents

Our talents are one of the most criticized aspects of the DK class, and need to be greatly reworked. Some of the talent rows need to be replaced completely, and every idea for new talents I'm giving here are nothing more than my ideas for these tiers, but should NOT be considered the only option, or even a preferable option. I'm just throwing random ideas around because I just didn't want to state "Scrap all DK talents and start new from scratch" (but basically this is what has to be done).

Tier 1: Disease Application
This tier has a lot of problems. Plaguebearer is not useful without also picking NP (the only one who benefits from it are frost DKs, but the benefit of not having to reapply BP is extremely small), PL is mandatory for frost DKs while being useless to unholy. UB has the exact same problem as PB, as diseases can be spread by blood and unholy DKs using BB/Pest without a cd, and the benefit of spreading BP as frost is too small to compete against PL.
This tier needs to be completely scrapped and replaced by something new.
- Wandering Plague: Each time your disease deals damage it has a chance to erupt, dealing Y% of its damage to all targets nearby.
- Crypt Fever: Your OB, DS and SS have a chance to apply Crypt Fever, which deals damage over 6 seconds
- Infected wounds: Every time your diseases deal damage there is a chance to summon a corpse worm, which will attack your enemies for 10 seconds.

Tier 2: Damage mitigation
This tier lacks from a clear identity, it also contains our only raid cd. Each talent on its own doesn't have problems, but they don't fit together. I like Purgatory, since as a Death Knight, having a ability that revolves around your death is very theme appropriate, which is why my proposed talents extend that idea to a complete talent row.
AMZ baseline
- Purgatory: should heal you to 20% health once the absorb got healed through.
- Depends on spec:
Frost/Unholy: Shadow of Death: When you die you come back as a ghoul for 15s
Blood: Will of the Necropolis (No longer Baseline): When below 20% health all damage taken is reduced by 20% and your DS heals for an additional 20%
- Mark of Blood: Marks an enemy with Blood for 5s. If you would take fatal damage while the mark is active, that damage is instead dealt to the marked target (up to a maximum of 50% of your health). 2min CD.

Tier 3: Control
This tier is actually quite OK, DA just doesn't fit. As I said, DA should be baseline and replaced with something else in this row. Chillblains and Asphyxiate are fine.
- Unholy Command: Reduces the CD of Death Grip by 10s. DG also roots the target in place for 3s.

Tier 4: Rune regeneration
Well, I think we all know what the problems with this tier are so I won't have to explain that. There are ways to repair all three talents without replacing them, but I'd prefer to have a traditional resource regeneration tier like other classes.
- Runic Empowerment (No longer Baseline): Immediately activates all your runes. 2min cd.
- BT: Instantly activates a fully depleted rune as a death rune. 2 Charges, 30s recharge time.
- Merciless combat: Your successful auto attacks have a chance (lower for dw frost) to make your next DS, FeS or OB cost no runes

Tier 5: Self healing
A lot of problems with this tier. Conversion feels awkward because it slows down your rotation, also it's difficult to balance and most of the time not an option for blood. DSi is not a valid choice for Blood, and DP is mandatory for blood. It's obvious the talents need to be special cased for the different specs.
- Death Pact: Heals for 50% of your health, but causes you to lose 5% health for the next 5 seconds. This damage can not be reduced or absorbed.
- Depends on Spec:
Blood: Might of Mograine: Your DS heals for 10% more.
Frost: Guile of Gorefiend: DS now deals as much damage as OB.
Unholy: Rage of Rivendare: DS now spreads NP and extends its duration.
- Depends on Spec:
Blood: Blood Gorged: Reduces the cd of RT by 10s, the cd of VB by 20s and increases the number of charges on your bone shield by 3.
Unholy: Death Siphon: Replaces SS with DSi. DSi deals the same average damage as SS, but also heals you for 100% of the damage it deals.
Frost: Conversion: Every point of RP that you spend heals you for X% of your health

Tier 6: Utility
This tier is in a pretty good spot and just needs some tweaks.
- Gorefiend's Grasp: Can be targeted on the ground, taunts for blood when you target it on your position.
- Remorseless Winter: Slows by 20% each second, stun occurs after 3 stacks as opposed to 5. Also reduces your damage taken by 3% every second.
- Desecrated Ground: 15 yd radius, instantly roots every enemy inside it for 3 seconds, and afterwards has a chance to randomly root enemies inside it for 3 seconds.

Tier 7: Damage
This tier, while thematically awesome, has serious mechanical issues. The talents need to be special-cased for all three specs, where Blood gains no offensive benefit from these talents. NP should be baseline for Unholy (see below).
- Depends on Spec:
Frost/Unholy: Defile: Replaces DnD, deals increased damage and increases in size and damage every second.
Blood: Defile: Your DnD now reduces the damage done to you by all targets standing in it by 10%.
- Depends on Spec:
Frost: Breath of Sindragosa: Your FS deals 40% less damage to your primary target, but deals an additional 100% damage, which is spread evenly among all targets in front of you.
Unholy: Pain and Suffering: Replaces DC, dealing 50% more damage, spread evenly among all targets in front of you.
Blood: Rune of Blood: Marks an enemy with the rune of blood. You are healed for 100% of the damage you deal to the marked target. Lasts 6 seconds, 2 minute cd.
- Depends on Spec:
Frost: Frozen Rune Weapon: Your melee attacks and OB deal an additional 20% Frost damage
Unholy: Ravenous Dead: Your SS have a 10% chance to summon a skeleton to attack your target
Blood: Blood Mirror: Links your soul to that of the target. While active, all damage either of you takes is split evenly among you, but both of you take 10% increased damage. Lasts until cancelled.

As I said, these are just random ideas, and I don't expect any of these to actually become reality. Our whole talent tree just needs to be reworked in some way, this would be one option.


3. Frost

Now that Blood got a lot of changes on Beta, Frost has the most issues of all three specs: Haste scaling, differences between 2h and dw, KM ignored, no valuable secondary stats and so on. Therefore Frost needs the biggest changes to solve all issues, and unfortunately the spec plays different than before (actually that's not really unfortunate, now that I think of it).

a) 2H vs DW:
This has been an issue ever since this distinction first came up, and it appears it will continue to be until the sub specs are merged. However, Blizz stated they want the two to play differently, and as it turns out there is a way to merge them while keeping them different, and furthermore keeping the identity of the respective sub specs. The idea is that both dw and 2h use the same abilities, rotation, and stat priority, but dw simply playing 50% faster than 2h. If our rune regeneration doesn't scale with haste, this is no longer a problem:
2h has a 1.5s gcd whereas dw has a 1s gcd, and 2h has a 50% lower rune regeneration, but deals 50% increased damage.
Both specs should use the "masterfrost" rotation (use death runes on HB, frost and uh runes on OB).

b) KM and crit:
KM has three major issues: one is that it is basically ignored, the other is that it procs from auto attacks, and the last that it devalues crit. All three of these can be addressed with a simple change:
KM should no longer proc on auto attacks but have a 40% chance to proc on FS (for both 2h and dw), and instead of making the next FS/OB a guaranteed crit it should increase the damage of your next OB/HB by 40%.
In order for KM to no longer be ignored the buff should only last for 2 seconds. This way you will delay your FS until you have enough runes to HB/OB directly after it.

c) Haste
If haste no longer increases your rune regeneration it has to have a different effect. For Frost this would be an increased proc chance for Rime, KM and CG (in addition to FF scaling with haste).

d) Mastery
Since mastery is the cause of a lot of issues, mainly mastersimple, I'd like to see it changed to something different, while keeping it as the "aoe" stat:
Every time your FF deals damage there is a chance the target will be impaled by an icicle, dealing X(based on mastery) frost damage


4. Unholy

From all three specs, unholy has the least pressing issues, the only ones being the slow ramp up (which seems to be intentional) as well as runes desyncing/orphaned frost runes.

a) Diseases
Unholy is the disease centered spec, and to shift its focus even more on diseases, NP should be baseline for unholy, making Festerblight the intended play style.

b) Ramp up
Currently, DT causes a long ramp up time at low haste levels. NP would further increase that. It seems this is intentional, so I don't think it should be removed completely, but it can certainly be lowered. For this goal, DT should be independent from Shadow Infusion, but have a 1 minute CD. Shadow Infusion should be left unchanged, but disabled during DT (just like it currently does)

c) Runes
As a QoL change, DS should cost 1B1F for unholy to match up with FeS.
To solve the issue of orphaned Frost runes during AoE. This is easily done by making BB also turn a Frost rune (without consuming it) into a Death rune


5. Blood

A lot of Bloods mechanical issues have been fixed on beta, unfortunately blood also lost a lot of its gameplay and identity in the process. Especially disliked was the removal of HS, which a lot of DKs thought of as unnecessary. Until we know how the changes to blood on beta turn out, mechanics wise, I won't propose any changes to their mitigation like it is on beta.

a) Haste and HS
As I mentioned in the beginning, our runes should no longer scale with haste. In order for Haste to still be beneficial, blood should get a free filler spell that reduces the damage taken and haste should lower the gcd so you can use that filler spell more often.
(The reason haste can not simply lower the cd of your defensive abilities is exactly the reason readiness didn't make it as a secondary stat: Its value would be dependent on the length of a boss encounter. IBF has a 3 minute cd, let's assume a boss encounter that lasts 7 minutes. In these 7 minutes, you can use IBF 3 times. Now if you had enough haste to reduce IBFs CD by 20s, you'd still only be able to use IBF 3 times. All that haste would be wasted. The same goes for every other cd you have. You'd not only end up with haste breakpoints for each individual cd, but also for each boss, and depending on your raid group. Haste would simply make a very unreliable secondary stat. So lower gcd and filler spell it is. )
This filler spell could easily be HS, it just needs damage reduction component.
HS should be free, hit 3 targets just like it does currently, but also reduce the damage targets hit deal to you by 3% for 10s, while using the same rolling behavior as the improved DC perk.

[Nangz]

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