Shaman Suggestions.

[Sebsmash]

What changes would you most like to see for your spec? I play ele and resto, I would like to see.

1. Lava Beam spreads Flame Shock to targets hit if main target has Flame Shock applied.

2. Players who are in Healing Rain will recieve a HoT when moving out for 8 seconds healing for X% of the amount healed while standing in Healing Rain.

3. Earthquake now disarms target for x seconds.

4. Searing Totem now has splash damage on impact.

5. Bulwark Totem now encases you in a mound of earth with x% of your life for x seconds, must be chipped away to resume assault.

These may be too outrageous to consider, but ive always found myself wanting them.

[Sammoura]

What changes would you most like to see for your spec? I play ele and resto, I would like to see.

1. Lava Beam spreads Flame Shock to targets hit if main target has Flame Shock applied.

2. Players who are in Healing Rain will recieve a HoT when moving out for 8 seconds healing for X% of the amount healed while standing in Healing Rain.

3. Earthquake now disarms target for x seconds.

4. Searing Totem now has splash damage on impact.

5. Bulwark Totem now encases you in a mound of earth with x% of your life for x seconds, must be chipped away to resume assault.

These may be too outrageous to consider, but ive always found myself wanting them.

Our AoE damage is already phenominal, even though we use a cleaved ability (Chain Lightning)

Having Flame Shock spread to mobs chained by Lava Beam would mean Lava Burst 24/7. Way too many lava surge procs, since you're going to be having 5+ Flame shocks.

Searing Totem having Splash Damage is like Magma Totem.

[Aleksej89]

EQuake made into something useful in PvE - ANYTHING...

Resto getting proper tools for healing SPREAD TARGETS.

Both Elem and Enha being more viable in PvP, outside of gimmick compositions - more defense, more controlled and sustained damage, more CC and even more mobility.

Either allow Shamans to tank or completely remove spells like Rockbiter - and compensate survival in PvP in a less gimmick way.

Make totems spawn closer to each other, not in that silly square pattern with 10 yard between each other.

Make Enha's aoe less retarded, by doubling increasing the damage and cooldown of Fire Nova - and making both Lava Lash and Storm Strike spread Flame Shock DoT (cap the amount of FIre Nova rings that can happen at once).

Make level 90 talents actually useful to all 3 specs - currently every shaman spec has a "do not even look at this lvl90 talent" situation.

Proper feral wolf scaling, as well as pet and totem scaling improved.

Some cosmetic minor glyphs, changing our totems to look like other race's totems, changing the looks of our elementals or wolves, changing our spell color to "twilight hammer purple/violet", changing how weapon enhancements look like on our weapons...

[Radux]

I've been keeping a wish list of sorts of my ideal Shaman class (sort of).
- Some stuff is likely too powerful.
- Some stuff is just to my personal liking, and others may not enjoy.
- I linked this several months ago, so apologies if you've already seen a good chunk of this.

clicky


EDIT: Whoops, had it set to private. Link should work now.

[Endus]

What changes would you most like to see for your spec? I play ele and resto, I would like to see.

1. Lava Beam spreads Flame Shock to targets hit if main target has Flame Shock applied.

Not really necessary; our cleave is already strong, it doesn't need to be OMGAMAZINGSAUCE.

4. Searing Totem now has splash damage on impact.

That's what Magma Totem is for.


FWIW, my wish list for the class is as follows;

1> Earthquake reworked; damage increased so that it's a DPS increase over CL at ~4 targets in the zone, the cast has a 100% chance of knockdown on all targets in the radius when cast, with the current 10% chance to knock down every subsequent tick. This makes it worthwhile in PvE, for damage alone, and PvP, as a CC tool. Cast time remains, because it's powerful enough to be worth it now, and because an instant-cast AoE knockdown in PvP would be ridiculous.

2> Elemental needs Searing Totem to not be boring. Right now it's a 60-second DoT that doesn't even require re-targeting when the current target dies. It shouldn't be the same "fix" that Enh has, where it buffs damage on another ability, though; that's too "samey". My recommendation would be to re-introduce the idea of perma-elementals for Elemental, and having Elemental simply use FET all the time. Have the passive that removes that CD also reduce the power of the Elementals by 20-30%, enough that it's not much of a DPS increase over using ST (but enough of one you wouldn't use ST, outside niche situations like air phases or the like). Rework Primal Elementalist for Elemental so that its effect has a 5 minute cooldown; you get one boosted Primal Elemental (unaffected by the prior passive) every 5 minutes, same as other Shaman specs. That prevents PE and AS becoming the go-to Elemental talent picks.

3> Resto needs something. IMO a lot of the HPS complaints miss the point, but that doesn't mean Resto's "fine". Healing Rain likely needs a bigger radius, Chain Heal potentially needs a bigger jump range as well; if our AoEs were less "stacky" but still kind of "stacky", that would be a big help, IMO.

There's also potential for a complete rework. If I were to do that, I'd create a Shaman tank spec (Earth Warden, for a name)(and I think every class should get a 4th spec, eventually), and have it wield 2-handers. Damage mitigation would be via elemental shields and Parry/Dodge primarily; Stone Shield with straight damage absorption and Earth Shield shared with Resto, for instance (the former being a CD). While offhand shields would be a temptation, you can get around that by tying absorption amounts to damage dealt, and giving a passive Armor boost when wielding a two-hander to make up that difference. At the same time, rework the totem system completely; all the effects should be radius effects, requiring placement, and summonable at range (totemic projection baked in, basically), they should be killable but also carry backlash effects when destroyed. Capacitor Totem, for instance, carrying an AoE stun, but if killed, explodes for respectable damage. Return them to 5hp; the choice to kill or not would be based on the consequences, not the action of killing them. Also expand totems somewhat; add new "totem variants" for certain spells, like a Purge totem that automatically Purges opponents within 15 yards, pulsing every 5 seconds. Totem variants would lock down your spell while they're active and your cooldown would trigger when they expire; if you toss a Purge totem, you can't Purge while it's up, you're basically investing your spell into a totem that is both more powerful in executing it, but also more limited in range and mobility.

[Deleted]

1> Earthquake reworked; damage increased so that it's a DPS increase over CL at ~4 targets in the zone, the cast has a 100% chance of knockdown on all targets in the radius when cast, with the current 10% chance to knock down every subsequent tick. This makes it worthwhile in PvE, for damage alone, and PvP, as a CC tool. Cast time remains, because it's powerful enough to be worth it now, and because an instant-cast AoE RANGED knockdown in PvP would be ridiculous.

Cause if its melee it not an issue it seems, well if you look @ leg sweep from monks...

Well for me its:

1) Some more Earth-like spell, like Earthen Spike or Boulder Throw.
2) A defensive Stun, not on a countdown or something. Just to get out of Dodge when a shit storm is comming.
3) Silence protection in Ascendance, NOT interrupt protection, but only school lock out protection...
4) Roots from Earthgrab that don't break on dmg.
5) Lowered cooldown on Hex
6) A better Resto option for Tier 90 talents.

There's also potential for a complete rework. If I were to do that, I'd create a Shaman tank spec (Earth Warden, for a name)(and I think every class should get a 4th spec, eventually), and have it wield 2-handers. Damage mitigation would be via elemental shields and Parry/Dodge primarily; Stone Shield with straight damage absorption and Earth Shield shared with Resto, for instance (the former being a CD). While offhand shields would be a temptation, you can get around that by tying absorption amounts to damage dealt, and giving a passive Armor boost when wielding a two-hander to make up that difference. At the same time, rework the totem system completely; all the effects should be radius effects, requiring placement, and summonable at range (totemic projection baked in, basically), they should be killable but also carry backlash effects when destroyed. Capacitor Totem, for instance, carrying an AoE stun, but if killed, explodes for respectable damage. Return them to 5hp; the choice to kill or not would be based on the consequences, not the action of killing them. Also expand totems somewhat; add new "totem variants" for certain spells, like a Purge totem that automatically Purges opponents within 15 yards, pulsing every 5 seconds. Totem variants would lock down your spell while they're active and your cooldown would trigger when they expire; if you toss a Purge totem, you can't Purge while it's up, you're basically investing your spell into a totem that is both more powerful in executing it, but also more limited in range and mobility.

Ohh Yes, i like!!!

[Lavindar]

There's also potential for a complete rework. If I were to do that, I'd create a Shaman tank spec (Earth Warden, for a name)(and I think every class should get a 4th spec, eventually), and have it wield 2-handers. Damage mitigation would be via elemental shields and Parry/Dodge primarily; Stone Shield with straight damage absorption and Earth Shield shared with Resto, for instance (the former being a CD). While offhand shields would be a temptation, you can get around that by tying absorption amounts to damage dealt, and giving a passive Armor boost when wielding a two-hander to make up that difference. At the same time, rework the totem system completely; all the effects should be radius effects, requiring placement, and summonable at range (totemic projection baked in, basically), they should be killable but also carry backlash effects when destroyed. Capacitor Totem, for instance, carrying an AoE stun, but if killed, explodes for respectable damage. Return them to 5hp; the choice to kill or not would be based on the consequences, not the action of killing them. Also expand totems somewhat; add new "totem variants" for certain spells, like a Purge totem that automatically Purges opponents within 15 yards, pulsing every 5 seconds. Totem variants would lock down your spell while they're active and your cooldown would trigger when they expire; if you toss a Purge totem, you can't Purge while it's up, you're basically investing your spell into a totem that is both more powerful in executing it, but also more limited in range and mobility.

This would be awesome, but a shaman tank has to use shield, my dream is to be a shield wearing tank shaman.

[Omanley]

I like your ideas about totems, endus

The thing that I dislike about them (current totems) most atm is that they hardly provide unique stuff, while suffering from unique disadvantages. Atm totems have nothing to warrant their drawbacks, they are simply bad versions of other classes utility.
One thing is to go more the way of homogenisation, like I often suggest. It is the easier to implement and balance one, but also the more boring one.

Your idea provides a unique advantage of totems as compensation for unique disadvantages, something I could totally live with.
Emphasising the decision wether to destroy a totem or leave it is definately encouraging proper thinking of enemies when destroying totems. Either they will learn which totems to stomp when, or they will either leave all totems alone (which in itself would be a merit of totem protection) or still stomp them like now, but suffer the consequences (which should be able to make the difference in a game).
It also emphasises gameplay matching strategic totem placing more. It shouldn't hinder us to much in mobility though.
Maybe allow for replacing an already active totem somewhere else (as totemic projection currently does) baseline in addition to your suggestion, but on a cooldown of 30 seconds or so, to allow for replacing totems like earthbind, elementals, healing tide etc.

What I am unsure about is your suggestion of mechanic-wide projectable, radius-effect totems. How would that affect Grounding or Healing Stream, for instance (not saying I am against it, just not sure what that idea is about exactly).

Earth Warden was mentioned often already, and I guess the possibilities would be endless in how it could work. Personally I think it a waste to have a class being able to weild shields and actually doing so on its caster specs not doing it in the tank spec.
Maybe keep a choice open (block through shield, but more parry and threat generation through 2hander or something).

[Radux]

The only problem, if you were going to implement a Shaman tank using a Shield, you'd actually have to create and itemize AGI shields to put on the loot table for 1 spec. That sucks.

We already have plenty of 1handers itemized for 3 Rogue specs, 1 Shaman spec (could be 2 with tank), and 2 Monk specs.
We already have plenty of 2handers itemized for 2 Druid specs, 2 Monk specs, and potentially 1 Shaman spec.

[Endus]

The only problem, if you were going to implement a Shaman tank using a Shield, you'd actually have to create and itemize AGI shields to put on the loot table for 1 spec. That sucks.

We already have plenty of 1handers itemized for 3 Rogue specs, 1 Shaman spec (could be 2 with tank), and 2 Monk specs.
We already have plenty of 2handers itemized for 2 Druid specs, 2 Monk specs, and potentially 1 Shaman spec.

Plus, if you make a tank spec with an offhand shield, you're basically begging for the abilities to revolve around the use of that shield. And Shaman have never really looked like the "hunker behind a wall" types.

A 2h Shaman tank does two things; it adds the tank spec that we sort of had back in Vanilla, and it gives Shaman an actual reason for wielding 2h Maces and Axes. Enhancement doesn't use them past level 10 any more, and they're really not that helpful even in that brief window. Neither Resto nor Elemental has any reason to ever bother. So you get both the "Shaman tank" crowd happy, and the "2h Shaman" crowd happy.

The actual abilities should, as with other Shaman, be based around the use of the elements. Element-wise, Resto is mostly Water, and Enhancement and Elemental are mostly Air and Fire. Earth Warden is a clear fit to round it out, with primarily Earth-based attacks; Encasing Stone to ward off attacks (basically an ice block/bubble without threat loss), short-range Earth attacks like Stone Spikes for damage (also fits the 2h Mace concept really well, smashing the earth to force up the spikes), and so on.

Before the Druid treatment in MoP, I figured this was basically off the table, but if they're potentially adding additional specs, Shaman seem a clear front-runner. I could easily see a future expansion where instead of a new race/class, it's a new spec for everyone (except druids), giving all the pures at least one tanky or healy spec, and widening the existing hybrids a bit.

[Lavindar]

Plus, if you make a tank spec with an offhand shield, you're basically begging for the abilities to revolve around the use of that shield. And Shaman have never really looked like the "hunker behind a wall" types.

A 2h Shaman tank does two things; it adds the tank spec that we sort of had back in Vanilla, and it gives Shaman an actual reason for wielding 2h Maces and Axes. Enhancement doesn't use them past level 10 any more, and they're really not that helpful even in that brief window. Neither Resto nor Elemental has any reason to ever bother. So you get both the "Shaman tank" crowd happy, and the "2h Shaman" crowd happy.

The actual abilities should, as with other Shaman, be based around the use of the elements. Element-wise, Resto is mostly Water, and Enhancement and Elemental are mostly Air and Fire. Earth Warden is a clear fit to round it out, with primarily Earth-based attacks; Encasing Stone to ward off attacks (basically an ice block/bubble without threat loss), short-range Earth attacks like Stone Spikes for damage (also fits the 2h Mace concept really well, smashing the earth to force up the spikes), and so on.

Before the Druid treatment in MoP, I figured this was basically off the table, but if they're potentially adding additional specs, Shaman seem a clear front-runner. I could easily see a future expansion where instead of a new race/class, it's a new spec for everyone (except druids), giving all the pures at least one tanky or healy spec, and widening the existing hybrids a bit.

While I agree with the reasoning, I would still like to be a Shielded Tank Shaman, but whatever, If I could tank (my current role on my guild) with my shaman (the character I like the most) I would be happy.

[Speks]

i would like to see 2 changes with Enha.

1. Better Cleave/AoE System. I like the idea of spreading FS everywhere and doing massive damage with Fire Nova, but its too slow to get going. Like on Tortos bats, i have to SAVE?! lavalash for those :<, if i hit it little too late to Tortos, it will be on CD when bats come and the AoE is going to be S*it...

And on fights like Horridon, i would like to see some better Cleave dmg to 2-5 adds.

2. Second thing is that we dont have any "execute" ability.I dont want any new abilities, but i would like to see something like Lavalash (or some other ability) to do some increased DMG on enemy under 20%.

AND (this is just dreaming D)
would like to be somewhat viable with 2h enha! i saw a hint about that on the trash before Hagara in DS.

[Raghnar]

Plus, if you make a tank spec with an offhand shield, you're basically begging for the abilities to revolve around the use of that shield. And Shaman have never really looked like the "hunker behind a wall" types.

A 2h Shaman tank does two things; it adds the tank spec that we sort of had back in Vanilla, and it gives Shaman an actual reason for wielding 2h Maces and Axes.

I recently created a tank tree. When I thought about the itemization concerning the 2H or the shield, I decided to permit the shaman to use both, like the DK frost has 2 choices or the war fury.

This is the spell that permits that :

"Ancestral Defense :

When you wield a two-handed weapon you have a 10% minimum chance to parry incoming melee attacks.

When you wield a shield, you have a 10% minimum chance to entirely block the damage of a melee attack, your parry rating increases your chance to block instead of your chance to parry and all the damage you deal with your weapon are increased by 30%.
[...]"

For the whole gameplay I created :
http://mop-talent-grid-maker.appspot...&gridId=434001

[Nivena]

i) shocks on different cooldowns

ii) imbues not on global cooldown

[Nebria]

I would like to see the EQ glyph baked in additionally.

[Omanley]

The only problem, if you were going to implement a Shaman tank using a Shield, you'd actually have to create and itemize AGI shields to put on the loot table for 1 spec. That sucks.

Ancestral Swiftness mkII: Instead of strenght, weapons and shields with block, parry or dodge rating will provide agility instead.

easy.

also, there's ranged weapons and melee daggers in similar situations. while you may say they are used by more than one "spec", spec diversity among hunters and rogues are neglectable when compared to hybrids (as they cant as easily switch specs)

Also there'd be restrictions upon choosing 2handed weapons, since most of these are designed for strenght users also.
Druids are limited to polearms and staves (due to having them shared with hunters for 2 xpacks no 2h swords for hunters/2h maces for druids), the first of which we cannot use.
Monks seem to be able to use all five melee 2handers: maces, axes, swords, polearms and staves. However, swords are neither used by shamans nor druids and polearms aren't used by shamans, with axes being used by druids.

So the common ground would be 2handed agi maces and staves, of with only the latter are already implemented.

So even if they went for 2h tanking in terms of creating shaman tanking, they'd have to do either:
-lots of additional weapon creating
-allowing shamans/druids to weild more different weapon types
-my suggestion of treating strenght on weapons as agi for earth wardens (possibly include bremasters + guardians), which could also include shields however (and those are already plenty in usage)

edit: enh in classic times often enough used shields if they felt the rare need to tank. we had shield specialisation among other things. it felt for me like blizz, when they thought of shamans as atank in the beginning, thought of a shield user.
I even go so far as to say that the main reason shamans became able to wield shields to begin with is that original plan of being able to tank.

Think about it: The only other caster to be able to weild shields is the paladin. Interestingly enough he has a tanking spec though and was the alliance counterpart of the shaman. Soooo did they allow pallies to weild shields because of holy, or because of defense? I think the answer to that is obvious. And it would be as obvious to think the same having been the case for shaman in the beginning.

Maybe they thought of getting rid of shields for shaman when they noticed shaman tanking wasn't working out, but decided to keep them there because pallies were still having a use for them, and it being a balance issue if only one side could make use of caster shields.

[Radux]

Ancestral Swiftness mkII: Instead of strenght, weapons and shields with block, parry or dodge rating will provide agility instead.

That's a fix, sure. But it's the kind of thing that even Blizzard doesn't do. It's lazy design. If you follow that trend for a Shaman tank, why not just say Haste = Dodge, and Crit = Parry now. It's a cop out for not having a better/interesting solution.

Then again, I think their whole "you get 50% more of [stat] out of your items when in this form/stance/whatever" is kind of bullshit too (lazy).

[Omanley]

That's a fix, sure. But it's the kind of thing that even Blizzard doesn't do. It's lazy design. If you follow that trend for a Shaman tank, why not just say Haste = Dodge, and Crit = Parry now. It's a cop out for not having a better/interesting solution.

Then again, I think their whole "you get 50% more of [stat] out of your items when in this form/stance/whatever" is kind of bullshit too (lazy).

True that
Still, I'd prefer that over "there's no agi shields and we dont want to make them for one spec, so unlike your squishy caster brothers, the sturdy tank has to do without shield". Even worse, I could see earth wardens running around with strenght shields because of the superior survivability (similar to caster weapons and enh before), and the need to super buff 2h or nerf shields to keep them at 2h. Kinda ridiculous when a so much easier approach could make them perfectly viable.

Plus, with the ability of weilding shields and earth as a shielding element, it kinda matches better than a stick or mighty axe.

[Radux]

I suppose it would all depend on h ow they make it play out.

I mean the obvious solution would be to go the route of Monk, and have them be able to DW or use 2hand, and just have a talent that adds dmg to DW, and Attack speed to 2hand.

However, they'd have to word DW in a way, that if you don't use a weapon in both hands (i.e. use a shield), then your damage/threat will absolutely TANK (and by tank, i mean plummet into nothingness), for what would likely come out to be a very marginal defensive increase. Though, that would offer up another possible issue of weapon swap macros for eating a big (time-able) hit.

Either way, I don't disagree with you about a shield not fitting the theme: it does (pending on your chosen RP universe). When I think of a Warden, I think of D&D. They have the option to succeed if they use a spear/polearm; they end up having more control of the battlefield. But they're more defensible if they use hammer + shield, though.

So if this entire tank thing ever comes to fruition, it would really come down to how they prefer to lay out the 'theme'. Mechanics will just come after that.

[Deleted]

As a resto shammy, I like the idea about healing rain! Nothing more annoying then sacrificing a good chunk of mana to put down the spell only to watch dps derp out of it almost instantly.