My turn for a new class idea - Apothecary

[Deleted]

Hi there folks.

I came up with this idea a while back (original post: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/11546474962#1). I reposted it in another thread last week, and had some positive feedback, so thought I'd make my own thread to see what y'all think.

So without further ado, I give you....

The Apothecary

The apothecary is a scientist who specialises in augmentation and genetic manipulation to weaken his foes and strengthen his allies.

Armour - Mail.
Weapon - Ranged, melee 1 handers/fists.

For the following I'm not going to try using any numbers. I'm not a theorycrafter and I suck at maths.

Spec 1 - Healing

Intellect mail, ranged weapons.

The apothecary utilises poisons and potions that he fires from his weapon, that strengthen and heal his allies. His concoctions speed up metabolism to aid healing. His serums alter his allies genetic code, strengthening them against attacks.

Example abilities:

Revitalisation Serum - The Apothecary fires a hypodermic dart at the target, injecting them with Revitalisation Serum. Heals xx instantly.

Scale Skin - The Apothecary fires a hypodermic dart at the target, causing their skin to grow hardened scales, reducing their damage taken by xx% for xx seconds.

Rejuvenating Gas - The Apothecary fires a gas cannister that explodes at the target location, healing all allies in it's cloud for xxx over xxx seconds.


Spec 2 - Ranged DPS

Intellect mail, ranged weapons.

Instead of utilising beneficial serums, the apothecary loads his weapon with poisons and compounds designed to weaken his enemies. His serums disintegrate armour, weaken flesh, and strike at vital organs.

Example abilities:

Necrotic injection - The Apothecary fires a hypodermic dart at the target, injecting them with Necrotic Serum. Causes xx damage over xx seconds.

Burrowing Parasites - The Apothecary fires a hypodermic dart at the target, injecting them with Burrowing Parasites. The parasites burrow into the target, causing xx damages over xx seconds. After xx seconds they burst from the target, causing xxx damage.

Crippling Gas - The Apothecary fires a gas cannister that explodes at the target location. All enemies in the area are damaged for xx over xx seconds. When the cloud dissipates, all allies within xx yards gain xx haste for xx seconds.

Spec 3 Tank

Agility mail, melee 1 handers.

The apothecary augements his own genetic structure, vastly enhancing his strength and durability. His serums harden his skin, and boost his metabolism to create an immovable behemoth. For this role, the apothecary forgoes his ranged weapon, and instead relies on his bare hands, which he alters into fierce weapons in their own right.

Shapeshift form would act as tanking "stance".

Example abilites:

Scale Skin - The Apothecary injects himself with a serum, causing his skin to harden. Decreases damage taken by xx% for xx seconds.

Leeching Toxin - The Apothecary injects his target with Leeching Toxin. Causes xx damage over xx seconds, and heals the Apothecary for xx of the damage dealt.

Augment Skeleton - The Apothecary injects himself with a serum, causing his skeleton to mutates. Bone protrusions form on his knuckles. Increases physical damage dealt by xx% for xx seconds.


As far as resources, it's quite hard to think of any that would offer something unique. The only thing I can think of is a dual energy bar system, one for injections and one for gases, possibly with some kind of life tap mechanism at it's core.

The main reason I chose mail is because, as has been stated many times, it's the only type of armour in the game that is only shared by 2 classes. So it would balance out the loot tables a little.

The idea behind using ranged weapons is that the class is supposed to be based around physically injecting enemies and allies. The idea is that the Apothecary would load the weapon with darts and vials of poisons/toxins, and then fire them. The idea of shooting your allies might seem a bit wierd, but mechanically there's no difference between casting a spell and shooting. The only difference is the animation.

One of the reasons I came up with this spec is that the theme is quite prevalent in WoW already. The Black Dragonflight were constantly manipulating and trying to create new creatures. The scourge created plagues, and various monsters and abominations. The iron/true horde have their Malkorok type monstrosities. The mogu experiments created Primordius and the Saurok. So I think the basis is there to build this type of class.

Secondly, I think it offers something unique, and doesn't particularly tread on the toes of other classes, thematically. One of the most common new class suggestions is the Demon Hunter, but one common criticism is that it would be very similar to rogues. I feel this class, although sharing some mechanics with other classes, would offer a unique feel.

Hope you enjoyed my idea!

[Pyroneus]

brb, hogging the name Putricide on my server.

[Detheavn]

Sounds a bit like the chemist job seen in the Final Fantasy series

I would like to see a more in depth explanation how you see this going mechanic wise, like what resources would it use? I'd probably have something like this come to mind:

Dual resources: Chemicals and Gases.
Chemicals are built up over time, also generated by one or 2 standard attacks, like a hunter's focus. Chemicals would be used to create your injections.
Gases are gathered by creating (and using) said injections...

... or something similar

[Deleted]

Yeah I'm not too sure on the resource system yet. I'd like it to be something kind of unique instead of yet another combo point/chi/holy power clone. If I come up with something good I'll update the post.

[Deleted]

I like the idea of a scientist style class, altering genes with serums and using chemicals etc.

What races would fit in with this? I'd think Gnome, Human, Undead and Goblin.

[Deleted]

Some races could be tricky to fit. Off the top of my head I'd say human, gnome, dwarf, orc, undead, troll. Draenai, Tauren and maybe nightelves would probably be to righteous and principled for it.

[Teriz]

Nice work man. Feel free to take anything you like from my class concept;

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...ept-%28Long%29

[Detheavn]

Some races could be tricky to fit. Off the top of my head I'd say human, gnome, dwarf, orc, undead, troll. Draenai, Tauren and maybe nightelves would probably be to righteous and principled for it.

Worgen should be, on account of having a class which might rid them of their curse. Would be funny if a heal over time would cause worgen to be human for the duration, only to transform back afterwards, like a kick in the nuts that it's not permanent

[Deleted]

That would be a pretty good gimmick

- - - Updated - - -

In terms of resources, the only thing that springs to mind is basically 2 energy bars, one for gases and one for injections. Some abilities would use both, making resource management more important.

And could possibly incorporate some sort of life-tap mechanism, which could fit the theme.

[Zenotetsuken]

As I posted in http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...4#post32067804.


Ranged DPS Spec 1 Uses Int Mail, and ranged weapons that it modifies to launch potions, and possibly into a plague sprayer.
Similar to the ones used by the Love is in the Air Apothecary Trio. http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/...othecaries.jpg

Uses Plague Sprayer as base weapon. Uses a mash-up of DK's Runes, and Lock's Burning Embers to brew more potions. Builds liquid for potions by spraying targets with Plague Sprayer, or something similar to Valkys' idea of shooting hypodermic darts containing different afflictions.
2 Green= Poison DoT,
2 Red= Direct Health Damage,
2 Blue = Resource Regen,
1 Green + 1 Red= Life Drain DoT,
1 Green + 1 Blue= Debuff
1 Blue + 1 Red= Damage Buff

CDs could be something like
1) Short CD - Experimental Brew increases potency of all potions for a certain amount of time.
2) Med CD- Can do limited duration summons of "Assistants" to help, increases number of potions thrown for a certain amount of time.
3) Long CD - Alchemy Unleashed! Drops a pool of unstable liquid at a targeted location that coats enemies in goo that does DoT damage for a certain amount of time, then congeals into an unstable monstrosity that comes with a slime buff stacked to 100 that it uses to damage the enemy, progressively getting smaller and smaller, doing less and less damage the longer it is alive.


Ranged DPS Spec 2 Uses Int Mail, Ranged weapons. Focused on short duration/low health minions. Sort of like D2 Necromancer a bit. Uses the same resource builders as first spec, but uses potions to create decaying ooze minions instead of using for direct damage.


2 Green= Summons 2 disgusting oozling that attack your target, can have a max of 10
2 Red= Increases damage of Disgusting Oozling, and has a chance to transform Disgusting Oozling into Oozing Bloodling.
2 Blue= Causes your Disgusting Oozling to transform into Blue Goo. Max of 2. Blue Goo increases the attack speed of your other oozlings, and slows target movement speed.
1 Green + 1 Red= Coats the target in congealing compound which causes disgusting oozling to transform into Oozing Bloodling. Max of 5. When Oozing Bloodling dies, it returns health to allies
1 Green + 1 Blue= Heals all Oozlings in range
1 Red + 1 Blue= Causes Blue Goo to disintegrate into a dust that heals all allies in range, and increases their attack speed.
CDs could be something like
1) Very Short CD - Secret of the Ooze. Causes Disgusting Oozling to sacrifice themselves to empower Unstable Monstrosity, returning slime stacks to it.
2) Short CD - What's the worst that can happen? Drink one of your own potions, allowing you to receive your oozling's buffs for a short time.
2) Med CD- Causes all Oozlings to merge into a larger ooze for a short time. While the ooze is active, more oozes can be created, but when the duration is over the ooze breaks down completely.
3) Long CD- Similar to 1st Spec, but more control over a slightly weaker semi-permanent version of Unstable Monstrosity. Loses slime stacks slower, but loses them simply for being out, so you need to keep feeding it Oozlings.


Healing Spec - To be continued... after I take a nap.

[Deleted]

3) Long CD - Alchemy Unleashed! Drops a pool of unstable liquid at a targeted location that coats enemies in goo that does DoT damage for a certain amount of time, then congeals into an unstable monstrosity that comes with a slime buff stacked to 100 that it uses to damage the enemy, progressively getting smaller and smaller, doing less and less damage the longer it is alive.

Definitely like this idea, it could summon something like the amber monstrosity from HoF.

The main issue I've got with your second idea is that there are already so many classes in the game that use pet/minions (locks, hunters, mages, shamans, DKs), and I think it just adds unnecessary clutter.

[Teriz]

Definitely like this idea, it could summon something like the amber monstrosity from HoF.

The main issue I've got with your second idea is that there are already so many classes in the game that use pet/minions (locks, hunters, mages, shamans, DKs), and I think it just adds unnecessary clutter.

If you restrict the "pet" to one spec, it might not add too much clutter.

[Deleted]

If you restrict the "pet" to one spec, it might not add too much clutter.

True, although with the original idea only having one dps spec it would be mandatory to have a pet.

A potential solution could be in the form of a talent, like the reverse of the Hunter's Lone Wolf.

[Drilnos]

I made a Cannoneer/Gunslinger class a while back that had an apothecary healing spec. It used a lot of abilities similar to yours, but it used electrical Vita as its secondary resource - zapping players standing in the gas clouds, for instance, would make them detonate for a burst aoe heal. You could also use it to supercharge mutations, hots, etc. Since you're looking for a secondary resource I figured I'd throw that out there.

[Deleted]

I made a Cannoneer/Gunslinger class a while back that had an apothecary healing spec. It used a lot of abilities similar to yours, but it used electrical Vita as its secondary resource - zapping players standing in the gas clouds, for instance, would make them detonate for a burst aoe heal. You could also use it to supercharge mutations, hots, etc. Since you're looking for a secondary resource I figured I'd throw that out there.

That's a pretty cool idea actually. Something like a catalyst, which when fired alters various effects. A AoE DoT effect could be swapped to an AoE Heal, for example. I'll have to have a think about that.

[Zenotetsuken]

Definitely like this idea, it could summon something like the amber monstrosity from HoF.

The main issue I've got with your second idea is that there are already so many classes in the game that use pet/minions (locks, hunters, mages, shamans, DKs), and I think it just adds unnecessary clutter.

Yeah. Amber Monstrosity was kind of what I was thinking with it.

I was thinking of the Oozes as more of like a visual representation of a DoT that is able to mutate into different other DoTs than as a pets.

Something else I was thinking about for that second spec was similar to your Tank spec in a way Valkys.

Melee DPS spec Agi Mail - It is pretty much the same as the 2nd spec I have listed, but is a melee/transformation spec.
You take on the unstable monstrosity form instead of summon it. You use your slime stacks as a main resource to spawn oozes as you attack the enemy, the oozes then act to buff your damage/attack speed, but you need to absorb your own oozes in order regain slime stacks to maintain your damage and stay in your Unstable Monstrosity form.

When I imagine it, I think of the oozes as somehing like Feral Druid bleeds. However instead of letting the DoTs just tick away, the class would need to recycle those DoTs to power itself.

[Illiterate]

It's called alchemy and it's already in the game.

[Zenotetsuken]

It's called alchemy and it's already in the game.

Alchemy is a class in the game? And it does like... ANY of the ideas we have listed? If you have nothing to add to a conversation, perhaps simply not adding anything is the best action.

It is a fantasy setting, get over it. Alchemists brew potions, Apothecaries brew plagues.

[Deleted]

It's called alchemy and it's already in the game.

Engineering is also already in the game, but there's still a whole lot of people who think Tinker is an excellent class concept.

[Teriz]

It's called alchemy and it's already in the game.

These abilities aren't in the Alchemy Profession:

Healing Spray
Chemical Rage
Acid Bomb
Transmute
Liquid Fire
Unstable Concoction

http://classic.battle.net/war3/neutr...lchemist.shtml
http://classic.battle.net/war3/orc/u...batrider.shtml

So you never know.