Greetings, people of Azeroth. Here's how I envision a Warmage/Battlemage spec.
Notes:
- This is just an idea, nothing more. I doubt we'll see a fourth spec. for every class but it's fun coming up with ideas.
- Take percentages and numbers with a grain of salt.
- I usually PvP so take that into account. I'm not really a PvE expert.
- While I would love to see this as a "DPS" spec. I know that if a fourth spec. is ever added it won't focus on damage, therefore it will start off as a tanking specialisation (It was conceived as a DPS Spec at the beginning so bear with me. I don't "tank" often).
- Seeing that Blizzard implemented Gladiator Stance, I think it would be possible to add a similar talent that turns this spec into a DPS one, making everyone happy (it has to be done properly, of course).
- The type of gear that this spec. would use is a bit complicated. My idea was that it would be able to use Cloth, Leatherand Mail and, unlike any other spec. or class, it would also be able to use Plate Shoulders (only the shoulders, not any other plate piece). Problem is this might be a little complicated and/or a bit silly but being able to wear a whole Plate set might be a bit too much. Maybe the spec. would be better off if it only used Cloth.
Suggestions are welcome.
Updates:
- As Imnick noted I still have to write down the rotations. ---------> They have been added now.
- I completely forgot that Greater Invisibility reduces threat. That ought to be changed (I might replace it with something else. For now I'll simply remove the threat reduction effect).
- Added a passive ability regarding pushback protection.
With that said, I'll begin explaining the spec. I hope the text is not confusing (if it is,let me know).
- Warmage is the name of the specialisation. It grants mages the ability to tank.
- With a talent such as Gladiator Resolve present within the game it doesn't seem far fetched that there could be a talent that turns the Warmage specialisation into a DPS spec.
- "Path of the Battlemage" is the name of the talent that turns the Warmage spec. (and possibly also changes its name) into a DPS spec. It makes the player less resilient but it allows him/her to deal more damage. It also alters some of the player's abilities. Such talent would be found in the level 100 row of talents in the grid, along with another unique talent.
- "Spellbreaker" is the other unique talent. It grants the player the ability to use shields and alter his/her abilities accordingly.
- This specialisation (and its other versions) can use different combinations of weapons. They can dual-wield weapons, like rogues, they can wield a staff in the main hand and one-handed weapon in the other or they can simply wear one one-handed weapon in their main hand and keep the other hand free. Each combination offers different bonuses and each combination has a unique fighting animation (possibly).
- The mage class would earn additional unique quests. Blood Elves, for example, would be able to complete a quest that rewards them with the unique Spellbreaker set (including the unique weapon and shield, even though the latter would require the talent to use).
- With this new spec. the class would acquire new glyphs.
- The Mage talent grid offers some interesting choices, even for a Tank specialisation and a Melee DPS one. Quite a few talents currently there remain unchanged.
---
Basic Abilities (shared with the other specialisations):
Warmages/Battlemages can use various weapon combinations. Such combinations offer different bonuses.
Weapon Proficiencies:
You become proficient in the use of melee weapons, granting you the ability to fight with a deadly mixture of steel and magic.
Warmage: You are now able to equip a staff and a one-handed weapon at the same time. Your chance to parry is increased by 10% but your melee haste is reduced by 10 % and the cooldown of your Strike ability is increased by 2 seconds.
Dual-Wield: You are now able to dual-wield one-handed weapons. Your Strike ability now deals damage from both melee weapons.
One-Handed: You become an expert in the use of one-handed weapons. Your spell and melee damage are increased by 6% and your Strike ability no longer has a mana cost.
---
I'll discuss the Warmage (Tank) spec. first, then I will talk about its DPS version (Battlemage).
-----Warmage-----
Basic Passive Abilities
- Parry: Gives a chance to parry enemy attacks.
- Bladed Armour: Increases your Attack Power by 100% of your Bonus Armour
- Riposte: You gain Parry equal to 100% of your Critical Strike from gear.
- Arcane Mind: You gain 5% more of the Mastery stat from all sources.
- Resolve: Increases your healing and absorption done to yourself, based on Stamina and damage taken (before avoidance and mitigation) in the last 10 sec.
- Arcane Fortitude: Your total stamina is increased by 10% and your armor is increased by 150% of your total intellect.
- Frost Warding: Reduces chance you'll be critically hit by melee attacks by 6%. In addition, you take 12% less damage at all times.
- Burning Fury: Gives you a 20% chance when struck by an enemy to increase the damage of your next Fire Blast by 100% or reduce the cast time of your next Frostfire Bolt by 50%. Cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds.
- Will of Fire: Provides the standard pushback protection. In addition, you can still avoid attacks while casting spells.
- Arcane Tactics:
Blink: After a successfull Blink or Flame Charge, your next spell or ability will automatically critically strike and will not trigger a global cooldown. This effect lasts 4 seconds.
Spellsteal: When you successfully steal a buff from an enemy, damage taken from the buff's school of magic will be reduced by 30% for 6 seconds. Cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
Basic Active Abilities
- Empower Weapon:
Instant.
Fire Empowerment: 30% chance to burn the target for 3 sec.
Frost Empowerment: 30% chance to deal frost damage and slow the enemy's movement speed by 20%.
Arcane Empowerment: 30% chance to cause arcane damage and bypass 100% of the target's armour. Bypasses less armour on players.
Only one type of empowerment can be active at any time.
- Strike:
4% of base mana. Melee range.
Instant cast. 3 second cooldown.
You strike your target with your melee weapon, causing 115% weapon damage plus additional damage as Arcane,Fire or Frost, depending on your Weapon Empowerment.
- Challenge:
30 yd range.
Instant. 8 sec. cooldown.
Taunts the target and increases threat generated against the target for 3 sec.
- Annihilate:
10% of base mana. Melee Range.
Instant. 15 sec. cooldown.
You strike the target with tremendous force, dealing 175% weapon damage plus 100% additional damage as Arcane, Fire or Frost, depending on your Weapon Empowerment.
- Cloak of Fire:
6% of base mana
Instant cast. 10 sec. cooldown.
The caster surrounds himself/herself with fire, dealing damage to all enemies within 12 yards. In addition, attackers will have their attack speed reduced by 15% for 3 seconds. Lasts 10 seconds.
- Molten Shield:
1% of base mana.
Instant. 1 min. cooldown.
Absorbs 75% of the damage you take for 4 seconds. After 4 seconds the shield will explode, dealing damage equal the amount of damaged absorbed to nearby enemies.
- Arcing Slash:
Instant. 6 sec. cooldown.
Deal physical damage plus additional spell damage, depending on your Weapon Empowerment, to all enemies in front of you.
- Circle of Blades:
2.5% of base mana. 40 yd range.
1.5 cast time. 30 sec cooldown.
You summon several blades that float around you. Every 3 seconds, a blade will strike your target dealing physical damage plus additional damage as arcane,fire or frost. Lasts 12 seconds.
While Circle of Blades is active your Parry chance is increased by 20%
If cast a second time, it will instantly strike the target with all the remaining blades.
Mastery (Warmage - Tank)
- Mastery: Mana Shield
Your abilities and spells that consume mana create a shield that absorbs damage.
Note: I tried to come up with something unique and Mana Shield popped up in my head. Masteries that involve absorption shields are common amongst tank specialisations but this was the only thing that thematically fit the most. How it would exactly work is the problem. Maybe the absorption effect is equal to the amount of mana consumed, or maybe it could just be a fixed amount. Suggestions are welcome.
By the way, it wouldn't look like the old Mana Shield. Getting hit while Mana Shield is active would display a glass-like barrier, either blue or purple.
Rotation:
- Single Target: Strike is your main damaging ability. You want to use it as much as possible. Same can be said about Annihilate. You should use it whenever it's available. For single target it would be better to use the Fire Empowerment, unless the target has armour. Keep up Cloak of Fire all the time. Use Molten Shield whenever a big hit is expected. With Energising Flames Molten Shield becomes a good survivability tool. Use Circle of Blades whenever you can, although if you know your health is about to drop it's probably best you try to activate it a few moments before such thing happens. The Parry bonus could prove being useful at such a time. Also, it's best you don't cast it a second time, otherwise you lose the parry bonus. If you trigger Burning Fury, use Fire Blast if you don't have time to cast, otherwise use Frostfire Bolt.
- AoE: Here's where Molten Shield, Cloak of Fire and Arcing Slash shine. Molten Shield plays a pivotal role though. You want to keep up Cloak of Fire all the time (with Sunstrider's Fury this ability becomes even more important) and use Arcing Slash whenever you can. If you take much damage Molten Shield can help you, whether you take Energising Flames or not. It would deal much damage in such a situation. You still want to use Circle of Blades (better parry an attack than take it). You can also throw Cone of Cold into the mix.
- Other: If you can Spellsteal a buff, you should. The Arcane Tactics passive ability could save your life.
- About Weapon Empowerments: Frost is mainly useful for PvP. Fire and Arcane are the ones that should be used for PvE. Fire would possibly be better for Single Target, Arcane if and only if the target has a lot of armour. With the Relentless Power talent the Fire Empowerment becomes extremely useful for AoE fights, the Arcane one becomes extremely effective if the target has a lot of armour. Frost would be quite effective in a PvP scenario.
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Don't like Tanking? Choose the "Path of the Battlemage" talent and start DPSing!
-----Battlemage-----
Basic Passive Abilities
- Parry: Gives a chance to parry enemy attacks.
- Arcane Mind: You gain 5% more of the Mastery stat from all sources.
- Weapon Expertise: Your melee damage is increased by 20% and your melee attack speed is increased by 10%. In addition, your attack power is increased by an amount equal to 85% of your total intellect.
- Arcane Fortitude: Your total stamina is increased by 10% and your armor is increased by 150% of your total intellect.
- Burning Fury: Gives you a 20% chance when struck by an enemy to increase the damage of your next Fire Blast by 100% or reduce the cast time of your next Frostfire Bolt by 50%. Cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds.
- Will of Fire: Provides the standard pushback protection. In addition, you can still avoid attacks while casting spells.
- Arcane Tactics:
Blink: After a successfull Blink or Flame Charge, your next spell or ability will automatically critically strike and will not trigger a global cooldown. This effect lasts 4 seconds.
Spellsteal: When you successfully steal a buff from an enemy, damage taken from the buff's school of magic will be reduced by 30% for 6 seconds. Cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
- Dancing Steel/Blade Spinning: When your Arcing Slash hits 3 or more targets its cooldown will be reset and the ability will not trigger the global cooldown. In addition, Arcing Slash will hit all targets around you while under this effect. Cannot happen more than once every 6 seconds.
Basic Active Abilities
Everything stays the same, except for Circle of Blades.
- Circle of Blades:
2.5% of base mana. 40 yd range.
1.5 cast time. 30 sec cooldown.
You summon several blades that float around you. Every 3 seconds, a blade will strike your target dealing physical damage plus additional damage as arcane,fire or frost. Lasts 12 seconds.
If the target is at or below 25% of maximum health, this spell deals 50% additional damage.
If cast a second time, it will instantly strike the target with all the remaining blades.
Mastery (Battlemage - DPS)
- Mastery: Might & Magic
Your spells have a chance to increase the damage of your next physical ability and your melee attacks have a chance to increase the damage of your next spell. Only one effect can be active.
Note: Again, I tried to come up with something that would be thematically appropriate. Tuned properly it could work (I think).
Rotation
- Single Target: Start the fight with Blink/Flame Charge so that you gain the Arcane Tactics(Blink) effect. Use Strike and Annihilate whenever they're available. For single target it would be better to use the Fire Empowerment, unless the target has armour. Keep up Cloak of Fire all the time. Use Molten Shield whenever a big hit is expected (Boss AoE damage, for example). If used well Molten Shield can increase your DPS, although if you have survivability issues you can take the Energising Flames talent (might not be needed in PvE, but in PvP it could help). If you trigger Burning Fury, use Fire Blast if you don't have time to cast, otherwise use Frostfire Bolt. Take advantage of your Mastery. Forgetting about it will reduce your DPS. Use Circle of Blades whenever you can, especially if your target is at or below 25% Health. If you have blades left and the target is about to die, use it a second time to strike the target with all of your remaining blades (in PvP the sudden burst of damage might prove being useful). If you trigger the physical damage boost of your Mastery, use Annihilate. If you trigger the spell damage boost use an instant spell (use Frostfire Bolt only when you trigger Burning Fury).
- AoE: As DPS Molten Shield isn't very useful. Use it if you're being damaged (although that shouldn't happen). Keep up Cloak of Fire and always, always use Arcing Slash. The Dancing Steel/Spinning Blades passive ability makes it much more useful. If you trigger the spell damage boost of your Mastery you might want to use Cone of Cold. If you trigger the physical damage boost Arcing Slash is what you want to use.
- Weapon Empowerments: Same as Warmage. Frost is better in a PvP scenario where you have to slow your enemy. Fire and Arcane, depending on whether the target has armour or not, are better for Single Target (unless you take the Relentless Power talent. Then the Fire Empowerment becomes pretty good for both Single Target and AoE. If the target has a lot of armour, use the Arcane Empowerment then).
---
Now that we've seen the specialisation's basic abilities I'll show you how the Mage Talent Grid would look like.
Many of the talents available to the other specialisations are still there. I kept them there because I thought they would present some interesting choices, for both Warmages and Battlemages.
Let's take a closer look at each row in the grid (You'll see the * symbol wherever there's a new talent or wherever there's talent currently present in the game that has been altered.
--Level 15 Tier--
Evanesce - Flame Charge* - Heart of Ice*
- Flame Charge:
Instant. 15 sec. recharge.
4 Charges.
You become a living flame and surge forward, up to 10 yards, dealing fire damage to enemies in your path. Enemies hit by Flame Charge are also stunned for 1 sec.
Replaces Blink.
Note: It's an offensive version of Blink. It does not break stuns and bonds and while its travelling distance is shorter it can be used four times in a row to either escape or harry the enemy.
- Heart of Ice (Passive):
Your movement speed is increased by 15% at all times.
In addition, when you land a killing blow on an opponent that yields experience or honour, your movement speed is increased by an additional 30% for 5 seconds and you regenerate 10% of your maximum health over 5 seconds.
Note: Simple 15% movement speed boost with addition effects if you kill an enemy that yields experience or honour. Might not be very powerful and it might need to be improved, but for levelling and PvE I think it could be an interesting talent.
--Level 30 Tier--
Alter Time - Energising Flames* - Ice Barrier
- Energising Flames(Passive):
Your Molten Shield no longer deals damage after 4 seconds. Instead, while Molten Shield is active, any damage absorbed will also heal you.
Note: Turns your Molten Shield into some sort of self-healing spell. In PvE it shouldn't be too hard to use while in PvP it might require some proper timing. Again, I think this would be an interesting choice (Flameglow could've stayed, but it's such a boring talent).
--Level 45 Tier--
Same as Live
--Level 60 Tier--
Greater Invisibility* - Cauterize - Cold Snap
- Greater Invisibility: Same as live, but does not remove threat.
--Level 75 Tier--
Energy Blast* - Sunstrider's Fury* - Frost Blade*
- Energy Blast:
40 yd range.
Instant. 20 sec. cooldown.
You plant your weapons in the ground. After 2 seconds, you deal Arcane,Fire or Frost damage, depending on your Weapon Empowerment, to the target and to nearby enemies. Using Energy Blast will trigger a specific effect depending on your Empowerment.
Arcane Empowerment: Knock upwards.
Fire Empowerment: Daze and disarm.
Frost Empowerment: Freeze enemies in place.
This ability ignores line of sight.
Note: Similar to the Nova spells (a bit of a combination of them) but with a twist. I don't think it would be overpowered.
- Sunstrider's Fury(Passive):
Your Cloak of Fire ability deals 100% more damage.
Note: Makes your Cloak of Fire hurt. Kael'thas would be proud of you.
Might be a bit too much considering that the mage could keep it up all the time.
- Frost Blade:
Instant. 25 sec. recharge.
3 Charges.
You conjure a blade of ice and send it flying forward 40 yards, dealing frost damage to any enemy it hits.
Note: Graphically similar to Jaina's Frost Blades, it gives the Warmage/Battlemage an additional instant spell that requires to be aimed properly. With 3 Charges it could be both interesting and fun to use.
- Mirror Image: Same as live, but the images would obviously perform Warmage/Battlemage attacks.
- Relentless Power:
Instant. 1 min. cooldown
For the next 12 seconds your Weapon Empowerments will deal more damage and their effects will be greatly improved.
Arcane Empowerment: 100% chance that your attacks and abilities will bypass 100% of the target's armour and deal Arcane damage. Bypasses less armour on players.
Fire Empowerment: 100% chance that your will burn your target and explode upon impact, dealing additional damage to nearby enemies.
Frost Empowerment: 100% chance that you will slow the target by 40% and deal Frost damage.
While Relentless Power is active, your attack speed is increased by 30%.
Note: Makes your Weapon Empowerments deadly. Needs to be tuned properly otherwise it will be absurd.
- Incanter's Flow: Same as live, but affects all damage (both spell and physical damage)
-- Level 100 Tier--
Netherwind Presence* - Spellbreaker* - Path of the Battlemage*
- Netherwind Presence:
Instant. 35 sec. cooldown
Increases your Mastery by 1000 and your dodge chance by 50% for 10 sec.
In addition, when an attack brings you below 30% health, the cooldown of this ability is reset. Cannot occur more than once every 2 min.
Note: It's supposed to be a tanking-focused talent but it's not that exciting. Suggestions are welcome.
- Spellbreaker(or Spell Breaker):
Grants you the ability to wield shields and alters some of your abilities.
Counterspell: Targets of your Counterspell deal 50% reduced spell damage for 4 seconds. If Counterspell successfully interrupts a player this effect lasts 4 additional seconds.
Block: Gives a chance to block enemy melee and ranged attacks.
Dampen Magic: You take 6% less damage from spells.
Shield Bash: You charge your shield with magic and bash your target, dealing physical damage plus additional damage as Arcane, Fire or Frost, depending on your Weapon Empowerment. Replaces Annihilate.
Note: Spellbreakers, yay!
I don't think it would be a talent necessary for tanking. If Netherwind Presence doesn't result being underwhelming either choice should be fine. Again, suggestions are welcome. If you feel it could be improved, changed or even removed feel free to post here.
Path of the Battlemage:
You become adept at dispatching enemies quickly but also become less resilient in the process. (The changes that the spec. would undergo are the ones I listed above.)
Note: The talent I mentioned earlier. Not much to explain here. It allows further customisation and I think that it could work if implemented properly (like Gladiator's Resolve).
---
While not that important, I also came up with a few glyph ideas.
Glyphs
Glyph of Subtle Magic: Your Weapon Empowerments are less visible.
Glyph of Phantom Blades: Your One-handed weapons have a ghost-like appearance.
Glyph of the Left-hander: The player now holds his main-hand weapon in his left hand, rather than in his right.
Glyph of Weapon Channeling: Your spells are now cast through your weapon.
Glyph of Power: When you score a critical strike energy will crackle across your body and the ground around you will appear as damaged.
Glyph of the Kirin Tor/Sunreavers: Place the banner of the Kirin Tor/Sunreavers at the target location.
So here it is. Thank you for reading my wall of text. Feel free to share your opinions, but, as I always say, keep the conversation constructive and civilised.
Is there any spec in the game which grants you the ability to wear different armour class gear?
Entirely aside from your bizarre concept of allowing plate shoulders, I think if you want to make a mage spec you would to have to stick inside the limits of the mage class. It would need to wear cloth. Anything else would invalidate everything Blizzard just implemented to make sharing gear between specs easier, for one thing. It would need to be cloth.
I think Strike and Challenge could both have more interesting/magical names :P
The class has multiple abilities with cast times, but it is impossible to block, dodge, or parry while casting. Should there not be a passive that lets this work?
A passive to remove spell pushback would also be necessary, as it would make spells difficult to cast while being attacked, which as a tank would be your job.
It's less easy to comment on the abilities in specific because you are missing what a lot of guides fail to account for: an action priority list.
What is the purpose of all of these spells you have listed? How would your class actually play? This should be at the forefront of your mind when devising a new spec, but isn't necessarily obvious to others. Could you write out for me what your basic APL for both tanking or DPS would be? When you'd pick one weapon imbue over another? Are you expected to switch mid-fight? (It doesn't look like you would, making them fairly uninteresting static buffs). Do you actually need to manage a secondary resource, and if so how?
And while I'm sure the 90% damage reduction would be loved by tanks, Greater Invisibility is probably going to struggle as a tanking talent when it removes all of your threat
1) Agreed with your first point. The spec. is better off with cloth.
2) Hahah indeed. I just couldn't come up with better names.
3) Isn't pushback protection inherently part of the class already? I was looking for these kinds of passive abilities on WoWHead and in game but I couldn't find them. Will add such talent then if that's not the case (although there aren't many spells with a cast time, unless my eyes are deceiving me, but yes, such passive would be required anyway).
4) Yeah, I should've probably explained how each rotation would work (I still have to work them out). My bad!
5) The empowerments are very similar to rogue's poisons. My idea is that overall they do similar damage, but in some situations one would be better than the rest. For example, if the target has a lot of armour you'd use Arcane Empowerment. Frost Empowerment is mainly for PvP to catch up with your enemy. Fire Empowerment would possibly be better for Single Target (yet if you take the Relentless Power talent the Fire Empowerment becomes very good for AoE).
6) Yeah...I forgot about the whole threat thing, hahahah. Will take care of it soon.
It was initially devised as a DPS spec., but Blizzard wouldn't add a fourth dps spec so maybe that's why I overlooked some of these things whilst writing the idea down. Or maybe because I play PvP mostly hahah.
Thanks for the feedback! (If you have ideas feel free to share, especially regarding Greater Invisibility. I was thinking about a barrier that would have the same visual as the dome that once protected Dalaran and would deflect enemy attacks for 3 seconds. Might be a bit too much though, even for a tank spec. Another one would be to make Cloak of Fire reduce damage by, say, 6 or 10% while active. Or maybe it would be better to simply remove the threat reduction effect from Greater Invisibility.)
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