How to make Holy Nova relevant

[Kelesti]

So this is a sleep deprived Kel, having a mind working when I am not. Go go procrastination!

...

Anyways! Holy Nova kind of got relegated back to its pseudo-useless place in the spellbook, where hurray it's an instant spell, and if you're lucky you might be able to use it to hopefully pretend to destealth a Rogue. This spell shone with the use of a certain Glyph in Ulduar and Trial of the Grand Crusade, two fights in particular, and then once more for Arthas heroic, but hasn't really seen any value since then despite being revamped to no longer be party-limited.

What can we do to make this spell work, for even one spec? Incorporate it into Discipline's hybrid damage/healing concept, with a couple twists. Divine Accuracy would have to be changed to "your holy spells", including Penance, Holy Word: Chastise, and Holy Nova.

Train of Thought would increase the radius of the heal of your next Holy Nova, if your last Holy Nova did damage (lasting 6 seconds).

Evangelism's damage bonus would apply but not trigger Evangelism (just as it does through Penance). For the record, it should also do the same for Holy Word: Chastise.

But more importantly, the damage done through Holy Nova would trigger a single Atonement, in addition to its multi-target spread healing.

You want bigger numbers, knowing exactly where they land? You'd pick Prayer of Healing, with its guaranteed Aegis. This is just adding to Discipline's multi-target tools, giving it something "fresh" to play with its niche role that it carved out for itself. Would it be good in all situations? No. Is Atonement good as a single target heal in all situations? No, you still use Greater, Penance, etc. Having Holy Nova as a tool that you could use under these circumstances wouldn't be a "be all-end all" by any means necessary, but it'd put the spell on some Priest's bars, no?

As my usual close goes: "What's your take"?

[[-Spiritus-]]

I'm all for expanding relevant spell selection. HN hasn't been relevant since H. LK.

As for the specifics, I think they need to be honed.

Honestly, I don't think holy needs any more multi-targeting healing tools, but disc could benefit tremendously.

The easiest solution I see is to incorporate HN along with PoH into the auto DA within the Divine Aegis talent. This way it is easier to refresh and build DA stacks so the absorbs don't go to waste.

[Kelesti]

I'm all for expanding relevant spell selection. HN hasn't been relevant since H. LK.

As for the specifics, I think they need to be honed.

Honestly, I don't think holy needs any more multi-targeting healing tools, but disc could benefit tremendously.

Absolutely agreeing with you that Holy's tools are solid enough, and Discipline could use something to give them more feel.

The easiest solution I see is to incorporate HN along with PoH into the auto DA within the Divine Aegis talent. This way it is easier to refresh and build DA stacks so the absorbs don't go to waste.

The problem with the auto-Aegis, in my eyes, is then it becomes balanced around that and it's quickly "Prayer is useless, use Nova all the time" or "Nova's underpowered and pointless anyways, better off with Prayer". That's why I went for something a little more distinct, to complement Discipline's arsenal rather than compete.

[Ariahna]

Hmmm.....what about making Holy Nova a ground targeted spell like HW: Sanctuary but instead of weak slow heals, it is weak slow damage on enemies, or little DA shields on friendlies, which stack of course in true DA form??

[t3hj0j0]

I was disappointed when Holy Nova became a "cool idea that sucks now" spell. Seeing a priest run around shooting a big orb of light around was pretty cool, if a bit silly. One thing that always disappointed me was the fact that the "my target explodes" mechanic is not more widely used (see: living Bomb). What would be really cool (IMO) was that holy nova became a short CD spell that caused your next Penance , (all forms of) heal, PW:S, Smite, and Holy Fire to cause your target to erupt with the Holy Nova (in an improved form of course). Tank have a bunch of small adds? Boom ,he just blew up with holy light-stuff and got a heal. Need to smite spam a boss for an atonement heal? Boom , the boss also blew up and healed the tank and all the peeps in melee range.

[[-Spiritus-]]

The problem with the auto-Aegis, in my eyes, is then it becomes balanced around that and it's quickly "Prayer is useless, use Nova all the time" or "Nova's underpowered and pointless anyways, better off with Prayer". That's why I went for something a little more distinct, to complement Discipline's arsenal rather than compete.

The limiting factor would be range, and the point of auto DA on HN would be to refresh DA, as the actual added absorb would be fairly small.

I admit it isn't exactly a "win" solution, just one that would be easy to implement.

[Kelesti]

I was disappointed when Holy Nova became a "cool idea that sucks now" spell. Seeing a priest run around shooting a big orb of light around was pretty cool, if a bit silly. One thing that always disappointed me was the fact that the "my target explodes" mechanic is not more widely used (see: living Bomb). What would be really cool (IMO) was that holy nova became a short CD spell that caused your next Penance , (all forms of) heal, PW:S, Smite, and Holy Fire to cause your target to erupt with the Holy Nova (in an improved form of course). Tank have a bunch of small adds? Boom ,he just blew up with holy light-stuff and got a heal. Need to smite spam a boss for an atonement heal? Boom , the boss also blew up and healed the tank and all the peeps in melee range.

An interesting idea, but not one I can see any time soon. Perhaps for 5.0, sure.

Mine could be subbed in for 4.2, or even 4.1.4, as they aren't really that severe of changes.

The limiting factor would be range, and the point of auto DA on HN would be to refresh DA, as the actual added absorb would be fairly small.

I admit it isn't exactly a "win" solution, just one that would be easy to implement.

That feels more of a cop-out. "Here's something to keep your Aegis up, rather than actually be effective output". We'd want it to be something worth putting on your bars, to feel excited for, and the Aegis on its own just isn't enough to make people care, no matter how easy a "fix" that would be.

People would just look at it with a shrug "What's the point?" and they'd pretty much be right.

[[-Spiritus-]]

People would just look at it with a shrug "What's the point?" and they'd pretty much be right.

I see your point. I just know that there have been tons of situations where I had healthy DA stacks up on scattered targets in different groups that fall off because it would be inefficient or ill advised to try and keep them up w/ PoH, but a GCD spent on HN would be well worth it if the raid was grouped.

[Kelesti]

I see your point. I just know that there have been tons of situations where I had healthy DA stacks up on scattered targets in different groups that fall off because it would be inefficient or ill advised to try and keep them up w/ PoH, but a GCD spent on HN would be well worth it if the raid was grouped.

But if they're topped off, you couldn't make the Holy Nova hit who you want it to for that specific refresh. It could hit 5 completely new people, and let the originals fall off, or when you're trying to balance it out, it could refresh and leave the other group unprotected.

Delegating a heal for this job isn't really awesome, especially when it's a dumb "smart" heal.

[-Ethos-]

It has its place as a confetti explosion, but thats about it. I think any changes made to it allowing it to be viable would cause it to encroach into the territory of one of our other heals.

[Kelesti]

It has its place as a confetti explosion, but thats about it. I think any changes made to it allowing it to be viable would cause it to encroach into the territory of one of our other heals.

Which is why I chose for the Atonement route. Atonement doesn't completely replace your single target output. Holy Nova shouldn't be the one button all-stop for Multi-Target healing either.

You'd still have guaranteed Aegis on Prayer, as well as the ability to precast it, or know exactly who your heal is going to land on, would keep Prayer a significantly strong, and most often preferred, tool in your kit. My idea wants it to be another outlet, like comparing Smite to a Greater Heal. Have them serve two different purposes.

[Boater]

I was disappointed when Holy Nova became a "cool idea that sucks now" spell. Seeing a priest run around shooting a big orb of light around was pretty cool, if a bit silly. One thing that always disappointed me was the fact that the "my target explodes" mechanic is not more widely used (see: living Bomb). What would be really cool (IMO) was that holy nova became a short CD spell that caused your next Penance , (all forms of) heal, PW:S, Smite, and Holy Fire to cause your target to erupt with the Holy Nova (in an improved form of course). Tank have a bunch of small adds? Boom ,he just blew up with holy light-stuff and got a heal. Need to smite spam a boss for an atonement heal? Boom , the boss also blew up and healed the tank and all the peeps in melee range.

That's actually a pretty nifty mechanic. I myself loved using living bomb, and this would be a cool effect to add to spells on cd. I guess the question is whether or not it would be worth a gcd, as the heal is pretty weak and has such a limited range. It also seems to only be useful if you cast it on a tank/melee, as ranged tend to spread out a bit too much. Without the control of placement (ie you can stand in just the right spot to maybe heal a ranged on top of your melee), the efficiency goes down a lot as you end up healing way less targets. I think the numbers for that would hafta go up, but I'd worry about them possibly getting too powerful in that case.

[[-Spiritus-]]

But if they're topped off, you couldn't make the Holy Nova hit who you want it to for that specific refresh. It could hit 5 completely new people, and let the originals fall off, or when you're trying to balance it out, it could refresh and leave the other group unprotected.

Delegating a heal for this job isn't really awesome, especially when it's a dumb "smart" heal.

The fix would be to change HN so it isn't constricted to 5 targets and acts the same way it does for its damage element.

But again, I'm not really married to the idea. Just an off-the cuff way to stop DA from being wasted so often.

[dawawe]

Was such an awesome skill for healing shadow-realm Halion. Other than that i never really got to use it. Ulduar i was stuck tanking healing getting loled at for being low on heals. Bubbles spammed through ToC and got loled at some more. went Holy and destroyed everyone i came across and never looked back.

Right now i use Holy Nova for those few AoE pulls in randoms where no one takes significant damage. And by you guys discussing DA i would assume you're disc. I no nossing. Maybe adding PoH to train of thought.

Your prayer of healing spell has a 50\100% to cause all Holy Nova cast in the next 3/6 seconds to have 50/100% increased chance to crit and increase its range by 7/15 yards.

[Deleted]

I was disappointed when Holy Nova became a "cool idea that sucks now" spell. Seeing a priest run around shooting a big orb of light around was pretty cool, if a bit silly. One thing that always disappointed me was the fact that the "my target explodes" mechanic is not more widely used (see: living Bomb). What would be really cool (IMO) was that holy nova became a short CD spell that caused your next Penance , (all forms of) heal, PW:S, Smite, and Holy Fire to cause your target to erupt with the Holy Nova (in an improved form of course). Tank have a bunch of small adds? Boom ,he just blew up with holy light-stuff and got a heal. Need to smite spam a boss for an atonement heal? Boom , the boss also blew up and healed the tank and all the peeps in melee range.

I really like your idea. I see a holy nova'd penance as a holy ticking bomb. After the 3rd tick of penance, a hot is applied on the target, healing x every y secs. After that effect, the holy bomb explodes, dealing damage to the target's nearby enemies and also healing nearby allies. Maybe a 10 sec cooldown?

[scandore8472]

I'm all for expanding relevant spell selection. HN hasn't been relevant since H. LK.

As for the specifics, I think they need to be honed.

Honestly, I don't think holy needs any more multi-targeting healing tools, but disc could benefit tremendously.

The easiest solution I see is to incorporate HN along with PoH into the auto DA within the Divine Aegis talent. This way it is easier to refresh and build DA stacks so the absorbs don't go to waste.

You read my post about HN on the official forums didn't you.

Seriously though, I just suggested this over on the official forums like 2 days ago lol.

[MildCore]

I like the HN atonement idea. That sounds prettynifty. I really like the idea of fleshing out a real atonement healing/dps spec too. Something unique in it's own way. Too much heals and not enough dps? Go atonement for half and half. Not enough heals and too much DMg? Same thing.

[Deleted]

Make some talent where the healing done by HN is increased for every PoH you do (think Serendipity). Quite an easy fix. And if they wanted to make it cool they could change the color of the spell effect depending on stacks.

[The_Butcher]

personally i want a shadow nova.

waiting until 75 for a shadow AoE was a pain to level with.

[ramennoodleking]

Interesting discussion...I've often wished holy nova had more of a use