What if the mage have Arcane Power (like in D3) ???

[Deleted]

In Diablo III, the Wizard is the equivalent of the mage in WoW; but instead of mana, he use a resource called Arcane Power.
Arcane Power is limited but very quick to refill. And it associated with spell that help replenish it and spell that have a big cost.

If this model was transposed in WoW, what did you think the result would be ?

For fire, I was thinking of some like this :

• regen rate : 40s to full
• fireball and scorch cost no AP
• arcane power on spell/DoT Crit
• Pyroblast cost 80% in arcane power
• hot streak : reduce the cost of the next Pyro by 25%
• inferno blast : 100% crit for procing hot streak

For arcane, it can be really good in design :

• regen rate : 60s to full
• mastery : increase damage based on AP level
• Arcane Blast : cast 10%, cast increase for each stack
• Arcane Missile : each damage give 1% AP
• Arcane Barrage : clear stack and cost no mana
• Arcane Power : increase maximum Arcane Power by 20% for 20s

It's just another crazy idea but it could make a good change.

[Deleted]

I think it's an interesting concept, but it would make mages basically ranged rogues. the cool thing about arcane mages, for example, is that they can choose to dump their mana into a burn phase for extra DPS. at least, that was the Cata and LK playstyle, don't know about that now.

it could really help balance the level 90 talents though. instead of everyone relying on mana but only arcane caring about it, everyone could care about resources. care has to be taken to not thread too closely on rogue and especially Hunter territory.

[Deleted]

I liked T5 arcane mage style where choosing the right moment to burn you mana was the difference between a good mage and an average one.

You felt allmighty when you'd burst like a madman .

[Nightfall]

The D3 Arcane Power is hard to transpose on WoW as in Diablo it is restored in ~7 seconds to full, but the wizard has only instant casts and custom length channels. The closest model would be that of Destruction warlocks. They have high mana costs of spells, but their mana regen is passively boosted by 625% (iirc).

If you tried to implement it in wow, that would be as follows:
- powerful spells cost a lot of mana,
- filler spells are free,
- mana regen is very high by default,
- critical strikes return some % of mana,
- mastery and crit increase the part of mana spenders in your rotation, thus boosting damage,
- haste is awful unless you cast lots of dots or unless it boosts mana regen even further.

What that means for Fire - Pyroblast has the same cast time as Fireball, for rotation you cast Living Bomb, spam Pyroblasts into combustion, when low on mana - resort to Fireball/Scorch, then it's Pyro time again. Chain critting gives Hot Streak, which makes Pyro instant and mana free. Actual change - alternate between Pyroblast and Fireball in small burst/conserve cycles, depending on mana.

Frost - cast Frost Orb on cd and Frostbolt if there's mana, both these spells can proc FoF, which make mana free Ice Lances deal good damage. When out of mana and procs - resort to spamming Frostfire Bolt. Actual change - alternate between Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt spam in small burst/conserve phases, due to mana.

Arcane - cast Arcane Blast gaining stacks, each stack increases mana cost and damage output, weave in mana free Arcane Missiles procs to prolong AB spam, then finish with cheap/free Arcane Barrage for massive damage. Spam Arcane Blastx1 +AM + Arcane Barrage, waiting for mana to restore, repeat. Arcane Power cooldown makes Arcane Barrage not consume stacks, thus at 4 stacks you cast AP, then ABarr, AB, ABarr, AM (if procced), ABarr, etc. Actual change - built in burst/conserve phases.