Psionic and Bard Classes - Would you like to see these?

[Cosmic Janitor]

The Death Knight handles the Necromancer theme. There's no design space for such a class in WoW.

As for Bards and Psionics; Bards don't really fit into WoW, since every class can buff the group. A class that specializes in buffs is kind of pointless at this point. Maybe in Vanilla and TBC when we had auras, and Shaman's totems had a 30 yard range, but not anymore.

Psionics are Shadow Priests. Dominate Mind, Psionic Scream, Psychic Horror, Mind Bender, Mind Blast, Mind Spike, etc. If you want to be a psionic, just roll a Shadow Priest.

Sadly deathknights feel nothing like necromancers at all. There is no flesh weaving, comanding of undead hordes or even noticable diffrent minions. Necromancers themself are rather weak and fill more a support role, while the minions do all the actual dps. DK's summon undead and the army are more tacked on token stuff for "look how necromancy-evil we are". Demo warlock is actually alot closer to necromancers in gameplay than death knights by a country mile.

You are right about the rest though. Bards simply don't fit the game because we have a holy trinity of tank, damage and heal and not tank, damage and support. And while shadowpriests feel nothing like they actually wield powers over the mind, that is mostly because for something like this you need context sensitive combat that would allow for more solutions than dps as hard as you can. Psionic would also only in name be about psychic stuff and feel just like shadow with another color at best.

[hrugner]

Psionic would also only in name be about psychic stuff and feel just like shadow with another color at best.

This is how WoW plays for all classes. You have build-3, proc watch, rotation, and buff upkeep play types, each having only minor variations from the other. What would make any new theme a special case of repetitive game play in an environment where that's the standard?

Heck, starting from a support concept you'd at least be starting somewhere new; even if you end up in one of the same four play styles you'd be doing something different.

[Arrowstormen]

I don't think Psionics are very fitting for WoW, Shadow priests already fills that role somewhat too. Bard is a cool idea, but would be hard to implement, and we've never heard of bards in Warcraft.

[Drilnos]

I don't think Psionics are very fitting for WoW, Shadow priests already fills that role somewhat too. Bard is a cool idea, but would be hard to implement, and we've never heard of bards in Warcraft.

There are a few bards around. Not many, but they're there. There's also quite a lot of sound magic in the game. It even has its own elemental lord.

[-Superman-]

I would love a psionic class. Kind of Old God territory, but hell, we have Warlocks right?

IBF Shadow Priests qq

I have to agree. I loved playing a Psionic. Gnome Psionic with Expansive Mind FTW!

[Deleted]

Baaaaard. Gimme.

*makes grabby hands and sobs*

[Cosmic Janitor]

This is how WoW plays for all classes. You have build-3, proc watch, rotation, and buff upkeep play types, each having only minor variations from the other. What would make any new theme a special case of repetitive game play in an environment where that's the standard?

Heck, starting from a support concept you'd at least be starting somewhere new; even if you end up in one of the same four play styles you'd be doing something different.

Usually you differentiate them by spell effects and such, that does at least add some unique aspect to the class that can keep it going, but with shadows you are just another shadow user with blue/purple/black spell effects.

[Venziir]

I thought these might be cool Character Classes in World Of Warcraft.

I remember when Psionics were added to D&D and I was so excited when I got the Psionic's Handbook.


I think it adds an interesting flavor to the mix.

I think Bards could potentially be something really cool. Imagine if their weapons were varied? Different instruments had different graphical flares/properties when used. Maybe each spec uses a different set of instruments or songs. I thought it'd be cool if the Bard's music tied into whatever music was playing in the area you're in. It would be like another layer.

What do you all think about those options?

Bards? Yeah, could easily work. Psionics? Nah, that class never even worked in D&D.

[hrugner]

Usually you differentiate them by spell effects and such, that does at least add some unique aspect to the class that can keep it going, but with shadows you are just another shadow user with blue/purple/black spell effects.

What do shadows have to do with it? Psionics as a power type wouldn't even be magic, let alone shadow magic.

[LilSaihah]

Assuming that a psion is someone who uses their mind to influence other peoples' minds, Shadow Priests are more or less this to a T. Thematically, that's their entire jig, mental manipulation and brain fiddling; unless Mind Lash, Mind Blast, and Mind Sear don't count as mind-affecting abilities. Where your character's abilities come from is more or less left open to interpretation, so if you want to be a psion, you could probably get away with roleplaying a shadowpriest as one. Other classes can manifest natural ability in their schools of magic, why not a SPriest?

Also, on bards; I barely even know what a bard is. The closest thing I can think of is 'wandering yahoo who plays a banjo', and if you want that... Just ask for a banjo. Your character's already a wandering yahoo with a kill count in the hundreds of thousands.

[Breccia]

I like the idea of bards in general, but I see no place for them in the current expansion or Warlords.

I don't see any place for psionics in WoW at all, unless you count chi as a kind of psycho-metabolism power.

[Grubjuice]

The Death Knight handles the Necromancer theme. There's no design space for such a class in WoW.

Death Knights handle/crowd-out Necromancers no more than Paladins handle/crowd-out Priests.

[Chain Chungus]

They could copy the minstrel from LotRO. That was a good design for a bard.

[Teriz]

Death Knights handle/crowd-out Necromancers no more than Paladins handle/crowd-out Priests.

The Necromancer claim to fame is raising the dead. Death Knights do the exact same thing.

- - - Updated - - -

They could copy the minstrel from LotRO. That was a good design for a bard.

Actually it would be pretty terrible. Blizzard would have to create an entire new role in the game and make some existing specs Support just for this class to work.

You could possibly design a class around the Darkmoon Fair or something like that, but the specs would still have to be Tank, Heal, or DPS.

[Klur]

Death Knights handle/crowd-out Necromancers no more than Paladins handle/crowd-out Priests.

While I agree with this statement, what people seem to confuse is that's its not the visual theme that Blizzard considers when adding classes, but the gameplay thematic's. Necromancer's are typically displayed as a pet heavy magic user who's spell repertoire consists of dots and leaching spells. Does WoW have that already? Yes, in the Warlock. They may not be visually similar, but the core gameplay would likely be too similar to really justify adding them in the dev's mind.

This can be applied to most classes people suggest they add. I'd love to play a 1/2 naked barbarian, but Blizz won't add them because Fury warriors already fit that bill for the most part. Battle Mages/ Spellbreakers would most likely be too similar to DK's and pallies, both melee/magic classes, to add. Bards are the only class that really would be somewhat unique, but Blizz turned away from support classes a long time ago. Now a class is either dps, tank, or healer with more or less utility than others. But don't mistake that as a niche Blizz just forgot. This was a very conscious decision on their part.

[Xeraxis]

The Death Knight handles the Necromancer theme. There's no design space for such a class in WoW.

As for Bards and Psionics; Bards don't really fit into WoW, since every class can buff the group. A class that specializes in buffs is kind of pointless at this point. Maybe in Vanilla and TBC when we had auras, and Shaman's totems had a 30 yard range, but not anymore.

Psionics are Shadow Priests. Dominate Mind, Psionic Scream, Psychic Horror, Mind Bender, Mind Blast, Mind Spike, etc. If you want to be a psionic, just roll a Shadow Priest.

So you agree that if you want a Tinker you should just roll with Engineering.

[Teriz]

So you agree that if you want a Tinker you should just roll with Engineering.

Link me to the Engineering class' page.

[Rhekk]

I would hate to see the process of them balancing a Psion straight out of a tabletop.

[Traveler Voltin]

if your going to use the D&D stuff. i demand the battle mage.(which i believe was later removed and banned) the most OP creation. it doesnt die.

[Xeraxis]

Link me to the Engineering class' page.

No need you can just use the profession to cover it. Here since you have trouble finding the link. I mean this is how you dispute everyone's ideas right? If a portion of it is being used by something already in game then nothing can ever be added that is like it.