heavy/ light armor needs to be reworked

One of the biggest problems with balancing in this game is the comparing of apples to oranges. Yes, Death Shield was op on a plate wearing, sword swinging, juggernaut with already super high damage resistance and defensive stance and such. But when a cloth wearing mage with the damage resistance of an egg shell and the avoidance of a barn, it's not really all the op anymore. Now, death shield is like earth and ice shield. Yea they do a little, maybe was worth it when your lower levels, but as you get your adventure level up over 100, casting them for the scraps they give is just not worth it. Hence fire shield. really the only viable shield left. (yes, air works to but you have to attune in air and dump piles of exp into it and have to then switch all your gear to really make it work.. it's a commitment to say the least)
Currently you have to pick, Heavy or Light. but that is only for the chest piece then people mix and match till they can cast what they want and still have the most defense they can muster.
I think reworking the innates in the heavy and light tree, dividing them into a plate, chain, leather, and cloth branches with desirable traits under them. then like needing a chest piece to activate heavy or light, you would need chest, legs, boots, and gloves to match to activate them. Thus encouraging players to play with a full set of the gear that they want and less mix maxing.
In addition, All non cloth armor along with fizzle chance added to it, should also get a negative to all attunements. Sure you can cast any spell you want but you will be less effective as a mage. Just like a mage can attack with his wand or staff but will be less effective as a bludgeon.

 

On a side part this also reminds me that heavy and light actually give same bonuses to stealth and those things etc

 

Death shield was bugged for a long time and should be returnimg (not mitigating) like 40% of all melee and archer damage at high levels or something.

Somone who is good in light armor will always be able to move close to 15% faster than a heavy person. Maybe the set bonuses just need to be higher. A 25% bonus to skills would be alot nicer than 10% for wearing a full set

 

Or make cloth also give set bonus to focus tree, leather a set bonus to subterfuge, and heavy a set bonus to tactics

 

IMHO set bonuses is the key, they should be bigger.

 

The damage transfer of air shield is based totally on the skill level and your dex. Attunement only affects the duration. It's the same with death shield: attunement only affects duration.

 

Being a high level Deathmage here I agree that with that last change cloth is not really an option unless you are in groups which kind of forces one into chain. That said perhaps it should have a bonus if you are wearing light armor. I stopped wearing light and went chain in order to continue to take things I use to in cloth. @127 Adv (122 unbuffed) we should not be as squishy in cloth imo. We already are stuck with the issue of not being able to do undead content with out a group as we can't heal ourselves nor can life mages heal us in a group which is another weakness. Well strong against the living we lost a lot with that adjustment. There was even talk about another adjustment to shield in the balance stuff but it was being held off abit. I would really like to know why they think its over powered considering our weaknesses. Another way I think it could be adjusted to fix some of the issues is to tie it to the spec to get better benefits. This is what I recommended before the original nerf which would stop physical classes from using it as they would have to choose dmg for protection by forcing them to pick the death spec. I would like Chris to sit down perhaps and discuss over all where he sees the issues in the numbers and ways to perhaps help us if there is more with ability to perhaps do undead stuff maybe and or provide ways to heal from undead.

One thing that may help is if Sun and water heal magic was not tied to life which would at least give us some heals to use when trying undead, and or maybe some sort of magic skill that drains death essence from undead in the form of magic to bring us back up . perhaps a channeled spell? thoughts? @Chris