Specialization skill ideas with example

Hi everyone, it's been awhile since I last posted on the forums (due to IRL stuff), and ever since I got back on I've been playing around some and learning about the new specialization, and here's an idea I had to flesh it out more (with an example):

Instead of just passively boosting your skills while you level up your specialization, my idea would also add "specialization skills" that would unlock as you leveled your specialization up. However, unlike other regular skills, these "specialization skills" would be tied to your specialization's current level in terms of strength, instead of having to level each up individually. Some of these "specialization skills" would also affect the combat pets of that tree (if applicable), besides simply giving them more damage.

Here's an example of how this would look, using my highest magic tree, Death:

Specialization Level 1:
Enhanced Undead (passive): Your combat pets are enhanced with increased damage, new attacks and passives! The Skeletal Footman will taunt and try to stun its target, the Skeletal Mage will cast Meteor Swarm and grant you a boost to your FP regeneration when it's nearby, and the Lich will use a spinning attack for increased damage while siphoning health from its target with every attack.

Specialization Level 25:
Siphoning Plague: Target suffers x Death Damage every x seconds for x seconds. If target dies, Plague has an x% chance to jump to the nearest enemy within x meters. Caster heals 25% of the damage dealt.

Specialization Level 50:
Dark Empowerment: You take x damage, any nearby party members (pets included) gain a bonus to Strength, Dexterrity, and Intelligence, but suffer a penalty to their Life attunement.

Specialization Level 75:
Command Undead: Target an enemy undead and attempt to bind it to your will. If it succeeds, the undead takes the slot of your combat pet and follows you around (Even in the Overworld map!) until you dismiss it or it is destroyed. If it is destroyed, it cannot be revived in any way. Using Command Undead again will resummon the pet, but only if it was dismissed in anyway. If you target another enemy undead while having one already commanded and the attempt succeeds, then that undead replaces your previous one.The commanded undead benefits from your Undead Mastery passive and Specialization, but does not gain any additional health or benefits. This ability will have no effect on boss undead.

Specialization Level 100:
Dark Ascension: You transform into a Lich, the height of the necromantic arts! This form gives you bonuses to your Intelligence, Combat Resistance, Death Attunement, Health Siphoning abilities, FP cost reduction, and pet damage. Additionally, any Death Summons no longer Decay while the form is active. However, you take a penalty to Sun Attunement, Fire Attunement, Movement Speed, and you have a constant FP Drain. The form ends if you run out of FP or if you use the skill again while it is active.


Here's another skill that is less pet intensive and another of my favorites: Chaos:

Specialization Level 1:
Forbidden Knowledge (passive): Your Chaos skills inflict additional effects on you or your opponent and last longer. Additionally, your Chaos Daemon will no longer attack you (it may still attack party members), deal increased damage, and will sometimes use a special attack (Daemonic Leap).

Specialization Level 25:
Bargain: Using this channeled skill you take constant FP drain and cannot move, however you gain Health regeneration and Resistance bonus while it is being channeled.

Specialization Level 50:
Aetheric Storm: You target a location, enemies inside take X random damage type and are afflicted with random effects for as long as they are in the storm, which lasts for x seconds.

Specialization Level 75:
Chaos Ward: You shield yourself and any party member with the powers of chaos, granting them either a bonus to one or all stats, resistance, dodge, or armor.

Specialization Level 100:
Master of Chaos: Your Chaos skills now inflict further additional harmful effects on your enemies and further additional beneficial effects on you and your allies. Additionally your Daemon will no longer attack party members and gains further increased damage and resistance. Finally, debuffs and damage over time effects have a 10% chance of being removed from you and inflicted on your opponent (this can only happen every 30 seconds).


What does everyone think of this idea? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts!

 

Just getting further and further away from we are able to learn anything. I already dont like the limits being placed, I liked the freedom we used to have.

 

Of course some players with dozens or hundreds of GM's don't like specialization because they can't lord over everyone anymore and be the best at absolutely everything. The new specialization system is a god send for this game. It gives new players a purpose, and allows them to find a niche where they can perform at their particular tasks as good as veteran players.

It even gives new players the ability to excel at something, and be better than a veteran player in their particular role (If it's not the same role as the veteran player of course).

 

being a generalist has the cost of not being the best at everything, it just cost so much exp to be able to be the best at everything. Its a trade off of versatility for power.

 

New player argument doesn't hold water!

 

If you give it time something like this will have to happen since they will need to give players who have capped out something to strive for more.

As for all those with 100s of GMs time has come to swallow the pill that that was never intended, or expected to happen so soon. Have to deal with adjustments to capture true intentions.

As for the view from a new player this is so far down their road they will not be new then so does not apply.

 

Welcome back @Perashim .

Love the detail and thought you put into these. Nice work!

 

Actually, having a ton of exp into skills your not even using in many situations makes you less powerful in those situations, your just mediocre in all situations instead of great at a few. Or do you think that having a deck of 150 dynamic cards is actually a good idea, I assure you, its not.

I know a few people who have like 90% or more of their exp put into a very specific build, and they are anything but useless. 2 of them crush full groups of people trying to kill them. Right now, because I am very focused in my build, I can crush superstition canyon control point. If I left myself as a generalist like I was before, I would not be able to do what I can do at that control point right now. At the same time, I am not good at fighting lich mages or most bosses with the build I have right now. This is why I said before, I do not get power from being a generalist, I get versatility. What good does magic res do for me when fighting things that do not use magic? What good do melee skills do me when I am using magic with wands and no physical attack skills? What good do all my physical defensive skills do for me when fighting mages? Now to raise all of these things so I dont have weaknesses in any situation is not an easy task. It costs a ton of exp, a ton of mats in gear and all this takes time. Right now over 90% of my exp is into 2 schools of magic, I do not feel useless, but I do feel less versatile.

 

I might do a less pet intensive tree (probably Chaos) and a tree with no pets for examples.

 

I think this idea wouldn't work with the all or nothing way that specialization is today. This kind of idea is better for mixing and matching.

 

I feel like this is something that down the line could be implemented. Right now, the way I see it they could only play with the content that they have. As this game develops and more content/skills are introduced into the game. Skills similar to these could and probably will be considered in later episodes.

I like change and growth. I'm for more content. Just gotta keep the balance.

Very thoughtful post. Thanks for sharing.