Game Mechanics A Summoner Rework Idea: Complete Overhaul

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Table of Content:

* Introduction
* Origins of the idea
* The Idea
* Creating the Idea (With Ability Tree Rework)
* Improvement for the other Shaman Archetypes
* A farewell
* Credits
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*Hello there. I am a Shaman player that has been playing on and off for a couple of years. But I’ve always enjoyed the Shaman experience, at least up to level ~60-90. I basically came back to the game when 2.0 and 2.0.3 came out, so quite recently. This document will be a representation of how I see how the Shaman, or more specifically the Summoner archetype can be. Because I feel the Shaman class is really underutilized and underused compared to the rest of the classes/archetypes. In isolation, the three archetypes; Summoner, Ritualist and Acolyte are actually really balanced. But what makes them ‘weak’ is because of their strength value being lower than the rest of the roster.
Before I get further, I have to excuse my english vocabulary, because this is not my first, nor second language. This is also the first project I’ve done in my life that is not associated with school, this is something I am very passionate about.
I have no experience in both coding and balancing, but I’m currently in high school where the line I went to is coding. So, sooner or later I will have the knowledge of the code.
There’s a lot of information to process here, so I am not forcing you to read all of it in one sitting, so bear with me. Also, if you want to contact me, externally, you can do that with my discord - BlastCraft#2831
There’s a lot of information to process here, so I am not forcing you to read all of it in one sitting.

*All of this started around ~10th August 2023 where I had a dream where I was playing Wynncraft, Shaman Summoner. But it was not quite as the summoner as today, it was.. off. I will try to introduce the dream and a bit more into this document, all in the love of Wynncraft & Shaman.

*Ok, the basics. There’s three archetypes of the Shaman class; Summoner, Ritualist and Acolyte.
These three archetypes have completely different identities, and have completely different playstyles and have many ways to approach them with.
Ritualist focuses on stance-based playstyles with masks. The player uses different masks depending on the situation with buffs and debuffs. Ritualist has an Awakened Mask, a sort of ultimate, but the term ‘Ultimate’ is used very loosely.
Acolyte is a blood-sucking archetype that focuses on the healing concept without losing the damage. Blood Sorrow isn’t being used very much, because it’s just really worth it for Acolyte.
Lastly, Summoner. A class that plays itself, which means that the player is not interacting with the gameplay of the summons. Which significantly decreases the expectation. Also, the class ‘Summoner’ has fewer summons than Archer’s Trapper. The class also has an extremely low skill expression, so I’ll try to increase the skill ceiling a bit, but letting the skill floor stay where it is.
Summoner is in a weird state, though the idea is really good, the class itself is just for damage, and even in that department, it’s lacking a bit. I know I can’t tackle an archetype on its late game, but also the other stages of the game, from 1-103+. Summoner between level 1-60 is extremely well executed in my opinion, so good on you; Wynncraft Team.
Summoner has three main concepts in its identity, Puppets, Crimson Effigies, and extra Totems. In the earlier stages of the game, these concepts are extremely impactful for Summoner, you can feel that improvement when the game goes on and the players grant more levels. Puppets deal an acceptable amount of damage, Effigies’ Crowd Control is exceptional, and the extra totems are just fantastic.
But, in the later game content, the Summoner archetype becomes an archetype of damage, nothing else. Yeah, I know that might be a stretch, but hear me out. Crimson Effigies are not as useful as when you got it, because more mobs have Crowd Control Immunity, which negates one of the major aspects of Effigies.
The Puppet's main ability is the knives, which actually deal a respectable amount of damage, but there’s a bit of a weakness for them. The knives they throw are completely useless if the enemy you are trying to hit is extremely mobile, which is not consistent with DPS.
In the earlier stages of the game, this is not a problem because most mobs are not CC immune, and have low mobility. This means that the Effigies can get them to a closed area near the totem where Aura and the Puppet’s knives can deal damage.
Let’s take a look at Archer’s Boltslinger and its Guardian Angels. The reason why the Angels are more consistent than the Puppets are because of the travel speed of their damages. Puppet’s knives are slow compared to the Angels’ nearly instant damage beam, which limits the amount of missing projectiles.
Let’s say, hypothetically, the Puppet’s deal 5x more DPS than the Angels, but the enemy you’re fighting is extremely mobile. The Puppet’s has theoretically more DPS, but it doesn’t matter if the Angels don't miss.
I started writing this document when the Wynncraft Team patched the Invigorating Wave bug. Very good, removing bugs. But that was mostly the main reason why I was relevant, I could compete and be useful in a team. But with that gone, I once felt my relevancy falling.

*Having identities for each archetype is extremely important for its role, which means that you can’t steal from the others but create your own idea.
We got Ritualist, a stance build that improves the players ideal playstyle for that moment. But more importantly, we got Acolyte. Acolyte’s represented idea is mostly the healing from aura, but you can’t forget the importance of damage buffing from Vengeful Spirit and shielding from Blood Sorrow. That means our build can’t have that.
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Ideas we can’t have:
Stances, user improvement/buffing (Ritualist: Masks)
Healing, Shielding, Damage Buffing (Acolyte: Sacrificial Shrine, Blood Sorrow, Vengeful Spirit)
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Ideas we can have:
Totem improvement
Utility & CC
More Summons
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First, the summons. There’s currently three different, unique summons for Archer’s Trapper, meanwhile Summoner has two unique summons. That means we have to one-up that so we will get four summons for Summoner.
The totem improvement, the current one is quite stale, it’s good, but not unique. So we’ll have three different, unique totems that will summon different summons. That will be damage, ally buffing and CC.
As I showed before, we can’t steal the identity of Acolyte’s Sacrificial Shrine, which is healing. But we’ll keep the idea of the Regeneration ability in the tree.
With each unique summon, it requires a unique look for both the summon and the totem to differentiate the different properties. It’s also important that the other archetypes in the Shaman tree can take an identity of Summoner; extra totems. That means that we have to make sure that the other archetypes can take that property without interfering with the summoning mechanic.
As I told before, there’s going to be three different totems, with different summons that have unique identities, those are damage, allied buffing, and CC. But in my opinion, having CC in the late game (like it is today) is not really efficient, because more and more mobs will have the attribute CC immunity. So having it as the first summon will be appropriate.
The second summon will either be the damage and the allied buffing. Because we get Regeneration and Double Totem really close to each other at level ~56, I think it’s reasonable to have allied buffing. That’s also the stage where most people go and adventure the dungeons, quests, and other difficult content with each other. But if you’re alone, that doesn’t really matter because you can use that buff for yourself as well.
That leads to the last summon, damage. This will be granted level ~76 which is where damage is very important, we’re close to the late-early game.
That should be enough, here’s the tree! (You’ll see what will be changed)
















(PICTURES THAT WORKS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE)


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1, Totem Master; All of your totems transform into their true state. Your first totem transfers into ‘Nature’s Grasp’, this totem summons the Earth Elemental (max 1, every 3s), he approaches the enemies and slams the ground every 1 second in a 3 block radius. If an enemy is hit, it will suffer 20% walk speed reduction for 3s.
Total Damage: 50% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 30%
✤ Earth: 10%
❋ Air: 10%
(They last indefinitely, but when your Nature’s Grasp disappears the Earth Elemental will die after 5s)
(Earth Elemental move ~3b/s)
(The slam starts where the hands land)
(All summons mobility are in the totems area)
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2, More Earth Elementals; Increase the quantity of Earth Elemental by +1
Total Damage: 30% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 20%
✤ Earth: 5%
❋ Air: 5%
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3, Enraged Earth Elementals; Whenever you use Aura, the Earth Elementals enter an enrage state for 5 seconds. Whenever they’re enraged, they get 3x walk speed, 2x block slam radius, increase their efficiency in debuffing the enemy movement by 100%, and increase their damage by ~40%.
Total Damage: 42% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 28%
✤ Earth: 7%
❋ Air: 7%
Walk Speed: 9b/s
Slam Radius: 6b/r
(This calculation is after the base stats of the Earth Elementals)
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4, More Earth Elementals; Increase the quantity of Earth Elementals by +1.
Non Enraged- Damage: 25% (of your DPS)
Non Enraged- ✤ Damage: 15%
Non Enraged- ✤ Earth: 5%
Non Enraged- ❋ Air: 5%

Enraged- Damage 35% (of your DPS)
Enraged- ✤ Damage: 21%
Enraged- ✤ Earth: 7%
Enraged- ❋ Air: 7%
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5, Locked Slam; whenever all the Earth Elementals have combined slammed 20 times, you fill up their bar. Upon casting Uproot/Haunting Memory at the ground, then the nearest Earth Elemental will go there and lock the ground and immobilize all enemies for 3 seconds. After the 3 seconds, the Earth Elemental, it will smash the ground and launch all mobs in the air.
Non Enraged- Total Damage: 100% (of your DPS)
Non Enraged- ✤ Damage: 60%
Non Enraged- ✤ Earth: 20%
Non Enraged- ❋ Air: 20%

Enraged- Total Damage: 140% (of your DPS)
Enraged- ✤ Damage: 84%
Enraged- ✤ Earth: 28%
Enraged- ❋ Air: 28%
(This count will reset after every Locked Slam)
(This will not work for CC immune mobs)
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6, Totem of the Druid; you are able to summon two totems, your second totem will transform into ‘Sealed Soul’, which spawns a Druid Elemental (max 1, every 3s) and will deal homing damage every 5 seconds. After 5 shots, the Druid Elemental will channel. Whilst in this state, the Druid won’t do anything, but when any player is in a 1b/r, that player will connect their soul and gain 5% damage reduction for 10 seconds. This connection will be destroyed if the totem disappears or the player goes out of the totem range.
Total Damage: 10% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 5%
✽ Water: 5%
(They last indefinitely, but when your Sealed Soul disappears the Druid Elemental will die after 5s)
(The icon will be Yellow, unless you have Totem Master, then it’s going to be red. If you don’t have Totem Master, it will just be a normal Double Totem)
(When the druid is in channel, it will have glowing effect)
(Aura will deal 50% less damage)
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7, Regeneration; The ‘Sealed Soul’ totem will passively regenerate players every 0.4 seconds if they’re in the totem’s area. If a player is linked with the Druid Elemental, they’ll recover more health.
Total Heal: 2%/0.4s (of your max health)
Connected Soul: 4%/0.4s (of your max health)
(If the player doesn’t have Totem of the Druid, the regeneration ability will work as the current version)
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8, Stronger Totems; Increase totem’s damage.
Total Damage: +5% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 5%
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9, Gone with the Wind; upon casting Uproot/Haunting Memory at any totems, the player summons the Cloud Elemental (max 1) The Cloud Elemental will be behind the player, when an enemy is in range, the Cloud Elemental flings into battle and shocks the enemy. They persist for 1s, then retreat to the player, this will repeat until the enemy has died, or the player being out range or the priority changes. The Cloud Elemental prioritizes whoever you last melee attacked.
Damage: 60% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 50%
✦ Thunder: 20%
(Cloud Elemental’s attack speed will be the same as the players’ weapon’s attack speed)
(The weapon damage increase also goes into the damage calculations of the totems and its elementals)
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10, More Cloud Elementals; Increase the quantity of Cloud Elementals by +2.
Damage: 30% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 20%
✦ Thunder: 10%
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11, Wrath of the Cosmos; you are able to summon three totems, your third totem will transform into ‘Cosmic Terror’ which spawns Cosmic Elemental (max 6, every 3s) and will be floating in the air and throw elemental discs every 1s that homes onto enemies. Whenever an enemy gets hit by an elemental disc, they decrease their damage and defenses by 1% (max 5%) for other players, but not for the user.
Total Damage: 20% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 15%
✹ Fire: 5%
(Aura will deal 60% less damage)
(Cosmic Elementals will always be in Totem Range)
(If you don’t have Totem Master, it will just be a normal Triple Totem)
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12, Invigorating Wave; for each mob hit by Aura, recover 5 mana.
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13, One with the Elementals, unite your bond with you and all Elementals. All Elementals gain the Rainbow Element Damage attribute, and slightly increase damage.

Earth Elemental:
Non Enraged- Damage: 30% (of your DPS)
Non Enraged- ✤ Damage: 15%
Non Enraged- ✤ Earth: 3%
Non Enraged- ✦ Thunder: 3%
Non Enraged- ✽ Water: 3%
Non Enraged- ✹ Fire: 3%
Non Enraged- ❋ Air: 3%
Enraged- Damage 40% (of your DPS)
Enraged- ✤ Damage: 20%
Enraged- ✤ Earth: 4%
Enraged- ✦ Thunder: 4%
Enraged- ✽ Water: 4%
Enraged- ✹ Fire: 4%
Enraged- ❋ Air: 4%

Earth Elemental- Locked Slam:
Non Enraged- Total Damage: 110% (of your DPS)
Non Enraged- ✤ Damage: 70%
Non Enraged- ✤ Earth: 8%
Non Enraged- ✦ Thunder: 8%
Non Enraged- ✽ Water: 8%
Non Enraged- ✹ Fire: 8%
Non Enraged- ❋ Air: 8%
Enraged- Total Damage: 150% (of your DPS)
Enraged- ✤ Damage: 100%
Enraged- ✤ Earth: 10%
Enraged- ✦ Thunder: 10%
Enraged- ✽ Water: 10%
Enraged- ✹ Fire: 10%
Enraged- ❋ Air: 10%

Druid Elemental:
Total Damage: 15% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 10%
✤ Earth: 1%
✦ Thunder: 1%
✽ Water: 1%
✹ Fire: 1%
❋ Air: 1%

Cloud Elemental:
Total Damage: 70% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 50%
✤ Earth: 4%
✦ Thunder: 4%
✽ Water: 4%
✹ Fire: 4%
❋ Air: 4%

Cosmic Elemental:
Total Damage: 25% (of your DPS)
✤ Damage: 10%
✤ Earth: 2%
✦ Thunder: 2%
✽ Water: 2%
✹ Fire: 2%
❋ Air: 2%
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*Alright, I know that was a lot to take in. But now that it's done, we can move on. Now that my idea of how Summoner can be reworked, the other two archetypes need some compensation. No big rework, some general Quality of Life updates
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Ritualist:
Awakening Mask- Mana Requirement: 150 -> 300
- Duration: 25s -> 60s
- Damage Buff: -> 35% -> 50%
- Walk Speed Buff: 80% -> 150%
Acolyte:
Blood Sorrow- Requirement Blood Pool: 70 -> 60
- Overheal: 2% -> 5%
- NEW: The user heals 5%/s of damage you deal with Blood Sorrow
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –*We’ve reached the end of this journey, this is obviously changeable if something doesn’t suit, for example the numbers. I am no programmer, have no experience with balancing, etc. I am no genius, I am no intellectual being, I have no experience. This is all interchangeable. If you read this, please contact me in any way with a response.
I’ve spent the past five days on this document and I've had so much fun writing it, I completely understand if you don’t accept this, because of its quantity. I’ve unironically had more fun than the actual gameplay of summoner.
Once again, if this doesn’t get accepted, it’s fully understandable, I’m just very tired.. I’m just very bored of the class.. It’s just not fun enough, not good enough, no reason to play it.
Anyways, if you’re still reading, I am extremely happy to see you at the end of this journey, and I will see you (maybe) later, have a great day!


/ A Shaman Enjoyer, Blast

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* Credits:
Idea: Blast
General rework idea: Blast
Totem of Druid idea: Blast (+Classmate)
Elemental name: Terraria’s Calamity Mod
Ritualist & Acolyte changed: Blast & Leiwick (Guildmate)
Script: Blast
Motivation: Blast & ThePurpleEmerald’s - Friends On The Other Side:
A Summoner Remake Proposal
(https://forums.wynncraft.com/threads/friends-on-the-other-side-a-summoner-remake-proposal.310161/)
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For some reason, the images won't show. So here they are; (the first three pages are the same)

 

I feel like it's better to propose ability concepts that would improve the archetype than to write out full elemental stats of everything. If an idea is to be implemented in game, the stats will be wildly different for balance.

 

Good effort, but it’s better to put just a few things into a suggestion:

Explain the overall concept

How it would change the game and if it’s a class/archetype than it’s Playstyle

If abilities are involve then put some of your favorite that you made that would make it different

but don’t put individual mob names or stats or stuff if it’s something large cuz chances are they just won’t be added. They aren’t going to reference your suggestion when putting in numbers

 

I agree that shaman is a bit weaker and require more mana management and cooldown management than other classes, I really find that the current tree is good, despite the summoner archetype that is underperforming and I must say that yours seem balanced, very fun to play and to watch, however I only imagine how painful it must be to code abilies like you're proposing (9 and 11 ability) and to produce the visual effects but I doubt that is a problem for our beloved content creator team that achieve to impress us on each major update.

Honestly, the Summoner archetype needs to be buffed or reworked, because the current one has really no reason to be played in any late game content, I used it only to level up shaman, but the archetype is weak in raid, and even weaker in lootrun, the two other archetypes are way better than the summoner one. But, there is one fable relik "Marionette" that has not appeared in lootrun even for once, and this relik might tableflip the way we play summoner archetype, we unfortunately can't try this weapon but it might be the tool that turn the summoner archetype into shaman's mary sue.

I would enjoy playing your new summoner tree, if summoner had to be reworked in the futur.

Furthermore, I really believe that the ritualist archetype and above all its ultimate ability "awakening" need to be buffed aswell as we don't feel enough that it is an ultimate ability and I feel it's weaker than sheperd or blood sorrow, but I believe the amount you're proposing are a bit too broken for this buff. I would say that a deplacement ability would be very good as it's shaman main weakness compared to other class, I believe reworking "Frog dance" is a great idea for this, because this ability is really useless as it doesn't serve as a decent dps ability or as a great deplacement tool, it's just a funny asset to have but not an ability on which we could rely, it's just as usefull as "seeking totem" but at least this one only cost one ability point.

As a conclusion, I do believe that shaman needs deplacement archetype, just like Mage posseses the riftwalker archetype, because of this, he's less efficient in lootrun, as it takes way too much time to travel across the map to reach beacons, even if I agree that a class shouldn't be modified in order to cope with late game content, it feels annnoying not being able to compete with other classes in some content.