Game Mechanics Paladin Concept Rework [0% Opposition]

Here we go:
Warning: High effort, dev time, unbalanced
Welcome to another one of my reworks :). Normally this is ChrisWildfire and Elysium's job, but today I'm stealing their brand and making an off-brand archetype rework. However, if you think I'm terrible at designing abilities (and a lot of people do), the only essential part of this rework is below:

Paladin should reward the player for being a tank and impossible to kill instead of turning the player into a tank and making them impossible to kill.

Paladin's base concept is strangely different from other archetypes. It, like Battle Monk & Boltslinger, doesn't have a central gimmick of sorts, but both of those examples have clearly defined identities. Paladin has an identity, too. It turns the player into an unkillable tank. People will take paladin abilities that either stand out as better or actually help damage if they need that, or they will take paladin's defence abilities if they need defense.

But warrior can already be defensible. Pre-2.0 it had the highest natural base defense in the game, of 110%. You have the tank mythic, Guardian. One of its spells literally gives you a +20% defense boost whenever you cast it. Warrior does not need Paladin to do tanks well. Paladin should reward a tank with the ability to buff yourself and allies.

Archetypes try to accentuate certain playstyles and give them their own flair. Many archetypes have multiple different ways to play them (Battle Monk, Boltslinger, Ritualist, and Sharpshooter come to mind), although some of them only really have one or two. Paladin's problem is (in my opinion) that it just makes any build into a tank, rather than accentuating a tank's playstyle and giving it its own flair.

The bolded thesis is all I want in-game, the rest of this post is just me giving examples of how abilities could work around that. (And also cool abilities that I definitely was not up till 1:30 am designing mentally no why would you think that. I'm not kidding, my brain would not let me sleep until I had a concept and ATree location for every ability.)

Spoiler: What doesn't change in this rework:

Tougher Skin (Would like to rename to Blessed but too tired.)
Fire Mastery (Why would I rework this?)
Flaming Uppercut (It's fine... ish)
Mithril Skin (Would like to rename to Holy Armor but too tired.)
Sparkling Hope (Tanking reward... ish)
Radiance (It's fine)

Spoiler: Unshakable Faith

imagine manachism but more problematic


How does it work?

Whenever you take damage, for each 5% of that damage you blocked (Base defence, defence, Mantle and dodging both count for this as well, etc.), you gain +1% damage for 3 seconds. These stack, and you can get up to a 30% boost (60% with Stronger Faith). Every time this ability activates, it can give +1 Sacred Surge ✧.

If this were to be implemented in anyway, a sound effect should play every time you reach a +10% (so for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60) because if it doesn't have visual, it should have sound. (And ChrisWildfire always says sound helps with immersion and the feeling of being powerful, seeing as he's pretty smart, I'll take his word for it.)

Why is it designed this way?

(Don't worry, Mantle is still around)
Unshakable Faith is designed to reward the player with damage the more they can resist hits. This allows them to build up damage over time. It will be less noticeable early-game, but with Tougher Skin, you'll be getting a damage boost every time you get hit. There is another reason this ability is here, though. Sacred Surge is going to be central to the archetype, and Unshakable Faith's true strength is quickly building it.

Spoiler: Provoke & Battle Prayer

"Hey you, over here!"

How does it work?

Provoke works the same as before, but there isn't a cooldown anymore. It can also give +1 Sacred Surge Point ✧, if it couldn't do that before.

When you cast Bash, 2 seconds after the final strike ends, a smaller area of effect around the center of each impact is created and deals damage over the course of 3 seconds. Players inside also regain 10% of their total mana over the duration. Battle Prayer gives +1 Sacred Surge Point ✧ for each strike in bash. Only one Prayer can be in effect at a time, and a new one will not be made until the first one ends. Battle Prayer cannot trigger a Sacred Surge.

Provoke is now where Manachism was, and Battle Prayer is where Provoke was.

Why is designed this way?

Throughout this revamp, many abilities are purely reactive (like Unshakable Faith and Manachism), so I decided to give Paladin an on-theme way to deal damage after bash while also supporting allies. Additionally, Battle Prayer also helps another theme I wanted to give Paladin. Holding ground. Many raids have portions where you stand on a platform and 'hold' it. Seeing as Paladin is a tank, and tanks hold ground, Paladin physically making it so that areas are defended for longer is actually a thing tanks do.

Provoke doesn't make sense to have a cooldown, as it is a risk-reward ability: You get cheaper war scream, you have to deal with more enemies, you protect allies because enemies are not attacking them.

Spoiler: Original Provoke

Spoiler: Mantle

THE POWER OF SALTED COMPELS YOU

How does it work?

Similar to the old version, casting War Scream creates charges around you that block incoming hits' damage. This version has 4 charges while the old one had 3. New Mantle blocks by -65%, old Mantle blocks by -70%. Now, there is a cooldown of 1s before losing charges.

Like before, triggering the ability and losing charges both grant +1 Sacred Surge Point ✧ each.

Mantle of the Bovemists is now where Sacred Surge used to be.

Why is it designed this way?

With Unshakable Faith, Manachism, and Sacred Surge, Mantle of the Bovemists synergy will be high. It will allow you to get a consistent +13% damage boost every time you lose a charge, along with building Sacred Surge. Better Mantle has also been removed because it isn't really needed now that Shield Strike is also gone. The cooldown is already 20, anyway.

The 1s cooldown was added for the sake of not losing all of your mantles to small hits.

Spoiler: Old Mantle and upgrades

Spoiler: Rejuvenation

hpr go... idk

How does it work?

Rejuvenation (which is a word that I cannot spell) works by waiting you to drop below 50% health. If you do, you can cast Charge to heal back 40% of the health you've lost. Impact can give you +1 Sacred Surge Point ✧.

It serves as a replacement for Rejuvenating Skin and is where Stronger Mantle used to be.

Rejuvenation can trigger Sparkling Hope.

Why is it designed this way?

This ability has some synergy with other parts of the reworked tree, but basically, it's there so if you do something stupid you have a panic button. It can also synergize with Solar Aegis (a wonderful ability designed by the lovely ChrisWildfire & Elysium, which I will be stealing later on), which can throw you into danger, to say the least.

Spoiler: Rejuvenating Skin

Spoiler: Sacred Surge... finally

*unenthusiastic woop woop


How does it work?

Sacred Surge works the same as before but is now where Rejuvenating Skin was.

When shifting on Battle Prayer's area, you and allies inside the area of effect instantly gain the effects of Answered Prayers and you lose 15 Sacred Surge Points ✧. You can leave Battle Prayer's area and still maintain the buff. After 15 seconds, you lose the buff. Answered Prayers replaces Cleansing Breeze in function.

Why is it designed this way?

Sacred Surge's wording was changed simply to be clearer. Answered Prayers is designed to give players the option of helping allies and uses Sacred Surge to reward you with speed.
Sacred Surge is becoming a red node because it functions as a way to track how much tanking you are doing (Unshakable Faith, Manachism, Mantle of the Bovemists). Then, it can reward you with a Sacred Surge smite or other, more versatile abilities.

________________________________

Spoiler: Manachism

paladins just wanna have mana, they just wanna, they just wa-naaaaaaaaaaaa

How does it work?

The same as before, but instead of 10 mana you regain 10% of your mana. It now occupies the space where Shield Strike was.

Why is it designed this way?

The reason it doesn't require any paladin abilities, as it requires Mithril Skin which requires Sacred Surge, which requires 6 paladin nodes.
10 mana instead of 10% mana is just a little strange and makes higher intelligence not help.

Spoiler: Old Manachism

Spoiler: Crackling Flames

squishy bolt anybody?

How does it work?

Attacking with 4+ Sacred Surge Points ✧ will also create a cone-shaped area in the direction you are facing and consume those 4 points. Every 0.4 seconds (the speed of a totem), it deals damage to enemies. After 5 seconds, it disappears. You can have up to three Crackling Flames at once, and the abilities' cooldown is essentially your weapon's cooldown. If you have three and activate another, it replaces the oldest one.

Why is it designed this way?

I wanted to add an ability that allows you to have a melee-ish option for paladin, seeing as it does fit thematically. This could be especially useful in a situation where you run out of mana in a fight where you don't have access to Manachism (because everything hurts too much.)

Also, this ability helps with the new theme of 'holding ground' that I mentioned earlier. There are some differences between how Crackling Flames and Battle Prayer handle holding ground. This could add something tanky while forcing Paladins to make decisions about how they want to defend areas and add more thinking to the archetype.

Spoiler: What I took out:

Now that manachism has made Paladin slightly more mana-y, i removed cheaper bash 2 (or is it 3). Though it is actually Stronger Faith that replaces it on the tree. This one is sort of just next it... ish.

For the final abilities, Second Chance and Martyr, I could not come up with anything, so I'm gonna steal from ChrisWildfire again. (*cackles in Plagiarism)
https://forums.wynncraft.com/threads/improving-even-2-more-controversial-ultimate-abilities.311166/

Spoiler: Removed Abilities

Removed are:
Old Mantle of the Bovemists
Old Manachism
Old Provoke
Stronger Mantle
Shield Strike
Cleansing Breeze
Rejuvanating Skin
Second Chance
Martyr
Cheaper Bash 2

Reworked:
Provoke
Mantle of the Bovemists
Rejuvanating Skin + Cleansing Breeze (Combined)
Manachism
Second Chance (Solar Aegis)
Martyr (Flames of Resurrection)

Spoiler: The TREE

The color coding is as follows.
Bright Red - Unshakable Faith & Upgrade
Orange - Provoke
Dark Yellow - Battle Prayer
Light Blue - Mantle of the Bovemists
Very Dark Pink - Rejuvenation
This Color - Sacred Surge
This Color or Black - Answered Prayers
Dark Blue - Manachism
Lighter Pink - Crackling Flames
Dark Maroon - Solar Aegis (ChrisWildfire & Elysium)
Light Maroon (no forums equivalent) - Flames of Resurrection (ChrisWildfire & Elysium)
In total, I have added 2 more AP to Paladin. I don't know how much free AP Paladin has, but hey, maybe there will be more thinking now that paladins have to choose their abilities based on their builds and preferences.

QNA
Now that I've stolen someone else's post concept, I'm gonna steal ThePurpleEmerald's outro concept. Why did no one tell me plagiarism was this fun?
Q: I have some feedback about some of the stuff in your suggestion... you won't get mad if I share my opinions?
A: Sure, type your feedback. But while you do, keep in mind these abilities are unbalanced and this post is more of a this-is-what-the-basic-concept-should-be than a this-should-be-in-the-game-word-for-word. This is just my take on how to make the abilities fit with the new concept. As for the concept, give me all the feedback you want!
Q: This is a lot of work. Redesigning an entire archetype will take a while, even if they find a quick way to do it. You're aware of that, right?
A: Yep, I know.
Q: What's your gender? Are you not actually a guy!
A: My gender identifies as more of a F*cking Problem than you for asking that question. (insult not directed at the reader)
Q: What's The Hidden Si-
A: Nope, don't say that, I'm not getting sued by Purple, bye, it's been fun QNA over and- I'm out

Until my next wall of text.

On a more serious note, if I did miss something or made a crucial mistake, please let me know because my brain is rotting.
It cut off my rework. This is surprising.
Edit: THAT.WAS.PAINFUL. The forums turned my name green before it added a darn strikethrough button.

 

Where’s the TLDR *cough
Wait 40% healed from impact? Explain plz
Wait, answered prayers = speed boost from archer = archer isn’t needed = yes
I can be free from epoch archers thinking they’re the greasiest thing in raids and then instantly selling

 

*evil laughter (the tdlr is at the top, you don't have to read the whole suggestion as it's more of an example than anything)

conceptually or gameplay wise?
gameplay: similar to whatever that MID is rhythm of the seasons i can't remember the name
conceptually: rejuvenating skin + cleansing breeze equals charge heals. (40% of the health you've lost)

jeez it's only 20%

*tries to understand. fails

 

Doesn’t archer give 20%? You need the other buff node for it to be 40%

*tries to get under 50% as paladin, fails

 

NO WAY

 

I have no idea what archer gives. Okay, I guess (but it does only last for 15s)

________________________________

yes way. also i took your ultimate. hope you don't mind ;)

 

I mean if the range is all of bash (quad bash node moment) and then shift it’s basically archer speed buff as long as your teammates aren’t selling while you kite Greg or some other boss

 

slightly smaller than bash, but yeah

 

common elytry W

 

Bump for updating of certain abilities, addition of the tree, and expanding my reasoning for certain abilities.
Modified Abilities:
Provoke (small reword)
Battle Prayer (small reword + symbols)
Rejuvenation (fixed typos, complete reword because it was too confusing before)
Manachism (added cooldown that was forgotten)

Modified descriptions
Unshakable Faith
Battle Prayer
Crackling Flames


Color-coding is now consistent to help readability, and most numbers and important info is underlined.

There is a now a new ability tree graphic. However, I don't have the graphic for the old one. (You'll just have to use this convenient link to go to the current tree.)

 

how about a block mechanic
whenever you block successfully the blocked mob takes increased damage for the next second?

 

Blocking is not a mechanic in Wynncraft. How would you even block things?
Also, that doesn't really make sense.

 

block chance stat
learned 2 things from the games i play:
power creep sucks
and if something doesnt work add a new stat

 

please then make your own suggestion instead of taking over mine

 

fair enough (i dont have enough experience to speak properly lmao)
sorry for the annoyance

 

Holy- (pun intended). COOKING.

 

bump for please make paladin do damage

 

Good concept but the abilities are a bit op

 

Yeah, I can see that lol.

 

so this thread has aged like cheese
which means
some people may like how it aged
but i don't

It seems like with all the content reworks making everything harder and making raids, from what I've heard, working better with a supertank, it doesn't seem like they want to reward existing tanks with the ability to be able to tackle hard content solo. From this point, I can assume that tanks now sort of just exist... to help out in raids? I don't know. We'll see.

bumping this one last time (so it won't die while i'm on vacay)