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New Mage Skillset


Alte77

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This is intended more as a discussion than an actual request, since without any modding tools, the ideas bellow are at the moment nothing but fantasy, but I might as well post it here since I have a feeling it will get moved to here anyway.

As I mentionned previously, my approach to this mod follows this reasoning:

I based my concept on the four schools of magic from Dragon Age: Origins. I know Dragon Age II added Arcane and Elemental (which was split from Primal), but considering DA:O had such interesting codex entries on the four schools, I decided to stick with it.

This is a complete re-imagining of the base Mage skill trees. Specialisations are left untouched. I applied some real-life physics to how I classed different spells, and in my humble opinion, makes for a fresh take on magic. Fresher, at any rate.

This revamp also requires greater quantities of health potions to be carried and require a 45 - 60 second cooldown between use as healing is back. To this end, health takes on a greater role, which would mean things like Guard would have to change. I propose to make Guard not grant addition hit points to the Warrior, but instead increase her armour rating. Barriers remain unchanged, but absorb less damage. Instead, they can be restored via healing. I also took the liberty to add some features to certain status effects like CHILLED and FROZEN.

It might also be required to increase the base mana pool.



KEY

Passive: spell is always active at no cost.
Sustained: Spell can be toggled on/off. While on, it either reserves a portion of the mana pool and/or taxes mana regeneration rate.
Instant: does not have a projectile and casts immediately, like the Immolate spell.
Single-Target: targets only 1 enemy/ally.
Channelled: spell requires the Mage to keep casting it over a set period of time. Ending the channelling will end the spell.
AoE: area of effect. eg, Dispel is an AoE spell.
Glyph: Places down a circle of power that causes something after a brief few seconds to prime.
Cast Time: requires time to cast. Interrupting Cast Time means the spell does not even begin.
No Cost: does not cost any mana.
Point Target: targets a point on the ground.
Projectile: spell emits a projectile instead of happening instantly.


STATUS EFFECTS

PANICKED: Runs around in panic. After 1.5 seconds,PANIC breaks if creature takes damage.
DoT: damage over time.
CHILLED: Movement and attack speed is slowed by 25%.
FROZEN: Unable to move, attack, interact or use abilities or items. Take bonus Impact damage.
WET: After CHILLED wears off. Reduces lightning resistance by 20%.
DRENCHED: After FROZEN wears off. Reduces lightning resistance by 40%.
PARALYSED: Unable to move, attack, interact or use abilities or items.
PETRIFIED: Unable to move, attack, interact or use abilities or items for a long time. Gain 80% lightning resistance.
ENTROPIC CHARGE: Take increased damage from all sources. Entropic Charge stacks up to 100 and lasts 3 seconds. Every new Charge refreshes the decay timer.


DAMAGE TYPES

IMPACT: Physical damage that is not DoT.

All fire spells that apply DoT have a chance to apply PANIC
All Ice spells cost no mana but instead have longer cooldowns and generate Heat Mana. Heat Mana is an temporary resource that is used instead of your actual one so that you may cast more spells. Heat Mana decays over time.
All lightning spells have a chance to apply PARALYSIS.
Most Entropy spells apply ENTROPIC CHARGE.





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Titles_Creation.jpg
Creation-v2.jpg


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Titles_Spirit.jpg
Spirit-v2.jpg


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Titles_Entropy.jpg
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Old Version

This isn't meant as a request, but I did spend an entire afternoon brainstorming this, so if anyone feels compelled to make this, by all means, feel free. I would like to have a discussion on the feasibility and whether my suggestions are good ideas or not.

I based my concept on the four schools of magic from Dragon Age: Origins. I know Dragon Age II added Arcane and Elemental (which was split from Primal), but considering DA:O had such interesting codex entries on the four schools, I decided to stick with it.

This is a complete re-imagining of the base Mage skill trees. Specialisations are left untouched. I applied some real-life physics to how I classed different spells, and in my humble opinion, makes for a fresh take on magic. Fresher, at any rate.

This revamp also requires greater quantities of health potions to be carried and require a 45 - 60 second cooldown between use as healing is back. To this end, health takes on a greater role, which would mean things like Guard would have to change. I propose to make Guard not grant addition hit points to the Warrior, but instead increase her armour rating. Barriers remain unchanged, but absorb less damage. Instead, they can be restored via healing. More info in the Creation tree.

It might also be required to increase the base mana pool.

PS: upgrades have not been depicted in the images, and half of the skill trees don't have proper icons and merely blocks of solid colour. Reason: I got lazy. To know whether a spell has a upgrade, look for [uPG] below it.

PS: X and Y values (and other algebraic variables) have the same value for the skill of the same description only. If, for eg, I use X in Flashfire, but then use X again in another skill description, it is understood that the values are not necessarily equal. However, all X values in Flashfire are the same. I'm not sure why I felt compelled to explain that.

Thank you for reading that wordy intro.

KEY

DoT: damage over time
Proc: this refers to when, for eg, a chance to paralyse-on-hit happens. A spell that procs means that it's chance to causes a certain effect has happened.
Sustained: if you're new to Dragon Age, you might not be sure what a Sustained spell is. It's basically a spell that is toggled on/off. While on, it either reserves a portion of your mana pool and/or taxes your mana regeneration rate.
Instant: does not have a projectile and casts immediately, like the Immolate spell.
Buff/Debuff: Positive/Negative effect. Drinking a regeneration potion will apply a healing buff. Being set on fire applies a burning debuff.
Channeled Cast: has a casting time before spell takes effect.



PRIMAL - Fire & Ice

Fire
All Fire spells have a chance to make the enemy panic. If the passive Ignite is picked, that chance is rerolled once the DoT begin should it have previously failed. Panic causes enemies to run around in confusion, not necessarily away from you.

  • Flashfire - Instant single target. Sets enemy on fire. Deals X initial damage, and X damage again over Y seconds.
    [uPG] Blistering Pain - Flashfire explodes and deals half of it's initial and DoT damage to nearby enemies.
  • Ignite - Passive. All fire spells now set enemy units on fire for 25% of the total amount of damage inflicted. Lasts X seconds. Flashfire uniquely benefits from this passive and instead deals double DoT damage.
  • Burning Aura - Sustained. The Inquisitor radiates an aura of heat that singes nearby enemies for X damage per second. Reserves Y amount of mana.
    [uPG] Corona - Burning Aura deals increased damage to enemies closer to the Inquisitor.
  • Searing Vengeance - Passive. You are permanently wreathed in an armor of smoldering heat that ignites at the slightest touch, burning enemies that strike you in melee raneg for X damage. Does not trigger Ignite debuff.
  • Flame Blast - Instant cone AoE spell. Blasts a cone of fire that deals X damage per 1/3 of a second for 2 seconds. Only the first hit an enemy receives from Flame Blast procs for Panic debuff.
    [uPG] Infernal Breath - Increases Flame Blast damage and widens cone reach.
  • Scorching Magic - Flame Blast leave behind a field of fire that deals X damage per second for Y seconds.
  • Fire Mine - No change.
    [uPG] Exploding Glyph - Fire Mine now interrupts enemies by flinging them into the air. Also increases damage dealt.
  • Effulgence - Passive. increases the potency of all fire spells. Should probably be learnable if you have 4 or 6 as well, so as to not force players to pick Fire Mine if they don't want to.
Ice
Ice spells do not cost mana, but instead have longer cooldowns. The idea here is that to create cold, you have to remove the heat - but where does the heat go? In the Mage! No, not like that - I meant that you absorb it for use later. All spells also chill their targets, and can also freeze depending on whether you upgraded the skill to do that. The downside is that Ice spells do little damage.

  • Winter's Grasp - instant targetable AoE damage - no longer a single-target spell. Applies Chill debuff.
    [uPG] Winter's Chill - Increases AoE and instead of Chill, applies Freeze debuff. Lasts Y seconds.
  • Absorb Heat - Passive. the heat dissipated when casting an Ice spell is instead absorbed by you, causing you to gain 'Heat Mana'. Heat Mana stacks up on your actual mana bar and is spent instead of it as long as it's there. Heat Mana provides a boost to spell damage, but slowly drains away with time.
  • Cold Soul - Sustained. Drain the heat from your immediate surroundings to chill enemy units and slow their attack and movement speed. Does not generate Heat Mana, but instead slows down it's decay rate.
    [uPG] Frozen Soul - Enemies striking the Mage in melee range have a chance of being frozen solid for Y seconds.
  • Armour of Winter - the Mage draws heat from nearby frozen units, generating Heat Mana.
  • Ice Wall - Ice wall now chills nearby targets. Generates Heat Mana on cast only.
    [uPG] Glacial Circle - Ice Wall now forms in a semi-circle instead of a straight wall.
  • Frostbite - Passive. Chilled targets take DoT. Frozen targests take even more damage.
  • Freezing Field - snap-freezes all enemy units in an area.
    [uPG] Blizzard - shards of ice now rain down for Y seconds, dealing X damage per second to enemies caught in the Freezing Field.
  • Arctic Spellwork - Sustained. Cold spells generate more Heat Mana and are more powerful, but you take fire damage every second you have Heat Mana.
CREATION - Storm & Transmutation


Storm
First, an explanation for why Storm is in Creation instead of Primal: considering all lightning spells are no issued directly from you in Inquisition, I figured I would play on the idea that a Mage conducts electricity rather than command it. It's in Creation because as you transmute matter, subtly, you create a pathway for electrostatic charge to flow towards a desired destination, aka you enemy.

All lightning spells have a chance to proc paralysis. Paralysis happens more often that Frozen, but has a shorter duration. Lightning spells also have the particularity of penetrating armour and Guard. You know, conductivity and everything.

  • Chain Lightning - No change. Exception: shares cooldown with 3 (Lightning Strike).
    [uPG] Arcing Surge - No change.
  • Conductive - Passive. You become more adept at channeling electricity. Your magic resistance is increased, and your Strom spells ignore X percent of armour and guard.
  • Lightning Strike - Instant single target. Channel a powerful electric current into a single enemy target, dealing half of the total damage Chain Lightning can deal. If Arcing Surge is learned, the extra targets is included in the total damage.
    [uPG] Electrify - Target becomes charged with great amounts of electricity, randomly electrocuting nearby enemies for small amounts of damage. Always procs paralysis. Also slows down target. Lasts Y seconds.
  • Energise - Passive. Every time you cast a spell, you become enveloped with electrical energy, increasing your spell power. You gain 1 charge every time you cast a spell, which lasts Y seconds. Max of X charges.
  • Static Charge - Passive. Nearby enemies are periodically zapped with electricity. Not electrocuting anyone for Y seconds add 1 charge to Energise if the skill is learned.
  • Thunderstruck - Passive. Paralysis lasts twice as long. Larger creatures like Dragons can now be paralysed, but for the original duration.
  • Static Cage - No change.
    [uPG] Lightning Cage - No change.
Transmutation
The idea with transmutation as a source of healing is, well, quite obvious, I should hope. Mend the flesh, make skin tough as stone, you name it.

  • Mend - Instant single target. Heals an ally for X hit points.
    [uPG] Restoration - Mending now has 3 charges.
  • Ligenring Transmutation - Passive. All Transmutation spells now heal half the amount healed again over Y second. Healing Field is unaffected by this upgrade as it is already an AoE regeneration.
  • Healing Field - Enchants an area to heal allied units for X hit points per second. Will also restore barriers for half the amount healed per second.
    [uPG] Renew - increases the potency of Healing Field.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Iron Hide - Instant single target. Grants X Guard. This Guard decays over time.
    [uPG] Steel Skin - Increases the potency of Iron Hide.
  • Elemental Armour - Iron Hide also reduced magic damage taken.
  • Vigour - Instant single target. Movement and attack speed are increased. Lingering Transmutation's buff is equal to Mend's. Lasts Y seconds.
    [uPG] Rejuvenation - Vigour also increases all stats by X.
  • Revive - Channeled Cast single target. After Y seconds of casting, revive 1 fallen party member to 25% health. Should probably be unlockable through 4 and 6 as well.
    [uPG] Resurrection - Revive becomes a channelled targeted AoE spell instead. Revived party members have 50% health.
SPIRIT - Fade & Summoning

Fade
Same old as the vanilla Spirit tree. Just more interesting.

  • Barrier - No change, but Barriers are now weaker, but can be 'healed' to slow down/stop decay and reinforced.
    [uPG] Elegant Defence - No change.
  • Dream Focus - Passive. increases mana regeneration.
  • Dispel - No change.
    [uPG] Disenchant - Name changed from Transmute Magic to avoid confusion with Creation tree.
  • Fade Surge - Passive. Name changed from Guardian Spirit to avoid confusion with a skill in the Spirit (Summoning) tree.
  • Fadeslip - Instant. Teleportation spell. Replaces Fade Step/Frost Step from vanilla Winter tree, which were removed in this new version.
    [uPG] Fadeshift - Increases teleportation range, reduces cooldown, and adds X amount of barrier after appearing at destination.
  • Mind Blast - No change.
    [uPG] Fortyfying Blast - No change.
  • Crushing Prison - Good ol' Crusing Prison from DA:O and DA II. For balance purposes, changed to Channeled Cast single target. After Y second of casting, enemy unit is paralysed and trapped in a crushing telekinetic grip, losing X hit points per second. Does not work on larger enemies.
    [uPG] Obliterating Embrace - Crushing Prison deal 50% of it's DoT damage on spell cast, then proceeds to deal it's full DoT damage as per usual. The initial damage will hurt units usually immune to Crushing Prison.
Summoning
Basically, you summon spirits to help you in battle. Enjoy.

  • Draining Spirit - Instant single target DoT. Deals X damage over Y seconds.
    [uPG] Devouring Spirit - Draining Spirit damage increased, and now transfers half hit points drained to caster.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Spirit Ally - Sustained. Summons a spirit on the battlefield to attack enemy units with projectiles.
    [uPG] Spirit Companion - increases the potency of Healing Field.
  • Guardian Spirit - Passive. A spirit from the Fade flits into existence to absorb a blow for you. Y seconds cooldown.
  • Channel Spirit - Sustained. You channel a spirit from the Fade to increase your spell power.
    [uPG] Calming Presence - Channel Spirit also reduces ability cooldowns by X%.
  • Peaceful Aura - Passive. No change. (Reduces your threat level.)
  • Fade Ghost - Channeled Cast AoE. Calls upon an ancient dream of war from the Fade. deals X damage to enemy units and has a chance to cause Panic.
    [uPG] Horrid Phantasm - Increases damage from Fade Ghost and also causes paralysis. After paralysis ends, chance to cause panic.
  • Beacon of Conflict - Passive. Increases your threat level (If you want to tank).
ENTROPY - Debilitation & Weakening

Debilitation
Debilitation is all about destroying the armour of your enemies.

  • Decay - Instant single target. Deals X amount of damage over Y seconds. Has 3 charges. Debuff stacks with reducing efficacy.
    [uPG] Erosion - Decay also reduces armour rating over time.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Brittle - Instant Single Target. Reduced enemy armour rating. Stacks with Erosion.
    [uPG] Blight - Prevents health regeneration and all healing effects are reduced.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Miasma - Sustained. Reduced nearby enemy's Constitution attribute.
  • [uPG] Death Cloud - Miasma now deals X physical damage every second.
  • Entropic Field - Instant AoE. Creates a field of negative energy that lasts Y seconds. Enemies within the field have reduced magic resistance.
    [uPG] Entropic Hunger - Dead enemies in the Entropic Field are drained to restore your hit points and mana.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
Weakening
Weakening centers around reducing the enemy's ability to hurt you.

  • Mind Rot - Instant single target DoT. Debuff that reduces attack damage. Spells are affected as well.
    [uPG] Afflicted Memories - Further cripple's an enemies ability to fight by reducing their attributes by X.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Entropic Feedback - Sustained. Enemies striking the Mage will have their Strength attribute reduce by X per hit.
    [uPG] Spirit Companion - increases the potency of Healing Field.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • Balance of Power - Sustained. Enemies near you are weakened as you are empowered. Balance of Power attempts to close the level gap between you and an enemy by 1.
    [uPG] Absolute Order - Increases the potency of Balance of Power by 1.
  • ??? - Passive. ???
  • ??? - ???
    [uPG] ??? - ???
  • ??? - Passive. ???
WHEW THIS TOOK ME LITERALLY HOURS, AND IT'S NOT EVEN COMPLETE. It's taken me a long arse time to post/brainstorm this, so expect there to be some repeats here and there where my editing skills have failed to hide the copy/paste.

I am aware there are some debuffs overlaps with some other classes here and there, so I fully expect some skills to be axed. Your suggestions are most welcome.

Thank you for reading.

Edited by spellbound7
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