LE Rebalanced and Revamped Block Skill Tree

[DiabolusUrsus]

I would really appreciate a mod that improves the Block skill tree in a modular manner similar to that of ACE. There are any number of mods out there that overhaul the combat system, and there are plenty of mods that re-do the skill trees not touched by ACE, but there's hardly anything for Block. Those that do exist are mostly overdone or adjusted for playthroughs using substantially higher skill caps. I'm hoping for a mod that improves the usefulness of blocking to a reasonable extent, allows for a greater amount of freedom in terms of blocking configurations (e.g. Onehanded weapon only, onehanded and torch, two-handed) and adds a distinctive flavor to each style.

 

I propose splitting the block tree into three branches: Blocking with a shield, blocking with a weapon (both one and two-handed) and general blocking utility.

 

Blocking with a shield provides greater overall defense in terms of slightly higher damage mitigation, additional armor (inherent to the shields), protection from arrows and magic, and increased bash damage, but is slow. I'm suggesting these traits because shields are easier to block with, they should help protect against arrows, and I think everybody likes the image of enduring a gout of dragon's fire behind their shield. Furthermore, it makes sense that deadly bashing should accompany a shield. If you're just using a weapon, you'd be better off striking the opponent than shoving them with it.

 

Blocking with a weapon is faster, can deal damage to attacking enemies, bashing can disarm enemies, and quick reflexes is exclusive to the lack of a shield. It makes sense that someone should be able to move faster when not weighed down by a protective slab of metal or wood on their arm. As far as the dealing damage upon successful blocks goes, it makes sense that an animal or monster coming into physical contact with a blade should be injured a bit, and enemies wielding weapons can be incorporated with the explanation of a light counter-attack. I think it makes sense that using a weapon should be able to disarm enemies, since you can apply more directed force towards getting an opponent to lose their grip on their weapon than you would be able to with a shield. Quick reflexes is reserved for a lack of a shield, since it helps balance out the pros and cons of blocking with a weapon, and I personally think dodging enemy attacks better fits the image of a more agile fighter.

 

Blocking utility is a much smaller branch intended to complement the benefits of blocking with either a shield or weapon, as well as incorporate some traits that either fail to fit into either category, or suit both categories. This branch includes things like reduction of bashing stamina, improvement of movement speed, a modification of the Shield Charge perk, power-bashing and possibly a torch-specific perk.

 

To paint a more specific picture:

Parry (Shield Wall): Five levels, at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 block. Basic damage mitigation at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%. The basic block perk, and the starting point for all branches.

 

Shield Branch (These perks require a shield to be equipped to function.)

Elemental Protection: Two levels, at 25 and 50 block (Requires at least one level of Parry.). Level 1 reduces incoming fire, frost and shock damage by 25%, level 2 reduces it by 50%. The bane of any pure-warrior type character early game is enemy magic, especially lighting spells. By making elemental protection available a bit earlier, it helps make confronting mages a bit more manageable, and the lower percentage hopefully prevents the resistance from being too overpowered.

 

Deflect Arrows: Two levels, at 30 and 60 block (Requires at least one level of Elemental Protection). Level 1 has a 75% chance of mitigating all damage from arrows, level 2 has a 100% chance. The increased perk investment required will be used to compensate for a modification of the perk that applies the chance to your whole body as long as you are blocking with a shield. This is because while it makes sense that arrows should have to hit the shield to be blocked, Skyrim collision detection makes ensuring that arrows hit the shield a near-impossible task. Removing the requirement of hitting the shield makes the perk less frustrating to use without making enemy archers obsolete right off the bat.

 

Deadly Bash: One level, at 50 block (Requires at least one level of Deflect Arrows). Bashing does 5 times more damage. I really like the idea of the shield being a respectable weapon, but I don't think it's a good idea to make it equivalent to or more useful than your main weapon.

 

Weapon Branch (These perks require a shield NOT to be equipped to function.)

Counter Blow: Two levels, at 25 and 50 block (Requires at least one level of Parry.) Level 1 deals 20% of MITIGATED damage from a blocked attack back to the opponent, level 2 deals 40%. The point of this perk is to add a bit more flavor to a lack of a shield, as well as compensate for the lesser amount of protection. It isn't intended to make blocking with your weapon safer and equally effective than simply attacking. It also fits that you should be more skilled at blocking attacks to deal more damage with counterattacks. For example, with a maxed mitigation of 85%, an attack dealing 100 damage would result in a counter dealing 17 and 34 damage, respectively.

 

Disarming Impact: Two levels, at 30 and 60 block (Requires at least one level of Counter Blow.) Level 1 gives a 15% chance to disarm an opponent of any level when bashing with a weapon, level 2 gives 30%. Disarming an opponent is an extremely potent benefit, and I'm hoping that these percentages are acceptable taking into account the amount of stamina bashing requires. That being said, I don't have the best feel for what percentages would be balanced, so this would take some testing to finalize.

 

Quick Reflexes: One level, at 50 block (Requires at least one level of Disarming Impact.) Slows time for 2 seconds when an enemy power-attacks. This should be the same as the vanilla perk, though if it could be made a bit less buggy that would be ideal. (No infinite time-slow, etc.) I know there are some out there who think Quick Reflexes is overpowered, but I personally really like the perk and love using it for my swordmaster type characters. I do agree that it is a bit powerful, especially as a perk with only one perk prerequisite and available at 30 block. Hopefully moving it to the more advanced tier of blocking perks and restricting it to the lack of a shield will help balance it out a bit.

 

Utility Branch (These perks work regardless of whether or not a shield is equipped.)

Graceful Force: Two levels, at 20 and 40 block (Requires at least one level of Parry.) Level 1 reduces the stamina cost of bashing by 15%, level two reduces it by 30%. The stamina cost reduction should make bashing less restrictive for lower level characters. I find that bashing cost is irrelevant when you reach higher levels anyways, so hopefully this perk will have the most impact early-game and for characters with a lower stamina attribute. This is another one of those perks that I'm not entirely sure on how balanced the percentage values will be. Testing should help with this.

 

Defensive Swiftness: One level, at 30 block (Requires at least one level of Graceful Force.) Increases movement speed to 75% that of normal speed when a shield is equipped, 100% normal speed when no shield is equipped. I never understood why increased movement speed while blocking was set so high on the vanilla block tree. Sure, it made it easier to avoid some enemy attacks, but not reliably so. It's more of a convenience perk than anything else, so it appears earlier and helps emphasize the speed difference between shield and pure weapon configurations.

 

Power Bash: One level, at 60 block (Requires Defensive Swiftness.) A power bash costs more stamina, but doubles the effects of bashing provided by other perks. For example, Deadly Bash will deal 10 times damage, and Disarm will have a maximum chance of 60% to disarm. This is a powerful perk, so balance is again iffy. Perhaps the improvement should be reduced to a 150% multiplier instead of 200%, but again, testing will finalize this.

 

Violent Impact: One level, at 100 block (Requires Power Bash.) Bashing with a shield or weapon has a 10% chance of knocking an opponent down. Percentage chance is affected by power bash. Shield charge was a very powerful perk, but it was buggy and overpowered. By attaching it as a low passive chance to bashing rather than a guaranteed chance while sprinting, it should hopefully remove most of the bugs and balance it out a bit.

 

Torch Specific Perks

Warding Flames: One level, 0 block (Requires at least one level of Parry). Applies a fear effect for two seconds to non-human, non-dragon enemies of any level. In compensation for no level restriction, this perk effectively allows you to hold enemy animals and monsters at bay. This should allow lower-level characters to survive attacks by powerful animals and monsters without allowing them to overpower them in melee or get enough range to attack with bows. This adds a benefit to lugging torches around over spells like candlelight and magelight, and compensates somewhat for their temporary nature as light source in dungeons. I like the image of animals and monsters running to just outside torch range when painfully set on fire. I think it adds a sense of realism.

 

Oil Fire: One level, 30 block (Requires Warding Flames.) Triples burn time and increases fear effect to 5 seconds. I don't know for sure, but I never notice torch burn doing much damage, so this is a flavor perk more than anything else, and the increased fear should help anyone who is going to be using torches a lot. Quite frankly, this perk is balanced out by the necessity of sinking another perk point into torch specific utility, so it's a matter of preference.

 

I would do this mod myself, except I have no idea how to go about editing perks with the creation kit, so if anyone would be willing to give me a bit of help in that respect I'll get started on it. (I'll start experimenting in the meantime regardless.) However, if anyone else wishes to use this mod as a basis for their own, I would REALLY appreciate it if they could provide me with a version that more or less matches what I'm looking for. Here's hoping people like the sound of the changes I'm proposing.

Edited December 1, 2012 by DiabolusUrsus