While I agree that sets need to be buffed, I cannot support most of these changes. Mainly because, with the exception of Bul-Kathos, I don’t feel they are enough to bring the sets to viability. (Immortal Kings is already viable, but I don’t think just IAS will help much, it needs 4 frame two handed whirlwind to be possible).
I do support removing Knockback from Bul-Kathos. Or alternatively, maybe add Hit Blinds Target to the full set bonus? I seem to remember Blind Target prevents knockback on Charge from triggering. Or does that only apply to Charge and not to Knocback mod on weapons?
For the other sets though? Aldur’s needs a heck of a lot more than just +100% magic find. It needs damage on the weapon, faster cast, right now it’s simply no good for either a melee or a caster Druid.
I have a thread listing all the sets that need buffs. However, I think only small changes are going to be possible for this patch.
I’d suggest removing Knockback from Bul-kathos as one of the simple changes to make sets viable.
Here are two more sets with relatively slight changes needed.
Arcanna’s Tricks:
Since Cathan’s Traps are clearly targeted at a Fire Sorceress, Arcanna’s Tricks should be pointed at a non-Fire Sorceress. Let’s bump the set level from 15 to level 18 so we can add Staff Mods granting lvl 18 Spells. I’d suggest 1 utility skill, and 2 damage skills (one each lightning and cold). Arcanna’s Tricks has a lot of Mana regeneration on it, so more Mana intensive spells are possible, or just having a significantly faster cast rate. At lvl 18 we ought to be looking for this set to handle the rest of Normal, and somewhat into Nightmare, so it needs slightly better resistances.
1: Add +3 to Shiver Armor (Sorceress Only) to Arcanna’s Deathwand (the staff).
2: Add +3 to Glacial Spike (Sorceress Only) to Arcanna’s Deathwand.
3: Add +3 to Charged Bolt (Sorceress Only) to Arcanna’s Deathwand. (Alternative could be Nova, but most lvl 18 Lightning Sorceress will still be using Charged Bolt).
4: Replace the 25% Deadly Strike on Arcanna’s Deathwand with 25% Faster Cast. (This a Caster Set, you should not be whacking stuff).
5: Add +3 Teleport (Sorceress Only) to Arcanna’s Head (the helm).
6: Increase the partial set bonus for three items on Arcanna’s Head from 15% Lightning Resistance to 30%.
7: Increase the partial set bonus for three items on Arcanna’s Sign (the amulet) from 20% Fire Resistance to 30%.
8: Add +5 Strength to Arcanna’s Sign.
9: Add -50% Requirements to Arcanna’s Flesh (the body armor). (Cathan’s Traps already has this at lvl 11, Arcanna’s ought to have it too).
10: Add +30% Poison and +30% Cold Resistance to Arcanna’s Flesh.
11: Replace the 5% Mana Steal on the Set bonus with +5 Mana per kill.
The additional Resistances are needed to make this set semi viable into early Nightmare. (Note that even after this buff Arcanna’s is still 50% lower resistances than what Cathan’s Traps grants. You get better skills and more Faster Cast, so it’s probably worth it.) You get access to Teleport, Glacial Spike and Shiver Armor without having to spend prerequisite points, makign this a decent choice for a Charged Bolt Sorceress finishing Normal and starting Nightmare.
Infernal Tools:
Why… why does a set with a wand, have things like 20% Open Wounds, massive Attack Rating, plus to min damage, etc? You should not be hitting things with a wand! If you are using wand, then you are committed to being a caster, and the bonuses should reflect that. Since this is a level 5 set it shouldn’t have skills above level 6. We should probably seek to make it useful through Normal, but not into Nightmare. That’s means some extra flexibility in the set so while best for a Necromancer, it should also be useful to any caster in the early game. That probably means faster cast, and maybe O-skills but not much in the way of resistances.
1: Add +3 to Dim Vision to Infernal Torch (the wand). (Fits the item name and is useful to low level casters to keep mobs from overwhelming you).
2: Add +3 to Clay Golem to Infernal Torch.
3: Add +3 to Teeth to Infernal Torch.
4: Replace +8 to Minimum Damage on the Infernal Torch with 10% Faster Cast Rate.
5: Replace the two part partial set bonus on the Infernal Torch with 20% Faster Cast Rate.
6: Replace the two part partial set bonus on the Infernal Cranium (the helm) with 15% Faster Cast Rate.
7: Remove the three part partial set bonus on the Infernal Sign (the belt). (It grants half freeze length, but the whole set grants Cannot be Frozen and the set is only 3 pieces!)
8: Replace +20 to Life on the Infernal Sign with -50% Requirements. (You need this if you expect people to wear this at lvl 5).
9: Replace the two part partial set bonus on the Infernal Sign with +20 to Life
10: Replace the 20% Attack Bonus and 20% Open Wounds on the Set bonus with 30% Faster Cast.
11: Replace the +8 Poison Damage, and the 6% Mana Steal on the Set bonus with +5 Mana per a kill.
There, that’s 75% Faster Cast which is massive, but that’s a break point for a Necromancer, and it doesn’t really have anything else besides the Necromancer skill points and Faster Cast. Thus, most casters can make good use of this through normal, but once in Nightmare are going to be better off with plus skill items for their class. A necromancer could continue using this, but a White wand is so much better for a Bone Necromancer, and even a Poison Necromancer who might like the Faster Cast is going to be hurting for resistances if they keep using this set.