Making skeleton mage better and more interesting is so simple… it just need the will to change stuff

General Discussion
1

  • Level 1 skeleton mage has firebolt by default

  • each level it gains 2% chance to cast fireball instead

  • could, at level 20, start to gain 1% chance to cast meteor per level

Repeat this with all elements

  • tier1, tier2,tier3

  • firebolt, fireball, meteor

  • lightning bolt, lightning, nova

  • ice bolt, glacial spike, frost nova

  • poison dart, poison dart that creates a poison cloud, poison nova

So for example you got your skeleton mage to level 30, they got 10%change to cast meteor 60% chance to cast fireball, 30% chance to cast firebolt

congratulations you have now immensely improved skeleton mages by giving them interesting mechanics

You yourself gain better skills as you level, why not these mages

If the damage is still lacking, revert the Hp buff they got that makes them tanky and turn them into glass canon, give them a damage synergy with lower resist

Note: the % values are placeholders just to give an idea and tier3 spells is hypothetical

3 Likes
2

This would make the lazy skellymancer even lazier.

I could see a chance of casting fireball, but not meteor.

Minimal chance for fireball, lightning, glacial spike and poison cloud. Something between a flat .25% to .5% chance per level.

1 Like
3

Interesting idea but that would make them brokenly op as of status quo proposal. A necromancer already can have 60+minions easily even when not maxing and its already one of if not the most powerful pve builds, giving its summons aoe spells would make them completly broken.

Just to give an idea of how bad this idea is, let me tell you 4 necromancers full summons can already crash the game(like make the server instance crash), now imagine just one of them spamming aoe spells. games will die by just 1 nec(keep in mind that meteor fires etc are also entities that need processing time)

4

But isn’t that the point of a summon necro tho?

5

Aye, but making it radically more ezpz is not needed. Sure, make the mages more viable, but not super spammy bbqpwned overpowered.

2 Likes
6

If that’s a problem you could always change the number of skele mages you can summon. One of each dmg type if they are too strong in multitudes.

7

Bring on the lmao bbqpowned rolfcopters then!

8

(had to remove the 1st one due to naughty language… But it was funny)

1 Like
9

I will be curious to try it when they will release the new database on 2.4.

  • Patch note 13 Jan for 2.4. This is a Database/Server Update. The focus of the first PTR will revolve around fixing database issues and making the online environment more robust and flexible under high-volume conditions. This test will be imperative, as it will assist D2R in stabilizing the gameplay experience ahead of the implementation of Ladder rank play.

I say that because I did join MrLlama game when he did an 8 players only summoners, we had around 500 summons and it went well. Visually it was special, Amp Dmg on the group by the oblivion knight and Amp Dmg on Mob by a Necro, that was a big orange cloud full screen, don’t try to understand what was going on, but the game runs it no problem. We also did an 8-player hydra and an 8-player fire druid. No crash. I know the PTR server traffic is nothing comparable to the official one but so far, that new database is a lot more stable.

10

Mages should be able to wear gear (which is saved).

congratulations mages finally wear enigma

Note: Skeletinwarrior should be abel to do same.

Them wearing grief would be interesting mechanics

11

Funny to see the restraints replies on this topic on this forum but on Reddit it’s highly endorsed lol

Forum is obviously more purist

12

Yes, the mages need something to give them a bit more spice, which is why I thought a very low chance for casting fireball, glacial spike, lightning and poison cloud is a decent idea, but mages blasting out meteors is a bit over the top.

You’ve seen the reaction of the players that barely started getting attached to the skill changes they rolled back. We have to take things slow in order to avoid letting a huge boost slip through the cracks and becoming permanent, contributing to powercreep.

13

Reading is an important skill

Also, even if it was, it could absolutely be a very low chance, with max summon you could see one every 10-20sec

This is just a concept suggestion, values are never to be taken for cash

14

I want summon skeleton elemental archer instead of mage…

15

Just scale mages damage like golems life is scale on difficulty, fixed.

16

In short, make every skeleton mage an A3 merc?

1 Like
17

Kinda but with a progression to their skills

Having worked on Poe for a while, it’s quite easy to grasp that buffing numbers is one thing but the core of skill is mechanics

Buff the way skills work does improve skills on so many aspects

18

Buffing damage values on summon mage is a bad idea. Mages need a boost, but they need a boost that will make running mages a viable alternative rather than a power boost to another (melee skeleton) build.

Here are the reasons:

  • Melee skeletons are easier to buff. Amp Dmg is a lvl 1 wonder. Might mercs are a go to, and other +% physical dmg auras are available later.
  • Melee skeletons and Mages share Skeletal Mastery. Since you’re investing in mastery, spending your extra (which summoners have quite a few of) points on mages synergies well.
  • Amp Dmg is far more effective at level 1 (-100% resists) for what it does than Lower Resists is at Lvl20 (-62% resists) even before you consider all the prereqs to get it. Why choose a curse that applies a lesser bonus and requires a much heavier investment to your mages when you can apply a more powerful curse to your melee starting at lvl1?
  • CE does 50% physical and 50% fire. Fire is one of the most common and highest resists in Hell. Again, Amp Damage works better.

Considered solutions

  • Even if mages do lot more damage there’s no reason to use them instead of melee skeletons. Effectively all this does is buff a strong melee summoning build by adding a way to get extra damage from mages.

  • Give a synergy to boost mage damage (such as on LR). This shifts points around to get the synergy, but you still result in just augmenting a melee skeletons build using Amp Dmg + A2 might merc.

  • Make LR a viable alternative to Amp Damage. This fixes both issues. First, better LR allows mages to do the damage they need to be viable. Second, it doesn’t just add to already powerful melee skeleton build. It allows mages to finally be an alternative. Necros would be forced to choose between LR for mages and Amp Dmg for melee.

19

What’s the point of buffing them but still be garbage…