It would be fantastic to see all skills, besides Ultimate skills, gain a Rank 20 bonus similar to the Rank 5 bonuses Ultimate skills currently have. This kind of system could introduce a lot more creativity into build crafting, especially for players who want to focus heavily on one particular skill and unlock its true potential.
Currently, Ultimate skills get a Rank 5 bonus that unlocks a unique effect or bonus, making them feel special and rewarding to invest in. But what if every skill, at Rank 20, could receive a similar kind of upgrade—something that adds a unique, powerful effect that further defines its role in a build? This would open up countless possibilities for specialized builds that offer new synergies and gameplay styles.
For example, let’s think about Blizzard (Sorcerer skill). Blizzard currently applies chilled and frozen status effects to enemies, which are separate tags that increase the damage dealt to affected enemies and provide crowd control by slowing and freezing them. But what if at Rank 20, Blizzard unlocked a new effect: the ability to permafreeze that could add a Cold DoT (damage over time) effect? In addition, if an enemy is permafrozen, they would also be considered chilled and frozen simultaneously, which would mean the enemy would be affected by all three of the related damage multipliers. This would create a powerful incentive to commit to Blizzard as the central skill of a build, offering a high level of crowd control and damage potential that would be rewarding for players who focus on it long-term.
Another example could be Firebolt. Currently, Firebolt deals fire and burning damage, but imagine at Rank 20 it gained a new effect like Flashfire—a burst of additional fire damage to nearby enemies in a small radius. This could make Firebolt a key skill for any fire-focused build, offering a whole new layer of strategic decision-making for Sorcerers who specialize in fire damage.
Even Teleport could benefit from such a change. At Rank 20, Teleport could add a Lightning DoT (damage over time) effect that zaps enemies as you pass through them. This would create a unique build that emphasizes mobility and constant damage over time, appealing to players who prefer a hit-and-run style of gameplay.
But it’s not just about Sorcerer skills. This kind of system could be extrapolated to other classes, encouraging creative builds based on different damage types or debuffs. For example, Druid’s Shred could gain a Rank 20 bonus that causes enemies who are poisoned and damaged by Shred to be affected by Contagion, where they explode in a burst of poison damage to nearby enemies when they die. This would make Shred a potent tool for poison-based builds, allowing the Druid to apply devastating area-of-effect damage with each use.
For Shadow Imbuement (Rogue skill), at Rank 20, it could unlock an entirely new effect—a Black Hole that pulls enemies into a central point and applies Shadow damage over time. This would allow for an extremely effective crowd-control and damage synergy, letting players gather enemies in one spot while simultaneously applying Shadow damage over time, making Shadow Imbuement an even more powerful tool in a rogue’s arsenal.
For Bleeding damage skills, at Rank 20, a skill like Rend could unlock a bonus where its bleeding damage is increased by your physical damage bonus up to 30%, allowing players to enhance their bleed builds by focusing on physical damage sources, making Rend even more effective for high-damage, sustained bleed builds.
Spiritborn skills could also benefit from Rank 20 bonuses. Take a skill like Soar—at Rank 20, it could unlock a new effect where additional Lightning Eagles dive from the sky, striking enemies below them with powerful lightning damage. This would create an even more visually stunning and impactful effect, allowing players to summon multiple eagles to rain down damage and enhance the Spiritborn’s mobility and burst potential.
The key takeaway here is the potential for creativity and depth in skill progression. By allowing each skill to reach its full potential with a Rank 20 bonus, we can create a more dynamic and personalized gameplay experience. Players would have the opportunity to fully commit to a skill, specializing in a particular effect that changes the way the skill functions and feels in combat. This could lead to a more diverse range of viable builds, making each class feel more dynamic and offering a greater sense of accomplishment for reaching those higher ranks.
This idea could benefit all classes—Barbarians, Sorcerers, Druids, Rogues, Necromancers, and Spiritborn alike—by offering bonuses that reward deep investment in certain abilities. Whether it’s increasing specific damage types, adding new status effects, or opening up new ways to interact with enemies, the possibilities for Rank 20 bonuses are vast and would truly encourage players to get creative with their builds.
What do you think? How else could these Rank 20 bonuses be implemented across different classes to unlock unique playstyles?
i love your ideas. Will go along great with my suggestions.