I was reading the opening post of another thread and the complaint matches my impression of this game’s main problem:
The game is basically boring and soulless, so bereft of new ideas and innovation that you’re basically tricked into playing it to gamble on increasing your ideal numbers so that you can complete a higher level of the same challenge with higher numbers. The game design treats you like a basic machine that understands the ‘>’ sign, not as a human being.
What I propose, not necessarily being preoccupied with feasibility, is a skill-based endgame system. This is not entirely original as people have repeatedly called for items that do more to change builds and playstyles. It’s common to want more out of the game than mere numbers. I’ve taken this further and more literally.
I think that in the endgame players should be getting drops of actual skills, and not as replacements or modifiers of existing skills but as additional skills. That will certainly break up the boredom and insipid progression. The way to integrate these skills is through button remapping, one action leading to a group of other actions. This way you can keep the physical mechanics simple to a handful of buttons and remain console-compatible no matter how deep you go. Of course people will whine and doubt but you can’t do anything significantly different without people whining and doubting. It’s basically human nature.
Here are a few examples of such follow-up groups of additional skills based on normal Druid skills to give you a practical idea:
Defensive
Earthen Bulwark Level 1 Follow-up Skills
- A “ray” of rock shrapnel flies out at rapid intervals dealing damage to the first impacted enemy.
- The barrier is increased by 50%, which decays over the next 3 seconds.
- The rocks impact the ground to stun surrounding enemies for 1.5 seconds.
Earthen Bulwark Level 2 Follow-up Skills
If the rock shrapnel Follow-up Skill is selected at level 1:
- The “rays” of rock shrapnel pierce enemies.
- The “rays” of rock shrapnel explode upon hitting an enemy, briefly stunning or immobilizing enemies behind in a cone.
- Multiple “rays” are flung out simultaneously.
If the barrier Follow-up Skill is selected at level 1:
- As the barrier decays gain 50% spirit. Effect cut short if no barrier remains.
- As the barrier decays gain 10%(x) damage lasting for 3 additional seconds afterward. Damage bonus capped if no barrier remains.
- As the barrier decays gain 30% movement speed lasting for 6 additional seconds afterward. Movement speed bonus capped if no barrier remains.
If the stun Follow-up Skill is selected at level 1:
- The rocks reimpact the ground every second.
- The rocks subsequently render any crowd controlled enemies within a larger range vulnerable for 5 seconds.
- Gain invincibility for 1 second.
Companion
Wolves Level 1 Follow-up Skills
- Summon a third wolf.
- Wolves become alphas that occasionally and briefly summon their own pack to attack.
- Wolves spread poison and worsen the effects of poison.
Wolves Level 2 Follow-up Skills
- Wolves swipe for area of effect damage.
- Wolves have a predatory aura that reduces damage surrounding enemies deal by 15% and increases crowd control effect durations to them by 20%.
- Wolves deal significantly more damage of all types.
Wrath
Hurricane Level 1 Follow-up Skills
- Hotspots appear on the ground that when walked over and activated feed into the Hurricane.
- Unstoppable teleport within the Hurricane with a 4-second cooldown.
- Hurricane soaks the ground slowing down enemies by 25% and turning the ability into both a storm and an earth ability.
Hurricane Hotspots Level 2 Runes
- Size of the Hurricane is expanded.
- Damage of the Hurricane is increased.
- Duration of the Hurricane is extended.
These additional endgame skills can also be detached from normal class skills. Think of them as on their own parallel action tree that you click one button to enter and exit.
Tree Structures
Each Tree Structure has a cooldown equal to 5*levels seconds starting from the execution of the first action, not that I necessarily know if this makes sense. Maybe it should be a little more curved or increasingly higher at later levels.
Introductory
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1 level, 2 special ability slots
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1 level, 3 special ability slots
Intermediate
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2 levels, 3 special ability slots [per level]
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2 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common inter-level effect
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common inter-level effect
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 2 common inter-level effects
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common and 1 rare inter-level effects
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 2 rare inter-level effects
Advanced
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4 levels, 2 rare inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 rare inter-level effects
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4 levels, 2 rare and 1 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 1 rare and 2 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, level 1 is of level 2 special ability slots, levels 2 and 3 are of level 3 special ability slots
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, level 1 is of level 2 special ability slots, level 2 is of level 3 special ability slots, levels 3 and 4 are of level 4 special ability slots
Ultimate
- 5 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, variations of special ability slot levels with the last reserved for two level 5 special ability slots
Rogue Additional Skills
Level 1
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Only Fans - Basic marksman skills are 3 projectiles in a spread each dealing 35% of base damage for the next 4 seconds.
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Two-timer - Basic cutthroat skills apply twice on each cast for 4 seconds.
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Combo Master - Basic skills generate 3 combo points for the next 3 seconds.
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Habitual Evader - Gain two charges of Evade.
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Reposition - Gain 40% increased movement speed for 3 seconds.
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Stun Grenades - Drop a cluster.
Level 2
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Bonus Imbuement - Apply the imbuement of your choice for a single skill use.
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Agile - Use any of the agility skills. (Bonus Imbuement and Agile will be configured to one selection outside of combat.)
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Malicious Concealment - Reduce the cooldown of concealment by 4 seconds and the next time you enter it dealing damage during the first 3 seconds will not break it.
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Cluster Smoke Grenade - Smoke grenade fragments on impact with secondary explosions outside the normal radius.
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Shroud Permanence - Dark shroud protective shadows are not consumed for the next 10 seconds.
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Poison Trapper - Your next 6 poison traps have a 25% greater area.
Level 3
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Assassin’s Escape - Enter stealth that cannot be broken by received damage for 3 seconds, gain unstoppable for one second, pass through enemies, and recover 35% health.
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Charade - Spawn 4 shadows that taunt enemies, exploding after 2.5 seconds for moderate damage, and applying vulnerable for 2 seconds.
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Heavy Payload - Shoot a projectile that explodes outward in front of you dealing moderate damage and stunning enemies for 3 seconds in a large cone.
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Recovery - Standing still without attacking generates energy, up to 100 over 3 seconds, and applies 75% damage reduction. Lasts 6 seconds, maximum energy recoverable is 150.
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Eviscerate - Deal severe damage over time to an enemy.
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Zipline - Climb an adjacent wall or terrain feature, shoot a connecting arrow to another wall or terrain feature within 20 meters, and zipline across dropping cluster bombs that deal moderate damage and slow enemies by 25% for 8 seconds.
Level 4
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Vault - Evade becomes Vault, gaining an extra 200% range, unstoppable, and three charges. You deal 10% [ x ] more damage for 2 seconds after vaulting and drop caltrops when you vault. (Could be limited to say 20 seconds in addition to the three charges.)
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Corral - Gain 100% movement speed and lodge a series of 5 connectedly roped daggers into enemies. If a loop is closed pull the rope to cluster all enemies caught within the perimeter, stunning them for 2 seconds and making them vulnerable. Lasts a maximum of 10 seconds.
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Butcher - Gain 100% movement speed and lodge a series of 5 individually roped daggers into enemies. Activate to pull the daggers dealing substantial immediate as well as bleeding damage to every enemy in their paths. Multiple daggers can be used to impale a single enemy. The daggers are then flung back out and pulled back in a second time in between their previous connections. Lasts a maximum of 8 seconds.
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Rogue Cannon - Taunt enemies from afar, become immobilized, and begin shooting individual projectiles the direction of which has to be pointed at an extremely rapid rate. Collectively the projectiles can mow down enemies and knock back within a certain range but do not pierce. Lasts 6 seconds.
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Kinetic Momentum - Dash. Gain 40% damage on dash as well as 10% length and width. You have 3 seconds to dash again. If you kill more enemies than you did on the previous dash the bonuses are applied again. If not enter a 3-second cooldown retaining accrued bonuses. Repeats and lasts a maximum of 12 seconds.
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Hell’s Kitchen - Cover your boots in tar, gain 50% increased movement speed, 25% damage reduction, and you can move through enemies. You have three flaming arrows to ignite contiguous areas of tar. Tar slows enemies by 50%. Ignited tar deals heavy over time damage and slows enemies by a further 15%.
Level 5
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Strafe - Rapidly shoot at enemies (animation - this is from Valla of Heroes of the Storm) dealing devastating damage over time across much of the screen. Lasts 7 seconds.
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Incensed - Gain full energy, reduce energy costs by 66.6%; double attacking, general skill performance, and cooldown reduction rates; increase damage by 20% [ x ], and increase movement speed by 40%. Lasts 7 seconds.
Barbarian Additional Skills
Level 1
- Arsenal Warm-up - Perform a rapid series of single-target attacks with all three weapon types.
- Frustrated Fury - Get a free use of a core skill that deals 50% damage but gives you fury equal to 2x its fury cost.
- Internalized Weakness - Remove debuffs from surrounding enemies, doubling the effects they would suffer from these debuffs if reapplied for the next 4 seconds.
- Homicidal Ideation - Newly inflicted bleeding damage is increased by 66.6% over the next 4 seconds.
- Evasion - Give Evade unstoppable for 2 seconds.
- Amplified Shout - Extend duration of active shouts by 2 seconds.
Level 2
- Psych-out - Give yourself berserk for 5 seconds.
- Fortified - You are fortified for 5 seconds.
- Overpowered - Your next three core and weapon mastery skills overpower.
- Run - Increase movement speed by 100% for 5 seconds.
- Self-Immolation - Set yourself on fire, damaging close enemies, leaving a trail of fire burning and lighting enemies on fire, lose 40% of your health gradually, and gain 40 fury gradually over 4 seconds. (I literally hadn’t seen Wrath of the Berserker when I wrote this, but it should still be distinct enough.)
- Uppercut - Swing at an enemy with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon, dealing moderate damage to them and launching them backward knocking down all enemies in the flight path and at the landing location for 3 seconds.
Level 3
- Ancient Spear - Throw out a chain spear that inflicts serious bleeding damage to all enemies it passes through and pulls you to its end-location. If it ends on an enemy inflict double the bleeding damage to it. (Does not grant unstoppable.)
- Basic Trained - Increase the speed of your basic attacks by 40%, they gain an area of effect and deal 80% more damage for 5 seconds.
- Chosen Warrior - Execute a normal enemy, eat its innards, and restore 80% of your maximum health.
- Deadly Assault - Run to an enemy and pummel it with repeated blows for severe damage, fearing nearby enemies. Target is knocked down for 3 seconds.
- Pest Controller - Slam your two-handed bludgeoning weapon around you dealing moderate damage and stunning enemies for 3 seconds.
- Furious Shout - Channeled over a maximum of 3 seconds replenishing all fury, granting 25% damage reduction for the duration, and granting berserk after completion for the channeled period of time.
Level 4
- Elite Charge - Become unstoppable and rush at will for 4 seconds, gaining 25% damage reduction, pushing enemies with you, damaging them, then swinging through them for double damage and knocking them back.
- Massacre - Take wide jumps forward from side to side, swinging through enemies with your two-handed slicing weapon dealing significant immediate damage as well as heavy bleeding damage.
- Discombobulate - Sweep/undercut enemies around you with a chain slowing them by 50% for 10 seconds, spin a second time to collect them with a chain, then scatter the clump outward with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon for moderate damage and dazing enemies for 3 seconds.
- Barbaric Simplicity - Basic attacking a particular single enemy increases basic and core skill damage by 20% stacking up to 200%. Lasts 12 seconds.
- Kill Zone - Taunt enemies in a sizable range, gain 60% damage reduction, and deal serious splash damage around you with repeated blows.
- Tactical Retreat - Gain unstoppable, run back recovering 40% of your maximum life, then run forward striking the ground with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon, rupturing it, dealing moderate damage, and stunning enemies for 3 seconds.
Level 5
- Massive Earthquake - Strike the ground twice creating a far-reaching earthquake that pulses every 3 seconds, slowing enemies by 50%, making them vulnerable, and dealing moderate damage each time.
- Sundering - Sunder the earth in a long line, dealing heavy damage and shoving enemies to the side, stunning them for 4 seconds.
Inter-Level Effects
Common
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 10%.
- Reduce cooldowns by 2 seconds.
- Deal 5% more damage for 2 seconds.
- Gain 20 energy. (for Rogue)
- Generate 20 fury. (for Barbarian)
Rare
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 20% or at minimum 1 second.
- Reduce cooldowns by 5 seconds.
- Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 10 seconds.
- Deal 10% more damage for 4 seconds.
- Gain 50 energy. (for Rogue)
- Gain 50 fury. (for Barbarian)
- Increase elemental damage by 20% for 4 seconds. (for Rogue)
- Increase bleeding damage by 20% for 4 seconds. (for Barbarian)
- Extend ranges of effect by 20% for 4 seconds.
- Increase damage reduction by 20% for 4 seconds. (for Rogue)
- Increase movement speed by 20% for 4 seconds. (for Barbarian)
Legendary
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 30% or at minimum 1.5 seconds.
- Reduce cooldowns by 10 seconds.
- Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 25 seconds.
- Deal 15% more damage for 5 seconds.
- Gain 100 energy. (for Rogue)
- Generate 100 fury. (for Barbarian)
- Increase elemental damage by 30% for 5 seconds. (for Rogue)
- Increase bleeding damage by 30% for 5 seconds. (for Barbarian)
- Extend ranges of effect by 30% for 5 seconds.
- Increase damage reduction by 30% for 5 seconds. (for Rogue)
- Increase movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds. (for Barbarian)
- The chosen ability of the following level gains a second charge.
- The following level requires two abilities to be used.
Sorceress Additional Skills
LEVEL 1
- Magic Missiles - Shoot a fan of missiles that pierces and damages enemies.
- Wave of Force - Discharge a wave of damage to nearby enemies.
- Mirror Image - Summon three invincible illusions of yourself that taunt nearby enemies for 3 seconds, when they expire. (They don’t do anything more, even move, aside from what is described.)
LEVEL 2
If Magic Missiles preceded.
- Ice Missiles - Shoot a fan of missiles that pierces, chills, and deals cold damage to enemies.
- Fire Missiles - Shoot a fan of missiles that pierces, burns, and deals fire damage to enemies.
- Electric Missiles - Shoot a fan of missiles that pierces, static charges (might be a new status effect I just made up), and deals lightning damage to enemies.
If Wave of Force preceded.
- Wave of Frost - Discharge a wave of cold damage to nearby enemies and coat the ground in frost chilling enemies.
- Wave of Fire - Discharge a wave of fire damage to nearby enemies and set the ground on fire burning enemies.
- Wave of Electricity - Discharge a wave of lightning damage to nearby enemies and electrify the ground static charging enemies.
If Mirror Image preceded.
- Image of Health - Inhabit a random Mirror Image becoming unstoppable, invincible, rooted, losing the ability to exit the combo tree as well as any sort of recovery and use of potions. Gain 50% of your health points up to maximum.
- Image of Casting - Inhabit a random Mirror Image becoming unstoppable, invincible, rooted, losing the ability to exit the combo tree as well as any sort of recovery and use of potions. Gain 50% of your mana up to maximum.
- Image of Toughness - Inhabit a random Mirror Image becoming unstoppable, invincible, rooted, losing the ability to exit the combo tree as well as any sort of recovery and use of potions. Gain 25% damage reduction up to maximum possible for 5 seconds after exiting the Image.
LEVEL 3
If Ice Missiles preceded.
- Glacial Collapse - Deal a sheet of cold damage in a large, wide rectangle in front of you.
- Ice Pick - Shoot a large shard of ice that impacts the first enemy it hits for heavy cold damage and its immediate surroundings for moderate cold damage.
- Snap Freeze - Freeze chilled enemies in a large cone in front of you for 3 seconds.
If Fire Missiles preceded.
- Carpet Bombing - Rain fire in a large, wide rectangle in front of you, burning enemies.
- Bunker Buster - Shoot a large flame ball that impacts the first enemy it hits for heavy fire damage and its immediate surroundings for moderate fire damage.
- Thermobaric - Immobilize burning enemies in a large cone in front of you for 3 seconds.
If Electric Missiles preceded.
- Lightning Storm - Deal lightning damage in a large, wide rectangle in front of you.
- Smite - Shoot a large bolt of lightning that impacts the first enemy it hits for heavy lightning damage and its immediate surroundings for moderate lightning damage.
- Short Circuit - Stun statically charged enemies in a large cone in front of you for 3 seconds.
If Wave of Frost preceded.
- Frostbite - The frost-covered area applies cold damage over time.
- Ice Breaker - Your weapon collects the frost and deals 3000% (or something very high) cold damage on your next basic attack.
- Deep Freeze - Enemies are frozen in the frost-covered area for 3 seconds.
If Wave of Fire preceded.
- Turn Up The Heat - The burning area burns harder.
- Meteoroid - Your weapon collects the fire on the ground and deals 3000% (or something very high) fire damage on your next basic attack.
- Fiery Torment - Enemies are immobilized in the burning area for 3 seconds.
If Wave of Electricity preceded.
- Electric Ground - The electrified area applies lightning damage over time.
- Shock to the System - Your weapon collects the electricity and deals 3000% (or something very high) damage on your next basic attack.
- Taser - Enemies are stunned in the electrified area for 3 seconds.
If Image of Whatever preceded.
- Frosty Departure - The Images cast a spell to apply cold damage at a lower intensity and freeze enemies around themselves for 3 seconds and disappear.
- Fiery Exit - The Images cast a spell to burn at a lower intensity and immobilize enemies around themselves for 3 seconds and disappear.
- Group Shock Therapy - The Images cast a spell to apply lightning damage at a lower intensity and stun enemies around themselves for 3 seconds and disappear.
LEVEL 4
If Magic Missiles preceded.
- One-Two Punch - Prime Wave of Force.
- Spread the Punishment - Prime Mirror Image, the three Images are placed and taunt nearby enemies for 3 seconds when they expire.
- Warp - Prime Warp. (this roughly corresponds to the slow time D3 ability)
If Wave of Force preceded.
- One-Two Punch - Prime Magic Missiles.
- Spread the Punishment - Prime Mirror Image, the three Images are placed and taunt nearby enemies for 3 seconds when they expire.
- Warp - Prime Warp. (this roughly corresponds to the slow time D3 ability)
If Mirror Image preceded.
- Vector of Aggression - Prime Magic Missiles.
- Locus of Aggression - Prime Wave of Force.
- Warp - Prime Warp. (this roughly corresponds to the slow time D3 ability)
LEVEL 5
If Primed Magic Missiles.
- Refer to element type used in the already executed ability, provide corresponding level 3 Magic Missiles options altered only in the removal of conditions in the crowd control option.
If Primed Wave of Force.
- Refer to element type used in the already executed ability, provide corresponding level 3 Wave of Force options altered by combining elemental damage and ground effect in the first option, altering Wave of Force as a location targeting ability and concentrating damage at the point (not sure if this ability in general shouldn’t be location targeted rather than around the player location) in the second option, and applying crowd control effect directly in the third option.
If Primed Mirror Image.
- Refer to element type used in the already executed ability, provide corresponding level 3 Mirror Image options.
If Primed Warp.
- Dangerous Territory - (straight from D3 with supplementation and duration reduction) Invoke a bubble of warped time and space at your target location up to 60 yards away for 4 seconds, reducing enemy attack speed by 20% and movement speed by 60%. This bubble also slows the speed of enemy projectiles by 90%. Apply the element of the already executed ability. Freeze for 2 seconds and cold damage for duration, immobilize for 2 seconds and burn for duration, stun for 2 seconds and lightning damage for duration.
- Friendly Territory - (straight from D3) Invoke a bubble of warped time and space at your target location up to 60 yards away for 4 seconds, reducing enemy attack speed by 20% and movement speed by 60%. This bubble also slows the speed of enemy projectiles by 90%. The player’s health and mana recovery rate is increased by 500% (or something significant) within.
- Adverse Territory - (straight from D3) Invoke a bubble of warped time and space at your target location up to 60 yards away for 4 seconds, reducing enemy attack speed by 20% and movement speed by 60%. This bubble also slows the speed of enemy projectiles by 90%. Enemies within are vulnerable and deal 10% less damage.
LEVEL 6 (these are combinations rather than permutations - order doesn’t matter)
If Magic Missiles and Wave of Force preceded.
- Cast level 2 Wave of Force with corresponding element type with level 2 Magic Missiles with corresponding element type shooting in every direction outward from the Wave of Force edge. If I just made up the static charge status effect that’s a bit of an issue but whatever. Maybe have a second charge of this.
If Magic Missiles and Mirror Image preceded.
- Plop the three Mirror Images taunting nearby enemies for 3 seconds, have the three level 2 Mirror Image options to select from, and shoot level 2 Magic Missiles of the corresponding element type from each Mirror Image at the point of your cursor or something (once).
If Wave of Force and Mirror Image preceded.
- Plop the three Mirror Images taunting nearby enemies for 3 seconds, have the three level 2 Mirror Image options to select from, and each Mirror Image casts a level 2 Wave of Force of the corresponding element type.
If Magic Missiles and Warp preceded.
- Cast the Warp you cast at level 5 with level 2 Magic Missiles of the corresponding element type shooting from its center in every direction once. There might need to be some tuning but I’ve spent long enough on this post.
If Wave of Force and Warp preceded.
- Cast the Warp you cast at level 5 with level 2 Wave of Force of the corresponding element type inside.
If Mirror Image and Warp preceded.
- Plop the three Mirror Images taunting nearby enemies for 3 seconds with smaller level 5 Warps around them. You can teleport to each Image mapped on a button once, in essence consuming it, until they expire.
Needless to write something like this requires some things, among them imagination and balls, which are two qualities Blizzard seem to be sorely lacking these days.
A common issue I’ve seen on this forum is an inability to process anything new and just conflating it with what’s familiar. These endgame skills are supplemental. In other words, you literally cannot be getting more “bored before you find anything useful”. You can only be getting more excited because you’re finding more useful things. These skills are neither the codex system nor the common skill tree. Why? Because they do not compete in the pre-existing slots. They come with more action slots, a lot more action slots. So what happens is as you’re progressing through the endgame and this system you basically accumulate more action bars and skills within them, but unlike an MMORPG the skills aren’t splayed across your keyboard or fancy mouse with varying cooldowns. Each action bar is a level you enter after performing a preceding action. I gave the examples so this could take a less abstract form and be easier to envision.