Soul Burn should be a baseline Warlock mechanic. Hell make it cost 20% health. Built in limiter right there to prevent abuse.
I never had a problem with the ideas behind BR, Hellfire or Life Tap. The whole race to zero health against the enemy and you just pull up at 10% hp and surrounded by corpses was amazing.
Soul Burn mechanic options fix so much of the things that plague locks.
AFF
SB:SS - copy and paste
SB: “plague” - all spells inst cast for 8s.
ALL
SB: BR - immune to stun and interrupts
SB: literally anything. Imagination rules here.
Pick an issue. SB creates a get out of jail free scenario.
DESTRO
Need burst AoE?
SB:F&B - Incinerate hits up to 5 targets. Inst cast. 8% less damage per target hit. If it hits two targets they do 92% dam. Hits five targets they each do 60%.
SB : Havoc - havoc target takes additional 50% damage
Doesn’t have to have an effect on everything. But maybe 3 baseline and 3 spec specific.
Maybe i just love Soul Burn. And miss it. 