I have been enjoying the direction they’ve been taking with the Affliction changes up until now. Unfortunately I think they are trying too hard to incorporate the spells/abilities they’ve already developed into the game, rather than re-develop a new or revamped tree.
Anyway, I got impatient and took a crack at it myself. Tried to keep it as realistic as possible, maintaining as many of the changes which have currently been prepared for us. Removed/changed anything which was a simple ‘Spell does x% more damage’. Moved a tonne of it around, created pathing, added a few new concepts, and tried to integrate the capstones into one another and give them some feeling.
Image of the tree and nodes/connections is here (delete the spaces after the colon and period)
https: //ibb. co/gyWFnb9
Numbers are attached to leftmost talents in each row to help orient when reading below.
Talents are:
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#0 Unstable Affliction
Afflicts one target with Shadow damage over 16 seconds. If dispelled, deals [y] Shadow damage to the dispeller and silences them for 4 seconds. Generates 1 Soul Shard if the target dies while affected.
#1 Writhe In Agony
Agony’s damage starts at 4 stacks and may now ramp up to 18 stacks.
#2 Volatile Agony
Refreshing Agony with 10 or less seconds remaining deals Shadow damage to its target and enemies within 10 yards. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
#3 Nightfall
Corruption damage has a chance to cause your next Shadow Bolt or Drain Soul to deal 25% increased damage. Shadow Bolt is instant cast, and Drain Soul channels 50% faster when affected.
#4 Absolute Corruption / Siphon Life
Corruption is now permanent and deals 15% increased damage. Duration reduced to 24 seconds against players.
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Corruption deals 20% increased damage and its period damage heals you for 5% of the damage dealt.
#5 Seed Of Corruption
DOES NOT COST A SOUL SHARD. Embeds a demon seed in the enemy target that will explode after 12 seconds, dealing Shadow damage to all enemies within 10 yards and applying Corruption to them. The seed will detonate early if the target takes [a] damage from your spells.
#6 Dark Virtuosity
If Agony is at maximum stacks on your target, then Shadow Bolt or Drain Soul damage has a chance to overwhelm your enemy, pushing Agony past its maximum stack count by 5, reducing by 1 stack for each tick of damage until it returns to its usual maximum.
#7 Growing Instability
Reduces the cast time of Unstable Affliction by 10% and damage dealt by Unstable Affliction has a chance to generate a Soul Shard.
#8 Sacrolash’s Dark Strike
Corruption damage is increased by 15% and each time if deals damage any of your Curses active on the target are extended by 1 second.
#9 Compounding Horror
Each time Agony or Corruption deal damage, they have a 10% chance to cause your next Unstable Affliction to deal additional Shadow Damage instantly to the target and 50% of that damage to surrounding enemies, stacking up to 10 times.
#10 Doom Blossom
Seed of Corruption now costs a Soul Shard and has a 10 second cooldown, but deals 300% damage.
#11 Wicked Bolts / Drain Soul
Reduces the cast time of Shadow Bolt by 15% and increases its damage by 40%
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Replaces Shadow Bolt. Drain’s the target’s soul, causing Shadow damage over 5 seconds. Damage is increased by 100% against enemies below 20% health.
#12 Unstable Agony
Agony gains 3 stacks each time it deals damage to an enemy affected by Unstable Affliction.
#13 Summoner’s Embrace / Grimoire Of Sacrifice
Your demon pet and Darkglare deal % increase damage to targets affected by Unstable Affliction and heal you for 5% of their damage done.
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Sacrifices your demon pet for power, gaining its command demon ability and causing your spells to sometimes deal additional Shadow damage. Lasts until cancelled or until you summon a demon pet.
#14 Unstable Epidemic
When an enemy dies affected by Unstable Affliction, it will attempt to spread to a nearby unit (prioritising the lowest percentage health enemy) and increase its duration by 8 seconds. Triggers Compounding Horror if talented.
#15 Vile Taint / Phantom Singularity
Unleashes a vile explosion at the target location, dealing Shadow Damage over 10 seconds to 8 enemies within 10 yards, and applies Agony and Curse of Exhaustion to them.
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Summons a Phantom Singularity attached to you for 16 seconds which consumes the life of all enemies in combat within 40 yards, dealing Shadow damage and healing for 25% of the damage done.
#16 Withering Bolt
Shadow Bolt and Drain Soul deal 15% increased damage per damage over time effect on the target, up to 45%.
#17 Shadow’s Embrace
Shadow Bolt and Drain Soul apply Shadow’s Embrace to the target for 12 seconds, increasing your damage deal to the target. Shadow Bolt applies 4%, and Drain Soul applies 2%, increased damage, stacking up to a total of 12%.
#18 Focused Malignancy
Malefic Rapture deals 15% increased damage to targets affected by Unstable Affliction.
#19 Soul Window
Malefic Rapture consumes 1 second of Agony’s duration on enemies it affects, but will count it as 2 periodic effects for its damage increase calculation.
#20 Infirmity
Vile Taint’s cooldown is now 20 seconds, and when Agony is applied through Vile Taint they are applied with 5 additional stacks, and last 5 seconds longer.
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Phantom Singularity’s cooldown is now 30 seconds, and you deal 10% increased damage when Phantom Singularity is active.
#21 Absolute Agony
When Agony deals damage, it now has a chance to instead explode for that damage in a small area around its target.
#22 Shadow Bastion
Casting Shadow Bolt/Drain Soul empowers you with Shadow Bastion for 3 seconds, decreasing your damage taken by 3% and allowing you to cast the ability while moving at 33% movement speed.
#23 Creeping Death
Your damage-over-time effects deal their damage 15% faster.
#24 Relentless Rapture
Malefic Rapture increases the damage of Malefic Rapture by 8% for 8 seconds.
#25 Death’s Embrace
Damage done by your periodic effects and Malefic Rapture is increased by 20% when your target is at or below 20% health.
#26 Cunning Cruelty
Shadow Bolt and Drain Soul have a chance to trigger a Shadow Bolt Volley, dealing Shadow damage to up to 8 enemies within 10 yards of your current target.
#27 Perdition
Your damage-over-time effects have 5% increased critical strike chance, and 15% increased critical strike damage.
#28 Cull The Weak
Malefic Rapture damage is increased by 4% for each enemy it hits, up to 8 enemies.
#29 Haunt
A ghostly soul haunts the target, dealing Shadow damage and increasing your damage dealt to the target by 10% for 18 seconds. If the target dies, Haunt’s cooldown is reset.
#30 Oblivion
DOES NOT COST A SOUL SHARD. Unleash wicked magic upon your target’s soul, dealing Shadow damage over 3 seconds. Deals 10% increased damage, up to 30%, per damage over time effect you have active on the target.
#31 Soul Rot
Wither away all life force of your current target and up to 7 additional targets nearby, causing your primary target to suffer Shadow damage and secondary targets to suffer [y] Shadow damage over 8 seconds. For the next 8 seconds, Drain Life will cause you to also Drain Life any enemy affected by your Soul Rot and heal you for the damage it deals.
#32 Summon Darkglare
Summons a Darkglare from the Twisting Nether that extends the duration of your damage over time effects on all enemies by 8 seconds. The Darkglare will serve you for 20 seconds, blasting its target for Shadow damage, increased by 25% for every damage-over-time effect you have active on its current target.
#33 Ghostly Affliction
Haunt now affects the target with 6 seconds of Unstable Affliction, Agony, and Corruption.
#34 Haunted Soul
Your Haunt and Oblivion spells empower you with Haunted Soul for 18 seconds, increasing the damage of your damage over time effects by 10% for 18 seconds. Haunted Soul applications from casting both spells may overlap, but do not refresh duration.
#35 Herald of the End
Oblivion now costs 2 Soul Shards, but its cooldown is now 30 seconds and your damage over time effects do not decrease in duration while Oblivion is channelled at the target.
#36 Black Harvest
Your Oblivion and Soul Rot spells empower you with Black Harvest for 8 seconds, increasing your Haste and Critical Strike Chance by 8% for 8 seconds. Dark Harvest applications may overlap from casting both spells, but does not refresh duration.
#37 Malign Omen
Casting Soul Rot grants 3 applications of Malign Omen. Malign Omen causes Malefic Rapture to deal 20% increased damage and extend the duration of your damage over time effects and Haunt by 2 seconds.
#38 Soul and Heart
Your Soul Rot and Summon Darkglare spells empower you with Soul Heart for 8 seconds. While empowered, Shadow Bolt/Drain Soul affects up to 5 additional nearby targets, and each time it deals damage will attempt to cast a Malefic Rapture (if Soul Shards or Tormented Crescendo is available) without interrupting casting/channelling. The duration of these applications will add together when cast within the other’s timer.
#39 Malevolent Visionary
Increases the damage of your Darkglare by 70%. When Darkglare extends damage over time effects, it also sears affected targets for Shadow Damage.
#40 Malefic Touch
Malefic Rapture singes enemies it affects for Shadowflame damage over 4 seconds. This damage over time effect also contributes to Malefic Rapture’s per periodic effect damage increase calculation.
#41 Tormented Crescendo
While Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction are active, your Shadow Bolt has a 30% chance, and your Drain Soul has a 20% chance to make your next Malefic Rapture cost no Soul Shards and cast instantly.
#42 Kindled Malice
Malefic Rapture damage causes Unstable Affliction, Agony, and Corruption each to deal an instant additional tick of periodic damage without reducing their durations. Does not increase Agony’s stack count.
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So please, roast me, Locks, I’ve not been right in the head since I saw the changes from earlier today and my god did I need to get this out of my brain to feel better <3