A bit late with this post, was busy with some irl stuff. Anyway…
In general, I’m in the camp of us getting a type of talent tree for our pets, and with that, allow us to switch load-outs, same as what they are doing with spec talent trees and similar in DF. In short, I hate how pet families are now locked into specific specializations – and we can’t switch between them, essentially forcing us to sometimes play with pets that we might not, for X reason, want to use.
As for what such a talent tree could look like, for pets, there are many ways to design it, and many different traits/effects that you can include.
Here’s one version(example):
Details/tooltips can be found further down, below the image.
Introduction
Essentially, this example for a talent tree will allow you to obtain all of the abilities that are tied to individual pet specializations(Primal Rage, Survival of the Fittest, Master’s Call), in their base forms. These will be available in the ‘octagon choice nodes’, where you can pick whichever you want, unless you have already picked it before, higher up in the tree.
Once you’ve chosen an ability in an ‘octagon node’, you will unlock ‘paragon traits’ which are directly tied to the ability you’ve chosen. After you’ve spent enough talent points on a set of ‘paragon traits’, you will unlock the next bracket of passive effects for you to progress further down the tree, as you level up. Once you reach the next ‘octagon node’, this process repeats. And so on…
Ability details/tooltips
Octagon Choice Nodes
Fairly straight forward. Every time you unlock an Octagon Node, you can choose one of the following abilities, but only if you haven’t already picked it before.
Primal Rage - Instant cast - 6 min cooldown
Increases haste by 30% for all party and raid members for 40 sec. Allies receiving this effect will become Sated and unable to benefit from Primal Rage or similar effects again for 10 min.
Survival of the Fittest - Instant cast - 3 min cooldown
Reduces all damage you and your pet take by 20% for 6 sec.
Master’s Call - Instant cast - 45 sec cooldown
Your pet removes all root and movement impairing effects from itself and a friendly target, and grants immunity to all such effects for 4 sec.
Paragon Traits
These are extensions to the Octagon Node abilities above. Depending on which ability you choose, you will then unlock 2 Paragon Traits to pick from. You need to spend a total of 2 talent points on these before you can move further down in the tree.
Endless Rage - Increases the duration of Primal Rage by 20/40 sec if used when you’re not in a group.
Rapid Recuperation - Reduces the duration of Sated effects caused by Primal Rage by 2/4 min if used when you’re not in a group.
Wilderness Survival - Increases the damage reduction granted to you and your pet, by Survival of the Fittest, by an additional 7.5/15%.
Adapt and Overcome - Reduces the base cooldown of Survival of the Fittest by 45/90 sec.
Animal Handler - Reduces the base cooldown of Master’s Call by 7.5/15 sec.
Call of the Wild - The remaining cooldown of Master’s Call is instantly reset if your pet is stunned or feared.
Other talents/effects
The first bracket of passive talents all have 2 total ranks each. The second bracket only have 1 rank each. If a talent has multiple ranks, you need to select all of them before you can move further down to the next talent.
Predator’s Thirst - You and your pet gain 5/10% Leech.
Endurance Training - You and your pet gain 3/6% increased maximum health.
Pathfinding - You and your pet gain 5/10% increased movement speed.
Hunter’s Advantage - When you use Misdirection on your pet, your pet takes 10/20% less damage for 10 seconds. The base cooldown of Misdirection is reduced by 10/20 sec, if used on your pet.
Great Resistance - Your pet takes 10/20% less damage from Arcane, Fire, Frost, Nature and Shadow magic.
Superior Mobility - Your pet’s movement speed cannot be reduced below 75/100%. Reduces the base cooldown of Dash by 5/10 sec.
Bloodthirsty - Whenever your pet critically hits an enemy target that is bleeding, the pet instantly heals itself for 3% of its maximum health.
Natural Armor - Reduces Physical damage taken by your pet by 15%.
Lionhearted - Reduces the duration of all Stun and Fear effects used against your pet by 30%.
Blood of the Rhino - Increases the effectiveness of healing received by your pet by 20%.
Intervene - Your pet runs at high speed towards you, intercepting the next melee or ranged attack that would otherwise be lethal to you. When this occurs, this exhilarates you, instantly healing you for 20% of maximum health. Can only happen once every 10 min.
This could kill your pet.
Cornered - Whenever your pet is rooted, slowed, or otherwise snared, it takes increasingly less damage over time, starting at 20% and quickly increases to a maximum of 50% reduced damage taken. Once your pet has broken free, or is no longer snared, this effect disappears.
Active abilities
Last row provides you with choices of active abilities. You will only be able to choose one of these at a time/per load-out.
Lick Your Wounds/Emergency Repair - Channeled - 3 min cooldown
Your pet heals itself for 100% of its total health over 5 sec while channeling. Only usable out of combat.
Heart of the Phoenix - Instant cast - 8 min cooldown
Resurrects your pet, instantly returning it to life with 50% health remaining.
Discourage - Instant cast - 20 yard radius - 1 min cooldown
For the next 12 seconds, whenever your pet Growls at a target, this causes nearby enemies to attack the pet, and reduces the damage they all deal by X% for 10 seconds. Only works on enemies that are susceptible to Growl.