Hello all! After reading several topics about Arcane Mage tree, I have some suggestions for it and created a design that took most current issues into account. It is WIP, so changes based on feedback are possible. The suggested design is not mandatory, but it is fitting - it splits Arcane Mage tree into mostly AoE damage branch (left), playstyle choices and major CDs branch (middle) and mostly single target damage / mana management branch (right) and tries to keep most talents related to specific abilities close to each other.
Current issues of Arcane Mage tree:
- Arcane Tree provides mostly similar playstyle to current (Kyrian Arcane) with some not too developed alteratives.
Solution: Suggested design adds new and improves existing playstyles - improves Kyrian Arcane playstyle, making it less dependant on RNG, slightly improves Expanded Potential builds, adds Arcane Missiles builds similar to Venthyr Arcane, adds a 3 target cleave build and adds some customization choices for the AoE build. - Many talents related to similar abilities are too scattered in the tree.
Solution: Suggested design keeps most talents related to particular abilities close to each other. - Evocation and Arcane Orb are both fundamental part of Arcane core and are not fitting for capstone talents.
Solution: Suggested design moved them and their upgrades to the second part of tree (the one that requires 8 points). - Some nodes are barely worth the 2 point investment.
Solution: Suggested design removes some 2 point talents and compensates that with new nodes addition, making the tree more varied and customizable.
Here is the visualized talent tree (described order is from left to right in it). As I do not have 3rd level of trust, I would ask somebody with it to post the link in the thread, so that people can see the draft without necessity to follow this link:
https://imgur.com/a/T1Zv4T6
Numbers after the names mean point investment.
Tree has totally nodes for 54 points, giving players access to around 60% of it in their build (just like most other classes get). Third part is organized the way to let people pick only 4 of 7 fully upgraded end talents simultaneously, providing build diversity and matching the mentioned value.
Full list of talent tree nodes*:
*Do not search for Greater Invisibility, Displacement and Master of Time here - they are suggested to be added / kept as general tree talents.
Improved Prismatic Barrier is suggested to be merged into baseline ability for Arcane Mages only.
Row 1:
Arcane Barrage (1): Launches bolts of arcane energy at the enemy target, causing X% of Spell Power Arcane damage.
For each Arcane Charge, deals Y% additional damage.
Consumes all Arcane Charges.
Row 2:
Improved Arcane Barrage (1): For each Arcane Charge, Arcane Barrage hits 1 additional nearby target for 40% damage and restores 2% of maximum mana.
Comment: Merged Mana Adept into it, as currently Arcane Barrage requires quite many talents to gather it to current level, so I suggest to make it 1 point investment less this way.
Rule of Threes (1): When you gain your third Arcane Charge, your next Arcane Blast, Arcane Missiles or Arcane Explosion refunds 100% of mana spent on it and deals 10% more damage.
Comment: This talent is currently harmful in some game modes, as it disables Clearcasting procs for affected spells. Suggested change makes it both proc Clearcasting in the usual way and restore mana, solving this issue. However, even then it is too niche, so I suggest to attach a small damage boost to it to make it more generally useful. Its suggested placement under Arcane Barrage also makes it an optional talent, so that players that do not like it can skip it.
Empowered Arcane Missiles (1): Arcane Missiles have 10% increased chance to critically strike.
Comment: As Arcane Missiles themselves are suggested to be moved to general tree and made auto filled for Arcane Mage, their node is replaced by a simple upgrade node.
Row 3:
Resonance (1): Arcane Barrage deals 15% increased damage per target it hits, up to 75%.
Comment: The limit is a spoiler to the new talent Arcane Salvo described later and a necessity to keep its power in check.
Distant Explosion or Warding Explosion (1):
Distant Explosion: Arcane Explosion can be cast at an enemy within 40 yds range and does damage to target and other enemies within 8 yds area around it.
Warding Explosion: Arcane Explosion’s area is increased by 2 yds and hitting an enemy with Arcane Explosion reduces damage you take by X% for Y seconds.
Comment: This is a new upgrade choice node for Arcane Explosion that allows players to pick between possibility to use it from range (with slightly reduced area to compensate and to keep its area in line with Blizzard and Flamestrike areas) or possibility to make its area a bit larger and in line with DB and Cone of Cold areas with small damage reduction attached per usage to compensate for necessity to still be in close to melee range. This would allow players to pick the style they would prefer and customize their AoE rotation a bit more.
Arcane Familiar (1): Summon a Familiar that attacks your enemies and increases your maximum mana and mana regeneration by 10% for 1 hour.
Comment: I suggest for it to also provide mana regeneration and to buff its damage to make it more useful. Its suggested placement under Rule of Threes makes it an optional talent as well.
Overcharged Blast (1): When Arcane Blast is used with 4 Arcane Charges, it does X% more damage.
Comment: This talent is generally useful, but especially for mana based burn-conserve playstyles that often spam 4 charged Arcane Blast, making them a bit more competitive.
Clearcasting (1): For each 0.5% of maximum mana you spend, you have a 1% chance to gain Clearcasting, making your next Arcane Missiles or Arcane Explosion free and channel 20% faster.
Clearcasting additionally increases damage of Arcane Explosion by X (50?)%.
Comment: Was a bit improved to make it more useful for the AoE rotation.
Row 4:
Chrono Shift (1): Arcane Barrage slows enemies by 50% and increases your movement speed by 50% for 5 sec.
Comment: Accessible from Resonance to keep Arcane Barrage related talents together.
Arcane Tempo (1): Consuming Arcane Charges increases your Mastery by 2% for 12 seconds, stacks up to 5 times.
Comment: Haste is a controversial secondary stat for Arcane Mages, as it increases their mana consumption rate as well. Mastery, which both increases damage done and helps with mana management seems like a better fit.
Impetus or Arcane Rhytm (1):
Impetus: After consuming 4 Arcane Charges, your next Arcane Blast generates 2 Arcane Charges.
Arcane Rhytm: Using Arcane Explosion increases damage of next Arcane Barrage or Supernova by X%, stacking up to 2 times.
Comment: This choice node provides players possibility to pick between modified Impetus, which helps with getting spent Arcane Charges back faster and would be a good addition to build-spend rotation builds and 3 target cleave build variant and possibility to boost Arcane Barrage or new Arcane Charge spender spell described later in the tree. Only 2 stacks limit is there to take into account possibility to get 4 Arcane Charges from 2 Arcane Explosions via lucky Reverberate procs.
Improved Arcane Explosion (2): Increases Arcane Explosion damage by 10% / 20%.
Comment: Is kept as a 2 point choice node, but allows direct access to Arcane Orb without necessity to take other talents in rows 3 and 5 to compensate.
Arcane Surge or Arcane Power (1):
Arcane Surge: Expend all of your current mana to annihilate your enemy target and nearby enemies for up to X% of Spell Power Arcane damage based on Mana spent. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets.
For the next 12 sec, your Mana Regeneration is increased by 450% and Spell Damage is increased by 10%.
2 seconds cast time. 90s CD.
Arcane Power: Arcane energy rapidly flows through you for 12 seconds, increasing your spell damage by 25% and making your spells cost 25% less mana.
Instant and off-GCD. 90s CD.
Comment: This choice node provides players a choice between new and old Arcane Power variants, allowing to pick the one they like most. Even then, 2.5s cast time is still quite long in PVP, especially for a dispellable ability, so is suggested to get reduced to 2 seconds.
Improved Arcane Missiles (2): Increases Arcane Missiles damage by 10% / 20%.
Comment: Is kept as a 2 point choice node, but allows to directly access Evocation without necessity to take other talents in rows 3 and 5 to compensate.
Amplification (1): When Clearcast, Arcane Missiles fires 3 additional missiles.
Comment: Now is directly accessible from Clearcasting node.
Nether Precision (1): Consuming Clearcasting increases the damage of your next 2 Arcane Blasts or Arcane Explosions by 20%.
Comment: Now is directly accessible from Clearcasting as well. Also suggested to be a bit modified to make it more useful for AoE rotations.
Improved Clearcasting (1): Clearcasting can stack up to 2 additional times.
Comment: Now is directly accessible from Clearcasting too.
Row 5:
Reverberate (1): If Arcane Explosion hits at least 3 targets, it has a 50% chance to generate an extra Arcane Charge.
Comment: Now opened by Improved Arcane Explosion node.
Overpowered or Overcharged (1):
Overpowered: Arcane Surge and Arcane Power last additional 3 seconds and increase spell damage by additional 25%.
Overcharged: Activating Arcane Power or Arcane Surge grants 4 Arcane Charges. Additionally, while Arcane Surge or Arcane Power is active, Arcane Blast can be cast while moving and Arcane Barrage does not consume Arcane Charges, but sitll gets empowered by them. Such Arcane Barrages do not trigger Arcane Tempo and Arcane Insight effects.
Comment: This choice node provides a possibility to pick between making the major CD a bit longer and with bigger damage boost (useful for Kyrian Arcane builds for example) and possibility to use some abilities on the move / spam them on CD (useful for heavy movement and AoE fights), allowing players to pick the upgrade they like or need more. The limit for Arcane Tempo and Arcane Insight is there to not make Overcharged too powerful compared to Overpowered if they are taken.
Arcane Pummeling or Arcane Pressure (1):
Arcane Pummeling: When affected by Clearcasting Arcane Missiles deal damage, they increase damage taken from Arcane Missiles by X (3?)% for 3 seconds, stacking up to 15 times.
Arcane Pressure: When affected by Clearcasting, Arcane Missiles deal Y (15?) % more damage.
Comment: This choice node allows players to pick the Arcane Missiles usage playstyle - Arcane Pummeling promotes gathering several Clearcasting stacks and unleashing them simultaneously for ramping up bonus, but that can be disrupted by interrupts and CC, so is a high risk high reward playstyle. Arcane Pressure allows more freedom and has less risk, but also provides mediocre bonus.
Row 6:
Nether Tempest (1): Places a Nether Tempest on the target which deals X% of Spell Power Arcane damage over 12 sec to the target and nearby enemies within 10 yards. Limit 3 targets.
Damage increased by Y% per Arcane Charge.
Comment: Suggested to be buffed to be at least decently more damaging than Arcane Explosion, as its damage is not competitive now and extended to 3 targets without AoE damage reduction, making it a decent, but optional part of AoE and cleave builds.
Arcane Insight (1): Consuming Arcane Charges gives you 25% chance to receive a stack of Clearcasting per charge consumed.
Comment: New talent that supports build-spend playstyle and provides a way to reliably get Clearcasting procs. Alongside Arcane Tempo and Impetus, it should make build-spend charges build more competitive with others in both single target and 3 target cleave situations.
Arcane Orb (1): Launches an Arcane Orb forward from your position, traveling up to 40 yards, dealing X% of Spell Power Arcane damage to enemies it passes through.
Grants 1 Arcane Charge when cast and every time it deals damage.
Comment: Moved to 6th row to keep it out of third part of tree, where every point matters.
Arcane Pulse or Time Stasis (1):
Arcane Pulse: Pulses arcane energy around the target enemy or ally, dealing X% of Spell Power Arcane damage to all enemies within 8 yards and knocking them upward. Instant. 25s CD.
Time Stasis: Stop the time flow for targeted enemy, stunning him for 4 seconds. While this effect is active, target’s abilities do not recharge. Instant. 45+s CD.
Comment: A new CC choice node between ranged AoE interrupt similar to current Supernova with full damage to all targets to make it more useful and ranged ST stun to utilize and provide a tool to cover Arcane casts and channels, so that they are not immediately interrupted in PVP.
Enlightened (1): Arcane damage dealt while above 50% mana is increased by X%, Mana Regen while below 50% is increased by Y%.
Comment: The threshold is suggested to be reduced to make this talent more synergizing with burn-conserve rotations and slightly better as dps gain.
Illuminated Thoughts or Insightful Thoughts (1):
Illuminated Thoughts: Clearcasting has a 10% increased chance to proc.
Insightful Thoughts: Your spells no longer proc Clearcasting directly. Instead, whenever you spend mana on spells, you receive a number of stacks of Insight based on the amount of mana spent. When you reach 100 or more stacks, they are consumed and you receive a Clearcasting stack.
Comment: This choice node allows players to pick between improving chance to get Clearcasting and keeping the RNG proc playstyle and possibility to change it to build-spend mode, which is more reliable, but prevents lucky streaks of Clearcasting procs as well.
Evocation (1): Increases your mana regeneration by 750% for 6 sec. 90s CD.
Comment: Moved to 6th row to also keep it out of third part of tree, where every point matters. I also suggest to reduce its base CD and Improved Evocation effect to make it more synchronized with Arcane Surge.
Improved Foresight (1): Enables first rank of Foresight if it is not taken in general tree. If it is taken, reduces cast time of spells cast while moving by X(20?)%.
Comment: Foresight itself is suggested to be moved to general tree, as it has usage for all 3 specs. This talent is its replacement that either enables it if it is not learned in general tree or improves its effect if it is learned, helping to squeeze some of Arcane Mage longer cast times into its duration.
Arcane Empowerment (1): Clearcasting can now stack 2 additional times and increases the damage of Arcane Missiles by X% per stack.
Clearcasting no longer reduces the mana cost of Arcane Explosion.
Comment: PVP talent moved into general Arcane tree, as it is useful in PVE as well and supports the Arcane Pummeling playstyle.
Row 7:
Charged Orb or Orb Barrage (1):
Charged Orb: Arcane Orb gains 1 additional charge and its cooldown is reduced by X seconds.
Orb Barrage: Arcane Barrage has an Y% chance per Arcane Charge consumed to launch an Arcane Orb in front of you.
Comment: Charged Orb is slightly buffed to provide some value over whole duration of combat. Orb Barrage is made similar to Mantle of Kirin Tor, which many people liked and which would enable a RNG Arcane Orb playstyle again.
Arcane Singularity or Evanesce (1):
Arcane Singularity: Create a warp of space and time in selected area, pulling enemies in it to its center and slowing them by X% for Y seconds. Instant. 30-60s CD.
Evanesce: Fade into the nether, avoiding all attacks against you for 3 seconds. Castable while another spell is in progress and unaffected by global cooldown. Does not replace any abilities, 45+s CD.
Comment: Arcane Singularity is a black hole type ability that would give Arcane Mages additional utility and a unique niche - even though similar abilities like Gorefiend’s Grasp and Sigil of Chains already exist, they are available to tank specs and Arcane Mage could be the first dps spec to posess it. Its alternative could provide an additional (preferably undispellable, as Priest’s Greater Fade is undispellable) defensive if it is needed, allowing to keep Arcane Mage’s survivability in line with Fire Mages, who can take Cauterize in their tree and Frost Mages, who can take Cold Snap in their tree.
Touch of the Magi (1): Applies Touch of the Magi to your current target, accumulating 25% of the damage you deal to the target for 10 sec, and then exploding for that amount of Arcane damage to the target and reduced damage to all nearby enemies. Pressing the ability input again would detonate it early.
Generates 4 Arcane Charges.
Comment: Slightly modified to allow early detonation, making it more controllable and allowing to utilize it better, for example to unleash the stored damage and not lose it in cases, when target enemy is close to dying, but there are still several seconds of ToTM duration remaining.
Slipstream (1): Clearcasting allows Arcane Missiles to be channeled while moving.
Evocation can be channeled while moving.
Comment: Now accessible from both Arcane Missiles branch and Evocation.
Improved Evocation or Siphon Storm (1):
Improved Evocation: Evocation’s cooldown is reduced by 33% and it is channeled 33% faster.
Siphon Storm: Evocation grants 1 Arcane Charge, and while channeling Evocation, your Intellect is increased by 2% every 1 sec. Lasts 30 sec.
Comment: Improved Evocation cast time reduction was added to compensate for CD reduction nerf and to make this upgrade more useful for mana based builds. Siphon Storm now should be more compatible with Arcane Surge, making it more useful.
Row 8:
Prodigious Savant (1): Arcane Blast can now consume Clearcasting stacks if Mage has 4 Arcane Charges.
When affected by Clearcasting, Arcane Blast is free, can be cast while moving and deals X (50?)% more damage.
Comment: Redesigned to allow Arcane Blast consume Arcane Charges, which would be useful to synergize with following talent Archon and some burn-conserve based builds.
Arcane Bombardment (1): Arcane Barrage deals an additional X% damage against targets below 35% health.
Comment: Suggested to become a 1 point talent, as other Shadowlands legendary Arcane Harmony is.
Presence of Mind (1): Causes your next 3 Arcane Blasts to be instant cast. Lasts 30 seconds. 45s CD.
Comment: As it is moved to third part of tree, it is suggested to affect three Arcane Blasts again. I also suggest for it to last 30 seconds and trigger CD on usage - this would still prevent it from being abused, but would make it synergize much better with other CDs.
Arcane Echo (1): Direct damage you deal to enemies affected by Touch of the Magi causes an explosion that deals X% of Spell Power Arcane damage to all nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Comment: Suggested to become a 1 point talent, as its effect is not very powerful and to keep point investment balanced with Radiant Spark / Arcane Bombardment.
Cascading Power (1): Consuming a Mana Gem grants 4 Arcane Charges and increases Spell Power by X (15?)% for Y (15?) seconds.
Comment: The ability itself is suggested to become baseline and this talent should replace its node as a 1 point investment talent. It also should be buffed to provide a comparable bonus to Siphon Storm to keep them more balanced.
Row 9:
Archon (1): Transform into a being of Arcane energy for 15 seconds, making your Arcane Blast hit 2 additional targets near the initial and Arcane Barrage deal double cleave damage (80% of base) to 2 nearest enemies to the target and refill 50% of Arcane Charges spent. 1+ min CD.
Comment: Arcane version of Deathborne, it enables 3 target cleave again and can be played in 2 ways - 4 charged Arcane Blasts spam boosted by Overcharged Blast talent and build-spend charges rotation boosted by Arcane Tempo, Arcane Insight and Impetus, allowing players to pick and customize their cleave rotation more.
Empowering Orb (1): Arcane Orb increases damage of next Arcane Barrage or Supernova by X%.
Comment: Is generally useful and provides decent synergy between Arcane Orb and the AoE end tree choice node talent.
Mage’s Fury (1): Using Touch of the Magi makes your next Arcane Barrage a guaranteed critical strike.
Comment: A talent to make Kyrian Arcane build less dependant on RNG, as Arcane Barrage crit has massive impact on its output. Guaranteed crit is compensated by absence of Ire of the Ascended conduit / upgrade and already made nerfs to Arcane Harmony.
Radiant Spark (1): Conjure a radiant spark that causes X% of Spell Power Arcane damage instantly, and an additional Y% of Spell Power damage over 10 sec.
The target takes 1N% increased damage from your direct damage spells, stacking each time they are struck. This effect ends after 4 spells.
Arcane Exposure (1): While Touch of the Magi is active, target receives X% increased Arcane damage from your spells.
Comment: Current tier set effect moved into Arcane tree, it is generally useful and also supports Arcane Echo playstyle alongside following talent Mage’s Clarity.
Expanded Potential (1): Arcane Blast has a chance to grant Expanded Potential, which causes your next Clearcasting to not be consumed.
Comment: Renamed for better recognition.
Conjure Mana Well (1): Conjures a Mana Well. You and your allies can use it to acquire a Mana Gem that can be used to instantly restore mana and holds up to 3 charges.
Passive: Increases amout of Mana Gem mana restoration to 25% of maximum mana.
Comment: This talents allows to share Mana Gems with allies and raises their power to Warlock’s Healthstones level. However, it still provides dps boost from Cascading Power only for the Mage, so that it does not become mandatory or another Power Infusion.
Row 10:
Supernova or Arcane Flurry (1):
Supernova: Consume your Arcane Charges to create a massive explosion of Arcane energy in selected area, dealing X% of Spell Power Arcane damage to all enemies in it. Affected enemies get dazed by the explosion, reducing their attack and casting speed by Y% for Z seconds. Requires 4 Arcane Charges to cast. Preferably instant cast.
Arcane Salvo (1): Arcane Barrage can now hit 2 targets per Arcane Charge consumed and its cleave radius is increased by 100%.
Comment: This end talent choice node provides possibility to pick between uncapped AoE Arcane Charge consumer, useful for situations where there are 9+ enemies and possibility to make Arcane Barrage hit up to 8 targets, making it more useful and allowing to still make use of its multiple upgrades and effects. Supernova has attack / cast speed reduction attached to keep it competitive with Arcane Barrage boosted by Chrono Shift in utility department and allow to use them both in different situations if the players would want to.
Arcane Harmony (1): Each time Arcane Missiles hits an enemy, the damage of your next Arcane Barrage is increased by 5%. This effect stacks up to 20 times.
Comment: Now is opened by Mage’s Fury to let people build Kyrian Arcane build without necessity to pick excess talents.
Harmonic Echo (1): Damage dealt to enemies affected by Radiant Spark’s vulnerability echo to your current enemy target and 7 nearby enemies for X% of the damage dealt.
Comment: Boosted to 8 targets to synergize better with Arcane Salvo and be more competitive with Arcane Echo.
Mage’s Clarity (1): After using Touch of the Magi, you receive a stack of Clearcasting instantly and every 3 seconds for 6 seconds.
Comment: Mirrors of Torment replacement that is not attached to a dispellable and based on enemy actions ability, it would help to preserve the Arcane Echo playstyle and give it some on demand burst if needed.
Unleashed Potential (1): Expanded Potential makes your Clearcasting not consumable for 5 seconds instead of singular usage.
Comment: Raises power level of Expanded Potential to Fire Frenzy level and makes it more worth being a capstone talent.
This sums up the list of my suggestions. Feel free to add your suggestions and feedback about possible changes and additions to Arcane Mage talent tree design. Thank you for reading!