[Preservation] Is our new apex talent toxic design?

Merithra’s Blessing: Essence spenders have a 20% chance to transform Reversion into a Spiritbloom (paraphrased)

The problem with this design is

  • It’s proc-based
  • It fundamentally changes a core spell

The problem with proc-based heals is that they are unpredictable. It’s really import to not rely on randomness for healing. This Spiritbloom proc might come when I don’t need it. Or be absent when I am desperate. It might also show up right as I’m pressing the Reversion spell and - oops - I used up the proc when I didn’t mean to.

The problem with baking this in to Reversion is that it changes my core rotation. Reversion is mostly an upkeep HoT - I’m normally using it pretty liberally to keep heals (and Grace Period) rolling on my party in combination with Echos. But what happens when Merithra’s procs? I’m going to stop applying my HoTs and hold onto the Spiritbloom proc until it’s needed? If there’s no damage going out, I need to hold the Spiritbloom especially if I know a damage event is coming up in 5 seconds. But now my Reversions are falling off!

It’s also possible that the proc will happen while Reversion is on cooldown. It’s a short cooldown, sure. But it’s going to be frustrating if I’ve just used both of my reversions and then Merithra’s procs and I might desperately need it - but I didn’t know when it was going to proc! I should have saved a Reversion I guess?

I feel like this is exactly the kind of toxic playstyle that triggered changes to Twin Guardian (Rescue shield) and Call of Ysera. The former encouraged players to Rescue and drop people on the same spot just to get a shield, and the latter encourages people to “waste” Verdant Embrace to buff their next Dream Breath.

The obvious solution here is to simply give back Spiritbloom, but if that’s not on the table, then I still feel like this apex talent needs to be reworked away from unpredictability and changing core spells.

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While I mostly agree (i hate randomness in spells) at the very least it is Pseudo random. It does force trigger off of dream breath.

There are a few things to note here that would change criticism although maybe just in different directions.

So If I’m reading the blessing correctly it seems like the proc changes reversion to be spirit bloom in essence rather than a HoT.

Can it Echo? regardless of if it does or doesnt it presents bad choices either way. If it does then if there is low damage and I’m just trying to spread grace periods on my party then it cost me at least a whole TA and that feels bad. If it does and I’m in a raid do I now just throw out what I was spreading echo’s for and just use this (because this is for sure going to be giga overtuned as the expansion feature otherwise you just dont take the talent). If it doesnt echo then it kinda feels like a mediocre spot heal in a raiding environment.

I think the other 2 Apex nodes are fine but this reversion proc that is trying to replace spirit bloom just isnt it IMO. If it wasnt for all the other verdant embrace changes I would say replacing that and having you dash to a target and slamming that area with healing would be much better but you have fundamentally changed VE, lifebind, and already have it triggering heals in the flameshaper tree that I dont think it’s possible.

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