Reception for the Shado-Pan Monk tree has been mixed, but we all know it needs work. Post your ideas here.
Personally, I would have based the tree around abilities BrM and WW share and the idea of “Strike Hard strike fast”, so here’s my take.
[Keystone] Dusk and Dawn: Rising Sun Kick now has two charges. Expel Harm has two charges and reduces the cooldown of Rising Sun Kick by 4 seconds. Rising Sun Kick reduces the cooldown of your brews by 2 seconds (BrM only).
WW has a longer CD for Expel Harm. BrM has no CDR for RSK. I want to explore this avenue and see if it can be made to work. The general idea is more of an emphasis on the martial arts aspect of monk as well as ability sequences (aka fighting game combos) while also revolving around Expel Harm and Rising Sun Kick because neither spec interacts with BOTH of the spells with much depth. Expel Harm is just a cheap builder and ok self sustain for WW and Rising Sun Kick is just damage for BrM atm. This was designed with rotation in mind instead of CDs.
[Left Lane] Strike Hard: Rising Sun Kick critical hit chance increased by 20%. Rising Sun Kick damage increased by X% for 5 seconds after FoF or Keg Smash.
Obligatory do more damage talent to match the name. Fits with XBG from WW and gives BrM a sequence. Guaranteed double amped critting RSK would also probably hurt a lot, and odds are there’ll be another coming up soon. That said, I worry that this might become a bit stale if it becomes your bread and butter.
[Left Lane] Strike Fast: Your global cooldown is reduced by .25 seconds (or .5).
WW and BrM have a lot of buttons. We can now hit more (if not all) of them faster, and it makes ability sequences less clenchy in terms of timing. Though, I do worry about counter-synergy on the WW side when it comes to FoF.
[Left Lane] Successful Strike: Rising Sun Kick critical hits increases your energy regeneration by X%. And increases the damage of your next Tiger Palm by X% (BrM only). And increases the Chi generation of your next Expel Harm by 100% (WW only).
[Middle Lane] Outnumbered, Never Outmatched: Keg Smash damage increased by X%. Fists of Fury now deals full cleave to the first 5 targets, and deals half damage past 5 targets.
AoE damage lane. Does what it says on the tin.
[Middle Lane] Expelling Harm: X% of your Rising Sun Kick damage is stored up to X number. Expel Harm unleashes the stored damage to all targets within 8 yards. Your Expel Harm clears X% of your Stagger and deals that damage to all targets within 8 yards (BrM only).
More AoE but this time with interaction with Expel Harm and RSK.
[Middle Lane] (Choice) Windmilling: Casting Rising Sun Kick will auto cast Rushing Jade Wind (you don’t have to talent into RJW). You can have multiple Rushing Jade Winds active at the same time.
OR
Centrifugal Force: Spinning Crane Kick increases the damage of your next Rising Sun Kick by X%.
Spinny bird themed AoE. NGL should have probably been utility or recovery.
[Right Lane] Instant Karma (Choice slot): All healing (including overhealing) done by Expel Harm is stored and added as damage to your next Rising Sun Kick. Re-casting Expel Harm will use the new amount of healing instead of adding the two together.
OR
X% of your Rising Sun Kick damage is added to the healing of your next Expel Harm. Re-casting RSK will use the new amount of healing instead of adding the two together.
Kick harder or heal harder. With the upside of being able to re-roll for a crit to amp the next ability. Might be busted for BrM.
[Right Lane] Hit and Run: Rising Sun Kick increases your movement speed by X% and gives you a charge of Roll (or Chi Torpedo). Rolling (or Chi Torpedoing) increases your Avoidance by X%.
Time to go fast.
[Right Lane] (Choice) Mark of the Tiger: Rising Sun Kick applies Mark of the Tiger to your target. Mark of the Tiger increases the damage the target takes from you by X%.
OR
Mark of the Ox: Rising Sun Kick applies Mark of the Ox to your target. Mark of the Tiger reduces the damage the target does to you by X%.
Offense or defense.
[Capstone] (Choice) Long Campaign: Each use of Rising Sun Kick (and maybe Expel harm) reduces the cooldown of Xuen/Niuzao by one second, and increases its duration by 1 second. (Maybe one more charge of Rising Sun Kick)
OR
Full Send: Invoking Xuen/Niuzao will instantly cause you to cast 2 Expel Harms on yourself and 2 Rising Sun Kicks at your target and instantly refill your charges. Invoking Niuzao will instantly use all charges of Purifying Brew and then Celestial Brew and instantly refill your charges (BrM only). While Xuen/Niuzao is active Rising Sun Kick and Expel Harm cooldown 100% faster.
Strong burst or (hopefully) better sustain in the long run with a breakdown of if a fight goes past 4 minutes you take Long Campaign and if it doesn’t you Full Send.
SPARE IDEAS
(Choice) Sha-Touch: Expel Harm causes your next Rising Sun Kick to gain X% Leech.
OR
Rising Sun Kick causes your next Expel Harm to deal its healing in damage and you are healed for 10% of the damage dealt.
(Choice) Energizing Elixir: Refill your energy bar.
OR
Oxen Fortitude: Increases your total energy by X (and maybe stamina by X%).
Back on Your Feet: Rising Sun Kick critical hits increase the critical chance of Expel Harm by X%.