Currently Soul reaper feels clunky due to it costing 1 rune instead of 10-20 runic power and feels like a waste for PvP because you almost never get quality out of the execute effect.
So first change it to cost runic power… easy haha
Next we need to make it a more reliable button press even in PvP.
Instead of some chip damage and a big boom under 35% hp after 5 secs. Chip damage plus the a damage over time effect for 5-8 seconds. When the target is under 35% the dot does 200% damage or same damage in half the duration.
Add a choice node under that the execute tics have a chance to reset the CD and reduce the cost or make it free so you can stack the dot in execute or the execute tics have a chance give us resources (runes/RP) or we just heal for a small percent of the execute damage for the soul reaping theme.
5 Likes
Having Soul Reaper cost Rune Power would be great for frost but a detriment to blood and a situationally worse or better for UH. I’ve talked about this before and think it should be a choice node that only changes the resource type.
I think the simplest and probably best solution for its effect in PvP though is for its effect to not be able to apply unless the target is in health range but once applied the end damage always happens regardless of if they have been healed back above 35%.
The idea of a stacking DoT/reset effect while cool I think has too much balance issues with it being able to become oppressively strong.
Maybe a more simple fix could also be to increase the CD to 12 secs instead of 6. Make the damage proc instantly when under 35% hp and refund half the CD (back to 6 secs) if the damage procs. This wouldnt change it for PvE output at all because its still the same amount of damage every 6 secs just more reliable. For PvP its still a gamble if used before 35% because you could get stuck with a 12 sec CD.
Or what if it did more damage the longer is set on the target. Like if your spamming every 6 sec while the target is under 35% its still worth but if it gets to set for at least 3 sec before the target drops under 35% it does more. Saboteur type playstyle like it currently is.
It feels like this because it’s the same button for 3 specs in multiple game modes. They will never be able to make it feel good for all of those situations because despite being the same class, all the specs function very differently and have different resource emphasis.
The best thing they can do for SR is to give it a per spec resource cost and execute effect that integrates well with that spec. For example, under Unholy it could be a strong disease that is white listed for talents like Morbidity, Plaguebringer, and maybe even Rotten Touch.
Not a fan of this.
This is better.
This is good and something that other specs with executes can access.
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Hard pass. I play a lot of blood and do not want any more of the overall damage budget to be given to Soulreaper when its a button that feels bad to push due to being a lower RP efficiency ability than Heart Strike.
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Are you really arguing the RP efficiency of an optional talent that doesn’t even exist yet? 
As I already said, if you read the whole thing, SR’s resource cost needs to be re-examined on a per spec basis to make it work for that spec. Also the proc might be entirely free, as the OP suggested, if/when implemented.
Edit: Other melee like Warrirors/Paladins have access to procs that enable the use of their executes outside the execute range and it’s a good way of shaking up the rotation, especially if its an optional pick.
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My bad, I thought I had read it all but I missed the part about RP being addressed on a per spec basis. Reading be hard some times.
Not sure I’m a fan of an outside of execute proc system for SR as I don’t think DK needs that gameplay but if it was to be added I think it needs to have the same internal effects of the base rune spending abilities of each spec. Such as SR generating 1-2 wounds for UH, 1-2 Bone Shield charges for Blood, or a Rime proc for Frost.
Even without the proc I think having SR not feel like its disrupting blood and UHs extra resource system would be very helpful to its overall fun to use.
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Another idea is just giving Soul Reaping back to Unholy and swapping it with the Reaping talent Unholy now has. Put Reaping on the class tree and let it make Frost Strike, Death Coil, and Death strike do 30% more damage when he target is below 35% HP.
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Make Soul Reaper free for all 3 specs, but with a condition.
For frost it consumes/requires rime.
For unholy it consumes/requires x number of wounds or maybe a SD proc.
For blood it consumes/requires a blood boil cooldown.
Easy peasy.
For blood it would be Crimson Scourge proc going by your train of thought. I’m not agreeing nor disagreeing, just something that felt left out.
Gonna join this train,
Change the effect of Soul Reaper to:
After 5 sec, if the target is below 35% health this effect will explode dealing an additional (205.92%) of attack power) Shadowfrost damage to the target. If the enemy that yields experience or honer does not die from the explosion, refresh Soul Reaper’s duration and increase it’s damage 10%.
Really though this execute doesn’t feel great to use is its current form.
The 6 second cooldown sucks.
The 5 second delay for a payoff sucks.
The damage is lackluster.
Having a cooldown on ability that also requires a cooldown (Runes) is bad. Runes are designed to be spent as soon as they’re available. Having to hold off spending runes so you can use an ability is counter-intuitive to the entire resource system of DKs.
Additionally, Soul Reaper needs spec specific changes, there are talents in the game already that change based on your specialisation and theres no reason why Soul Reaper can’t benefit from something similar.
3 Likes
soul reaper consuming rime to deal more initial damage and be free would genuinely be a help. this should probably just be a talent in the frost tree though.
A quick solution to soul reaper would be to double the damage, double the cooldown, make it only usable on targets below 35%, and remove the fact that it can miss if the target is above 35%.
This makes it worth pressing for all 3 specs, makes it usable in pvp, and removes the awkward guessing involved with trying to make it hit at 34.9% and not 35.1%.
3 Likes
Just pls god dont let it be a dps gain in AOE. I am really not interested in trying to use it individually on aoe.
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