So I know how people have conflicting thoughts about Geomancer being a healer, and how Conjurers are the Nature healers because that's their thing. So I thought about the issue for a bit. Why couldn't Geomancers be a nature healer too - just with a different play style? Posting my idea here. I'm not sure if this is even feasible. Would love to hear any thoughts and suggestions.
From a lore point, I believe White mages commune with the elementals to utilize their effects. Geomancers instead utilize the elements in nature and give their spells an aspected effect similar to the current AST.
However, unlike AST - Geomancers gets a gauge with 3-elements. This gauge is highly dependent on the skills the geomancer uses. When Geomancers use a spell - ex: wind spell - it uses up a portion of the wind elements and causes the gauge to lean towards the other two elements (namely being water and earth). This changes the aspected effect of their spells entirely. The gauge will also depict a symbol stating current attunement of the Geomancer. The attunement will change automatically after all the elements in the gauge is consumed but is otherwise locked in combat. It will rotate water element -> earth element -> wind element. Assuming we have 3 elements, then the perfect balance would be when all 3 elements are at 100 (33% each, for a total of 300). At the highest, 2 elements can go up to 150 (50%) if there is no 3rd element normally. The absolute cap for an element is 200.
EX: 100 water, 100 wind, 100 earth.
If for instance a wind spell takes 20 wind elements, then the gauge will add 10 to water and 10 to earth elements and reduce 20 wind.
New gauge: 110 water, 80 wind, 110 earth. (36%,26%,36%)
Here's a very rough general outline of the idea I have based on this gauge.
So I'm going to take the generic DPS Skill [Stone] and rename it as [Rock]. (Look, I'm bad at names)
Then we have the generic DoT Skill [Aero] renamed as [Wind].
[Rock] will deplete earth elements and replenish both wind and water elements.
[Wind] will deplete wind elements and replenish both water and earth elements.
This will continue until there is no more of their respective element.
At that instance, [Rock] will become [Sand] and gain Wind element or become [Mud] and become Water element when both elements are depleted. The element of the skill will be locked until this element is consumed entirely.
[Wind] becomes [Water], [Water] turns into [Earth], [Earth] turns into [Wind] provided there is an element in the gauge for it. Otherwise [Wind] turns into [Earth] or [Earth] turns into [Water].
These two rotations are constant.
Here's where things get tricky.
Like all healers, they have a default heal - let's call it [Healing Qi]. It consumes water element and replenishes the other two. When there is an abundance of water elements (>=33%), healing potency is increased by 30%.
[Attunement] - Will be the default Toggle skill where you can change your element alignment only out of combat like Nocturnal Sect/Diurnal Sect. However, you cannot attune to an element when you're out of it on the gauge. 5 Second Cooldown.
They have [Aspected Healing Qi] - Basic Healing with an additional effect:
On Earth element attunement, healing spells provide a shield.
On Water element attunement, healing spells will have boosted potencies.
On Wind element attunement, healing spells provide a 10% mitigation.
Likewise they have an AoE Heal [Aspected Healing Qi Field] that has the same additional effects as [Aspected Healing Qi] but with reduced potencies.
Then they have [Chaotic Formation] - AoE around you. Significantly consumes of the element currently attuned. An additional effect is applied based on attunement:
When currently in Earth element: This skill deals 10-15% more damage.
When currently in Water element: Refresh DoT effect
When currently in Wind element: Causes Heavy
When used under [Formation of Nature] or [Grand Formation of Nature], gets a debuff [Broken formation] - Does not increase the elemental lean from these two Formations.
[Leylines to Qi] - oGCD - Consumes all of the current element's attunement to restore MP.
[Feng Shui] - oGCD - Changes the Element Gauge to fill or reduce the 3 elements to 100 (or 33%).
[Barrier of the Nature- Earth] - oGCD - Consumes earth element on cast and places a ground AoE barrier that shields allies who are in the barrier when cast. If Earth element is abundant on cast (>=33%), also reduces incoming damage by 10%. AoE is removed after 15 seconds.
[Blessing of the Nature - Water] - oGCD - Consumes water element on cast and places a ground AoE that heals allies who are in the AoE when cast. If Water element is abundant on cast (>=33%), also grants regen. AoE is removed after 15 seconds.
[Flux of the Nature - Wind] - oGCD - Consumes wind element on cast and places a ground AoE that reduces allies incoming damage by 10%. If Wind element is abundant on cast (>=33%), also applies a DoT effect on enemies standing in the AoE. AoE is removed after 15 seconds.
[Formation of Nature] - Ground AoE that selects one element and increases its lean when you are in the field. Lasts for 10 seconds. Aspected spells casted in this AoE will change to the effect of that element. When using [Chaotic Formation] in the AoE, it will gain an additional effect based on the element, but you will no longer gain the lean of the element through [Formation of Nature]
[Formation of Leylines] - Refreshes attuned element [up to 2x] by reducing the other two elements by [x] if applicable.
[Grand Formation of Nature] - Ground AoE that selects two elements and increases their lean when you are in the field. When using [Chaotic Formation] in the AoE, it will gain an additional effect(s) based on the elements, but you will no longer gain the lean of these two elements through [Grand Formation of Nature].
[Perfect Formation] - All elements become balanced (take up 33%) for -x- seconds. During this period [attunement] can be freely adjusted. Under this effect the gauge does not move. Spells receive a 20% healing potency.
Those are just some ideas I thought up. It's lacking a lot of skills to manipulate the gauge but it's a very rough outline of what I think a Geomancer job would work. Thoughts and suggestions? Does it sound too complicated? Any ideas on how to tweak it and improve on the idea?