RDM's ~ a new outlook on Enspell, enfeeblement, and melee'

First off, I posted this suggestion under a different thread but felt it deserved it's own thread.

As a RDM, I often look at what I would love to see certain things. As we move forward to lvl 99, I'm left wondering how SquareEnix will keep the balance between nuking, solo enhancements spells, enfeeblement, and melee damage. Is tacking on an additional tier to all existing spell enough? MY answer is NO.

There come a certain point where spell strength clashes with job distinctions. What makes a redmage different from blackmages(nukers), scholars, and WHM? It's the ability to melee AND enhance/enfeeb.

Im so tired of just adding another level of spells. RDM are never going to compete with blackmages nuke strength, nor a WHM curing capacity, no a samaurai's melee damage...no should we. However with a little tweaking SE can create a new series of enfeeblement which requires RDM's not only to melee, but to do so continually to maintain the enfeebs at optimum levels.

The new Enspell I propose are "En-status". Combining the Enspell 2 model with enfeebling magics would truly bring Redmage to the front line. While regular Enspell 2 damage and elemental resistance effect were lacking, I imagine a status effect while starting weak would decrease a mobs resistance to status effects and increase effect potency to a cap.

Thes are some of the "en-status" effects I propose...

• Enaddle ~ (aka Addle 2).
• Enparalyze ~ (paralyze III).
• Engravity ~ (gravity II)
• Enshock ~ (stun%)
• Enslow ~ (slow III)
• Enpoison ~ (poison III)
• Endia ~ (not India, dia IV)
• Enbio ~ (Bio IV)
• Enblind ~ (Blind III)

All these spell would initially start at a values slightly lower then the proceeding tier and quickly cap at maximum values. The duration effect would be totally dependent on whether a mob resisted initial strike, but as their resistance fell based on repeat striking by redmage, would take effect and build to cap. As such duration is based on whether a mob is alive AND a redmage continually striking it.

As such, I imagine a strong decay effect would kick in if a RDM stops swinging. Or, NM natural resistances would kick in(unable to stun for example). That being said, I can imagine Enbio, endia, and Enpoison having particularly strong returns on both HP/tic but effects.

I was playing around with the idea of 2 Enspell being activated at a time(only while dual wielding). That is, a dual wielding RDM can have only ONE elemental and ONE status Enspell up. Perhaps, halving initial effects but can still cap effect.

I can understand some of them, I think, but how will the poison dia bio work with the tp feeding aspects of the spells. Most of the spells you listed are over time spells. The first hit counts but then your next say 7 hits wouldnt. Not sure what to think really. Id much rather see enguard or enparry where the next mob hit was either guard or parried or missed based on the percentage of your guarding or parring skills

Edit I knew there was something else bothering me about them, how would the other bio (blm casting) interact with the enbio for example

If it's just the status, no thanks. Like it or not, damage has been a factor in our "poor contributions" over the years, and with how little enfeebles are actually desired on fodder mobs we might not get our butts reamed for swinging at, giving up a modest percentage of our already hurting damage potential is a no-no. Apply the debuff chances to existing enspells, sure, but using them alone won't really change anything.

It's not initial striking, each proceeding strike would lower a mob resistance until finally it "lands". The build up would be quick for regular mobs, and slightly slower for NMs. As far as the 3 spells, dia, bio, and poison. Their cap values would be a higher HP per tic rate, and their status effects whether def down, ATT down, or straight damage down, or are initial damages. However, initial damage as when first "landing" a bio or dia as with spell version would be at a capped value stronger than regular Enspell 2's(say 40-60 range unresisted) It's as if a redmage keeps recasting an enfeeb until each swing gets an garuanteed 100% unresist.

As far as what overwrites what, the overwrites function much the same way where dia < bio. Nothing would overwrite these unless the effect quickly wore off due to decay, other than another enstatus swing. For example, if a BLM were to cast bio II, a redmage could use Enpoison(aka poison3). Both could effect a mob. However, if a BLM were to cast poison 2, the Enpoison would overwrite poison2.

Most regular spell last from 30sec~150secs depending on resists. Perhaps, the additional damage per swing would have to be bumped up so that it's important for redmages to keep swinging. But SE would still need to balance the effect down. If enspell2 are let's say an additional 32pt plus eleMent resistance, then these enspells would at the very least have to cover the 32pt damage plus an additional HP/tic. Poison 2 is 10p/tic, so Enpoison should be +15~20 range in addition. The total then should be sword swing plus 32~50 give or take depending on skill.

These proposed en-debuffs would be absolute overkill on trash mobs. On NMs, it's not always advisable to have an adept support mage in melee range and feeding TP to the NM. This increases the likelihood of dangerous NM TP moves. Furthermore, it strains the party/alliance backline by both removing a support-capable mage from the backline and adding another person, in melee range, who takes damage and needs status cures.

Can a melee RDM cure and support? Sure. But if they do that, it runs counter to the whole concept of en-debuffs. A casting RDM is not swinging their sword and intensifying the debuffs.

These proposed en-debuffs might only be useful in conditions already incompatible with melee RDM. Most RDMs would completely ignore the en-debuffs and continue casting the traditional debuffs from outside an NM's AoE range.

This idea has been regarded over and over again, and, honestly, is not deserving of it's own thread.

An En-enfeeble would have to be crippling in order for it to reach the goal for RDMs being accepted in the front lines, or it would have to be something useful and unique to RDM.

As far as damage output, that depends entirely on how useful the utility we gain is. The less critical our 'reason' for melee is, the more damage accessibility and overall output we need to gain.

Dont know what to call it but what about en spells to boost the other members of the party when mobs are struck. Thinking along the lines of en TP boost that diminished over time but gives a reason for RDM to be a front line job. When the mob is hit by any one they get an additional amount of TP back bit like the way the dancers give everyone a little bit of HP back when they samba.

Where is this "new" outlook? This has been said before.

On which "forum"? Perhaps, not new for everyone just me. I just didn't want to give redmage another tier of enfeebs, since lower tier tend to be unused, whether were talking fire or fire 2.
I actually agree with SE on enspells 2. Redmages are NOT supposed to be out melee'n other regular melee job. They're mostly solo enhancers and enfeeblers.
Really, I'm not even arguing that redmages have to be in the front line 100% of the time. That's why common sense and "battle strategy" comes into play. The lower tier enfeebs can still be used outside of range, and if a party is afraid of feeding TP, there are myriad ways to eliminate the risk. Whether multiple Bluemage spells that erase TP, a darks absorb-TP, or scholar?

What I hear from players is, "a certain mob is resistant to X". Even with X skill in enfeeble magic, certain mobs resist... Think of all the sleep, gravity, and stun resistant mobs. This option can go past a regular "skill" level by requiring what most parties don't want, a melee'n RDM. Would most parties still want this, if mobs could now suddenly become stun able again. Or sleep able or whatnot.

I envision a enfeeblement, stronger than what's available to all jobs. Take the ninja elemental wheel/resistant down and BLM freeze. Enspells 2 failed for a lot of reasons, but this one aspect of lowering resistances, hurt particularly. Yes, you don't want to gimp this ninja ability, but this isn't the role of a ninja...even if it is these should be secondary. Why should RDM's swing multiple times to only build a -10 elemental decrease, when ninjas just cast once?
All I'm really suggesting is changing styles of play and functionality, not necessarily increase a RDM's personal damage outputs.

I would much rather see a line of damaging magics that are based off enfeebling magic. Demi's for example, and possibly a change to Gravity to give a DoT as well as the weight.

My idea for Demi's would be a strong DoT (20-30HP/tic @ T1) that last for 30 seconds or so then it pops for the amount of damage that it ticked for (so T1 being 300 DoT+ 300Hit) somewhat like a revers Helix.

Imo Enfeebling is kind of in a stagnant position currently and I think a unique nuke/dot system would favor RDM, not only in its solo work, but provide it a uniqueness when grouping. More over, I would like to see more Dots applied to RDM, if anything I would love to see the Elemental enfeebles given to RDM over the next several levels, Its odd that BLM has more enfeebling power overall then RDM.