Originally Posted by
A friend
It's no surprise seeing people still insist on keeping RDM down. Like usual, the reasons are pretty weak. Even attempts to justify their current usefulness fall pretty flat. Okay, so there are some Delve mobs that need enfeebled in some capacity, yet when I look to the strategies of these mobs, it's usually, "Just keep Dia on it!" for the Scorpion, Gnat, and the Wamoura until you're finished shedding its DT via Exuviation. The only oddity here is the Pieste and landing Blind, but this is when I fall back to pointing out Blind is neither a unique debuff to RDM, nor do other jobs have difficulty in cobbling together a mix of skill and MACC to land their own native spells.
It's not uncommon to see a sentiment along the lines of, "If you want to X, play Y job instead of RDM!" If you want to inflict DPS, indeed, there are numerous better solutions. If want to heal, WHM and SCH have you beat with SMN even having its situational time in the spotlight. If you want to nuke, BLM, SCH, and now GEO are looking more the go-to options. The sentiment of BLU being the Melee RDM that RDM was meant to be isn't lost on me, just as SCH succeeds in being the backline RDM some RDMs in denial crave. Despite this, it does not mean RDM has no place in the game.
Conceptually, I tend to look at the job on the whole. No doubt that cries of being overpowered may follow, but a degree of that will be required to shake some people out of their rigid position on the matter. If I'm being succinctly blunt in summary, the job needs an overhaul.
Let's start with Combat skill ratings and the proposed changes:
1) Dagger = B > A-
2) Sword = B > A (With EX WS unlocked)
3) Club = D > B
4) Archery = D > C
5) Throwing = F > C
6) Evasion = D > B-
7) Parrying = E > A
8) Shield = F > B+
Now for Magic skills:
1) Enfeebling = A+ > No Change
2) Enhancing = B+ > A+
3) Elemental = C+ > B+
4) Healing = C- > C
5) Dark = E > B-
6) Divine = E = B-
I suspect there is a mix of confusion and probably even some rage at some of the proposed, but roll with me here as I continue to paint the bigger picture. But since we're on the topic of spells, let's add some quick basic ones. Unique ones will come later. Anyway, add Banish I-IV, Drain, Aspir, and Absorb-TP. All merit spells should also be scroll learned, but I'll elaborate more on that later, too.
Now for Job Traits:
1) Fast Cast = V > No Change
2) Magic Attack Bonus = III > IV
3) Magic Defense Bonus = III > IV
4) Tranquil Heart = I > REMOVE
5) Resist Petrify = V > No Change
6) Clear Mind = III > No Change
7) Magic Burst Bonus = II > V
8) Shield Mastery = II > III
Removing Tranquil Heart probably lifted a few eyebrows, but again, bigger picture. I will now list new traits I'd like to see, both existing and original to help.
Additional Job Traits:
1) Accuracy Bonus at levels 30, 60, and 80.
2) Attack Bonus at levels 45 and 75.
3) Fencer at levels 10, 30, 55, 80, 99.
4) Auto Refresh at levels 50 and 90.
5) Occult Accumen at 20, 50, 70, 90.
New Traits:
1) Enhancing Mastery at 15, 30, 55, 75, 99: Each tier adds 20% to all Enhancing Magic durations. Applying a buff will also grant 5% TP to the RDM.
2) Gauche et Droite at 10, 45, and 75: Unlocks a specific type of Dual-Wield to RDM with Sword in the main-hand and Dagger in the off-hand. Each tier adds a 5% delay reduction. A +3/4/5 to Magic Affinity is also applied if utilizing this trait. Fencer applies to this trait as well as the RDM being able to use their respective Sword and Dagger WS without main-hand restriction.
3) Coup de Grace: Landing a Weaponskill improves the potency of all active debuffs* on the target as well as extending their duration by 30 seconds. WS also improve MB accuracy and damage for a short time.
4) Crippling Intuition: Landing a debuff grants 15% TP.
5) Combat Caster at 15, 30, 55, 75, 99: If within range of your target and engaged, you gain a chance to attack when completing a spell. This attack will have heightened accuracy while INT and MND add to ATK for the strike.
Okay, so a common problem I've always tried to stress with RDM and the melee shortcoming is that you spend too much time casting to be considered a reasonable contribution. #1 is meant to address this, but I also want to change Composure to work on everyone regardless of Emp gear. I'll touch on that when focusing more on JAs. #2 is a definite biggy. When paired the last point, a RDM losing TP swaping staves or clubs essentially made it impossible to WS unless you wanted to deliberately gimp your magic. RDM is also pretty much married to /NIN if you ever want to melee, but it also robs the job of various sub options. This will help to open that up. #3 is there to better encourage a front-line presence even if RDM isn't the hardest hitter on the block. The * I noted on debuffs will also be clarified when I talk on Enfeebles.
When I updated Shield's skill rating, I also had another intention in tweaking Shield Mastery. However, since this would also affect PLD, I can understand if it might not be well received. Essentially, single-wielding is a no-no for DPSing, thus the earlier nod to /NIN and GeD. Many have also pointed out that RDM simply can't get a mob's attention or hold it due to damage limitations or the past adjustments to debuff enmity. The idea for SM would be that each tier would grant a chance to "attack" with your shield not unlike Shield Bash in Double Attack form. With damage based on the size of your shield, the additional effect would be forcing the mob's attention to you for 3s regardless of the enmity table. Though, this effect could only land once every 5s. Like this, RDM can at least put spells like Phalanx, Blink, and Stoneskin to better use.
Now for magic. At present, I'll say Healing is where it should be. Elemental Magic also has the pending adjustment, so I'll refrain from commenting here heavily. What I will urge, however, is SE exercising caution in that. Just as many RDMs dread being a Pink Mage wanted for nothing but heals and buffs, try not to turn the job into a Purple Mage by making it most effective by simply spamming nukes. My real aim here is to emphasize RDM as an MBer over a free-nuker, but that'll still have its place from time to time. And then, there is Enfeebling Magic...
Drastic change here, so brace yourselves. Every single debuff a player can cast will be revised to have Levels much like DNC Steps. The tier of the spell will determine what level of the debuff initially lands. For example, Slow II will land a Level 2 Slow. On top of this, any INT or MND modifications to potency will be removed, instead only serving to boost MACC. In turn, all magic debuffs will receive a fixed rate. Using Slow again, Level 1 will be 25%. Level 2 will be 40%. Remember the mention of changing merits? Yeah, Slow II becomes a level 60 spell, with RDM now gaining Slow III at 95+ for a 55% effect. Of course, similar carries over to the other spells with their own fixed potencies and level requirements. But wait, there's more! Remember Coup de Grace? Let's say you land Slow III and then hit a WS. Congratulations, you have now landed "Slow IV" with a 60% potency and giving 30 more seconds to the debuff. Did you Saboteur Slow III? Add 10% instead. All debuffs should have a Level 5 effect coded into the game. In comparison, the other classes will only have Level 1 effect spells with respect to Slow, Paralyze, and Blind. I wouldn't object to SCH getting the tier 2s in the proper Arts, but that's another matter.
I've brought up these ideas in past RDM threads. The pro-backline crowd usually gets uppity because they see nothing they can directly capitalize on. This is when I like to emphasize that the risk of melee and being in range should yield a benefit. This would be why you simply couldn't cast a Slow V or why GeD's affinity bonus doesn't apply to staves or some kind of generic Enspell bonus. All that "not good enough to..." rhetoric needs to be stripped away, and while I am of the mind some modest damage improvements are okay (as reflected through skill adjustments and traits), the point is you want to do more for your group than just DPSing. Fights with stronger mobs will begin with you inflicting your array of debuffs and possible buffs to allies. With a stock of TP generated, you begin the process of sustaining these debuffs through WS use, which best suits RDM as a Skillchain opener they can then MB on. Played well and properly buffed in a long fight, you will not need to recast your debuffs unless the mob has a means to remove them. This saves up some MP for spot cures or maintaining things like Stoneskin and Blink.
Yet, this isn't to say RDM couldn't use some further new spells...
Renew: Some may propose this as a JA, but I see it better as a spell. For 100 MP, you reset all buffs to the max duration your current gear and traits allows.
Float: Increases movement speed for you and your allies. Wears off when struck or making an offensive action.
Feather: Improves Critical Hit Rate by 1% per 50 Enhancing Skill.
Dispel II: Removes 3 beneficial effects from the target.
Poison: While not new, this spell line needs an overhaul to be worth casting. Basically, Poison needs to be RDM's Helix spell and this damage buff can be tied to having the Crippling Intuition trait.
Enspells: As has been reported time and again, T2 Enspells suck for so many reasons. Let them work on all hits. Make MACC based on-cast instead of on-strike. Nix the damage scaling and make it flat double T1s. This is largely our "fix" for ATK deficiency against harder prey.
Persistence: Grants a buff that, when hit with an effect that would Dispel your buffs, this buff is consumed instead.
Duelle-added note: Before anyone cries OP or any of that nonsense, if you feel your own jobs need fixes of this caliber (looking at you, SMN, BST, THF and to an extent, NIN), then please post suggestions instead of bashing those of us who do take time to post suggestions and fixes for our jobs.
I figured the "fix" for RDM was introducing RUN.
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BUT, I liked melee with my RDM! I always En-element my blade and fight the monsters. Now that RUN can do that starting from Lv5...
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