Dark Knight - Ability Speculation

[Zanmato]

Have at it. Commence theorycrafting.

I have taken the advice of a few other theory crafters, and I hope it shows. =^-^=

No traits yet.

Job: Tank

Stances:
Remove if not needed.

Name: Rending Slash
Alignment: Slashing, Darkness(?)
Cost: 70 TP
Range: 6y, Radius: 0y.
Recast: 2.5s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency of 90.
Affinity: DRG
Acquired: Lv 1

Name: Hades Glare
Alignment: Ranged, Darkness
Cost: 80 TP
Range: 15y, Radius: 0y.
Recast: 30s
Info: Greatly increases enmity in the targeted enemy.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 2

Name: Sanguine Dawn
Alignment: Ranged
Cost: 80 TP
Range: 15y, Radius: 0y.
Recast: 30s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency of 70.
Additional effect: Stuns the opponent for 1s.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 5

Name: Lost Temperance
Alignment: Darkness
Magic Cost: 80 MP
Recast: 1m30s
Info: Increases Evasion by 20% and upon dropping below 80% of max HP, grants "Blood Ritual" that has a duration of 30s.
Duration: 1m.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 6

Name: Split Wounds
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 130 TP
Recast: 1m
Info: Under the effect of "Blood Ritual": Splits the damage taken off of a physical or magical critical hit of a party member with the Dark Knight.
Cancels upon receieving the damage.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 8

Name: Sanguine Slash
Alignment: Slashing, Darkness, Light
Cost: 140 TP, 60 MP
Range: 6y. Radius: 0y. - Melee
Recast: 2.5s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency of 120. Absorbs a random amount of HP between 5% and 10% of the total damage dealt. If "Blood Ritual" is active, the absorption percentage is 15%.
Additional effects:
Combo Action: Rending Slash, 210 potency.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 10

Name: Fractal Skullbash
Alignment: Blunt
Cost: 140 TP
Range: 6y. Radius: 0y. - Melee
Recast: 45s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency of 50 and inflicts "Inner Conflict"* on the opponent.
Duration: 12s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 15

*Inner Conflict: The affected target has a 40% chance of attacking itself or its accomplices with a potency of 160 every 3 seconds. Inner Conflict has a duration of 12s.

Name: Infernal Temperance
Alignment: Darkness, Fire
Cost: 80 MP
Recast: 1m30s
Info: Grants "Firm Grip", increases physical damage dealt with 10%, increases physical and magical damage taken by 25%.
Duration: 45s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 18

Name: Infernal Repulsion
Alignment: Darkness, Fire
Cost: 120 TP
Recast: 30s
Info: While "Firm Grip" is active: Upon taking a critical hit, grants a 80% chance to counter-attack with a potency +75% that of the damage taken.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 22

Name: Dreaded Grounds
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 100 TP
Recast: 1m
Info: Delivers an Area of Effect attack with a potency of 70.
Increases enmity in all nearby enemies.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 26

Name: Infernal Hollow
Alignment: Darkness, Fire
Cost: 120 TP
Recast: 2m
Info: While "Firm Grip" and "Blood Ritual" is active: Upon taking damage, increases Limit Break gauge build to twice as fast as normal, only affecting the Dark Knight. Cancels upon having taken 2,000 HP of damage, or "Blood Ritual" timer runs out.
Duration: 27
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 28

Name: Dreadpulse Synchronization
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 250 TP
Recast: 2m
Info: Recovers one party member's MP for up to 400 MP.
Additional effect: Once duration reaches 0, user is now "Silenced", "Paralyzed" and "Pacified" for a duration of 6s.
Duration: 30s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 32

Name: Gravity
Alignment: Ranged, Darkness
Cost: 90 MP
Radius: 7
Recast: 10s
Info: Targets an enemy and causes "Gravity" to any enemy within the Radius.
Reduces movement speed by 30% on all affected targets and pulls them towards you.
Duration: 12s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 35

Name: Dread Spikes
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 100 MP
Recast: 3m30s
Info: Dread Spikes covers the Dark Knight, countering every physical attack with a potency of 40.
Recovers 30% of the damage dealt by "Dread Spikes" to own HP.
Duration: 1m
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 37

Name: Abyssal Slash
Alignment: Slashing, Darkness
Cost: 120 TP
Recast: 2.5s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency of 190.
Reduces Piercing resistance of the target by 15%, 20% if "Firm Grip" is active.
Duration: 30s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 42

Name: Dreadsurge
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 300 MP
Recast: 5m
Info: Reforms Convalescence so as when used by any member in the party, it now is counted as an AoE with a Radius of 8y, but with healing percentage reduced by 5% (15%).
Duration: 30s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 45

Name: Darkness Awaken
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 100 TP 130 MP
Recast: 2m
Info: Party members previously healed while affected with the reformed Convalescence active, is now inflicted with "Suffering", increasing all damage taken by 5%.
Duration: 30s
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 48

Name: Spiral Hell
Alignment: Darkness, Slashing, Fire
Cost: 200 TP - All MP
Recast: 7m
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency 3-5% that of the total inflicted amount of damage that the party members has suffered combined during the duration of "Darkness Awaken".
Only alive members account for the damage, includes the Dark Knight. Has a max potency of 666.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 50

Name: Drain
Alignment: Darkness
Cost: 110 MP
Recast: 45s
Info: Drains the target of its HP and grants 20% of it to the Dark Knight,
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 52

Name: Soul Eater
Alignment: Darkness, Ice, Slashing
Cost: 190 TP
Recast: 45s
Info: Delivers an attack with a potency selected at random between 200 to 500.
After use, sacrifices 25% of own HP - can kill the user. Cannot be used if HP is over 40%.
Additional effect: Heals all party members except self with a potency of 200.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 55

Name: Unholy
Alignment: Darkness, Light
Cost: 600 MP
Recast: 5s
Range: 0, Radius: 6
Info: Delivers an Area of Effect Darkness spell with a potency of 330 to all enemies nearby. Causes Silence to all nearby enemies with a duration of 2s.
Affinity: DRK
Acquired: Lv 60

[Zanmato]

Oh darn it. I can't edit the post. Needless to say, I just saw the actual announcement about DRK being focused on evasion as well. Was planning to edit but cannot as I am on a phone... Feel free to criticize and so on, I enjoy criticism and other ideas.

[Zophar]

My only real comment is that there are most likely going to be some old FFXI WS names thrown in there. Such as maybe Ground Strike, Sickle Moon, Frostbite, power slash. Or, maybe just for the sake of the very colorful names, borrow from scythe. Things like Spiral Hell, Dark Harvest, Shadow of Death, Guillotine. Life Surge is already a DRG ability, so that would have a different name. And there are a few other trademark drk ability names I'd expect to see. Regardless of it being a tank, some form of souleater just plain has to be there.

[Darkstride]

Quoting myself from another Dark Knight thread, there are previous FFXIV abilities (from 1.0) that could come back into play with Dark Knight as a tank:

Dark Knight could easily use darkness to tank. The old THM from 1.0 actually had a lot of defensive Dark-based spells, which could see a comeback with Dark Knight. For example:

*Dread Spikes - steals HP from enemies that hit you

*Drain - steals HP from enemies

*Sanguine Rite - Restores MP in proportion to damage taken. I thought it also reduced incoming damage, but could be wrong.

*Absorb ACC/ATK/DEF/EVA - Transfers a portion of the target's accuracy/attack/defense/evasion to you.

*Shadowsear - Deals damage and increases your magic potency in proportion to the different in HP between you and the target.

*Punishing Barbs - Channel your pain to an enemy, redirecting a portion of damage dealt to you back to its source.

*Gravity - Reduces the movement speed of enemies within area of effect.

*Sacrifice - Heals a portion of HP and additional HP over time to party members with area of effect.

*Damnation - Haunt an enemy with visions of the hells, dealing damage. Grants the Caster MP in Proportion of to the damage dealt.

*Blood Rite - Spill your own blood in a sacrificial rite, enhancing magic potency.

*Silhouette - Launch a shadowy attack, dealing damage to the target decreasing enmity. Damage type varies with equipped arm. (would obviously need to be reversed to increase enmity).

*Soul Ward - Allows target to instantaneously revive upon being KO'd.

*Shadowfall - Launch an icy attack, dealing damage and temporarily incapacitating the target.

*Emulate - Imitate the very essence of another, assuming the target's elemental resistances.

*Contagion - Share your anguish, transferring all of your enfeebling effects to the target.

*Mass Fear - Causes enemies within area of effect to flee in terror.

*Stygian Spikes - Deals damage over time and reduces the defense of enemies within area of effect.

Someone made a video showcasing 1.0 classes and their abilities, so you can see them being used here:
http://youtu.be/h1m0B_OTjsk?t=11m28s

Admittedly, the old THM also felt very "Red Mage" as it held a lot of utility spells, but I think Dark Knight could definitely take a cue from it and become a very interesting tank.

[Zanmato]

Took pointers from both of you, I am on a PC now so edited things in and added Drain and Gravity. I totally forgot DRG had Life Surge.

[Warlyx]

My only real comment is that there are most likely going to be some old FFXI WS names thrown in there. Such as maybe Ground Strike, Sickle Moon, Frostbite, power slash. Or, maybe just for the sake of the very colorful names, borrow from scythe. Things like Spiral Hell, Dark Harvest, Shadow of Death, Guillotine. Life Surge is already a DRG ability, so that would have a different name. And there are a few other trademark drk ability names I'd expect to see. Regardless of it being a tank, some form of souleater just plain has to be there.

yup look at Rogue/NIN , all the skills are WS from THF

[Zophar]

And even borrowed Death Blossom from RDM.

[Deusteele]

Reposting, and expanding for this thread.

I don't think we'll see a HP -> Damage ability as a rotation skill, more along the lines of an attack for soloing.

DRK might function similar to Guardian Druid on WoW. Massive Health pool, Very High Dodge, but has a way to convert a resource into a scalable self heal. That latter part is what WAR lacked during the launch of 2.0. They may implement a damage taken pool for DRK that accumulates during the fight. Then an attack that draws on all or part of this pool to damage the mob while returning an amount of health back.

[Zophar]

Souleater's gotta make some sort of an appearance. They've gone through a lot of trouble to make sure every job has it's trademark attacks, even if they've had to tweak it a little, and Souleater (or Darkness as it was in the old days) is DRK's. My thought is it could be some sort of dps stance. Possibly similar to cleric's stance, but sacrificing vit for str. Something along those lines.

[Ultimatecalibur]

Souleater's gotta make some sort of an appearance. They've gone through a lot of trouble to make sure every job has it's trademark attacks, even if they've had to tweak it a little, and Souleater (or Darkness as it was in the old days) is DRK's. My thought is it could be some sort of dps stance. Possibly similar to cleric's stance, but sacrificing vit for str. Something along those lines.

Souleater could be part of the Dark Knights OT/dps/solo attack suite. Jobs don't have to use their trademarks all the time. For example, Cover is a Knight/Paladin trademark but is mostly unused outside of PvP.