Astrologian "BUFFS"

[tjw]

These are my suggestions for buffs/reworks/replacement skills for AST. The design philosophy was not to merely increase potency on skills, nor have a Divine Seal equivalent but more effects that complimented AST's focus on buffs, utility and the sects, and to increase the synergy between its abilities. However, as AST's playstyle focuses on repeat usage of GCD skills and lengthy cooldowns on buffs, the effects on buffs have to be powerful enough to justify the cooldown.

CURRENT ABILITIES WITH MODIFICATIONS

Stella - removed
(This spell was entirely useless. It's like the devs split up Stone into its damage component and the heavy component.)

Malefic - Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150.
Additional effect: Heavy +40%. Duration: 20s.
(With Malefic II, nobody will use Malefic except when lvl synced. By combining Stella's effect into Malefic, at least it makes this spell semi-useful in certain scenarios.)

Gravity - Deals unaspected damage to a target and enemies near it with a potency of 200 for the first enemy, 10% less for the second, 20% less for the third, 30% less for the fourth, 40% less for the fifth, and 50% less for all remaining enemies.
Additional effect: Slow +10%. Duration: 10s.
(Same with Stella, it's like the devs split Holy into its damage component and a stun component [which is locked behind a 150s recast. Bah]. With a slow effect, this gives Gravity some degree of mitigation without the instant effects of Stun)

Aspected Benefic - Restores target's HP. Cure Potency: 190
Diurnal Sect Effect: Regen. Cure Potency: 100 Duration: 18s.
Nocturnal Sect Effect: Erects barrier which nullifies damage equal to twice the HP restored. If effect expires naturally, amount of damage reduction intended for the barrier is converted to HP and restored to the target. Duration 20s.
Effect cannot be stacked with Adloquium.
(This is mainly a change to the Nocturnal effect. The Diurnal effect only brings it up to par with Regen in that it can be stacked with other Diurnal Benefics, so you're aren't as screwed in CT with 6 ASTs. The Nocturnal effect now makes up for its low initial heal by having a stronger shield than a normal Adloquium, but still having an effective HPS lower than Adloquium. The expiring effect allows for some very situational degree of passive healing, which is why there is an adjustment for the lower duration.)

Aspected Helios - Restores own HP and the HP of all nearby party members. Cure Potency: 140
Diurnal Sect Effect: Regen. Cure Potency: 50. Duration: 30s.
Nocturnal Sect Effect: Erects barrier which nullifies damage equal to the HP restored. If effect expires naturally, amount of damage reduction intended for the barrier is converted to HP and restored to the target. Duration: 20s.
Effect cannot be stacked with Adloquium.
(Same reasoning as Aspected Benefic for both effects, except the AoE doesn't need the double shield to make up for it's lower potency, since it's similar enough to Succor.)

Collective Unconscious - Creates a wheel of fortune around the caster, freezing the current duration of beneficial effects cast on party members upon entry to area of effect. Additional effects granted to party members upon entry differs depending on active Sect. Can only be executed when a Sect is active. Effect ends upon using another action or moving. Recast time: 90s.
Diurnal Sect effect: Regen. Cure Potency: 200.
Additional effect: Converts 10% of damage dealt into HP.
Additional effect: Removes a single detrimental effect from all party members over time.
Duration: 18s.
Nocturnal Sect effect: Damage taken is reduced by 10%.
Additional effect: Increases HP recovery via healing magic by 25%.
Additional effect: Erects a barrier which nullifies damage equal to 10% of maximum HP. Barrier cannot be refreshed.
Duration: 18s.
(For such a huge penalty in being unable to use other skills or move, the effects need to be very powerful to make up for that major weakness. The normal effect thus allows for this skill to have a use regardless of sect. The Diurnal effects was made with the situation of where the party is taking sustained damage while DPSing, such as during Ravana, essentially giving an AoE Regen [especially if Aspected Helios was cast before], AoE Bloodbath, and a Fey Caress every server tick. This may seem OP until you realise that your healer is UNABLE TO ACT AT ALL, so the skill itself needs to make up for that HPS loss. The Nocturnal effect was made with the intent of mitigating strong hits and the subsequent recovery. The damage reduction and barrier speaks for itself, and the HP recovery increase allows for your co-healer to top people off more efficiently while you stand there spread-eagled. Freezing your buffs on the party also allow for less downtime say on that Balance you just threw on a DPS before the boss went invulnerable. All in all, you are UNABLE to do ANYTHING during this skill, so it needs to ensure that either your co-healer has an easier time picking up slack, or the rest of the party can survive without you in action for the duration.)

Celestial Opposition - Stuns all nearby enemies and freezes current duration of beneficial effects cast on self and party members. Duration: 4s.
Additional effect: Adds both Diurnal and Nocturnal effects to certain actions. Duration: 10s. Recast time: 150s.
(At first glance, it doesn't seem very effective, until you realise what having both Diurnal and Nocturnal effects on the same spell will do. Your Aspected Benefics will have a 190 potency initial heal, a 600 HoT and a 380 shield, making it a combined potency of 1170. Your CU will have all the effects named in the above skill. Essentially, it vastly increases healing throughput without the need for 'increased potency' skills, and I personally feel the effects by combining both sects' effects on it's spells justifies the long cooldown.)

Lightspeed - Increases attack speed by 15%, reduces MP cost for spells by 25% and cast times for spells by 2.5 seconds, while reducing attack magic potency by 50%.10 sec duration. Recast time: 150s.
(This changes the Light Speed trait from an increase in attack magic potency to instead an increase in attack speed. This is makes it slightly more on par with Presence of Mind, and the perks of its other benefits make it more useful when catching up in healing emergencies.)

Synastry - Generate an aetheric bond with target party member. Each time you execute a healing action on a party member not under the effect of Synastry, the party member with which you have the synastry bond will also recover HP equaling 50% of the original spell and additional effects of the spell. Duration: 20s. Recast time: 90s.
(By attaching additional effects of the spells to the bond, that means Regen and shield effects would also be transferred, making this skill be more effective when both tanks are being smacked about, and gives AST just a bit of a perk over using a faerie.)

Disable - Reduces the potency of the target's next three skills. The first skill is reduced 15%, the second 10%, the third 5%.
Duration: 10s
(Gives this unwanted sibling of Virus a chance to shine.)

NEW ABILITIES TO HELP

Aphelion - Converts the next Aspected Benefic based on active sect. Can only be executed when a Sect is active. Recast time: 40s.
Diurnal effect: Removes Regen effect and initial heal. Restores target's HP equal to the full heal over time amount.
Nocturnal effect: Removes Nocturnal Field effect. Adds recovery equal to amount of damage reduction intended for the barrier to initial heal.
(Adds another 'Oh you did not just do that' skill to help with Essential Dignity. Similar to Emergency Tactics, it transforms the effects of Aspected Benefic to a greater HP recovery. Under the proposed CO, this makes Aspected Benefic a whooping 1170 potency straight up heal, the biggest single target heal asides from Benediction.)

Stellium - Restores own HP and the HP of all nearby party members. Extends duration of beneficial effects cast on self and party members by 5 seconds and grants an extra effect based on active sect. Can only be executed when a Sect is active. Cure Potency: 200. Recast time: 90s.
Diurnal effect: Restores an additional potency of 150 for each Aspected Benefic and Aspected Helios effect.
Nocturnal effect: Restores additional HP equal to amount nullified by currently affected Nocturnal Field.
(This gives AST more options apart from spamming Helios in an attempt to top up raid-wide damage. After all, if WHM and SCH get Assize and Indomitability, why not one for AST?)

Reveal - Uses the currently displayed card on Sort. Draw's recast timer will begin cooldown upon Reveal execution. Recast time: 90s.
Can only be executed when there are no cards drawn and Draw is off cooldown.

Sort - Displays the next card in sequence. Execute command again to switch to the next card. Cards are sorted by Bole > Balance > Arrow > Spear > Ewer > Spire > Bole. Recast time: 0.5s
Can only be executed during combat.
(The two new card abilities will give just a bit more control over their cards, and assuring that at least 1 in every 3 cards is something the AST would want, barring if they choose to Draw instead. The way I proposed it is that Reveal can only USE the card. The revealed card can't be Royal-roaded, Spread or Shuffled. So in exchange for getting a card you want, you can't save it or use it to get a Royal Road buff.)


I don't claim to be a master at balancing, so some of the abilities I changed/made may just be OP or useless. Hopefully it isn't the case, however. I have yet to think of detailed adjustments to the cards, because in role and effect, AST is first and foremost a healer, so increasing its healer capacity takes priority. Cards will need adjustments in values, apart from Spear which needs to be reworked to be more useful.

[LycorisSelunis]

snip.

Some of these ideas are really cool! Though make new malefic use stella's animation cuz it's pretty let's not waste that!

I like some of the new skills you propose as well but I really think that the new card based ones aren't that necessary.

Perhaps some of the potencies could be tweaked before people cry OP but those basic ideas are very good.

Nitpick on your noct unconscious-the increase healing received would only be useful in 8m content with another healer. If you are doing any 4 man content or solo healing something, that part isn't useful.