How would you change Nocturnal AST to be competitive against SCH?

[Shurrikhan]

NoctAst should provide a level of healing while DPSING.

Diurnal is of the day and Nocturnal is of the night.

Should be Diurnal = level of DPS while healing
Nocturnal = level of healing while DPSING.

The most difficult thing I find as AST is stance swapping on top of Card usage. Especially with offering more support with NoctAst as far as heals/dps that SCH is capable of.

Adding the effect of heal/dps to follow the current meta based on Sect might make it feel less clunky.

Don't Diurnal HoTs already kind of cover the healing while dpsing need, technically? Of course, if a shield, placed prior, keeps one from having to heal as soon as they otherwise would, that much does the same as well, albeit with a greatly shorter duration.

If you want to fully balance out the DPS potential of the two Sects though, you probably only need to increase AST mana costs by 5%, and have Diurnal reduce MP costs by 6% while increasing Attack Speed and Periodic Damage by 5%, while Nocturnal now effects all potencies, rather than just healing.

Now for the spitball idea (based a bit on...)

I think if Noct AST could do the same or near amount of healing that the fairy did well standing in cleric stance, there would be no issue.

Change the instant Benefic II proc effect.
In Diurnal, it also has a chance to proc from all HoT ticks, on a per-spell basis. (Medica II, regardless of members effected, triggers only a single roll. Each cast of AB similarly trigger a roll each.)
In Nocturnal, it also has a chance to proc any time one of your shields absorb damage, on a per-spell basis. This chance may be higher than Diurnal's.

Lastly, (at least in Nocturnal Sect) the instant Benefic II is exchanged with a free, oGCD, Benefic I proc. This gives you an element of control similar to a SCH pet.

Small tuning idea: Nocturnal Field may now be placed on enemies with Galvanize. However, one may be consumed on the same attack.

Still want:
- To polish the aesthetics of the above idea, possibly using an accumulated resource rather than chance, shown by having the globe spin. The globe can store up to X charges of free oGCD Benefics. Over cap, it will spit them out automatically at wounded allies (unless afflicted with certain debuffs). If no allies are wounded, the charge is simply wasted, rather than overhealing.
- (Just a personal desire, probably not at all necessary) A bit more dps to healing synergy.
- A better effect of time-extending magics on Nocturnal Field.
- Better Bole, and maybe a combined Ewer/Spire and better Spear.