Fixing Dark Knight, Properly

[Chrono_Rising]

@Crater I like your ideas, especially about stance based combos. I am even hopeful for something of an effect tree which could go along with this and following a dark enfeeblement lore, for example:

Power Slash
Spinning Slash combo bonus: Increased emnity
Siphon Strike combo bonus: Scourage dot damage applied

Soul Eater
Spinning Slash combo bonus: physical damage down 10% (to balance dark mind being magic based)
Siphon strike combo bonus: HP Restore

Basically depending on our path through the skill tree we could change the effects of our abilities by comboing in a different way. By focusing on enfeeblement and drains we can stay true to dark knight lore without having button bloat and still increasing our rotation complexity.

I also like your section on offensive buffs, but I tend to agree with others that if we offer a party dps utility that we will be unbalance with respect to the other two. I would prefer a stronger personal buff from delirium, like double damage/resource regeneration or double dark arts potencies. Sole survivor is still tricky but I think it could play a role in being even a personal refresh based on our damage.

Lastly, if you want to take away our (and I use this in the loosest possible way) safety net of living dead, I would rather see it be at least a huge defensive buff, much bigger than 50%, more like 80% to 90% damage reduction for 20 seconds. Personally, I would like to see living dead become Dark Pact: reduces HP to 1 all damage taken by dark knight becomes HP restored duration of 15 seconds.