Shadowbringers RDM Wishlist

[Archwizard]

Showerthought: It's entirely possible to satisfy the devs' intent for Displacement, while also removing Engagement and keeping players from backstepping off a cliff.

Corps-a-corps (40 sec CD): Rushes target and delivers an attack with a potency of 130.
Cannot be executed while bound.
Additional effect: Action becomes Displacement after activation
Duration: 10 sec
--> Trait - Enchanted Corps-a-corps: Potency increases to 200 if both Black Mana and White Mana are at 75 or more.

Displacement: Delivers an attack with a potency of 130.
Additional Effect: Returns caster to origin point of Corps-a-corps
Cannot be executed while bound.

I've also been experimenting with ideas to combine aspects of Black and White Magic philosophy to create some unique utilities for RDM. For instance:

Ensorcel (2 min CD): Empowers the attacks of nearby allies to deal an additional 5% damage as unaspected damage.
Duration: 15 sec
Shares a recast timer with Embolden.

White Magic enhances but doesn't destroy, Black Magic destroys but is selfish with its elemental power. Combining the two creates not only RDM's very own En-spell but an alternative to Embolden; less maximum potential burst, but able to include caster allies. Sadly Contagion got removed or else adding magic damage would be worth a damn, but maybe we'll see a new debuff or buff for that later.

Phalanx (90 sec CD): Restores 10% HP to self and all nearby party members.
Additional Effect: Erects a magicked barrier which nullifies damage equaling the amount of HP restored
Duration: 20s

Intending to satisfy the craving for an oGCD Medica effect by combining it with Manaward to create a pseudo-Succor effect. Thanks to the barrier and cooldown, you'll be encouraged to save it for when it will be most useful rather than just spamming it to save healers MP.

En-Garde (2 min CD): Creates a barrier that reflects half the damage of one incoming attack.
Duration: 10 sec
Additional effect: Resets the recast timer on Contre-Sixte if the barrier is consumed without reflecting damage.

Combining White Magic's ability to protect with Black Magic's destructive ability to create a counter-based personal defense.

[Zyneste]

Showerthought: It's entirely possible to satisfy the devs' intent for Displacement, while also removing Engagement and keeping players from backstepping off a cliff.

I just don't think that solution is feasible for returning you back to Corps. Have an even easier one though. Just move Engagement to level 40, so you get it at the same time as displacement. Have Displace Naturally have 200 potency.

I'd take any OGCD support at this point TBH, but I feel as RDM we should be focused on single target Healing/Mitigation, even on the OGCD. We can't ever really step into the party wide line outside of addle or we start to infringe on Ranged DPS territory. As a personal nitpick I'd rather not have any skill that affects the RDM's Damage or DPS utility. If its mitigation or healing, it should be for the sake of the mitigation/healing. Not for the DPS boost. See Addle while Bahamut is out why this is bad.

You would have thought with the introduction of VerAero/VerThunder into Holy/Flare, they'd make VerAero II/Verthunder II into VerWater/VerBlizzard, to give us actual AOE upgrades since VAII/VTII can be just considered a class tweak and not part of the expansion. I was never a fan of them, but with the new way Holy/Flare work in button placement, theres no reason not to have them.

[Archwizard]

I just don't think that solution is feasible for returning you back to Corps.

Why not? BLM's Between the Lines ability runs on exactly the same principle, and the Verfinisher combo actions will similarly replace buttons for a limited window. All of the necessary components for implementation are already there.

[Zyneste]

Why not? BLM's Between the Lines ability runs on exactly the same principle, and the Verfinisher combo actions will similarly replace buttons for a limited window. All of the necessary components for implementation are already there.

Between the lines leaves an Area of effect on the ground. A visible buff with a timer as well. Its not user friendly going from Displacing from the boss to that random spot on the other side of the him 35+ yalms on a larger boss where you had Corpsed 10+ seconds prior.

Where did I corpse from again, inside or outside this aoe? Oh welp wrong choice there.

The way it functions now is fine. Engagement as a advance skill is where the problem is. If it was level 40, there wouldn't be an issue.

[Shurrikhan]

I just don't think that solution is feasible for returning you back to Corps. Have an even easier one though. Just move Engagement to level 40, so you get it at the same time as displacement.

Honestly, though... why give Displacement potency anyways, instead of just a shorter CD?

Or why not, say, put three charges between both Corps-a-corps and Displacement, each on a 20-second recast, each at 200 potency? You get 100 ppm regardless so long as you don't hold either skill for over a minute. Want in? Okay? Want out? Okay.

You don't need to include a purely bloat skill just to deal with an issue that doesn't need to be an issue in the first place.

As for Displacement's own functionality, I'd just give it and all other back-step skills a similar QoL change: when you hold/lock your camera, you go directly back towards your camera instead of purely back away from the target, to a maximum deviation of movement perpendicular from the target.

[Archwizard]

And every job could just have one button that says "Deals 10,000 potency damage, 1 minute cooldown" and every job would be less clunky.
You ask why people keep wanting a DoT, but why are you so against a DoT? What have DoTs ever done to you?

Honestly, the only defense I've seen for this position that I haven't been able to refute is that people... just... hate DoTs. And just don't want to admit that their opinions are their opinions. 'Cuz then we'd call BS.

And truth is, I totally get that. DoTs are tedious to manage; timers in general are stressful. And don't even get me started on multi-dotting.
RDMs don't have to fight against decaying resources or stances (just proc effects that are overly long for most purposes), and that's a fairly large part of the appeal. It's the reason I swapped to RDM off of BLM, 'cuz I didn't take the stress of having to fight the Enochian timer and the DoT and the boss at the same time very well.

Of course, RDM doesn't have an Enochian or Trance, and the DoT was only a pain for BLM 'cuz their GCD usage is so tight that even popping TC during AF was a loss -- not really RDM problems.
And most people don't seem to get that once you get into the swing of things, a DoT is basically no different behaviorally than a cooldown attack on the GCD. I mean, you generally lose damage as long as a CD goes unpopped (unless it has charges, then only when it's at max), just like you lose damage as long as a DoT remains off the target. Just a different spot on the screen to look at, and something you can't macro onto a "pop all oGCDs" button.

Between the lines leaves an Area of effect on the ground. A visible buff with a timer as well. Its not user friendly going from Displacing from the boss to that random spot on the other side of the him 35+ yalms on a larger boss where you had Corpsed 10+ seconds prior.

Where did I corpse from again, inside or outside this aoe?

Ignoring for a moment that nothing says those markers couldn't be added:

Still sounds preferable to the current iteration, where blindly pressing the button yeets you into the unknown, including off ledges or into exactly the same danger areas you're talking about.
At least in my proposal, you know where you jumped from was safe less than 10 (not 10+) seconds ago (same risk as Raising), and I doubt you'll be doing a 35+ yd jump if the target isn't actively being kited (since you had to cast and Corps within 25).

Unless you think it's harder to remember a relative location for up to 10 sec (more likely 5) than it is to gauge 15 yards on the fly?

Honestly, though... why give Displacement potency anyways, instead of just a shorter CD?

Or why not, say, put three charges between both Corps-a-corps and Displacement, each on a 20-second recast, each at 200 potency? You get 100 ppm regardless so long as you don't hold either skill for over a minute. Want in? Okay? Want out? Okay.

You don't need to include a purely bloat skill just to deal with an issue that doesn't need to be an issue in the first place.

As for Displacement's own functionality, I'd just give it and all other back-step skills a similar QoL change: when you hold/lock your camera, you go directly back towards your camera instead of purely back away from the target, to a maximum deviation of movement perpendicular from the target.

In case 1: because the devs want to compel you to actually use it. As we've discussed before, there is no DPS penalty for casting in melee range, so in a world where Displacement provides no DPS boon, it'll just be flat out ignored except for the rare occasions bosses have "point-blank death radius" or "someone stand here" mechanics. It would be treated as niche at best and bloat at worst, unless there becomes a reason it's preferable to cast at range.

I do love your charge-based proposal. However, I would be concerned with its interaction with Manafication, and once again, the erasure of Displacement if Corps-a-corps becomes a safer alternative.
The only real way I can think of to make that work would be to give Corps-a-corps a minimum range so you can't just point-blank it... and even then there's nothing stopping you from just Displacing and zipping back in the whole fight (not that there's anything preventing that now, I suppose), or depending on the range... just taking a step back and Corpsing.

But if anything, the number of proposals we've come up with in this thread show precisely your point, that a QoL adjustment to Displacement would have easily prevented Engagement from being made.

[Shurrikhan]

I do love your charge-based proposal. However, I would be concerned with its interaction with Manafication, and once again, the erasure of Displacement if Corps-a-corps becomes a safer alternative.

Just have Manafication give a single charge. We generally don't need to backflip-rapid-escape from our melee combo. Or give it none. It was only added to Manafication for QoL convenience that would already become superfluous upon giving them multiple charges.

The only real way I can think of to make that work would be to give Corps-a-corps a minimum range so you can't just point-blank it... and even then there's nothing stopping you from just Displacing and zipping back in the whole fight (not that there's anything preventing that now, I suppose), or depending on the range... just taking a step back and Corpsing.

I don't really see the point, so long as we're going to make it any sort of obligatory APM component at all. Animation-wise, its effectively Shinten. What's wrong with stabbing someone you'd already be close to without having to rush up to them first? You could give it distance-based damage and make a bigger deal out of its tether bit in its animation, but... why bother?

I mean, if you really wanted to make Corps and Disp optional for damage but integral into the kit, you'd just roughly standardize Red (Black + White) Mana's potency efficiency, alike to Samurai's Kenki efficiency. Its made roughly as efficient as your full combo; you just need to buff Enchanted Rip, Zwerch, and Redoublement to even potency increase steps from normal ppgcd as allowed by their Red Mana consumption. Once you get Verflare/Verfire, buff Displacement and Corps by almost the difference, leaving it again just slightly inefficient. There, now you have mobility at minimal cost, and your burst timings are more manipulable, and of course your overall potency is compensated for the 7 potency per second lost.

Or, hybridize: do something more with that Acceleration mechanic. Let RDM "Rush" certain of its cooldowns at Red Mana cost. Assuming, say, every point of Red Mana is worth 5 potency (e.g. if you brought the combo down to 65 or whatever), rushing the (dropped to 100, for easy numbers) potency of either would cost you up to 20 Red to cast again after having literally just used them. Again, they'd lack the further MP generation of Verflare/Verholy, their guaranteed procs, and later Scorch, however, so they're always technically less efficient. Buff them faintly with each further step so their inefficiency remains about the same, so you never feel locked out of your mobility tools.

Personally, I'd love to see the 2-3 Charges and/or the Acceleration.

[Kabooa]

And truth is, I totally get that. DoTs are tedious to manage; timers in general are stressful. And don't even get me started on multi-dotting..

Personally I just find them boring. DoTs are the least imaginative way to add timing constraints to a job. It's all potency in the end. Why not have something -not a DoT- that effectively achieves the same thing. (A singular action that deals greater potency but gated so you don't just spam it)

For example, what we don't have or have too little of.

Delayed Burst - A back end ability that ticks down and deals damage. Like wildfire.

VerFreeze
Spell
30s Recast
Effect: Inflict the enemy with creeping cold for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, the enemy suffers a flash freeze, taking 450 Ice Potency damage and generating 13 Black Mana.

Trigger Burst - Similar to Delayed Burst, but requires Activation and Detonation

(Since Black Mage stole the ability name)
Mana Surge
Weaponskill
Effect: Inflict latent aether onto an enemy for 45 seconds. If latent Aether is present, deals 100 potency damage, generate 2/2 mana and refreshes Mana Surge's duration. The potency increases by 40 and Mana generated by 1/1 for ever 3 seconds that pass. These bonuses are reset to 0 when Mana Surge is reapplied.

On-Hit Damage - Additional damage to every applicable attack

Biting Blade
Trait
Effect: Upon using Contra Sixte or Fleche, your Weaponskills deal an additional 40 potency per hit for 9 seconds.

Environmental Damage - Creating a foreign object / effect to further interact with the enemy.

VerFlood
Spell
Effect: Create a flood of water 10y behind you that travels 20y forward. The wave deals 180 water potency to enemies it strikes. The wave gains 80 potency for every 5y it travels, and travels 5y approximately every 6 seconds. Enemies can only be struck by flood once per 10 seconds. Only one Flood may be active at a time.

Amplifiers - A foreign object / effect you can target to cast spells into that enhance the overall effect.

Rose Nexus
Ability
Recast: 120s
Effect: Places a Rose Nexus at target location for up to 20s. Rose Nexus is targetable by your spells, storing 110% of the potency of the spells used upon it. Upon absorbing 5 spells, Rose Nexus detonates, causing enemies within 5y to take the stored potency as damage.

[Shurrikhan]

Rose Nexus
Ability
Recast: 120s
Effect: Places a Rose Nexus at target location for up to 20s. Rose Nexus is targetable by your spells, storing 110% of the potency of the spells used upon it. Upon absorbing 5 spells, Rose Nexus detonates, causing enemies within 5y to take the stored potency as damage.

This basically sounds like Impact's animation applied rightly. Nice.

[Archwizard]

Personally I just find them boring. DoTs are the least imaginative way to add timing constraints to a job. It's all potency in the end. Why not have something -not a DoT- that effectively achieves the same thing. (A singular action that deals greater potency but gated so you don't just spam it)

For example, what we don't have or have too little of...

A lot of these suggestions are unique, true, and I love them all on some conceptual level. However...

• Verfreeze and Mana Surge have only arbitrary differences from effectively being a DoT -- in fact Verfreeze literally is a DoT, just with ticks 15 sec apart instead of 3 sec; in fact, the more limited number of ticks would normally mean it has an even stricter timer than regular DoTs, if not for the cooldown you wrote in.
• While the damage on Mana Surge has to be manually inflicted, there's nothing to say that couldn't be tied to reapplying a DoT effect -- unless the phrasing is meant to imply that the damage from each burst constantly goes up over the fight, which could both be impractical for many encounters (like ones where the boss can't be targeted for lengthy periods) and flat-out imbalanced in others without a cap (to which reaching a cap would be little different from the heavy buildup for SMN). In either case, you're behaviorally just tying a DoT to the melee combo.
• Biting Blade... is just mechanically awkward, particularly since Contre Sixte and Fleche aren't often timed with our melee, but rather best served between Dualcasts, and often cast in succession (where the effect is not noted to stack); Corps-a-corps is the natural oGCD to hit right before our melee. I suppose Reprise could benefit, but the real question is whether the added damage from this synergy would outweigh the loss of our melee combo, which is just complicated.
• Verflood is an interesting concept that I think could be generally dissected and expanded upon, particularly in the discussion of giving Displacement an actual value, but if targets can only be struck once by each wave thrown out (unless kited along or facing a very large stationary target), then calculating the damage with a delay comes out very arbitrarily compared to just applying a 24-25 sec CD on it. Mechanically it's of very little difference from a persistent AoE (such as Shadow Flare), just that the area moves and the damage grows each tick. More importantly though, the logistics of the moving particle effects that persist over long portions of a fight, particularly without a recast timer preventing one from existing at all times per RDM, could cause a huge amount of lag.
• Rose Nexus would have been a fun toy to play with if our AoE was more limited (don't think I didn't see the Arcane Mage's Prism influence, you). In single target though it would exclusively become a trick on your burst setup, since you now do two Verfinishers in a row that can take up the first two slots, then can either exclusively fire longcasts at it for the last three OR use Manafication (since they share almost the same timer and Scorch allows us to end combos with up to 27/48, a mere 2 GCDs from a perfect setup) and tack on another two Verfinishers on the crystal. And this is all assuming it doesn't get a double-dip bonus from casting Embolden just before popping the last spell or two.

While a DoT may be boring maintenance, the point is that it alters the player's behavior during the base rotation to make it a little more irregular, even if only by a cast every few GCDs. A lot of these really don't even accomplish that much, and those that do are little different from DoTs themselves, so I can't really say they effectively replace a DoT's function.

And if we consider RDM as a job meant to be simple... then maybe these would fit better on another job.