Dark Knight where is my Identiy

[Shurrikhan]

One of the unfortunate aspects of ramping mitigation is how stupid it makes shields. Consider that at maximum blood, TBN is effectively +100% EHP instead of +25%. The Healing penalty is applied in a manner to avoid abuse cases, but this doesn't apply to effects that give their benefit prior, such as shields. In this case, the interplay from Dark/Healer primarily comes in when the Dark Knight is at full HP and has yet to dump themselves, and that Blood recovery being gated primarily by cooldowns means that Dark, at a baseline, is no harder to heal than any other tank, but a Dark and Healer working in tandem can create some truly stupid scenarios. We'd have to adjust the penalty to work in a specific manner to allow this. Also consider that the following assumes Edge/Flood fills the Blood gauge with 1 mote.

Even with Bloodcrazed not affecting prior placed HoTs, the low maximum HP would still be crippling to them compared to shields, which more than retain their old eHP increases. (Granted, the effective value of each HoT tick is increased, too, but it has that much more chance to overcap.)

While the opening would have a rather frantic Dump-Dive as it runs its cooldowns, it becomes far less frantic after the initial first 15 seconds or so, from here spacing out cooldowns within safe windows (such as when TBN is available) in order to keep its cadence.

I get that, but I was looking more at in what ways it actually focuses gameplay around external events (boss damage or HoTs/shields taken or big heals mid-cast on them) or its rotational CDs.

For instance, if every Edge/Flood reduces maximum HP, but does not reduce current HP, then those ought to be timed to having taken that much damage. With that, the damage taken will have done nothing to your eHP; you'll have, effectively, healed it. That seems like it could be interesting, but if we already have fairly quick usage (even that of your '3') in generating and purging blood just due to rotational concerns, that doesn't seem like something we could interact with very well.

[Kabooa]

For instance, if every Edge/Flood reduces maximum HP, but does not reduce current HP, then those ought to be timed to having taken that much damage. With that, the damage taken will have done nothing to your eHP; you'll have, effectively, healed it. That seems like it could be interesting, but if we already have fairly quick usage (even that of your '3') in generating and purging blood just due to rotational concerns, that doesn't seem like something we could interact with very well.

It's wonky yeah. Ideally we'd add in some more GCDs to work through so the meat and potatoes is a just a fairly fine rotation, and then you add this mini game on top of it, where Edge/Flood hit substantially harder but come out less frequently. Tying blood dumping to cooldowns would be the goal here - Some providing full dumps, others providing partial ones.

[Shurrikhan]

It's wonky yeah. Ideally we'd add in some more GCDs to work through so the meat and potatoes is a just a fairly fine rotation, and then you add this mini game on top of it, where Edge/Flood hit substantially harder but come out less frequently. Tying blood dumping to cooldowns would be the goal here - Some providing full dumps, others providing partial ones.

It's still a cool idea, either way. I look forward to when you might have a more comprehensive mock-up.

[Kabooa]

It's still a cool idea, either way. I look forward to when you might have a more comprehensive mock-up.

As a quick thought, it occurs to me perhaps the design works better in the opposing direction.

Cooldowns fill the blood gauge (thus granting you the bonuses), and Edge/Flood are what spend it, ramping up in power the more blood that is spent.

As an example - Blood Weapon grants some effect, and builds 1 blood. You -could- Edge/Flood here and reset, but you could also build more Blood via Abyssal Drain (+1) and Salted Earth (+1). You can hold it at Blood 3 (utilizing TBN to mitigate a massive amount of damage), expend E/F to reset and get badonkers potency, or utilize a new ability that expends 1 Blood for some effect.

Almost kind of want to say this sort of set up would by necessity remove Rampart, reinstate Shadowskin with a different effect, and change Shadow Wall. Shadowskin and SHadow Wall would still be defensive oriented skills, but not providing % mitigation. The Dark's soul access to that would be via manipulation of Blood.

Just quick thoughts.