A living dead rework suggestion

[Seraphor]

Living Dead really is on the wrong tank.

This is the crux of the issue right here.
Traditionally, Dark Knight has always been about lifesteal effects, but for some reason WAR jumped in their first and hasn't let go of it.
WAR could easily be the 'resilient' tank that has insane mitigation, reducing damaging taken instead of recovering HP.
DRK should have got the effect of Bloodwhetting instead, in fact, it should have been baked into Living Dead, not Raw Intuition.
In fact, in SB this was what DRK could do, I remember some insane dungeon pulls with Abyssal Drain spam that made me as untouchable as a modern Bloodwhetting WAR is.

[Absimiliard]

While I do agree with your points, I feel compelled to point out that DRK has not historically been about life steal effects. In fact, it has traditionally been about shaving off its own life to deal high levels of damage. This does not, however, mean it shouldn't be about life steal in FFXIV.

As for Living Dead; it should just go. At this point we know they aren't going to change directions to suddenly make DRK the drain tank. Instead, they should replace LD with an ability that gives you a ridiculously powerful shield, maybe totaling several times your total HP pool. This would fit with the job's barrier theme, avoid giving them a tool as broken as HG, and allow them to utilize it without their healer wanting to shoot them.

[RyuDragnier]

While I do agree with your points, I feel compelled to point out that DRK has not historically been about life steal effects. In fact, it has traditionally been about shaving off its own life to deal high levels of damage. This does not, however, mean it shouldn't be about life steal in FFXIV.

Technically, FFXI (still ongoing) has DRK being able to drain stats and HP from their opponents. They incorporated that somewhat with Souleater, they probably should be giving a self-cure potency with the Blood Gauge skills to incorporate it further (since you know, you're using BLOOD to pay for this).

[Undeadfire]

Technically, FFXI (still ongoing) has DRK being able to drain stats and HP from their opponents. They incorporated that somewhat with Souleater, they probably should be giving a self-cure potency with the Blood Gauge skills to incorporate it further (since you know, you're using BLOOD to pay for this).

And other FF games, Dark Knight uses Darkness abilities which sacrifices HP for more damage. The lifesteal effect is Absorption magics. It's either a Tank class, or a melee DPS class.

Sacrificing HP wouldn't work in this game, nor for a tank.

[RyuDragnier]

And other FF games, Dark Knight uses Darkness abilities which sacrifices HP for more damage. The lifesteal effect is Absorption magics. It's either a Tank class, or a melee DPS class.

Sacrificing HP wouldn't work in this game, nor for a tank.

I think the Blood Gauge is them changing it around to where you're not using your blood for it, you're using your enemies blood.

[Lyth]

There are a few other entries in the series where Dark Knights absorb HP, such as Tactics and Dimensions. Part of the rationale for this is if you're going to be spending HP to do attacks, you also need a way to replenish it. The bottom line as it applies to this discussion is that Living Dead's penalty is designed for a tank capable of burst self-healing, which DRK is not.

[Absimiliard]

At this point Living Dead's penalty is designed for groups that have a WHM, because anything else and you're going to be pushing up daisies on the ten count.

[EpicOverlord85]

It's well known among the tank players that LD is the most hated of all the invulns, mainly for the playerbase because both: A) it involves the player dying and B) this happening without any input from the tank player itself, who is solely dependent on their healers.

Setting aside the discussion of whether o not any other tank would survive post invuln without external aid (we can all agree that they wouldn't, or would, but not for very long), i wanted to to make a suggestion on the OF that i heard outside of it (idr the name of the original poster unfortunately), of a change that keeps it in line with its current goal, and deals with these two problems, in a few steps:

1 - Keep the effects of Living and Walking Dead, but make Walking Dead a true invuln;
2 - After the effect of Walking Dead expires, the DRK player deceives a DoT on him (idk, name it "Call of the Dead" or something like that), that will tick for 25% of their max hp every 3s, including when the dot is placed on them.

That way, both the time to mitigate it is extended, which relieves pressure on healers, and the drk player can actively interact with their invuln via TBN (for 25 or 50% of it, if timed properly), which keeps it in line lore wise, and playstyle wise, no other changes required.

My overall idea would be this; upon activation of living dead our HP drops to zero and activates walking dead. We become completely invincible during the 10 seconds that WD is active and we also get a healing boost (ala convalescence) until the 10 seconds is up. Once the 10 seconds is up the healing boost and invulnerability drops off and that’s it, no “dying unless healed to your maximum amount of health” clause making it so that the only thing that’d kill you is the healer not tossing a few heals your way.

Admittedly it’s not a perfect idea, but it’d be leagues better than what we have now.

[Undeadfire]

My overall idea would be this; upon activation of living dead our HP drops to zero and activates walking dead. We become completely invincible during the 10 seconds that WD is active and we also get a healing boost (ala convalescence) until the 10 seconds is up. Once the 10 seconds is up the healing boost and invulnerability drops off and that’s it, no “dying unless healed to your maximum amount of health” clause making it so that the only thing that’d kill you is the healer not tossing a few heals your way.

Admittedly it’s not a perfect idea, but it’d be leagues better than what we have now.

This is the same way as it operates except Invincible instead. LD has 2 conditions, not one. Obvious 100% HP, the 2nd condition is healed total health number, you don't HAVE to max HP. Total health number? You have 80k HP, get healed 80k HP without being 100% HP.

All it needs is a Holmgang treatment, and Living Dead makes the next attack you take makes you 1 HP, and you can't fall below 1 HP on Walking Dead, but can be restore like normal.

[Hammerhorn]

Ok keeping with the theme of shields that DRK is currently known for try this... LD makes DRK unable to go lower than 1HP for 10sec then at the end of 10 sec they get a shield for half the amount of HP they lost During LD. This could have interesting interactions with things like POTD or HoH for people who like to solo that kind of content. Here’s the catch though, since that would make it better than WAR and GNB,the recast would be as long as HG for PLD.