My pitch for an original Caster DPS job: Harbinger

[Black_Waltz_3]

Recently I created two YouTube videos going over my pitch for a new Caster DPS job for FFXIV. Some of the responses suggested I post them on the official forums too, so here I am.

1. "My pitch for an original FFXIV job: Harbinger" (32:32 duration) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slaBRgX93mU
2. "My patch notes for an original FFXIV job: Harbinger" (12:47 duration) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBL8euveSqo

The first link is the original pitch: where I introduce the inspiration, the concept, the lore, and the aesthetic, followed by an extensive breakdown of its skills and traits from level 1 to 100, including openers at each level cap. The second link is a follow up with some adjustments to my design based on feedback to the pitch video.

Of course, I don't necessarily expect people to watch the videos in full so I've written up a summary below.

Harbinger, seer of ominous portent (HRB)

"Read atmospheric aether currents to predict incoming weather events and then manipulate them to induce natural disasters."

Role: Magical Ranged DPS
Weapon: Weathervane
Required Class: Skywatcher
Starting Location: Gridania
Lore: Developed by native Meracydians to prevent or mitigate natural disasters, turned into an art of war to defend against the Allagan invasion
Inspiration: Conjurer, Geomancer, Oracle, Ezana Q'linka from Triangle Strategy, "Reaper's base class is Botanist" memes



Gameplay and Mechanics

• Focus on wind, water, and earth elemental magic
• Forecast disasters with randomised timers
• Chain disasters together to trigger bigger disasters
• Spend gauge to make disasters happen earlier
• Increase potency by using filler of the matching elements
• Random procs for bonus damage and effects
• No res, selfish buffs, some defensive party utility

Filler Spells

• Single target combo spells: Pressurisation -> Condensation -> Compaction
• Area of Effect combo spells: Quicksand -> Whirlpool -> Vortex
• Completing either combo has a chance to proc AOE spell Sublimation
• Damage over Time spell: Erosion

Disaster Spells

• Forecast spell procs Tornado Forecast, Tsunami Forecast, and Quake Forecast buffs with random duration between 5s and 25s
• When expiring, Forecast buffs turn into Imminent buffs, allowing use of the matching disaster
• Disaster spells: Tornado (circle AOE), Tsunami (conal AOE), Quake (line AOE)
• Potency increases based on stacks of intensity generated by using the matching element
• Casting all three Disasters procs AOE spell Aftershock

Omen Spells

• Omen Gauge fills by using filler spells
• Spend on AOE spells: Meteorology, Hydrology, Seismology
• Instantly grants Imminent buff if matching element's Disaster Forecast buff is active
• Otherwise procs single target spell Augury
• Tempting Fate ability instantly generates Omen Gauge

Doublet Disaster Spells

• Extreme Weather Warning ability is personal 2 minute buff
• While active, grants stacks of Doublet Wind/Water/Earth after using Disaster spells
• Spend stacks on Doublet Disaster spells: Hurricane (circle AOE), Landslide (conal AOE), Pyroclasm (line AOE)
• Casting all three Doublet Disaster spells also procs Aftershock

Finisher Spells

• Unforeseen Circumstances grants one free Disaster without using Forecast
• Worst Case Scenario can be channelled to increase disaster intensity every tick (or instantly outside of combat)
• Personal buff EWW also procs ground placed DoT spell: Supercell
• Casting all three Doublet Disaster spells procs AOE spell: Doomsday
• Casting Doomsday also procs Aftershock

Utility Spells

• Evacuate, a short dash similar to DNC's En Avant
• Clear Skies, a single target cleanse similar to BRD's The Warden's Paean
• Shelter in Place, a partywide mitigation similar to DNC's Shield Samba

Level 100 Opener

• Pre-pull - Worst Case Scenario
• -2.5s - Pressurisation, Forecast (Tor 22, Tsu 15, Qua 24)
• 0s - Erosion, Tempting Fate
• 2.5s - Seismology (Qua 0), Tempting Fate
• 5s - Meteorology (Tor 0), Gemdraught of Intelligence, Extreme Weather Warning
• 7.5s - Quake II, Supercell
• 10s - Tornado II, Unforeseen Circumstances
• 12.5s - Tsunami II (from UC), Aftershock
• 15s - Hurricane
• 17.5s - Landslide
• 20s - Pyroclasm, Aftershock
• 22.5s - Doomsday, Aftershock
• 25s - Tsunami II (from Forecast)
• 27.5s - Condensation (to catch filler combo timer)
• 30s - Erosion
• 32.5s - Compaction, Sublimation (if proc)

The details of all the actions (and the traits modifying them) as well as the reasoning behind how they're used and form the opener are explained at length in my videos, if you wanted more details about that. Please note that what's written here is the aggregate of both videos, so there may be differences compared to what's in just one alone. Alternatively, you can view a spreadsheet outlining a combat timeline sample and full skill list at the following Google Sheets link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...8C8QBo/pubhtml

I hope you like my pitch!

[neia]

Damn why does this actually sound awesome! I hope SE take some notes from this!

[Connor]

I think the idea of a Weathervane as a weapon is a cool idea for a caster, and manipulating that sort of thing is a type of ‘magic’ no other job covers yet.

That said I feel like the devs would be like ‘too similar to Star Globe’. But then, I’d counter that by saying they could probably utilize the now-defunct one-handed wands from Black Mage / White Mage. So their weapons could be like, wands that act as aetherial weathervanes? Both predicting and manipulating weather events. Though I think that was essentially the idea anyway.

[Seraph_Variel]

I find myself quite swingy on weather I like this or not, tbh. I really like the concept, and I like the idea of effectively maintaining three combos to maximize damage.
I think my cynicism and predicted forecast of the game is just really getting in the way of really enjoying it.


It isn't stopping me from making weather puns though.

Oh, and I think other elements probably would be more interesting than Earth, Wind and Water again, seeing as Conjurer/Whm and Geomancer both focus on them, at least before Whm started focusing light magic.

I don't really have any particular ideas other than involving a supercell or wildfires, admittedly. I don't get very much extreme weather where I live. Closest I can say is a couple cyclones my country was on the edge of, and the Australian Wildfires which darken the sky where I live into a deep orange.

[Black_Waltz_3]

Oh, and I think other elements probably would be more interesting than Earth, Wind and Water again, seeing as Conjurer/Whm and Geomancer both focus on them, at least before Whm started focusing light magic.

I don't really have any particular ideas other than involving a supercell or wildfires, admittedly. I don't get very much extreme weather where I live. Closest I can say is a couple cyclones my country was on the edge of, and the Australian Wildfires which darken the sky where I live into a deep orange.

I go into it in my video, but it was actually part of my point to use those elements precisely because CNJ had them then WHM loses them. Certainly it could extend into other elements in a future expansion though, with the wildfires you mentioned or volcanic activity for fire, as an example. I can certainly relate to the deep orange skies given the recent fires down here

[Seraph_Variel]

I go into it in my video, but it was actually part of my point to use those elements precisely because CNJ had them then WHM loses them. Certainly it could extend into other elements in a future expansion though, with the wildfires you mentioned or volcanic activity for fire, as an example. I can certainly relate to the deep orange skies given the recent fires down here

Fair enough then, I was just a bit too dying of heat to even think of putting the videos on while doing the new cosmic grind lol.