Wild Idea - Change DRK damage from Slashing to Magic + Give Resistance Down Debuff

[Ladon]

So I think one of the areas of improvement needed for DRK is their lack of decent raid utility. Obviously, just give them some type of slash down debuff would mostly resolve that problem but I don't really think it's the best way to go since that route is already covered by two other jobs.

So here is my idea: change the damage type of DRKs from slashing to magical damage. This would open up for some pretty interesting job synergy that the game is currently lacking.

First, while I understand it make sense that the massive swords DRKs swing around do slashing damage, however as we know DRKs are plenty familiar with the magic side of things. I don't think it's too much of a leap of logic for the lore enthusiasts to accept that DRKs extend a magic aura around their blade or whatever which would covert the damage type to magic.

Now if we do this, it opens up an interesting opportunity for some unique raid synergy. In addition to changing the damage type, a -10% magic resistance down debuff should be added either to Power Slash or Soul Eater (that doesn't required DA to activate). This would give a nice little boost to DRKs to make up for the lack of a slashing debuff of their own as well as provide a unique extra boost to the other half of the damage dealers in this game.

Right now we don't have any melee skills that help out our magic damage friends. Foe's and Bishop's Turret pretty much are the only two skills in the game that cover this. I think it would be great to see a tank that is focused on improving the magic capabilities of a party and it seems like DRK could be made to be it.

Now I don't claim this is to be the ideal solution when balancing come into play. I'm aware that there are three different kinds of melee dmg but just one kind of magic dmg so I just don't have enough damage data to really know if this will completely throw off the dmg output of a party as desired by the developers. Of course there are ways around this still if a 10% increase on top of what already is available is too much. You could for example drop it to 5% and have Foe's overwrite it if 15% or 20% is too much to stack but I'll leave those kinds of details to the developers.

[LordHousewife]

If they did this, the debuff would have to be added to Delirium's debuff most likely as that makes the most sense. That being said, what do you do with our abilities that are already magic as you just took one of the things that makes them unique away? I like the idea though. Even if they just gave us the debuff and didn't change our damage type I'd be happy with that.

[Ladon]

If they did this, the debuff would have to be added to Delirium's debuff most likely as that makes the most sense. That being said, what do you do with our abilities that are already magic as you just took one of the things that makes them unique away? I like the idea though. Even if they just gave us the debuff and didn't change our damage type I'd be happy with that.

I'm not sure that anything needs to be done with the current magic skills? I'm not sure I follow. They would still be magic type, they would obviously just benefit from the resistance down debuff if it's on the enemy.

I don't think it needs to be added to Delirium though. Delirium is the counterpart to Rage of Halon where it reduces inbound magic damage to Halon's physical dmg reduction. DRKs having both an INT down and MAG Resistance Down would be similar to WARs having both Storms Path and Storms Eye.

[LordHousewife]

I'm not sure that anything needs to be done with the current magic skills? I'm not sure I follow. They would still be magic type, they would obviously just benefit from the resistance down debuff if it's on the enemy.

I don't think it needs to be added to Delirium though. Delirium is the counterpart to Rage of Halon where it reduces inbound magic damage to Halon's physical dmg reduction. DRKs having both an INT down and MAG Resistance Down would be similar to WARs having both Storms Path and Storms Eye.

Small details like these are actually really important, believe it or not, for how well a class will do on fights with certain mechanics and for overall game balance. I am strapped on time right now so I'll jump back in later to explain.

[Walluh]

It'd further play up the battlemage thing and give them more utility. I'd go with it.

[Freyyy]

Or they could just make it blunt damage and make Delirium exactly like Dragon Kick and cancel each other like Storm's Eye and Dancing Edge. I think that greatswords would be more accurate to be listed as blunt damage. I don't think you can really cut off things with a giant claymore (it's not a katana), but you surely break bones and rip off entire body parts. Plus, we still have only one blunt damage job.

[Ladon]

Or they could just make it blunt damage and make Delirium exactly like Dragon Kick and cancel each other like Storm's Eye and Dancing Edge. I think that greatswords would be more accurate to be listed as blunt damage. I don't think you can really cut off things with a giant claymore (it's not a katana), but you surely break bones and rip off entire body parts. Plus, we still have only one blunt damage job.

Well the fact that there is only one blunt class would be my concern there as part of the idea here is to create some better group synergy while also giving DRKs a bit a self boost. Blunt down is already covered by the class that needs it so it's not very useful to a group. The magic side of things aren't well covered though with it only coming from two classes in the game with awkward mechanics in tow to maintain it.

My major concern would be if is encroaches on the BRD niche or not. Honestly I don't really know how much BRDs are sought after in parties on Foes alone and if DRKs being able to also reduce magic resistance would dilute the BRD advantage too much. It could very well be a welcomed advantage allowing BRDs to focus on other aspects. I'd love to hear the prospective from some BRDs on this.

[Duelle]

Well the fact that there is only one blunt class would be my concern there as part of the idea here is to create some better group synergy while also giving DRKs a bit a self boost. Blunt down is already covered by the class that needs it so it's not very useful to a group.

The Dragon Kick debuff could be split to get rid of that weird "MNK and DRK don't benefit from each other in a party" thing. Move the Blunt Resistance debuff for Demolish on MNK and leave the INT Down debuff on Dragon Kick. Problem solved without having to turn DRK damage blunt or change the great swords to great paddles for same.

[Galgarion]

Or they could just make it blunt damage and make Delirium exactly like Dragon Kick and cancel each other like Storm's Eye and Dancing Edge. I think that greatswords would be more accurate to be listed as blunt damage. I don't think you can really cut off things with a giant claymore (it's not a katana), but you surely break bones and rip off entire body parts. Plus, we still have only one blunt damage job.

This is a goofy video, but it does demonstrate that Claymores had pretty good cutting power. Skip to 5:08 to see what it'd do to a human head. OUCH. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_I_fkRngNM

[Freyyy]

This is a goofy video, but it does demonstrate that Claymores had pretty good cutting power. Skip to 5:08 to see what it'd do to a human head. OUCH. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_I_fkRngNM

Okay granted. I was imagining much bigger blades tho, like Deathbringer, which doesn't seem that it can really cut anything like that.