Perhaps a Simple DRK Solution

[InfiniDragon]

Blood for Blood in the hands of a DRK using it correctly could be good. Of course, there is the chance of some derp killing his or her party because of it, but I don't think that should prevent us from discussing it's potential application if SE were to go this drastic.

As an MT, if paired with a cooldown (Shadowskin or Dark Mind for their shorter cooldowns most likely) the 25% increase to incoming damage could mostly be mitigated, and it would cut the DRK's damage reduction of Grit in half, acting as a pseudo Unchained. The MT would hit harder, getting more hate at the opening where they aren't taking super big damage most of the time which could allow for further use of no Grit heroics if needed. As an OT it would go without saying that it's just a flat damage buff, and an OT not taking hits from the boss would only get raid wide damage, which they would shrug off compared to a DPS using BFB so it would work fine. Of course, there's also the risky "MT with no Grit using BFB for fat deeps" option, but that's probably only going to be used by the super skilled groups or again, the derps asking to die in DF.

I would hate to lose Foresight though with their slight deficiency to physical damage, so what I'd actually do personally is this: make LNC/MRD their cross class, and give DRK their own version of Provoke. Even though it'd be ideal for them to have access to the proposed skill as early as a GLA or MRD would and therefore change an existing skill to have Provoke's ability (perhaps making Abyssal Drain their pull and obtained earlier and make Unmend their Provoke), one could also argue that Voke doesn't become crucial until 50 and up. So what they could do as a more "simple" fix is make a Dark Arts modifier for Unmend that has the Provoke effect in addition to it's own hate generation, making it so the DRK would have to be aware of their MP before a swap (further reinforcing SE's intended playstyle of MP management on DRK) but in return always has access to a Voke if they have the MP.

Blood Weapon enabling magic parry instead of mp restore in Grit could be wonderful. Makes parry more important IMO. And that's just a suggestion. Make the magic tank a magic tank.

This is a very good idea, even if SE is so adamant against allowing blocks or parry to spells. Paired with Dark Dance and especially with Keen Flurry if we were going by the original poster's proposal, DRK would be a force to be reckoned with in dealing with magical attacks.

Well for this to work DRK should also gain a conva effect because that one is also near mandatory especially for LD as it is currently.

Also a very good point. Hmm, perhaps add the effect of Convalescence to Walking Dead? Or perhaps a Dark Arts version of Shadowskin that includes the effect.

EDIT: Thinking further on it, what they could also possibly do to address the need for a Conva equivalent is add a brief increased healing effect to DASE in Grit, since it's used often by a DRK anyways. Like an "increased healing buff" version of Inner Beast, and again tied to MP use.

[garret_hawke]

Well for this to work DRK should also gain a conva effect because that one is also near mandatory especially for LD as it is currently.

[MagiusNecros]

Well I've repeatedly said that altering DA Power Slash to a on demand Provoke would be great but making the MP cost steeper on Unmend would retain the ranged effect add damage and give us automatic top of the line aggro. Sounds too good to happen honestly.

[InfiniDragon]

Well I've repeatedly said that altering DA Power Slash to a on demand Provoke would be great but making the MP cost steeper on Unmend would retain the ranged effect add damage and give us automatic top of the line aggro. Sounds too good to happen honestly.

Yeah, the reason I feel it should retain the damage with the Voke if that were to happen is because it would be on GCD, so you wouldn't be able to hit them immediately like you can with Voke. Power Slash would be another good candidate, the only downside to it would be the lack of range, but with Plunge on 30 second cooldown it could still work with you just ninja flipping over to them and using the Power Slash.

[MagiusNecros]

Yeah, the reason I feel it should retain the damage with the Voke if that were to happen is because it would be on GCD, so you wouldn't be able to hit them immediately like you can with Voke. Power Slash would be another good candidate, the only downside to it would be the lack of range, but with Plunge on 30 second cooldown it could still work with you just ninja flipping over to them and using the Power Slash.

Personally I dunno why the DA effect is Enmity multiplier of 6.5 over 5.5 normally. Should just make it a Provoke attack.

[Chronons]

I would hate to lose Foresight though with their slight deficiency to physical damage, so what I'd actually do personally is this: make LNC/MRD their cross class, and give DRK their own version of Provoke.

I think Sole Survivor is the perfect candidate for this. Reduce its cast time to 40secs and make it exactly like Provoke, then just make its current effect (restore 20% MP/HP on death) a Dark Arts effect.

[Chronons]

Well for this to work DRK should also gain a conva effect because that one is also near mandatory especially for LD as it is currently.

I think they should do something like this just in general. Thats not to say that LD is not awesome when paired up with team co-ordination, but it is far and away harder to get right with random groups.

[BattleGrace]

a few things.

no tank will nor should ever get an ability that makes them take more damage, it completely goes against the role as a whole. weather it is for OT dps or not people will 100% use it at the wrong times. that right there is bad design at it's finest

you loose provoke, why would you want to loose provoke? sure there is the whole "make PS a provoke" but that is an utterly stupid idea, you would litteraly have a constant uptime on your new provoke, and yes i don't care that you COULD use other skills the fact is there are people who legit only use PS even when OT in VA, it's a shit design.
you want to take away defensive cooldowns why?

i will admit Invig would be freaking nice

do you realy expect keen flurry to make up for any lost cooldown? as it is it's worse then darkdance and at best better then using nothing, i for one wouldn't want to give up foresight for keen flurry. why give up guaranteed mitigation with Foresight (contrary to most idiots it's not to far behind Rampart) for keen flurry (a chance to parry) ?

lets be real here at best you gain internal release, second wind and invig that won't hinder your roles ability to do it's job at the cost of key skills that can litteraly stop you from raiding.

you want B4B so you can blow a cooldown that you will need just to take the same damage you were before? can you say design flaw?

what SE need to do is just design their jobs to stop using cross classes, why every tank doesn't have thier own taunt i will never know, why every tank has to use pally as a skill whore i will never know. is it realy that hard for them to copy paste skills and give them a differant name that you obtain while leveling?

[Chronons]

The claim that players would misuse BfB means this would be poor design seems to me to be a non sequitur. I could maybe agree if this was a class people begin the game with, but its not available until after they have completed a huge portion of content. Also, I disagree with you on tank design. If it can be implemented well I don't see any real reason a tank could not have an ability that caused extra damage to themselves if the reward for doing so were worth it. Cleric Stance lowers a healers ability to heal for the sake of damage. I totally agree with you about Provoke. That is why I suggested replacing MRD with LNC and not GLA. I do not think Keen Flurry alone is enough to subsidize the loss of Foresight. However, DRKs best damage mitigation is locked behind parry procs. Keen Flurry invariably means more up time for Reprisal. I have no clue whether or not this up time is a greater or lesser effect than that given by Foresight, but I think a case can be made that it might be.

[Frost_Tear]

It honestly sounds like you just want DRK to play like a DPS class man xD

The idea of crossing over KF has crossed my mind, however a tank getting B4B is just a bad idea. Let them have KF and Invigorate while blocking off B4B and I'm all for it haha.

Hell a simpler fix would be to allow reprisal to be usable while blood weapon is active (while keeping its parry proc as well) that way they can be an outstanding OT while remaining unchanged and can keep foresight when they become MT.