Would WHM be too strong with some support utility?

[Yhximott]

Obviously it has crazy strong HOT already and burst heals well and beyond the other healers, (not to mention group stun Holy) but would it be OP if they added some other effects?

Say if they gave WHM something like Fluid Aura II: A bubble that reduces an enemy stat while the enemy is standing in it, or increased a stat to all party members standing in it? I personally think that might be a bit too much, but I want to know what others think about such concepts.

While we're here, how does anyone feel about giving Stone II an AOE effect to make it less worthless?

[Tint]

the problem with the WHM is not the WHM.

the problem is the AST got buffed too much.

at the launch of 3.0 yoshida has said that they took away proshell exclusiveness and the 18% stoneskin but they increased the healing potential a WHM can offer.

so. at the same time they added AST, wich had lower potencys and many support skills. so the AST was weaker than the WHM when it comes to healing. but hey, yoshi has said that the WHM lost his utility for more heal power, so that's fine, i think. but then the ASTs complains because they were too weak and can't compete with WHM. so AST got buffed. and another buff. and another buff... now AST has the same potencys as WHM, many support skills, wich also got buffed, and still has the lower manacosts from the time when the potencys were lower.

i have to say: yes, the AST needed those buffs, no question. but as a WHM who lost his utility with the promise "you got more healing power instead" i feel betrayed. AST has nearly the same healing power now and lots of utility on top of that.

give WHM back the proshell trait und the 18% stoneskin and i'm fine.

[Yhximott]

I don't mean in terms of comparison to the other healers. More a musing on the prospect of future skills. I do agree that straight Heal Pot + would push WHM back into it's own realm of healing, but given the in-game lore with their affinity toward elemental attack spells, I have to imagine they'll be getting more Air/Water/Earth spells in the future. Stone III is just Stone II but stronger, so I want to start a conversation about avoiding throwing our existing tools into the trash in coming content the way we did with Stone.

[dejiko_san]

Yeah bring back our pro-shell 2 and remove the cooldown when I click cleric stance and I'll be a happy whm!

[Connor]

Anytime a job gets support utility, all other jobs of that role will get equivalents anyway (because balance), so this wouldn't really do much to give WHM it's own identity. Bard and Machinist are a good example, since a huge amount of their skillset is functionally identical (MP Regen, TP Regen, Defensive Buff, Vuln up debuff). It's pretty clear with healers once you think about it too; they all have Proshell and Graniteskin, they all have a 'support bubble', they all have an AoE regen and they all have a healing potency up cooldown. The differences between them are more gimmicky than anything else, and ultimately any support utility they would add to White Mage wouldn't be unique to it at all

[basketofseals]

I'd rather we got more white magey tools. If I wanted to feel like more of a SCH or AST then I'd play those jobs.

[Lastelli]

the problem with the WHM is not the WHM.

the problem is the AST got buffed too much.

If they gave back proshell to whm then it would be once again mandatory in end game content, so no way. I agree however that graniteskin should be back as it was in 2.x.
Anyway, whm still has way more healing power than ast, imho healers are pretty balanced right now.

[Leigaon]

...While we're here, how does anyone feel about giving Stone II an AOE effect to make it less worthless?

We use to have this, it was a toggle option and it was wonderful. Stone and Stone II could be made into AoE with MP / Cast times increased. I would like the same thing now and they can give it the same % reduction as Holy to an extent.

I think that an addition to the WHM tool kit for party enhancements would be a good idea. If anything AST and SCH have shown that party enhancements and mob debuffs can go a long way.

To keep with the HoT aspect, something like Embrava where you sacrifice MP to give the target member HP / MP over time and a slight attack/defensive increase, maybe that's too much but lets tweak it...or an off global that adds slow for a duration. If we can't have a support likes dedicated, things like this would be nice to have. I already notice how a properly placed Virus or Mantra can really help the party, so I wouldn't mind some things to do on the enfeebling / party enhancing end.

[Llynd]

It will make the three healers remain the same... I think whm should stay focused on pure healing instead of mimick gameplay like sch. But yeah i feel like ast got buffed a bit too much !

[Xenosan]

I can imagine the proc system extended to DPS spells and Stoneskin, and a little more rewarding than just cost-free. Some procs could cheat Cleric and be instant oGCD for example. Sometimes I feel it would be interesting if DPSing actually rewarded MP opposed to depleting, sort of giving a resource sustain incentive to be more adventurous.

And 1h wands + shield, because Minwu demands it.