TLDR: Convert Secret of the Lily traits to generate resources like heat or inner beast that builds with each GCD / HoT or DoT tick. A Lily is grown every hundred resources generated so WHMs performing their ABCs will gain the benefits of Lilies.

The Core Fault of the Lily System

The core fault of the Lily system is it promotes non-optimized play. The core tenants of optimized play are the following:
  • Always be casting (caveat, unless you need MP for something upcoming)
  • Use the most effective ability for your current GCD
  • Minimize clipping both your GCDs and DoTs
  • Do the mechanics successfully while minimizing movement

Unfortunately, Lily generation is a proc off Cure or Cure II. These spells are generally bad choices because of the following:
  • Low potency/mp efficiency compared to Regen (also, Regen allows the WHM to use oGCDs without clipping)
  • Requires a GCD cast while abilities like Benediction and Tetra are instant and MP-free
  • The WHM is dealing with AoE damage and shouldn't be spot healing

Generally speaking, the times WHM should be using Cure or Cure II are times where an individual need a spot heal to survive an upcoming mechanic and no oGCDs are available. Given the myriad of tools at WHMs disposal, you can imagine these occurrences are few and far in between.

Additionally, because of the scripted nature of the battle content in the game, cooldowns being planned and used at specific instances of a fight means healers have optimal GCD uptime over the course of the fight. Spot healing via Cure and Cure II is not required when the cooldowns are managed and implemented to that level and the players are familiar enough with the fight that one generally doesn't need to save cooldowns and/or spot heal mistakes.

Proposal: Rework how Lilies are Generated
Instead of either having Lily generated from Cure or Cure II at a guaranteed chance or having it generated at a random RNG chance as has been previously implemented, Lily's should be a resource that's accumulated via GCD usage. This will be implemented through the following steps.
  1. Cast GCD
  2. A resource bar is charged (similar to Beast Meter / Heat)
  3. When 100 resources is generated, the WHM grows a Lily and the bar resets (WHM can store up to 3 total)

This method of Lily generation means that by playing optimally, the WHM is gaining Lilies that can be used for the fight without needing to make non-optimal choices in their decision making. This also means that the bonuses the Lilies provide can be planned out for the fight and for the highly skilled players, take this foresight and planning to a whole skill ceiling that has opened up for WHM.

In general, here is how I would change the Secret of the Lily traits.

Secrets of the Lily
Adds 10 resources to your Lily Gauge upon the successful execution of a spell while in combat. When 100 resources is accumulated, a Lily is added (maximum 3 can be stored)
Lilies will lower the recast time for Asylum, Assize, Divine Benison, or Tetragrammaton by a percentage corresponding to the number of Lilies stacked at time of action execution (at which time the Lilies are removed).

1 Lily: 4%
2 Lilies: 10%
3 Lilies: 20%

Secrets of the Lily II
Upon the successful execution of a HoT tick, add 3 resources to your Lily gauge (this can only occur once per server tick to prevent massive gauge building via Medica II)
Upon the successful execution of a DoT tick, add 3 resources to your Lily gauge (also can only occur once per server tick to prevent massive gain via Aero III)


The first trait would allow a WHM to get a Lily in 25 seconds of dedicated chain casting. The second trait would allow a WHM to get a Lily approximately every 17 seconds of dedicated chain casting and maintain DoTs and HoTs.

The CDR component of the Lilies is frowned upon since the CDR gain is not worth the GCD loss to use Cure or Cure II. The change to Lily generation could make CDR more palatable since it would both be more readily available and thus be able to be planned around.

Alternatively, the bonuses to Lilies can be changed to a unique bonus based on the skill (IE Divine Benison gains a higher %-bonus, Aslyum can gain a potency bonus, etc. to help flesh out the WHM identity with the Lilies.)


Proposal: Increasing the Skill Ceiling

Adjust Secrets of the Lily or a future third tier of the trait could be have the following text:

"Lilies will lower the recast time for Asylum, Assize, Divine Benison, or Tetragrammaton by a percentage corresponding to the number of Lilies stacked at time of action execution (at which time only a single Lily are removed)."

The skill ceiling balance would be trying to maintain three lilies to maximize the Lily bonuses while still being able to keep up with healing responsibilities. An added incentive could be tying a passive stacking healing and damage buff of 2% per Lily to further encourage Lily maintenance. The one fault of this style of gameplay is encouraging high risk which is not conducive to responsible healing.

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I guess that's about all I got to say on the matter. I personally feel this is an opportune time to rework Lilies given how healer balance has shifted with 4.3.

If S-E can package a potency increase for our DPS spells, that would be highly appreciated ^_______^