Report 212

Report #212
Skillset: Runes Skill: DeathProphesy
 Org: Blacktalon Status: Rejected Jun 2009
Furies' Decision:
Changing Death Prophesy is under consideration.
Problem: This skill is impossible to pull off in almost every situation. In the
situations where it is possible, it is over twice as fast to kill the target by
simply pointing your cudgel three times. Currently, this ability takes 3 power
to initially cast, then will show a rune, which you only have a short time to
sling at your target. Successfully doing so will show the next rune. You repeat
this process for a total of 5 times. After five times, you will have to sling
the Othala rune, which costs 1 power itself. To succeed, the target must have
all 5 afflictions before othala is thrown. Curing any affliction will make the
prophesy fail, though it won't stop the rune showing process from happening.
Simply put, you will not know it fails until the end of the prophesy. The
problems with this skill are numerous. One problem is that it is affliction
dependent and all solutions that remain in this same manner end up too weak or
too strong. Another problem is that slinging one rune takes 3.5 seconds, and 3
seconds at fastest on faeling balance (not to mention that faelings are not
viable runic Hartstone or mage races).
Solution #1: Change Death Prophesy into a state-based instant kill that
 requires the target to be at 50% mana or less plus must have at
 least two runic afflictions. Since runes is heavily power based
 along with phantasms and druidry (the main complimentary
 skillsets) this ability will cost 3-5 power to use, preferably 3.
 Make it so that casting Death Prophesy and failing (i.e. the
 target doesn't fulfill the requirements) will not consume power,
 but still consumes balance. The reason for this is because
 runists have no way to determine how many runic afflictions the
 target has outside of a monocle and a skill should not require a
 450 credit artifact to work.
Solution #2: Make Death Prophesy a timed instant kill similar to either
 judgement or chasm.
Player Comments:
---[Zynna on 6/23 @ 12:17 writes]:
If changed, I like Solution 2. How about allowing fullplate users the ability to
put coal runes on their armour to buff up their protection?
---[Krellan on 6/24 @ 22:55 writes]:
I like solution 1 by the way
---[Sarrasri on 6/25 @ 04:13 writes]:
I don't see anyone getting an instakill that costs 3 power, or how it'd be fair
if it failed that'd it'd not take power. Instakills with higher power costs
still lose power if they fail. While I agree that DeathProphesy needs some fix,
I'm most certain solution 1 isn't the way to go. I'd support solution 2, though
I'm still not sure if that's the fix it needs.
---[Krellan on 6/25 @ 09:15 writes]:
That's because you only know your own skills. Take a look at wrack. It doesn't
cost power to fail. I'm not even sure it costs equilibrium or balance. But it
requires the additional condition of the target being prone.
---[Llandros on 6/25 @ 14:57 writes]:
Not every skill set needs to have a viable insta kill option. I don't really
it's imbalancing to have this one be so difficult to pull off.
---[Krellan on 6/26 @ 00:17 writes]:
This isn't difficult to the point where it's still possible. It's flat out
impossible, and a waste of a skill. It was created in a special envoy review of
Runes. All prophesies were. As you can see, I am reviewing them myself because I
was not part of their conception and I am making them actually usable instead of
something to take up AB space.
---[Viynain on 6/26 @ 21:39 writes]:
I don't think that an instakill which goes for as cheap as 3p a shot needs the
qualification that if it fails, the powercost wouldn't be applied. I'd be more
inclined to agree if the powercost was suggested to be higher, sure, but 3p is
manageable.
---[Ceren on 6/27 @ 15:11 writes]:
I had another idea. What if we made it like, you cast deathprophesy for 3p, and
it lasts for a minute. If you sling othala within that minute (which costs 1p,
right?) while they're below 50% mana, it'll kill them.
---[Ceren on 6/27 @ 15:14 writes]:
Alternatively, same as in my last comment, but you have to sling the 5 foreseen
runes like now before othala can insta. Also, I'd raise the time limit to 1.5 -
2 minutes for that, and have no time limit between rune slings.
---[Krellan on 6/27 @ 22:02 writes]:
I could be okay with a cast death prophesy will give a duration and then you
kill them with othala if they are below 50% mana. I'm not sure about the 5 rune
thing. Would it be curable? Or is it an inquisition type thing. Either way, I'd
be against that
---[Krellan on 6/27 @ 22:06 writes]:
I did write in the solution that the ability would cost 3-5 power. Then again,
maybe I misread your comment and it only sounded like you are disagreeing with
this solution in my head, Xiel. But it shouldn't cost any more than 5 power
including the no power cost on failing because druids have no way to diagnose
the opponent.
---[Ceren on 6/28 @ 14:40 writes]:
By the 5 rune thing, I meant you have to go through those 5 runes, and then
sling othala while they're below 50% mana. Would just add a little more
time/difficulty.
---[Ceren on 6/28 @ 14:40 writes]:
Oh, curing them wouldn't matter.
---[Krellan on 6/29 @ 19:40 writes]:
I personally prefer solution 1 still.
---[Krellan on 6/29 @ 19:42 writes]:
This is mostly because he 6 rune thing at a standard 3.5 second balance will
take 21 second alone, on top of what you need to expend to start this as well as
get 50% mana or below.
---[Ceren on 6/29 @ 19:51 writes]:
Psh, well I personally prefer mine. Notice how the non-guardian/wiccan mana
kills (swoop and eternalsleep so far) take significantly more effort than their
guardian/wiccan counterparts. It should require some set up, especially
considering the low power cost (which I understand is necessary for it to fit in
with a mage or druid's other abilities).
---[Krellan on 6/30 @ 03:05 writes]:
But I'm okay with a 5 power cost as I listed in the solution! That's on par with
Wrack, no? Also, I do not feel 25% is significantly more effort, but that's
probably because I've had too much fun with succumb and that double mana drain
song. On another note, going eternalsleep actually helps secure a kill since it
is attrition fighting whereas 5 random unmasked runes gives them a lot more time
to catch up on cures.