Changes to Fortify and Passives in 3.17

There's quite a few tweaks GGG should consider to the passive tree but first we'll cover Fortify.



Fortify should be a Proximity based effect for melee hits (Slams, Strikes).
Give it similar range to "Close Combat" 20-25.

Fortify should always work when you hit an enemy as a base effect, not a Mastery of Gem.

Keep the stacking effect so it cannot be abused as a one-time tag buff however stacks gained per hit needs to be improved (EDITED): In a manner where Proximity is the key role. It makes no sense a character's Defense is lower because they deal less damage to something.

While you're at it stacks gained could also be influenced by Proximity, again like Close Combat.

Remove Fortify wheels. This sounds odd but when you consider every "class" in the game can melee it's a better alternative than putting wheels all over the tree. Make Fortify Global.



On to Passives ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dual Wield is still completely inferior to other options. This is esp true for Evasion DW since the loss of dodge. As a long time D&D player it's always bothered me there isn't a wheel right next to Ranger.

DW Cluster Jewels need help badly.

Marks are still a dumb idea and there's only two 3 point wheels for them. If you're determined to keep them similar to this. I'd suggest making them AoE like Curses but they gain potency with the fewer enemies that are marked.

Agnostic Keystone location is kinda hilarious. Should probably move it.

Heart of Oak notable should Regenerate 2% when you use any Flask, not Life Flask. It's useless.

Revert Strike skill's 1-2 Melee Range. This was a very foul change. Yes there's plenty of Melee Range to grab and that's fine but this nerf was not necessary.

Blind is too weak to consider passives. I actually like it's new dual nature but it's roughly 3% Evasion and 5% Hit Chance. This is probably one of the few perks DW gets for one point you Blind on Hit.

Aliment Avoidance / Reduction wheels are too expensive.

There are no Life + ES Mastery nodes.

Spell Suppression aids non-Evasion characters more. I do not feel it's value should be taken from those characters and this ties back to no DW nodes near Ranger or Shadow making Block costly.

Wind Dancer is pretty much worthless now.

Graceful Assault / Courage split wheel is cool but not worth points.

Elemental, Life and Flask Mastery have 1-2 good things and the rest just look like filler. I'm sure quite a few Mastery options have this but these stood out to me as must grab or totally ignore.


There's probably more I can add later but this is just off the top of my head.
I can also mostly only comment on the right side for now.

"

Xzorn wrote:

... should be based on Damage Output not enemy damage taken threshold. It makes no sense a character's Defense is lower because they deal less damage to something.

You are proposing what you are against. Hell no don't let fortification scale of any sort of damage value. Use attack-time instead, here is why:
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3193463

"

Xzorn wrote:

Keep the stacking effect so it cannot be abused as a one-time tag buff however stacks gained per hit needs to be improved and should be based on Damage Output not enemy damage taken threshold. It makes no sense a character's Defense is lower because they deal less damage to something.

You contradict yourself here. I don't think that fortify should be based on damage at all, but on proximity (like you also said). If you hit an enemy with a melee hit (and not a secondary ranged effect resulting from said hit), then you should get a stack of fortification. None of this "but what if you're just using cyclone to CWC?" nonsense. Who cares? You're in melee for a long period of time, therefore, you are a melee character.

I completely agree with your other points, though, and would like to add some of my own:

-Elemental Equilibrium's new location makes no sense. Non-fire ignite builds exist, but can't use the keystone efficiently anymore because "it's for wild strike and ele hit now", or something.

-Witch side of the tree has no defences to offer besides some spell block and ES.

-Shadow's rotating DoT immunity is garbage and the whole ascendancy is devalued massively by the loss of ghost dance.

- +1 strike targets should be a mastery, not a notable.

-Minion masteries are boring and too focussed on phys minions, should be reworked.

"

SuperMotte wrote:

"

Xzorn wrote:

... should be based on Damage Output not enemy damage taken threshold. It makes no sense a character's Defense is lower because they deal less damage to something.

You are proposing what you are against. Hell no don't let fortification scale of any sort of damage value. Use attack-time instead, here is why:
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3193463

"

SixSixSeven wrote:

You contradict yourself here. I don't think that fortify should be based on damage at all, but on proximity (like you also said). If you hit an enemy with a melee hit (and not a secondary ranged effect resulting from said hit), then you should get a stack of fortification. None of this "but what if you're just using cyclone to CWC?" nonsense. Who cares? You're in melee for a long period of time, therefore, you are a melee character.

I should clarify a little more. When I said damage output I meant a drastically different proportion.
A 7k Leapslam or DoT build would still hit hard enough to start stacking just not grant 5 stacks per. Though now that I think of it a CoC build might not meet that so it should just be purely proximity.

Personally I don't care that people Shield Charge 5 times and get 20 Fortify. If it falls under that 20-25 distance then it's a melee range attack. Everything they've done in nonsense over something that was technically correct. Slams that hit off-screen are "Melee" in this game so proximity is all that matters.

I agree EE is also pretty badly placed. I happen to be using Wild Strike right now and I didn't pick it up. Avatar is far more reliable. You "can" make it work but it's far too much a hassle.

Personally never felt EE should have stuck around all this time. Everyone who could use it to spoof did so and monster resists just go up as a result. No one wins.