Shapeshifting (4 Gems)

I was reading another thread on Shapeshifters and thought I'd give coming up with gems a go.

Each gem is a package of 4 abilities and hopefully will serve as a base to widen the spectrum of builds.

Werewolf



Weretiger


Werebear


Wild Spell


thoughts?

I'm not too wild about claws-only - I'd say at least allow for some level of unarmed action as well (possibly by building in an unarmed-only damage bonus, but definitely not at the same level as Facebreaker).

Also, I dare say that adding gems like this would almost require the creation of skills that are innately Wild (or even Wild-only). In all, though, I do like the idea of shapeshifting, especially given that Wraeclast certainly seems cursed enough to allow for such a thing.

Isn't Infernal Blow the only skill that can be used unarmed (that can't already be used by claws)?

I suppose that wouldn't be too much to ask (then you could be a facebreaker shapeshifter)

The claws only bit was to cut down on the number of animations needed (and claws make sense on were creatures)


There are a few spells that would be Wild (Enduring Cry, Immortal Call, and Discharge). Any Wild spells would most likely need to deal with charges (since dual charges are sort of the base of this concept of shapeshifting)

Actually, there are a few other skills that will work unarmed: Frenzy, Elemental Hit, Cyclone, and Dominating Blow. (Elemental Hit, however, is probably not as useful to a Facebreaker simply because it doesn't read physical damage, unlike all of the other ones.)

I'm totally fine with Shapeshifting working with claws - of all the weapon types, claws make the most sense. However, I think that making a Facebreaker Shapeshifter would be pretty much broken (especially with the Weretiger idea!), so there needs to be something there to stop a Facebreaker from working with the skill, but still letting you use it unarmed (perhaps a mod on Facebreaker saying that you must be in your natural form to equip this item?).

I did see your point on spells that are Wild; I was thinking (and forgive me for not wording it correctly) more along the lines of adding the Wild restriction to more than just spells (Frenzy shouldn't work Wild by default, for example), or perhaps modifying a few (Cleave, for example) so that the weapon restriction is lifted when Wild - possibly even limiting them further by the type of Wild (Bear/Tiger/Wolf).

I don't think there should be a weapon restriction. You should have the same base attack as you do untransformed, the only thing that would be different would be the attack animation. I really like the idea of having gems with the Wild descriptor. That could definitely make for some interesting new skills, or finding use for older skills.

those gems look good to me but i think you should change some atribute to make them more unique, for instance replace 30% reduced phys dmg taken, power charge on hit and ES regen with power charge from werebear to +30% to max HP and +3-5% to all max ress.

may be then create another shifter for casters/ES builds like a phoenix or something of the likes.


this way you get 1 dmg dealer shifter, one tanky shifter etc..

I am very much against druid animal shape shifting skills in the game. It doesn't fit into the game, the Exiles that are banished to Wraeclast are all HUMANS with a story behind their banishment and I don't see how any story can be changed into shape shifting. The last thing the ranger needs is some nature transformer tie in. Please no.

There are already so many animal transformer ARPGS, I really don't see why PoE needs to have that as well.

Besides all your suggestions are just blanket buffs disguised as shape shifting and seem rather unbalanced as essentially 'super auras' It makes no sense to me at all.


If players want hurr durr shape shifting, I suggest they play those games that have it. GGG, I don't want shape shifting in my Wraeclast.

-1

"

bchan wrote:

I am very much against druid animal shape shifting skills in the game. It doesn't fit into the game, the Exiles that are banished to Wraeclast are all HUMANS with a story behind their banishment and I don't see how any story can be changed into shape shifting. The last thing the ranger needs is some nature transformer tie in. Please no.

if you whant a reason well, marveil turned from a human into a giant squid becouse of the gem and pietys miscreations for what i remember where humans infused with gems, so lore wise i think is posible to asume that a shifting gem with more controled results can exist, be either as a temporaly buff or as a node sort of like chaos inoculation that grant a permanent bonus.

olso note is not mandatory for shifter to be a werewolf/werebear or weretiger, there are other creatures that could be used like a humanoid golem intead of werebear or a werehelion.

"

caboom wrote:

"

bchan wrote:

I am very much against druid animal shape shifting skills in the game. It doesn't fit into the game, the Exiles that are banished to Wraeclast are all HUMANS with a story behind their banishment and I don't see how any story can be changed into shape shifting. The last thing the ranger needs is some nature transformer tie in. Please no.

if you whant a reason well, marveil turned from a human into a giant squid becouse of the gem and pietys miscreations for what i remember where humans infused with gems, so lore wise i think is posible to asume that a shifting gem with more controled results can exist, be either as a temporaly buff or as a node sort of like chaos inoculation that grant a permanent bonus.

Bingo. Shapeshifting is well within the bounds of reason for Wraeclast - and considering that the characters are using gems anyway (likely the same types as those that caused the changes in some of the monsters in the first place!), it's not a stretch to make gems with the specific effect of shapeshifting - though to bchan's point, we might need to consider using different animals/creatures (spiders, for example), since Wraeclast's fauna doesn't include tigers (that I've seen).

I'll paste this here too

"

It would need to merge equipment instead of having own stats due to gem allocation but your useable gem spectrum would get changed in wereform.

Possible candidates are: Puncture, Viper Strike, Cleave, Ground Slam, Double Strike and Frenzy, no elemental gems unless an elemental form gets implemented (could be interesting, native +1 to corresponding element gems and resists, penalty to other elements).

Don't think you should have weapon restrictions, shifters supposedly meld gear into their animal and other shapes, shouldn't matter what kind of gear, not like we have druid ethos to uphold here. The other solution would be making it work unarmed-only, giving you appropriate base physical damage on gem level, however that would require facebreakers getting 'doesn't work with wildshape' line.

The possible difference between shapes would be gem selection. Wraewolf could get puncture, double strike and frenzy, tiger could have blood rage, cleave and dual strike, bear could have heavy strike, enduring and ground slam. Elementals could be able to use their element only and so on. So, shape-based gem restrictions replace weapon-based gem restrictions, you could use ground slam with daggers if you're a werebear, could be interesting.

And, one last important thing, balance-wise, auras have no effect on you while shapeshifting. Take that munchkins :)
Shapeshifting should be a flavor thing, made for shifter fans, not a cheap way to boost your stats, otherwise we'd have a crapload of shifters running around, leaving razer-shaped pawprints at that.

P.S.
One more thing, EVA animal head pelts could get a native +xx bonus to widlshape gem levels.