With how things currently are Necromancer as well as other pet classes are a bit underwhelming, mainly due to poor AI and implantation. After thinking on this a while I have come up with some changes to help the Necro class as some overall improvements to help other pet/summoning classes.
Overall Improvements
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Increase Disengage Range - I notice a lot of the time when I am dodging boss AoE attacks I will end up causing my pets to disengage the boss and make there way back to me. Increasing the disengage range will allow pets to stick to targets while giving the summoner freedom to dodge attacks.
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Target Picking - Have the pet do two checks when looking for targets, first around the pet itself and then one around the summoner. I am hoping that this will ease the issue of pets having to run all the way back to the summoner before picking new targets.
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AoE Reduction (PvE Only) - This applies more to the group summons like zombies and skeletons. Give them a high amount of AoE damage reduction. Later on in the game boss/elite AoE damage is no joke and will melt these units before they manage to do much of anything.
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‘Tower’ Knockback Immunity (PvE Only) - Give the stationary ‘tower’ type summons an immunity to knockback. This includes the Necros Dirty Pole and Corpse Tower aswell as the Dievdirbys statues. If this feels too powerful, instead of being completely immune make the knockback stun the tower for a period of time.
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Pet Control - A single command that you can use for multiple things. Clicking a spot on the ground will cause all pets to move to that location (if in combat they will disengage and move to the location) or if the command is issued on a monster they will target / switch targets to the selected mob.
Necromancer Changes
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Necronomicon - Starts with one card slot (for modifying shoggoth) gains another at circle 2 (for modifying skeletons) and two more at circle 3 (+1 for shoggy and +1 for skels) helping keep the summons up to par for rank 8. Equipped cards should be useable inside the necronomicon (should apply to the sorcerers grimoire aswell.
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Gather Corpse (Circle 1) - Remake this skill into a class passive that at max level will grant a 5% to 10% chance to collect a corpse when a monster near the necro is killed.
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Create Shoggoth (Circle 1) - Add threat generation. Add a double tentacle slam cleave attack. Change the breathe attack to an AoE ‘fart’ around the pet.
Add toggle-able ‘tank mode’ passive which reduces damage done, increases threat generation and defenses. Possibly add some health regen to increase survivability. -
Raise Dead & Archers *(c2 & c3) - When the spell is cast all currently active skeletons are despawned and replaced with the freshly summoned ones.
I am only a necro c2 atmo but I feel these changes will help with bringing the class up to par with some of the other classes. Im not trying to make it top tier damage but hopefully be brought to point where it doesn’t feel like I’m hurting a team by being a necro. Thats all for now, if i come up with anything else ill add it to the post.
TL;DR - Fix pet range issues, increase AoE survivability, use equipped cards in Necronomicon/Grimoire, Tower/Statue knockback immunity. Gather corpse passive, Skeletons effected by necronomicon cards, shoggoth tank mode passive, all skeletons are resummoned when skill is used.