Mentalist Class Team Leader Report, June 2003

Overview:

The Mentalist class has come a long way since the release of DAoC. In the game's current state, the Mana specialization is the most popular, due to it being more group oriented, providing both strong offense and defense. The Light specialization is not too far behind, due to its popularity as an offensive specialization line. The Mind Mastery specialization however, is severely lacking in both PvE and RvR. It provides no offense, and provides little to no defense.

Concerns:

Mind Mastery - The Mind Mastery specialization is the least specialized of all non-SI mage spell lines. Clearly, this shows that the spell line is greatly flawed. The Mind Mastery Mentalist is unlike other mages, having no offensive spells, and only marginally useful defensive spells. Mind Mastery Mentalists currently bring nothing but burden to a group, in both PvE and RvR. This is the single-most important long-standing issue for the Mentalist class, and it needs to be addressed as soon as humanly possible.

Interrupts - The current interruption system grants casters almost no chance to cast through attacks in RvR. A "working" interruption system is highly necessary for mage survival and effectiveness, and benefits hybrid and healing classes as well.

Resists - The resist system accomplished what was necessary, a 35% reduction in magical RvR damage. The extreme resistance values, however, are unnecessary and need elimination by a diminishing returns system. There is no justification in having more than a 50% reduction in magical damage during normal RvR encounters.

Realm Abilities - Certain RAs do not benefit as much as other RAs. For example, Avoidance of Magic provides more of a bonus than Mastery of Magery. This inconsistency, as well as other RA inconsistencies, needs evaluation.

Specialization Issues:

Mana (Holism) Specialization

Aura of Turning (DS)
The baseline damage shield, present in many mage packages, does not scale linearly as the mage progresses in levels. It is necessary to increase the values of the DS more as level increases.

Curative Trance (HoT)
The new HoT, just like the old version, is unaffected by RAs and relics. I suggest that relics, Wild Healing, and Mastery of Healing affect the new HoT.
Ticks from the new HoT display as "You feel calm and healthy," as opposed to displaying an actual value. This is a huge inconvenience.

Empowering Unity (PoT)
This spell line, as well as many other spell lines, which are effective on many realm mates, needs their power costs evaluated. It is crippling to enter an RvR battle with less than 50% power due to recent castings of the spell. Casting time should also be considered, as it is not overpowering to cast a timed buff slightly faster.

Light (Illusions) Specialization

Deluge of Illusion (AE DD)
The Mentalist's AE DD spell line, as well as every caster's AE DD spell line, is underpowered. Mathematics are not necessary to support this claim, although there has been plenty of mathematical backing in the past (see previous class reports), and mathematical documents supporting this claim continue to surface. It is completely necessary to change the falloff of the AE DD as well as re-evaluate its casting time. I suggest either 100-50% falloff and 4.0s casting time, or 100-25% falloff and 3.0s casting time.

Illusory Enemy (Charm)
The Mentalist's charm spell line, now a great PvE spell line, still has RvR issues, the worst being loss of the pet due to the 2000 range restriction. A Mentalist cannot fall back to the healing range and have the pet in combat at the same time due to this restriction. In addition, players can kite a Mentalist's pet out of range, turning the pet on the Mentalist. Either charm needs to grasp the pet when the pet re-enters the 2000 range, or the range needs to be increased beyond 2000, or charm needs to be made instant, so that Mentalist's can more easily regain control of the lost pet.

Mind Mastery Specialization

Illusory Ache (Baseline DoT)
In the past, the Mentalist was the only DoT class able to stack DoTs. This was because Mentalist DoTs had shorter range and existed in different spell lines. Other DoT classes, which were previously unable to stack DoTs in the same specialization line, now can. Because Mentalist DoTs exist in different spell lines, the baseline DoT should have five total ticks instead of four, to make up for the difference in damage.

Single Target Powerdrain DoT
The Mind Mastery Mentalist has no offensive spells to specialize for. Although many members of the Mentalist community wish that the Mind Mastery Mentalist could be made viable with only the addition of defensive spells, many believe this is very hard to accomplish, due to the life expectancy and nature of mages in general.

It is my recommendation that a single target DoT be added to the Mind Mastery specialization line, with the added property that it restores power to the Mentalist during each tick. In accordance with the Illusory Ache change, this DoT should tick 5 times. The new specialization DoT will not stack with the Holism specialization DoT for balance purposes, but will stack with the baseline DoT. Between all possible DoT combinations, the total amount of ticks will be ten.

Single Target Power Transfer
With the addition of a single target powerdrain DoT, a single target power transfer should be added to the Mind Mastery specialization as well.

Group HoT
There are two major issues with a Mind Mastery Mentalist's healing; the first is a PvE issue, that Mind Mastery Mentalists can not handle PvE aggro as well as other classes, due to wearing cloth armor. The second is an RvR issue, that Mind Mastery Mentalists have no way to heal more than one group member.

It is my recommendation that a group HoT, similar to the HoT in the Holism specialization, be added to the Mind Mastery specialization line, in order to provide the Mind Mastery Mentalist a method of healing in PvE with less aggro, as well as providing the Mind Mastery Mentalist a method of mass healing in RvR.

Unbreakable PBAE Snare
The Mentalist is Hibernia's designated secondary CC class. Mentalists only have a single target Mezz and Cure Mezz, both that require Mind Mastery specialization. The Mind Mentalist has no AE escape spell, and due to the defensive nature of the Mind Mastery Mentalist, one is surely necessary. It is for this reason that an unbreakable PBAE snare should be added to the Mind Mastery specialization.

Delusion (Confusion)
Confusion is useless in RvR, and marginally useful in PvE. Certain MOBs, not even named, have immunity to confusion. With its limited uses in PvE and non-existence in RvR, there is no need for this spell. The spell line ultimately needs RvR applications to be worth specializing for. RvR, after all, is the end game.

The "Split" ( 36 Mana / 35 Light / 18 Mind ) Specialization

Due to resists being based on spell level, and not character level, this specialization path suffers greatly.

Other Issues:

The Warden's castable-bladeturn overrides the caster's self-bladeturn. This should not occur.