Breakfast Topic: Design your own death knight
by David Bowers 
Sep 29th 2007 at 8:01AM
While brainstorming ideas, keep in mind that players want the death knights to feel fresh and interesting, so they'll be wanting unique abilities other classes don't already have. At the same time, you can't make the death knight class overpowered in relation to all those other classes -- they will want to keep having fun, too, after all. So every ability you give the death knights has to have its counter in something other classes can do, like rock-scissors-paper. If you're feeling particularly professional this morning, you can go into detail about all these balance issues, or else you can just write the idea you think would be cool.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Death Knight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Silverhoof Mar 19th 2008 1:17AM
I would say that a spell to raise beasts/humanoids/undead (Non-Player) back to life as a servant that follows you around for 2-3 mins that have cut damage. Ex: 3/4 damage.
And maybe a spell that lets you control Undead units for a short time with a *5 min cooldown*.(Player-Horde-Undead characters can use their starting ability (Will of the Forsaken *i believe*) to cancel it out.)
Uhmhei Sep 29th 2007 8:17AM
get off the death knight jeez, its not coming for 13 months LAWLS *TEAR* God!
Serro Sep 29th 2007 8:18AM
How about a type of in-combat resurrection that brings the persons corpse back to life as a pet... :D
Awesomeo...
Aquen Sep 29th 2007 8:45AM
I'd like to see the DK have some type of attack where it consumes 2 unholy runes, and in return you attack for a good deal of damage, plus it stuns the target for about 6 seconds. This ability should be on a CD to make it not OP. Another ability I'd like would be a non-proc windfury-esque ability. Perhaps call it Fury of the Damned or some such. It causes your main hand to hit the target multiple times, at the costs of more than 1 rune (perhaps also limit it when the enemy is below 20% HP). This ability would be especially useful as a "finisher" in PVE or PVP, and would normally be used to inflict lots of last second damage. causing the enemy to die. One last idea I'd certainly want is some ability that consumes any CC on the DK, allowing him a once every while escape plan. This attack would not only consume runes, but also cause physical damage to the DK, to prevent extreme OP.
Anon Sep 29th 2007 9:27AM
I'm wondering if runes can be used multiple times before they expire. And different runes of each type would make for a larger and smaller pool to draw from. If you have a lot of small frost runes, for example, you would be able to fit a lot more unholy and blood runes on the blade, and vice versa. Because if not, it means that you can only cast 6 spells before you have to wait for your runes to refresh.
I'm also wondering how the three different runes will behave. Will they be identical, or will unholy and frost work like mana/energy, while blood runes work like rage? It would be an interesting concept to be sure, but I don't think that would be in balance at all.
As for abilities...They have to get their Death Coil. From WC3. Not the lock one, though it could be the same thing, I suppose. As the class was originally designed to be "anti-paladin" some interesting auras could be created. The standard death knight one that increases melee haste rating (and one that boosts spell as well), but also auras that affect up to X enemies in Y yards, with some debuff. "Chill of Death aura: Increases frost, nature, and shadow damage taken by X, and slows melee and spell haste by Y" And of course, a debuff for everyone else..."Fire of Hell aura: Increases fire, arcane, and holy damage by X. Some random fire relate damage over time...maybe a manaburn or something" (why did I put holy here? It had to go somewhere, and think about "Divine punishment" or something)
These auras would have a duration because they are debuffs for the most part.
Nathan Sep 29th 2007 9:28AM
Wasn't there something mentioned about necromancy, or did I just imagine it? I think it would be cool to have something like Artha's "rez" from WC3. You'd be able to summon a skeleton from the corpse of a fallen mob (or with a fairly expensive rune/regent if none are nearby). If you wanted to be really elaborate, you could even design DK tanking around buffing and infusing these summoned minions with auras that affect the knight and his pet (stuff to increase aggro, hp, etc). Death Knight tanking would involve bouncing mobs and bosses attention between the knight and the minion.
/casual player
/no idea if that would work for raid bosses
Fletch Sep 29th 2007 9:31AM
@4:
At the moment it seems that each rune will be able to be used once before it needs to recharge. Blizzard says that it'll take about 10 seconds for a rune to reactivate, but that they're thinking about adding abilities that will cause a certain rune type to immediately reactivate when you use it. I imagine in the end that deathknight abilities will be usable at about the same frequency as rogue abilities.
Knucker Sep 29th 2007 11:01AM
ok this may seem a little off but maybe when he's doing instance runs he has an ablity (or talent) that allows to suck the CC off of something (like sheep or banish) and turn it into a rune of his choice.
John Sep 29th 2007 12:03PM
Well, I think they would have somekind of anti-pally bubble. Maybe a bubble to cast on enemies...Puts them in a bubble for X seconds removes them from combat and DOT's them?
That would be cool
Wildhammer Sep 29th 2007 12:16PM
I'd make them dominate Rogues, Hunters, Mages, and Warlocks. But they'd be nearly useless against anything that can heal or has heavy armor.
Silverhoof Mar 19th 2008 1:16AM
as a set back to what you said Wildhammer, it shouldn't be made to DOMINATE these classes overall, a Hunter could just silence the DK from using any spells for a moment with *Silencing Shot* and dps (repeatedly) so anything that can silence or daze the DK would have partial power over them.
(Hunters FTW btw lol)
Tiodi Sep 29th 2007 12:19PM
The Death Knight should have weapon choice in character creation-- Two hand or Dual wield. Ally get swords at first, horde get axes at first, but still have skills with the others. Start out in Strathlome with Death Coil, Unholy embrace-- the antithesis of Divine shield, Target is embraced by a silhouette of darkness for 6 seconds, corrupting any healing spells and effects cast upon or currently affecting the target to cause damage for 50% of their healing potential instead of restoring health. Any damage shields cast upon or currently affecting the target will also be instantly consumed, dealing 50% of their absorption potential in damage. Once afflicted with Unholy Embrace, the target cannot be afflicted with Unholy Embrace again for 1 minute, Shadow Strike, add melee damage, slow, and bleed, and a few others.
After getting the hell out of strat, there are a few quest chains for Death and Decay and Army of the dead
Blackhtorn Sep 29th 2007 12:37PM
I've always liked the way druids have a twist on the standard rez. If the DK could have some kind of utility like that, but limited to only be effective in combat I think it would be balanced but allow for some interesting encounters to be designed around it. Something like:
Raise Dead - 30 min cooldown
Returns target ally to life for 2 minutes with a debuff: "melee attack and casting speed increased, attack power and spell damage decreased."
When the 2 min debuff is up, they die again, perhaps with rez sickness to prevent chain casts of raise dead.
Aubrey Sep 29th 2007 12:52PM
When they put armor on, regardless of what color it is, it fades to black.
Anon Sep 29th 2007 12:48PM
@ 11: In the same vein as Arthas's Raise Dead from WC3, we could have the raised beings be invulnerable. You would raise 3 people (or NPCs) in a target area, who are invulnerable, for a short time. They cannot gain aggro (good luck using this on the tank) and cannot heal. Limited to buffing/DPSing until they die again.
@6: Thanks. Where did you find that intel?
Green Sep 29th 2007 12:59PM
I loved the Runeblade-for-life idea. Particularly if the appearance could be personally chosen based on individual tastes. Or maybe run a baby-deathknight quest where one must gather the necessary reagents and visit the relevant experts to turn one's current weapon into their Runeblade. That way you can keep your epic or super-favorite-looking weapon that you might otherwise outgrow, and form a special relationship with it so it can stay useful to you forever. That situation would just be using models that are already in-game (so they wouldn't need to cram some limited blade-creator engine in), but would still offer a great range for personalizing your Runeblade and Deathknight.
I also loved the suggestion that one could sort of steal the souls of weapons you come across, in some act that would probably feel like disenchanting, and apply the essence thereof to your Runeblade to keep it's stats relevant and useful to your level and spec.
Actually, I'm all for any kind of stealing souls. I wonder how WC3 Arthas' Death Pact might work for Death Knights?
I've always liked the evil that my warlock exuded, but standing back from the fray and using nothing but magic just isn't visceral enough to satisfy me. I'm really excited about this class and it's potentials.
Though my secondmost nagging thought for Wrath of the Lich king is, Can we have Pandaren yet? I want my Brewmaster with Drunken Brawler spec!
Syd Sep 29th 2007 4:09PM
Death Charger. 'Nuff said.
romo Sep 29th 2007 4:29PM
Female Draenei mounts.
arcai921 Sep 29th 2007 9:56PM
how bout a anti pally you could summon undead, drain atks but and you could have a temp rez just for fighting off the last of a mob then going to the spirit healer but you would have to be relinate onb some sort of comsumable
jlpknights82 Sep 30th 2007 1:31PM
@13 I LOVE that idea. LOVE.
I think some abilities that I'd like to see (some of which have already been confirmed, even) are:
The Look:
- Unique land AND air mounts. (Undead type creatures. When summoned they burrow up out of the ground like their corpses are being raised through dark magic.)
- Very different looking character skins. They have said it will probably be available to all races. I think at character creation, there should be many very unique options for DKs, all of which have an "undead" type coloration/vibe to them. Not that same as the Forsaken race, more grey/blue tones.
- At #13 said, all weapons and armor they touch could in some way have it's textures filtered so that it becomes desaturated and darkened. That was they could wield/wear ANYTHING and it would look unique.
- Runes carved onto the Runeblade of choice should be visible in some way.
Abilities:
- It would be interesting if some of the DK's abilities cost the DK some health as well, while other abilities gain them health. Fighting as a DK would be a balancing act not to be undertaken by inexperienced players. For instance, one spell could amplify the damage of all melee strikes by 200% for 5 seconds, but at the cost of an amount (or %) of HP.
- When the DK dies, they have a self-rez that costs a reagent, much like a Shaman's Ankh. However, the DK must gain these reagents by performing some rather involved ritual over the corpses of their fallen victims, kind of like a Warlock's soul shards, but creepier and not as easily obtained.
- One of the DK's talent trees could perhaps empower their minions. For instance, one talent might be that when a DK uses a certain type of spell, there is a % chance to summon a minion of that type. (Unholy = undead, Blood = something bloody, etc.) Or perhaps one talent gives the Army of the Dead spell a % chance to spawn an elite ghoul among the lesser ghouls that come with the basic spell. Basically, combat could be a bit more random and on the edge.