Breakfast Topic: Designing your own spell
by Ty Briggs 
Jun 26th 2011 at 8:00AM
When Patch 4.1 was on the PTR, Blizzard announced that shaman would be getting a shiny new toy, which turned out to be the new Spirit Link Totem. However, there was an interim between when the spell was announced and when we were finally given details on what it was and how it would work. During that period, even here at WoW Insider, the speculation ran wild. Some thought it would be a Stone Barrier you could place on the tank to mitigate physical damage. No, it would be a raid-wide, water-based spell that would decrease magic damage for 10 seconds. No, it was a talented buff to the Earth Elemental. No, it would be something entirely different.
I'm no stranger to creative thinking. I like to write. I like to dream of lands and worlds that don't exist. I like to come up with crazy ideas for that novel I'll probably never put to paper. So along the way, I've come up with a few ideas for spells I'd like to see implemented in the game.
The one currently at the forefront of my mind is a new AOE spell for affliction warlocks: Soulburn: Seed of Corruption's effects would become a baseline function of the spell, but Seed of Corruption would receive a 10-second cooldown. The talent would be replaced by a new ability, Unbound Corruption, that would allow Drain Life to automatically target every enemy within 20 yards that is currently affected by Corruption. It would be an AOE drain, sucking the life from everyone around you.
It's a suitably "warlocky" spell that would be fairly unique, have a cool visual effect and create an AoE rotation that is more engaging than simply spamming Seed. Unfortunately, I'm not a developer, and I have no say in these things. It's fun to dream, though. Am I right?
What would you do if you could design your own spell? What kind of crazy mechanic would you dream up to fit the theme of your class?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Oedipa Jun 26th 2011 8:13AM
As a healer I've been stuck in a number of 1v1 fights that will never end, or in the case of an arena match will last 45 minutes. I would like a spell that instantly kills my opponent half the time and instantly kills me the other half. To avoid abuse give it a ten second cast time and make any damage interrupt it. The animation would be a coin flip.
Mamaryno Jun 26th 2011 8:56AM
A friendly target spell that zaps those DPS dinks (you know who you are) that won't move out of the poo "cuz I didn't want to stop casting/shooting/beating on something". I'd call it Holy Move Your Arse.
Twill Jun 26th 2011 4:20PM
Druid Spell. Balance Talent
Flap Your Wings
Instant Cast 500 Mana Cost
You instantly gain the ability to fly around at 150% speed for 8 seconds.
You also look very silly.
Liche Jun 26th 2011 8:15AM
Deamonic Transport: Swap places with your Deamon
RavenJet Jun 27th 2011 4:21AM
THIS !
Frankly I would give up demonic circle for this because it's that much cooler. No rogue stealthing out from behind your circle.
That does remind me, I was playing TB yesterday - and had one of the best bits of teamplay I have ever experienced in what is essentially a pug environment. On my way to Ironclad (no circle up - since I was travelling) I run into a warrior, thing is I didn't see him in time - and next thing I'm being close-range stunned and worn down hard. Can't even get a fear or a howl off to try and buy time... I'm about to resign myself to "didn't pay attention -deserve to die" wipe when suddenly I find my self moving through the air fast and the words "Leap of Faith" up on my screen.
Of course that was just the breather I needed- I was throwing my instant dots up before I landed and had haunt and UA as soon as I hit the ground - then I feared and drained him down. The priest who pulled me out Shanne on hellfire - turned a lost cause into a victory. He never even hit the warrior, he just gave this lock the gap I needed to undo the bad position I was in and kick some warrior behind.
Now THAT was awesome. Needless to say Shanne got a "thank you" on raid-chat and all my Dark Intents for the rest of the battle ! Also - Leap of Faith is my new favorite priest spell.
And I guess that's why your awesome idea may never come to pass. Demonic Transport would be that much more powerful than the portals, it would allow us, in every fight, to use our pet for the same maneuver that it took TWO players to do in TB for me yesterday.
Awesome as it would be, I have a feeling it would be the way too OP and the devs would never go for it :(
Cameron Jun 26th 2011 8:20AM
A pali spell that would allow you to bless your weapon to absorb healing done by you and other healers that gets turned into extra holy damage. I'd call it, "Blessing of Wrath"
Andostre Jun 26th 2011 9:04AM
Healers would *hate* this!
"I was trying to heal you so you wouldn't die, not increase your dps so you gained threat!"
Cameron Jun 26th 2011 9:19AM
Ah the beauty of the wishful thinking spell. It would charge until you attacked (be it with spell or physical) and then get tacked on. My main is a holy pali; I like the idea of being able to have a hybrid damage/heal spec. (sorry for the double comment...I'm kinda tired)
alzeer Jun 26th 2011 9:33AM
would work if it used overheals
Thereone Jun 26th 2011 10:49AM
Hmm... how about folding that ability into what is now the second rank of Guarded By the Light? Overhealing done by Word of Glory = protective shield, overhealing from other sources = extra holy damage from CS/HotR, or stored in the form of charges and released as an extra-strength SotR?
Psykewne Jun 26th 2011 8:27AM
I would love to see that as a spell, I guess it sounds similar to the aoe draining beams that the mind control boss in Throne of Tides does every so often once you break him off Erunak's head.
The spell I always wished to see was a talent in the Mage arcane tree that would convert Flame Orb into an arcane orb that would pulse arcane blasts around itself once it was within range of targets instead of the singular beams. I believe the Ethereal boss in Violet Hold had orbs that did this. I always felt that this was a more elegant solution to giving arcane some real aoe option that didn't require them to be in melee range.
Since my main is a Paladin, something I always fancied seeing since I started playing was a healing version of consecration. We sort of got this with Holy Radiance although we can move the effect with us in that spell, it's close enough to satisfy me.
A couple of other things i'd create is a fire mage spell revolved around summoning a phoenix, perhaps as a crashing meteor type spell with an aoe that then left an egg that acted like a trap taking a couple of seconds to arm and them detonating back into the sky and then a few seconds later back down again, and so on as long aas an enemy was there to cause the egg to break again (with the egg fading after 5-10 seconds if not triggered again). Perhaps a max number of egg hatches to stop it being silly, but it would be cool to see phoenix's rise and fall.
For druids I alwasy felt a summon:moonwell spell that would place a moonwell like a light well, but instead of giving health back it would return mana/rage/energy/runic power as a small over time effect when you click it. This could have a number of uses from helping healer mana, to letting dps dump more resources in a burn phase.
Docseuzz Jun 26th 2011 6:29PM
Arcane orb- every time your arcane misses passes through your orb, a pulse of arcane energy (arcane explosion) is triggered at the orbs location. Targeting the orb with arcane blast or barrage causes it to be destroyed, releasing an arcane storm, returning mana to nearby friendly targets.....
Docseuzz Jun 26th 2011 9:26PM
Or rework mage spellsteal so you take away a castable spell from the Target (random choice from abilities available via mind control)
Unknown Jun 26th 2011 8:31AM
Summon: Scorpions
Maymer Jun 26th 2011 9:39AM
That would be too easy to destroy though. All we would have to do is have Clyde hit them with his crossbow!
...Clyde?
Koot Jun 26th 2011 3:29PM
Make Love not Warcraft? lol
poggg Jun 27th 2011 12:45AM
Nooo! Covered with scorpions! GET THEM OFF ME!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD_Xb512Avc for the unaware.)
totemdeath Jun 26th 2011 8:35AM
How about this as a warrior ability....
Justice of the Grave:
You return from the dead for a short time (10-15 secs) to enact revenge against those who kill you. During this time, you have unlimited rage. Once this time has pass, you fall instantly dead, never to be ressurected until combat has ended
Jari Jun 26th 2011 8:43AM
Sounds more suited to be a DK move.
pancakes Jun 26th 2011 9:18AM
I really like this idea, but it does sound like something for death knights. Maybe quicker rune regen while in this state & bonus damage (5% maybe) against whoever landed the killing blow on you. I picture it as you coming back as the animated skeleton model wearing your shoulder armour.