Hey everyone,

Albion Online, is a full loot PvP game and needs a good balance for all weapons and armors in the game. The best way to test if potential changes to these items are beneficial is when they are actually play tested by very good pvp players. Their practical experience has always been a very valuable source of information for us. Therefore we have been inviting a range of various guilds to internal playtests (this is nothing new and we never intended to keep this a secret, there is already threads about this from two years ago)

We believe this form of playtesting is absolutely neccessary to fine-tune high level pvp gameplay and it makes the game better for the whole community.

How this works is:

1. The playtests are held on our internal server, where we provide testers with temporary accounts
   
2. We contact guilds directly. (who we think are good and reliable players)
   
3. You can also always contact me, if you think you are a good fit for these playtest. If you and your guild have a good track record and we have time and a new playtest is scheduled i am happy to invite fresh blood to tests as well.
   
4. Everyone participating will need to have signed an NDA that covers your real life information. Please only apply if you have a team of at least five players willing to do that. Violation of the NDA can and will lead to consequences, including the possibility of being banned from the Live Server.
   
5. We value quality over quantity. Meaning if you are providing valueable feedback, are reliable and ideally flexible in bringing a group in a short time, it increases your chances of getting invited again. Misbheavior in the live game, the community or during tests will lead to exclusion from future tests.
   
6. Finally, we simply can't invite everyone. Because we can't do personalized tests in this quantity and the organization of playtests takes up valueable development time.
   

Just keep in mind, for us it is very important to have a fast and unberaucratic solution for playtesting. We are aware that the tradeoff for the speed and flexibility can lead to situations where some guilds get a glimpse at upcoming changes earlier then others, even if they all signed NDAs. In the past we were still in beta and had plenty resets, so this possible advantage hasn't been that big of an issue so far. However now with the game beeing live, we realize we need to be more transparent with upcoming changes and prevent possible advantages for only a selection of players. Therefore we will in the future post updates about the balance changes, currently in playtest also here in the forum.

Cheers,
Retro

These are the old Balance Changes for Jospeh



Systems:

• Reflect Damage now also reflects all AoEs, Skillshots and DoTs.
  
• Exception Spells are:
  
  • Demon Arrow
    
  • Exploding Shot
    
  • Explosive Mine
    
  • Contagious Fire
    
  • Magma Sphere
    
  • Meteor
    
  • Hail
    
  • Ice Storm
    
  • Avalanche
    

Arcane Staffs:

• Frazzle:
  
  • Added a AR/MR Shredding
    
  • Energycost: 5 -> 4
    
  • Cast Time: 1.5s -> 1.2s
    

Bows:

• New W-Spell: Ray of Light
  
  • Shoots an arrow into the sky, which rains down at the ground after a short delay. The arrow can hit a single enemy, dealing x magical damage, and rooting them for y seconds.
    
• Deadly Shot:
  
  • Every shot also increases your cast speed by 20% for 3s (stacks up to 4 times)
    
  • Reapplying at max stacks resets the cast speed increase.
    
  • Damage: 136.89 -> 109.51
    
  • Energycost: 6 -> 4
    

Cursed Staffs:

• New W-Spell: Grudge
  
  • The Grudge can be cast on any ally, and lasts for x. While it is active, every normal attack they make inflicts a Vile Curse on the enemy.
    
• Armor Piercer
  
  • AR/MR Reduction: 0.18 -> 0.15
    
• Field of Death
  
  • Healing Reduction: 70% -> 60%
    
  • Energycost: 26 -> 20
    

Daggers:

• New W-Spell: Shadow Edge
  
  • Throws a knife in front of you, pulling you behind the first target you hit. If the target is an enemy, the enemy will be rooted for x seconds.
    
• Poison Coating:
  
  • Energycost: 18 -> 14
    
• Slit Throat:
  
  • Instant Damage: 60% -> 75%
    
  • Dot Damage: 40% -> 25%
    
• Devastating Strike:
  
  • Now also purges enemy buffs at the second hit.
    
  • Damage: 243.24 -> 231.66
    
  • Energycost: 20 -> 15
    

Fire Staffs:

• Fire Bolt:
  
  • Instant Damage: 107.41 -> 120.83
    
  • Damage per Tick: 15.44 -> 10.29
    
• Fire Wall:
  
  • Damage per tick: 41.68 -> 36.34
    
• Fire Wave:
  
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    
  • Damage per Tick: 31.49 -> 34.60
    
  • Number of Ticks: 2 -> 5
    
  • Knockback Distance: 6.63 -> 2.05
    
  • Energycost: 10 -> 12
    
• Contagious Fire:
  
  • Damage: 23.12 -> 27.75
    
• Meteor:
  
  • Damage: 385.25 -> 434.09
    

Frost Staffs:

• Freezing Wind:
  
  • Damage: 166.74 -> 145.41
    
• Ice Storm:
  
  • Damage Tick Interval: 1s -> 0.5s
    
  • Damage vs players per tick: 45.27 -> 25.77
    
  • Damage vs mobs per tick: 27.86 -> 15.60
    
  • Base Slow Duration per Tick: 1s -> 2s
    
• Frozen Hell:
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0.7s
    

Hammers:

• Removed the Threat Generation Passive
  
• Added Energetic Passive
  
• Ground Breaker:
  
  • Stun Area Width: 1m -> 1.5m
    
  • Stun Duration: 3.14 -> 2.85
    

Holy Staffs:

• Total Healing Output reduced by 10%
  
• Removed Self Healing Sickness
  
• Flash Heal:
  
  • Cast Time: 0.8s -> 1s
    
  • Heal: 38.20 -> 42.18
    
  • Energycost: 4 -> 4.5
    
  • Energy Restore on Full Stack: 2.42 -> 2
    
  • Received Bonus Heal: 4% -> 10%
    
  • Received Bonus Heal Duration: 6s -> 3s
    
• Generous Heal:
  
  • Heal: 87.53 -> 126.69
    
• Desperate Prayer:
  
  • Heal: 159.92 -> 177.69
    
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
  • Energycost: 14 -> 15
    
• Holy Explosion:
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 25s
    
  • Heal: 34.75 -> 37.28
    
• Divine Protection:
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    
  • Energycost: 18 -> 16
    
  • Heal: 126.36 -> 115.30
    
• Holy Touch:
  
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    
  • Energycost: 16 -> 17
    
  • Heal: 47.08 -> 50.35
    

Maces:

• Removed the Threat Generation Passive
  
• Added Energetic Passive
  
• Snare Charge:
  
  • Jump Movespeed: 12 -> 15 (This means jump time changed from: 0.92s -> 0.73s)
    
• Shrinking Curse:
  
  • Area Duration: 1.5s -> 0.75s
    
  • The spell now also reduces the enemy's max and current hitpoints by 40%
    
  • Damage & Heal Power Reduction: 50% -> 40%
    
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 30s
    
  • Damage: 119.69 -> 98.28
    
  • Energycost: 18 -> 22
    

Nature Staffs:

• Total Healing Output reduced by 10%
  
• Removed Self Healing Sickness
  
• Rejuvenation:
  
  • Heal: 8.43 -> 7.75
    
  • Energycost: 5 -> 4.5
    
  • Energy gain on Max Stacks: 10 -> 7
    
• Circle of Life:
  
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 25s
    
  • Heal: 158.23 -> 192.5
    
  • Energycost: 14 -> 15
    
• Living Armor:
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 25s
    
  • AR/MR Increase: 0.31 -> 0.13
    
  • Heal per Damage: 14.57 -> 27.62
    
  • Duration: 10s -> 8
    
  • Energycost: 14 -> 16
    
• Well of Life:
  
  • Heal per tick: 25.08 -> 26.89
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Removed the Threat Generation Passive
  
• Added Energetic Passive
  
• Tornado:
  
  • The knock up time is not affected by cc duration or CC resistance anymore. It is always the same duration (2s) now.
    

Spears:

• New W-Spell: Deflecting Stance
  
  • Spin your weapon as a shield for up to x seconds. While channeling, your resistances are increased by y, and you reflect z of the incoming damage. Additionally restores a energy every b.
    
• Forest of Spears:
  
  • No of Ticks: 6 -> 8
    
  • Damage per Tick: 44.95 -> 35.96 (per tick damage decreased by 20%, total channel damage increased by 6.66%)
    
• Fling:
  
  • Cast Range: 4m -> 3m
    
  • The spell doesn't slow enemies anymore
    

Swords:

• Removed the Threat Generation Passive
  
• Added New Passive: Weakening
  
  • Every normal attack, you reduce the target's damage and heal power by 4% for 1s.
    
• New W-Spell: Splitting Slash
  
  • Splits the earth in a straight line in front of you. Any enemy directly hit will receive x damage, and be rooted for y.
    
• Spinning Blades:
  
  • Range: 11m -> 14m
    
  • Jump Movespeed: 13 -> 20 (This means jump time changed from: 0.85s -> 0.65s)
    
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
  • Energycost: 15 -> 17
    
• Fearless Strike:
  
  • The slow has been removed
    
  • Instead the spell now reduces enemy resistances, depending on active heroic charges.
    
  • Range: 9m -> 11m
    
  • Energycost: 20 -> 15
    

Armors:

• Plate Armors Now have an additional 200% Health Regen Bonus out of combat
  
• Threat Bonus Factors:
  
  • Soldier Armor: 1.4 -> 4
    
  • Knight Armor: 1.45 -> 4.25
    
  • Guardian Armor: 1.5 -> 4.5
    
  • Removed the Threat Bonus from all Cloth- & Leather Armor
    
• Additional Crowd Control Duration Factor:
  
  • Mercenary Jacket: 10% -> 20%
    
  • Assassin Jacket: 20% -> 10%
    
  • Soldier Armor: 50% -> 40%
    
  • Guardian Armor: 40% -> 50%
    
• Inferno Shield
  
  • Reflected Damage: 50% -> 30%
    
• Haste
  
  • Cooldown: 60s -> 30s
    

• Ambush
  
  • Cooldown: 40s -> 60s
    
• Fury
  
  • Cooldown: 40s -> 30s
    

• Enfeble Aura:
  
  • Now also reveals invisible targets
    

• Windwall:
  
  • Cooldown: 40s -> 50s
    
• Protection of the Fiends:
  
  • Reflected Damage: 90% -> 45%
    

• Gatherer Armors:
  
  • Removed Frost Shield as spell choice
    
  • Added Wind Wall as spell choice
    

Helmets:

• Energy Regain:
  
  • Cooldown: 60s -> 30s
    

• Circle of Inspiration:
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 45s
    
• Enegy Shield:
  
  • Energy per Hit: 7 -> 13.13
    
• Sacrifice
  
  • Health Restoration: 20% -> 25%
    
• Hush
  
  • Silence Duration: 5.83 -> 4.86
    

Shoes:

• Frost Walk:
  
  • Cooldown: 40s -> 30s
    
• Dodge Roll:
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 25s
    
• Shield Charge:
  
  • Shield Strength: 199.63 -> 188.74
    
• Royal March
  
  • Now the stacking effect is only activated if you reach your destination without interruption.
    
  • Max Stack: 15 -> 10
    
  • Removed the AR/MR increase, instead each stack now decreases damage taken by flat 2%
    
  • Movespeed Increase per Stack: 5% -> 6%
    

Offhands:

• Eye of Secrets:
  
  • Highest Energy Regeneration Bonus: 30% -> 15%
    
  • Highest Max Energy boost: 40% -> 60%
    

Potions:

• Sticky Potions:
  
  • All potions now always have the 3m radius. (like the T3 Sticky Potion)
    
  • Area Duration: 8s -> 6s
    
  • Damage Reduction is now reduced by 50%
    
  • Cooldown: 120s -> 150s
    
• Energy Potion Restoration:
  
  • Minor Energy Potion: 25% -> 30%
    
  • Energy Potion: 35% -> 50%
    
  • Major Energy Potion: 45% -> 70%
    

Current Balance Changes for Kay
This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.


Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.


Systems:

• Reworked Diminishing Returns:
  
  • Every effect now has it's own Diminishing Return, i.e. Stuns only diminish the duration of stuns, silence only of silences, ec.
    With this change Slows will trigger Diminishing Returns again.
    
• Channled Movement Spells can now be canceled by pressing the button again. (i.e. Whirlwind, Hurricane, Block, Focused Run can be manually canceled)
  

Cursed Staffs:

• Grudge:
  
  • Grudge doesn't apply Vile Curses anmore, but has now it's own seperate DoT.
    
  • The new Grudge dot has it's first tick after 1s.
    
  • The new Dot can be stacked up to 6 times
    
  • Duration: 6s -> 10s
    
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
  • Energycost: 4 -> 7
    
• Area of Decay
  
  • Now Removes 1 Healing Stack per time. (So Nature Rejuvenation stacks get reduced by one, with each tick
    

Daggers:

• Sunder Armor:
  
  • Cooldown: 3s -> 2s
    
  • Energycost: 5 -> 4
    
  • Armor Reduction: 0.05 -> 0.04
    
• Assassin Spirit:
  
  • Now decreases the armor always by flat 4% (per stack), indpendent of the weapon's Item Power
    
• Shadow Edge:
  
  • The spell now stuns, instead of Roots
    
  • The player is now invisible and invulnerable during the pull.
    
  • Now only hits enemies, can't be used on allies anymore
    
• Devastating Strike:
  
  • Now purges on the first hit. (instead of the second hit)
    

Fire Staffs:

• Fire Bolt:
  
  • Cast Time: 1.5s -> 1s
    
  • Energycost: 5 -> 4
    
  • Instant Damage: 120.83 -> 89.51
    
  • First Burn Damage after: 1s -> 0s
    
  • Base Dot Damage: 10.29 -> 2.74 -> 5.72
    
  • Number of Ticks: 3 -> 5
    
  • The Dot now stacks up to 5 times
    

Frost Staffs:

• Frost Bolt:
  
  • Damage: 96.67 -> 87.52
    
  • Slow Strength: 20% -> 25%
    

Hammers:

• Knockout:
  
  • Doubled Sleep Duration vs mobs
    

Maces:

• Snare Charge:
  
  • Doubled Root Duration vs Mobs
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Cartwheel
  
  • Cast Range: 4m -> 8m
    
  • Cooldown: 6s -> 5s
    
• Forceful Swing:
  
  • Debuff Duration: 5s -> 8s
    
  • Against Mobs: Now also reduces attack speed
    

Spears:

• Spear: 1.0 -> 1.1 (Normal Attack DPS stays the same)
  
• Glaive Attack Speed: 1.1 -> 0.9 (Normal Attack DPS stays the same)
  
• Heron Spear Attack Speed: 1.0 -> 1.1 (Normal Attack DPS stays the same)
  

• Reckless Charge:
  
  • Knock up time: 0.4s -> 0.6s
    
  • Jump Time: 0.73s -> 0.61s
    

Swords:

• Mighty Swing:
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.3s -> 0.2s
    
  • Standtime: 0s -> 0.3s
    

Armors:

• Taunt:
  
  • Additional Aggro creation around the caster: 100 -> 200
    

• Inferno Shield:
  
  • Armor Increase: 0.30 -> 0.25
    

Helmets:

• Smokebomb:
  
  • Hitdelay: 0s -> 0.4s
    
  • Total Duration: 4s -> 4.6s
    

• Hush:
  
  • The target is now silenced 1s after it was attacked.
    

Potions:

• Poison Potions:
  
  • % based Damage has been replaced by fix amount of true damage per tick.
    

Current Changes for the next Combat Balance Update, which will go live end of January / early February. (The Staff of Balance change will go live with the first possible patch in January)

This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.


Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.


Arcane Staffs:

• Arcane Protection:
  
  • If the target wears a plate armor, the target's threat generation is doubled, And if the target wears any other armor, the target's threat generation is halved.
    
• Energy Bolt:
  
  • The ability is reworked. It is now a cast spell, which damages enemies. The damage height, depends on the target's energy left.
    
• Frazzle:
  
  • Cast Time: 1.2s -> 1.5s
    
  • Cooldown: 0s -> 10s
    
  • Damage: 91.99 -> 103.11
    
  • Doesn't reduce resistances anymore, instead increases the target's damage taken by 40%.
    
  • Debuff Duration: 7s -> 5s
    
  • Energycost: 4 -> 9
    
• Empowering Beam:
  
  • Tick Interval: 0.3s -> 0.25s (this means the beam stacks up faster)
    
  • Max Channel Duration: 7.5s -> 5s
    
• Energy Beam:
  
  • Can now also be cast on allies. When cast on allies it restores their energy.
    
  • Enemy energy loss: 6.30 -> 5.20
    

Axes:

• Fierce Strike:
  
  • The ability has been reworked. It now cleaves all enemies around the player and doesn't require an enemy target anymore and applies Rending stacks to all enemies hit.
    
  • Cooldown: 2s -> 3s
    
  • Damage: 72.39 -> 50.02
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0s
    
• Internal Bleeding:
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Standtime: 0s -> 0.3s
    
  • Radius: 5m -> 6m
    

• Rending Swing:
  
  • The ability is reworked, it doesn't require an enemy target anymore, It spreads Rending Dot stacks to all enemies hit.
    
  • The Healing Reduction is removed
    
  • Damage: 84.35 -> 144.60
    
  • Hitdelay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Standtime: 1s -> 0.4s
    
  • Radius: 5m -> 7m
    

Cursed Staffs:

• Cataclysm
  
  • Armor Debuff can't be stacked anymore. (the debuff won't increase if multiple staffs cast the ability on the same target)
    
  • Damage: 191.95 -> 175.95
    

Daggers:

• Sunder Armor:
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
• Assassin Spirit:
  
  • The spell is reworked into a toggle spell. While toggled on the caster stacks up a % damage buff. (which can also be consumed for some E abilities) But, while toggled on it also reduces the caster's resistances.
    
• Dash:
  
  • Energycost: 8 -> 0
    
• Throwing Blades:
  
  • The Blades now pierce through enemies and are not destroyed on enemy contact anymore.
    
• Forbidden Stab:
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Now reduces Healing done AND Healing Received. (so the effect is twice as strong on self heals)
    
• Slit Throat:
  
  • Damage: 410.23 -> 430.74
    
• Devastating Strike:
  
  • Second Hit Damage: 231.66 -> 144.79
    
  • Deals an additional 150 true damage on the first hit.
    
• Ghost Strike
  
  • Now also makes the caster 3s invisible to other players, after the hit.
    
  • Cast Range: 9m -> 7m
    
  • End Distance behind the enemy: 3m -> 5m
    

Frost Staffs:

• Frost Nova:
  
  • The Spell is now a short range teleport, which leaves the Frost Nova at the inintial area the player came from.
    
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 20s
    
  • Energycost: 13 -> 14
    
  • Damage: 66.44 -> 85.80
    
  • Root Duration: 2.19 -> 2.44
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Hurricane
  
  • Now also makes you the top threat target for every mob hit.
    

Swords:

• Heroic Strike:
  
  • Hitdelay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    

Helmets:

• Emergency Heal:
  
  • Added an addtional flat 5% Max Health restoration for the caster.
    
• Mortal Agony
  
  • Now always reveals invisible enemies, regardless of their Health.
    

Shoes:

• Evasive Jump:
  
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
• Blink:
  
  • Cast Range: 7m -> 9m
    
• Raging Blink:
  
  • Cast Range: 5m -> 7m
    
• Mark of Sacrifice:
  
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 15m
    

Current Changes for the next Combat Balance Update, which will go live with the next content update. (The mount changes and a couple of ZvZ hotfixes are intended to go live with Kay patch#4.)


This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in thefinal patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.

Misc:

• Mobs now give a small amount of energy on death (this is also shared in groups, similiar to fame)
  
• Flattened the CC Duration & CC Reistance curve. This should not affect when fought on equal gear, but normalize cc duration in gear difference. i.e. a T8 weapon stun doesn't last forever on a T2 armor target)
  
  • Halfed CC Resistance increase per IP
    
  • Halfed CC Duration increase per IP
    

Arcane Staffs:

• Energy Bolt
  
  • Min Damage: 86.58 -> 97.40
    
• Arcane Protection:
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Arcane Orb:
  
  • Now Purges enemies on hit
    
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
  • Radius: 7m -> 6m
    
  • Silence Duration: 2.13 -> 1.08
    
  • Silence Duration is doubled when used against mobs
    

Axes:

• Rending Strike:
  
  • Bleed Duration: 4s -> 5s
    
• Rending Swing:
  
  • Bleed Duration: 4s -> 5s
    
  • Radius: 5m -> 6m
    
• Razor Cut:
  
  • Reduced the hit area size
    

Bows:

• Removed the Passive Aggressive Rush
  
• Added a New Passive: Piercing Arrows - Each normal attack increases the target's damage received by 1% for 3s (stacks up to 5 times)
  
• Deadly Shot:
  
  • Cast Time: 1.5s -> 1s
    
  • Damage: 109.51 -> 82.37
    
  • Cast Speed Increase: 20% -> 15%
    
  • Energycost: 4 -> 3
    
• Explosive Arrows:
  
  • Gets now activated everytime an arrow hits an enemy (can now also be activated by your abilities, i.e. while active each hit of a Multishot triggers an explosion)
    
  • Number of Shots: 5 -> 8
    
  • Damage: 26.30 -> 21.45
    
  • Buff Duration: 10s -> 15s
    
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
  • Energycost: 11 -> 12
    
• Speed Shot:
  
  • The buff now also increases attack speed
    
  • Movespeed increase: 33% -> 20%
    
• Ray of Light
  
  • It can now hit multiple enemies
    
  • Radius: 2m -> 3m
    

Crossbows:

• Deathward Climax
  
  • Channel Duration: 5s -> 3.6s
    
  • Damage Interval: 0.25s -> 0.3s
    
  • Total Channel Damage: 643.50 -> 720.72
    

Daggers:

• Devastating Strike:
  
  • The Channel is now uninterruptible
    

Fire Staffs:

• Fire Bolt:
  
  • Burn Tick: 5 -> 4
    
  • First Burn tick after: 0s -> 1s
    
• Fire Wall
  
  • Duration: 6s -> 5s
    
• Flame Tornado:
  
  • Damage per Tick: 71.41 -> 51.00
    
  • Damage per Tick vs mobs: 71.41 -> 41.56 -> 47.23
    

Frost Staffs:

• Frost Bolt:
  
  • Doesn't trigger Diminishing Returns anymore.
    

Holy Staffs:

• Flash Heal:
  
  • Energycost: 4.5 -> 4
    
  
  
  • Energy gain on max stacks: 2 -> 4
    
• Generous Heal:
  
  • Energycost: 6 -> 7
    
• Desperate Prayer:
  
  • Max Heal Condition: 40% Health or lower -> 30% Health or lower
    
• Salvation:
  
  • Max Targets: 5 -> 10
    

Maces:

• Snare Charge:
  
  • Jump Time: 0.73s -> 0.55s
    
  • Standtime: 0s -> 0.5s
    
  • Radius: 4m -> 6m
    
  • Impact radius now also interrupts enemy spell casts
    
• Brute Force:
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 10s
    
  • Stun Duration: 3.02 -> 1.77
    
  • Damage: 37.44 -> 25-07
    
  • Energycost: 17 -> 10
    
  • Knockback Distance: 10.08 -> 6.75
    

Nature Staffs:

• Rejuvenation:
  
  • Cooldown: 1.5s -> 1.3s
    
  • Energycost: 4.5 -> 3.9 -> 3
    
  • Number of Ticks: 8 -> 9 (first tick happens at 0s, so the HoT duration is 8s)
    
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Circle of Life:
  
  • Doesn't consume the Rejuvenation stacks anymore.
    
• Ruthless Nature:
  
  • The channel is now uninterruptible
    
  • Reflected Damage: 35% -> 40%
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Mystic Rocks:
  
  • Max Duration: 20s -> 15s
    
  • Healing Reduction: 50% -> 40%
    

Spears:

• Lunging Strike
  
  • Cooldown: 4s -> 3s
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0.1s
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
• Cripple
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0.1s
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
• Deflecting Spin
  
  • The caster can now move during the channel
    
• Reckless Charge
  
  • The spell has been reworked to a forward leap, which knocks enemeis instantly up. (The caster dashs forward, similiar to the Bloodletter E)
    

Swords:

• Charge (the spell is reworked)
  
  • Cast Time: 0s -> 0.5s (uniterruptible)
    
  • Range: 9m -> 12m
    
  • After the cast the player is completely invincible to damage and cc for 1s (The Charge dashs through Fire Wall or Wind Wall for instance)
    
  • Removed the root, instead it consumes Heroic Charges for more damage
    
  • Max Damage: 170.27 -> 292.41
    
  • Standtime: 0s -> 0.8s
    
  • Now always stuns enemies for 0.8s, igrnoring crowd control resistance. (this doesn't apply to mounted players)
    
• Soulless Stream:
  
  • Cast Time: 0.7s -> 0.9s
    

Offhands:

• Taproot:
  
  • Hitpoints Increase Factor: 20 -> 15
    

Armors:

• Levitate:
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 45s
    
• Self Ignition:
  
  • Now also reduces Healing Received for the caster.
    
• Force Shield:
  
  • Max affected targets: 5 -> 10
    
• Ambush:
  
  • Max Damage Increase: 50% -> 40%
    
• Scholar Robe*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 80%
    
• Cleric Robe*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 70%
    
• Mage Robe*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 60%
    
• Mercenary Jacket*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 150%
    
• Hunter Jacket*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 140%
    
• Assassin Jacket*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 0% -> 130%
    
• Soldier Armor*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 200% -> 200%
    
• Knight Armor*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 200% -> 210%
    
• Guardian Armor*
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 200% -> 220%
    
• Gatherer Gear
  
  • Health Regeneration Bonus: 15% -> 215%
    
• *also applies to arifact armors with the same stats
  

Shoes:

• Splash Wave:
  
  • Knockback distance is now normalized and doesn't scale with Item Power
    

Food

• T8 Normal Fish Buff:
  
  • Increased Crowd Control Duration: 15% -> 10%
    

Flame Basilisk: (it's role is reworked)

• Stats:
  
  • Movespeed: 120%
    
  • Resistance Factor: 0.8
    
  • CCR Factor: 1.4
    
• Spells:
  
  • Q - A 10m radius ground attack, which increases damage taken by 15% for 10s. And deals no damage (can't be stacked)
    
  • E - A cone attack which instantly deals medium one time damage and reduces healing received by 35% for 7s
    

Venom Basilisk: (it's role is reworked)

• Stats:
  
  • Movespeed: 120%
    
  • Resistance Factor: 0.8
    
  • CCR Factor: 1.4
    
• Spells:
  
  • Q - A 10m radius ground attack, which reduces damage dealt by 25% for 10s. And deals no damage (can't be stacked)
    
  • E - A cone attack which instantly deals medium one time damage and increases damage taken by 50% for 7s
    

Siege Ballista:

• Q - Low damage Dot and CC Resistance Reduction
  
• E - Deals now 3% true damage per hit against mounts and 1.5% true damage vs normal players.
  

Current changes for the next Combat Balance Update, which will go live in a 'Mid-Season' patch during Lancelot.


This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.

Arcane Staffs:

• Arcane Orb:
  
  • Removed the knockback
    
  • Silence Duration: 1.08 -> 1.68
    
  • Damage: 37.93 -> 73.01
    
• Time Corridor:
  
  • Slow Stregth: 25% -> 30%
    
  • Damage per Tick: 16.05 -> 18.35
    
• Void:
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 40s
    

Bows:

• Rain of Arrows:
  
  • Cast Range: 13m -> 15m
    

Crossbows:

• Exploding Shot:
  
  • Cast Time: 1s -> 0s
    
  • First hit damage: 59.67 -> 50.90
    
  • Explosion damage: 189.43 -> 201.96
    
  • Energycost: 17 -> 15
    

Cursed Staffs:

• Desecrate:
  
  • Radius: 5m -> 9m
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0.6s
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0,8s
    
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    
• Death Curse:
  
  • Cast Time: 1.5s -> 0.6s
    
• Area of Decay:
  
  • Delay until first hit: 1s -> 0s
    
  • Energycost: 24 -> 17
    
• Hunting Screams: (reworked)
  
  • Now this spell is a 0.8s cast, instead of a channel
    
  • The area can be cast on the ground and has a slow forward movement.
    
  • Area Radius: 7m -> 6m
    
  
  
  

Daggers:

• Poison Coating: (reworked)
  
  • Is now a toggle spell (which can't be purged)
    
  • Each Auto Attack now also increases your attack speed by 12% and your move speed by 30% for 1s. (this can be stacked up to 3 times)
    
  • While toggled on it reduces the caster's max hitpoints by 3% per second. (stacks up to 8 times)
    
  • Additional Poison Damage: 50.90 -> 45.85
    
  • Duration: 5s -> 8s
    

Fire Staffs:

• Flame Pillar:
  
  • Damage: 153.74 -> 169.12
    
• Contagious Fire:
  
  • Cast Time: 1.5s -> 1.2s
    
  • Damage per tick: 27.75 -> 34.68
    

Frost Staffs:

• Frost Nova:
  
  • Cast Range: 7m -> 11m
    
  • Energycost: 14 -> 12
    
• Hail:
  
  • Delay until the second hail wave: 2.4s -> 1.5s
    
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 15m
    
• Ice Storm:
  
  • Damage per tick: 25.77 -> 27.86
    

Hammers:

• Giant Steps:
  
  • The spell can't be purged anymore
    
  • Attack Damage Increase: 146% -> 135%
    
  • Slow Radius: 7m -> 5m
    
  • Slow Strength: 50% -> 35%
    
  • Standtime: 0.6s -> 0s
    

Holy Staffs:

• Salvation:
  
  • Cast Time: 1,5s -> 1s
    
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 14m
    

Maces:

• Defensive Slam:
  
  • Resistance Increase: 0.08 -> 0.15
    
  • Damage: 83.36 -> 77.81
    
  • Radius 4m -> 5m
    
  • Buff Duration: 5s -> 3s
    
• Stalling Slam:
  
  • Reworked the Spell, it now decreases an enemy's energy on hit. And gives energy for up to 5 allies in a 5m radius
    
  • Cooldown: 3s -> 4s
    
  • Damage: 55.58 -> 36.33
    

Nature Staffs:

• Ruthless Nature:
  
  • The caster can now move during the channel.
    
  • The channel is not uninterruptible anymore. -> The Channel can't be interrupted
    
  • Removed the reflect damage.
    
  • The area now also slows enemies by 20%
    
  • Area Radius: 6m -> 8m
    
  • Heal per Tick: 27.22 -> 30.21
    
  • Energycost: 20 -> 18
    
• Spirit Animal:
  
  • Heal per tick: 19.18 -> 11.51
    
  • Max Stacks: 3 -> 5
    

Helmets:

• Retaliate:
  
  • Cooldown: 60s -> 45s
    
• Mortal Agony:
  
  • Damage Increase: 15% -> 20%
    
  • Resistance Reduction: 0.83 -> 0.54
    
• Stone Skin:
  
  • Cooldown: 60s -> 45s
    

Armors:

• Fear Aura:
  
  • Stepping in the area now always fears for 1s (ignoring cc resistance)
    
  • It also makes the target immune to the area for 1.2s (giving an opportunity to activate a spell before getting feared multiple times)
    
• Force Shield:
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 40s
    
  • Resistance Increase: 0.5 -> 0.4
    
  
  
  

Shoes:

• Evasive Jump:
  
  • Range: 12m -> 9m
    
• Giant:
  
  • The spell can't be purged anymore.
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0s
    
  • Hitdelay: 0.3s -> 0
    

Battle Mounts:

• All Battle Mounts get a Battle Mount Gallop spell on their 'F' slot.
  
• Battle Mount Gallop is a toggle spell, which makes the mount fast enough to travel with a zerg. But silences them a couple seconds after the gallop ended. (taking damage also ends the spell)
  
• Base Movment Speed Adjustments:
  
  • Command Mammoth: 100% -> 110%
    
  • Flame Basilisk: 120% -> 140%
    
  • Venom Basilisk: 120% -> 140%
    
  • Siege Ballista: 90% -> 120
    

Current changes for the next Combat Balance Patch, which are planned to go live before the start of Season 3.


This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.

Arcane Staffs

• Time Corridor (Occult Staff)
  
  • Now also boosts attack speed of allies inside the area
    
  • Removed the Damage Over Time effect
    

Axes

• Tear Apart (Halberd)
  
  • Instant Damage: 144.60 -> 137.37
    
• Rending Bleed Stacks (all axes)
  
  • Healing Reduction: 10% → 7%
    

Bows

• Deadly Shot (all bows)
  
  • Removed the cast Speed Increase
    
  • It now reduces enemy resistances (stacks up to 3 times)
    
  • Damage: 81.43 -> 86.52
    
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 13m
    
• Multishot (all bows)
  
  • Range: 11m -> 12m
    

Cursed Staffs:

• Haunting Screams (Cursed Skull)
  
  • Does not require Line of Sight anymore
    

Daggers:

• Sunder Armor (all daggers)
  
  • Armor Reduction vs mobs: 0.04 → 0.06
    

Fire Staffs

• Flame Tornado (Blazing Staff)
  
  • Damage vs Mobs: 47.23 → 43.45
    

Frost Staffs

• Frost Bomb (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Hit Delay: 2s -> 1.6s
    
• Frost Nova (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0s
    
  • Now completely freezes enemies (Frozen enemies can't attack or cast)
    
  • Freeze Duration: 2.44s -> 1.26s
    
• Avalanche (Hoarfrost Staff)
  
  • Cast Time: 1s -> 0.7s
    
• Frozen Hell (Icicle Staff)
  
  • Cast Time: 1s -> 0s
    
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0.4s
    
• Ice Crystal (Permafrost Prism)
  
  • Damage vs mobs: 184.69 → 253.70
    

Holy Staffs

• Holy Explosion (Great Holy Staff)
  
  • Heal per Tick: 34.75 -> 40.67
    
• Holy Touch (Lifetouch Staff)
  
  • Cast Range: 3m -> 6m
    
  • Can now be casted when silenced / stunned
    
• Salvation (Fallen Staff)
  
  • Delay after cast: 3s -> 2s
    
  • Energycost: 24 -> 18
    
• Holy Orb (Redemption Staff)
  
  • The orb now always heals for the same amount, no matter the distance
    
  • Min Heal: 66.36 -> 144.79
    
  • Max Heal: 225.63 -> 144.79
    
  • Projectile Speed: 14.67m/s -> 11.00m/s
    
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    

Nature Staffs

• Hit & Run (passive)
  
  • Spells to trigger the effect: 4 -> 6
    
• Poison Thorns (all Nature Staffs)
  
  • Number of ticks: 10 -> 7
    
  • Damage per tick: 11.94 -> 12.83
    
  
  
  
• Spirit Animal (Rampant Staff)
  
  • Spell has been reworked, and no longer stacks up over time. Now the healing strength depends on number of allies inside the area of each tick. It also can’t be purged anymore.
    

Quarter Staffs

• Cartwheel (all Quarter Staffs)
  
  • Cooldown: 5s -> 6s
    
• Forceful Swing (all Quarter Staffs)
  
  • Auto Attack Damage Reduction vs mobs: 30% → 50%
    
  • Radius: 5m → 6m
    
• Mystic Rocks (Staff of Balance)
  
  • Energycost: 0 -> 20% of max energy
    
  • Slow Strength: 60% -> 50%
    
• Hurricane (Iron-clad Staff)
  
  • Knockback Distance: 1.91m -> 5m
    

Spears

• Cripple (all spears)
  
  • Cooldown: 15s -> 20s
    
• Reckless Charge (Spear)
  
  • Range: 13m -> 11m
    
  • Enemy airborne duration: 0.6s -> 0.5s
    
  • Damage: 235.06 -> 198.90
    

Helmets

• Energy Regain (all helmets)
  
  • Channel Duration: 7s -> 10s
    
  • Energy per tick: 7.10 -> 8.10
    
• Force Field (Cloth Cowls)
  
  • Radius: 5m -> 6m
    
  • Knockback Distance: 11.67 -> 14.22
    
• Energy Shield (Scholar Cowl)
  
  • Physical Resistance: 0.16 -> 0.38
    
  • Magic Resistance: 0.16 -> 0.10
    
• Perpetual Energy (Royal Cowl)
  
  • Duration: 10s -> 15s
    
• Mortal Agony (Stalker Hood)
  
  • Armor Reduction: 0.54 → 0.50
    
• Electric Discharge (Judicator Helmet)
  
  • Cast Time: 0s -> 1.2s
    
  • Hitdelay: 0.6s -> 0s
    

Armors

• Speed Caster (Scholar Robe)
  
  • Energy Cost Reduction: 40% -> 70%
    
• Obsessive Burst (Druid Robe)
  
  • Damage & Heal Power Increase per Stack: 8% -> 7%
    
• Self Ignition (Specter Jacket)
  
  • Can't be purged anymore
    
• Fury (Soldier Armor)
  
  • Increased CC Duration per stack: 10% -> 6%
    
• Force Shield (Judicator Armor)
  
  • Healing Received Increase: 50% -> 35%
    

Shoes

• Focused Run (Scholar Sandals)
  
  • Movespeed Increase: 60% -> 100%
    
• Defenseless Rush (Royal Sandals)
  
  • It's now a toggle spell and can't be purged
    
  • It doesn't reduce a flat resistance value anymore. Instead while active the caster's damage taken is increased by 15%
    
  • Max Duration: 5s -> 7s
    
• Rotten Ground (Cultist Sandals)
  
  • The area don't deal damage anymore, it instead reduces enemy resistances
    
• Spectral Run (Specter Shoes)
  
  • Max Channel Duration: 20s -> 16s
    

Offhands

• Offhand scaling reworked. All offhand items now scale completely with item power. i.e. profits from destiny board masteries and item quality bonus
  
• This means offhands now benefit from destiny board masteries and item quality
  
• This is not a straight bonus on top, but instead the progression curve has been reworked, so offhand bonus stats should roughly stay around the same values.
  

Potions

• Gigantify Potions:
  
  • Duration: 10s -> 8s
    

Food

• Flattened the progression of Combat Related stats on food:
  
  • Food Effect Progression (old)
    
    • Low tier Base: 100% -> 100%
      
    • Low Tier Enchanted 1: 150% -> 150%
      
    • Low Tier Enchanted 2 / Mid Tier Base: 200% -> 190%
      
    • Low Tier Enchanted 3 / Mid Tier Enchanted 1: 250% -> 230%
      
    • Mid Tier Enchanted 2 / High Tier Base: 300% -> 270%
      
    • Mid Tier Enchanted 3 / High Tier Enchanted 1: 350% -> 300%
      
    • High Tier Enchanted 2: 400% -> 330%
      
    • High Tier Enchanted 3: 450% -> 350%
      
• Base Stat value from Fish Food: 75% -> 70
  

Misc

• Cleansing any CC effect now grants a 1-second CC immunity
  

Current changes for the Merlyn Content Update. These Balance Changes are not finished and you can expect many more balance changes before the final version of Merlyn goes live.

This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.


New Items:

Faction Capes:
All Faction Capes have the same max energy and energy regenration benefits from normal capes. And additionally a unique ability which gets automatically triggered by certain conidtions and then goes on cooldown.

• Sandstorm (Bridgewatch Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates on auto attack
    
  • Creates a 4m radius sandstorm at the enemy position. Slows enemies by 50% and reduces their damage by 50%. (Sandstorm duration 5s)
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 73s, 1300 IP = 55s)
    
• Untouchable (Fort Sterling Cape)
  
  • Condition: Automatically activates when you get stunned or rooted
    
  • Effect: Removes any movement-impairing and debuff effects from you. (Doesn't remove damage over time spells)
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 136s, 1300 IP 100s)
    
• Energy Reserve (Lymhurst Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when you cast a spell and your energy drops below 40%
    
  • Effect: Restores 5% energy per second for 10 seconds.
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 162s, 1300 IP = 120s)
    
• Shield of Protection (Martlock Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when you take damage and your health is below 25%.
    
  • Effect: Increases your defense by 66% for 3s
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 188s, 1300 IP = 140s)
    
• Chain Lightning (Thetford Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates on auto attack
    
  • Effect: Releases a Chain Lighting, dealing magic damage to up to 4 enemies. (The damage scales with Item Power)
    
  • Cooldown: 15s
    
  
  
  
  
  

Arcane Staffs:

• Added the Passive Aggressive Caster
  
• Removed the Passive Magic Force
  

Bows:

• Enchanted Quiver (Regular Bow)
  
• Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
  
• Max Buff Duration: 25s -> 20s
  

Cursed Staffs:

• Vile Curse
  
  • Cast Range: 8m -> 9m
    
  • Number of Ticks: 4 -> 5
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
• Cursed Sickle
  
  • Cast Range: 12m -> 13m
    
  • Cooldown: 4s -> 3.5s
    
• Dark Matter (New W-slot spell)
  
  • Casts a Dark Matter onto an enemy target. This matter keeps jumping to the closest enemy in a 7m radius for up to 10 times. Dealing magic damage to every enemy it passes through. The spell can't hit the same enemy twice in a row, but keeps jumping back and forth if at least two enemies are in range.
    
  • Cast time: 1.2s -> 1s
    
  • Cast Range: 11m
    
  • Cooldown: 20s
    
  • Damage vs Players: 56.05 -> 65.88
    
    
  • Damage vs Mobs: 22.42 -> 26.35
    

Fire Staffs:

• Flame Pillar (Great Fire Staff)
  
• Damage: 169.12 -> 184
  

Frost Staffs:

• Shatter (New W-slot spell)
  
  • Creates three areas in a row in front of the caster, each dealing magic damage.
    
  • instant skillshot
    
  • Area Range: 16m
    
  • Cooldown: 8s
    
• Ice Storm (Glacial Staff)
  
  • Can now be cast in a 11m radius and then moves 23m forward from that position.
    
  • Cast Time: 2s -> 1.5s
    

Hammers:

• Iron Breaker (New Q-slot spell)
  
  • Slams the hammer in the ground in front of the caster. Reduces resistances for 5s and deals physical damage to all enemies in a 3m radius.
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.5s
    
  • Cooldown: 5s
    

Holy Staffs:

• Flash Heal (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Cast Time: 1s -> 0.8s
    

Maces:

• Root Prison (Morning Star)
  
  • Cooldown now scales with Item Power (100 IP: 33s; 1700 IP: 25s)
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Cartwheel
  
  • Cooldown: 6s -> 7s
    
• Hurricane (Iron-Clad Staff)
  
  • Cooldown now scales with Item Power (100 IP: 23.8s; 1700 IP: 19s)
    
• Mystic Rocks (Staff of Balance)
  
  • Cooldown now scales with Item Power (100 IP: 37s; 1700 IP: 29s)
    

Spears:

• Spear Throw (Heron Spear)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    
• Harpoon (Spirit Hunter)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    

Swords:

• Dual Swords Normal Attacks
  
  • Attack Interval: every 0.91s -> every 0.71s (Attack DPS stays the same)
    
• Galatine Pair Normal Attacks
  
  • Attack Interval: every 0.91s -> every 0.71s (Attack DPS stays the same)
    
• Spinning Blades (Dual Swords)
  
  • Radius: 4m -> 5m
    

Armors:

• Bloodlust (Mercenary Jacket)
  
  • Heal per tick: 29.25 -> 26.00
    
• Life Steal Aura (Hellion Jacket)
  
  • Duration: 6s -> 10s
    
  • Cooldown: 60s -> 45s
    
  • Hitdelay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Standtime: 0.6s -> 0.4s
    
• Protection of the Fiends (Demon Armor)
  
  • The caster can now move freely during the channel.
    
  • Reflected Damage: 45% -> 60%
    

Shoes:

• Focused Run (Cleric Sandal)
  
  • Makes now fully immune to Crowd Control Effects
    
• Mark of Sacrifice
  
  • Reworked the spell: Mark an enemy or ally and become invisible to players for 2s. After the 2s you dash to the marked target and your damage increases by 35% for 4s. You can cancel the channel at any time, which will leave you at your current position.
    
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 20s
    

Offhands:

• Regular Shields
  
  • Crowd Control Resistance Factor: 0.28 -> 0.36
    
• Tower Shields
  
  • Bonus Defense Factor: 0.16 -> 0.15
    
• Mistcallers
  
  • Cooldown Reduction Factor: 0.162 -> 0.15
    
• Leering Canes
  
  • Bonus CC Duration Factor: 0.3 -> 0.4
    
• Tome of Spells:
  
  • Now also increases Max Energy and energy regeneration (For Comparison, Tome of Spells energy factor: 0.15 / Eye of Secrets energy factor = 0.4)
    

Mounts:

• Direwolves
  
  • Health Factor: 0.3 -> 0.24
    

Current changes for a Balance Patch planned for the start of season 4. These Balance Changes are not finished and you can expect more balance changes before the final version goes live.

This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.


Arcane Staffs:

• Energy Bolt (all Arcane Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0s
    
• Frazzle (all Arcane Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0s
    
  • Cast Range: 9m -> 11m
    
• Arcane Orb (normal Arcane Staff)
  
  • Projectile Speed: 5.75 m/s -> 14.3 m/s
    

Axes:

• Rending Bleed (all Axes)
  
  • Multiple players can't stack the bleed on the same target. Instead they will now override each other's debuffs.
    
• Whirlwind (Great Axe)
  
  • Damage per tick: 40.10 -> 46.00
    
• Tear Apart (Halberd)
  
  • Damage: 137.37 -> 125.00
    

Bows:

• Deadly Shot (all Bows)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Enchanted Quiver (normal Bow)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 20s
    
  • Time for Arrows to expire: 20s -> 30s
    
  • Buff Duration per hit: 4s -> 5s
    
• Undead Arrows (Whispering Bow)
  
  • Duration: 8s -> 10s
    

Crossbows:

• Auto Fire (all Crossbows)
  
  • Channel Duration: 4s -> 3s
    
  • Damage per hit: 31.98 -> 28.01
    
  • The last hit now triggers an explosion on the target, dealing an additional 67.22 damage in a 5m radius
    
  • Energycost: 7 -> 5
    
• Snipeshot (Crossbow)
  
  • Cast Time: 3s -> 2.5s
    
  • Standtime: 1s -> 0.6s
    
• Explosive Mine (Weeping Repeater)
  
  • The mine is now inactive for the first 2 seconds
    
  • Damage: 142.56 -> 270
    
  • Cast Range: 13m -> 15m
    

Cursed Staffs:

• Desecrate (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Can now be cast in a 13m radius on the ground
    
  • Radius: 9m -> 4m
    
  • Root Duration: 1.84 -> 2.60
    
  • Removed the instant base damage (now only deals damage through the Vile Curse)
    
  • Hitdelay: 0.6s -> 0.4s
    
  • Standtime: 0.8s -> 0.6s
    
• Dark Matter (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Damage vs Mobs: 26.35 -> 32.94
    
• Area of Decay (Great Cursed Staff)
  
  • Radius: 4m -> 5m
    
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    
  • Tick interval: every 1s -> every 0.8s
    
• Field of Death (Demonic Staff)
  
  • Damage vs Mobs: 11.40 -> 25.53
    

Daggers:

• Added new W-Slot Spell: Chain Slash (all Daggers)
  
  • Quickly slash through multiple enemies. You keep jumping to the closest enemy in a 8m radius for up to 4 times, dealing physical damage to each enemy. While you are slashing though the enemies you are invisible to players.
    
• Assassin's Spirit (all Daggers)
  
  • Self Armor Reduction per stack: 0.09 -> 0.04
    
• Slit Throat (Dual Daggers)
  
  • Cast Time: 0.6s -> 0.4s
    

Fire Staffs:

• Fire Bolt (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Standtime 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Fire Bomb (all Fire Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    

Frost Staffs:

• Frostbolt (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Hoarfrost (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Frost Beam (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 12m
    
  • Move- & Attack Speed Reduction per tick: 10% -> 15%
    
• Shatter (all Frost Staffs)
  
  • Damage: 86.91 -> 93.60
    
• Freezing Wind (normal Frost Staff)
  
  • Damage: 145.41 -> 160.00
    
• Ice Storm (Glacial Staff)
  
  • Slow Duration per tick: 1s -> 3s
    
  • Slot base strength: 30% -> 15%
    
  • Cast Range: 11m -> 5m
    
  • Damage against Players: 27.86 -> 35.0
    
  • Damage against Mobs: 15.60 -> 16.7
    

Hammers:

• Giant Steps (Forge Hammers)
  
  • Slow Strength: 35% -> 50%
    

Holy Staffs:

• Added a new E-slot Spell to Redemption Staff: Celestial Sphere
  
  • Can be cast on an ally, the Sphere will keep jumping to the closest ally in a 10m radius for up to 12 times. Healing every ally hit. The spell can't hit the same target twice in a row, but keeps jumping back and forth if at least two allies are in range.
    
• Removed the spell Enlightenment (all Holy Staffs)
  
• Moved Holy Orb to the W-slot (all Holy Staffs)
  
• Flash Heal (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
  • Heal Value: 42.18 -> 45.00
    
• Generous Heal (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Smite (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Standtime: 0.2s -> 0s
    
• Holy Beam (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • First Tick: 13.01 -> 30.00
    
  • The last hit now doesn't tick twice anymore
    
• Holy Orb (all Holy Staffs)
  
  • Hitdelay: 0.3s -> 0s
    
  • Standtime: 0.8s -> 0.4s
    
  • Projectile Speed: 12.5 m/s -> 16.7 m/s
    
• Desperate Prayer (Holy Staff)
  
  • Health Threshhold for max heal: 30% -> 40%
    
• Salvation (Fallen Staff)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    
  • Heal Value: 236.20 -> 270.00
    

Maces:

• Removed the spell Brute Force (Bedrock Mace)
  
• Added a new E-slot Spell to Bedrock Mace: Force of Nature
  
  • Cracks the earth open in a line in front of you, releasing an impregnable wind wall, which lasts for 4s. Enemies hit will be knocked 18m away (ignoring crowd control resistance) and taunts creatures.
    

Nature Staffs:

• Circle of Life (normal Nature Staff)
  
  • Cooldown: 25s -> 20s
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Entirely reworked the spell Fatal Blade (Black Monk Staff)
  
  • New Behavior: Throw your weapon to a ground target location. While you keep channeling the weapon will keep spinning at that position dealing physical damage every 0.5s in a 5m radius. Each hit also reduces enemy damage by 24% and movespeed by 8% for 6s. (stacks up to 4 times) - uninterruptible channel
    

Spears:

• Reckless Charge (normal Spear)
  
  • Range: 11m -> 13m
    
• Spear Throw (Heron Spear)
  
  • Stun Duration: 1.63 -> 1.75
    
  • Damage: 132.03 -> 148.00
    
• Harpoon (Spirit Hunter)
  
  • Now purges enemies on hit
    

Swords:

• Removed Passive: Life Leach
  
• Added new Passive: Heroic Fighting
  
  • Get a Heroic Charge every 4 normal attacks
    
• Weakening (Passive)
  
  • Effect Duration: 1s -> 2s
    
• Interrupt (all Swords)
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.2s -> 0s)
    
• Iron Will (all Swords)
  
  • Now also applies a Heroic Charge on activation
    
• Charge (Claymore)
  
  • Cast Time: 0.5s -> 0.4s
    
  • Range: 12m -> 15m
    

Armors:

• Royal Banner (Royal Jacket)
  
  • Standtime: 0.6s -> 0.2s
    
• Fury (Soldier Armor)
  
  • Damage Increase: 10% -> 6% -> 7%
    
  • CC Duration Increase: 6% -> 10% -> 7%
    
• Wind Wall (Knight Armor)
  
  • Cooldown: 50s -> 40s
    
• Protection of the Fiends (Demon Armor)
  
  • Max targets: unlimited -> 10
    
  • Reflected Damage: 60% -> 50%
    
• Force Shield (Judicator Armor)
  
  • Cooldown: 40s -> 50s
    
  • Resistance increase: 0.4 -> 0.35
    

Helmets:

• Circle of Inspiration (Druid Cowl)
  
  • Cooldown: 45s -> 60s
    
• Retaliate (Hunter Hood)
  
  • Duration: 5s -> 4s
    
• Ballista Support Fire (Royal Helmet)
  
  • Hit Delay: 1.5s -> 1s
    

Shoes:

• Focused Run (Scholar Sandals)
  
  • Now makes only immune to movement-impairing effects (can still be knocked back or silenced)
    

Potions:

• All Sticky Potions
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
• All Gigantify Potions
  
  • Duration: 8s -> 6s
    

Current changes for the next content update. These Balance Changes are not finished and you can expect more balance changes before the final version goes live.

This post gets regularly updated with the latest changes of our internal playtests.

Very Important:
All these changes are still in testing and may vastly differ in the final patch. Sometimes we just try out various things, which may get reverted. Also the balance changes are not neccessarily all complete. Just because a certain item is not adjusted in the changelogs so far, doesn't mean it isn't on our 'need to be adjusted'-list. These changes are simply a snapshot of the current development and everything in there needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

This thread is not meant to discuss these unfinished changes. It is just to give all players the same chance of guessing the direction of the next balance patch.



New Items:

Mob Capes:
All Mob Capes have the same max energy and energy regeneration benefits from normal capes. And additionally a unique ability which gets automatically triggered by certain conidtions and then goes on cooldown.

• Devious Trap (Heretic Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when you cast a shoe slot spell
    
  • Effect: Drops a trap below your feet, which is activated once an enemy steps onto it. Roots and deals physical damage.
    
    • 100 IP = 150.8s -> 110s
      
    • 1300 IP = 110s -> 80s
      
  • Cooldown: scales with IP
    
    
• Vanisher (Undead Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when you take damage and your health is below 20%.
    
  • Effect: Turns you invisible for 6s
    
  • (you can still use abilities while invisible, but your damage and heal power is reduced by 50%)
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 164.3s, 1300 IP 120s)
    
• Berserk (Keeper Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when your health drops below 60%
    
  • Effect: Increases your damage by 40% for 6s.
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 137.2s, 1300 IP = 100s)
    
• Mark of the Raven (Morgana Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activates when you use an E-slot ability
    
  • Effect: Increases your cast- and attack speed by 50% for 8s.
    
  • Cooldown: scales with IP (100 IP = 150.8s, 1300 IP = 100s)
    
• Opening to Hell (Demon Cape)
  
  • Condition: Activated by normal attack
    
  • Effect: Creates a 3m radius lava area below the enemy. Deals magic damage every 0.5s.
    
  • Cooldown: 60s
    

Arcane Staffs;

• Removed the spell Magic Sphere (Great Arcane Staff)
  
• Added the new spell Time Freeze (Great Arcane Staff)
  
  • Freezes time for all enemies in a 5m radius for 3.5s. (ignoring crowd control resistance) Frozen enemies can't move or cast and are immune to all types of spells. Enemy players are also immune to damage.
    
  • Cooldown scales with Item Power: 1200 IP: 34s / 1700 IP: 30s
    
  • Targets can't be chain frozen (they are shortly immune to another freeze)
    
  • The freeze can be cleansed
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.6s -> 0.8s
    
• Arcane Orb (Arcane Staff)
  
  • Now purges only buffs, but no Heal Effects anymore.
    
• Protective Beam (Enigmatic Staff)
  
  • Shield Area: 4m -> 5m
    
  • Cast Range: 9m -> 12m
    

Bows:

• Reworked the Deadly Shot ability:
  It is now an instant skillshot with 3s cooldown: Shoots an arrow in a staright line, which pierces through all enemies in it's way, dealing physic damage.
  
  • Range: 22m -> 18m
    
  • Damage: 86.52 -> 80.00
    
  • Also reduces enemy resistances for 6s (stacks up to 3 times)
    
• Frost Shot (all Bows)
  
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Standtime: 0.4s -> 0.2s
    
  • Jump Range: 9m -> 13m
    
  • Cooldown: 10s -> 15s
    

Frost Staffs:

• Avalanche (Hoarfrost Staff)
  
  • Freeze Duration: 2s -> 2.5s
    

Hammers:

• Giant Steps (Forge Hammers)
  
  • Now ignores Crowd Control Resistance
    

Holy Staffs:

• Salvation (Fallen Staff)
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 25s
    
• Celestial Sphere (Redemption Staff)
  
  • Jump Interval: 0.8s -> 0.6s
    
  • Max Number of Jumps: 12 -> 14
    

Maces:

• Removed the spell Threatening Strike (all Maces)
  
• Added the new spell Threatening Smash (all Maces)
  
  • After a 0.7s windup you swing your mace and hit every enemy in front of you. Dealing physic damage and also creating threat on all creatures hit. Cooldown: 5s
    
    • Adjusted area size
      
    • Damage: 225 -> 157
      
• Removed the spell Silencing Strike (Mace)
  
• Added the new spell Deep Leap (Mace)
  
• 
  
  • You jump to a ground target location, dealing physical damage to all enemies in a 5m radius. The furhter away the target was the more damage you deal.
    
    • Cooldown: 25s
      
    • Energycost: 14 -> 16
      
    • Flattened the damage escalation (Max Damage: 258.00)
      
    • Range: 14m
      
  
  
  
  

Nature Staffs:

• Circle of Life (Nature Staffs)
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 18s
    
• Spiritual Seed (Druidic Staff)
  
  • Doesn't count as Healing buff anymore and thus can't be purged anymore
    
• Ruthless Nature (Blight Staff)
  
  • Heal per Tick: 27.22 -> 29.50
    

Quarter Staffs:

• Seperator (Quarter Staff)
  
  • Now knocks enemies in the area into the air for 0.9s, instead of knocking them away.
    

Armors:

• Removed the spell Berserker (Mage Robe)
  
• Added the spell Purging Shield (Mage Robe)
  
  • Creates a purging shield on you. Increases your resistances for 6s. While the shield is active, enemies lose all buffs whenever they damage you. (Does not remove enemy heal effects)
    
    • (Cooldown: 60s)
      
• Electric Field (Stalker Jacket)
  
  • Damage: 24.42 -> 26.70
    
  • Hit Delay: 0.4s -> 0s
    
  • Standtime: 0.6s -> 0s
    
• Force Field (Judicator Armor)
  
  • Increased Healing: 35% -> 30%
    

Helmets:

• Electric Discharge (Judicator Helmet)
  
  • Cast Time: 1.2s -> 0.9s
    

Shoes:

• Removed the spell Inspiring Charge (Demon Boots)
  
• Added the new spell Vengeful Sprint (Demon Boots)
  
  • Your damage and move speed is increased for 6s. Each stack grants 5% addiotional damage and 20% speed increase. The less health you have upon activation, the more stacks you gain. (max 8 stacks) - Cooldown 30s
    
• Shield Charge (Knight Boots)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s -> 25s
    
  • Shield Strength: 188.74 -> 200.00
    
  • Range: 11m -> 15m
    

Potions:

• All Healing Potions
  
  • Cooldown: 120s -> 90s
    
• All Energy Potions
  
  • Cooldown: 120s -> 90s
    
• All Poison Potions
  
  • Does not trigger effects that are activated by damage dealt. (doesn't trigger Bloodlust healing for instance)
    
  • Number of Ticks: 15 -> 7
    
  • Tick Interval: 0.5s -> 1s
    
  • Debuff Duration: 7.5s -> 7s
    
  • Damage vs Players per tick: 0.5% -> 1%
    
  • Damage vs Mobs per tick: 75 -> 90
    

Misc:

• Strong Sip (Beer Mug)
  
  • Cooldown: 20s -> 5