Changes to Animated Undead

Animated Undead

I performed a quick forum search and did not find a similar thread. I am proposing changes be made to Animated Undead regarding their maximum level, eliminating their health degeneration, and improving the way they are healed. I would like your input and ideas. I hope NCSoft / Playnet considers these changes.

When Animated Undead are raised from corpses, they health begins degenerating. If unaided, the Animated Undead will be back at their resting place.

Fortunately, Necromancers are provided with very specific abilities to help offset the health degeneration such as Verat's Sacrifice and Blood of the Master. Even Monk skills can be used though my Necro does not utilize them. I am satisfied with these Necromancer skills. Unfortunately, it is during combat that the challenge of effectively using these abilities is highlighted

Blood of the Master requires all Animated Undead to be within proximity of the Necromancer and thus limiting total effectiveness to heal Undead. Further compouding this is that during combat, the Necromancer is placed directly into combat when healing Bone Horrors and Minions. Fortunately, Bone Fiends engage at range from the target and thier healing using Blood of the Master is less dangerous.

Verata's Sacrifice is proximity independent and can be used at standoff range to effect a positive health regeneration of Animated Undead while also removing any conditions from them. However, this effect does not last sufficiently long and the Undead are soon again degenrrating health.

I propose Blood of the Master automatically target all Animated undead, regardless of proximity, and heal them. This would remove the Necro from immediate and direct conflict and allow better management of their health.

Perhaps Verata's Sacrifice can be a longer effect and not only reverse health dengeration but also heal the undead at the same time.

If not, then consider removing health degeneration entirely from Animated Undead. This would significantly impact their life span considering their prime use is for combat and they will still sustain damage that causes them to return to their resting place. This could allow further options with corpses and make a Necro Battery Bone Msster mutirole. They would be able to raise Undead for assistance as well as heal off corpses (or Undead) and use corpses against the enemy for Putrid Explosion or Necrotic Traversal.

This proposal may not appear apealing and perhaps there is potential for abuse. As it stands, the Animated Undead can be kept alive indefinitely through healing using Blood of the Master and Verata's Aura while not in combat. It is my opinion that removing their health degeneration and improving Necromancer healing ability will further make the Neco much more capable.

Of course increasing their maximum level to 20 will certainly help by reducing total damage they take and allowing them to survive longer against high-level mobs and enemies.

The one problem that I see with your idea, is that a Minion Master can end up having 20-30 minions. Plus he/she can solo an area.

I should know I play a necro, Minion Master. And I did use Verat's Sacrifice and Blood of the Master, but after time I changed both skills to one(s) that I found to be better. Now I use Animated Bone Horror, Animated Bone Fiend, Death Nova. So now I don't care about the minions health degeneration, or about needing to heal them. I just use them as walking bombs.

And about increasing their maximum level to 20, that would be great. But you can only maximum thier level to 19. That's only just one point difference, which really does not make a difference to thier health or attack damage. I got mine at level 18, and here's how....

Death Magic 16 that's 12 (attribute points) +1(from Vile Scar) + 3(from Superior Death Magic Rune) and that works for me.

A good Minion Master can already maintain 20+ minions. I'm one of them. I don't see the need to change things, as MMs have now surplanted ele's in the damage-dealing department.

Some more variety would be interesting tho. Maybe have your minions have some resemblance to what they were raised from? Humanoid looking minions from humanoids, zombie-cow looking things from Doylaks, etc?

That would be kinda fun...

Oooo and giagantic dead Wurm-like zombies from wurms...

A Minion Master utilizing Bone Minions and Horrors together can literally raise an army of Undead. I observed it for myself. An abundance of corpses highlights the effect. I have also raised my own personal army of Undead and soloed certain areas already.

I have turned my batteries into bombs as well and very effective but my play-style has chanegd and I want more viable options and raising an army to fight for me so I can solo an area is kewl since other professions already have the advantage. I raise lvl 18s as it is now.

Increasing max health would result in a lvl 20 Undead vs. a lvl 20 mob .. bit more fair and you wounld not have to raise more Undead than you need.

Hmmmm...here's an interesting thought.... How to make things better, without making us overpowered...

Let's say that keeping a minion alive is kinda like maintaining an enchantment. Now before you try to hang me, hear me out.

Let's say we have a set amount of "energy flow" or something to keep minions functioning. Let's say that this set amount of "energy flow" will reveal itself not in the form of an energy or health drain on us, but in the health drain on our minions.

So here's my picture - for the sake of using nice round numbers: if I have 20 minions up, their degen rate is about what it is right now. Then, with fewer minions up, the degen rate is reduced - to the point where I could maybe have 1 -2 minions up and they would have no (or negligible) degen.

Maybe you could also tie degen to the "strength" of the minions. Not to their level, but like the (what are the first minions you get - the weak ones) would have a slower degen rate than horrors.

Just a random thought...

I like Damons idea better. If you kill the degen altogether, you'll end up with uberminon masters. Actually, we've already got some. A group I was with last night had a necros and through Verat's Sac, they had 25 bone minons up before we had to zone. Crazy. And you want to make it more powerful??? Just learn to use the skills available to you in a more effective way.