Hey team,
Thanks for the detailed Necromancer deep dive! The pet level-scaling changes look fantastic for long-term progression. However, I want to share some feedback regarding the removal of the undead direct-damage line (Repel the Dead through Assail the Dead) and the transition toward relying entirely on DoTs with upfront bonus damage.
While adding upfront bonus damage to Deluge, Shadows, and Rot works fine for even-level or challenging combat, losing a dedicated direct-damage nuke creates a noticeable friction point when dealing with trivial or lower-level content—such as farming tradeskill reagents, working on lower-tier quests, or clearing older zones.
Here are a few reasons why this change feels punishing:
Class Asymmetry on Trivial Content: Direct-damage classes (Wizards, Elementalists) and physical classes can clear low-level mobs in a fraction of a second. Forcing Necromancers to rely on 20-to-30-second DoTs to clear the same mobs creates a massive disparity in kill speed and zone mobility for basic world interaction.
Mana & Tick Inefficiency: On low-HP targets, a DoT's total damage potential is mostly wasted because the target dies long before the spell ticks out. Having to wait on tick timers or rely purely on pet auto-attacks to clear low-level mobs makes routine farming feel sluggish compared to almost every other class.
Loss of Class Identity: Necromancers have historically been the premier anti-undead specialists. Having a direct-damage option against undead gave the class a fun, distinct niche when targeting specific enemy types.
While I understand the goal is to streamline spellbooks and avoid spell clutter, having at least one viable direct-damage option (or a reliable way to pop/convert DoTs on quick-kill targets) would go a long way in keeping Necromancers feeling fluid when revisiting lower-level content.
Appreciate all the hard work on Early Access—looking forward to testing out the rest of the updates!
