They need to think outside the box for replacing that pet DPS, particularly with regard to Fear kiting and DPS roles (aka, not MT). Some kind of aura that grants (Significant) bonus damage to feared targets would be a good start. Just add it to the existing auras (your target takes extra damage while feared). As replacing this type of damage (pet) with damage that has qualifiers is a no go (spending mana, getting hit, etc). As pets require no mana expenditure, and don't require getting hit to do their damage, they also don't require the player to swing or cast. A combination of "Bonus damage to feared targets" player innate damage shields, perhaps some kind of low mana/no mana/ curse ability or 'haunt", basically a mana free dot/skill, that has similar "no cast, no mana cost, no swing, no getting hit" properties as a pet. People laugh at SK pets, but the type of damage they do is not easily replaced. Just increasing player damage is not the same thing if it has "other" qualifiers. Pets are already exceedingly useful in a game with inflated TTK's and massive hit point pools. This is often lost in balance conversations. Even allowing max level pet classes significant boon in clearing green trash, most classes need to spend significant mana/resources to clear green trash, pet classes, not so much. Hence, another "part of the solution" could be some dark pact mana regen, this is sorely needed for SK in general, as they don't perform well when OOM, an OOM SK is a dead SK with low/no dps. They really need a mana tap proc, or weaker life conversion, or some other mana regen mechanic. All the knights do, even pally, not a single mana using hybrid should be without some form of passive mana regen, you can't both sit on your ass to med, and also be the groups MT. They learned this lesson later in EQ's life, and it was addressed 60+ with life conversion mana spells, and mana stealing proc's (stacks with everything)
