alchemist, blacksmith

squid knight

Diabloii.Net Member
alchemist, blacksmith

i've been checking up here occasionally, and so far haven't come across any idea for a blacksmith or a pure alchemist. i think there may be room for either one or the other (if one of them actually makes it, i doubt the other will) of the crafting classes in either the 4th/5th slot or in an expansion, but i have no comments on the probability of either one making it. i'm not really going to go into a lot of detail into either one, i just think that they are interesting concepts.

Alchemist:
i think (besides the basic hp/mp or +stat pots) that the alchemist could put spend skill points to permanently (save for respec) give him some buffs. like a jekyl/hyde type thing, where he may (predictably or unpredictably) turn into a monster. or one to give him permanent +stats, ie tough skin, strength, better able to predict opponents' swings or swing something unpredictable himself, etc. and he could have temporary potions, like one to turn him invisible, one to make him bigger, whatever else you want to think of.

but these 'permanent' potions or scientific concoctions would have some adverse side-effects (after all, when you take a lot of drugs many of them are bound to have side-effects or conflicts). for example, a permanent strength buff could have him take a small amount of damage with each attack or a loss of speed or something. the beast one could randomly immobilize him in a fit of pain, or sap his mana supply (beasts aren't too smart...). so the kind of alchemist that specs heavily into this tree would be a bit unstable.

then there would be another tree with direct damage potions, like the oil or poison pots in d2 where you fling them at opponents. but there's room for a lot of diversity here: beyond fire potions that just explode, there could be some that leave fire burning on the ground like napalm or something. there could be multiple kinds of poisons to be used for different effects. there could be sticky tar potions, smoke bombs, acid pots, terror-inducing hallucinogens, etc.

for the third tree, i'm running thin on ideas. but perhaps something that is based around the creation and implementation of life? potions that sprout vines or blood-sucking leeches or bacteria or something. or somethings based around the tools the alchemist uses? something like a makeshift test tube shank. or something based around the acquisition of the ingredients.

Blacksmith:
the blacksmith would be based around creating and manipulating weapons/armor. rather than have him actually make things to equip in equip slots, he might have a skill "craft armor" that acts as a temporary armor buff (he might be limited to cloth armor but be buffed up to chain/plate level through this). for weapons, he might, say, craft a permanent buff to a particular weapon that binds it to him, like, say, a weapon chain, a counterweight, spikes, a sharper edge, etc. also, this tree would include weapon maintenance--the blacksmith might be able to repair his own items on the go, no trip to town necessary for broken gear.

the barb has skills that, even though they are melee, and the barb uses weapons, don't really include the weapons themselves (besides the masteries). the blacksmith would have those kinds of skills that directly involve weapons/armor/shields. he would be a sort of arms master who uses weapons deftly and skillfully rather than the barb who uses them as extensions of his smashing arm. the blacksmith could have a higher attack speed but lower damage per hit, utilizing other mechanics and techniques such as a hilt strike or blade-catching, or using specially crafted weapons that can do more than your everyday sword, mace or ax.

and again, i'm at a loss for a third tree. again, like the alchemist, he could use his materials to his advantage (it would be interesting how he uses red-hot metals in combat), or something based around gathering the metals and such to work with.

i'm really just throwing these ideas out there. they may not be great ideas, and i definitely have put less thought into them than a lot of the ideas i see here. i hope my text wall with lax capitalization wasn't too much of a grind to read through. ;) personally, i'm rooting for a fist-fighting monk. unrealistically, a pirate would be nice. :p
 

knightmawko

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

kind of cool, in principle to have a charecter revolving around forging and creating things, but its just to limited for Diablo I think.
 

squid knight

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

well, it would all be done through skills...you wouldn't physically carry any of the crafted items. you might have a new kind of resource system to replace mana, "Resources", that you charge up through gathering resources. in the way that wizards have a skill to drop mana orbs, the alch or bs would have a skill to drop ingredients/ores. there could be a counter of how many resources you have, and you would spend those resources to craft items that are displayed next to the counter, sort of like i guess a second, completely detached inventory that replaces mana. complicated, sure, impractical, maybe, but fun? damn right it would be.
 

squid knight

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

This isn't an MMO, these classes can't survive in SP.

:nono:
can't they? i don't see why not. the effect they produce isn't really any different than the others (dps), the only difference is their unique flavor and mechanics.


 

knightmawko

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

its just way to limited. Way to simplistic, I can only see the capability to form one tree for the Black smith maybe with one skill, I cant think of any skills for him that havent already been done and as for the alchemist, way to overpowered if the potions are permanent like the strength one, even if it does have a sideffect just use a very very week strength potion multiple times until speed is at 0 then keep using it to the point you need + extra then use a speed one that delets stregnth to get back to normal and keep strength

and with the Hyde thing, very random it could be sweet but I meam it seems like it would completely change the mechanics of the game, like a berserk form. Now if it wasnt random it would be a bit better, just like the Avatar skill for my Dragonere.

also try to make model skill trees and back stories for classes and such, it helps people invision them better.
 

squid knight

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

also try to make model skill trees and back stories for classes and such, it helps people invision them better.
i'm sure it does, i'm only throwing in rough ideas. i think if the classes were fleshed out thoroughly and fine tuned enough, your complaints would be non-issues. it's akin to driving by the framework of a house in the process of being built and commenting "hah! rain would go through that roof!"


 

raveharu

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

i'm sure it does, i'm only throwing in rough ideas. i think if the classes were fleshed out thoroughly and fine tuned enough, your complaints would be non-issues. it's akin to driving by the framework of a house in the process of being built and commenting "hah! rain would go through that roof!"
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Blacksmith and Alchemist, I don't see them as playable characters, but rather as the NPCs that sells/repairs equipments and potions.


 

Guercio

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

For me, this idea has potential.

Like you say, it needs fleshing out, but it would certainly be unusual to have the DPS nature of the class (and yes we all know that all classes will be DPS capable, but this does not contradict that) derived from enhancements (temporary or otherwise) to items etc.

And unusual can be good.

It certainly doesn't hurt to float the idea out there.

How about a combined "crafter" class, who uses his resources orb to (a) mend/enhance armour/make/modify runes (1st tree), (b) construct things like mechanical minions (2nd tree) and (c) something else (maybe alchemy, maybe something different).

Sure, sure, my idea is cr*p, but there might be something in it that gives someone a better idea, and we iterate until we get to something good.
 

kavlor

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

D2 had room for an Alchemist when you consider the different grades of potions including all the healing,explosive and poisonous ones,could've had cube recipes to make stronger potions or even a direct ability to increase the damage.

I wouldn't like to see one who is basically the same as a spell castor.I think how he can differentiate is by having different grades of potions(as above) which combine with skills for increased power in what ever aspects the skills have.
 

paperkut

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

I'm really hooked on the idea of an alchemist tossing potions around. It would definitely be something new and fun (i always loved chucking those pots around when i was a low level).

I just had a few more ideas for possible skill trees: (i'm no good at coming up with cool names for them)

direct damaging type

-mentioned before. This would be a good place to put some elemental damage such as fire/cold/poison/physical in the form of some bomb/etc.... Some of the skills could be focused on hitting a single enemy and others covering an area affecting anyone nearby where it lands

cursing-like

-these could be similar to the necros cursing. You could lower resists, terror, enhance damage, slow, confuse, etc. These skills would definitely help make the character viable alone or in SP...although it would take tactics and a thought process in your attacks which so many people seem to be against....

aura-like

-these skills could replace the paladins auras. Maybe something like throwing a pot on the ground and anyone nearby gets a buff or an aura-like thing for a duration. I kinda like that idea because then you could run away from the alchemist and do your own thing...but you wouldn't stray too far because once it wears off you'd be back beggin for another. There would obviously have to be a 1-buff-at-a-time limit. These could be enhancing damage, defense, resistances. Maybe one skill could be tossin a type of repellent that would keep enemies runnin away in terror from the recipient.

few random ideas:
*I think it'd be cool to make throwing weapons the weapon of choice since our friend here is already doing so much tossin around. Somewhere in some tree there can be a mastery of some sort.
*for a casting delay it'd be cool to see our alchemist doing some mixing of ingredients or something similar...a realistic delay (although probably hard if not impossible to make look realistic if he's holding weapons)
*i like the idea of having an ingredients pool or something to limit the skill use. Maybe the alchemist would have to scavenge bodies of the dead kind of like d2 barbs find pot or item....or maybe make him have to walk up to all the pretty flowers :p
 

Xandor

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: alchemist, blacksmith

It looks like you are talking about the WD in most of your points.
 
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