Why did you take away Shadow Manipulation and give it to a Range Tree in Shiradi as Beguile Charm(as if they needed more, as it is a safer Ranged toon Epic Destiny) Rogues and stealth melees needed it SO MUCH MORE, to enter into touch range melee styles, which is a very dangerous type of combat, compared to 20 feet away Mass AOE Casters and Range characters.
Why did we loose Consume as a Stealth(Rogue player here) and give it to Casters(even Artificers?) in a WAY better form as (AOE instakill Mass Phantasmal Killer)Weird("WITH" a ONE MINUTE COOLDOWN!) in our own Tree?(I CANNOT EVEN PICK IT FROM MY OWN TREE!) That really sucks; almost every other Tree(Which I CAN PICK!) has Mass Frog, Everything Is Nothing, Cut the Strings, I can even pick Super Greater Ruin!!!,, etc. but not Weird from my OWN TREE?.... and Shadow Dancer gets absolutely nothing, when it had "Somethings" before, what was the logic of that?
We had: Executioner Shot/Strike(only a 30% chance, ONLY A 30% CHANCE, which was a very weak chance) to take out a mob(Now, Rangers DH get an Assassinate), While Casters get: Slay Living, Finger of Death, Power Word Kill, Frog, Mass Frog, Banishments, Phantasmal Killer, etc on SECONDS(<60) for cooldowns. With chances to reduce them to single digit seconds. ?????!!!!!
Even Dire Charge is nice, why wasn't Shadow Dancer given a way to create an AOE CC like Dire Charge? Even Greater Master of Flowers, Fury, Divine Crusaders ALL have, AOE stuns? (No balance at all)
The fact we have to choose Meld as a choice between a Epic Strike and Survivability is bad, as it use to be able to be TOGETHER! That Tree had both, BOTH!
You could of just lowered the (%)Dodge Chance like you did; but keep it separate from the Epic Strike as it has nothing to do with dealing Damage - but EVERYTHING to do with "survivability" as a squishy class. SURVIVABILITY> Epic Strike.
What in Dungeon Realms is Wand and Scroll Mastery doing in Shadow Dancers tree? It was promised to be a Multiplier to Heroic Trees Wand and Scroll Mastery but it isn't(It was Suppose to Stack per your pre-notes) and is a waste of points in that Tree. Unless....unless it can be...
It should of been this(at present but) which would of kept as is BUT added a real positive benefit for Trapmakers:
Sleight of Hand:
Passive: +2/4/6 UMD. +25/50/75% (Stacking)damage and healing of your wands, scrolls and other items that cast spells. Adds +1/2/3 to the save DC's of your offensive wands. (that's fine as an extra but, really needs this as it's merit: )
Active: 1/2/3 points
Sleight of Hand: Traps and Vial Mastery: If you have the Trapmaking Feat: You can make Noisemaker Traps(8 second clicky) or Noisemaker throwing Vials(on exploding they stick to door/wall and make ticking sound), with the ability to place(traps) or throw(Vials) in stealth.
Active:
(Tier 1): If you have the Trapmaking Feat, you can now add your Sneak Attack Dice and Damage to Traps and Veils.
(Tier 2): You can use the higher of Melee or Range Power to Traps and Veils you Throw.
(Tier 3):You can inscribe scrolls as Traps and Alchemical Recipes as Vials.
Suggestions: maybe have specific Alchemical Vials like Mass Suggestion/Confusion, Turn to Frog/Bat, a real Large AOE Tanglefoot a la "Sharn exploding goo"(with DC: Reflex (DC 20 + Character Level + Stat Modifier + Assassinate Bonus)
and Shadow-Thunderstone: Alchemical Vial Trap Attack: 1d6+2 Large AOE Force an damage per character level and dazes in an area. Fort DC (12/16/20 + Character Level + Stat Modifier + Assassinate Bonus).
Anyway you cut it, Melee and as a Rogue(less old Shadow Dancer) is almost extinct and a heavy burden to play, as seen as a very unforgiving playstyle and tedious then ever before. Especially in Upper Reapers getting one shotted now.
The Epic Destiny, Epic Moment puts you in Harms way of HAVING to get swung at and Missed!(You basically become a swinging Pinata target) in order for the Epic Moment to work defensively, so you either turn into a soulstone or you wait another 5 minutes to get extra Sneak attack dice. It is a Very Dangerous Epic Moment to rely on, you either come out of it alive or a soulstone. (Maybe if it had a 10,000HP Unconscious Range or a 30 second Dreamscape 20 second type of invulnerability) Otherwise you get a 5 minute cooldown extra sneak dice....
There should be something to bring down the cooldown of Assassinate (6 second cooldown), Uncanny Dodge(half it's time), an AOE Sap of some sorts.
Please move the Force Caster side of Shadow Dancer to Manus of the Eclipse, where it is more thematically relevant there, as an additional damage type (Force Damage option) to it's already Cold Damage, Negative Damage slim options and synergizes better with it going up the Tree as relevant Caster type options.
Shadow Dancer has to waste useful spots in it's own Tree that does absolutely nothing to it's Melee/Range option, when it has to share with a Caster DC's and other Spell choices, that are completely overlooked at in that spot for Rogue/Stealth players.
Example in Tree:
Core 4: Cut to the Soul: When you cast the spell Trap the Soul, it automatically applies 3 stacks of the Darkness debuff even if the enemy survives the spell.
(Maybe put in instead: "Gain an AOE sap or stun ability.")
Tier 1 (Requires Character Level 20):
Well of Darkness: +30/60/100 Spell Points, Rank 3: +5 Force/Universal Spell Power
(Put back Tumble through enemies , like it use to be before. Adding in a Stun effect) Could also build/add instead: Create Traps. DC's based off Disable Device score 65%/80%/100% of your Disable Device Skill(Improved Traps Enhancement)
Tier 3 (Requires Character Level 23, 10 points spent in tree)
Shadowdancer Spell Focus: Multiselector:
Shadowdancer Spell Focus Abjuration +1/2/3 Abjuration DCs
Shadowdancer Spell Focus Enchantment +1/2/3 Enchantment DCs
Shadowdancer Spell Focus Illusion +1/2/3 Illusion DCs
Shadowdancer Spell Focus Necromancy +1/2/3 Necromancy DCs
(This should be where Meld into Darkness can be separated and "add" things like Stun, Sap, higher % of the Dodge cap)
Add this instead -
(Passive)Meld into Darkness: Grants you 10% uncapped dodge when attacking or tumbling. Can Tumble through enemies.(GMoF kept it in their Tree!)
Shadowdancer Focus: Multiselector:
Defensive: Add 5/10/15 PRR
Offensive: Your next melee/Range attacks deals +25/50/75% damage.
Crowd Control: Improve Deception(When attacking an enemy cause it to believe it got attacked by another enemy or cower based off of your Bluff score)
Tier 4:
Improved Meld: put another 5% more uncapped Dodge in Meld bringing it up to 15% Dodge.
Improved Depths of Darkness: Your Shadowdancer Destiny Mantle gain a stacking 10% Incorporeality and 15% Concealment.
Tier 5 (Requires Character Level 30, 30 points spent in the tree)
Greater Shadowdancer Spell Focus: +1/2/3 Spell DCs
Put back Original Consume or a similar ability like Cut the Strings. (It has a 60 second cooldown) A Shadow Dancer version of Cut the Strings.
Shadow Threads:
All monsters within a wide radius around you are forced to be held in place for 10 seconds, cut their existance with any weapon strike or spell at a rate of once per second, instantly killing them. Mirrored by their Shadows after 10 seconds they begin to attack each other for 1 second + 1 extra second per Assassinate bonus, believing they are their own worst enemy, (Will vs DC:20 + Highest Stat Mod + Assassinate)
Side Note:
Tier I's "Stealthy" included "Assassinate" TOGETHER before and now it's split up?
+1/2/3 Reflex Saves, +2/4/6 Hide and Move Silently. Rank 3: Gain the Hide in Plain Sight feat. +2/4/6 to your Assassinate DCs.(they were together before)
This would open up a spot in Tier one to put down "Dance in the Dark": +1/2/3 Sneak Attack Dice
That way you can put back in Tier II "Shadow Manipulation"(Dominate ability with the Slay Living effect at end);
just like Shiradi Champion has "Beguile Charm" in it's Tier II.
(Once again, as a melee character, Shadow Manipulation should be more useful for melees being at a disadvantage than range characters And More So Range AOE Casters.)
Right now this Tree has an identity crisis, a bipolar effect where both sides are an afterthought, when it use to be such a pleasant Tree for Rogues or Stealth players to participate in. All because of Meld into Darkness??? You could of just lowered the dodge% and called it a day and the Tree was still very viable with the stat squish that was done and removed from Trees.
