Rise of Isengard: Hunter Developer Diary

By: Brian "Zombie Columbus" Aloisio

Goals 

• Give Hunters more incentive to use all three combat stances
• Continue refining the three Hunter trait paths
• Add a few new skills and add new functionality to old skills
• General cleanup 

Save the Last Stance

We kick off with some pretty major changes to Hunter stances in this update.  As mentioned in the goals section, we wanted to give Hunters reasons to use all three of their stances.  Currently, the trait line you go down largely determines what stance you will use. 

The first thing we did was remove all stance specific bonuses from traits and trait lines and redistribute those buffs.  We wanted to keep the net potency of the traits, but not tie them to a specific stance.  Then we modified the base bonuses the stances gave in an attempt to make them all attractive in different circumstances.  Last, we added some new skill interactions with stances to make them feel more unique.

In the end, I think we could have gone further with Endurance.  While that stance has always done its job well (reduce power costs), few players wish to sacrifice damage for power in such a heavy handed way.  It’s just not exciting!  Choosing a different skill rotation that gives back power at the expense of some damage is often a more enjoyable experience.  I hope that the Hunter’s Art skill combined with Endurance scratches some of this itch, but my hope is to further refine Endurance in a future update.

With all of that said, I’m very happy overall with the stance changes.  Stances should now be more a way to switch up your gameplay on the fly, not a choice you make during trait selection.  With that said, here is a breakdown of the changes associated with this goal.

• Removed Threat and Power penalties

• Removed avoidance penetration; left the miss reduction in place
• Add 1 Focus every 5 seconds

• Add 5% parry chance

• Strength: Bonus Ranged Damage
• Precision: Bonus Finesse
• Endurance: Bonus Power Regeneration

• Triggering a trap from Set Traps will now increase the damage taken from all sources by 5%.

• +20% Strength of Earth restoration (both power and morale when Improved version of skill is acquired), and generates 1 Focus pip per second.

• Added the effect changes to Quick Shot to the skill tooltip.
• Increased the threat reduction of Quick Shot while in Endurance Stance
• Increased the critical chance of Quick Shot while in Precision Stance 

Passive Aggression

One of the things I did while preparing for this update was roll a new Hunter and play the first dozen levels.  Imagine my surprise after playing in Raid groups and new landscape content at not having the ability to dual wield or use medium armor!  My first changes to the Hunter were easy to decide on.

Dual-wielding:

• Available at level 1.

Medium Armour Usage:

• Available at level 1.

New or Improved

As with previous updates, we are focusing more on improving existing skills rather than add new ones.  The Hunter is gaining two new skills I discussed earlier (Hunter’s Art and Split Shot) but the majority of the changes are improvements to existing skills.  These improvements are as follows:

Level 66: Improved Focus

• The end of the channel now provides a short duration buff that increases critical chance and critical damage.

Level 68: Improved Penetrating Shot

• Cooldown has been reduced to zero.

Level 70: Improved Strength of the Earth

• Now adds Morale over time as well as Power.  Additionally, damage no longer interrupts the skill.

Level 72: Improved Scourging Blow

• Scourging Blow makes your next Barbed Arrow have no induction time.

Level 74: Improved Quick Shot

• Now generates an additional point of Focus 30% of the time.  Stacks with the Huntsman trait set bonus to give a full 50% chance for 2 Focus.

Bowmaster

Two things should jump out when looking at the set bonuses: Bonus ranged damage regardless of stance and no more power penalties!

Beyond that, the trait line has had few changes.  Does it really need more?  Bowmaster has always been the most popular line because of its exciting big numbers.  Being able to throw down high damage with less power and threat concerns should be quite fun.

Current:

2 Equipped: 

• +10% Bow Critical Multiplier 

3 Equipped: 

•  +3% Strength Stance Damage 
•  +3% Strength Stance Power Cost 
•  +15% Barbed Arrow Initial Damage 

4 Equipped: 

•  +7% Strength Stance Damage 
•  +7% Strength Stance Power Cost 
•  -60s Heart Seeker Cooldown

New:

2 Equipped: 

•  +10% Bow Critical Multiplier 

3 Equipped: 

• +3% Ranged Damage 
• +15% Barbed Arrow Initial Damage

4 Equipped: 

• +1% Ranged Damage for each Bowmaster trait equipped
• -60s Heart Seeker Cooldown
• +10% Penetrating Shot Critical Chance

No trait changes!

Huntsman

The Huntsman line has a few more changes then Bowmaster, but only one is major.  Strength of the Earth has its morale bonus made available for all trait lines through the Improved version, but the Earthborn trait will give Huntsman some special bonuses.  Some additional AOE capabilities have been added as well.

The major change that will generate the most discussion is Strong Draw.  With the changes to Focus generation and usage, attempts are being made to make the Hunter have more viable choices when spending Focus, depending on circumstances. With Strong Draw reducing Penetrating Shot’s Focus cost to 2, the skill is too often the single correct way to spend Focus.  By removing the Focus discount from Strong Draw (and Arrow Storm) we were able to give the Hunter a suite of other buffs that should bring a lot of variety to the class.  I am sympathetic to the sadness this will generate, but I know Hunters remain top tier damage and I believe it will make playing the class a more varied experience.

Current:

2 Equipped: 

• +2s before Focus loss from Movement 

3 Equipped: 

• -10% Bow Inductions
• Strength of the Earth gives morale regen and increased power 

4 Equipped: 

• 20% chance for Quick Shot to grant one bonus Focus 
• -10% Bow Inductions

New:

2 Equipped: 

• +2s before Focus loss from Movement 

3 Equipped: 

• -10% Bow Inductions 
• +1 Split Shot targets

4 Equipped: 

• -2% Bow Inductions for each Huntsman trait equipped
• 20% chance for Quick Shot to grant one bonus Focus 
• -30% Penetrating Shot Power cost

Improved Fleetness:

• Remove the -10% attack speed bonus
• Add 1 Focus every 5 seconds

Strong Draw:

• Changed to: Increased damage (+3%) of Penetrating Shot and Blood Arrow.

Swift Recovery:

• Needful Haste cooldown reduced by 30s.

Arrow Storm:

• Changed to: Scoring a Critical on Rain of Arrows resets the cooldown of Rain of Arrows and Split Shot.

Trapper of Foes

Big changes to Trappers! Our aim has been to let Trappers damage creep up and to give them more ability to debuff monsters, mainly through increased incoming damage.  These buffs come at the cost of slightly reduced crowd control capabilities.  The realities of end level content are that bosses are largely immune to crowd control.  We believe that, overall, the Trapper will be a more welcome addition to groups and be able to dish out more aggressive damage in all circumstances.

A sub theme has also been to bump up trap usage.  It is a Trapper after all!  Bonuses to traps are now given earlier in the trait line.

Of special note is the reworking of Graceful Draw, as mentioned in the stance section.  The bonuses the trait previously granted have been rolled into other traits to spruce them up, and to allow them to be used by other trait lines that may eye them!

Current:

2 Equipped: 

•  +60 in-Combat Power Regen 

3 Equipped: 

•  -[Level x 44] Rain of Thorns Target Root Resist Rating 
•  -50% Trap Skill Inductions 
•  -5% Ranged Damage 

4 Equipped: 

•  Penetrating Shot roots with longer Cooldown 
•  -30s Trap Skill Cooldowns 
•  -10% Ranged Damage 
•  Purge Poison now affects full fellowship with a 15s cooldown

New:

2 Equipped: 

• -50% Trap Skill Inductions

3 Equipped: 

• -[Level x 44] Rain of Thorns Target Root Resist Rating 
• -30s Trap Skill Cooldowns 

4 Equipped: 

• Penetrating Shot reduces foes B/P/E, increases as additional Trapper traits are equipped
• Purge Poison now affects full fellowship with a 15s cooldown

Heightened Senses:

• Add -10% power usage.

Heart of the Bard:

• Change to: Bards Arrow reduces the cooldown of Heart-seeker by 20s.

Stealthy Shot:

• Add -10% threat generation.

Sturdy Traps:

• Add +25% trap damage.

Strong Intimidation:

• Add that fear skills are now resisted 5% less.

Other Goodness

Not the best section title, I know. This area’s for the other general buffs and changes that don’t really fit elsewhere.  Don’t just skim by here, there’s a very strong new skill that will help the Hunter’s AOE damage capabilities!

New Skill - Split Shot:

• Moderate damage, moderate power, 1.5 second induction, 10s coodlown, generates 1 focus, strikes 2 targets in a small area.

Needful Haste:

• Reduce cooldown to 1m 30s.
• Animation removed, skill is now instant and usable while moving.
• Reduce duration to 15s.

Scourging Blow:

• Remove the bonus critical chance on the base skill.  Increase the damage when the Barbed Arrow bleed is removed.

Press Onward:

• Induction reduced to 4s.
• Induction no longer canceled by damage, but is still knocked back normally.

Blood Arrow:

• Now useable while moving

Consistency and Upkeep

We’ve done a pass on making sure all Improved skills now share their name with the base version of the skill.  While there is some loss of uniqueness with this change, we feel it will bring all of the class terminology in line across the board. 

Beneath Care:

• Renamed to “Improved Beneath Notice”

Set Snare:

• Bleed now stacks across multiple Hunters.

Blindside:

• Added to tooltip that it now interrupts. This effect will now display on all skill tooltips that interrupt inductions.

Resolute Aim:

• Removed the clause keeping this from functioning with Press Onward (as Press Onward now cannot be interrupted by damage.)