Fear Based Powersets & IO Sets Suggestions.

[Canadian Anvil]

The Idea is a rework of the Dark Powersets and a existing IO Set for Fear, and inspired by characters like Scarecrow, Dweller-in-Darkness, Nox, Silver Banshee.

 

The Phobia Powerset would be reworking the ranged sets Dark Blast, Dark Miasma and replace MEZ, Immobilize, Confuse (not sure if this is a MEZ) and ToHit Debuff to Fear. Some examples: Petrifying Gaze to Overwhelming Fright, and replace HOLD with FEAR; Twilight Grasp to Demonic Drain and replace the (ACCURATE) ToHit Debuff with Fear.

 

The Trepidation Powerset would be the reworking the melee and defensive sets Dark Melee, Dark Armour. For the melee set the same principle as the range sets; for the defence, it would letting Fear be slotted where Taunt can be slotted and replace some MEZ, Immobilize, Confuse with Fear like Oppressive Gloom and Soul Transfer.

 

The Very Rare IO Set Demoralizing Stance is reworking the Coercive Persuasion to change Confuse/Confusion to Fear

 

The Rare IO Set Suffering Pang would be a reworking of Unspeakable Terror with the same Set Bonuses but it would be from lvl 20 - 50, and Accuracy/Recharge would be Accuracy/Damage and Accuracy/Endurance would be Damage/Endurance.

[TheMoneyMaker]

Fear sounds like it should make for cooler power sets, but the whole fear mechanic is weak with regard to enemies being able to attack if attacked. Might as well just take a powerset that can put them in a hold.

[tidge]

5 hours ago, Canadian Anvil said:

The Very Rare IO Set Demoralizing Stance is reworking the Coercive Persuasion to change Confuse/Confusion to Fear

 

 I've been advocating for a "Contagious Fear" piece for years, for one thing, it would make the single-target fear powers more viable... similar to how the Contagious Confusion can make single-target Confuses more viable. (At leats for level 50s). It would also be nice to get another Acc/Fear piece that exists at level 50. The Hami-Os are pretty affordable, but still! Maybe and Acc/End for those Cloak of Fear power users out there (Which also needs accuracy BTW!)

[Canadian Anvil]

4 hours ago, TheMoneyMaker said:

Fear sounds like it should make for cooler power sets, but the whole fear mechanic is weak with regard to enemies being able to attack if attacked. Might as well just take a powerset that can put them in a hold.

 

I think of fear as the panicky kid just flailing their arms at you in hopes of getting a hit, or running away. Fear has that two types of affects:

Terrorize (Fear): Target will tremble in fear. Once every five seconds if the target receives damage, the effect will break for a short time before being re-applied. The target may use this temporary reprieve to either (1) attack once or (2) run a short distance away.

[Rudra]

Fear in the game says the enemy can attack every time the enemy is attacked or the enemy can run away for 10 seconds every time is attacked. There is no 5 second inability to act window for fear.

[biostem]

The benefit of the fear effect is that it pretty much works on every enemy.  That, IMHO, is enough to make such a set, if not worth actually implementing, at least worth contemplating.  The problem is that each attack after the first would basically break the effect, (even if it further extended it).  It'd be like a weird sort of cross between a hold effect and a sleep effect.  I wonder if such a set would be better implemented to have some powers apply fear, whilst others consume it to produce other effects - maybe you could temporarily summon a "nightmare" or other form of "fear entity" by consuming said effect... 

[Canadian Anvil]

9 hours ago, biostem said:

The benefit of the fear effect is that it pretty much works on every enemy.  That, IMHO, is enough to make such a set, if not worth actually implementing, at least worth contemplating.  The problem is that each attack after the first would basically break the effect, (even if it further extended it).  It'd be like a weird sort of cross between a hold effect and a sleep effect.  I wonder if such a set would be better implemented to have some powers apply fear, whilst others consume it to produce other effects - maybe you could temporarily summon a "nightmare" or other form of "fear entity" by consuming said effect... 

 

I agree that Fear is an under represented MEZ. I do feel Fear as a control is accurately represented: coward, flail, run away.

[tidge]

I started experimenting with Fear by using the Presence pool, and then leaned hard into it as a control with several different ATs that either get Fears or can easily incorporate them (e.g. via the Soldiers of Arachnos ATO). I rather like it as one of the 'softer' controls, especially as an AoE.

 

In my head canon, I believe that Fear hasn't been seriously considered (especially for a new Enhancement set) because of the game's history with AI behavior tweaks (from launch) and the attempt to refactor Fear/Terrorize as an effect. In the same mind-space I feel that Fear wasn't really improved in a meaningful way because of some perception about how it might imbalance things in PVP.

 

Observationally from game-play: The most annoying Fear-user that I regularly encounter is the Giant Monster Jack in Irons. Its 20-second fear can feel like an eternity, especially while it continues spamming its other powers. Somehow I don't feel like I ever get the chance to do anything during the duration of that fear, but this could just be high defenses not allowing other attacks to land.