Support Powersets: Less Placing (Pseudo)Pets, More Toggle/Click Auras

[RadiantPhoenix]

Summary: I would like to see powers like Lifegiving Spores (Nature) and Barrier Reef (Marine), turned into toggle auras like Soothing Aura (Pain) and Shadow Fall (Dark Miasma)

 

Background:

My main is a Psi/Nature Corruptor, and I think I do most kinds of PVE content:

• I mostly do iTrials and Hami
• I also do some casual missions
• I have done all three 4* TFs

I play a Corruptor because I like:

• Having team buffs
• Dealing damage
• Not having to manage pets like a MM

I play /Nature because most of Nature's power is in three PBAOE clickie buffs that I don't need to click very often.

The Problem:
 

I generally skip Lifegiving Spores because it is very inconvenient to use: it is stationary, so if you move then you have to deactivate it, then wait a few seconds, and then reactivate it. Fortunately, it is small enough in effect that I do not lose much by skipping it, but I would like to be able to use this power without having to go through the whole process every time we fight another group of enemies.

 

I tried Marine Affinity, but having to juggle all of these powers was frustrating to deal with:

• Shifting Tides must be placed on a teammate, and will detoggle if that teammate doesn't stay close to you
• Barrier Reef can be killed and also sometimes expires when you are not paying attention. Fortunately, having it on your pet window means that you can tell if it is active or not.
• Tide Pool is stationary, so you have to re-place it when you move. It has a duration, which makes it slightly less difficult to use on the move than Lifegiving Spores, but also means that it can expire when you are not paying attention. It is also difficult to tell whether it is still going, or has expired.

(Toroidal Bubble is lovely. I keep it on auto.)

I played Traps once, and it was even more like that, but I guess that is part of its identity.

 

I played Electrical Affinity, and Faraday Cage seemed manageable, so maybe having the powers drop the pseudopet on the ground at your feet instead of needing to click a location would work too. (I stopped playing Elec for other reasons)

 

Numerical Comparison: 

 

Lifegiving Spores is a stationary toggle pseudopet that does a scale 0.25 heal and restores 1% endurance every 4 seconds in a 15ft radius

 

Soothing Aura is a toggle aura that does a scale 0.375 heal every 4 seconds in a 15ft radius

 

Barrier Reef is a clicky pseudopet that lasts 240 seconds and grants scale 0.7 defense and 4% absorb every 2s in a 25ft radius

 

Shadow Fall is a toggle aura that grants scale 0.5 defense, 35ft stealth radius, scale 20 protection from Terrorize, and scale 2.0 resistance to several elements in a 40ft radius

I believe both of these powers could be turned into PBAOE toggle auras without changing their buff/heal numbers

Thematic Thoughts:

A Lifegiving Spores toggle aura would be emitting the spores from your body, rather than planting them somewhere on the ground.

A Barrier Reef toggle aura would be surrounding yourself with your barrier reef, rather than having it float around behind you.

 

Other Thoughts:

 

Other players have told me that the reason I experience lag when trying to activate my powers in Hami raids and MSRs is because there are too many entities around.

If this is true, then I would expect this change to help with that, because pets and pseudopets are entities.

 

Edited Sunday at 07:30 PM by RadiantPhoenix
Formatting

[Psyonico]

You can't balance a single power in a set with a single power in a different set.

 

On top of that, for barrier reef, if it were to be turned into a toggle it would

 

1. Cost more endurance per second than it does now (in your example, over 240 seconds shadow fall costs 124.8 end while barrier reef costs 13.52)

2. Suppress when mezzed

 

[FupDup]

I think it would be easier to introduce new toggle-heavy support sets (Leadership Affinity, perhaps?) than try to revamp preexisting ones without making current fans of those sets become upset at the attempt. 

[MTeague]

Perfectly fair of you to make the request.  I am not personally in favor of the proposal, but who knows, maybe the devs will be open to it.

[srmalloy]

2 hours ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

I generally skip Lifegiving Spores because it is very inconvenient to use: it is stationary, so if you move then you have to deactivate it, then wait a few seconds, and then reactivate it. Fortunately, it is small enough in effect that I do not lose much by skipping it, but I would like to be able to use this power without having to go through the whole process every time we fight another group of enemies.

I have made up a file of popmenus in my menus folder so it loads on client launch for location powers that, at least for me, streamlines their use, so that I'm not clicking around on the screen to try to position the AoE where I want it (at least in most cases). The individual popmenus are of the form:

 

//------------------------------------------
// Lifegiving Spores

Menu "LifegivingSpores"
{
Title Lifegiving Spores
Option "Lifegiving Spores &1" "powexecname Lifegiving Spores"
Option "Here &2" "powexeclocation down:max Lifegiving Spores"
Option "Target &3" "powexeclocation target Lifegiving Spores"
}

 

So, for this popmenu, I would set it up as a macro, say, "/macro LGS popmenu LifegivingSpores". This puts a "LGS" macro icon in my tray. When I click it, I get the popmenu above, with shortcuts '1', '2', and '3' -- '1' acts like the power normally does, putting down a glowing target for you to drag around and click to set; '2' puts it under you, centering it at your feet if you're on the ground  (the 'down:max' is for things like rains, where I'm flying above my target and want to drop it on the ground under me); '3' centers it on your current target.

 

Since almost all the popmenus work the same way, I don't need to actually look at the popmenu; if I want it where I am, I click the icon or use the keyboard shortcut and press '2'. If I want it on my target, I'll press '3' after activating the macro, and if for some reason I want to target it normally, I'll use the '1' option.

 

For powers that are location teleports, the 'target' option gets moved to '2', and the '3' option changes to a 'forward:max' move-through:

 

//------------------------------------------
// Lightning Rod
// This popmenu alters the default hotkeys; '2' is for current target,
// and '3' charges forward to the max range of the ability

Menu "Rod"
{
Title Lightning Rod
Option "Lightning Rod &1" "powexecname Lightning Rod"
Option "Target &2" "powexeclocation target Lightning Rod"
Option "Rush &3" "powexeclocation forward:max Lightning Rod"
}

 

 

[Psyonico]

Oh, one other thing about barrier reef... Some people use it as a Shifting Tides anchor while solo.

[RadiantPhoenix]

2 hours ago, Psyonico said:

You can't balance a single power in a set with a single power in a different set.

 

On top of that, for barrier reef, if it were to be turned into a toggle it would

 

1. Cost more endurance per second than it does now (in your example, over 240 seconds shadow fall costs 124.8 end while barrier reef costs 13.52)

2. Suppress when mezzed

 

 

1 hour ago, Psyonico said:

Oh, one other thing about barrier reef... Some people use it as a Shifting Tides anchor while solo.

Those are some good points.

Given that it follows you anyway, maybe that one should just be changed to drop at your location when cast, rather than be made a toggle aura.

[Psyonico]

I wouldn't be against that.  You could always pseudo implement this with a macro now using

 

Powexec_location 0:5 Barrier Reef

[srmalloy]

5 hours ago, Psyonico said:

Oh, one other thing about barrier reef... Some people use it as a Shifting Tides anchor while solo.

With my Pyro/Marine Controller, I've switched from that to putting it on my Catherine Wheel, because it gets closer to the hostile mobs, creating more stacks -- and because it doesn't despawn at inconvenient times when I'm not paying attention. Even when solo, if the current activity has a cluster of friendlies (i.e., Adamastor summoning, the Kronos Titan train in Talos Island), putting it on the GM pretty much guarantees capping the number of stacks.

[arcane]

17 hours ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

I believe both of these powers could be turned into PBAOE toggle auras without changing their buff/heal numbers

Main problem with the OP

[RadiantPhoenix]

2 hours ago, arcane said:

Main problem with the OP

Lifegiving Spores is already an AoE toggle.

This would just change the focus from a spot on the ground to the player.

[Uun]

21 hours ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

Shifting Tides must be placed on a teammate, and will detoggle if that teammate doesn't stay close to you

Shifting Tides can be placed on a teammate, pet or foe. As stated above, many place it on Barrier Reef. This does require reapplying it every 4 min (or sooner if Barrier Reef is defeated). Controller pets work well if they stay in melee range but not so much if they stay at range (i.e., Tri-Cannon).  Because of its interaction with Brine (it reduces its recharge), I often place Shifting Tides directly on the foe when fighting AVs and GMs.

 

I share your dislike of Lifegiving Spores, but I don't think changing it from a location toggle would help. It can already be resummoned almost immediately. The issue is the strength (or lack thereof) of the heal/end buff. 

Edited Monday at 04:43 PM by Uun

[arcane]

1 hour ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

Lifegiving Spores is already an AoE toggle.

This would just change the focus from a spot on the ground to the player.

Stationary Loc AoE’s and Fire-and-Forget toggles are not equivalent in balance terms. If you want the huge buff from one to the other, please propose what corresponding reductions you are okay with.

[RadiantPhoenix]

On 7/28/2025 at 12:45 PM, arcane said:

Stationary Loc AoE’s and Fire-and-Forget toggles are not equivalent in balance terms. If you want the huge buff from one to the other, please propose what corresponding reductions you are okay with.

The problem with Lifegiving Spores in particular right now is that it is already so weak that I never seriously consider taking it for more than cosmetic effects.

First, the numbers:

• Scale 0.25 heal every 4s
• +15% Recovery (equivalent)
• Endurance cost equivalent to -15% Recovery

Now, the analysis:

• Standard content is fast-paced enough that a group of enemies is going to be almost all dead before it manages to tick more than 2-3 times (3x scale 0.25 heal), at which point you're much better off just casting Regrowth once (scale 1.5 heal)
• Most difficult content involves moving around a bunch too
• You would think that it would be good for iTrials or MSRs, but the actual amount of healing and recovery is small enough that it drowns in the sea of other heal/END sources that you should be getting. (a single Rebirth Radial from one player in the entire league provides about 10x as much sustained healing) EDIT: will be getting, because Wild Growth's +100% Regeneration is four times larger than the heals from Lifegiving Spores, and you only need to cast that once every minute-and-a-half.

The only real use-case for it is if you have a very long AV fight with nobody else providing any healing or regen, and even then it's probably a tiny fraction of the size of the Tanker's own un-assisted regeneration.

So, no, it does not need a nerf to become fire-and-forget, because it needed a buff anyway.

Edited Thursday at 07:48 PM by RadiantPhoenix
Oh, right, I use Wild Growth

[Psyonico]

2 minutes ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

it does not need a nerf to become fire-and-forget, because it needed a buff anyway.

I agree that the power is quite weak, but since Nature as a whole is a very powerful set, I disagree that any power in the set needs a buff.

[RadiantPhoenix]

11 minutes ago, Psyonico said:

I agree that the power is quite weak, but since Nature as a whole is a very powerful set, I disagree that any power in the set needs a buff.

My /Nature builds are very cramped in terms of power selections.

I already skip Spore Cloud, which I probably shouldn't, because even nerfed by 94% (AV resistance + Purple Patch), it's still a pretty nice debuff for iTrials and similar scenarios.

As such, I am not sure if it would be correct to take even the toggle-aura version of Lifegiving Spores on an optimized build.

... I probably would take it, but that's because I value convenience a lot. (Which is also the reason I almost always take the Flight pool instead of other pool powers)

 

[golstat2003]

On 7/28/2025 at 12:36 AM, srmalloy said:

With my Pyro/Marine Controller, I've switched from that to putting it on my Catherine Wheel, because it gets closer to the hostile mobs, creating more stacks -- and because it doesn't despawn at inconvenient times when I'm not paying attention. Even when solo, if the current activity has a cluster of friendlies (i.e., Adamastor summoning, the Kronos Titan train in Talos Island), putting it on the GM pretty much guarantees capping the number of stacks.

 

This is actually a brilliant strategy. I'll remember this when I eventually (altholics anonymous failed for me during the Live days) roll this character.

[golstat2003]

17 hours ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

My /Nature builds are very cramped in terms of power selections.

I already skip Spore Cloud, which I probably shouldn't, because even nerfed by 94% (AV resistance + Purple Patch), it's still a pretty nice debuff for iTrials and similar scenarios.

As such, I am not sure if it would be correct to take even the toggle-aura version of Lifegiving Spores on an optimized build.

... I probably would take it, but that's because I value convenience a lot. (Which is also the reason I almost always take the Flight pool instead of other pool powers)

 

 

To the bolded, it's interesting to me, as I find flight to be woefully slow and inconvenient compared to the other travel powers.

 

Just shows different players see things differently.

[arcane]

With Marine and Nature being two of the best powersets in the game, I’m not seeing how either could have any room to be buffed further.

 

And Nature is one of the easiest support characters to build with only 5 mandatory powers carrying all that weight.

[RadiantPhoenix]

6 hours ago, arcane said:

With Marine and Nature being two of the best powersets in the game, I’m not seeing how either could have any room to be buffed further.

 

And Nature is one of the easiest support characters to build with only 5 mandatory powers carrying all that weight.

It's not just Marine and Nature that could do with streamlining some of their powers.

Traps has several location-placed pets that should probably be automatically summoned at the caster's location. (Seeker Drones and Force Field Generator, both of which follow you)

Dark Servant (Dark Miasma/Darkness Affinity) too.

[Rudra]

40 minutes ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

It's not just Marine and Nature that could do with streamlining some of their powers.

Traps has several location-placed pets that should probably be automatically summoned at the caster's location. (Seeker Drones and Force Field Generator, both of which follow you)

Dark Servant (Dark Miasma/Darkness Affinity) too.

The FFG and Dark Servant are pets. Like all other pets, you have to summon them to an available, open space.

[LightMaster]

5 minutes ago, Rudra said:

The FFG and Dark Servant are pets. Like all other pets, you have to summon them to an available, open space.

Not helping is their tendency to expire (automatic 0 HP + die) after minutes passed, so you have to re-summon them, especially with the long recharge time for those Pet summoning powers like Dark Servant.

Edited 13 hours ago by LightMaster

[Rudra]

16 minutes ago, LightMaster said:

Not helping is their tendency to expire (automatic 0 HP + die) after minutes passed, so you have to re-summon them, especially with the long recharge time for those Pet summoning powers like Dark Servant.

Yeah, they are pets on timers, but they are still pets. They can be targeted and defeated by enemies. They can be healed. (Pretty sure the FFG can be healed. I know the Dark Servant can be. Hells, he heals himself and me a lot.) They have normal movement rates. So I'm confused as to why you added them in to your discussion when it seemed to me you were focused on pseudo-pets like Lifegiving Spores.

[LightMaster]

3 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Yeah, they are pets on timers, but they are still pets. They can be targeted and defeated by enemies. They can be healed. (Pretty sure the FFG can be healed. I know the Dark Servant can be. Hells, he heals himself and me a lot.) They have normal movement rates. So I'm confused as to why you added them in to your discussion when it seemed to me you were focused on pseudo-pets like Lifegiving Spores.

You’re right, my bad, lost in the track with this thread.
 

Back into the subject, I’d agree with pseudo-pets replaced by toggles if it means increased effectiveness and not dealing with long recharge time, but true pets can stay.

[Uun]

4 hours ago, RadiantPhoenix said:

Traps has several location-placed pets that should probably be automatically summoned at the caster's location. (Seeker Drones and Force Field Generator, both of which follow you)

Seeker Drones should be summoned near the enemy so they get attacked and deploy. Summoning near the caster is pointless.