Seeing as i can’t post on the Alpha forums… i’ll post my feedback here.
The current Class tree is very strict with point allocation for Ret in PVE at least. (you can skip to TL;DR to see the exact changes)
Or if you’re going for an AOE build maybe(pending tuning):
You only have 1 free point to spend after reaching the last gate mandatory talent spread, which means getting to the talents (Holy Aegis, Blessing of Protection and Obduracy) which will allow you your last 11 points in the final gate:
As such i’d like to see the following changes to the class tree:
a) Holy Aegis removed from being mandatory for ret pve
Holy Aegis - Armor and Healing done increased by 2/4%
Why? - it would free up to 4 points, since you’ll want to put 8 in to unlock the first gate, after grabbing the mandatory talents to reaching the 20 point gate, you’ll have 16/20 spent, so 4 points left over to pick out what utility you want within reach.
b) Connections are far from ideal and some are needed to be added
Add 2 descending diagonals from Blessing of Protection to Aspirations of Divinity and Incandescence/Touch of Light.
Why? This will allow us an extra 1 point to free-use as Obduracy or Afterimage are no longer mandatory and can be skipped over if we wanted to.
Which would bring our total free points to spend on utility to 5… which is a lot better than the 1 we have now.
c) Merge Cavalier with Seasoned Warhorse so it gives 1 more charge and 2 extra seconds.
Why? Because 4 talent points to get less than what we have live is far from exciting. 2 points should be enough to spend on this.
d) Seal of Alacrity - 3% haste and movement speed.
Why? Because it needs to be worth more and it fits the name thematically.
e) Seal of the Templar - While mounted on your Charger the ranges of Crusader Strike, Hammer of the Righteous, Blade of Justice, Rebuke are increased to 30 yards. - Placed in current spot of Seasoned Warhorse
Why? Because it takes out Crusader Aura - which forces us to use a non-combat aura - and increases the benefits while under Divine Steed, allowing the talent to be more impactful on our game play, as we are able to generate resources until we get to where we need to get to and gives a temporary ranged interrupt in Rebuke. Rewards more skillful play.
f) Holy Avenger - Your Holy Power generation is tripled for 8-10 seconds. 1 min cd
Why? Because it needs to be re-balanced to be competitive with Divine Purpose, having its power cut down and making it ever 1 minute is better to not stack full power with AW at 2 mins and makes it more versatile.
g) Turn Evil - Make it instant cast.
Why? It’s situational and it has no business having a cast time.
h) Afterimage - Lower the requirement to 12 Holy Power spent and make it affect Flash of Light at 50% effectiveness besides WoG at 30% effectiveness.
Why? 20 HP is too much for what it does - 7 finishers, versus 12 HP which is 4. This way it gives more choices and has synergy with Selfless Healer as well as Healing Hands.
i) Obduracy - 2% avoidance and knock-back or pull effects are half as effective coming from enemies.
Why? It will feel impactful in certain fights and fits the theme better.
j) Avenging Wrath rank - Cooldown Reduced by 60 seconds and grants 20% extra critical strike chance for its duration.
Why? The ability was split into 3 parts and the crit % chance is a choice node against Crusade, which in PVE at least is no competition and Crusade is an instant pick. It’s more fair to have the ability split into 2 parts since there is no addition to either of them in these selections.
k) Golden Path / Seal of Mercy - combines to Golden Seal of Mercy - Consecration heals every ally in it up to 5 and heals for 50% more the lowest.
Why? Both are very under-tuned, if you’d combine them, they would be more worth it and scrap the damaging component, we have enough mandatory dps talents.
l) Blessed Return - For every disease or poison effect cleansed you are granted 1 holy power in return. - placement: below Cleanse Toxins
Why? Because it’s a reward for doing a good deed and something thematic to place there.
m) Seal of Command - When activated your next finisher will cause 70% more damage or healing. 30 second cd off the gcd - placement: where Seal of the Templar is now
Why? It’s in the name… you give a command and it actually does what it’s told to do, damage or healing! Please, we have enough rng.
And i’d like to see the following changes to the Retribution spec tree:
a) Swift Crusader - increases the range of abilities by 3 yards to anyone benefiting from your auras. - also draw a connection to Shield of Vengeance from it.
Why? A bonus for having a ret pally in your party/raid without being necessary… just something nice to have but hard to quantify exactly.
b) Expurgation and Blade of Wrath - switch places, Blade of Wrath is mandatory, this allows us to chose whether we want Expurgation or something else, currently we don’t have a choice.
c) Highlord’s Judgment and Timely Judgment - combine into Highlord’s Timely Judgment for 1 sec cd reduce and 10% dmg increase on Judgment.
Why? Because the effects are boring and there are too many Judgment-related talents, let it be at Highlord’s Judgment spot.
d) In place of Timely Judgment place Tempest of the Lightbringer
Why? Because it’s a better spot for it and connected to Divine Storm directly.
e) Condemning Blade - Increases the critical strike chance of BoJ by 5%, doubling each time it doesn’t crit.
Why? Because it’s a very weak talent and non-competitive, with it doubling you’d have 5% > 10% > 20% > 40% > 80%, so by the 5th one you’ll always get it to crit.
f) Ashes to Dust - You have a 35% chance per Art of War proc to grant a temporary 8 second charge of Wake of Ashes.
Why? Nobody likes when the reset occurs just before the cooldown is over naturally and with a lower % chance than on live, this will happen more often. This way you are guaranteed to get value out of the talent.
g) Long Arm of the Law moves in the current Hand of Hindrance spot.
Why? Because HoH is 99% of the time used for PVP only, while LAotL is potentially used by both and it’s better placing it near the middle to open up 2 paths.
h) Long arm of the Law - Speed increased to 40% for 3 seconds, Blade of Justice now has a 15 yards range during it and extends the duration by 1 second.
Why? Because with Judgment being on average 9 seconds it’s uptime and power is very underwhelming. And having BoJ extend it seems fitting.
i) Truth’s Wake - Wake of Ashes burns for an additional 10% damage every second for the next 3 seconds.
Why? The damage is very underwhelming currently and won’t be picked.
j) Sanctification/Inner Power moved to current Long arm of the Law spot and Final Verdict moved in place of Sanctification/Inner Power
Why? Because Final Verdict is a very fun talent and should be more accessible and having it be connected to Righteous Verdict is more fitting.
k) Last Rites and Deemed Unworthy - combine them into Last Rites of the Unworthy
Why? They are very underwhelming and not likely to be picked.
l) Hand of Hindrance moved in the current spot of Deemed Unworthy.
Why? Open spot there and as a ST slow it’s exactly opposite of the aoe slow talent on the other side of the tree.
m) Justicar’s Vengeance replaced by Revenge against the Occult - 30% magic damage reduction for 10 seconds and any damage over time spells that are on you will deal 50% of the damage back to the enemy that casted them.
Why? Because it would be a good choice against Eye for an Eye which is for physical damage dealers. And ofc, nobody uses JV, it should be scrapped forever!
n) Boundless Judgement - Every 2nd Judgment chains to a 2nd enemy.
Why? Because at 25% it’s too low and 50% sounds right but it’s still RNG, every 2nd Judgment makes it guaranteed but still 50% of the time exactly.
o) Remembrance of the Crusader - Your Crusader Strike deals 100% of its damage as holy and an additional 40% to a secondary enemy near your target. - to be positioned in place of Tempest of the Lightbringer’s spot.
Why? Because Crusader Strike should strike for more and scale with our mastery and it would help our 2 target cleave where we are severely lacking.
p) Exorcism - now also grants 1 holy power
Why? So we can add it to our rotation/priority without questioning if it’s actually worth it or not.
q) Replace Avenging Wrath: Might with Liadrin’s Fury - During Avenging Wrath, each Holy Power spent causes you to explode with Holy Light damaging nearby enemies.
Why? It’s basically Sanctified Wrath renamed, allowing us the same choice as on live.
s) Light’s Celerity - While Avenging Wrath is Active your holy power generating abilities have a 50% cooldown reduction. - In place of Liadrin’s Fury spot.
Why? It fits well with Crusade and Liadrin’s Fury.
t) Under Divine Toll we should have 2 diagonal arrow options: Ringing Clarity and Divine Resonance
Why? Because without Ringing Clarity using Divine Toll feels weak in ST situations.
u) Glimpse of Light - Your holy power finishers have a 15% chance to grant you Avenging Wrath for 6 seconds. - place it in Final Verdict’s spot.
Why? Because wings are fun? = more wings = more fun!
TL;DR
- As such i’d like to see the following changes to the class tree:
a) Holy Aegis - Armor and Healing done increased by 2/4%
b) Add 2 descending diagonals from Blessing of Protection to Aspirations of Divinity and Incandescence/Touch of Light.
c) Merge Cavalier with Seasoned Warhorse so it gives 1 more charge and 2 extra seconds.
d) Seal of Alacrity - 3% haste and movement speed.
e) Seal of the Templar - While mounted on your Charger the ranges of Crusader Strike, Hammer of the Righteous, Blade of Justice, Rebuke are increased to 30 yards. - Placed in current spot of Seasoned Warhorse
f) Holy Avenger - Your Holy Power generation is tripled for 8-10 seconds. 1 min cd
g) Turn Evil - Make it instant cast.
h) Afterimage - Lower the requirement to 12 Holy Power spent and make it affect Flash of Light at 50% effectiveness besides WoG at 30% effectiveness.
i) Obduracy - 2% avoidance and knock-back or pull effects are half as effective coming from enemies.
j) Avenging Wrath rank - Cooldown Reduced by 60 seconds and grants 20% extra critical strike chance for its duration.
k) Golden Path / Seal of Mercy - combines to Golden Seal of Mercy - Consecration heals every ally in it up to 5 and heals for 50% more the lowest.
l) Blessed Return - For every disease or poison effect cleansed you are granted 1 holy power in return. - placement: below Cleanse Toxins
m) Seal of Command - When activated your next finisher will cause 70% more damage or healing. 30 second cd off the gcd - placement: where Seal of the Templar is now
- And i’d like to see the following changes to the Retribution spec tree:
a) Swift Crusader - increases the range of abilities by 3 yards to anyone benefiting from your auras. - also draw a connection to Shield of Vengeance from it.
b) Expurgation and Blade of Wrath - switch places
c) Highlord’s Judgment and Timely Judgment - combine into Highlord’s Timely Judgment for 1 sec cd reduce and 10% dmg increase on Judgment.
d) In place of Timely Judgment place Tempest of the Lightbringer
e) Condemning Blade - Increases the critical strike chance of BoJ by 5%, doubling each time it doesn’t crit.
f) Ashes to Dust - You have a 35% chance per Art of War proc to grant a temporary 8 second charge of Wake of Ashes.
g) Long Arm of the Law moves in the current Hand of Hindrance spot.
h) Long arm of the Law - Speed increased to 40% for 3 seconds, Blade of Justice now has a 15 yards range during it and extends the duration by 1 second.
i) Truth’s Wake - Wake of Ashes burns for an additional 10% damage every second for the next 3 seconds.
j) Sanctification/Inner Power moved to current Long arm of the Law spot and Final Verdict moved in place of Sanctification/Inner Power.
k) Last Rites and Deemed Unworthy - combine them into Last Rites of the Unworthy
l) Hand of Hindrance moved in the current spot of Deemed Unworthy.
m) Justicar’s Vengeance replaced by Revenge against the Occult - 30% magic damage reduction for 10 seconds and any damage over time spells that are on you will deal 50% of the damage back to the caster.
n) Boundless Judgement - Every 2nd Judgment chains to a 2nd enemy.
o) Remembrance of the Crusader - Your Crusader Strike deals 100% of its damage as holy and an additional 40% to a secondary enemy near your target. - to be positioned in place of Tempest of the Lightbringer’s spot.
p) Exorcism - now also grants 1 holy power
q) Replace Avenging Wrath: Might with Liadrin’s Fury - During Avenging Wrath, each Holy Power spent causes you to explode with Holy Light damaging nearby enemies.
s) Light’s Celerity - While Avenging Wrath is Active your holy power generating abilities have a 50% cooldown reduction. - In place of Liadrin’s Fury spot.
t) Under Divine Toll we should have 2 diagonal arrow options: Ringing Clarity and Divine Resonance
u) Glimpse of Light - Your holy power finishers have a 15% chance to grant you Avenging Wrath for 6 seconds. - place it in Final Verdict’s spot.