Melees Solution - Buff/Aura specifically for Melee builds

"

__Challengers Spirit__
- Description: "A skill, that lets you gather challenger stacks through attacks specified as melee. For every enemy hit in the last 8 seconds with a melee attack within 3 metres, you gain one challenger stack and you can have up to 20 stacks. Every stack grants you 1% universal damage reduction (universal: against all damage sources) and 0.5% more movement speed. The stack-timer refreshes whenever you hit an enemy with a melee attack while the stacks are active. Melee minions and totems cannot generate stacks. Stacks can't be generated when a ranged attack or spell was used within the last 8 seconds. Using a ranged attack or spell will also remove all stacks currently active.
- Cost: 30 Spirit without any support gems

"

SelkieTheSeal#5934 a écrit :

it’s clear you’ve worked to create something that fits the melee playstyle while addressing balance concerns. The idea of an aura that rewards staying close to enemies is super thematic and fits well with the identity of melee builds. The 3-meter range and stack removal on ranged or spell usage are clever ways to ensure it can’t be abused by ranged players or pseudo-melee builds like Sunder. The 8-second timer is also a nice touch, allowing players to sustain stacks between fights without feeling punished during lulls in combat.

That said, there are some potential drawbacks to consider. The stack generation rules might feel overly restrictive for hybrid builds that occasionally rely on ranged attacks or utility spells, potentially locking out some creative playstyles. Also, the reliance on constant melee hits within such a short range could be punishing in fights against highly mobile bosses or in scenarios where positioning is tricky. Lastly, while the buff sounds impactful, it might still struggle to compete with other powerful auras unless the damage reduction and movement speed feel significant enough in practice. Balancing those numbers will be crucial to making it feel rewarding without being overpowered.

"

SelkieTheSeal#5934 a écrit :

it’s clear you’ve worked to create something that fits the melee playstyle while addressing balance concerns. The idea of an aura that rewards staying close to enemies is super thematic and fits well with the identity of melee builds. The 3-meter range and stack removal on ranged or spell usage are clever ways to ensure it can’t be abused by ranged players or pseudo-melee builds like Sunder. The 8-second timer is also a nice touch, allowing players to sustain stacks between fights without feeling punished during lulls in combat.

"

SelkieTheSeal#5934 a écrit :

That said, there are some potential drawbacks to consider. The stack generation rules might feel overly restrictive for hybrid builds that occasionally rely on ranged attacks or utility spells, potentially locking out some creative playstyles. Also, the reliance on constant melee hits within such a short range could be punishing in fights against highly mobile bosses or in scenarios where positioning is tricky. Lastly, while the buff sounds impactful, it might still struggle to compete with other powerful auras unless the damage reduction and movement speed feel significant enough in practice. Balancing those numbers will be crucial to making it feel rewarding without being overpowered.

"

fouquet#0993 a écrit :

AI response.

"

Stacks can't be generated when a ranged attack or spell was used within the last 8 seconds

"

hqDM#6633 a écrit :

I applaud your constructive attempt to fix a problem.
I agree with the other poster that the stack generation rules feels overly restrictive.

"

Stacks can't be generated when a ranged attack or spell was used within the last 8 seconds

This part, specifically, as it neuters hybrid characters.

These examples are just what came to mind:

1) a current build I'm exploring is Bonestorm (casted) into Sunder nuke on Infernalist, with aftershocks (Bonestorm -> snipe on PF was also an option, but I didn't enjoy snipe's playstyle). Bonestorm's a channeled cast and so far mobs frequently arrive before it's finished casting, even with +2 proj and 25% more cast speed. You move like molasses while channeling. There is functionally no ranged advantage, compared to using a "melee" skill like Glacial Cascade, which can kite all day (and applies Chill/Freeze).

Leveling as melee sucks, but leveling from the witch area in particular is already a trial. I made a conscious decision to do that (a second time, even) so I'm fine with that, that was my choice. But to me, warrior melee, merc, or monk melee is in a better place already due to their starting point, availability of associated resources, and # of pathing nodes it takes to start ramping. Witch has very few physical nodes of value to begin with and there's no point ramping spell damage/crit, which does nothing for sunder.

That is a tradeoff, and part of the fun, of playing off meta jank: putting the puzzle together. That said, I just don't see why it should actively be compounded upon by penalizing a hybrid character (i.e. restricting casts in the last x seconds). It's essentially elevating "pure" classes while depreciating build flexibility, counter to the idea of tree traversal and "any class can be any build".

2) a melee char specced into a pseudo mjolner build e.g. with Choir and Quecholli (Trypanon 2.0). You're casting via attack triggers, which require you to use mace skills and are subject to all the same dangers, while your main weap has like 200 pdps and molasses aspd. Sure, Choir with Temporalis melts, but without it it's a wet noodle, and in no way superior to a pure phys/fire melee. Even simpler, running Cast on X for utility: because you strayed from the bonk bonk no thonk, you lose DR for > 8s (ramp time) on your main skill?


The proximity requirement makes sense, similar to how Pride in PoE stacked increased damage within radius, but maintaining that proximity over a duration is the penalty itself. I don't see the point in making a distinction between the character archetype beyond "melee", noting that melee also encompasses Stampede Titans who blow up the entire screen and more in 1 slam.


I think I would tie it to a melee-specific support gem, further tied to an existing mechanic like rage. E.g. 0.5% DR/pt rage, scaling based on duration in melee presence, as you suggested. Idk really.

"

xxvaderxx_ar#6346 a écrit :

I believe an elegant solution is what they did with Sanctum: melee martial weapons could have a parry, block, or damage reduction component that scales the closer you are to the enemy.

"

LaNSa#2186 a écrit :

They should just bake this into melee skills instead of forcing people to spent their spirit or do some other stupid thing just to be relevant in this game.

"

AceNightfire#0980 a écrit :

I think the restriction of hits within 3 metres could be enough, since it still forces the player to go into melee range.

But what about weapon change? Players could go into melee, get stacks for 8 seconds and then swap to range/spells. That's not how it should work. So a limitations is needed. Maybe something like "Spells/Ranged attacks triggered in melee range do not remove stacks".