Laeyakk

On test right now there are a bunch of new abilities for melee.

There are the wierd "opening" based abilities, and in addition each class is gaining a set of "anytime" abilities.

Even ignoring the "opening" based abilities and the /disc changes, they are pretty sweet.

Warrior:
Hate shout line. This line seems to both add instant hate, and aid in hate-over-time on a monster. All are on a 30 second recast timer, and probably share the same timer.

They all have 100 range, about the same as a cheal. The hate-over-time effect (which I don't know how it works, might be a hate dot, might be something else) lasts for 1 minute.

L 20: Provoke, +25 to 50 hate-over-time (caps at L 45) and +85 to 100 (caps at L 35) instant hate

L 52: Bellow, + 50 hate-over-time and +200 instant hate

L 63: Berate, + 60 hate-over-time and +300 instant hate (approx)

L ??: Incite, + 70 hate-over-time and +400 instant hate


Monk:
Phantom line. This line is a series of ranged lull effects. All are on a 30 second reuse timer, and last 18 to 24 seconds.

They all have 150 range, halfway between cheal and a nuke.

L 35: Lull up to L 50 mobs
L 50: Lull up to L 58 mobs
L 57: Lull up to L 61 mobs
L 64: Lull up to L 65 mobs

Note that no mobs over L 65 are lullable by any spell.

Also note that charisma seems to modify your aggro chance when lulling. Monks might want to start gathering cha gear. =)

Rogues:
Sneak attack. A single ability, unlike the monk/warrior ones, but it scales better.

From what I can tell, it is a free swing every 30 seconds.

The swing automatically hits, and automatically crits.
Your weapons "damage" stat is also doubled for the purpose of sneak attacks.

I don't know if you need position or a particular weapon type to use a sneak attack.

A high end rogue does on average 5 times weapon damage on a swing. So, using a 20 damage (time) weapon, that would be:
20 * 5 * 2 * 2 = 400 damage sneak attack
Or, an extra 13 DPS.

Using more reasonable numbers (lower ATK), 3 times weapon damage and a 16 damage weapon:
16 * 3 * 2 * 2 = 192 damage sneak attack
Or, 6.4 extra DPS.

There is a chance that sneak attack will work with non-piercers. Looking through the possible weapons out there, this turns out to be "not all that abusive". The highest damage 1 handed PRIMARY slot weapon for a rogue I could find was 22+1 magic. And because this is based off a normal swing's weapon damage, I doubt 2 handed weapons will prove efficient. =)

Grift3r

Sounds like the Sneak Attack will bring back the "ghetto" attack that rogues used to increase their Backstab damage for that single swing by swapping in a higher dam weapon.

I hope not. =/

Laeyakk

I was assuming it was any weapon type, but it might be daggers only.

JazyaVechette

Why you'd want to do it with anything but daggers is a mystery to me. You can't backstab with a slasher, or you'd see just about every Rogue out there mainhanding a Defender's Lightblade.

Unless of course this skill doesn't work with Backstab...

Radine

Good job taking a few ideas from SquareEnix (FFXI), Sony.

Immortalis

... `nuff said 8*(

Dee Cee

I agree Immortalis.
I am glad SOE likes to borrow (steal) ideas from others to make our game we play better for us.

Ibudin

/agree Deecee

Laeyakk

The Sneak Attack move doesn't have to be a stab.

In fact, it is called "Sneak Attack" not backstab.

And it is an addition to backstabs.

JazyaVechette

It does work on backstabs though, correct? If so, I can't see "sneak-crush" getting much use...