Warlock Healer Idea

[Rokdon]

With changes to Beast Mastery Hunter pushing a Tank option I thought I could share a Warlock Healer idea I've had for a while. Looking at the current Octo Demonology tree I think the building blocks are already there. Similar to Beast Mastery and Feral Druid this would add an option to the spec and not completely take it over.

The idea hinges on:
1) Allow Health Funnel to target player allies.

2) A new demon summon: "Pain Gorger" (could use the Beholder type monster model: Broggok from Blood Furnace). This demon pet would act as a health battery for the warlock to use. It could have a debuff that heals itself based on all damage the target takes (goes on the boss). Then the warlock uses its own health + the pain gorger to distribute to party members.

Optional 3) Allow Drain Life to target allies with limits similar to the reworked Disc Priest.

I think this idea fits the Warlock thematically and is already in line with other Health Manipulation and Health Stone healing effects in the kit. Of course the new demon would need its own quest chain to obtain. I'm not a game designer so the numbers and new ability designs would need to be worked out by someone more capable but I think an additional Healer option would really help out and this fits Warlock better than a Tank role.

Just an idea. Thanks for reading. Feedback and other ideas welcome.

[Octosaur]

So the goal is to give them an off-heal role in dungeons? To make a viable full healer class they'd probably need their own tree otherwise you'd be giving way too much utility to an existing tree. I'm not against it fundamentally nor even the idea of 4th specs for classes but it would be a lot of work. As an optional off-heal in case stuff starts getting dangerous it could work, and could have some niche applications in certain raid encounters too.

Provided it's well balanced I don't see why this shouldn't be a fun idea.

To prevent griefing the funnel should cut off at a certain percentage HP AND it should be cancellable by the target in the buff window AND it should place a debuff on them which prevents repeated use of health funnel and should only work on characters in the party. The ability to effectively deal damage to your allies is a fun one but a lot of guardrails will be needed.

It's a cool idea and I'd be down for a full Warlock healing spec revolving around HP manipulation.

[Joyson]

just play priest

[Knifewrench]

Warlock is already 1 of the strongest pvp classes, u cant just give em healing spells. Also u cant give a class with life tap healing spells, even sod realised this and made mage healer instead.

[Rokdon]

The life tap won't be as much of a problem because they aren't converting mana to hp but instead moving hp around and are limitted by the hp pool of their demon pet. In fact it becomes a strategic point because if you're forced to life tap for mana you are reducing the party's hp pool that you manipulate.

I don't play much pvp but if the mechanics rely in the new pet that would severely cut dps as it will mostly just stand around and let the warlock sap hp from it.