So we hear a lot about battlemages being old and tired. Let's give them a fresh new bag of tricks. The goal of these changes is NOT to drastically change the power level of the class; rather it is to give it some mage-like versatility that it is SORELY lacking, as opposed to the current GEAR UP -> GET DANCING BLADE -> BUFF, BUFF, BUFF -> SPAM SHARPMETAL/FLASHFIRE/SEAR that the class currently represents.
Idea #1 - New Spell: Environmental Manipulation
Biome dependent offensive spell, makes environment matter for BMGs beyond terra shield and indoor/outdoor. Two rounds of lag. Here's a sample of what that could look like.
You utter the words 'bolus materia'
FOREST
Saved
A scattered assortment of small branches and needle-like leaves dart toward Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation decimates Enemy.
Unsaved
With a loud CRACK! a large branch snaps off the nearest tree and hurtles toward Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation MASSACRES Enemy.
Enemy is pinned under the branch and cannot escape!
Affect: pinned for 0 hours (think PSI/whip warrior ability)
NOTE: Could trigger a prog that creates an object like a "torn apart tree" that prevents the unsaved version from triggering again in the same room.
DESERT
Saved
A swirling lash of superheated sand forms and whips toward Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation decimates Enemy.
Unsaved
An enormous wave of sand rises up and consumes Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation MASSACRES Enemy.
Enemy is blinded by the wall of sand.
Affect: sandblind for 0 hours (like dirt kick, low saves check for easy 0 tick blind)
CITY
Saved
Loose pieces of chipped stone whiz around, the shrapnel striking Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation decimates Enemy.
Unsaved
The cobblestones rip out of the street and slam into Enemy with a sickening THUNK!
Your environmental manipulation MASSACRES Enemy.
Enemy's leg is crushed by the massive rocks.
Affect: leg crush: modifies moves by -50 for 4 hours
for 4 hours (enfeeblement)
CAVE/INDOOR
Saved
A few small stalactites are dislodged from the ceiling, falling directly onto Enemy.
Your environmental manipulation LACERATES Enemy.
Unsaved
A massive stalactite falls to the ground, hurtling like a giant spear right at Enemy's head.
Your environmental manipulation DEMOLISHES Enemy.
SHALLOW/DEEP WATER
Saved
The water swells and roils, momentarily pulling Enemy under.
Your environmental manipulation decimates Enemy.
Unsaved
With a terrible WHOOSH a massively wave towers over Enemy before crashing down and tossing them about.
Your environmental manipulation MASSACRES Enemy.
Enemy coughs and chokes as their lungs fill with water.
Tick 1: You feel light-headed as the water in your lungs restricts your breathing.
Tick 2: As you sway dizzily, the pressure in your lungs becomes too great and everything fades to black.
Affect: waterlogged: for 2 hours (insomnia effect)
for 4 hours
Idea #2 - Update Dancing Blade
Dancing blade feels a little stale, because nine times out of ten it results in the same weapons being grabbed and used. Each align has 3-4 weapons and those same weapons are the pinnacle of arms for any BMG of that align. So how can we fix this? Let's make other weapons great again (#MOWGA).
Weapon Weight
<10 lbs: Lower damage but has a chance to flurry of blades more often and the quick cuts can cause bleeding/wounding
10-20 lbs: Moderate damage, moderate chance to flurry, higher chance to trip
20 lbs: High damage, very low chance to flurry, higher chance to disarm (possibly even empowered disarm?)
Weapon Type
Note: to make this easy, let's say the baseline damage for a single blade hit is a MUTILATE. Scaling attributable to each weapon type from there. Effects below are supplemental to the weight-based affects (disarm, trip, flurry).
AXE
Damage: MUTILATE
Effect: Increased bonus effectiveness due to weight
Your Hatchet of Doom LACERATES Enemy.
Your Hatchet of Doom swipes Enemy's legs out from under them.
POLEARM
Damage: MUTILATE
Effect: Chance to deflect blows
Your Glaive of Doom MUTILATES Enemy.
Your Glaive of Doom heaves Enemy's blade aside with a mighty blow.
MACE
Damage: MUTILATE
Effect: Chance to lag
Your Hammer of Doom devastates Enemy.
Your Hammer of Doom slams into enemy with a powerful impact.
SWORD
Damage: DISMEMBER
Effect: None
Your Blade of Doom DISMEMBERS Enemy.
Your Blade of Doom damaged your Enemy quite a lot, isn't that enough you selfish bum!
DAGGER
Damage: maul
Effect: Doubled attacks (x2 in regular rounds AND x2 for number of flurry strikes)
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
Your Knife of Doom moves like a blur as it rapidly slices Enemy to ribbons.
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
Enemy parries your Knife of Doom.
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
Enemy dodges your Knife of Doom.
Your Knife of Doom mauls Enemy.
SPEAR
Damage: LACERATE
Effect: Chance to hamstring opponent (cause enfeebled affect)
Your Poker of Doom LACERATES enemy.
Enemy cries out in pain as your Poker of Doom slashes at their hamstrings.
Affect: hamstrung: for 1 hours
STAFF
Damage: devastate
Effect: Chance to concuss opponent (headbutt affect)
Your Rod of Doom devastates enemy.
With a loud crack, your Rod of Doom slams into Enemy's head.
Affect: concussed: for 1 hours
Idea #3 - Enhance Sharpmetal
One of the biggest complaints that I see (and have had myself in the past) about battlemages is the lack of versatility. Basically, if you're fighting an opponent that you can't outdamage in melee with your scythes and dancing blade, and they also have adequate spell protections to mitigate your sharpmetal, then you could well be out of luck. So given that sharpmetal is the staple chase/damage spell for BMGs, let's give it some love.
New Skill: Metalwork (Level 45)
Not really a functional skill, just a toggle for the effects your sharpmetal will produce
syntax: metalwork <shrapnel/magma/spike>
Affect: metalwork: modifies sharpmetal by 2 for 24 hours
Shrapnel: Sharpmetal does reduced damage but strikes 2-3 times per foe (reduced mana cost per foe)
Superheated: Sharpmetal does current damage and includes a chance to do a 0 hour flameblind to each struck foe
Spikeball: Sharpmetal does higher damage but only strikes one foe, has a chance to bleed/wound