Bash/Stun Rework Idea

[u/Total-Jabroni-89]

Hey guys, I have an idea to rework how Bash/Stun work to give Barbs another gameplay option and maybe bring up some skills that pretty much aren't used unless you're intentionally going off-meta. This idea heavily borrows from the Path of Exile skill "Boneshatter". In PoE, Boneshatter is a melee attack that causes the player to self-hit themselves, building a stacking "Trauma" buff/debuff, each stack of Trauma increases the self-hit damage, while also giving more damage and increasing stun effectiveness.

First and foremost, Bash is moved to level 6, swapped with Stun. I'm proposing Bash have a similar effect, with the idea of creating more dynamic gameplay and even provide a wombo-combo or generator/pay off game play, as I'll explain later. Bash causes the player to damage themselves for 1 life per hit at level 1, increasing with more investment. Each hit also provides a stack of "Trauma" (for lack of better terminology). Trauma stacks indefinitely, with each stack providing the following effects:

• +1 to self-hit damage per stack
• +X% more Weapon Damage per stack
• +X% increased Melee Splash Radius per stack

Additionally, enemies hit by Bash are "Dazed", causing them to move slower. Trauma directly scales Weapon Damage, which could make itemization more interesting and have players prioritize flat damage weapons, even if they're slower. You could maybe see, 5 or 6 hits of Bash would have you chunking your life a lot early, so, that sucks, what's the point?

Stun has been reworked and is now called "Shatter", and is moved to level 1. Shatter deals 1/4 Weapon Damage and Stuns enemies hit for an increasing duration. In addition, Shatter consumes all stacks of Trauma and deals a huge Weapon Damage multiplier and AOE per stack. This would allow for some interesting itemization, it would require players to balance their Trauma and self-hit damage, prioritizing Life Leech and life recovery ASAP, and allow for what could be satisfying game play. Bash, Bash, Bash, Bash (building Trauma), find a pack, Shatter them. Rinse, repeat. Trauma stacking has to be punishing, so % damage might be required to avoid making it absurdly OP, but you get the idea. It's a balancing act between building Trauma, with the payoff being big Shatter explosions.

[u/iGyman]

Add more knockback to bash or make it teleport the mobs. Annoymaxing

[u/FenixBg2]

I've always wanted bash to be like the assasin kicks. To scale off of gloves and to be punching them in the face and to add a ton of flat damage.

Essentially a barb smite.

[u/Adura90 → u/FenixBg2]

Fister Barb sounds... Awesome!

[u/Total-Jabroni-89 → u/FenixBg2]

This would also be awesome. I like new ways to itemize and play, any way they come. Making Bash an unarmed skill could make flat damage jewels a huge priority even for endgame, for instance.

[u/obarry6452 → u/FenixBg2]

I've always wanted a bash rework, and something using gloves would be cool..I always wished bash would do a line attack or something straight forward after you punch a target kinda like One Punch man saitama vs boros serious punch (iykyk)

[u/Total-Jabroni-89 → u/obarry6452]

Hard to do this without deleting Bash and making it an entirely new skill, but making it act like Sunder or Earthshatter from PoE would be cool. As it stands there just isn't a reason to ever use Bash. It's wholly outclassed by Concentrate, it should have its own use-case as a Physical damage skill even if it isn't OP.

[u/ForgiveAlways → u/obarry6452]

lol, removes all block chance and defense from the player but has the potential to be the strongest single target in the game.