Wonky Willowmaker Mechanics, strength removal.

[kslghost]

Currently, willowmaker applies the debuff to the target. Wasn't this originally supposed to be only to those behind the target, in the cone effect?

Additionally, health is taken out proportionately with the debuff (a full health target will still have "100% health, though of a lower amount) and added back proportionately. Was this the intention of the skill? If a target takes damage during the debuff, he only heals back a proportion back...(I assume yes, as it makes the damage "temporary" and a target more readily killable within the 5 seconds). Additionally, this oddity comes into play when using +health items.

For example, this was tested with a level 6 deadwood vs a level 1 pebbles.

Pebbles with no items at level 1 has 606 health. Ult with deadwood. Pebbles has 137 health and heals up to 161 after a few ticks of regen (141-161 is what I observed). That's 4 strength being restored, with approx 5 hp/str healed. This means Deadwood has done 469 damage with that lowering to 445 after 5 seconds. Pebbles has 1.5% damage reduction at level 1.

Let's calculate. 606-400*.985 = 394 damage. Clearly, the strength is removed pre-damage, otherwise he'd only lose about 25 more HP from strength removal. 76 points of health removal from strength loss.

606-76-400*.985 = 136, pretty much on the dot.

However, when wearing a beastheart +250hp item, the findings differ.

856 health goes to 387, the same 469 damage. So that portion is working fine. However, when he heals some of that damage, he receives a greater amount (due to the health regain being proportionate to his health). In this case, he jumped back to 429, approximately from 390-391, approximately 40 health. 10 health per strength lost. I realize why this is, but I question whether or not this should be the case.

Whether or not willowmaker is OP/broken etc, the inconsistency introduced by adding an item that technically should not effect the outcome of damage seems to be a little iffy. Maybe the devs could look at strength loss/hp loss and strength gain/hp gain separately from +health when calculating such?

Finally, in a mention of balance, perhaps Willowmaker debuff should be applied after the damage, to reduce it's effect slightly.

[Urizen]

or remove the debuff an change it to knock back things behind the target because his punch is so beastly

[Schizofriend]

Sounds like a balance suggestion.

There was a Dev post here before explaining Deadwood's Willowmaker. It is meant to remove strength first, then apply the damage.

When the strength debuff is ended (or begins) the HP change works based on it's % at the time. So a hero with 50% HP when the strength debuff is on them, will still have 50% HP when it ends. The value of that HP changes, but the % of their Max stays the same. The reason for the difference when adding a direct HP item, is that that amount of HP is not effected by the Strength removal.

The reason for the difference when adding a direct HP item, is that that amount of HP is not effected by the Strength removal. So instead of removing 40% of Max HP, it removes less. The end result is that the damage boost from the strength debuff is lower. In your example the 606 HP Pebbles with a +250 HP item, has his health reduced by 121.2, which happens to be about 7% Health reduction, which translates to a 7% damage amplification. Which makes the ultimate do about 428 damage compared to the targets original HP. Without the health item, the damage is 480. Thats without bringing armor into the equation. (This math is most likely wrong, due to me not taking into account base HP before strength (Which is also not reduced) and because I did this all in my head, on the fly. But the basic point is still the same.)

Working as intended. (http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/showthread.php?t=54184)

[Distort3d]

It amplifies damage and healing.

What is there not to understand about it?

[ElementUser]

Yes, the tooltip even says it removes 40% Strength and not 40% Max HP. Yes it is intended that the damage is dealt after the strength reduction. And yes % of HP is meant to remain constant before & after the strength debuff.

Since Schizofiend answered the mechanical part pretty well, closing this. Try posting this again in Balance if you want it changed