Nexus Clash

First the buff ideas. I think VWs suffer from too high CP costs and it feels to me like you need 2 to 3 ranks just to feel whole. Upgraded Frost Bow also feels weak for a 90cp innate (same base dmg as DH's 30cp Teeth of the Damned, 2mp cost compared to Teeth's 0mp, only 5% more accurate). I also think VW should be the Blood Claw specialists but Strangulation doesn't do enough. Here's how I think these things can be remedied:

• Ether Stepping reduced to 30cp

Travel skill at 60cp is too steep imo. Yes it's better than flight, but having good movement is part of VWs intended strengths.

• Stepping of the Stone reduced to 60cp

I love this skill but I think 60cp is a more reasonable cost for it for what it does.

• Bow of Frostbite reduced to 2mp per use

• Sniper of the Creeping Chill +2dmg +5% to hit, reduced to 1mp per use

This lets upgraded bow users mitigate the cost with Stygian Fury, and gives them some much needed damage and accuracy.

• Adept of the Shadow +5% phasing

5% passive phasing is basically unnoticeable, 10% would feel decently strong without being OP

• New Skill - Void Claws - 60cp child of Strangulation
  - Gives +3 damage to Blood Claws and allows the damage type to be changed to death (or maybe acid?)
  - Attacks with claws do not break hiding similar to SotCC

Hunting skills idea:

• Void Bugs 30cp
  - May set a total of level/3 tracking bugs at any location for 1ap per bug. Multiple bugs can be stacked on one location, indoor and outdoor are treated as separate locations
  - When a nonallied character uses MP on bugged location, there is (MPx3)% chance of bug implanting for 12 hours. The target is not aware they are marked until the bug dies or is destroyed.
  - Bugs leave a trail of void energy for 12 hours that the VW can follow by standing on the original location and retracing its exact path. It would look like a black leyline that extends 1-2 square from where you stand to where they stepped/blinked, meaning you would be able to follow their route step by step but wouldn't see the end destination until you got there.
  - Traveling across planes or stepping through SH ward destroys the bug and trail, notifying both the VW and the target where and how it was destroyed.
  - Setting a SH also destroys any bugs inside

• Abyssal Siphon 60cp
  - Child skill - Bugs give 50% of MP used by mark to VW, can go over max and bugs have 50% chance of not being destroyed by ward or interplanar portal. If the target is behind a ward, the VW is notified

The randomness of the chance of it implanting ensures the VW cannot grief the same target over and over, but also gives some strategy to use it to track targets draining fonts, infusion bombing neighborhood tiles, glyphing your SH after capping it etc. Being destroyed by ward or interplanar portals would also make many bugs not bear fruit, and having to retrace their exact route without knowing how long it is or where it ends makes it an AP investment to find the target. While it would be possible to relay the information to a factionmate, it would still require retracing their steps to where they ended up before you would know where they are.

The child skill would be a way to help VW mana problems as well as help track key targets better. For example if you manage to bug an archmage and the bug survives through ward, you could now inform your wizard they are probably in their SH and a raid could be organized to take their council seat, likewise for DO overlords for usurping, specific classes for Rev endgame, etc. The randomness of the bugs survival makes it not guaranteed and also could potentially alert the target they are being tracked when they get the notification that the bug was destroyed as they pass through their ward, allowing them to change up their gameplay to try to avoid getting bugged again. The randomness of the MP gain would also make it not OP yet rewarding if you manage to bug say a PM who then summons an army and have the AP to make use of the extra MP before it decays.

I think those are some great ideas!

I would like to see the bow tree reworked so it effects any ranged weapon (throwing, bows, or guns), to diversify VWs a bit, and so you can RP a wider range of assassin style characters.

I think the Void claws skill, if it's a child of strangulation, should buff strangulation, even just a tiny bit, like changeable damage type, or slight damage buff.

I think the traps are a really cool and engaging idea. Maybe in the same way that some of the other VW skills give a flavour text when the VW moves onto the square, the target could receive a message that basically tells them that the VW moved onto their square. This could work to lower alt abuse, because the way that the black line for tracking works means that you won't know you have moved onto the targets square, until you are actually on it, at which point the target could receive the message. This also means that even if you get killed by someone else, you can read that the VW found you, and then use logic to work out that they informed their ally.

The way traps work also means they have a variety of uses, not just for tracking infusers, but also camping fonts. While also saving low level characters because they might not use MP on squares as much.

I love the Hunting ideas! your right about the CP investment.
I think it might be fun to give them the ability to see who uses portals and maybe trace them with the portal? But I love the bug idea as it seems better the the mark for following targets and maybe the bugs can drain mana and send it to the VW like defiler poison. (it be like they are bleeding Mp and the VW is stalking them)

just wanted to add something. also really like the idea of opening up the bow tree to ranged.