The current place that primary skills occupy in Diablo 3 is a curious one. Originally, they were meant to generate resource for spenders, or in the case of the Intelligence classes, to be cast while waiting for resources to refill. In the present time, this situation only exists at the lower levels of play, generally for new accounts and/or players.
At mid-to-endgame levels, the differences between primary skills and spenders become much more pronounced, eventually splitting into two different types of spec: one that focuses on primary skills as a source of damage (via legendaries, Depth Diggers, and the Simplicity's Strength gem) and another, more common type, that focuses on spenders. The second type of spec typically dispenses with primary skills (See Kridershot, Shotgun, Wasteland WW, Firebird's, Jade Doctor, Tempest Rush) and achieves resource regeneration through other sources.
While each type of spec on its own is certainly valid, and certainly fun to play, this state of things ignores the loss of potential build variety. The reason behind it is simple - because of having limited button space, primary skills fight for justifying themselves on a character's action bar. When most people generally build around their spenders, primaries are the first thing to go, for the obvious reason that two active damage skills cannot be cast at the same time. With that mindset, it is much easier and more logical to remove the primary and replace it with another skill that either generates resource, mitigates damage taken, or improves damage output.
Frequently, skills can be found that combines two or more of these, completely rendering primary skills outdated.
Blizzard's response to this has been to increase the damage output of primary skills in some way. In one patch, their baseline damage was raised. In another, legendaries were introduced to further increase it. In yet another, their baseline resource generation was improved.
Unfortunately, this still does not address the true issue, which is that primary skills suffer from too much competition as a damage output skill.
Keeping that in mind, it would seem that a more effective way to make primary skills more relevant is not simply to increase damage or resource generation. Rather, the UTILITY of primary skills should be improved, giving it SYNERGY with resource spenders in the same way Battle Rage or Conviction or Magic Weapon does. While that should be a primary focus, non-dps related utility is also a factor, as the higher levels of GRift now forces players to seriously consider damage mitigation. In a way, movement and healing is also a form of damage mitigation and should be considered in such discussions.
In other words, primary skills should provide more than raw damage output, and should directly synergize with resource spenders in order to keep them as a relevant option in high level play.
Listed below are a number of ideas for changes to primary skills. Keep in mind that the numbers are rough napkin math, and by no means should be taken as a concrete proposal. Nor do I claim that these ideas are perfect and cannot be improved or even changed. However, I do hope that they spark discussion into the idea of improving primary skills in way that goes beyond simply increasing damage numbers.
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Barbarian: Each hit with a primary skill grants the Barbarian Anger. The Anger stacks up to 100. Your next Fury Spender has its damage increased by 1% per Anger stack and consumes all stacks. You cannot have more than 1 Anger active at any time.
Bash -
Bul-Kathos' Anger: Your Fury Spenders deal 50% increased damage whenever it hits a single target.
Cleave -
Korlic's Anger: Your Fury Spenders deal 75% of your area damage whenever it hits 3 or more targets.
Frenzy -
Talic's Anger: Your Fury Spenders refresh your Frenzy duration at its current number of stacks.
Weapon Throw -
Madawc's Anger: Your Fury Spenders deal 50% increased damage whenever it hits a target more than 10 yards yards away from you.
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Crusader: Each hit with a primary skill grants the Crusader a Vow. The Vow lasts for 5 seconds. You cannot have more than 1 Vow active at any time.
Punish -
Defender's Vow: Your Punish skill increases your Block chance by 15% (This is simply the normal secondary effect of Punish, reworded using the Vow system). Your Wrath Spenders deal an additional 200% of your Shield Block chance as weapon damage.
Slash -
Champion's Vow: Your Slash skill increases your melee damage reduction by 10%. Your Wrath Spenders deal an additional 300% of your melee damage reduction as weapon damage to enemies within 15 yards.
Smite -
Militant's Vow: Your Smite skill increases your crowd control reduction by 20%. Your Wrath Spenders deal an additional 250% of your crowd control reduction as weapon damage split between all targets hit.
Justice -
Arbiter's Vow: Your Justice skill increases your ranged damage reduction by 10%. Your Wrath Spenders deal an additional 300% of your ranged damage reduction as weapon damage to enemies further than 15 yards.
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Demon Hunter: Each hit with a primary skill Marks a target. This Mark stacks up to 3 times and lasts for 6 seconds (The Mark does not refresh). You cannot have more than 1 of your Marks active on a target at any time.
Hungering Arrow -
Tracker's Mark: Your Hatred spenders causes the Marked target to bleed for 75% weapon damage for each Mark.
Entangling Shot -
Constable's Mark: Your Hatred spenders slows the Marked target's movement and attack speed by 15% for each Mark.
Bolas -
Raider's Mark: Your Hatred spenders causes the Marked target to deal your area damage to enemies within 5 yards. This range is increased by the number of Marks.
Evasive Fire -
Acrobat's Mark: Your Hatred spenders causes the Marked target to miss 10% of its attacks per Mark.
Grenade -
Demolitionist's Mark: Your Hatred spenders causes the Marked target to drop one grenade per Mark that deals 50% weapon damage. This grenade is affected by all passive skills and legendary affixes that affect the Grenade primary skill.
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Monk: The third hit of your primary skills causes you to go into a Stance. This Stance lasts for 4 seconds. You cannot have more than 1 Stance active at any time.
Fist of Thunder -
Flowing Serpent Stance: Your Spirit spenders creates a blast of energy that deals 300% weapon damage split among all enemies hit).
Deadly Reach -
Grasping Spider Stance: Your Spirit spenders deal 10% more damage to enemies under movement-impairing effects).
Crippling Wave -
Crashing Tiger Stance: Your Spirit spenders that deal damage to three or more enemies deal your area damage to each. The range of this area damage is increased by your Pickup Radius.
Way of A Hundred Fists -
Thousand Mantis Stance: Your Spirit spenders have 20% increased attack speed.
Passive Skill Change - Combination Strike
Stance Dance: Whenever you change from one stance into another, you deal 10% increased damage for the next 6 seconds.
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Witch Doctor: Your Primary skills summon a Fetish Assistant. The Fetish Assistant counts as a Fetish Sycophant for all skills and legendary affixes that affect Fetishes. The Fetish Assistant lasts for 5 seconds. You may only have 1 Fetish Assistant active.
Poison Dart -
Spirit Guide: The Spirit Guide attacks targets hit by your Mana spenders with Poison Dart. Your Mana spenders cost 10% less while your Fetish Assistant is active.
Corpse Spiders -
Dream Chanter: The Dream Chanter attacks targets hit by your Mana spenders with Corpse Spiders. Your Mana spenders have a 5% chance to Charm while your Fetish Assistant is active.
Plague of Toads -
Trance Healer: The Trance Healer attacks targets hit by your Mana spenders with Plague of Toads. Your Mana spenders have 1000 Life On Hit while your Fetish Assistant is active.
Firebomb -
Soul Retriever: The Soul Retriever attacks targets hit by your Mana spenders with Firebomb. Your Mana spenders have a 5% chance to drop Health Globes while your Fetish Assistant is active.
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Wizard: Targets hit by your primary skill are affected by Malediction. Malediction lasts for 5 seconds. Targets affected by Malediction that are hit by an Arcane Power spender take 250% weapon damage over 5 seconds. You cannot have more than 1 of your Maledictions active on a target at any time.
Magic Missile -
Mystic Malediction: Your Arcane Power spenders have a chance to restore 1 Arcane Power when it hits an affected target.
Shock Pulse -
Boisterous Malediction: Your Arcane Power spenders have a chance to immobilize an affected target for 1 second.
Spectral Blade -
Phantom Malediction: Your Arcane Power spenders causes the affected target to deal 10% less damage.
Electrocute -
Thunderous Malediction: Your Arcane Power spenders causes the affected target to deal your area damage.
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