Brainstorming: How to Buff DH Defenses (Without Buffing Smokescreen)?

[PlagueBearer]

Smokescreen is, most people will admit, one of the most powerful defensive skills in the game. The problem is, it is effectively the Demon Hunter's only defensive skill. It appears that Demon Hunters are intended to be a kiting class: they are supposed to move around very quickly and slow enemies. Every other class has a range of defensive active and passive skills, but the DH can only (1) smokescreen or (2) run.

However, many feel it's not acceptable to have a class that's defined by being 1-shotted by enemies, even after a modest investment in vit/resists. The purpose of this thread is to explore buffs to other skills and new skills which could give the Demon Hunter a bit more survivability. I'll start with a few suggestions of my own:

A Sharpshooter-like passive +Dodge skill: Every second, your chance to dodge rises by 2. When you successfully dodge an attack, this buff resets to zero after 1 second.

Monsters Avoid Activated Caltrops: Many enemies will not enter a patch of caltrops that's been triggered, pathing around it if possible, or retreating if not. Enemies who find themselves in an activated caltrops patch (by activating it, for example) will leave by the shortest route possible (usually the way they came) This makes caltrops extremely effective when used in tight bottlenecks (though perhaps less useful for actually dealing damage). Some enemies would ignore this effect, depending on their AI; generally, mindless automatons and undead wouldn't care. Obviously enemies that can teleport or leap will often be able to circumvent it.

Shadow Power adds +Maximum HP: While Shadow Power is active, any life you gain in excess of your normal HP limit is added to your Maximum HP for 30 seconds, creating a buffer of extra hitpoints an enemy would have to get through before harming you directly.

Distracting Companions: Though your companion is invulnerable, enemies wouldn't "know" that. Companions' attacks would generate a small amount of aggro, enough so that they could keep a mob or two busy as long as you don't aggro that mob yourself. The boar, with his AoE attack, would likely be the best at this.

+To Dodge Chance enchantment on Items: Int and Str classes can boost their respective defense mechanics (resistance and armor) based on enchantments found on armor while the chance to dodge is exclusively enhanced by Dexterity (and certain skills, though none of them DH skills). Cloaks (DH class-specific armor) would have a high chance at spawning with this modifier. Daibos (Monk class-specific two-handed weapons) would always spawn with this modifier.

Thoughts?

[moreno]

I'm in Act 3 inferno, and never used Smoke Screen - its discipline cost is too expensive. Vault(tumble rune) + Caltrops are perfect for defense and kiting.

[Karth]

I'm a little too sleepy to contribute much, except to say that adding dodge-like mechanics that give all-or-nothing but randomized passive defenses is not the solution to being 1-hit... you'd still be killed in one hit with such things active, you'd just have a chance not to be. The rng would trip you up and people would go back to using smoke screen because it works every time.

I'd like to hear other opinions, but I think a fairly strong buff to Shadow Power might be beneficial. As it is, Shadow Power doesn't really do anything effective (20% leech is big! but when you die in 1 hit vs nasty stuff, you don't need healing, you're either dead or you're alive) and it either has too short a duration or costs too much discipline.

I'd really like to see what happens with patch 1.03. The changes to monster health and damage might let me rethink things.

[Matuse]

Easiest solution would be to reduce the discipline cost of the defensive abilities, and have a way to increase discipline recharge besides the Natalya set, which requires a full set and has terrible weapons attached to it.

Instead of the pointless wolf companion, they could retool it so that it shares damage with you. That way if you get hit, the companion will eat a big chunk of the damage and explode, but you live on to fight.

Sentry Turret could have rune that applies knockback instead of damage.

Vault should break CC like Jails.

There's lots of things they could do that wouldn't involve any further changes to smokescreen.

[Chiron]

Have you tried Shadow Power with Gloom rune? It gives you 65% damage reduction which means you're able to take multiple hits even in Inferno if you have a decent amount of resists and armor. Plus the 20% leech helps keep you alive. Basically it is the same effect as your suggestion of +max HP with Shadow Power.