If you could design a 4th spec..

[Liandry]

..What would it be?

Thought this would be a fun exercise in creativity (cause Blizz will likely never consider such a thing) to see what the mage community has rolling around in their brains. Got the idea from a post on the blizzard forums, and I posted an idea of my own, but I wanted to bring that idea here and share it with others and see what other people come up with.

So.. without further ado:

Name: Time-dancer [Mage]

Spec: DPS (Support)

Source: Hourglass Sand/Mana [Think combo points] 5 sands is the max.

Main focus: Support

Example Spells:
Alter Time: Creates a void zone of warped time, slowing down attacks made against players inside the bubble, and speeding up players - increasing haste by 10% while inside the bubble, and granting a 40% move speed bonus for 10 seconds after the bubble fades. Costs 5 sands, 2m cd, lasts 15 seconds.

Reversal: Place a buff on an allied player for 10s. After the effect fades, they regain resources spent during the duration. [Think mop alter time + guardian spirit] Will bring a player back from the dead if they perish during Reversal. 3m cd, Costs 5 sands

Decoy: Freeze your target in a time-warped stasis, creating an astral image in their place for 6 seconds, absorbing all damage made against it. During this effect, any targets on the decoy can't change target and are immune to taunt. Costs 3 sands, 1m cd.

Ripple: Distort the fabric of time around your target, dealing (147% of spellpower) damage instantly, and leaving a damage over time effect for 3s dealing (29% spell power) damage every second. 2.5s cast, no cooldown. Generates 1 hourglass sand

--Mastery--
Collision of the Past: When you spend hourglass sand, you have a x% chance to summon a hero or event from the past at random to aid your cause, some providing different benefits than others.
Example events/heroes:
*Dust of Dalaran: A spire of sand erupts under up to 5 targets, then is blown away, knocking targets up into the air dealing (345% of spellpower) damage to affected targets.
*Jaina/Arthas/Sylvanas/Tyrande/Malfurion/Vol'jin/Baine/Thrall as heroes that deal x% damage over 10s while they're summoned.
*Divine Bell: A massive bell tolls, it's sound soothing all enemies for 8 seconds, causing them to deal 15% less damage for the duration.
*Opening of the Portal: Opens a smaller version of the dark portal, with a horde of orcs charging towards the enemy [Think chi-ji test during Twin Consorts] dealing 500,000 damage over 10s to all targets they come into contact with.

[Aeonite]

Void Mage (Tank)

Uses Sword+Wand OH

Mastery: Edge of Insanity (Because only crazy mage tanks)
- Increases the effectiveness of Nullification Barrier by x%
- % Chance on spellcast to reset CD of Siphon Strike / deal x% more damage.

Nullification Barrier - Reduces damage against the mage by x% while active, slowly (maybe not?) drains mana while active/passive regeneration disabled. (Requires wand/Mana)

Disruption Wave (Replace Frost Nova)- Caster-centered AoE, does x% spellpower + knocks enemies up/back. (possible 3sec stun?)

Phase Blade - Spellpower Sword buff. Melee attacks do additional damage/ignore % armor/Generate mana.

Siphon Strike - Melee attack, grants x% of damage dealt as mana.

The idea would be to balance using mana for spells while not running out of mana, and thus, die from lack of Null-Barrier. Focusing on the void changes many of the mage's core spells. Cone of Cold becomes Cone of Ice, which does less overall damage, but is guaranteed to freeze enemies in place for x seconds. Fire blast (may change to something else) would become a single-target taunt. Ice Block would become Ice Prism, granting immunity for x seconds without dropping threat, OR, allowing the mage to reflect incoming damage.

[Curnivore]

Celestial Mage. Uses the power of the heavens. Moonkin improved.

[adclaw]

Master of storms

- base attack, ball lighting, let you take energy charges
- mage bomb, lighting storm, all area around target is strike from lightings
- proc attack, lighting, a energy volley that become stronger for every energy charge you have accumulate

passive bonus, dynamo, let you and all ally in 20y to increase their haste of 5%

area attack, front of tempest, a massive burst of air that pull away all enemies in a front cone

passive defence, lighting armor

mastery, elemental resistence, let you increase the energy accumulate in your body so all spells are strongers

[nickseng]

Lightning is nature magic though.

[Rinoa]

Can't arcane magic also be lightning?

wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/Arcane

[Zyrachiel]

Not a 4th spec, but I've been thinking about making arcane into a melee spec for a while.
It would be very simple when you think about it.

Flavour effect - Arcane Armament: when in combat, the mage creates a weapon out of pure magic energy to assault his/her foe in close quarters. This weapon could change shape based on the abilities you're using, or maybe grow in intensity the more arcane charges you have.

Mastery and class mechanic - same as current arcane: mana management

Arcane Charge - identical

Arcane Blast (Strike, Slash - whatever would fit) - instant, melee range, cooldown equal to current cast time - lowered by haste, builds arcane charge

Arcane Missiles changed to -> Arcane Assault - unleash a series of attacks against your target, damage and channeling time same as AM, builds arcane charge, range either melee or 10 yards (like paladin Final Verdict), visual obviously amazing (shame WoW doesn't have any channeled melee attacks, Warhammer Online had quite a few and they were cool)

Other spells could just remain identical, maybe change the arcane orb direction from "straight ahead" to "orbit you", change Supernova into a cone, stuff like that.

Such simple changes and it would make arcane so much different from the other two specs, and quite unique. I suppose with Survival hunters becoming melee it's not impossible anymore that arcane would get the same treatment, just highly unlikely now. I suppose it's for the best anyway, everyone would make a mage if something that visually appealing was in the game.
I'm going to keep my dream alive anyway. Thanks for reading this, and feel free to share your thoughts.

[Liandry]

@Zyrachiel
I'm not sure I agree with the conical supernova, since it's supposed to be like.. an area of effect explosion as per it's name. Melee arcane sounds intriguing though.