Guild Wars 2

Over 250 years, the Dervish needed to adapt – to refine its skills and reform its philosophies in accordance with all races. Their faith lies with themselves and their own capabilities. The new order is that of the Reaper – skilled dealers of death who have learned to move with grace and fluidity even in heavy armor. Their trademark weapon is the Scythe.

As a sort of bridge between the Warrior, Necromancer, and Thief, Reapers fill a unique niche meant to give a unique flavor to the whole “Black Knight” deal.

Reapers also fill the niche of a medium-hp heavy armor class and a heavy armor class that is locked into a single set.

Armor – Heavy

Base HP – 15,082 (same as Rangers, Engineers, and Mesmers).

Weapons
2H – Scythe, Greatsword, (Melee) Staff, Longbow, Hammer
1H – Sword, Axe, Mace, (Thrown) Dagger
OH – Sword, Axe, Mace, (Thrown) Dagger
Underwater – Spear

Reapers tend to forego defensive options like shields in favor of lethality.

Profession Mechanic

Reapers cannot swap their weapon and have an empty F1-F4, but each time they use a 2-5 slot weapon skill 4 unique skills appear in the F1-F4 slots. You can pick ONE of these to use as a special follow up to your weapon. Using another of your 2-5 weapon skills changes the F-skills selection.

For example:

Scythe 2 – Drag
Grabs your foe with the Scythe and quickly pulls them to you, dealing some damage. 450 range.

Upon using this skill, you gain these options on your F1-F4 keys until you pick one or use weapon skills 3, 4, or 5.

F1 – (Grace) Rapidly perform leaping strikes at your foe (think Ranger MH Sword auto).

F2 – (Lethality) Impale your foe with your Scythe, immobilizing both of you while wracking up stacks of bleeding.

F3 – (Force) Sweep your Scythe under your foe’s legs, crippling them. Knock them down if they were moving.

F4 – (Patience) Steal boons from your foe.

Skill Types

Brands/Marks – Essentially tatoos your foe’s or ally’s skin with a design that is meaningless unless certain conditions are met. (IE: Death Mark – deals high damage to the foe if they fall below a certain percentage of hp. Life Mark provides an AoE heal when the target falls below a certain percentage of hp. Etc.).

Enchantments – Passive effect (much like a Stance) that causes the Reaper to unleash special effects when they perform the specified actions. (Simple examples: Attacks under this Enchantment grant allies Might. Dodges under this other enchantment grant brief AoE vigor. Etc.)

Shouts – Reaper Shouts are largely for intimidation of foes – they specialize in various debuffs.

Vows – Limitations the Reaper places on themselves for eventual rewards. One Vow, for instance, might inflict weakness on the Reaper for a time, only to give them high might stacks at the end of the duration.

Elite Examples

(Elite Mark/Brand) – On Your Own
If the target foe is downed while this Brand is in effect, the brand stuns their surrounding allies for a few seconds. Does nothing if not triggered before the duration ends.

(Elite Enchantment) – A Life for a Life
While this effect is active, every kill the Reaper scores revives one downed ally. Non-downed allies are healed for x health instead.

(Elite Vow) – Vow of Strength
The Reaper is dazed for x seconds. After this duration ends, his attacks and conditions deal y% more damage for z seconds.

Trait Lines

Force – Power + Condition Duration.

Grace – Precision + Critical Damage

Lethality – Vitality + Condition Damage

Patience – Toughness + Healing Power

Aspects – Boon Duration + Aspect Cooldown Reduction

Try not to fear the Reaper.

Duke I think this is a great revamp of the derv that follows the GW2 ideology and at the same time reinvents the dervish enough that it fulfills a unique niche among the professions while maintaining some of the aspects that made dervishes so unique in GW1.
To help this profession gain a little more depth, could you perhaps elborate on how the aspects mechanic works? Do they function similar to an elementalist’s attunements? If so this class isn’t being as unique as it could be. Also what would some of the weapon skills look like?

Naturemastr Artemos.4021:

Duke I think this is a great revamp of the derv that follows the GW2 ideology and at the same time reinvents the dervish enough that it fulfills a unique niche among the professions while maintaining some of the aspects that made dervishes so unique in GW1.
To help this profession gain a little more depth, could you perhaps elborate on how the aspects mechanic works? Do they function similar to an elementalist’s attunements? If so this class isn’t being as unique as it could be. Also what would some of the weapon skills look like?

Attunements are simple and elegant (and a large part of the reason I really love the Elementalist), but Aspects could perhaps be separated from them in a mechanical sense.

If Grace was to be the core of the Reaper and the other Aspects were temporary forms that were meant to be used briefly before going back to the always-available Grace form, that could be enough to give the class a specific flavor.

Could be coupled with AoE debuffs or something else when you swap to other Aspects.

For Reaper weapons, I was thinking back on Dervish animations. Dervish Scythes really flowed and had a sense of elegance behind every swing. I’d love to see that recaptured in some Guild Wars 2 profession.

The Scythe, as I see it, is a AoE sweeper meant to keep foes close while removing their boons and relentlessly assaulting them.

The Greatsword would probably be strikingly slow compared to other profession’s greatswords. The Reaper would waste no swings – hit hard and bring them down with a combination of crowd control and powerful strikes.

I view Reaper Daggers as being throwing weapons – a mid range projectile with fast strikes.

Swords are a chasing set for single target pressure. High mobility.

Staves are what you’d think of when you think of a Bo-staff. A fluid, defensive weapon loading with blocks, leaps, and a burst combo.

Longbow is an assassination weapon that has potent ground target skills coupled with a delayed burst. A Reaper would probably take more time to aim individual shots than other archers.

To keep with the idea of fluidity, and separate the class mechanic more from elementalist, what if your skillbar was determined by both the aspect you’re in and the one you were in previously?
Say, 1-3 is based on your current aspect, while 4 and 5 are based on your previous (but independent from whatever your current one is, so if the previous was Force, 4 and 5 would be the same whether you were in Grace or Patience).
Maybe even be able to “switch” to your current aspect to get all 5 from your current one as well.

Also, for the Vows, I’d recommend the effect also preventing removal of the condition added (no forsaking your vows) but it’s removed when it ends, regardless of its duration (if someone lengthened it, basically)

would really love to see this; but how would vows interact with condition removal?

Linguistically Inept.6583:

would really love to see this; but how would vows interact with condition removal?

Frequent short pulses to prevent premature removal should do the trick.

This would be great I know I really dont have anything to add but a post saying I love it lol. I played a dervish in GW1 and I loved him that was my main until now since guardian is the closest thing I have to one. If something like this were to come out I would quickly shelve my guardian for it.

gimmethegepgun.1284:

To keep with the idea of fluidity, and separate the class mechanic more from elementalist, what if your skillbar was determined by both the aspect you’re in and the one you were in previously?
Say, 1-3 is based on your current aspect, while 4 and 5 are based on your previous (but independent from whatever your current one is, so if the previous was Force, 4 and 5 would be the same whether you were in Grace or Patience).
Maybe even be able to “switch” to your current aspect to get all 5 from your current one as well.

Also, for the Vows, I’d recommend the effect also preventing removal of the condition added (no forsaking your vows) but it’s removed when it ends, regardless of its duration (if someone lengthened it, basically)

I don’t think I’d care for that Aspect system. It seems limiting. Coherence between forms could easily be brought out by causing the Aspect key to use a unique skill to transition from form to form. Like Patience to Force could be a hefty burst called “End of Patience.”

nice concept. i like and support.

but maybe a more suitable name for them “aspects”

try “invocations” instead of “aspects”
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/invocation
in·vo·ca·tion (nv-kshn)
n.
1. The act or an instance of invoking, especially an appeal to a higher power for assistance.
2. A prayer or other formula used in invoking, as at the opening of a religious service.
3.
a. The act of conjuring up a spirit by incantation.
b. An incantation used in conjuring.
[Middle English invocacion, from Old French, from Latin invocti, invoctin-, from invoctus, past participle of invocre, to invoke; see invoke.]

like say, them reapers constantly pray (silent prayers, non verbal) to their various dark gods in order to receive unholy powers.

i.e.
Invocation of Speed
Invocation of Power
Invocation of Defense

ie. a S/P/D Reaper

Deimos Tel Arin.7391:

nice concept. i like and support.

but maybe a more suitable name for them “aspects”

try “invocations” instead of “aspects”
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/invocation
in·vo·ca·tion (nv-kshn)
n.
1. The act or an instance of invoking, especially an appeal to a higher power for assistance.
2. A prayer or other formula used in invoking, as at the opening of a religious service.
3.
a. The act of conjuring up a spirit by incantation.
b. An incantation used in conjuring.
[Middle English invocacion, from Old French, from Latin invocti, invoctin-, from invoctus, past participle of invocre, to invoke; see invoke.]

like say, them reapers constantly pray (silent prayers, non verbal) to their various dark gods in order to receive unholy powers.

i.e.
Invocation of Speed
Invocation of Power
Invocation of Defense

ie. a S/P/D Reaper

Invocations work just as well.

I edited the way Aspects work. Using the Aspect key activates a skill that works with the form and then puts you in that Aspect for a duration before going on cooldown and reverting you to Grace. Leaving the form to go to Grace early puts the Aspect on cooldown earlier (effectively reducing it) and uses a special skill to transition back.

This should help separate its mechanics from attunements and make transitions between Aspects fluid and coherent.

Duke Blackrose.4981 this is the best post i have read about a revamp to the dervish. and yes my main was a dervish. i love how you actully broke down what all the class Reaper. just the name sounds awesome. maybe what you can do is send a letter to the developers about your idea and who knows. although my main is a mesmer if they bring a revamp of the dervish ill defiantly change to the revamp class lol.

Very nice update on dervish. I think it’s worth rolling. I’ve seen only 1 quality revamp of another class so far (The Spiritualist by Redrex), but this one is on the same level.
Keep up the good work.

Chances are they will add new utility skills or races before a new class.

That said, a soldier wears heavy armor, a scythe requires one be free to move to even attempt to weild properly, this rather cancels each other out.

Also, branks/marks and enchantments do not function properly for this style of game. Take a look at current mechanics, no AoE buff or debuff lasts that long. Most stacks of might you can give others and not attack? guardian channel (rooted in place, unable to defend themselves) 12 stacks if allies stay in range. Instant stacks? 3. Your aoe mark to give might stacks while on your attack would have to last 10 seconds tops and only work with attack 1 no other skills. Also of note, no buffs in the game follow the player unless traited, thus your enchantments owuld need to be ground targetted and you must stay in that area. Buffs on players? Limited duration and limited numbers, especially if you use large numbers for the damage or healing.

Next issue, ANet has made a point to state that only soldiers can use mace/hammer…thus this class needs to use it as well. Give up on melee staff, they designs staff for purely magical fighting. No scythes in game and if they add the scythe expect it to show up on other classes (warrior, necro, maybe ranger too) so design a class with the weapons available, it makes it more likely to be taken seriously…and yes I get you are trying to do this as a revamp for the GW1 class but really, nigh everythign it could do is already covered.

Next, the stance swapping is already covered by current proffessions, only you added in far too powerfull of buffs ontop of it (really? giving the stance the warrior utility skill “fear me!” as an activation?). Seriously if you wanted to make a dervish style of profesion skill than having it be an adrenaline style bar but it only fills up when you dodge attacks or are advancing (moving forward, strafing doesn’t count) and decreases as you stand still with certain bonuses depending on where the bar is (higher attack if its full, higher defenses if it’s empty for example).

The idea here is to be unique, be obviously balanced, and be within current gameplay (no buffs last all that long unless it is an elite skill or elite trait, 30 points deep, and is built on fast responsive/reflexive combat).
Also do not stray into another profesion’s area, the ranger is about pets/beasts, warrior is heavy melee, thief is about stealth, mesmer is about misdirection, necro undeath, guardian buffs, ele is elemental magic, engineer is mechanical weapons.

Want some hints for new areas to stray into? Time magic, psionics, poison based (miasmic, aka a pure debuffer rather than misdirection as the mesmer does), druidic nature magic that is plant focused rather than the beast focused ranger style, fate based (which your vows do rather well I might add, I was intruiged and impressed by that idea), lay lines, a magic/power based as an antithis of the crystal branded, pure wind based magic that doesn’t involve lightning…as some examples that aren’t covered at all or very well in current professions.

The dervish is, more or less just a weapon specialist (warrior) with some divine/faith based magic (guardian). It is not likely to show up again even remotely like it was due to design philosophies this time around and the need for every skill to be active/reflexive in nature.

Nice. A lot of class suggestion threads seem like weak retreads of existing classes, or worse, are just demanding the reinstitution of gw1 classes.

Even though you borrow some themes from the dervish and old-school mesmer, I feel like this is a whole new class with its own unfilled niche.
I agree that the primary Aspect mechanic sounds a little too much like elementalist/necro. Also, I think one of the worst mechanics the game has is temporary skillsets. Death shroud, elem weapons, human avatars— switching out all your tried and true weapon skills for a temporary set of skills that you barely have a chance to read the descriptions of… sucks.

I had a suggestion for a new Aspect mechanic, but then realized enchantments already cover that territory.

Runiir.6425:

Want some hints for new areas to stray into? Time magic, psionics…

Technically, that’s Mesmer. ‘Misdirection’ isn’t really a ‘thing’ unless you’re talking also about using the environment and all. But I’d say (and probably a lot of others) that Illusionary magic in this game is psionic given the various lore examples. As far as time, there’s not much you can do with time except maybe age/youthen something (barring Time Warp since Mesmer already has that and it’s near OP as is without a class built around it)…

poison based (miasmic, aka a pure debuffer rather than misdirection as the mesmer does)

Necromancer? Necromancer isn’t just ‘undeath’. There’s other facets of the profession which also encompasses plague, blight and poison. It seems to also be a class very capable of applying a good stable of conditions to many foes. Then there’s Thief who can use various venoms to varying effect.

druidic nature magic that is plant focused rather than the beast focused ranger style

Nope. Maybe in other games where there isn’t a playable race of people that are living plants, but in this game, nature magic is innately bound to the Sylvari just like building a class around technomagic golems that use the Eternal Alchemy as their guide probably wouldn’t make for the proper profession direction.

fate based (which your vows do rather well I might add, I was intruiged and impressed by that idea), lay lines, a magic/power based as an antithis of the crystal branded, pure wind based magic that doesn’t involve lightning…as some examples that aren’t covered at all or very well in current professions.

I’d differentiate what should be focused around and what shouldn’t first. IMO, making a class around plant magic doesn’t fit the game since you have Sylvari and the various other ‘natural’ aspects of such a class are spread out through non-class specific aspects of the lore, namely race abilities like plant summoning and animal transformation.

Or, rather than picking a ‘theme’ from a list, start out with a simple basis of what the profession would do and how they would do it differently from other professions then create your own ‘theme’ instead.

By the way, the OP’s profession sounds fun. I’d definitely give it a shot.

I just thought of a different system that could work very well. The profession would still be locked on one weapon set, but with this one, they would have only 5 weapon skills with no form swaps. Instead, their F1-F4 are blank and every time they use a 2-5 weapon skill, F1-F4 fill with 4 different follow-up options that remain in effect until you pick one or use another weapon skill that isn’t your autoattack.

Edited the original post with the above Mechanic for uniqueness and included some Elite examples. Added Hammer and MH/OH Mace in accordance with Heavy Armor trends. Clarified that daggers are throwing weapons.

Well since the Scythe would be a new 2H weapon created for this class, why not creating a new set of 1H Sickles that can also be dual wielded like the 1H Swords, they will server the theme of the Class even more like Scythe (because basicly they are one handed Scythes) and they will also server as very mobile and manuevering weapons (like a thief is with daggers or a hunter with a 1H sword).

Sounds like a fun class, though you could probably just make all existing staffs into the scythe, and make scepter act like mini ones with a necromancer like graphic.

I’m a bit wary of adding a new weapon when so many classes don’t have access to existing ones that would make sense on their class.

One word: NO.

Ill not have ArenaNet replace the warrior a second time. I’ve said this time and time again but in the Dervish returns in GW2 ill quit.