Guild Wars 2

I want to do some suggestions about the Necromancer Death Magic Traits.

Why:

A lot of them are never used. Especially the Grandmaster Traits are normally not worthy 30 points into Death Magic.
I think both, Death Nova and Necromantic Corruption are rarely used. I never see Death Nova traited because even for Minionmaster it’s a bad trait.

Suggestion:

Change Necromantic Corruption to trigger on Flesh Golems attack only, but for higher chance. Flesh Golem isn’t only used in Minionmasterbuilds, but in power and condition builds (most times for it’s charge ability)
If this Trait gives the Flesh Golem a 20% chance + 15sec cd to convert 3 boons in conditions on attack, i would use this grandmaster trait.
Or what about the ability to steal a boon and give it to the necro with 20% chance on Flesh Golems attack with 15sec cd too.

Death Nova isn’t worth taking, because even if i kill 6 minions by using Lich Form, create the jagged Horrors, they get killed immediately and my opponent stays in that posionfield, he just gets like 1min of poison at it’s best. He will step out of that and cleanse. Not to mention that anybody can dodge out of this or often did not even stand in range of that poison cloud.

So what does Death Nova need?
a)
Death Nova could trigger a 1sec Fear in melee range. That would be a Grandmaster Trait worth speccing 30 points into Death magic.. still not sure if i want to affort it because i cant go 30points into curses, 20 into soul reaping(50% fear duration or soul marks) and 30 into Death magic. But i would think about it and try to use Summon Bone Minion akittens best.

b)
It could do direct damage. Maybe something that works with other miniontraits. For example: The detonation of the minion does damage equal x% of the maximum hp of the minion. This way Flesh of the Master would work perfectly together with Death Nova and for example an killed Flesh Golem (which means great damage loss to the necromancer) would do more damage than an killed Bone Minion.

c)
Death Magic is the Toughness and Boon Duration Tree. If a necromancer wants survivability he goes into Death Magic.
But even with 2000+ Toughness a Thief can Backstab me for over 6000. Means without initiative or steal i loose 1/3 of my base hp due to direct damage with maximum toughness. Thats no Problem. The Problem is that the thief then uses his iniative and steal and im downed without a chance to react. Nearly the same with Phantasm Mesmer. So how do i safe me against this? Which traits can i use?
The only one that offers me the defense i need is a protection traited well of darkness in the right moment and placed very well (against phantasms).

My Idea:

Why do not punish critical hits with a grandmaster trait?
a)Get Protection for 3sec when recieving a critical hit. 15sec cd
b)Create a Well of Darkness when recieving a critical hit (10% Chance). 60sec cd
c)When you get strucked by a hit that dealt more than 30% of your Base Health, the opponent get feared for 1sec. 30sec cd.

The last one would punish thiefs the most. I think its not overpowered because when you loose 30% of your health, a fear can’t compensate that but gives the necro time to react.

Now the Reanimator trait.
So many hate it because they can’t get anything out of it when they just want greater marks.

I have a simpel deal for it:
Replace it with Dark Armor (btw still bugged with rune of undead – picture below)
This way a minionmaster who wants it for Fetid Consumption can still get it. I would delete the life degen, reduce cd and limit its number to two. That would be more usefull because at the moment its just popping up and then dying.. and then 30sec nothing.

Okay now: Staff Mastery
Nearly every Necromancer has a staff in one of his two Weaponsets. Why is this Trait not used?
Because Greater Marks is a must have!
Staff without Greater Marks is useless.

Suggestion:

Marks always have 240 aoe.
Staff Mastery: Your marks are unblockable. Reduces Cooldown of Staffskills by 20%.
I just don’t get why this is split into two traits. No build can afford both of them without loosing important points on other Traits.

Reapers Protection

Pretty strong. Why is it not used that much?
90 sec cd on a fear that misses when disabled by a ranged effect.

Suggestion:

a) No aoe but the foe that actually disabled the necromancer get feared.
b) Aoe but 1sec fear and 45sec cooldown. I don’t think that would be too strong.. too much stability out there.

Last but not least:
Death Shiver
This Trait is garbage. Sorry but 3 stacks of Vulnerability is nothing. I have to stay in melee range for this? All Death Shroud skills are ranged attacks. This trait is a master Trait. Maybe master of stupidity. I would not stop kiting to apply one more stack of this almighty condition.
If it would cripple, chill: Okay.. this would make sense. I wont go 20 points into Death magic for this when only useless Grandmaster traits wait after that but at least it would make sense.
Which means.. if staff mastery is one trait instead of two, and theres a grandmaster trait thats worth its 30points into death magic and it would apply chill for more then 2 seconds.. i would take it.

This post i not saying necromancer is bad. Sometimes it may sound like an offense, but believe me it is not. I just want to expand the diversity of reliable builds and traitoptions for the necromancer. And at the moment i think a lot about how the trait could fit in builds and some of them don’t work in a way thats needed or there are traits in the same traitline that are more usefull in every possible way.
I hope my english is good enough so that you unterstand everything i wrote

Regards, Njoka

Great post! I don’t know about all of it, but I hope the devs see this.

Hakuna Matata
Push.

I don’t agree with all of this, but alot of it I do. Good ideas and hope someone sees it.

I made a topic about this, and traits for all classes, a week ago. I hit on a few of the same points when I got to necromancer.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Trait-consolidations-and-fixes/first#post2053903

Quite honestly… I don’t think merging Greater Marks and Staff Mastery is the way to go though… but rather to remove Spiteful Marks from the Spite trait line and add it’s effect to Staff Mastery.

Really the entirety of the Necromancer’s trait paths are a scrambled mess IMO…

Marks should always be 240 aoe! Maybe then damage increase and 20%cd could go together but the dmg increase btw is a wasted trait. 10% damage from marks is almost nothing. Only Putrid mark realy does damage.