Guild Wars 2

I know the ritualist was considered to be absorbed into the guardian and the engineer, but it is my belief that neither of these classes captures any of the feel of the old Ritualist class. In fact, the only facet of the Ritualist that either the Guardian or Engineer can boast is the ability to summon pets/turrets that mimic effects that the spirits could do. Spirits were one build the Ritualist could do, and it was effective and a compelling reason to bring/play a ritualist, but the major thing about the ritualist is that it was a Jack-of-all-Trades profession able to perform MANY roles in a party. In this thread I will attempt to highlight the possibilities of a new Ritualist class in GW2, as a unique and compelling profession.

Profession: Ritualist
Combat Niche: Generalist (can be melee dps, melee caster, ranged caster)
Armor Class: Scholar
Health Pool: Medium
Lore Niche: Spiritualistic Defenders of the Past

Class Mechanic: Guardian Spirit

-Combines aspects of Warrior, Necro and Thief mechanics in functionality.

Similar to a Burst skill, but which Guardian Spirit is chosen depends on BOTH your weapons (like a Thief’s Dual attacks), so a Sword/Dagger Ritualist and a Sword/Focus Ritualist would have a different Spirit. The Effect of the Guardian Spirit skill varies. The Mechanic is charged by the player activating certain skills like Deathshroud (minus the on kill effect).

Weapon Types (on ground):

Main-Hand:
Sword
Dagger
Scepter

Off-Hand:
Dagger
Focus

2-Hand:
Staff

Underwater Weapons:
Spear
Trident

Utility Skill Types:

Weapon Spells (similar to Venoms in functionality, but buff the player’s attacks instead of putting conditions on foes)
Binding Rituals (similar to Nature Spirits in functionality, but affect foes instead of allies)
Signets
Possessions (similar to Stances in functionality)
Rituals (Channeled abilities that provide unique effects)\

some things are a bit confusing, do you mean that we can only use skills like the thief does (which sucks) or do you mean the system of the GW1 assassin would be used?

sorudo.9054:

some things are a bit confusing, do you mean that we can only use skills like the thief does (which sucks) or do you mean the system of the GW1 assassin would be used?

Working on typing everything out, will hopefully explain things.

Weapon Skills

Main hand

Sword:

Niche: Direct Melee damage

1: Slice→Double Slash→ Soul Strike

Slice: Deal 200dmg to your foe (cleaves)
Slash: Deal 200dmg to your foe twice (cleaves)
Soul Strike: Deal damage based on your health percentage. 80% or above = 200dmg. 40-80% = 400 dmg. Below 40% = 600 dmg. (does not cleave)

2: Rage of the Ancestors (8s CD)

Deal 400dmg to foes in a 300 unit radius. Gain 2% Spirit Essence for each foe struck.

3: Daoshen’s Cruelty (10s CD)

Apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability. If target has vulnerability, apply 5s of Fury to self

Dagger

Niche: Melee Condition application

1: Spirit Strike → Sanguine Strike → Spirit Burn

Slash: Deal 100 dmg to target. Apply one stack of bleed for 3s.
Sanguine Slash: Deal 200 dmg to target foe. Apply one stack of bleed for 3s
Spirit Strike: Deal 300 dmg to target foe. Gain 3% Spirit Essence

2: Spirit Burn(10s CD)

Apply Burning to foe based on your current health percentage. Over 80% = 2s. 40-80% = 4s. Under 40% = 6s.

3: Lingwah’s Anguish (15s CD)

Apply one stack of torment for 5s for each unique condition target foe has.

Scepter

Niche: Mid-ranged single target casting. Faster Spirit Essence gain. (900 range)

1: Essence Strike
Deal 300 dmg to target foe. Damage increased by the percentage of Spirit Essence you have stored.

2: Spirit Siphon 10s CD
Channeled ability: Deal 200 damage every second for 4 seconds. Gain 2% Spirit Essence per tick. Additional foes in the path of the beam are damaged for an equal amount and give the same amount of Spirit Essence.

2: Xiko’s Resilience 15s CD
Gain Protection for 3s. Increase duration by 1s each time your are struck, up to a maximum of 5 times. (Max Protection duration via this skill: 8s)

Class mechanic clarification

Guardian Spirits are fueled by ‘Spirit Essence’ which you gain by using certain skills, similar to life force. Spirit essence does not drain out of combat, but is harder to come by than adrenaline or the necromancer’s ‘lifeforce’.

Guardian Spirits do NOT have a cooldown but you MUST fully charge your spirit essence before they can be used again.

The Guardian Spirit is selected based on your weaponset, and takes both main-hand and off-hand weapons into account. Two-handed weapons have their own Guardian Spirit.

Guardian Spirits:

Sword/Dagger: Daoshen’s Rage
Quickness and 5 stacks of might for 5s.

Sword/Focus: Khanhei’s Revenge.
For the next 5s your HP cannot drop below 1. During this time you are stunned. At the end of 5s steal 10% of the maximum hp of up to 5 foes in a 300 unit radius.

Dagger/Dagger: Tsungrai’s Bounty
Purge all conditions on self. Reflect incoming conditions for 5s.

Dagger/Focus: Lingwah’s Despair
Apply 10 stacks of torment and vulnerability to target foe, 10s duration.

Scepter/Dagger: Xiko’s Iron Oath
You become invulnerable for 5s.

Scepter/Focus: Kuurong’s Binding Chains
Pull target foe to you, (600 unit range) and create a ring of warding that lasts 8s.

Staff: Xinrae’s Audacity
Reflect all spell effects for 5s. You cannot attack during this time.

Spear: Glaive’s Final Thrust
Deal 800dmg to target foe. does double damage to foes under 50%.

Trident: Khaolai’s Iron Veil
Allies in a 600 unit sphere are invulnerable for 3s.

Off Hand Weapon Skills

Dagger

4: Guided Strike 15s CD
Apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability for 10s. Unblockable.

5: Tsungrai’s Generosity 25s CD
Transfer 3 conditions from self to foe.

Focus

4: Wanderlust 25sCD
If target foe is moving, apply 5 stacks of torment for 5s. If target foe is not moving, knock down for 3s.

5: Kuurong’s Grasp 30s CD
Immobilize foes in a 300 unit radius for 2s.

Your skills are way to overpowered, just as the rit was in gw1. Also, I think that the old rit is also found in the mesmer. They have clones like a rit summons spirits, the only difference is that clones move, but they are as versatile and functional as spirits. I rather see new weapon types for the existing professions then a whole new profession. Also I would like to see the ashes return, but then as an environmental weapon. At the moment those things don’t have enough oumph imo. But I think I make a different thread bout that, dont want to hijack yours :P

Just one thing. Don’t put in any numbers for your skills. Damage, cooldowns, stuff like that is balance-related and not essential for your class. Not to mention that the way you’ve depicted the damage numbers tells me that you don’t even know how the damage on the tooltip is counted. No offense.

So for example, instead of “Deal 200 damage and apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability for 10s”, make it “Deal damage and apply Vulnerability”. I think you should focus less on the exact details of the skills and more on the general idea. For example, instead of listing all the skills, you should just tell what you see as the main purpose of the weapon and whether it’s meant to be melee/mid/long range.

Other than that, there’s a lot of things that are missing:

• No Elites
• No Healing skills
• No mention of base HP (there’s three tiers of that)
• No proper explanation of the class-specific utilities
• No traits

Olba.5376:

Just one thing. Don’t put in any numbers for your skills. Damage, cooldowns, stuff like that is balance-related and not essential for your class. Not to mention that the way you’ve depicted the damage numbers tells me that you don’t even know how the damage on the tooltip is counted. No offense.

So for example, instead of “Deal 200 damage and apply 5 stacks of Vulnerability for 10s”, make it “Deal damage and apply Vulnerability”. I think you should focus less on the exact details of the skills and more on the general idea. For example, instead of listing all the skills, you should just tell what you see as the main purpose of the weapon and whether it’s meant to be melee/mid/long range.

Other than that, there’s a lot of things that are missing:

• No Elites
• No Healing skills
• No mention of base HP (there’s three tiers of that)
• No proper explanation of the class-specific utilities
• No traits

Firstly: I’m still posting, most everything you are saying is missing is planned to be posted, it just takes time to do so.

And the only reason i’m putting numbers in the skills at all is to show the relative strength of the skills. Obviously the damage in game would be different based on balancing, they are there for comparison to other skills within the same skill bar only. The other reason I’m putting ‘skills’ in is to highlight mechanics that differ from other professions in subtle ways to give a compelling reason to make the class.

Oh and I’ll update the main post for hp.

mercury ranique.2170:

Your skills are way to overpowered, just as the rit was in gw1. Also, I think that the old rit is also found in the mesmer. They have clones like a rit summons spirits, the only difference is that clones move, but they are as versatile and functional as spirits. I rather see new weapon types for the existing professions then a whole new profession. Also I would like to see the ashes return, but then as an environmental weapon. At the moment those things don’t have enough oumph imo. But I think I make a different thread bout that, dont want to hijack yours :P

Again, the only aspect that is found is the summoning of spirits, which was only one spec, I still think there is enough GW1 players that would like to see the Rit return to warrent this post. The problem with ashes is that the mechanics don’t work as well in gw2 since your weapons determing 5 of your skills. If ashes replace your weapon you basically have Engineer kits, which is a key feature of that class.

2-handed Weapon skills

Staff

Niche: AoE spells, party support. 1200 range attacks.

1: Pain

Deal 300 dmg to foes in a 100unit radius of target foe.

2: Spirit Transfer 8s CD
Deal 300 damage to target Foe. gain 10% Spirit Essence

3: Li Ming’s Purity 15s CD
Allies in a 600 unit radius lose one condition.

4: Disenchantment 20s CD

Foes in a 100unit radius of target foe lose 1 boon.

5: Xinrae’s Defiance 25s CD
For each enemy in a 600 unit radius (up to 5), allies (up to 5) in that radius gain one stack of might for 5s and 3s of Fury

Underwater

Spear

Niche: melee direct damage, mobility.

1: Jab->Thrust -> Sogolon’s Strike

Jab: strike your foe for 200 dmg
Thrust: strike your foe for 300 dmg.
Sogolon’s Strike: strike your foe for 300 dmg. Gain 5% Spirit Essence.

2: Displacement (10s CD)
Block next attack. Evade 600 units directly away from your attacker (shadowstep).

3: Glaive’s Destruction (12s CD)
Strike foe for 300. Apply 5 stacks of vulnerability for 5s.

4: Ghostly Haste (15s CD)
Gain swiftness for 5s.

5: Khanhei’s Vengeance 25sCD

Block the next attack. Deal 300 dmg to your attacker and gain 150 hp.

Trident

Niche: Ranged combat, party support.

1: Doom
Deal 250 dmg to target foe. Apply 1 stack of vulnerability for 3s.

2: Beckoning Tide 10sCD
Pull target foe 200 units towards you.

3: Khaolai’s Protection 15s CD
Allies in a 300 unit sphere gain protection for 3s.

4: Soothing 25s CD
Channeled ability: Channel for up to 5s. apply 2s of regeneration per second to allies in a 300 unit sphere.

5: Mingson’s Darkness (30s CD)
Blind foes in a 200 unit sphere of target foe.

Healing Skills:

Spirit to Flesh 20s CD

Base heal for below average amount, increased by the percentage of Spirit Energy you have stoered.

Spirit Light Weapon 25s CD
Weapon Skill. Heal yourself for 1000 on your next five attacks

Gift of the Spirits 30s CD
Above average base heal, gain 20% Spirit Essence.

Utility Skills

Weapon Spells

All weapon spells have a 1.5s cast time. You may only have ONE weapon spell active at a time. If you apply another weapon spell during the duration of a first, the second spell overrides the first (removes it)

Nightmare Weapon 25s CD
Your next 3 attacks steal 300 hp.

Ghostly Weapon 30s CD
Your next attack is unblockable.

Weapon of Remedy 25s CD
Your next two attacks remove one condition from you.

Weapon of Shadow 40s CD
Your next attack blinds your foe for 5s and stealths you for 3s.

Binding Rituals

These skills put a stationary spirit on the field that applies its effect to foes in its range (600). Spirits can be killed.

Vampirism 45CD:
Steals 100hp from foes per pulse and gives to the player. Pulses every 5s. 30s duration.

Dissonance 60s CD:
Applies a point five second daze to foes per pulse. Pulses every 10s. 30s duration.

Agony forty-five s CD:
Applies 1 stack of torment for 3s per pulse. Pulses every 5s. 30s duration.

Destruction: 50s CD
Does not pulse. Foes take 100dmg for every second this spirit was alive. 30s duration.

Signets

Signet of the Spirits 90s CD
Passive: Gain 2% Spirit Essence every 5s in combat.
Active: 3s cast time. Revive a nearby ally.

Signet of Ghostly Might 90s CD
Passive: 180 power
Active: Your attacks deal 10% extra damage for 5s.

Lee Sa’s Signet 80s CD
Passive: 180 Vitality
Active: Refill endurance. Grant Vigor for 10s.

Signet of Rituals 90s CD
Passive: 180 Toughness
Active: reset the cooldown on all Ritual skills

Possessions

Similar to stances, but apply to the area around the character, similar to banners that are being carried by a player. these empower the player and allies for a short time with various effects.

Tanasen 80s CD:
Allies in a 600 radius of you take 10% reduced damage and gain 1s of stability every second for 10s.

Naomei 80s CD:
Allies in a 600 radius of you gain 1s of regeneration every second. Downed allies are revived 10% per second. 10s duration.

Songkai 90s CD:
Dodgerolls cost 50% less for allies in a 600 unit radius and gain 1s of vigor every second, 10s duration.

Vorizun 90s CD:
Allies in a 600 unit radius deal 5% more damage with attacks and gain 1stack of might for 2s every second. 10s duration.

Rituals

These skills are all charge skills that last for up to 5s. They apply a bonus every second and have a final effect that changes in intensity for each second channeled. If interrupted the final effect is lost, but the charging bonus remains at whatever level it was at when the player was interrupted.

Spirit Channel forty five second CD:
Gain 5% Spirit Essence every second of charge.
Final effect: Remove one condition for every second charged.

Gaze from Beyond 60s CD:
Apply 1s of chill to enemies in a 600unit radius every second of charge.
Final effect: Stun foes in a 300 unit radius for every second of charge.

Painful Bond 60s CD:
Keep track of damage dealt to you from all sources during charge.
Final effect: apply that damage to source, heal self the amount

Gaze of Fury forty five second CD:
Apply 2 stacks of vulnerability (10s duration) to foes in a 600 unit radius every second of charge.
Final effect: apply 4s of Fury to self for every second charged.

On a side note, apparently there is something naughty about the number ’ forty five ’

Elite Skills

Reclaim Essence 90s CD

Gain 100% Spirit Essence

Armor of the Unfeeling 180s CD
You are immune to critical hits for 15s.

Consume Soul 180s CD:

Heal yourself for the percentage of Spirit Essence you have.

Traits

Lines:

Spirituality: Increases healingpower and the effectiveness of Guardian Spirits by 1% per trait point. Traits focus on increasing the effectiveness of Guardian spirits and Binding Rituals.

Communing: Increases toughness and boon duration. Traits focus on Possessions and staff use.

Malice: Increases Vitality and Condition Damage. Traits focus on daggers and conditions.

Smithing: Increases Power and Condition duration. Traits focus on swords and weapon spells.

Rituals: Increases Precision and Critical damage. Traits focus on signets and rituals.

I have a Thought for Weapon Spells.

In the Original Guildwars : Factions, Weapons Spells could be made to be used on allies as well. So why not make it to where Weapon Spells Affect you and all Allies around you. Do that and just increase the Recharge time…

Nightmare Weapon – Applies “Nightmare Weapon” to yourself and all surrounding allies. Next three Attacks steal health.

Ghostly Weapon – Applies ’Ghostly Weapon" to yourself and all surrounding allied. Next Attack is Unblockable.

etc.

etc…

Chrispy.5641:

I have a Thought for Weapon Spells.

In the Original Guildwars : Factions, Weapons Spells could be made to be used on allies as well. So why not make it to where Weapon Spells Affect you and all Allies around you. Do that and just increase the Recharge time…

Nightmare Weapon – Applies “Nightmare Weapon” to yourself and all surrounding allies. Next three Attacks steal health.

Ghostly Weapon – Applies ’Ghostly Weapon" to yourself and all surrounding allied. Next Attack is Unblockable.

etc.

etc…

Yep. planned on it being a trait though, like venom share.

Well that was entertaining. I’ve decided not to do traits :P

Oberon Vex.1389:

2-handed Weapon skills

Staff

Niche: AoE spells, party support. 1200 range attacks.

1: Pain

Deal 300 dmg to foes in a 100unit radius of target foe.

2: Spirit Transfer 8s CD
Deal 300 damage to target Foe. gain 10% Spirit Essence

3: Li Ming’s Purity 15s CD
Allies in a 600 unit radius lose one condition.

4: Disenchantment 20s CD

Foes in a 100unit radius of target foe lose 1 boon.

5: Xinrae’s Defiance 25s CD
For each enemy in a 600 unit radius (up to 5), allies (up to 5) in that radius gain one stack of might for 5s and 3s of Fury

I REALLY want to see a class that can use staff as a melee weapon.

First of all, forget everything that could be, directly or indirectly, to anything that sounds “asian”. Anet stance right now on the subject is pretty firm; bet they won’t change for a single class.

Second, ANOTHER scholar class ? Yay…

Third, you do understand that everything that you mentioned for the ritualist is already covered by other classes, right ?

Let’s be honest, why should they bring it back ? Why the ritualist ? Why not bring the paragon back ? Or the assassin ?

“Yeah, but they’re already here !”

Same for ritualist…

Oberon Vex.1389:

Well that was entertaining. I’ve decided not to do traits :P

Awww, you should have kept developing the class until It was its own thing and not basically three other classes already in the game rolled into one.

Oh well….I guess the Chronomanceris still the only Class Idea on these forums that I support…

Machiavel.6042:

First of all, forget everything that could be, directly or indirectly, to anything that sounds “asian”. Anet stance right now on the subject is pretty firm; bet they won’t change for a single class.

Second, ANOTHER scholar class ? Yay…

First, you can see plenty of “Asian” themed stuff in the game. You just have to know where to look for it.

Second, why not? If you are going to argue about the lack of a third Heavy Armor class,….so?

Machiavel.6042:

First of all, forget everything that could be, directly or indirectly, to anything that sounds “asian”. Anet stance right now on the subject is pretty firm; bet they won’t change for a single class.

Second, ANOTHER scholar class ? Yay…

Third, you do understand that everything that you mentioned for the ritualist is already covered by other classes, right ?

Let’s be honest, why should they bring it back ? Why the ritualist ? Why not bring the paragon back ? Or the assassin ?

“Yeah, but they’re already here !”

Same for ritualist…

The only asian influence here is the names of the ancestors that were mentioned, a cosmetic problem at best. There is no reason Anet could not just come up with a more Tyrian set of names that occurred in the past 250 years, perhaps from the initial rise of the elder dragons.

The class is scholar for lore reasons only. In fact, based on its abilities I would prefer it to be adventurer class.

The assassin’s entire concept is wrapped up ONLY the thief. Only the Paragon’s NICHE (party wide support) is filled by the guardian, not its mechanics.

Additionally, I think there are several mechanics introduced in my post that are unique. In fact, all of the utilities (apart from signets, which every class has), are unique in function or mechanic.

Weaponspells buff your attacks for the next few strikes, wheras Venoms put conditions on foes for the next few strikes. This is different.

Possessions are short term area of effect buffs. The most similar effect in game at the moment are banners, which last for a minute.

Binding rituals are immobile pets that apply their effect to enemies. The most similar is Nature rituals which apply their affect to allies and have a ‘toggle skill’.

Rituals are charge skills, which (to my knowledge) no other class has. The only charge skill in this game that I have come across is the environmental skill in metrica province when you are capturing oozes.

The functionality of several weapon skills is unique.

Furthermore, a concept does not NEED to be entirely new to be unique. How many classes can summon three pets to attack their foe? Engineer, Mesmer and Necro. What a unique mechanic. OH and human rangers (they can have FOUR if you take runes of the ogre)

+1 This is something that i would like to see its not a bad idea.