The synergy guides are special items that can be equipped in a new slot. While elite specializations add new mechanics that allow classes to “change” into something else, synergy guides allow further player customization by allowing players to change the “rules” of how certain existing skills and abilities work.
Examples:
Thief
Synergy Guide: “Come at Me Brother! A Norn’s Guide to Bar Brawls”
-You take 33% less damage.
-Self-casted stealth abilities no longer affect you.
Elementalist
Synergy Guide: “Weapons of the Elements, a Study by Vekk”
-Conjured weapons no longer have charges and function like kits.
-Conjured weapons no longer spawn a duplicate for allies.
Ranger
Synergy Guide: “Preparation: A Guide to Offensive Trapping by Aiden”
-Traps can be thrown 900m, activate instantly upon hitting the ground. Traps also deal impact damage to enemies in affected areas.
Guardian
Synergy Guide: “Impenetrable Defense by General Morgahn”
-While wielding a shield your dodge is replaced by a block that drains endurance when the button is held. This block destroys projectiles.
Warrior
Synergy Guide:“Koss’ Guide to Stance Dancing”
-Stance mechanics are changed. All stances have a 5 second CD.
-Frenzy changed to grant quickness but you take 50% extra damage.
-Endure Pain changed to reduce damage by 33% but you deal 25% less damage. Does not affect conditions.
-Balanced Stance move 33% faster, break stun and gain stability when used (40s ICD). The speed boost from this stance end if you are crippled, immobilized, or chilled.
-Berserker Stance rapidly regenerates adrenaline and removes a condition when you swap to it (5s ICD). The effects of this stance end when you hit max adrenaline.
-You may only have 1 stance active at a time. Stances can be cancelled by overwriting them with a new stance or waiting 5 seconds and pressing the button again.
(stance effects like defy pain or last stand that come from traits are unaffected and still operate as normal)
Mesmer
Synergy Guide: “A List of Suitors Denied by Countess Anise”
-Shatter skills are changed
-Mindwrack changed to Energy Surge. Causes a ground targeted AoE that deals damage when illusions are consumed.
-Cry of Frustration changed to Changed to Psychic Distraction. Interrupt an enemy skill and cause confusion. If successful this skill recharges in 2s. If you do not interrupt a skill this skill goes on CD for 60s.
-Diversion changed to Mistrust. The next attack an enemy performs within 1s per illusion is interrupted dealt damage, and surrounding targets are dazed. Target limit of 3, but extends to 5 when traited with improved shatters.
-Distortion: Unchanged.
(Traits that affect shatters function as normal)
Necromancer:
Synergy Guide: “The Allure of Death by Adam and Eve”
-All of your fears are transformed into taunts.
Engineer:
Synergy Guide: “The Iron Legion’s Guide to Sidearms”
-If you have no kits equipped, you gain the ability to weapon swap.
Revenant:
Synergy Guide: “The Secret Scrolls of Lord Odran”
-You lose your endurance bar and extend your energy bar to 200. When you dodge you turn into a mist that cannot be hit instead and lose 50 energy. Effects that would grant endurance grant energy instead (vigor, sigil of energy, effects that grant full endurance grant 100 energy). When over 100 energy you are considered “full on endurance.”
This is a system that can be expanded on in the future, adding new synergy guides for the 9 classes as the game grows and more skill types are introduced. This system leads to all sorts of possibilities.
-Melee thief with no stealth? Yup
-Thrown trap ranger revived
-Reaper can take a synergy to taunt targets into their giant blade instead of fearing them away
-No kit engineers can bring a backup weapon
-Etc…
This systems acts as a way to diversify classes between the release of full blown specializations. The system is designed to give players the ability to play nostalgic gw1 styles, supplement their current spec, or better tailor certain abilities and skill types to fit their unique playstyle.
(edited by lordhelmos.7623)