Guild Wars 2

Lightning Rod: “Disabling an enemy causes them to be struck by a lightning bolt.”
Tempest Defense: “Surround yourself with a Shocking Aura when disabled (stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, or launch). *Deal more damage to stunned or knocked-down foes.”*
Lightning Rod procs before the disables. It causes many issues.

1. Lightning Rod is blocked or evaded even though the crowd control using to disable is unblockable or undodgeable.

http://www.twitch.tv/aleriedespins/v/30181709
In this video, we have a chronomancer using Echo of Memory. The mesmer moves toward the unblockable Static Field gets interrupted and receives the damage of Static Field. What happened with the Lightning Rod?

The Lightning Rod was blocked before the disable as shown on the combat log. Additionnally, because it was blocked, it also refreshed the mesmer skill, allowing him to use Déjà Vu.

2. Lightning Rod does not benefit from the damage increase of Tempest Defense despite requiring to disable a target for to be casted.

http://www.twitch.tv/aleriedespins/v/30182400
As seen on the video. The elementalist initially casts Gust on five golems. The damage range is 2000 to 2200 for a critical strike while using Tempest Defense. After that, the elementalist removes Tempest Defense and does the same experiment; the damage stays the same. As a result, Tempest Defense does not increase the damage of Lightning Rod. But is it because the target is not “stunned” or “knocked-down” as stated on the trait? Well, no. The elementalist used Static Field to double check and the damage on Lightning Rod remained the same. Though, the damage of the Static Field was increased, so the source of the disable gets a damage increase. Note that Tempest Defense also works on Daze, so Gust should do the same.

I concur, tested it on NPC in Heart and its not even doing anything that the description says, it will only proc when I actually use the elec aura and the npc is using a channel attack.

Takanashi.6548:

I concur, tested it on NPC in Heart and its not even doing anything that the description says, it will only proc when I actually use the elec aura and the npc is using a channel attack.

What is not doing it? Lightning Rod is not damaging something? If you interrupt while target is blocking or evading, it will not deal damage due to the bug.

Bumping for visibility.

Yea, the game still hasn’t enough unavoidable procs …

UmbraNoctis.1907:

Yea, the game still hasn’t enough unavoidable procs …

Well, the disable comes from an unblockable, undodgeable wall. The target is interrupted, so is its dodge. How come the Lightning Rod, which procs on a disable gets evaded if the target is supposed to be interrupted?

Walls are undodgeable to prevent ppl from just dodging through them in which case they would loose there purpose of “blocking the way”. But dmg should never be undodgeable. I agree that if feels kind of odd in case of Lightning Rod, but think, it is better for the game this way. Even though it won’t matter much in the current state of the game …

Alekt.5803:

Takanashi.6548:

I concur, tested it on NPC in Heart and its not even doing anything that the description says, it will only proc when I actually use the elec aura and the npc is using a channel attack.

What is not doing it? Lightning Rod is not damaging something? If you interrupt while target is blocking or evading, it will not deal damage due to the bug.

Actually shocking Aura does not proc lighting rod, is this intended?

Takanashi.6548:

Alekt.5803:

Takanashi.6548:

I concur, tested it on NPC in Heart and its not even doing anything that the description says, it will only proc when I actually use the elec aura and the npc is using a channel attack.

What is not doing it? Lightning Rod is not damaging something? If you interrupt while target is blocking or evading, it will not deal damage due to the bug.

Actually shocking Aura does not proc lighting rod, is this intended?

You’ll have to describe the situation because it is proccing for me. But if you stun then when they were dodging or blocking, it will not work for the bugs stated above.

Takanashi.6548:

Alekt.5803:

Takanashi.6548:

I concur, tested it on NPC in Heart and its not even doing anything that the description says, it will only proc when I actually use the elec aura and the npc is using a channel attack.

What is not doing it? Lightning Rod is not damaging something? If you interrupt while target is blocking or evading, it will not deal damage due to the bug.

Actually shocking Aura does not proc lighting rod, is this intended?

It used to work but now it’s broken. I think right now for Anet the elementalist is way down the list of priorities considering that they didn’t even do the improvements to the Tempest traits they said they would do after the beta weekends.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

Walls are undodgeable to prevent ppl from just dodging through them in which case they would loose there purpose of “blocking the way”. But dmg should never be undodgeable. I agree that if feels kind of odd in case of Lightning Rod, but think, it is better for the game this way. Even though it won’t matter much in the current state of the game …

The damage on Static Field remains. What is your point? What about the damage increase not working?

Interrupting a blocking and evading target represents about 65% of the lightning rod procs. (But those fail to work)

I just tested it again with D/WH Shocking Aura will only work properly if the npc is downed and disrupts you then if they do a channel attack it will proc lighting rod…

Takanashi.6548:

I just tested it again with D/WH Shocking Aura will only work properly if the npc is downed and disrupts you then if they do a channel attack it will proc lighting rod…

You do know that static aura only stuns when the enemy hits you while you have the aura? I’ve been using the dagger, activated the aura and let a npc hit me. They got stunned and got the dmg of lightning rod.

More details perhaps?

Alekt.5803:

Takanashi.6548:

I just tested it again with D/WH Shocking Aura will only work properly if the npc is downed and disrupts you then if they do a channel attack it will proc lighting rod…

You do know that static aura only stuns when the enemy hits you while you have the aura? I’ve been using the dagger, activated the aura and let a npc hit me. They got stunned and got the dmg of lightning rod.

More details perhaps?

I swear I would hit the npc with dagger 1, turn my back do dagger 3, npc hits me and no proc, I wish I had a video…

If you guys haven’t already, please submit bug reports. It sucks that two of our GM traits are bugged (Lightning Rod and Written In Stone, which does not actually allow for permanent uptime on passives for Signets with cast times.)

Whats funny lightning rod goes bonkers when the Necro NPCs dies and does its channel attack while you have the aura on, it will proc 3 – 4 times in a row…

Glenstorm.4059:

If you guys haven’t already, please submit bug reports. It sucks that two of our GM traits are bugged (Lightning Rod and Written In Stone, which does not actually allow for permanent uptime on passives for Signets with cast times.)

Reported already… Months ago. And did re-reported every patch since 8 months. I guess I could mirror that one on bug report again.

bumping again for visibility.

I think I know what is causing this behavior but I would have to check.

I’m fairly certain it’s because Lightning Rod is triggering before the interrupting effect. Therefore when Lightning Rod activates, the target is still evading/blocking, and the target is not disabled, which means they don’t take the bonus damage from Tempest Defense.

This would also explain the “lightning rod going nuts on downed necrobot” as Lightning Rod’s proc is activated on any disable while only certain disables actually occur on downed targets.

Should be easy to check in the combat log. I’m not sure if I’ll have time soon but if someone else can have a look that’d be great.

Sarrs.4831:

I think I know what is causing this behavior but I would have to check.

I’m fairly certain it’s because Lightning Rod is triggering before the interrupting effect. Therefore when Lightning Rod activates, the target is still evading/blocking, and the target is not disabled, which means they don’t take the bonus damage from Tempest Defense.

This would also explain the “lightning rod going nuts on downed necrobot” as Lightning Rod’s proc is activated on any disable while only certain disables actually occur on downed targets.

Should be easy to check in the combat log. I’m not sure if I’ll have time soon but if someone else can have a look that’d be great.

It is indeed the case. That’s also my hypothesis.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

Walls are undodgeable to prevent ppl from just dodging through them in which case they would loose there purpose of “blocking the way”. But dmg should never be undodgeable. I agree that if feels kind of odd in case of Lightning Rod, but think, it is better for the game this way. Even though it won’t matter much in the current state of the game …

Even if it wasn’t bugged, the damage would still be very avoidable indeed: don’t walk through the wall. Similarly, you can avoid getting stunned by shocking aura by using stab or just not attacking. In theory, Lighting Rod is an amazing skill, and it’s absolutely not a passive proc. That’s like saying venoms are passive: they are just active on other skills.

Sorel.4870:

UmbraNoctis.1907:

Walls are undodgeable to prevent ppl from just dodging through them in which case they would loose there purpose of “blocking the way”. But dmg should never be undodgeable. I agree that if feels kind of odd in case of Lightning Rod, but think, it is better for the game this way. Even though it won’t matter much in the current state of the game …

Even if it wasn’t bugged, the damage would still be very avoidable indeed: don’t walk through the wall. Similarly, you can avoid getting stunned by shocking aura by using stab or just not attacking. In theory, Lighting Rod is an amazing skill, and it’s absolutely not a passive proc. That’s like saying venoms are passive: they are just active on other skills.

There is nothing more counter rewarding to interrupt a Revenant’s Reposting Shadow and to only see this lightning rod being “evaded”.