Guild Wars 2

Was messing around with my elementalist in the mists, testing out an eruption staff condition damage build on golems, and noticed that none of the talents that increase damage by X% apply to condition damage ticks.

With 1400 cond damage, bleed ticks were 116 and burn ticks were 695 (iirc, mostly focused on bleed) and NONE of my increased damage traits increased this amount at all, not even the ones in the earth line that is focused on condition damage. I tested them and they only work with direct damage spells like Earth 1, the initial burst on Earth 2, Earth 5, Skills, etc.

It makes all those traits (both the major and minor ones) pretty weak when power isn’t your main stat. I’m going to assume it’s the same across all traits/classes. Is this intended? It’s nice to know that those talents are basically worthless in a condition build but the tooltip is kind of vague in that it only says damage and not specifically direct damage (which is more accurate because the traits do NOT increased condition damage).

Yup, I think the only way besides Might buffs to get higher dot dmg than 116 in sPvP is using a Fire Conjure (Axe or GS) since it replaces your weapons which have… no stats in sPvP

that is correct. It has bad and good side.

Direct damage is affected by your stats, your % modifiers, enemys stats and modifiers. And vurneability.
Condition damage does not get boosted by % traits, but on the other hand it does not get reduced by enemy’s defences either, it goes straight thru toughness & armor and protection + other.

There are modifier defences vs condition damage in foods and some runes, like -10% condition duration. But they are quite rare.