Guild Wars 2

This concept is that of a Party Supporter that focuses on Might, Quickness and a new, unique buff called Barrier. It’s supposed to be able to replace Chronomancer and/or Warrior in Team Content for Quickness/Might purposes, however it lacks access to Alacrity/Distortion and Banners respectively, meaning they won’t outclass either of the other two professions in every scenario. Instead, it’s here to offer an alternative, so that Mesmers and Warriors may run other specs while a Technician is on their team!

Engineer – Technician
Weapon: Staff
Utility Skills: Codes (New)
Mechanic: Whenever the Technician grants Boons or Barrier to Allies, they create a temporary Data Link between them. Over time, the Technician builds a Data Transfer buff that will copy Boons to connected allies when it hits a threshold, and the rate at which Data Transfer builds up can be affected by the use of Toolbelt skills. Lastly, Barrier is a unique buff that grants a Shield over an ally’s HP bar, with its strength equal to a % of the Technician’s own Max HP.

Mechanic: Data Link, Data Transfer, and Barrier
Crack your knuckles, kick the coffee machine into gear and grab your snuggliest Hoodie, the Technician is getting to work. While the Engineer and the Scrapper focused on a more physical approach, the Technician delves into the metamagical cyberspace of the Mists with their Magitech equipment. Unlike casters and their magic however, the Technician is not interested in anything but concrete numbers and quantifiable data.

As resident Tech support, the Technician can uplink with allies they grant Boons or Buffs to, creating a Data Link between them to work as a unit. The Link is green in colour and extends from the Technician to nearby allies.

• Data Link – Granting a Boon or a Buff to nearby allies links them to you for 15s. Radius: 600. Number of Targets: 5.

With how the Data link works, the Technician must constantly update allies with new Boons, otherwise the link disconnects so as to not waste precious Data. Once linked to any number of allies, the Technician will start stacking a unique Buff on themselves called Data Transfer. When this buff hits 40, it will Copy a number of Boons from the Technician to linked allies before resetting.

• Data Transfer – Gain 1 stack of Data Transfer every second. At 40 charges, Copy 1 instance of up to 3 Boons on yourself to Uplinked allies.
  • Priority – Quickness = Might = Fury > Swiftness > Retaliation > Regeneration = Vigor = Protection > Stability = Resistance

Lastly, the Technician gains access to a unique buff through Weapon and Utility Skills called Barrier. Barrier grants extra HP to its target that is placed “over” their own HP (Including Necromancer’s Death Shroud). Any Damage is prioritized towards the Barrier itself, however if the incoming Damage exceeds the Barrier’s HP, the damage will bleed over onto the Ally’s own HP. Barrier excels at protecting an Ally from Chip Damage while they heal up and is less effective against massive Spikes.

• Barrier – Grants extra HP to an Ally equal to 20% of your Max HP. Lasts 4s. Doesn’t Stack. After Barrier expires or falls, the target gains a debuff that prevents them from gaining Barrier again for 6s.

Weapon: Staff
The Staff is a Support weapon first and foremost, primarily focused around granting Barrier and Boons to allies, but due to its Melee Properties and lack of Defense it also possesses above-average DPS and some CC, the former which can be boosted with traits.

• Static Shock -> Dual Current -> Shock Slam – Electrify your staff, striking enemies with a shocking combo. Stacks Vulnerability on enemies with the first two strikes, before releasing an energizing surge that Weakens enemies and grants Might to nearby allies.
• Deploy Barrier – Ground-targeted skill. The Ally with the lowest health at the Target Area gains Barrier for 4s.
• Overclock – Strike down with an electric burst that Damages enemies and grants Quickness to nearby Allies. Acts as a Blast Finisher.
• System Disruption – Launch a quick strike at your target that Stuns and Poisons them. If they were using a Skill, the Cooldown on this skill is greatly reduced.
• Data Gate – Create a line of data that grants Barrier and Superspeed to allies that moves through it. Maximum number of targets: 5. Combo Field: Ethereal.

Utility Skills: Codes
Codes are lines of mathematical formulas written on a holographic display in front of the Technician. Most have some Activation time, however their Toolbelt Skills typically have shorter Cooldowns and quick activation times.

• Reboot – Healing Skill. Place yourself in stasis, becoming Immobile while Blocking incoming attacks. Remove Conditions from yourself and Connected Allies while channeling, before gaining a Burst of Healing and 10 stacks of Data Transfer.
  • System Recovery – Toolbelt Skill. Remove 1 Condition from yourself and allies connected with Data Link, while extending the duration of already existing Boons on allies by 2s.
• Malware – Write a line of code that Dazes your target for 2s. For 4s, any Incoming Boons on the target are converted into Conditions instead.
  • Virus Upload – Toolbelt Skill. Create a Link to the target, pulsing Poison to them as long as they’re within range.
• System Optimization – Write a line of code that optimizes all connected systems, increasing Data Transfer rate from 1/s to 3/s and granting Quickness to all allies connected with Data Link.
  • Corrupted Data – Toolbelt Skill. Remove up to 3 Boons from the target, damage and Cripple them.
• Memory Wipe – Write a line of code that wipes all tracks of your presence, placing you and allies connected through Data Link in Stealth. Allies striking an enemy from Stealth applied by this skill causes Confusion.
  • Ghost Program – Toolbelt Skill. Link to enemies at the target area. Remove 1 Boon from all connected enemies every second for a brief time and pulse Revealed.
• Firewall – Write a line of code that creates a Barrier in front of you that Blocks enemy Projectiles and Knocks them back if they run into it. Allies moving through the wall gain Resistance for a short time.
  • Protection Program – Toolbelt Skill. Break Stun for yourself, granting Barrier to all nearby Allies.
• Heist – Elite Skill. Stealth yourself and Channel for a brief time. After Channeling, Steal all Boons from nearby enemies. Taking Damage breaks the Channel.
  • Data Distribution – Toolbelt Skill. Copy all Boons on yourself to nearby Allies.

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

• Computerized – Gain access to Data Link, Data Transfer and Command Skills.
• Speedy Upload – Activating a Tool Belt Skill grants you 4 stacks of Data Transfer.
• Data Surge – Gain Quickness (3s) when you gain 40 stacks of Data Transfer.

Adept Traits

• Anti-Virus Program – Remove 1 Condition when granting Barrier to an Ally.
• Lost in Transmission – Interrupting an Enemy removes 1 Boon. Whenever you remove a Boon from an enemy, you have a chance Steal it instead. Trigger chance: 50%. ICD: 5s.
• Repurposed Power – Gain Might (3 stacks, 6s) when you execute a Dodge Roll. Duration is doubled if you also Evade an attack. ICD: 8s.

Master Traits

• Feedback Loop – Barrier you apply will now explode at the end of their duration or when destroyed, dealing AoE Damage around the targeted ally.
• Hack the Planet – Malware is now an AoE centered around your primary target. You gain 5 stacks of Data Transfer when activating a Code Skill and Code Skills Recharge 20% Faster. Radius: 360.
• Cutting-edge Technology – While wielding a Staff, you deal 10% more damage and gain Data Transfer faster. Whenever you gain 40 stacks of Data Transfer, recharge Overclock. Data Transfer gain: 1 every 7s.

Grandmaster Traits

• Enhanced Barriers – Barriers you apply now last 2s longer and grants +240 Toughness to its Target.
• Speed Thief – Whenever you Daze, Stun, Knock, Taunt, Fear, Float or Sink an enemy, they are Slowed (3s) and you gain Quickness (3s). ICD: 15s.
• System Admin – When Data Transfer copies Might to nearby allies, it will now copy All instances of Might on you instead of just 1 instance. Might you apply lasts 20% Longer.

That’s a really neat idea and really cool description!

That heal skill should be changed IMO.

Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again
Makes the player freeze (cannot be affected by friendly skills) and become invoulnerable for 5 seconds. Afterwards, health is restored and all conditions are removed.

The theme and mechanics you describe are really cool and might be a great support spec for WvW or PvP, but I don’t think it would work on PvE.

The Barrier mechanic is nice but most of PvE end game content is about dmg and evasion. That is mostly why Necros are not in the meta and chronos are great tanks.

Chrono has low dps but tons of evades, invuls and blocks, so it can tank while providing boons and heals, and on top of that alacrity and quickness are great.
Necro on the other hand can just absorb dmg, but that doesnt help much when attacks are designed to wipe you if you dont dodge.

The mechanic you suggest (barrier) might not help much on a raid scenario. And although the spec provide tons of boons, it seems to lack dmg. And on a raid, if you are not tanking you should be doing dps… even if you are support or heals… as warriors and druids do..

lLobo.7960:

The theme and mechanics you describe are really cool and might be a great support spec for WvW or PvP, but I don’t think it would work on PvE.

The Barrier mechanic is nice but most of PvE end game content is about dmg and evasion. That is mostly why Necros are not in the meta and chronos are great tanks.

Chrono has low dps but tons of evades, invuls and blocks, so it can tank while providing boons and heals, and on top of that alacrity and quickness are great.
Necro on the other hand can just absorb dmg, but that doesnt help much when attacks are designed to wipe you if you dont dodge.

The mechanic you suggest (barrier) might not help much on a raid scenario. And although the spec provide tons of boons, it seems to lack dmg. And on a raid, if you are not tanking you should be doing dps… even if you are support or heals… as warriors and druids do..

He could add some kind of shatter mechanic to the barrier – when it receives final blow or runs out, it explodes.

Barrier sounds kinda boring. Everything else is fantastic!

Genuinely great idea, correct me if wrong, but the data transfer mechanic would work similarly to the Druid’s Glyph link-esque ally buffing? If so, it’s an interesting approach for organized group play.

I like it how you’ve applied your real life work knowledge on this idea, nice one!

Cheers for all the feedback, folks!

I went back to check up on the skills and specialization line after some thinking. Of course the Healing skill should’ve been Reboot, can’t believe I missed that chance the first time.

I fiddled around a bit with some traits, and I do believe that with some tweaks then this could be a viable Elite Spec for PvE as well as PvP and WvW. With Staff being a Melee weapon that lacks all the defenses of a Scrapper’s hammer, then I don’t think it’d be much of a faux pas to give it heavy offensive capabilities on the side of Support when traited.