Guild Wars 2

My thoughts and ideas on what the supposed future tome elite specialization could/should be like.

The Monk specialization allows guardians to specialize purely into support. Through its tomes and traits, it allows one to specifically focus in each aspect of support. Unlike the base guardian profession, monks are a backline support specialization. Little of the power of their supportive abilities is directed towards themselves, instead that power is focused on allies.
Each of the Monk’s tomes are intended to represent each of the original Monk’s prayer types, as well as the playstyles that came with them.

Profession Mechanic:
Virtues become “Prayers”, and “Life Attunement” is gained. Prayers have weaker versions of virtue passive effects.

Life attunement: Toggleable ability. Prayer. Attune to life, grants +15% outgoing healing to allies and increases boon duration when applying boons to allies (not the user) by 15%, but decreases outgoing damage by 30%. 13s CD (cannot be toggled off until cooldown refreshes). Blue-yellow runes of light circle around the user’s hands as a graphical indication that Life Attunement is active.

Aura of Smiting: Prayer. Ground targeted AoE buff. Allies affected deal 50% more damage with their next three abilities. Instant cast. 1200 range. 300 radius. 40s CD.

Word of Healing: Prayer. Ground targeted AoE. Heals allies in the targeted area. Healing doubles on allies below 50% health. 1600 (1.0) healing. Instant cast. 1200 range. 300 radius. 40s CD.

Mark of Protection: Prayer. Ground targeted AoE. Creates a field which lasts for 3 seconds which applies aegis (4 pulses). 10s aegis duration. Instant cast. 1200 range. 300 radius. 40s CD. [Indomitable Courage only procs once on placement]

Armor type:
Monks can choose between light armor or heavy armor. Wearing light armor grants a “light armor” buff which decreases the cooldown of prayers by 25% and increases Life Attunement’s outgoing healing and outgoing boon duration to allies each by 15%.

Abilities:
Weapon: Trident (or Shortbow if terrestial underwater weapons can’t be a thing)

1. - Light of Purity: Auto-attack. Releases a homing light projectile which bounces between allies and enemies, removing one condition from allies and damaging enemies. 150 (0.5) damage. 2 bounces. 1200 range. 600 bounce range.
2. - Ethereal Light: Channel healing to the targeted area. Move 30% slower while channeling. Taking more than 20% of your max health in damage over the duration of the channel interrupts the ability. Can be channeled for up to 10 seconds (cooldown starts on cast). 600 (+1.0) healing every second. 420 radius. 1200 range. 1500 tether range. 10s CD.
3. - Symbol of Hope: Imbue a mystic symbol into the targeted area, damaging foes and granting resistance to allies each pulse. 1s resistance duration. 3s symbol duration (4 pulses). 1200 range. Light field. 17s CD.
4. - Infuse: Channel fury to allies in the targeted area (roots while channeling). Heal allies and cleanse two conditions when the skill is successfully completed. 1000 (1.7) healing. 1200 range. 3s fury per pulse (4 pulses). 360 radius. 20s CD.
5. - Life Ward: Ward. Creates a barrier which converts incoming projectiles to healing for everyone in the barrier. When Life Ward ends, it heals allies in its radius. 1500 (+1.5) healing on end. 600 (0.7) healing per projectile. 7s duration. 360 radius. 1200 range. Light field. 40s CD.

New skill type – Tomes: All tomes have a 9 second swapping cooldown (including elite tomes).
Heal Skill:
Tome of Life: Summon a mystical tome which can cast a variety of heal skills.

1. - Live Vicariously: Buffs allies in range with “Live Vicariously”. During its duration, whenever an ally hits a foe, you are healed. 800 (+0.8) healing per hit. 1200 radius. 8s duration. 1s ICD. Places Tome of Life on a 30s CD.
2. - Healing Ring: Create a ring of light that heals allies. Does not affect the user. 5000 (+3.0) healing. 900 radius. Places Tome of Life on a 30s CD.
3. - Renew Life: Revive an ally in the targeted area, heal all allies near the targeted area upon successful cast. 2600 (1.0) healing. 2.5 second cast time. 360 radius. 1200 range. Places Tome of Life on a 90s CD.

Utility Skills:
Tome of Healing: Summon a mystical tome which grants you healing spells.

1. - Heal Other: Auto-attack. Heals the lowest health ally in range. Cannot target self. 700 (0.9) healing. 1200 range.
2. - Healing Ribbon: Releases two ribbons of light which target the two lowest health allies in range, healing and removing one condition from each of them. Cannot target self. 1600 (1.0) healing. 1200 range. 5s CD.
3. - Healing Light: Ground targeted AoE heal. Heal increases by 15% for each boon on target ally. 1600 (1.0) healing. 360 radius. 1200 range. 15s CD.
4. - Cure Condition: Releases a wave which cleanses 3 conditions from allies. Grants 2 seconds of regeneration per condition removed. 1200 range. 20s CD.
5. - Healing Burst: Ground targeted AoE heal. 2500 (4.0) healing. 300 radius. 1200 range. 60s CD.

Tome of Protection: Summon a mystical tome which grants you protection spells.

1. - Shield of Regeneration: Cone AoE Auto-attack. Grants a short duration of regeneration and protection per cast. 2s regeneration duration. 2s protection duration. 1200 range.
2. - Life Sheath: Ground targeted AoE buff. Allies affected gain a life sheath barrier which converts the next attack’s damage into healing, allies in the radius are also cleansed of one condition. Instant cast. 3s buff duration. 240 radius. 1200 range. 5s CD.
3. - Shield of Deflection: Creates a barrier which blocks all projectiles and protects allies within from AoE fields. Grants aegis once on placement. 5s barrier duration. 5s aegis duration. 300 radius. 1200 range. Light field. 25s CD.
4. - Restore Condition: Removes all conditions from allies in the area. Heals for each condition removed. 100 (0.3) healing per condition cleansed. 2.5s casting time (roots while casting). 1200 range. 40s CD.
5. - Life Barrier: Ground targeted AoE. Grants the “Life Barrier” buff which prevents allies from being downed once while active, consuming the buff and returning them to 50% health. Also decreases damage on allies by 20% while active. Cannot affect self. Instant cast. 8s duration. 240 radius. 1200 range. 60s CD.

Tome of Smiting: Summon a mystical tome which grants you smiting spells.

1. - Ray of Justice: Auto-attack. Releases a bouncing ray of light that grants might (3 stacks) to allies, and damages and inflicts vulnerability (2 stacks) to enemies. 150 (0.8) damage. 12s might duration. 12s vulnerability duration. 4 bounces. 750 bounce range. 1200 range.
2. - Reversal of Damage: Ground targeted AoE buff. Allies affected gain a Reversal of Damage barrier which blocks and returns the next attack’s damage back against the attacker, and also returns any conditions from that attack back to the attacker. Instant cast. 3s buff duration. 240 radius. 1200 range. 5s CD.
3. - Judge’s Insight: Ground targeted AoE. Grants fury and the “Judge’s Insight” buff which causes allies affected to ignore 33% of enemy armor. 6s Judge’s Insight duration. 10s fury duration. 300 radius. 1200 range. 20s CD.
4. - Retribution: Imbues the targeted area with smiting magic, granting 2 seconds of retaliation to allies each pulse. 5 seconds later, the area explodes into beams of light which home onto enemies, dealing 50% of the damage dealt to allies who were in the area of Retribution. 300 radius. 1200 range. Light field. 30s CD.
5. - Ray of Judgement: Ground targeted AoE. Invokes a large beam of light at the targeted location for 5 seconds, dealing damage and applying burning (3 stacks) each pulse in the area. 6 pulses. 3s channel. 1800 (5.0) damage per pulse. 3s burning per pulse. 360 radius. 1200 range. 60s CD. (Focus #4 gets renamed)

Tome of Arms: Summon a mystical tome which grants you weapon-based spells.

1. - Burst of Blades: Auto-attack. Unleashes a burst of weaponry out from the tome. Inflicts 3 stacks of vulnerability. 100 (0.9) damage. 10s vulnerability duration. 300 range.
2. - Heavenly Spear: A spear of light falls from the sky onto target area, dealing damage, inflicting vulnerability (5 stacks), and crippling enemies. 2s cripple. 10s vulnerability. 200 (2.0) damage. 900 range. 240 radius. 5s CD.
3. - Circle of Blades: Dash in the targeted direction while surrounded by rotating blades of light. Block projectiles for 1 second while dashing. 200 (0.4) damage. 5 impacts. 600 range. Whirl finisher. 15s CD.
4. - Chains of Justice: Unleashes chains that damage and slow enemies. For each foe chained, gain might for each second the chains are active. Can be activated again to knockback enemies. 100 (0.8) damage. 10s might duration. 1s slow duration. 3s chain duration. 4 pulses. 600 range. 25s CD.
5. - Sword of Light: Creates a gigantic sword of light which slashes down vertically onto the targeted area, dealing significant damage to enemies. Extra damage from vulnerability is tripled for this ability. 1.25 second channel. 1200 (3.0) damage. 600 range. 35s CD.

Elite Skill:
Tome of Courage/Tome of Wrath: Summon an ancient tome which grants you powerful offensive/supportive spells. If Life Attunement is active, the skill becomes Tome of Courage. If Life Attunement is inactive, the skill becomes Tome of Wrath.
Tome of Courage:
#1: Heal Area: Base healing decreased to 1000 from 1320. Scaling increased from 0.5 to 0.8. Radius increased to 300 from 240.
#2: Purifying Ribbon: Cooldown increased from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.
#3: Protective Spirit: Cooldown increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds. Now also applies aegis for 10 seconds.
#4: Pacifism: Cooldown increased from 20 seconds to 40 seconds.
#5: Light of Deliverance: Cooldown increased from 30 seconds to 180 seconds. Cast time decreased to 4 seconds from 4.25 seconds. Radius/range increased from 1200 to 2400. Heals for 50% of max health from 100%. Allies not affected by the 2400 radius heal are healed within a 5000 radius for 25% of their max health. Target limit is 5 for each seperate heal.

Tome of Wrath:
#1: Conflagrate: Same as before. Inflicts 2 stacks of burning.
#2: Affliction: Also slows targets for 3 seconds. Cooldown changed from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.
#3: Zealot’s Blaze: Applies Zealot’s Flame to allies in a cone for 6 seconds. Also applies might (5 stacks) and swiftness for 15 seconds. Cooldown increased from 5 seconds to 20 seconds. Target limit increased to 5.
#4: Shield of Judgment: Buffs allies in the targeted area with “Shield of Judgment” which knocks down and damages attacking enemies. 4 second buff duration. 2s ICD. 1s knockdown duration. 500 (2.0) damage. 40 second cooldown.
#5: Judgment: Is now ground targeted. Cooldown increased from 30 seconds to 180 seconds. Cast time increased from 2.75 seconds to 4 seconds. 1200 range. 600 radius.

- Tome of Courage and Tome of Wrath no longer increase any stats, or grant protection, stability, or retaliation to the user.
- Utility skills and prayers are usable while Tome of Courage/Wrath is in use.
- For the purpose of effects that trigger off of elite usage, only Judgment/Light of Deliverance will trigger those effects.
- Judgment/Light of Deliverance share a cooldown.

Signet changes are made due to Light of Deliverance returning:
- Signet of Courage is replaced by Boon Signet.
Boon Signet:
Passive effect – whenever you apply a boon to an ally or yourself, grant another boon or buff to that ally based on the boon you applied.
Aegis -> Regeneration (5 seconds)
Fury -> Might (2 stacks, 10 seconds)
Might -> Fury (3 seconds)
Protection -> Regeneration (2 seconds)
Quickness -> Superspeed (5 seconds)
Regeneration -> Vigor (3 seconds)
Resistance -> Protection (3 seconds)
Retaliation -> Vigor (3 seconds)
Stability -> Protection (3 seconds)
Swiftness -> Superspeed (2 seconds)
Vigor -> Regeneration (4 seconds)

Active effect – Grant all boons to allies in the targeted area. 360 radius. 1200 range. 180s CD.
Aegis – 15s duration.
Fury – 15s duration.
Might – 15s duration (12 stacks).
Protection – 15s duration.
Quickness – 5s duration.
Regeneration – 15s duration.
Resistance – 5s duration.
Retaliation – 15s duration.
Stability – 5s duration (3 stacks).
Swiftness – 15s duration.
Vigor – 15s duration.

- Signet of Wrath is replaced by Signet of Mystic Wrath:
Signet of Mystic Wrath: Passive effect – +20% extra boon duration. Active effect – Light bursts forth beneath the target, dealing damage. Damage is increased by 20% for each boon on the user. 800 (2.0) damage. Blast finisher. 240 radius. 1200 range. 20s CD.

- Signet of Mercy now gives +15% outgoing healing instead of 180 healing power. Now creates a Symbol of Judgment instead of reviving the target instantly. Cast time decreased from 3.75 seconds to 0.75 seconds. Cooldown reduced to 70 seconds from 150. Range increased to 1200 from 900.

- Bane Signet and Signet of Judgment are unchanged.

- Perfect Inscriptions changed to Scribe’s Insight: Decrease cooldown on signets by 20%. Signet passive effects are increased by 25%. Signets restore 10% of endurance for each boon on you when activated.

Traits:
Minor
Adept – Prayers of Virtue: Virtues become prayers. Life Attunement (F4) is gained.
Master – Strength of Honor: Every boon you have active on an ally increases their damage by 2% (does not affect user).
Grandmaster – Air of Enchantment: Boon duration is increased by 40% when applying boons to allies (not the user).

Major:
Adept
- Smiter’s Covenant: Might you apply is 33% stronger. Aura of Smiting’s cooldown is reduced by 20%.
- Healer’s Covenant: +10% outgoing healing to allies. Word of Healing’s cooldown is reduced by 20%.
- Protector’s Covenant: Protection you apply prevents an additional 10% damage. Mark of Protection’s cooldown is reduced by 20%.

Master
- Smiter’s Boon: Fury applied by you on other allies grants an extra 20% critical chance. Might and fury durations are increased by 25%. (existing Smiter’s Boon trait gets renamed)
- Healer’s Boon: Decreases the cooldown of any skills that heal others by 20% while Life Attunement is active. Gain +20% outgoing healing to allies whenever you use a heal skill (skill #6) or elite skill for 10 seconds. Regeneration applied by you on allies (not yourself) stacks in intensity up to 3 times.
- Protector’s Boon: Aegis applied by you on other allies blocks two attacks instead of one. All wards and other barrier-based abilities last 20% longer.

Grandmaster
- Pages of Light: Cooldowns on tome abilities are reduced by 20%. Cooldown on swapping tomes reduced by 20%. Wielding a Tome grants increased stats depending on the tome in use:
Life – Cleanses three conditions from allies affected by a Tome of Life spell.
Healing – +25% outgoing healing.
Protection – +50% defensive boon (protection/regeneration/aegis/vigor/resistance) duration.
Smiting – +50% Judge’s Insight duration. +50% offensive boon (might/fury/retaliation/quickness) duration.
Arms – +25% movement speed. +30% vulnerability duration.
Courage – +25% outgoing healing to allies. +30% boon duration.
Wrath – +15% damage. +40% boon duration, +40% condition duration.
- Word of Censure: Prayers deal damage on cast. Reduce recharge on all prayers by 2 seconds for each enemy damaged by a prayer. 1200 (3.0) damage. 300 radius.
- Peace and Harmony: Protection applied by you also decreases condition duration by 25%. Whenever an ability from you cleanses conditions on an ally (not you), cleanse an additional condition from that ally. No ICD.

Thoughts?

I really like this idea, it’s always been a disappointment for me that monks didn’t make it into GW2, and that guardians were essentially their spiritual successors. I very much like your idea of implementing light armour for this specialisation, I was thinking along similar lines today (quick google search found this specific thread), though I personally would stick with mage-type weapons, i.e. staff and sceptre/ focus. I imagine there’d probably be significant balance issues in doing this, but my thoughts would be to change the actual skills of these weapons. Perhaps increase the range of them significantly (not extreme, of course), so that as a supporting/ healing class, the monk won’t be as close to the enemy. I really hope there are more former GW1 players out there who would like to see the return of the Monk proper through a system as this. I understand that the druid is currently taking much of these responsibilities with the inclusion of raids, but I do feel it would be more appropriate to have that role assigned to this (potential) guardian specialisation.

This elite spec should have been instead of dragonhunter, more fitting an guardian. Like it alot I need to say.

Arth.8617:

This elite spec should have been instead of dragonhunter, more fitting an guardian. Like it alot I need to say.

I’d disagree :P… i like DH, its DPS :p… i dont really want to be a support in all honesty.

As much as i love the idea, i’d really like monks to come out as their own proffession in the game really, I feel that adding a Pure healing specc to a proffession as they are all individually created to run as pure DPS with 0 Trinity to be really hard to connect to the rest of the proffession, making the monk its own proffession means they can generally design traitlines which will blend in with the healing capability rather then being completely against it..

does make me wonder, if they intend to actually create more elite speccs in the future expansions though.

Arth.8617:

This elite spec should have been instead of dragonhunter, more fitting an guardian. Like it alot I need to say.

Thanks, Ikr? :0
I miss tomes and monks so very much.

Drayos.8759:

I feel that adding a Pure healing specc to a proffession as they are all individually created to run as pure DPS with 0 Trinity to be really hard to connect to the rest of the proffession

Druid (its base profession also arguably has nothing to do with healing (as opposed to guardians, who do)). Not that any of the professions are designed to run as pure DPS alone.

Drayos.8759:

making the monk its own proffession means they can generally design traitlines which will blend in with the healing capability rather then being completely against it..

Honor is literally focused on healing. As much as I’d love monks being their own profession, I think everyone can agree that’s pretty unrealistic.

Drayos.8759:

does make me wonder, if they intend to actually create more elite speccs in the future expansions though.

They’ve said they’re going to make more in the future. In fact when the devs removed tomes like a bunch of lamers, they mentioned that they’d “like to bring them back in a future elite specialization”.

This… Made me cry. So beautiful. Hope it will give the devs some ideas !