Guild Wars 2

Some of us enjoy Death Shroud but my question is do you invest points into -Traits- because its fun or because you figured out a way to make your character stronger?

I enjoy Affliction/Condition play style and that is why its fun for me to invest Traits point to improve Condition based game play!

How about those of you whom invest points -Traits- into improving Death Shroud, do you do it because it increase game fun factor, or for other reasons?

Take this with a grain of salt as I am only level 56.

As a power necro I can say in this game so far even among all my other characters I have not felt as kitten as with my necro. Nothing kills you. Nothing. Between my conventional heals and my abilities that replenish Death Shroud the sheer amount of punishment I can withstand is astounding. I solo champs, run into groups that makes others hold back, and I fear no mob yet because I know if I play smart I can take on most content solo.

I figured out a way to make my conditions build alot stronger with traited death shroud.

I still dont trait death shroud with my power builds.

Xom.9264:

I figured out a way to make my conditions build alot stronger with traited death shroud.

I still dont trait death shroud with my power builds.

So you trait because it makes you stronger but you don’t enjoy traiting DS per say?

I trait for the Vulnerabilty and the DS skills CD decrease (Path of Midnight). As a Condition necro, I’m not depending on DS for huge damage, but I like to be able to pop in and out situationally, so I like the skills to have reduced cooldown.

I also like the side benefit of the larger LF pool (now that it is fixed).

I dont enjoy traiting DS at all, if I had my way then Necro speciality would be something very different from DS.

Bair.8240:

Take this with a grain of salt as I am only level 56.

As a power necro I can say in this game so far even among all my other characters I have not felt as kitten as with my necro. Nothing kills you. Nothing. Between my conventional heals and my abilities that replenish Death Shroud the sheer amount of punishment I can withstand is astounding. I solo champs, run into groups that makes others hold back, and I fear no mob yet because I know if I play smart I can take on most content solo.

Sarcasm? Or is your play style a very active one with constant movement and dodges?

Death shroud imo isn’t strong if you trait into it (like in soul reaping) but it shines when you have a power/hybrid based necro that invests in high vitality and toughness.

Vitality is ESSENTIAL to a necro because not only does it increase your hp pool, but it increases your DS LF pool, and your Plague Form HP add. this class, apart from all classes, gets 3x the benefit from one point of vitality (1 pt. = 10hp) than any other class or mob. GET SUM.

Toughness is extremely important to the necro because when you’re in DS, if you have 2700 armor instead of 1800 armor, you’re going to be taking 50% less damage (since its a division-ary mechanic… damage is totaled by dividing it by your armor rating) you can sit and output dmg in DS for ridiculously long periods of time.

The best way to “trait” for DS is to take 10 points in Soul Reaping and play with the 15% DS skill cooldown modifier or the -25% LF drain trait.

otherwise, save your trait points, find some vitality, toughness, or both.

I like having the option to trait into death shroud in any trait line when there isn’t a trait that’s useful for me to pick up. (for example, transfusion in blood magic when I want vampiric minions.) However I don’t want to trait for death shroud specifically. If anything even in a death shroud spec I would go for spectral skills first and then buff up death shroud.

Traits I use for DS in PvP
- Spite V – 3 sec of retaliation when entering DS
- Curses IV – Cast Enfeebling Blood when entering DS
- Soul Reaping III – 15% CD reduction on DS skills
- Soul Reaping XI – 3 sec of Stability upon entering DS

If we’re supposed to use it defensively and frequently might as well make it as useful as possible, right? I can’t play my necro in PvP though without the stability. So many classes run high control builds that it makes me rage getting tossed around without being able to do anything about it. 3 sec of stability doesn’t do much but it can make a world of difference if you recognize when to use it. Not to mention Shroud Stomp/Revive (even if they’re not 100% reliable, it’s better than going without IMO).

I love Death Shroud ever since they fixed the +Life Force bug in Soul Reaping. I take it to 30 in almost every build. The 50% cooldown reduction and the 3 seconds of stability are both great traits, but the cooldown reduction mixes well with the “Lose 1 condition” trait so I usually take that. I’ve since started investing into Soldier’s gear from AC tokens. What the above poster says is true. You get 3 times the payoff for every point of Vit you take because of DS (ok, probably 2.5 because of the long cooldown on Plague). High defensive stats makes you very difficult to take down, and active use of DS helps that even more.

Also, I like that Life Force is another resource for us to micro manage. If I’m 100% LF, I’ll start looking for ways to spend it so I don’t waste any of my regen. It makes the class far more involved and enjoyable.

I’m actually pretty underwhelmed by the 30% LF pool. I’d much rather they change this bonus to increase effectiveness, or increase LF gain, or reduce CDs, or something/anything else to make DS a more fluid combat mechanic.

10-20-10-0-30
0-30-10-0-30
0-20-20-0-30

That’s what I use. Mix and match with the traits but I’ll tell ya what if it isn’t already abundantly clear, I trait for DS — since the soul reaping core trait (30% more life force) was fixed it has been far more worth it than it was previously.

I use Dagger/Focus/Staff; I rune for Divinity; sigils of Fire/Rage/Bloodlust, yes I keep multiple sets in my bags. I take 50% death shroud CD, lose condition on DS, gain fury on DS, gain retaliation, cast enfeebling blood. As you can see, a lot happens every time I DS and I DS every 5s. Get that down and you’ll see the boons of this build.

Oh if only Gluttony worked!!! And if healing power scaling saw some love. Think about the ‘heal in area when exiting DS’ with the 5s cd… yeah, possibilities.

Honestly its hard to use DS in pvp as more than a pop in for fear and that qickness spam attack eater since i go a 20/0/0/20/30 in pve and the life blast pierce, might on life blast, transfusion, stabiliy and LF on marks is just… well it feels like that should together be the real DS while not traited (just as you feel like a beast each time you use a guardian virtue to swap a fight into your favour).

tehdirtyfivethirty.3507:

10-20-10-0-30
0-30-10-0-30
0-20-20-0-30

That’s what I use. Mix and match with the traits but I’ll tell ya what if it isn’t already abundantly clear, I trait for DS — since the soul reaping core trait (30% more life force) was fixed it has been far more worth it than it was previously.

I use Dagger/Focus/Staff; I rune for Divinity; sigils of Fire/Rage/Bloodlust, yes I keep multiple sets in my bags. I take 50% death shroud CD, lose condition on DS, gain fury on DS, gain retaliation, cast enfeebling blood. As you can see, a lot happens every time I DS and I DS every 5s. Get that down and you’ll see the boons of this build.

Oh if only Gluttony worked!!! And if healing power scaling saw some love. Think about the ‘heal in area when exiting DS’ with the 5s cd… yeah, possibilities.

the build you’re intending is probably a good indication of why LF accrues so slowly at the moment. A 5sec DS with all those bells and whistles creates a lot of potential balance problems. If this is true then it would be just another prime example of the Necro design fighting itself.

hackks.3687:

tehdirtyfivethirty.3507:

10-20-10-0-30
0-30-10-0-30
0-20-20-0-30

That’s what I use. Mix and match with the traits but I’ll tell ya what if it isn’t already abundantly clear, I trait for DS — since the soul reaping core trait (30% more life force) was fixed it has been far more worth it than it was previously.

I use Dagger/Focus/Staff; I rune for Divinity; sigils of Fire/Rage/Bloodlust, yes I keep multiple sets in my bags. I take 50% death shroud CD, lose condition on DS, gain fury on DS, gain retaliation, cast enfeebling blood. As you can see, a lot happens every time I DS and I DS every 5s. Get that down and you’ll see the boons of this build.

Oh if only Gluttony worked!!! And if healing power scaling saw some love. Think about the ‘heal in area when exiting DS’ with the 5s cd… yeah, possibilities.

the build you’re intending is probably a good indication of why LF accrues so slowly at the moment. A 5sec DS with all those bells and whistles creates a lot of potential balance problems. If this is true then it would be just another prime example of the Necro design fighting itself.

Only that the optional traits have a internal 10 second cooldown, right balance problem…

Andele.1306:

hackks.3687:

tehdirtyfivethirty.3507:

10-20-10-0-30
0-30-10-0-30
0-20-20-0-30

That’s what I use. Mix and match with the traits but I’ll tell ya what if it isn’t already abundantly clear, I trait for DS — since the soul reaping core trait (30% more life force) was fixed it has been far more worth it than it was previously.

I use Dagger/Focus/Staff; I rune for Divinity; sigils of Fire/Rage/Bloodlust, yes I keep multiple sets in my bags. I take 50% death shroud CD, lose condition on DS, gain fury on DS, gain retaliation, cast enfeebling blood. As you can see, a lot happens every time I DS and I DS every 5s. Get that down and you’ll see the boons of this build.

Oh if only Gluttony worked!!! And if healing power scaling saw some love. Think about the ‘heal in area when exiting DS’ with the 5s cd… yeah, possibilities.

the build you’re intending is probably a good indication of why LF accrues so slowly at the moment. A 5sec DS with all those bells and whistles creates a lot of potential balance problems. If this is true then it would be just another prime example of the Necro design fighting itself.

Only that the optional traits have a internal 10 second cooldown, right balance problem…

Is that actual fact? I wouldn’t know if there was an ICD, I never spec for 5sec CD, always for stability. If there is a 10 sec ICD on DS traits though, then why in the hell would 5 sec DS be a GM trait? Why even have it at all if you it only means you get your buffs every other use?

Bair.8240:

Take this with a grain of salt as I am only level 56.

As a power necro I can say in this game so far even among all my other characters I have not felt as kitten as with my necro. Nothing kills you. Nothing. Between my conventional heals and my abilities that replenish Death Shroud the sheer amount of punishment I can withstand is astounding. I solo champs, run into groups that makes others hold back, and I fear no mob yet because I know if I play smart I can take on most content solo.

Would you be willing to post your build? I’ve been bouncing back and forth between a condition build and a “bruiser” build like you’re describing – I’d be interested to see your approach.

I generally like Death Shroud, but I can’t say I like traiting for it in most cases. The problem, and this extends to most traits, is they simply give passive bonuses and don’t really change how skills function. More powerful traits for DS, Necro, and every profession is needed.

For example: I like the control/tank aspect of Necro. I’d love to see traits that catered to this very specifically.

Dark Path is instant cast, the refresh is reduced by 5 seconds, the chill has a wider area of affect.

As one poster above said its about the buffs…DS is about the buffs, you can keep fury up stack Might and do more with it -but to do that you need to trait and some of us do not gain any ‘fun factor’ by traiting this new thing called Death Shroud!

We enjoy DoTs and big crits and Power…Some of us enjoy pets! But who enjoys Death shroud in its self? I guess some just not me :/

Cempa.3645:

Xom.9264:

I figured out a way to make my conditions build alot stronger with traited death shroud.

I still dont trait death shroud with my power builds.

So you trait because it makes you stronger but you don’t enjoy traiting DS per say?

Hum…

I guess I never really looked at it that way, you’re right I dont enjoy traiting DS the only two traits I like are faster spectral cooldowns and more lifeforce gain on Marks. Its rare I spend more then 20 in the line. Yeah I guess the only reason I spec into the line is so my conditions builds can actually gain lifeforce and use the necros DS to live past burst……… My power builds gain lifeforce just fine so no need to waste points in DS.

DS is ok (hate skill attack 1 need a bleed for a few seconds added to it imo)…. I dont like traiting into it I guess is what it comes down too.