Guild Wars 2

This is going to be a bit of an odd suggestion but hear me out on this one.

Lich form is one of the most boring elites to us. Although its praised for its high damage its also mocked for how easy it is to be controlled in it and how easy it is to counter. I’ve always felt that using an elite slot to basically get a more powerful life blast was a real dull way to use an elite. Sure, you have 4 other skills but the duration is so short and the skills take so long to cast that t just doesn’t matter. You rarely if ever use them. Maybe as a joke but beyond that, no.

So here’s my suggestion and its going to be a pretty heavy one. This will fundamentally change how Lich is used but not its overall skills. First, change Lich into a toggle skill from a transformation. So here’s what it would look like

Lich Form: 60s cool down. Toggle Spectral skill. Your Shroud changes into Lich Form. All traits that would affect shroud effect Lich form. When you run out of Life force, Lich form goes on cool down. Gain 1 stack of stability every 3 seconds while in Lich form.

So what does this mean exactly? Well, this becomes an interesting part of your build. For starters rather than replacing your entire bar it just replaces Death shroud or reaper’s shroud. But only when its toggled. Second, the numbers would have to be adjusted so we might see a bit of a nerf there but with death perception this might not matter too much. We wouldn’t be a giant target like we are now and since we have more time we can use the other skills it gives us more frequently. It also means it wouldn’t destroy minions. So it could become an ideal elite for a minion bomber as the short cool down along with the mark could keep the pressure going. This also makes more sense with the 15% life force as you’d see an immediate benefit from using this skill as it would use your life force to fuel the form.

I’ll address some issues like Dark path and Transfusion. They are noted in my suggestion as well and they’d still function as intended. Though I would suggest switching Grim Specter from 5 to 4 and mark of horror from 4 to 5 so it can partially revive allies while curing their conditions and ripping boons.

Another Part about this skill is that it would have to look distinct from Reaper’s shroud and Death shroud. My thought was using the same Idea behind the model of Lich currently in the game but modify the look so each race and gender has a unique look to it if only slightly. Of course asura and charr could always share the same model across their respected genders and Human, Sylvari and Norn don’t need different models between the races, just genders. I’d also add Bat wings. Inspired from Lich Lord from GW1 to give it a more sinister feel to it.

This is just scratching the surface of the suggestion though. Other ideas are welcome and I think this could go from being a rather dull elite to an extremely interesting elite with allot of really unique options for the necromancer.

+1 for this. I really like the idea, though I don’t know if each race/gender necessarily needs a different skin. other than that, I think it would address a lot of the problems Lich has. The only issue I can see is with the CD. I think it should be 100 seconds, that way the Spectral trait doesn’t make it too OP (48 second elite that buffs up a class that much sounds a bit extreme)

So what i get with from this is that with proper usage/traitage you could get infinite lich form?

This is actually a really good idea, though it doesn’t exactly fix the issues with lich form (that #2-#5 are rarely worth using and it being easy to counter). There should probably be a time limit for it before cooldown occurs too.

Interesting idea but I don’t know that it’ll ever happen. Not that making suggestions is a bad thing it just seems far fetched.

As for not using the others skills, actually I use Lich specifically for #5 Grim Scepter on my Spectral conditionmancer. Since Lich benefits from Spectral traits now I can pop it to gain 5% Life Force then another 15% when I exit. If I get nuked with conditions, I enter Lich, get a 100% condition cleanse (Grim Scepter does not need to hit a target to cleanse) and get free 20% Life Force. It seems like a waste of an elite but it’s quite effective.

A lich form that would last a spectral effect for 30 seconds.
Removes life blasts range treshold, so that it deals full dmg even from 1200 range, and boosts its dmg overall, and reduces cast time – while keeping additional trait effects like dhuumfire.
Gives stability every second while in shroud, and shroud degenerates slower (doesn’t stack with the trait tho)
the other skills could be a mix between shroud and current lich form, and would keep their associated traits:
2 freezes one target in place and poisons it
3 fears the target and up to 5 (10?) enemies around it in a range of 240
4 passive aura, that pulses each 2-3 seconds dealing moderate dmg to foes and absorbing lf. Crits have 33% chance to summon a jagged horror, kills obtained from these pulses automatically spawn them.
5 same as putrid mark, but applies 1 stack of torment, plus one for every boon ripped from enemies; applies 1 stack of might on allies, plus 1 more for every condition removed
You’d also gain increased toughness, that would stack with dm traits
Little caveat: you cannot exit death shroud after entering it while the effect is up; you’ll automatically exit ds when you lose all life force or the effect ends.

Wanna have an awesome lich from, here it is XD

There could also be a dedicated version for reaper shroud, again with a mix of thoes skills, ds skill 1 limited to melee range, but the lich gets to wield the axe… pic related – and made by gw2 art group sooooo
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/c/cd/Wraith_Lord_concept_art.jpg

I really like your idea but I personaly dont like the Lich’s skills so Instead of Transforming, it puts you into Shroud with awesome effects like this:

First it resets your Shroud Cooldown than gain 50% Life Force and entering Shroud, also have a Breakbar, than in Shroud having enhanced Shroud Skills like:

Shroud 1; 15% Attack-Speed (forgot to mention this works for Reapershroud too) Works with Reaper’s Onslaught Trait)

Shroud 2; Create a Ethereal Field at the end (For those wondering why Ethereal and not Dark this is still a Spectral skill so I think it fits well but mainly for condition use you will see down why)

Shroud 3; 100% Fear Duration increase (That the Terrormancer can take it to)

Shroud 4; Teleport Foes to your location (works like Transfusion Trait)

Shroud 5; Double Blast-Finisher at your location (not 1 but 2 Blast-Finisher this works good with Shroud 2 Ethereal Field as it gives you Chaos Armor for 6s for condi builds, in Reapershroud 5 makes a Ice Field so it gives you Frost Aura for 6s or you can blast anything you want).

For Duration I think 15 to 20s dont know as this works with Spectral Mastery Trait but like I said you are in Shroud it means if your Life Force is empty the Skill is done, for CD I think 120s its not to low and not to much but with the Trait it would be pretty nasty
Now for explanation, the reset and the Life Force is that you can enter shroud again after you run out of Life Force or you can use it for the Shroud-Skills enhance. This skill works for every Shroud be it Underwater, Reaper or Normal Shroud it allso works with every Trait that modify Shroud-Skills.
I think that every transforming skill should have a breakbar and not that stupid 1 stack Stab every 3s! But for this I think it fits perfectly.
For animation the lich would look awesome!!
Tell me what you think!

I actually had a thought about how the current Lich form works. Currently, it gives one stack of Stab every three seconds for three seconds. What if, instead, each stack of Stab lasts for a full twenty or so seconds and stacks up, and lasts after Lich. That way, Necro would have a legitimate source of stab on what is suppose to be a powerful elite. i don’t know how well balanced that would be, but it would almost (aaaalmost) make up for the ridiculous squish factor in Lich form

I like the idea, Lily. I would add that skills 2-4 either get reworked or changed to 0.25 second cast time.

The Sigil nerf, followed by the stability nerf, duration nerf, and profession buffs really crippled the elite. It is nothing but a slow, dodgeable, glass canon. It is not too much better than Moa.

Vydahr.4285:

I actually had a thought about how the current Lich form works. Currently, it gives one stack of Stab every three seconds for three seconds. What if, instead, each stack of Stab lasts for a full twenty or so seconds and stacks up, and lasts after Lich. That way, Necro would have a legitimate source of stab on what is suppose to be a powerful elite. i don’t know how well balanced that would be, but it would almost (aaaalmost) make up for the ridiculous squish factor in Lich form

It never really made sense to me that Lich form was squishy at all. Seeing as a Lich is supposed to be really hard to kill.

Lily.1935:

Vydahr.4285:

I actually had a thought about how the current Lich form works. Currently, it gives one stack of Stab every three seconds for three seconds. What if, instead, each stack of Stab lasts for a full twenty or so seconds and stacks up, and lasts after Lich. That way, Necro would have a legitimate source of stab on what is suppose to be a powerful elite. i don’t know how well balanced that would be, but it would almost (aaaalmost) make up for the ridiculous squish factor in Lich form

It never really made sense to me that Lich form was squishy at all. Seeing as a Lich is supposed to be really hard to kill.

Exactly. Lich should get some of that Toughness increase that plague gets. (Speaking of plague, briefly, it should get distortion or some kind of evade. Why the hell would a disease ridden cloud be tough? or vital, for that matter? It just shouldn’t be able to be hit) Frankly, if Lich is meant to be intimidating, actually make it that way instead of a joke

Vydahr.4285:

Exactly. Lich should get some of that Toughness increase that plague gets. (Speaking of plague, briefly, it should get distortion or some kind of evade. Why the hell would a disease ridden cloud be tough? or vital, for that matter? It just shouldn’t be able to be hit) Frankly, if Lich is meant to be intimidating, actually make it that way instead of a joke

Don’t tell the PvP people that, apparently they think Rampage CCing you into oblivion, WHILE you take reduced damage, have 3 stacks of pulsing stability, and have stances is absolutely fine because it’s melee, but lich is OP because it’s ranged and can burst you in just a couple hits.

TheLastNobody.8319:

Vydahr.4285:

Exactly. Lich should get some of that Toughness increase that plague gets. (Speaking of plague, briefly, it should get distortion or some kind of evade. Why the hell would a disease ridden cloud be tough? or vital, for that matter? It just shouldn’t be able to be hit) Frankly, if Lich is meant to be intimidating, actually make it that way instead of a joke

Don’t tell the PvP people that, apparently they think Rampage CCing you into oblivion, WHILE you take reduced damage, have 3 stacks of pulsing stability, and have stances is absolutely fine because it’s melee, but lich is OP because it’s ranged and can burst you in just a couple hits.

The only PvPers who say that are, hopefully, not necros. Because holy hells. If Rampage exists, Lich form with higher toughness, vitality, power and precision shouldn’t be an issue. I mean, hell, Rampage can be traited to be a significantly lower cooldown than Lich can be traited to be (About 20 seconds if i recall) and they get huge benefit. Including gasp skills while in Rampage that are actually useful other than the auto. Lich needs to be the kitten good skill it should be

Vydahr.4285:

TheLastNobody.8319:

Vydahr.4285:

Exactly. Lich should get some of that Toughness increase that plague gets. (Speaking of plague, briefly, it should get distortion or some kind of evade. Why the hell would a disease ridden cloud be tough? or vital, for that matter? It just shouldn’t be able to be hit) Frankly, if Lich is meant to be intimidating, actually make it that way instead of a joke

Don’t tell the PvP people that, apparently they think Rampage CCing you into oblivion, WHILE you take reduced damage, have 3 stacks of pulsing stability, and have stances is absolutely fine because it’s melee, but lich is OP because it’s ranged and can burst you in just a couple hits.

The only PvPers who say that are, hopefully, not necros. Because holy hells. If Rampage exists, Lich form with higher toughness, vitality, power and precision shouldn’t be an issue. I mean, hell, Rampage can be traited to be a significantly lower cooldown than Lich can be traited to be (About 20 seconds if i recall) and they get huge benefit. Including gasp skills while in Rampage that are actually useful other than the auto. Lich needs to be the kitten good skill it should be

Haha, na, it’s mainly just warriors, and I’m talking bottom of the barrel here, but they seem to come outta the woodwork the moment you mention making sense of something like berserker stance or rampage, something of theirs that has no counter whatsoever, other than trying to run and kite.

You can propose all you want but they won’t change kitten lol, this is hopeless

Before the power creep and all the nerfs, Lich was really worthy of being an elite.

Anchoku.8142:

Before the power creep and all the nerfs, Lich was really worthy of being an elite.

so true =[ I think they should give us condi inmune while in lich and the stability should be more like 3 every sec not just 1

no necro may not have nice and somewhat useful things.. they must be weak ping pong balls and free kills for any organised team anything other then that is too op and will require more nerfs in fact lets nerf something nobody complains about just for the lolz

The frustrating thing about Lich is that I give up a lot of utility with the transform just to auto-attack at 1.5x-3x dps in PvE depending on the weapon I last used. Factor PvP and WvW opponent dodging into it and Lich becomes a handicap.

Marked for Death takes too long to cast leaving Lich more vulnerable than the dodgeable mark it leaves.

Chill Wind’s chill and knock-back are too weak.

Mark of Horror is a horrible comedy of errors players can just kite or wipe.

Grim specter could be good if the radius was a bit larger and Lich was not so pressed for time.

I have no idea why so many skills on Lich have long CDs. Might as well call them single-use. If they had ICDs less than 5 seconds, I might trade an AA for them.