I totally agree
The same goes for MM , if you spec for MM ( all traits are scattered as well ) , you can’t spec for any thing else !
Developers should rearrange all classes traits !
Lingering Curses is really good and will be quite effective at improving short condi durations (like chills) and going against people with anti-condi gear/food/traits. However, we don’t have to take certain traits since they’re not always viable or must haves in all situations.
In a bursty high pressure fight, Lingering Curses isn’t going to do you too much good (except the condi dmg part). Having Parasitic Contagion traited while going against multiple foes can seriously improve your sustain, making it more likely that you come out on top regardless of mistakes. Especially when high ticking condis means regening through stun locks etc. As long as you keep high condi damage up and dmging you keep yourself up.
Terror is a harder one to argue vs. Lingering Curses, but the new condi spike could easily be Terror fears + Reaper chills w/ Deathly Chill trait + Dhuumfire burning in RS.
Also Scepter/Off-Hand Dagger is staple condimancer with or without Lingering Curses. Scepter/Dagger is where your Bleed/Poison AA, bouncing Blind/Condi transfer and two additional AoE bleeds are. There’s really no other alterative that’s a more viable condi setup now or with the changes.
You never needed or will need to take Greater Marks. Arguably Soul Marks was the most important trait out of the three followed by Staff Mastery. The only problem was trying to get all three into one build. So having Staff Mastery combined with Soul Reaping is an improvement for sure. Though I would have loved to have one become baseline and the two remaining ones combine into one trait.
For pure Condimancers there’s only two semi-mandatory trait lines: Curses and Soul Reaping. The third one is the Reaper spec right now due to the potential synergies. Other than Spite for some more boon hate, there’s nothing else they really need.
Once a Condimancer tries to take additional roles that’s when things get dicey in the new trait system with its buffs.
One of my full sets is Apothecary and I must admit it’s the hardest to try and build around with the new trait setups. The only build that feels right is a condi/support MM using Curses/Death Magic/Blood Magic assuming the AI gets fixed. Every time I try to make a non-MM build that’s centred around condis, self sustain and support, I seem to drop Curses for Soul Reaping, then Blood Magic for Curses, then Death Magic for Blood Magic then wonder why I’m trying.
Although any choice would be an improvement over the versions I currently play which can be fairly effective, I feel I’m giving up too much of the new condi potential or LF gain potential for support or sustain right now. Also, I don’t see the sustain/support builds keeping up with the obvious power creep we and all classes are getting unless I drop the support aspect and only go for the sustain/condis.
The main reason I went condi/heal/toughness was because the power version was too low in AoE DPS (I could surpass single target dmg of cleric gear and do it over multiple targets with apothecary all while using staff for dmg, support and sustain). Now we have the Reaper. :p
So I guess there’s some truth to Blood Magic being the odd trait line out for condimancers, unless life steals through DS, the new Vampiric Aura and other changes become very good support/sustain additions regardless of damage setup. 
Maybe Parasitc Contagion should be moved to Blood Magic GM with a secondary effect that makes life steal dmg scale with condi damage. cough cough
The sky is falling!
You seem to think that just because trait A buffs skill B.. without trait A skill B is garbage. If that were so… 90% of the skills in this game would be garbage.
Lingering Curses is 100% increased condition duration when using a scepter, and +150 condition damage…. same trait line has the 20% increased bleeding duration.
…if you want to use a scepter for conditions, you must take that trait line (curses), or you will give up 120% bleed duration.
Terror + Deathly Chill = burst.
Soul Marks, and Greater Marks are in two different trait lines, and you’ll have to take them both if you want use a staff. To make matters worse the 20% bleeding duration is in a third line.
With the new life force generation, Soul Marks won’t be neccessary. Staff cooldowns are not necessary, and greater marks are not necessary for staff. That’s like saying “Ohh… but I need Banshee’s Wail so that I can make warhorn viable.” which is wrong.
If you want to do any condition damage while shrouded, you must take Dhuumfire.
While shrouded, if you crit —> you can cause bleeds with Barbed Precision.
While shrouded, #2 poisons and triggers Path of Corruption --> condi damage.
While shrouded, #3 is a an AoE chill + fear. Terror + Deathly Chill —> burst.
While shrouded, #4 is a whril which hits 11 times --> can crit —> can bleed. It will also shoot fireballs to enemies (condi dmg), will shoot ice balls to enemies (does condi dmg with Deathly Chill), can combo off of your Chilblains for more poison (which might stack in intensity), can combo off of your Spectral Wall for confusion.
While shrouded, skill #5 will make a chill field which, with Deathly Chill, will do damage. You can #4 on it for MORE damage or you can leap through it with #2 for frost aura --> more condi damage.
Forgive me if I’m wrong… but the above is all without Dhuumfire, is it not?
In order to make a Terror build, you must take two lines, and you are prevented from using Lingering Curses, which prevents you from using a scepter.
Terror requires only Curses trait line. It’s a Grandmaster trait there. And no… Terror does not require Master of Terror.
Scepter works perfectly fine without Lingering Curses. Log in with your Necro and try it
None of these traits are in blood magic. If you want to bring anything to a group, you cannot spec for conditions.
Stats are not tied in to traits… so you can very well go with Blood magic and still be condi.
(edited by MethaneGas.8357)