Guild Wars 2

Hey,

I recently got a code for 800 gems, but since I’m not planning on playing Guild Wars 2 in close future, I thought I could make a small creativity contest and giveaway that code to author of the best submission. Keep in mind it’s 100% subjective.

Long story short, from the time I made this post till 02.06.2016(June 2nd) you can post or link your submissions under this thread. After closing the contest, I will choose the winner and possibly some other entries that I like and comment on what I liked or not.
One person – one submission. Everyone is free to enter.

There are couple things I will pay a lot attention to such as:

• Could your Elite Specialization realistically exist in Guild Wars 2? – It has to use existing combat systems.

• Strong theme – Expressed both in presentation as well as in mechanics.

• How your idea works with existing Necromancer – Does it work well with existing Necromancer traits/weapons/skills and incentivizes under-used ones?

• Unique, yet simple ideas for skills and traits.

• Is it fun to fight against?

• I won’t read walls of un-edited text – It doesn’t have to be art, but make it readable and clear.

Use numbers to indicate the general idea, they don’t have to be any balanced.

You can use that_shaman’s tooltip builder, templates, write word documents, whatever you like.

Couple of my older works if you’re not sure how to start:

• Soulbinder

• Necromancer’s MH Dagger tweaks

• Mallyx/Corruption rework

• Revenant’s MH Dagger

Gl&Hf.

Rym

Here’s my submission: The Demon!

This is very cool, and I’ll definitely be participating. There are so many things in the gem store that I need and the gem conversion has been out of control!

Here is mine: the warlock.

Awesome contest idea. I have a fun idea that I will post when I get off work.

I made a concept a few months ago (its way from perfect, I dont know much about necro traits). Its based on summoning from dead bodies (I played a lot GW1) this is something that wont ever happen in GW2 but I had a lot of fun thinking about this, maybe you enjoy reading

https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/48ulcs/my_first_ideas_for_a_new_necro_elite/

Here’s my entry (which I made a few months ago): https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/necromancer/Suggestion-Elite-spec-Ritualist/first#post5969027

Bonedancer !

I hate that Necromancers just don’t feel like Necromancers… where are my skeletons and other mindless zombies?!

Weapon.. instead of a new one it revamps an old one! Axe no longer functions like the axe from base Necro or Reaper it is now a real melee weapon: #1 Cleaving auto attack – #2 a shlow channeled frontal cone attack like 100 blades but can move around – #3 A chop to the head does more damage with vulnerability on target

Shroud for Bonedancer is more utility for allies and minions and less on the damage

Bonedancer (and hopefully maybe base necro and reaper) can now command minions with hotkeys.

Heal> Summon a skeleton with guardian/monk like abilities that buffs and heals you and on command will do one big heal before shattering and splintering damage foes but healing energies go to you

Utility skills

Summon Zombie Mage a ranged minion

Summon Skeletons hold charges on this can have multiple of them up but they are not very strong and fall apart easily

Summon Zombie Knight a tanky ish zombie with taunts has no problem with agro

Elite
an elite well that damages foes and summons fragile skeleton minions under your control up to 10

kitten i’d have to think on traits more i’ll edit more later

I think this could totally exist ingame though

Antichristos

Bases of The Antichristos is the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Much like thieves got dodge abilities tied to their grandmaster traits your shroud would change depending on which grandmaster you took. Base for spec would be the first horsemen (pestilence) in which we would see no grandmaster trait taken, next would follow respectively

Pestilence (condi based horsemen):

1: strike target, cleaving foes, inflict bleeding 5s
Chain: swing your sword back, cleaving foes again, inflicting torment 3s
Chain: let a shadow burst emit from your blade blinding nearby foes 2s

2: Leap to target area (600 range) creating ring of spikes inflicting bleeding x3 5s and cripple 3s

3: Block incoming attacks, inflict fear 1s on foes you block within radius (360)

4: Pulse shadows from yourself, inflicting torment (3s) on foes they strike (1 shadow per foe within range up to five targets, pulses 5 times). (radius 300)

5: Release a blast of fire to target area burning nearby foes and creating a fire field.

War (siphon based horsemen):

1: Strike target siphoning x health
Chain: strike your target again on the backswing siphoning health and inflicting cripple 3s
Chain: Swing your sword at your target inflicting a siphon debuff 3s siphons are more potent

2: leap to target area (600 range) inflicting immobolize on foes in radius 2s

3: Absorb incoming damage 3 seconds turning it to life force.
Phase 2: may end skill early to release 1s fear (360 radius)

4: Pulse a pool of blood at you location (5s) enemies caught in radius are inflicted with chill allies within pool gain regen (pulses/s regen 2s, chill 2s).

5: Release a blast of all life force damaging all foes for x and heal yourself and allies. Damage and heal increased with percentage of lifeforce used.

Famine (support/debuff based horsemen):

1: Strike target foe, inflict chill 1s
Chain: strike target foe, inflict weakness 2s
Chain: strike target foe, removing 1 boon.

2: Leap to target area (600 range) inflict weakness on foes and protection to allies 5s.

3: Release shadows to armor 5 nearby allies, allies armored by shadows redirect 25% of damage taken to you 5s, shatter the shadows inflicting fear on foes in radius of allies 1s (Enemy may only be hit by 1 fear).

4: Pulse life force to nearby allies and foes, allies gain quickness (1s) foes are conditioned with slow.

5: Release a shadowy blast removing all boons from foes caught in its effect cause weakness 1s per boon removed, you gain retlaliation per boon removed.

Death (physical damage/burst spec):

1: Strike target foe, inflicting 1 stack vulnerability per target hit
Chain: Strike foe, apply 1 stack might per target hit
Chain :Strike foe, apply 1 stack fury per target hit

2: leap to target area 600 (600 range) gain stability, target is taunted for 2 seconds

3: Embrace the darkness, for 3 seconds you are a walking smokefield blinding nearby foes (1s) (240 radius) blowout the smoke to blind foes (6s) foes are also feared 1s

4: Pulse darkness outward from you (340 radius) each consecutive hit does more damage. (5x)

5: shadows burst out from your darkness grabbing foes and pulling them towards you (5 targets)

Only got the shroud skills thought of but after the fourth time my boss has given me kitten for being on non PCI compliant websites I decided I should probably listen, so rough Idea, hope you like it.

P.s. The numbers on skills (that are there) are way off, was going o attempt to make things balanced etc. but… well see para. above.. :P so, just imagine respective number and damage.

Siren
Utilities: Upkeeps: A new set of utilities that are now usable in Death Shroud, and has a different effect while in Death Shroud. Consumes health while in shroud, and life force while outside. (*Note: Syntax will be [Outside DS / In DS]). All upkeeps go on cooldown upon entering or leaving shroud (For the sake of balance).

Heal: Heart Palpations (Costs [4% Life Force/4% Health per second]): While active, regenerate [Health/Life Force] equal to [500 Health/3% LF] + 25% of all upkeep being consumed per second. CD 15s.

Utility examples: From within the Fog (Costs [5% Life Force/5% Health per second]): While active, a 600 range fog follows the player, granting 20% damage reduction from foes outside of the fog (600 range) and gain a stack (of some buff, up to 20) every second for each target within the fog (600 range). Upon the end of the upkeep, consume all stacks and restore 3% Health and 3% Life Force per stack. CD 20s.

Siren Call (Costs [5% Health/5% Life Force] per second): Every second, apply Charm (1s) onto enemies outside of 600 range (max 1500), which forces enemies to walk towards the player (but are still able to use skills). Enemies can only be charmed once every 3s. CD 15s.

Elite: Soul Burden (Costs [20% Life Force/15% Max Health] per second): Tether nearby enemies and force them to take a burden, taking damage equal to half of all your upkeeps. Regenerate 3% Life Force/2% Max Health per tether, max of 3. (Tether range 400; breaks if enemies get out of 600 range). CD 30s.

New Mechanic: Siren Shroud
1. Skill (Decided by traits, default Life Blast)
2. Unholy Chains – Ground Targeted aoe immobilize
3. Warning Cry – AoE fear, 1200 range cone.
4. Sweet Whispers – steal boons from nearby enemies and transfer conditions to enemies, 2x per second. Boons stolen are granted to nearby allies.
5. Siren Song – Gain stability and channel in place, damaging + poison + cripple AoE. Gain life force per enemy hit.

Trait Examples: Master trait line decides 1 skill

Charmer – all fear becomes charm. All fear effects now affect charm. 1 Skill is now applies noxious string, applies torment and poison.

Hunter – 1 skill is now a fast attacking harpoon (900 range). Always corrupts swiftness. Deal 15% increased damage to immobilized enemies.

Sweet Mistress – Siren Song grants massive boons and heals allies. Skill 1 becomes a slow (2s cast time) bouncing attack that takes conditions off allies and transfers it to enemies (5 bounces, last attack will prioritize enemies).

Grandmaster:

Undying Tides: Keeping up 3 upkeeps grants pulsing stability. Upkeeps cost less life force if under the hp threshold; less hp if under the life force threshold .

Heartstealer: Striking a charmed foe increases condition damage by 20% for 10s. Apply extra torment (2s) on hit while heartstealer is in effect.

Sirenlock: Siren Song now does massive damage upon finishing channeling. Chilling or crippling an enemy immobilizes them (20s icd).

Weapon: Torch – deals damage, charms.

The Shaman Elite Spec

A primitive conjurer utilizing forgotten alchemical magics to immolate his foes. Wielding a Torch in his offhand, the Shaman would burn his enemies with black fire, searing the flesh from their bones and leaving them with festering, infected wounds.

• Visually and thematically, think “Witch Doctor.” Bones, skulls, trinkets, swarms of locust… and of course, this Shaman’s signature black flames consuming his enemies.

The Shaman would be a mid-range condition based brawler, focusing mostly on burning, with some secondary poison damage. It would offer an alternative play-style to the current condition / corruption builds that Necromancer uses. This style would be more straightforward — your goal is to simply annihilate your foes with fire, rather than spreading your own self-inflicted contagions around.

Utilizing ancient alchemy, the Shaman would gain access to Elixirs as the new utility type. Each Elixir would allow him some temporary combat benefits (similar to GW1’s Preparation abilities).

• I’m not going to go into each and every little detail of exactly what the Torch / Elixir abilities would do (ANet is better at that than me, and you guys can use your imagination!), but the idea is all about drinking these concoctions to buff your own attacks with fire, retaliating against attackers with poison, and buzzing around the battlefield leaving trails of black fire all over the place.

The Shaman would also learn to enter a new death shroud… sort of. Upon consuming enough life force, the Shaman will have collected enough power to consume his most dangerous – but powerful – elixir, the Blackwater Abomination.

• Consuming this elixir will cause the Shaman to spontaneously combust, searing away his own flesh, and leaving behind a flaming mass of bone and exposed, boiling muscle. Almost like becoming your own Flesh Golem, except on fire. This fanatical form would have medium ranged (600-900) attacks and heavily increased movement speed. You’d be able to throw chunks of your burning flesh at enemies that would stick to them like globs of napalm, or breathe your putrid breath on enemies foolish enough to get close to you.

I feel like this would be a good parallel to the current cold-themed / power based Reaper spec. It would also help expand upon the fairly limited condition based options that Necromancer’s have right now. I think a primitive alchemist archetype would fit nicely in GW2, and the Necromancer is the prime candidate for it.

Drinking nasty ichors and fermented toxins, throwing cursed flames at foes, and ultimately absorbing enough souls to effectively consume a “suicide” drink and go all “flaming hulk mode” sounds fun to me!

I guess the theme is like support, cc and neutrality and stuff. I’d call it the Sealmaster or something else that denotes a dude using magical seals. It uses mace mainhand. Color scheme for the new shroud would be light grey and spectral-ish. Anyway. Pics below has skills in them.

Edit: I forgot to explain how I envisioned Seals to be working. Basically they’re like kinda like Mesmer mantras. First you use the skill to put a seal down then you get a flip skill to activate it. The seal itself will do nothing unless activated.

Mace skills
Shroud skills
Utilities

I couldn’t be bothered to make a thingy for traits so this will do.

Minor traits

Adept:
You can now equip maces and gain access to Sealmaster seals. Death Shroud is replaced with Empyrean Shroud which has more supportive skills and crowd control.

Master:
When you grant yourself Might, grant it to nearby allies as well.
Might(5s)
ICD: 1s

Grandmaster:
Incoming healing effects are more effective on you. Gain Toughness based on your current health:
Healing Effectiveness Increased: 10%
Toughness above 75% Health: 200
Toughness below 75% Health: 300
Toughness below 50% Health: 500

Traits

Adept:
1. Entering Empyreal Shroud gives nearby allies Resistance(3s)
2. Deal extra damage to disabled foes(10%).
3. Reduces recharge of Seal skills(20%)

Master:
1. Increase vitality by 150 points for nearby allies
2. Gain 1% life force per incoming healing effect while in Empyreal Shroud
3. Seals give boons upon activation.

Grandmaster:
1. Heal nearby allies when you are afflicted by a condition
2. Your Mace skills hit twice. Reduces recharge of Mace skills(20%)
3. Your Seals can be activated twice.

Ples gib gems.

I think i lost my mind while reading the soul binder stuff. The words to describe, i can’t even…

You would make a pretty good game designer if you arent one already. Maybe replace the comedians designing the necro.

Death Knight

“Unliving, Undying, Eternal.”

Calling upon spirits to aid them in battle, Death Knights wield shields to protect themselves with razor shards of bones and unleash angry spectres upon any foe that would desecrate the graves of their fallen comrades. With the help of their ghostly allies and necromantic magic, Death Knights support allies while chanting sacred Mantras, reaffirming the vows that bind them to their sacred cause.

Well, I might as well toss in my idea for this. I wanted to create a Necromancer Elite Spec that was drastically different from the core Elite Spec that focused only on the fear and terror of death. So here, have the Spiritualist.

Necromancer – Spiritualist
Weapon: Shortbow
Skills: Spirits
Mechanic: Death Shroud is replaced with Spirit Shroud, which is a more benevolent and team-play oriented Shroud focusing on Healing and buffing Allies, while Weakening enemies.

Mechanic: Spirit Shroud
The Spiritualist focuses less on the darkness of death, but rather the emotions and impressions left by those who went before. Some are vengeful, some are protective, some are angry and some are very, very angry… And all of them colour the Spiritualist to some extent.

• Spiritual Embrace – Call benign spirits to Heal Allies and Weaken enemies at the Target Area. Inherits Traits from Life Blast.
• Spirit’s Lament – Teleport to the Target Area, appearing in a burst of Spectral Sorrow that Chills nearby enemies while Healing and granting Protection to nearby Allies. Inherits traits from Dark Path.
• Taste of Condemnation – Send forwards a torrent of angry Spirits that claw and tear at enemies in its Path, Fearing and Bleeding them.
• Undying Rage – Channel the rage of fallen spirits, sending out Crippling and Tormenting waves at Enemies, corrupting a Boon on a full Maintain. Inherits Traits from Life Transfer.
• Caress of the Fallen – Surround yourself with Spirits that rapidly Heal nearby Allies while removing a Condition with each Pulse. Gain Life Force when you Heal an Ally with this skill.

Weapon
The Spiritualist’s weapon of choice is the Shortbow, with which she can attack enemies and support allies from any range. Channeling brave spirits who don’t hesitate to lend their power for a good cause, she fires off barrages of spectral arrows that carry the will of those who went before with them.

• Brave Spirit Shot – Infuse your arrow with a brave spirit, causing it to split on Impact and bounce to nearby allies, Healing them.
• Sorrowful Shot – Fire a Piercing shot that Chills enemies and Heals allies it passes through on its way to the target. When it hits its target, it explodes and transfers a Condition from nearby Allies to you, Healing you and granting Life Force for each Condition taken.
• Merciful Fate – Infuse a benevolent spirit into your arrow and fire at the target area, causing a blast of Healing that also grants Protection to allies within its radius. Acts as a Blast Finisher.
• Scars of Remembrence – Infuse your bow with vengeful spirits, sending a woeful barrage of undulating arrows into a Single target, Transferring up to 3 Conditions on yourself to the target.
• Envoys of Judgement – Rain Arrows down at the target area, shaping them into a mystic circle that summons a great Spirit at its location. The Spirit pulses healing to nearby Allies and Weakness to enemies, before ascending and causing a greater Heal to allies and Fear to nearby enemies.

Utility Skills
Unsurprisingly, the Spiritualist gets to summon Spirits to aid them and their allies. Unlike the Nature Spirits that Rangers summon, these Spirits are those of regular people who simply cannot move on. By calling their aid, the Spiritualist can then release them from their torment, sending them to the other side at long last. The thankful Spirit then ascends, leaving behind a benign effect to aid nearby Allies.

• Vengeful Spirit – Healing Skill. Summon a Vengeful Spirit that grants Allies a chance to Steal Health from their target with their next attack. I didn’t deserve this! I will make them pay!
  • Release Vengeance – Release your Spirit, Healing Allies affected by Vengeful Spirit and granting them Retaliation. “At long last… am I at peace.”
• Sorrowful Spirit – Summon a Sorrowful Spirit that grants Allies a chance to Remove 1 Boon from their target with their next attack. Why? Why me? Why did it have to be me ?!
  • Release Sorrow – Release your Spirit, creating a mobile Ice Field around Allies affected by Sorrowful Spirit, which Chills enemies near them. “I understand now… Thank you, and farewell.”
• Anguished Spirit – Summon an Anguished Spirit that grants Allies a chance to Torment their target with their next attack. How long have I been here? Why am I still here? Answer me!
  • Release Anguish – Release your Spirit, Converting up to 3 Conditions on Allies affected by Anguished Spirit into Boons. “It’s finally over…”
• Vigilant Spirit – Summon a Vigilant Spirit that grants Allies a chance to Blind their target with their Next attack. “I’ll be watching over you.”
  • Release Vigilance – Release your Spirit, Granting a Spectral veil to Allies affected by Vigilant Spirit that pulses Protection to them and grants you life Force when they’re attacked. “My work here is done… Go in peace, travelers.”
• Defiant Spirit – Summon a Defiant Spirit that grants Allies a chance to gain Stability with their Next attack. “No, this cannot be! I can’t be dead, it’s not true!”
  • Release Defiance – Release your Spirit, Breaking Stun for and granting Superspeed to Allies affected by Defiant Spirit. “I see now… I must go. Thank you.”
• Tranquil Spirit – Elite Skill. Summon a Tranquil Spirit that increases the Attributes of nearby Allies by 10%. “I will aid you, so that you don’t face the same fate I did.”
  • Release Tranquility – Release your Spirit, Granting All Boons to allies Affected by Tranquil Spirit. “My time has come, I must be off. Thank you, travelers.”

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

• Spiritual Awakening – Death Shroud is replaced by Spirit Shroud, which is a more supportive and defensive version of the Shroud.
• Soulful Rejuvenation – Incoming Healing from outside sources while you’re in Shroud now grants 5% Life Force. ICD: 5s.
• Last Breath Cadence – Healing to allies is increased by 20% while in Shroud and while under 50% HP. These bonuses do not stack.

Adept Traits

• Share their Pain – Brave Spirit Shot and Sorrowful Shot now causes Torment (1 stack, 4s) when hitting a target. Shortbow Skills now recharge 20% Faster.
• Thaumaturgy – Whenever you place a Condition on a foe, Healing to Allies increases by 2% for 8s. Stacks to 10.
• Into the Light – Blind nearby Enemies when entering or exiting Shroud. ICD: 9s.

Master Traits

• Lingering Regrets – Torment you apply lasts 33% Longer. Applying Torment to a foe now also Cripples them (3s). ICD: 12s
• Dark Purity – Healing to Allies is increased by 3% for each Condition on target Ally.
• Spirit and Body – Healing an ally with a Non-Shroud skill grants you Life Force (1%) for each Ally healed. ICD: 1s.

Grandmaster Traits

• Spirit’s Burden – Weakness you apply now causes Condition Damage on enemies.
• Tears of the Fallen – All Spirits are now surrounded by a Water field that Regenerates Health of Allies within and Slowly revives downed allies. Releasing a Spirit now grants you Life Force (10%). Radius: 240.
• Spiritual Protector – While you are in Shroud, nearby Allies (Not yourself) take 15% Less Damage and Condition Damage, and Soulful Rejuvenation now Heals Allies in a radius around you whenever it activates. Radius: 360.

Everyone is talking about souls, and so am I.
Here, Banshee elite specialization, based on summoning and souls.
New weapon – Torch off-hand.
Should work for both condi and power necro. Even healer one!
Enjoy:
http://imgur.com/mWXvcmy

Hi everyone!

Here is my contribution – The Archenemy

You are able to use a sword as main-hand weapon and your new skill utilities are Manipulation skills.
The central theme for this elite specialization is that you are possessed by a demon (The Archenemy).
You are able to pass through enemies while dealing damage and use dark portals for increased mobility and enemy manipulation. Further, it gives you the new ability to “abandon” enemies. It gives them the illusion of being deserted, leaving them more vulnerable.
Death Shroud is replaced by the “Demon Shroud” whereby your inner demon is released and haunts his enemies.

Have fun.

Welp, finally got it done. I love doing experiments like this. Theorycrafting is one of my favorite past times, and the reason I’m so poor in game.

Design Goals:
1) Retaliation
2) Orders as Venoms
3) Interrupts
4) ???

The Demogogue

Weapon: Mace
Mace 1a: Vile Strike .5 – Strike your foes 202 (0.6) and inflict Torment 4s
Mace 1b: Plague Swipe .5 – Strike your foes 241 (0.5) and inflict Poison 4s
Mace 1c: Lifebane Strike .75 – Smash foes to steal life 406 and inflict Poison 6s
Mace 2: Putrid Bile .5 8s – Create a Poison Field 5s at your location dealing damage 308 (0.6) and inflicting poison 5s.
Mace3: Gaze of Contempt .75 15s – Daze 1s foes in front of you 450u. Deal damage 487 (1.3) and gain lifeforce for each foe stuck 5%.

Shroud Skills:
Shroud 1: Oppresive Gaze .75 – Gaze forward 600u dealing damage 246 (0.6 ) and inflicting Cripple 2s on foes.
Shroud 2: Reckless Haste 1/2 12s- Dash forward 450u, dealing damage 485 (0.5) and knocking back foes you hit 120u.
Shroud 3: Shadow of Fear .25 15s – Send your shadow forward 1200u, inflicting Fear 3s on foes.
Shroud 4: Rising Bile 2.75 30s – Cause bile to rise up (130u), dealing damage 9x 412 (0.33), 240u radius.
Shroud 5: Cacophony 1 40s- Command enemies to depart 600u, dealing damage, and flinging enemies away. Blowout 250u. Grants Light Aura to allies.

Utility Skills
Healing: Order of Vampirism 1 40s – Gain health 6210 (0.5). Steal Health 465, 5 stacks
Utility 1: Order of Undeath 0 40s – Attacks Transfer Conditions, 3 Stacks
Utility 2: Order of Pain 0 40s – Attacks automatically crit and inflict Vulnerability 10s, 5 stacks
Utility 3: Order of Subversion 0 40s – Inflict Confusion 3s, 3 stacks
Utility 4: Order of Oppression 0 40s- Attacks inflict Slow 1s and Cripple 2s, 3 stacks
Elite: Order of Apostasy 1 40s – Cause Fear 1s and corrupt Boons, 3 stacks

Traits
Minor 1: One of the Elite You can equip maces and use demogogue orders. Death shroud is replaced with demogogue’s shroud, which has more crowd control oriented skills.
Minor 2: Envenomed Disruption Inflict Poison 5s on foes you interrupt
Minor 3: Deft Retaliation Retaliation lasts 25% longer and gain Retaliation 3s on Interrupt.

Adept 1: Dazzling Mantle Gain Light Aura when entering Shroud
Adept 2: Poisoned Heart Deal more damage 10% to Poisoned foes. Poison 5s foes who strike you (5s)
Adept 3: Blinding Diversion Cause Blindness 3s when attacking from behind or the side (10s)

Master 1: Soul Barbs Orders grant Retaliation 4s to allies they affect.
Master 2: Weaken Knees Mace Skills deal 5% more damage and Touch of Agony Knocks Down instead of dazes.
Master 3: Corrupt Enchantment Corrupt a boon whenever you interrupt an enemy. deal 538 (0.2) damage if target foe has no boons.

Grand Master 1: Spoil Victor Steal health 135 (0.025) when struck while under the effects of Retaliation.
Grand Master 2: Intoxifying Presence Cause a poison field (3s Poison every 3s, 180u) to follow you when entering shroud. Poison deals 20% more damage.
Grand Master 3: Vocal Minority Orders recharge 10% faster plus 3% faster for each ally they affect

Rune: Rune of the Demogogue
1: +25 Toughness
2: +10% Retaliation Duration
3: +50 Toughness
4: Gain 3s Retaliation on hit (25% chance, 20s cooldown)
5: +100 Toughness
6: +20% Retaliation Duration. Grant nearby allies Light Aura on Elite Skill use (45s cooldown)

Notes:

• Any kittens might mean 45 seconds
• Orders act like Thief Venoms, with the added benefit of applying to allies without a needed trait.
• It has some interesting synergy with every trait line
• Has synergy with some underused aspects of Necromancer without requiring every aspect of the elite spec.
• Uses a lot of callbacks to GW1, mostly in names since mechanics don’t translate well.
• Inspired partly by the current US political climate

I refuse to believe all necros have to be lumbering “sticks in the mud.” So I would appreciate a more mobile, evasive elite specialization. “Cultists” (Occultists/something similar/better) quickly harass foes with debilitating and impairing conditions while supporting allies at a variety of ranges; often at the expense of oneself. Cultists utilize pistols as “modern age” conduits of magic for afar confrontations while conjuring a ghostly blade to eviscerate those nearby. Dabbling in the dark arts, Cultists enchant their weapons to inflict debilitating and horrific effects upon their adversaries. These practitioners attempt to support their fellows as well, if only to further their foes’ demise.

Shroud and Pistol Skills:

Enchantment Skills (Essentially Venom skills, but with the caveat of one “charge” only hits one foe):

Traits:

Additional Notes:
-Any (all) mentioned numbers are “guesstimates”.
-Ironically, I was already thinking of something with “venom” skills, impairing conditions, and retaliation; so similarities to others are merely coincidental.
-I believe “self-harming/trade-off” skills/traits would be interesting beyond Corruptions and this attempts to satiate that desire in part.
-Edits are for clarification/adjustments and correcting typos.

All numbers used are only examples. The whole idea is just concept and nothing more. Let’s not fool ourselves its for fun and not getting implemented

Ritualist

Mechanics:
-Sacrifice: [F2] When triggered the necromancer get “Sacrificial aura”. It alters the effect of some of your utility skills. If the necromancer enter Shroud or press [F2] again, Sacrificial aura ends (10s cd)
-“Sacrifice Rituals” skills gain retaliation on use and use Life force for activation. They only can be used while under the effect of “Sacrifice”
-“Sacrificial Offerings” are another option for your utility skills.
-The Necromancer gain “Soul Shroud” instead of Death Shroud.
-Leaving Shroud gives 3s of retaliation.
-Retaliation is center piece in this Specialization. Its both offensive and defensive. When traited it also heals every second.
-Vigor is another addition to the Ritualist. Its another defensive tool that allow the necromancer to dodge more often.

[[Skills]] Sacrificial Offerings and Sacrifice Rituals.

-Offerings and rituals share the same utility slots. You can use Offerings at any time and Sacrifices only while under the effect of “Sacrifice”
-Sacrifice Rituals drain your Life force. Some skills drains fixed amount and others drain constantly until its duration ends or the Life force is depleted.
-All sacrifice skills affect up to 5 allies in 360 radius and has low or no CD.
-You can use Sacrificial Offering and then use Sacrifice Ritual, but not the other way around. Because you gain ICD which prevent the instant swap around all option.(for Balance purpose)

Ritual of Blood – Blood Renewal
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Blood: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item and heal the caster and up to 2 additional allies Skill2: Drop the item Slow(2s) foes and gain 50% Life force (Sacrifice)Blood Renewal: 10% Initial Life force cost. Channeling heal(4s) that drain 5% Life force per pulse. Last pulse heal for large amount and grant vigor. (5s) (10s CD)[Channel skill]

Ritual of Pain – Order of Pain
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Pain: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item, blind and damage foes. Skill2: Drop the item, Daze foes (1s) (Sacrifice)Order of Pain: 20% Life force. Grant 10% damage increase for 5s. (4s CD).[Instant cast]

Ritual of Offering – Masochism
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Offering: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item and break stun for up to 5 allies. Grant protection(3s) Skill2: Drop the item, Taunt (2s) and Retaliation (5s) (Sacrifice)Masochism: 3% Life force drain per sec. Pulse stability and break stun

Ritual of Cure – Flesh of my Flesh
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Cure: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item and Remove 3 conditions. Skill2: Drop the item and grant regeneration and vigor to allies. (Sacrifice)Flesh of my Flesh: 20% Life force. Remove up to 1 condition and transfer all boons with their remaining durations from you to nearby allies

Ritual of Anguish – Suffering
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Anguish: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item and damage, poison and torment foes. Skill2: Drop the item and damage and Knock down foes. (Sacrifice)Suffering: 5% Life force per sec. Constantly apply conditions to foes[radius 220]. Torment, Poison, Cripple

Elite:
Ritual of Darkness – Blackout
(Ritual Offering)Ritual of Darkness: Offer sacrificial item that replace your weapon skills for 5s. You gain 2 new skills. (1s cast) Skill1: Drop the item and create Dark field that heavily damages and daze foes (4s) Skill2: Drop the item and Stun foes for 2 sec. Gain 20% Life force. (Sacrifice)Blackout: Sacrifice 25% Life Force. Pull foes to you, daze them, cripple then, apply torment.[60s cd]
((Alternative Blackout)): Similar to “Toxic Pollen” in Kessex hill, the screen become dark almost black. Daze foes(2-3s), cripple and make them disoriented. During this effect foes cannot target you or your allies (4s.)(Still can use AoEs to hurt you)

SOUL SHROUD [F1]

The animation is again black and instead of weapon you gain 2 spirit claws.
-Its melee range and it hits moderately fast.

[[Weapon]] – SHIELD

-When you equip the shield it get black flames as animation.

skill 4. Engulf surrounding area with dark matter, 4s. Foes get damaged every 0.5s. allies gain protection and retaliation. [25 cd]

skill 5. Infuse your shield with Dark energy. Block for next 2s and heal you and nearby allies every time you block. Channel skill (similar to revenant) [30 cd]

Traits

Minor 1: You can use Shield. You gain 33% chance to gain 2s retaliation when you are hit. Gain access to Rituals and Sacrifices.
Adept:

1: Every 3th auto attack heal nearby allies for {…}
2: Whenever you apply bleed you apply Blood aura to your party. Blood aura grant retaliation [2s] when hit bleeding foe.[5s cd]
3: When you use Ritual or Sacrifice you cast “Feast for the Dead”. 4s. Area of Effect[radius 220], pulsing cripple and bleed. Siphon 1% Life force per hit.

Minor 2: Every time you heal an ally you have the chance to gain vigor and retaliation [8s cd]

Master:
1: Heal nearby allies when enter Shroud. Shroud skills have 33% chance to heal allies for moderate amount.
2: Life force Drain in Shroud is reduced by 50%. Sacrifice skills cost 33% less Life force.
3: When you enter Shroud you cast “Order of Pain”. Dealing increased damage for 5s, but sacrifice 15% Life force. If there is not enough Life force this effect doesn’t trigger

Minor 3: Retaliation you apply to yourself and allies heal for {…} every time it triggers.

Grant Master:
1: Outgoing healing is increased by 20%. Shield Skills CD is reduced by 25% and their effectiveness is increased by 20%
2: Whenever you apply boon to ally, you also heal them and damage nearby foes.
3: Foes who attack you while under the effect of retaliation take double damage

Some of the core Utility skills also change their effects while under the effect of “Sacrifice”.

PS: Spoilers doesn’t work properly on this forum. So the end product is Wall of Text, sorry!

Harbinger of Dhuum

Introduction:

Your bonds to the realms of the underworld have grown stronger. This didn’t go unnoticed.
Countless enemies have been vanquished by your hands, and by the strength given to you by your true master.

You have proven to be worthy! He, who was gone but never left, will allow you to be his vessel – his harbinger, foretelling his return to our plane of existence.

As a harbinger, you will force your foes to see their true destiny, giving them visions of what is yet to come.
You also have the power to turn visions into prophecies. Prophecies are stronger and will affect every enemy close enough to be enlightened.

Specialization mechanisms:

Skills:

Traits:

I hope you like the idea. ^^

Necromancer specialisaton: Envoy

Envoys are shepherds of the souls of the dead. When a mortal dies, an envoy will appear before the newly released soul to guide them into the Mists. All envoys were once wicked criminals in life, forced by the Oracle of the Mists to serve as soul shepherds as penance for their mortal crimes. Envoys appear to possess tremendous power, including the ability to control souls and influence the dead, while also channeling the essence of their crimes into powerful vices.

*Philosophy:

_ Trying to open up new playstyles for damage, condition damage, control and support options._

New F2, F3 and F4 skills: Vices

New Shroud: Envoy Shroud

New Weapon, Mainhand Torch:

Utility skills: Desecrations

Traits:

Blood Mage

It’s what it sounds like. Your own health is a resource. It synergizes nicely with the Blood Magic nicely without stepping on any toes. The sword summons minions so it could work with Death Magic. I can see it working nicely with a build using Parasitic Contagion. I did run into a problem with the traits Path of Corruption and Transfusion. As written those two traits won’t work with this elite spec at all because I didn’t use shroud skills.
—
Class Mechanic: Death Shroud is replaced by Blood Shield. When Blood Shield is activated a percentage of the damage you take is automatically reflected to your attacker through life blast (triggering Reper’s Might, Unyielding Blast and Dhuumfire if traited). Your weapon t skills don’t get replaced but you can activate the following skills. The toggles can stay on until you deactivate them.

Blood Oath (F2) – When toggled you transfer heath to nearby injured allies

Frightening Speed (F3) – When toggled you gain quickness but slowly loose health

Soul Sear (F4) – High damage nuke that severely burns you target. Cost 85% of your current health. The more health used the higher the direct damage. If the attack kills your opponent some of your health is returned and you gain regeneration.
—
Sword – range on attacks is 600 units
1. Cull/Slice/Sever – Attack chain. The first attack removes one stack of bleeding from your target to siphons health. The last attack causes bleeding

2. Scourge – Summon jagged horrors to attack your target

3. Shattered Blade – Shatter your sword attacking your target with the shards; causes bleeding (projectile finisher).
—
Utilities: Manipulations
Illusion of Weakness (healing skill): Passive: When you are at full health, to your enemy, you look like you are about to die and when you are about to die you look like you are at full health. Active: Siphon health over time from your target.

Die Alone: Short daze. Inflict fear if you interrupt your target. (would be really neat if in PVP all of your targets allies would become invisible for a short while)

Spike of Pain – You prevent your enemy from taking any damage for x seconds. When the duration expires the target takes all the damage that was avoided plus an additional percentage.

Blood Plague – Infect your target with a parasite that siphons heath and transfers it allies in melee range. If the target dies while the parasite is still active additional parasites will infect nearby foes.

Infusion – Consume a percentage of your heath to reset your cool downs

Illusion of Vitality (Elite): Your target siphons life from its nearby allies to heal damage and causing heavy bleeding to those affected. (Thought this was a humorous way to do AOE damage especially in PVP. Guy is thinking how did I survive that…then turns around to see all of his teammates dead)
—
Traits – Might come back to this but essentially the first line focuses on spreading and using the bleed condition. The second focuses on improving the sword and blood shield mechanic. The third line is about exploiting your enemy’s overconfidence

ive been working one this for a very long time

i call it the revenant.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Revenant

NeXeD.3042:

ive been working one this for a very long time

i call it the revenant.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Revenant

Hello all. This is my first specialization project: Withblade. 90% of my playtime Necro is pvp so create some skills for this game mode (elite).

The Witchblade is a specialization that mainly focuses on increase effectivity of basic necromancer specializations . Witchblade can buff their defenses, attacks or use his auras to benefit minions.

Ps. English is not my native language.

I’ll be closing this in about 24h hours, so submit your entries if you haven’t already.

Necromancer Elite Spec – Heretic

Lore – The Heretic revels in choas and destruction as much as death and taboo magic. He seeks to defile the land and deceive his foes using the living flames he animates with his life force.
Description – Grants access to torches and area desecrations. Death Shroud is replaced by Flame Shroud, granting the necromancer mobility and tricks.

Elite Weapon – Main Hand Torch

Skill 1 – Dark Conflagration – Autoattack ~1s cast time, projectile finisher 20% chance, range 900, increases duration of burning on target by 1s (if already burning).

• Grants 1% life force on hit, 2% life force from burning targets.

Skill 2 – Ring of Fire – Draw a circular line of fire on the ground, radius 300 around your cast location, burns foes that cross.

Skill 3 – Ignition Trick – Invert torch, swinging it at and blocking the next projectile within 2s.

• If struck, flare; burning, blinding, and confusing nearby foes. Can continue attacking with skill active.

Elite Mechanic – Flame Shroud – Replaces Death Shroud. Shroud skills 1-5 replace utility skills (6-10), retaining weapon skills while active.

Skill 1 – Effigy – Summon a flame shrouded clone of yourself at target location.

• Crackle – Reactivate to target an area for your nearest clone to rush to and self-destruct blast finisher for aoe damage.
• Clones mimic your weapon attacks for no damage or effects and use shroud skills 2 & 3 (2, if there is another clone active for it to cast on)
• All clones expire on shroud toggle or drain. Clones are not minions.

Skill 2 – Crossfire – Change places with nearest clone, leaping to each other and burning the ground between you in a line. Uses a little life force.

Skill 3 – Spark – Teleport forward a short distance on a short cooldown. Uses some life force.

Skill 4 – Smolder – Place a smoke field at your location for 4s, gain stealth for 3s. Uses a lot of life force.

Skill 5 – Spitfire – Consume all remaining life force to fire a projectile at target enemy, duration of effect increased by life force consumed

• Target is followed by a fire field that pulses burning, clones from that instance of shroud continue to fight as long as that field is active.

Elite Skills – Desecrations – Pulses an effect in 240 radius every second for 10s, and an additional effect if the enemy is stationary. Long cooldowns.

Heal – Blood Mist – Heal yourself and create a projectile absorption field at your location.

• Pulses healing to allies inside each time a projectile is absorbed; smoke field.

Utility 1 – Miasma Cloud – Pulses weakness, pulses poison to stationary foes; smoke field.

Utility 2 – Crypt Gas – Pulses slow, pulses fear to stationary foes; smoke field.

Utility 3 – Melted Ground – Pulses cripple, pulses burning to stationary foes; fire field.

Utility 4 – Spiteflame – Pulses torment, pulses blindness to stationary foes; fire field.

Elite – Infernal Gates – Pulses minions that attack pulsed targets, pulses vulnerable to stationary foes; fire field.

• Minions burn their targets on hit and drop small fire fields on death. Max 5 fiery minions at any 1 time.

Minor Talents
Adept – Anarchistic – Torch + Flame Shroud + Desecrations
Master – Blazing Speed – Gain 5s swiftness on entering shroud
Grandmaster – Funeral Pyre – Burning duration increase increased while over 50% life force. Life force gain increased by 50% while shroud is active.

Adept Talents

Major 1 – Flame in your Heart – Gain 0.5% life force each second while at least one target is affected by your burning (or self-burning).

Major 2 – From the Ashes – Clones burn nearby enemies on expiration, defeat, or self-destruct.

• Shroud skill 4 summons a clone at your initial location when you reappear.

Major 3 – Nowhere to Hide – Desecration skill cooldowns reduced.

• Desecrations can be retargeted before expiration once to move, moves on next pulse, duration is not reset on move.

Master Talents
Major 1 – Searing Frenzy – Life force gain increase increased from 50% to 100% while in shroud.

• Burning enemies that die near you grant you might while in shroud.
• Champions, elites, and players grant more might.

Major 2 – Shadow Puppets – Shroud skill 5 casts shroud skill 4 at your location.

• On use, active clones deal increased damage (up from 0 initially)

Major 3 – Trick Wick – Reduce recharge on torch skills.

• Snuff Out – Torch skill 3 can be reactivated before expiration to gain some life force.
• Doing so burns you for a short duration (in combat).

Grandmaster Talents

Major 1 – Desanctify – Desecration skills pulse their stationary effect (or on absorption effect), as well.

• Stationary enemies gain double stationary stacks; Blood Mist pulses 1s vigor to allies.

Major 2 – World on Fire – Burning duration increase cap raised from 100% to 150%.

Major 3 – Volatile Body – Ignore one instance of CC every 60s, casting torch skills 2 and 3 at your location.

Rationale

• Necro receives a face marking on creation. Skull (base class), Ghostly Wraith (Reaper), or Trickster Demon.
• Based on Thanatos wielding an inverted torch as a symbol of snuffed life
• Gives necro fire & smoke fields, blasts, stealth, and mobility
• Torch can serve as a mid-range alternative to mh axe
• Last elite was more slow and imposing, Heretic more invade and destroy
• Synergizes include staves & wells for area control, torch & corruption for self-conditioning
• Minions & clones for pve, descration & escapes for pvp, swiftness & movement skills for wvw

Clarifications

• A heretic is like an outcast cultist or fanatic. I feel the name is fitting as even other necromancers, despite being users of forbidden magic themselves, may view igniting collected souls and wreathing oneself in them as “weird” and would not stoop to sneaky tricks.
• The “duration increased by life force consumed” is 1s per 4% which is the duration you had remaining on shroud if you were to just let it drain. So the fires burn for the full 25s if lit at full life force. A little ~4%, some ~12%, a lot of life force ~20%.
• Desecration, similar to guards’ consecration but making the ground worse to stand on than cross
• Clones inherit traits affecting shroud skills, their weapon skills triggering shroud skill 1 traits
• Ground burn lines are similar to trails left by teragriff charges
• “Burning duration increase” refers to the condition duration increase stat for your applied burning conditions
• Infernal Gates summons minions to fight targets that have been pulsed, no minions are spawned on empty ground

This was a lot of fun. Great seeing the creativity of everyone here. Apologies in advance for any formatting ugliness, I’m doing this on a phone. Also I didn’t thoroughly read through all the suggestions already made so this may well step on the toes of things already said.
My idea started with creating a necromancer/ranger feeling elite spec as homage to my first gw1 character but ended up with a bit of guardian in the mix.

Meet the Barrow Warden, a necro ES who gives up the defences of shroud in order to instead use the accumulated life force of his bar to call the spirit of a long dead king or queen to the field (think a mix of customisable ranger pet, engi turret and ventari’s tablet). [Flavour] Charged with the task of defending their associated barrow from defilers, be they bandit treasure seekers or pesky archaeologists, the Barrow Warden forms a bond through communing and research with a specific barrow (ancient burial mound/tomb) and projects an echo of that ruler/civilisation into the field to aid them in their cause.
[Mechanically] This gives up the necromancer’s main form of defence in exchange for a second set of attacks and skills that occupy the f1-4 slots.

Shroud:
Necromancer shroud becomes the life bar of the spirit being called into being. A spirit can be called at any point above 50% life force, and the necromancer can continue to accumulate life force to add to the spirit’s health after summoning (max spirit health = normal life force threshold).
F1 summons the spirit at the necromancer’s location (traits still affect F1). After the cooldown on F1 has elapsed the necro can hit it again to add the life force accumulated in that time to the spirit’s health bar (retriggering F1 traits at necro’s location).
Spirits are stationary, have their own stats, a ranged autoattack (which inherits traits from Shroud skill 1 traits), and attack the necromancer’s current target or the closest enemy to the spirit if the necromancer’s target is currently out of range.
F2 is a special attack (to keep the format the same as ranger pets) which is an AoE fear centred on the spirit,
F3 moves the spirit ala ventari’s tablet, stealing life from enemies it passes through, and inherits traits from dark path,
F4 unsummons the spirit and a portion of the life force remaining in it gets given to the necromancer as health (also inherits traits from shroud skill 4). Necromancers keep their weapon skills while the spirit is summoned.
If a spirit dies (ie. the energy tying to them to the location becomes disrupted) they lose their ability to attack and be moved but any pulsing effects associated with them continue at the point of their death for a short duration.

Weapon: shield.
(In order to make up for the loss of defence from losing shroud and in keeping with the name warden, provides defence and area support)
4: block 2s, cancel block to send conditions to target
5: aoe protection and weakness

Traits:
The idea behind the traits is that each level provides a customisation option to represent differences between the particular barrows the necromancer can be tied to, represented mechanically as variations of spirit’s powers.

Minor1: access to shield, spirit, utility skill category etc.
Minor2: small (or conditional?) endurance regen
Minor3: shield skill 5 at 75% health

Major1: based on barrow location terrain
Frozen north: pulsing chill in an area around the spirit. F2 also creates a chill field.
Marshland: pulsing poison in an area around the spirit. F2 also creates a water field.
Fertile soil: pulsing regeneration in an area around the spirit. F2 also creates a light field?

Major2: based on type of barrow/holy site
Sacred Grounds: allies the spirit passes through when moving gain protection. Allies near spirit gain boon duration.
Sealed Horrors: enemies the spirit passes through while moving are blinded. Spirit has a vampiric aura (or allies near the spirit have a chance for their attacks to steal life with a more powerful effect ala ranger spirits).
Forgotten by Time: enemies the spirit passes through when moving become confused. Allies near the spirit have a chance for their attacks to inflict blindness.

Major3: based on the type of ruler buried there. Affects spirit stats.
Vengeful tyrant: + spirit power, spirit auto attack gains aoe component.
Solemn and Wise: + spirit toughness, spirit auto attack steals life ( health given to necro ).
Decayed into madness: + spirit condition damage, tormet on spirit auto attack.

Utility skills:
Honestly had the most trouble coming up with these. Consecrations would probably be thematically appropriate and help augment support/group defence role but necromancers don’t particularly lack for aoe things (between marks and wells). Other options included single target curses/benedictions that would function a bit like mantras or just listing a bunch of varying skill functionalities that were tied together by theme rather than category but I went with consecrations in the end.

Heal:
Spiritual Guardians: Minion skill, functions a bit like Rise but affects allies. Allies in the area gain a spirit. These spirits don’t attack but do absorb 50% of the damage their bonded ally would otherwise take. You heal a small amount, plus a portion of the damage the spirits absorb.

Utilities/Elite(whichever sounds strongest really):
Spiritual Winds:
Enemies in the area are knocked back and a wall that reflects projectiles forms around the area.

Curse of Desecration:
Mark an area as sacred, allies gain retaliation, enemies entering this area gain Curse of Desecration, a time delayed damage spike.

Sands of Time:
Rapidly age the targets in the area, giving them slow/cripple and weakness conditions, possibly inflicting confusion?

Tomb Guardian:
Minion skill, place a ward on an area that, when an enemy trespasses into it, summons minions. Their attacks grant you life force. If your spirit is summoned, the life force their attacks generate gets added directly to the spirit’s health bar.

Fool’s Gold:
Enemies around your spirit become taunted by the spirit as they see a glimmer of the wealth they crave. Spirit gains retaliation.

Sorry I’m late to the party, I don’t check forums as frequently as I should. Without further ado, here is my submission The Wraith .. it is what it is.

I’m closing it. Thanks for all the submissions, I will check all the entries and pick a winner in following days.

Just wanted to do a bit of statistics very fast. Don’t over blame me if my counts are wrong.

• Weapon choice: torch by far winner. I counted 7 suggestions where torch was the new weapon (one of them being main hand torch). Necro seems to fit with the idea of burning people to death. Special mention to shield and main-hand sword with 3 “votes” each.

• Utility skills: surprisingly varied. No clear winners, but I did notice many utilities involving “pets” (minions, spirits, illusions etc…). Necro seem to be for many people the “minion” class. One can also note than mantras and consecrations/desecrations were often suggested.

• Role: I did not spend too much time looking at everything, so I did not try to find the role that each specialization was bringing and only analyzed the roles that submitters mentioned. Support is a clear winner, probably showing that this is a role many find lacking most in the current toolbox.

Here it is, good luck to all and thanks Rym for organizing this fun contest.

I see I was late to the party and don’t have time to finish my concept, but I figured I have to at least throw up what’s been done after spending the time to craft it.

Elite Spec: The Cabalist
The cabalist utilizes forbidden arcana to invoke words of dark power against their foes.

Weapon: Hammer

• Inscribe Pain/Inscribe Misery/Inscribe Agony: Attack chain that grants retaliation and inflicts bleeding.
• Symbol of Madness: Charge toward a foe. Upon landing, brand a mystic symbol into the ground that converts boons into conditions on foes and grants fury to allies.
• Crush the Spirit: Damage an enemy, inflicting slow and gaining life force.
• Symbol of Malaise: Sear a mystic symbol into the target area, inflicting torment on foes and granting vigor to allies.
• Soulbrand: Damage and mark a foe. Allied players will gain regeneration from hitting that foe. After 3 seconds or on enemy death, all allies in the area will heal.

New Shroud: Eldritch Shroud
incomplete

Offers support and utility as its skillset, and is the only shroud that allows extended utility slots through glyph skills. It would likely give up major strength for the sake of versatility.

New Skills: Glyphs
I hadn’t decided which would be the elite since I hadn’t finished them all, but the shroud versions of Bones and Horrors seem a bit over the top and could certainly qualify for elites. But also, either can be balanced by consuming pretty much the entire shroud bar

Glyph of Souls:
Normal: Heal yourself over three pulses. Gain more health and lifeforce for each nearby ally.
Shroud: Heal nearby allies over three pulses. Grant stability to nearby allies. Consumes lifeforce.
Glyph of Bones: ground target
Normal: Strike an enemy with an engraved pillar of bone, stunning it and transfering one condition from each nearby ally onto it.
Shroud: Protect allies with an engraved pillar of bone, breaking stuns and granting resistance and regeneration to nearby allies. Consumes lifeforce.
Glyph of Horrors:
Normal: Summon a vampiric horror that will siphon health to nearby allies when attacking.
Shroud: Summon an eldritch horror plus another horror for each nearby ally. These horrors siphon health to nearby allies when attacking, and upon death will explode, granting might and a small amount of healing. Consumes lifeforce. think shadow tentacles
Glyph of Mysteries:
Normal: All nearby allies transfer conditions to you. You gain quickness for a few seconds.
Shroud:All nearby allies gain converted boons based on the conditions afflicting you. You are inflicted with weakness. Consumes lifeforce.
Glyph of Whispers: incomplete.

New Traitline: Dark Secrets
*The traitline would focus on boosting hammer and symbols, Eldritch Shroud, and promoting boon-sharing through condition cleansing.

AstralDusk.1670:

I see I was late to the party and don’t have time to finish my concept, but I figured I have to at least throw up what’s been done after spending the time to craft it.

I too have spent some time on a concept but never finished it; behold the monstrosity I call the venomancer!

The general idea was heavy poison play (theme – the plague doctor during the black death plague epidemic or something) on the necromancer and the enemies, but with the spec you’d gain temporary resistance for incoming poison while in shroud.
New skills would be venoms with some unique mechanics in combination with the elite venom and the grandmaster traits.

(this is an early draft, obviously unbalanced, a lot of typos, ugly formatting)

I’m kinda excited to see who won, there are a lot of interesting concepts here.

Thanks Silverkey for summary and both of you guys who posted their submission even after I closed the contest.

I just want to say that I’m reading through these, but due to being busy with studying for finals irl, it may take two more days or so untill I announce the winner.

Ok so while we wait I wanted to ask a question. Did anyone else think the current core necromancer trait list severely limits how creative Anet can be with elite specs in the future? I’m specifically looking at the 20 or so traits that relate to shroud. It feels like a lot. It’s enough that all future necromancer specs will have to have an active shroud state. When you think about future specs do you guys think that good design?

I have a strong opinion about the few traits that enhance shroud skills. They shouldn’t exist. Traits like reaper’s might, path of corruption, transfusion, unyielding blast and dhuumfire are like traiting for staff one or four. They are just too specific to exist and will cause problems for the designers when they think though future elite specs. What do you all think?

nopoet.2960:

Ok so while we wait I wanted to ask a question. Did anyone else think the current core necromancer trait list severely limits how creative Anet can be with elite specs in the future? They are just too specific to exist and will cause problems for the designers when they think though future elite specs. What do you all think?

Yeah, I believe they definitely will cause some problems. However, in my opinion, that’s okay. Some of the incredibly specific traits, like Transfusion, are some of my favorites simply because of their potent yet specific enhancement(s). If anything it would be rather bland without them and I probably wouldn’t mind one or two more specific traits (not necessarily related to shroud/shroud skills). The designers could leave the traits as is and simply make some elite specs incapable of interacting with those traits. Well, incapable of interacting so long as the specs have other (equally) desirable qualities/traits/skills/whatever. But, yeah, I still think they might cause issues in the end.

nopoet.2960:

Ok so while we wait I wanted to ask a question. Did anyone else think the current core necromancer trait list severely limits how creative Anet can be with elite specs in the future? I’m specifically looking at the 20 or so traits that relate to shroud. It feels like a lot. It’s enough that all future necromancer specs will have to have an active shroud state. When you think about future specs do you guys think that good design?

I have a strong opinion about the few traits that enhance shroud skills. They shouldn’t exist. Traits like reaper’s might, path of corruption, transfusion, unyielding blast and dhuumfire are like traiting for staff one or four. They are just too specific to exist and will cause problems for the designers when they think though future elite specs. What do you all think?

I find a problem not in the specific enhanced skills, but by the very small amount of option per trait line with only nine traits. And the minor traits are just pointless. They should merge all 3 minor traits in 1 and put it in front the trait line. And then add 4th and 5th column with 3 traits each. that way we will have 3 rows of 5 traits each for total of 15 traits.

My initial design idea was to have “shroud skills” as F1-F4 and always available. But I had to change it to “first activate shroud and then have access to shroud skills F1-F4” because of the traits based on entering or leaving shroud.

But after a while, I felt that this was better and this helps keeping the necromancer identity. So I am fine with most. Unholy sanctuary was actually the most difficult problem because it forces us to have shroud as a second life bar (while in my design it isn’t since I think shroud as a life bar is sometimes a curse).

Honestly necro is fine. I have much more problems with mesmer class mechanics…

If an elite spec wanted to use Shroud as something other than a transform, then obviously there will need to be some tweaking in design to make it happen. For my entry I kept it simple and just had another transform. However, I thought a lot about having 1 single, large summon (like a super phantasm, or the Elite Ranger Spirit). Many traits would still work fine, but others (like interacting with X skill in Shroud) would need some subtle changes. Afaik the only skills specifically traited in Shroud are 1, 2, and 4. In the case of a pet-like Shroud summon, those could easily be mapped to either pet aa/F2, F3, and F4 depending. Shroud might only be shown in its’ two examples to be a transform, but it could functionally be something completely different.

Why do you want to get rid of Shroud? I find it really good. Its esentially another weapon set and More HP on top of that. There is nothing negative about that. Except some skill behaviour and 1-2 Death shroud skills that need buff.

Ghotistyx.6942:

If an elite spec wanted to use Shroud as something other than a transform, then obviously there will need to be some tweaking in design to make it happen. For my entry I kept it simple and just had another transform. However, I thought a lot about having 1 single, large summon (like a super phantasm, or the Elite Ranger Spirit). Many traits would still work fine, but others (like interacting with X skill in Shroud) would need some subtle changes. Afaik the only skills specifically traited in Shroud are 1, 2, and 4. In the case of a pet-like Shroud summon, those could easily be mapped to either pet aa/F2, F3, and F4 depending. Shroud might only be shown in its’ two examples to be a transform, but it could functionally be something completely different.

Great minds =)
The other entry I was considering was a Tome/Grimoire/Necronomicon themed necromancer with traits representing different entries in the Book of Souls (or whatever) but it was harder to advance that concept into something that I found satisfying.

mazut.4296:

Why do you want to get rid of Shroud? I find it really good. Its esentially another weapon set and More HP on top of that. There is nothing negative about that. Except some skill behaviour and 1-2 Death shroud skills that need buff.

Nothing is wrong with shroud but they way the traits are set up all future elite spec will be required to have an active shroud state with at least 4 skills. That might be fine but it would be cool if the devs had more creative leeway. As it is now if you are creating a spec for a necromancer your first question is ok … what should the shroud state do? Seems really limiting but might be ok so future spec wont stray to far from the original design; see ranger → druid.

mazut.4296:

Why do you want to get rid of Shroud? I find it really good. Its esentially another weapon set and More HP on top of that. There is nothing negative about that. Except some skill behaviour and 1-2 Death shroud skills that need buff.

Shroud is a strength, but we pay it with severe weaknesses: no mobility/escape potential, no block/evades/invuln… All of this makes us the easiest target in a team fight. If we want to have different role, this is something we need to get rid of in some elite spec. Which is why in my suggestion, the shroud is still there (for traits) but does not act as second life bar.

Aktium.9506 is the winner. Congratulations!

I will post more specific response at the weekend, where I will comment on other proposed concepts I loved and also give more specific reasoning why I picked that submission.

For now, thanks to everyone who participated and sorry for the delay, irl stuff.

Super rad, man. Thanks for hosting the competition. Glad you liked my idea as well.

I’m eagerly awaiting feedback. I bet the focus on retaliation killed it for me, because no one seems to like retaliation. Aktium and my ideas weren’t too far off from each other though. We both had a focus on CC, support, and mace. You could even consider my focus on interrupts being influenced by Mesmers, while his Seals were outright admitted to be. There were a few things I wouldn’t consider kosher, but maybe that was all forgotten when he explicitly asked for gems.

If I would’ve gotten the gems I would’ve put them towards getting a third Necro. Maybe I should’ve mentioned that.

Ghotistyx.6942:

while his Seals were outright admitted to be.

Well, initially I had the seals thought up as trap skills but I tried to think about it from a gameplay perspective and realized it would have been too similar to the wells we already have. Adding more fast casted aoespam would just be bad for the game. Making them more like mantras with those long activation times and the flip skill to activate the effect felt like it would be more unique rather than just more of the same.

There are some seriously good ideas in this thread. I don’t envy Rym on having to pick a winner. Grats Atkium! If there are any devs around it would be awesome if you could share some of your crazier ideas that didn’t make the final cut when designing the elite specs.

Just bumping to remind Rym we are waiting for more details