Guild Wars 2

As is stands Unholy Sanctuary seems to be the most “meh” of the new Grandmasters to me personally. The Curses one is too but that’s only because landing DP is often difficult and because I had hoped for better in the DM/BM traits from the start anyway. If I understand correctly, it gives you the Regeneration boon, but not an actual “boon”, just the healing. Even with 1000 healing power, which is a large investment, this is about 255 healing per second. As someone with a good amount of warrior, thief, and healing bomb engi experience this is pretty underwhelming even if you’re health isn’t getting eaten away at while you’re in Death Shroud like it is with those 3.

It requires an investment of 30 points in DM and a lot in healing power, plus the addition of spectral skills/power focused weapons to get good DS up time. On top of this, if you’re investing so much in healing power you likely have points in blood magic which as we all know is counter-intuitive because siphons don’t work in DS. The trait by itself is also pretty undesirable without healing power. 130 hps is really bad when you consider the fact that it’s such a small amount of the Necro’s natural health pool.

While the regen in DS is a step in the right direction, it is still pretty “meh” if you’re getting focused, something most Necros have wanted these buffs to DM and BM to help remedy. Even if you’re loaded with healing power and regenerating 300 hps in DS, there’s no point if your shroud disappears in seconds.

To justify the 30 points in DM I would suggest maybe add one of a few things:
1. Allow outside heals (water fields, guard staff 4, etc.) and siphons to heal you, although without the trait they would otherwise not be able to.
2. Convert incoming heals and siphons into Life Force, sustaining the Shroud longer.
3. Buff the base amount of the DS regeneration, from 130 + (0.125*hp) to 250 +(0.125*hp). It shouldn’t throw the trait into unbalanced territory in 1v1 combat because if you have 30 points in Death Magic you’re likely not bursting the enemy down anyway.
4. Suggestion 2 & 3? Nah that’s probably being too optimistic, then again these ideas in general are as well.

Anyway, just throwing my ideas out there. I figured the patch still has some time to come out so throw any suggestions at them while you can.

I think Unholy Sanctuary will likely be fine on its own. Realize that as it stands now, any traits on the defensive end of things are pretty much straight buffs, since we don’t have any, so trying to make them as strong as they “should” be might not work (since we already work with very little).

That said, as the trait is now, I think its fine. The numbers might need to come up a little, but I think its a good idea. Your ideas aren’t bad either, but I think they would constitute a second trait, not additions to this one.

Bhawb.7408:

The numbers might need to come up a little, but I think its a good idea. Your ideas aren’t bad either, but I think they would constitute a second trait, not additions to this one.

I suppose they could become additional traits, #1 in Bm and #2 in Spite/DM/SR, but considering these are the first defensive buffs trait wise in a long time I’ll agree we could let it see how it is as it stands. With the sigil/rune rework more combos can be tried out to see if it helps the trait. I just don’t want another SoV where it turns out to be a bit weak to justify taking it and then takes forever to see improvements.

Since necros have access to the most life-steals I’d really like if they could be made work in DS, what is the point of all the lifestealing traits in Blood Magic if they are nullified by the class mechanic, two options:

1) Life-steals heal your health pool even when the necro is in DS.
2) Life-steals heal your health when out of DS, and add to your life-force when in DS (your suggestion #2).

I don’t mind that Unholy Santuary is ‘Regeneration in DS’, but they need to revaluate what is allowed and disallowed by DS (signet passives!).

No, healing in DS should be a standard feature of the class.

1. Food
2. The whole blood magic line, including healing power siphons and the 5 point regeneration minor trait
3. Teammate heals
4. Our own heals (It is not a coincidence that most of us use consume conditions which is the only heal not nerfed by death shroud).

All of the above should work in death shroud. The only thing we have that might be Imba is transfusion (and even then maybe not since it is so easy to interrupt).

Plus even with all of the above working, an unstrippable regen that activates while in death shroud is nonetheless worth considering.