Guild Wars 2

This arguably the most mandatory trait across all professions. Some professions may be bound to specific trait lines, but we are bound to this one trait.
The fact that this hasn’t become baseline yet is annoying. It would not be broken if it were baseline, and it holds back our ability to make builds with variety, because every time we try to make a build, we automatically need vital persistence to make it function properly (this is part of what killed terrormancer in the specialization patch).
If vital persistence were baseline, Necromancer may not even want to spec into soul reaping, because none of the other traits in Soul Reaping are integral to being a Necromancer.
Tl;dr
This trait sucks, and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice so much to use it, so it should be baseline.

…….I don’t use Vital Persistence…. please don’t shout at me?

Dirame.8521:

…….I don’t use Vital Persistence…. please don’t shout at me?

There’s an exception to every rule

All depend if you play pve, pvp or www.
In pvp frequently is useless because other players can burst you down so wuickly that is uselss to have it. In pve can be useful but with a good LF generation weapon or trait combination you can last longer more or less at the same way.

Also, Reaping Soul traitline is better in PvP for Soul Marks to build up LF than Vital Persistence. Or even there’s better Grand Master Traits than that one. 50% free critical rate is way better, also burn on every AA hit (in pve is a insane damage for hybrid builds).

It is good, yes, but if you want to use other traits you can do it without lose too much in a lot of situations.

I suggested they swap parts of Vital Persistence and Strength of Undeath.
Make VP a baseline trait giving you 50% less degen on life force and 15% larder life force pool.
Then SoU becomes a 2nd tier trait that gives +10% damage while in shroud and 20% recharge reduction on shroud skills.

Well it is hardly mandatory when a we have meta builds that dont use it at all.

Honestly i would rather Anet focuses on necros real problems then on vp.

Silv.9207:

It is good, yes, but if you want to use other traits you can do it without lose too much in a lot of situations.

It’s mandatory in every single non PvE power build.

Muchacho.2390:

Well it is hardly mandatory when a we have meta builds that dont use it at all.

Honestly i would rather Anet focuses on necros real problems then on vp.

The meta reaper’s purpose can’t be fulfilled in shroud, that’s why this build does not run Soulreaping. And as we all know, the meta reaper dies in 2 seconds.

Please stop that stupid metabuild argumentation! It makes no sense! Not a single player in this game finds itself in an environment like in Pro League when he presses the “Compete” button.

It’s mandatory in small scale WvW to get actual usage out f your shroud. Without it, you just get kited until your shroud runs out or you drop it. Then you get cc’ed and bursted.

KrHome.1920:

It’s mandatory in every single non PvE power build.

Anet doesn’t care about power necros unfortunately.

Vital persistence is mandatory in every non pve build that wants to play a real class. If you dont want to be a necro, just a bunch of signets that are babysitted literally to help you survive against ranger pets, then you can swap SR. Without SR, the class is not completed, but it may still work in determined situations.

I agree that it have to go but I don’t agree to the fact that it become baseline. In fact they just need to change the degeneration decrease by something else. For exemple (and in order to stay in the very limited necromancer design) they could make this trait grant 10% damage reduction to you and surrounding allies.

Spectral Mastery has its uses so Vital Persistence is not always the best value.

Fear of Death is a problem, though. It needs to be changed from proc’ing on downed to on 50% health. Anything “on downed” is useless. I am so tired of playing the downed profession.

You’re overestimating Vital Persistence.

Cecilia.5179:

If vital persistence were baseline, Necromancer may not even want to spec into soul reaping, because none of the other traits in Soul Reaping are integral to being a Necromancer.

First of all, neither VP nor the entire Soul Reaping spec are mandatory for running a viable pvp build. And by far the best reason to pick Soul Reaping is Soul Marks.

VP just happens to be a popular pick because Soul Reaping is popular, not the other way around, and the only alternatives are Fear of Death (=useless) and Spectral Mastery (which imo would be a viable alternative if spectral skills could compete with other utilities).

As for your request to make the lf degeneration baseline:
Again, you’re overestimating its importance, life force regeneration is much more effective and important. And I’d argue that the second part of VP, cd reduction for Shroud skills, is a lot more valuable.

So, should it be made baseline? Sure, why not, 2% vs 4% degen isn’t a big deal either way. But what really needs to be done then is a rework of several other traits in Soul Reaping.
For example: Take the Shroud skill cd reduction and combine it with both Unyielding Blast and Speed of Shadows to create a proper alternative to Soul Marks. Then also scrap Fear of Death and create 1 new trait in adept and 2 new traits in master tier.

flow.6043:

You’re overestimating Vital Persistence.

Cecilia.5179:

If vital persistence were baseline, Necromancer may not even want to spec into soul reaping, because none of the other traits in Soul Reaping are integral to being a Necromancer.

First of all, neither VP nor the entire Soul Reaping spec are mandatory for running a viable pvp build. And by far the best reason to pick Soul Reaping is Soul Marks.

VP just happens to be a popular pick because Soul Reaping is popular, not the other way around, and the only alternatives are Fear of Death (=useless) and Spectral Mastery (which imo would be a viable alternative if spectral skills could compete with other utilities).

As for your request to make the lf degeneration baseline:
Again, you’re overestimating its importance, life force regeneration is much more effective and important. And I’d argue that the second part of VP, cd reduction for Shroud skills, is a lot more valuable.

So, should it be made baseline? Sure, why not, 2% vs 4% degen isn’t a big deal either way. But what really needs to be done then is a rework of several other traits in Soul Reaping.
For example: Take the Shroud skill cd reduction and combine it with both Unyielding Blast and Speed of Shadows to create a proper alternative to Soul Marks. Then also scrap Fear of Death and create 1 new trait in adept and 2 new traits in master tier.

I agree with this. Though i would say reworking soul reaping shouldnt be a high priority when we still have a bad traitline like deathmagic.

#soulcomprehensionthebiggestkitten

Yes, Death Magic needs help, more.

Is there current a list of traits that are uncompetitive or plain useless?