Guild Wars 2

Toying with the idea of maybe including 15 points in Nature Magic into my build to grab this minor trait, since my build is already going to be heavily pet-based and this seems like it’d be good for providing buffs for my pet (and the buff duration). Seems pretty nice if it works how I’m thinking it works, so I’ve got a few questions about that so I can get a better idea of it’d be worthwhile. So what I’m wondering is…

~ Does it work and stack with boons given to both you and your pet, so that your pet benefits from both the boons it would normally get and the extras from Fortifying Bond? For example, lets say I use “Call of the Wild” and catch the pet and obviously myself in the range of the buff, does my pet get 2 stacks of Might (one from CotW and one from Fortifying Bond), and 18 seconds of Fury / Swiftness (15 seconds from CotW and 3 more seconds from FB)?

~ Does it work with buffs given by other traits? Specifically I’m thinking of Companion’s Defense (Survival 15), would my pet be able to get double Protection duration, 2 seconds from Companion’s Defense itself and 2 more from Fortifying Bond?

~ Does it work with Spirits, assuming the spirit gives a boons (Earth / Storm) and it gives the player a boon?

~ Is there any range limit on it, or does it work no matter how far you and your pet are from one another?

- Yes. Buffs that hit both your pet and you will stack once for the source hitting the pet and once again for the source hitting you and transferring them. But +Boon Duration is supposedly a factor (not that I ever seemed to see much difference).

- Yes, Companion’s Defense will hit the pet once for the trait effect, and once again through FB.

- I honestly never tried. Kind of interested in hearing the answer to this myself.

- Supposedly, but I’ve never actually hit it during a dungeon run. I am not at all shy about sicc’ing my pet on something way over yonder or wandering pretty far away from it while handling something else, so it must be pretty darned forgiving.

It’s okay.
I’m pretty heavily pet based, and it’s something I keep going back and forth on.

On the one hand, it’s interesting because standing in the AOE others create suddenly bumps up a few spaces on your list of priorities, a double party buffed pet can be a scary pet sometimes, and the synergy with Rampage as One is super nice. On the other hand, it can be kind of disappointing because it just doesn’t play well with other things, like +Protection/Regen Duration on Runes or Nature’s Bounty. I always end-up taking something I don’t need in tier1 Nature Magic to get to it and that just feels awful.

/edit: whoops, read you wrong. corrected.

Yah, Nature Magic being overall a very sub-par trait tree is the main thing making me hesitate on Fortifying Bonds as well. As far as my build goes, 30 Beastmaster is already a given, and I’ve also more or less decided on 20 in Wilderness Survival for a number of useful traits like Companion’s Defense, Offhand Training, Natural Vigor, and Wilderness Knowledge (Expertise Training doesn’t seem too bad either if I’m running a high-cond pet like a Devourer).

Its just that last 20 points, though. Fortifying Bonds seems nice, and the boon duration would be nice too, but… other than that, Nature Magic is just meh. Its definately a case where the Nature Magic tier 1 major trait just seems like a waste, and even the tier 2 majors are pretty bad with spirits as-is (unless you’re using Frost Spirit).

Especially when the alternative is, say, Skirmishing for Pet’s Prowess. Or Marksmanship for Malicious Training. Either which would also allow 30 Surival for Emphatic Bond or Bark Skin.

Still, with the responses you gave I’m definately thinking I should at least give Fortifying Bonds a shot. It seems that Fortifying Bonds itself is at least really solid trait (even if its grouped with mostly useless ones). I was thinking that with Companion’s Defense, Fortifying Bonds, and Stone Spirit I could get some good Protection uptime. Assuming FB works with Stone Spirit anyway. And getting 24 stacks of Might onto my pet from a Guardian using Staff 4 would be exciting.

If you’re going for Fortifying Bond take +33% regen duration and take Healing Spring as a heal. That combo actually works really well together. If you get your pet in the AoE of Healing Spring and you stand in it too your pet will have permanent regen more or less.

Permanent Regen + Natural healing + Compassion Training + Carnivorous Appetite + Signet of the Wild = A really kitten hard to kill pet.

I toyed around with fortifying bond a lot early on but it’s just so hard to actually get a decent amount of boons to put on your pet by yourself. My main problem is I always wanted 20 skirmishing for the weapon swap boons and Carnivorous Appetite, 20 Wilderness Survival for Companion’s Defense and Off-Hand Training, 15 Nature Magic for Fortifying Bond obviously, and 30 Beastmastery. But you just can’t do that…

The trouble is always that for a good pet you need the traits from every line except Beastmatery but you want Beastmastery for the stat boosts.

Also consider a Superior Sigil of Strength for the might stacks on crit.

Well, I’m glad you’re trying it at least, Electro. Even if I stare at my traits page and grouse, when it’s all said and done, it is pretty fun.

That sounds so tempting, Unspecified. But I’m always so all over the place in dungeons. I’m usually sort of Designated Rezz’er by Virtue of Not Dying the Best, and when I have FB it tends to have me strafing around trying to gobble up as many friendly particle effects from the floor as I can, so I never seem to get as much out of Healing Spring as I want to.
….I dunno, maybe I personally just don’t have the chops to juggle it along with everything else. It might be awesomesauce for others.