Guild Wars 2

instead of staying off-topic in the “Spirits/boons” thread, we could stay on-topic in here.

If anything, a good old brainstorming might help the developers a bit too.

my suggestion is to get rid of their current layout, and exchange it with a new one.

Spirits become invulnerable through an “Determined” boon.
Spirits lasts 2 minutes, with 150 seconds of cooldown. Can be traited down to 120 seconds.
Spirits no longer provide % chance of “buff” but act as mobile combo fields. Spirit of fire provide firefield, spirit of ice provides ice field, spirit of earth provide poison field, spirit of storm provide lightning field.
The range/diameter of the fields are 600, non-traited
The “activated” spirit skill is a blast finisher, it will instantly kill the spirit, and give blast finisher buff/condition to allies/enemies instantly (think of it as a burst)

The trait(s)
" Vigorous Spirits – Spirits have twice as much health. " Will improve spirit “duration” by 20% instead of health

“Nature’s Vengeance – Activated skills of spirits are larger and trigger when the spirit is killed. " increases combo field diameter to 900, also makes the spirit fire off the blast finisher upon timer running out

“Spiritual Knowledge – Spirit bonuses have a 15% better chance of providing their benefits. " hereby increases ""Projectile Finisher chance"" by 30%. Can become grandmaster trait.

“Spirits Unbound – Spirits can move and follow you. " Becomes a “Master” trait, moving down one “tier” in the trait tree.

this would be my suggestion

Spirits Unbound needs to go, spirits should follow by default.

Someone mentioned they liked my idea so reposting a suggestion for one of the traits:

I was just imagining what ‘Spirits Unbound’ could do besides make them walk (which, like mentioned, is kind of sabotaging your spirits to die). [EDIT] Also to add, having walking spirits seems rather counter-intuitive in that you can’t place spirits in a place that hits the most allies. If it’s following you, not only could it end up in a bad spot, but it could move out of a sweet spot to grant its effects[/EDIT]

Spirits Unbound – Spirits teleport to target location.

Basically, all the secondary skills the spirit casts become ground targeted and wherever you direct it, the spirit will begin casting then end up at the target location + the effect. It’d actually give them a sort of auxiliary use in that, before a fight, you can summon a spirit in a safe spot then call it in to create its field/effect. Also, with the other trait that gives their effect upon being destroyed, you can use them sort of like minion bombs, dropping their effect twice from being called and from being destroyed. It’d also work by being able to move them to desired spots out of danger when a battle shifts and you want to keep their passive effects.

Here’s a suggestion,

Instead of a spirits unbound making spirits follow you. Perhaps it can do the reverse (and name it accordingly)

As a GM trait, the spirits passive buff comes from the player himself rather then an actual killable spirit. Shorten the time on it by 1/2 (30 seconds is still a long time) the utilities from the spirits will still be available. Range of buff remains at 900.

Powerful, but you have to trait 30 into SM to get it. Worthy of a GM trait.

-All spirits become ground targeted.
-Activated spirits enter the world uprooted and will follow the ranger.
-Activated spirit slot becomes ‘Take Root’, a ground target commanding the spirit to move to a location and root themselves. Rooted spirits are invulnerable.
-Take root becomes respective spirit skill. Discharging drawn power from the land (using the skill) uproots.
-Spirit skill becomes Take Root, requiring 10 seconds for the spirit to recover before it can root again.

Trait update: Spirits Unbound reduces recharge on spirit skills.

Here is a shot as what to do with Spirits.

Nature’s Vengeance — Activated skills of spirits are cast instantly, are larger and trigger when the spirit is killed.
Spirits Unbound; Special Note: Combine this with Spiritual Knowledge, making them one single trait. — Spirits can move and follow you, while having a 15% better chance of providing their benefits.
Vigorous Spirits — Spirits have twice as much health, and take 50% less damage from AoEs.

Frost Spirit
– 35% chance to grant 10% bonus damage on hit.
– 35% chance to cause weakness 2 seconds on hit.

Stone Spirit
– 35% chance to grant Protection, 3 seconds on hit.
– 35% chance to grant Stability, 3 seconds on hit.

Storm Spirit
– 35% chance to grant swiftness, 8 seconds on hit.
– 35% chance to cause stun, 1 second on hit.

Sun Spirit
– 35% chance to cause burning, 3 seconds on hit.
– 35% chance to cause vulnerability, 3 seconds on hit.

I like those spirits, does not seem to OP.

As long as they all have a 10-20 second internal cool-down on there proc buffs.

Frost Spirit
– Increases Critical Damage by 10%.
– 35% chance to cause weakness and vulnerability 3 seconds on hit. (No internal cool-down.)

Stone Spirit
– 35% chance to grant Protection, 3 seconds on hit. (10 second internal cool-down.)
– 35% chance to grant Stability, 3 seconds on hit. (10 second internal cool-down.)

Storm Spirit
– 35% chance to grant swiftness, 8 seconds on hit. (10 second internal cool-down.)
– 35% chance to cause stun, 1 second on hit. (20 second internal cool-down.)

Sun Spirit
– 35% chance to cause burning, 1 seconds on hit. (No internal cool-down.)
– Increases Critical Chance by 10%.