Guild Wars 2

Ranger ‘rebuild’ suggestion

• this suggestion is posted here to link to the ranger-CDI
• Weapons are left out of this suggestion

Profession Mechanic (NEW)
The pets are the actual profession mechanic, giving us the choice to slot 4 pets on F1-F4 .

- The pets are summoned and ‘up’ for a specific time frame, followed by a cooldown.
- The cooldown also starts when the pet is defeated before their uptime is finished.

- The ‘Portrait Icon’ would be a place to slot a ‘merely visual pet’ that is up when not in combat, and which would de-spawn when the Ranger receives agro.

- During the time a summoned pet is ‘up’ the [F] key corresponding with the pet that is ‘out’ turns into the current F-key-skill associated with the pet. The pet can only follow shout commands and F-key-skill use. (more AI controlled pet)
OR
- Once a certain pet is chosen the F interface changes to one that lets the ranger give basic orders to the pet, and lets us control the current F2-pet related-skill. Basically it changes to an improved F-key setup to the one we have now, and the pet will follow shout commands and F-key-skill use (more micro’ed pet)

This profession mechanic has an inherent ‘perma stow’. It retains the pet as the Ranger Mechanic. Pets are considered Allies.

Healing

Heal as One (REMOVED)

Charm of Renewal – Charm (it benefits from charm traits) (MOVED)
passive: Removes a condition from you every 10 seconds, you gain regeneration if a condition is removed.
active: All allies in range are healed and gain regeneration for each condition on them.

Healing spring – Trap (it now benefits from the trap traits)
Heals allies in the AoE of this trap when it is cast and removes a condition. Gives regeneration pulses. Acts as a water field.

Troll Unguent Survival (it now benefits from survival traits)
You (and your summoned pet if applicable) gain health over time.

Krytan spirit – Spirit (this spirit can’t be a target and lives for 7sec, on a 30sec couldown.)
Summon a krytan spirit that grants all allies in range a 40/40% chance on regeneration /or remove a condition on attack. The area around the spirit (trap size) is a water field.
-> Evaporate, disgard your spirit, the spirit gives off 3 pulses (1st, 3rd, 5th sec) that heal allies, during ‘this time’ the area around the spirit (trap size) turns into a smoke field.

Utility Skill
Utility skills are set up as sets of 3 instead of 4, giving the ranger more groups of utility, while reducing the choice between each group (if you slot all you use all 3, instead of the marginal choice a 4th now offers). Except for wilderness survival which now has 5 skills instead of 4 (3×6 = 18 + 2)

Traps
Traps offer a couple of pulses of damage, and condition application, The first initial damage pulse on trigger could be somewhat of a spike

Spike trap (a set of wooden spikes lunges from the ground)
Set a trap that damages, applies bleed and cripple on several pulses.

Vipers nest (various snakes escape from the target area)
Set a trap that damages foes and applies poisons on several pulses, for ‘this time’ it is a poison field.

Pollen trap (a cloud of pollen is released from the trap)
Set a trap that damages foes and applies confusion on several pulses, for ‘this time’ it is an ethereal field.

Survival

Lightning Reflexes
Evade back with a crack of lightning, breaking immobilized and stun (or float, sink) and gives vigor

Quickening Zephyr
You (and your summoned pet if applicable) gain quickness. Reduces healing on you (and pet) by 50%

Sharpened Edges (changed to support power build)
Your next five attacks pierce and apply vulnerability

Poisoned Edges (added to support condition builds)
Your next five attacks apply poison and weakness.

Beastly Roar (added as extra flavour)
Summon an animal native to the area, to fight by your side, for a set period of time.
this skill would work just like the suggested profession mechanic, a pet is with you for a certain amount of time, the skill changes into the [F] key associated with the pet once it is summoned, and it would even listen to your shouts like a normal pet would. The downtime could be considered to be a tad longer though.

Spirits
Spirits are non-targetable, long range (1200 or so), AoE anchors, they also provide a combo field. They can be ‘changed’ to provide an additional (different) effect.

Shiverpeak Spirit (this spirit lives for 5sec, on a 40sec cool down.)
Summon a Shiverpeak spirit, the spirit grants allies in range a 33/33% chance to knockdown /or remove stability from foes. The area around the spirit (trap size) is an ice field.
-> Avalange the shiverpeak spirit releases 3 pulses of chill (1st, 3rd, 5th sec) to foes in range, during ‘this time’ the area around the spirit (trap size) turns into lightning field.

Crystal Desert Spirit (this spirit lives for 5 sec, on a 40sec cool down)
Summon a Crystal Desert Spirit, the spirit grants allies in range a 33/33% chance to inflict blind /or burning on attack, a small area around the spirit (trap size) is a light field.
-> Ablaze the Crystal Desert Spirit releases 3 pulses of fire (1st, 3rd, 5th sec) to foes in range, during ‘this time’ the area around the spirit (trap size) turns into a fire field.

Maguma Spirit (this spirit can’t be a target and lives for 5 sec, on a 40sec cool down)
Summon a Maguma Spirit, the spirit grants allies in range a 33/33% chance to apply weakness /or vulnerability, a small area around the spirit (trap size) is a water field.
-> Quicksand the Maguma spirit releases 3 pulses torment (1st, 3rd, 5th sec) to foes in range, during ‘this time’ the small area around the spirit (trap size) turns into a dark field.

Nature Magic
Nature Magic skills change an area (size = 600) to apply an effect to foes on cast, and one that pulses several times. On these pulses they also apply an beneficial effect on allies in the field.

Muddy Terrain (effect lasts for 10 seconds, recharge 30 seconds)
(changes the ground in a muddy patch)
Change the terrain in a muddy puddle, immobilizes foes, the field pulses several times and applies cripple to foes, and allies in the field gain stability.

Roaring Winds (effect lasts for 7 sec, recharge 25 seconds)
(wind picks up leafs and has them floating around in a slow tornado fashion)
Change the terrain in a windy place, blinds foes, the field pulses several times and applies chilled, allies in the field gain swiftness and vigor.

Rampant Growth (effect lasts for 5 seconds, recharge 20 seconds)
(adds all sorts of foliage in a green patch)
Changes the terrain in a lush place, Confuses foes, the field pulses several times and applies weakness, allies in the field gain fury and might.

Charms
The signets are renamed to charms, to give a more nature entuned thematic ‘ring’ to them, the choice they grant is between passive egoistic buffs and activated team buffs

Hunting Charm
passive: Grants a 25% increase in movement speed to you and your summoned pet
active: Grants all allies in range Swiftness and Stability.

Wilderness Charm
passive: Grants a small amount of health regeneration to you and your summoned pet
active: Grants all allies in range Fury and Retaliation.

Bark Charm
passive: Improves toughness for you and your summoned pet
active: Grants all allies in range Protection and Vigor

Shouts
Shouts stop the ‘countdown timer’ of summoned pets through F1-4, for the time the shout is active, it also gives (a) boon(s) to the pet during this time

Search and Rescue
Instead of attacking your pet will seek out and revive a downed ally. During this time the countdown timer is halted and your pet gains Swiftness and Protection. This skill remains greyed while there are no defeated allies in range. Slotting this skill increases the pets vitality and healing stats.

Finish them Off
Instead of attacking your pet will seek out downed foes and finish them off. During this time the countdown timer is halted and your pet gains Swiftness and Retaliation. This skill remains greyed out while there are no downed foes in range. Slotting this skill increase the pets Power and Condition damage stats.

Sick ‘em
Your pet will focus solely on the current target, During this time the countdown timer is halted and your pet gains Fury & Stability. Slotting this skill increases the pets Precision and Critical damage stats.

Traits
I am entirely not yet sure if this is actually the setup I want to go with, this is mainly to supply my current ideas and to reserve space

Marksmanship
is the trait line that focusses on long range and doing damage
Power & Critical Damage

Skirmishing
is the trait line that focuses on mobility, switching weapons and the use of Traps.
Precision & Condition Damage

Wilderness Survival
is the trait line that focusses on ranger combat maneuvers
Toughness & Condition duration

Nature Magic
is the trait line that focuses on nature magic spells and spirits.
Vitality & Healing power

Beastmastery
is the trait line that focuses on improving pet abilities, shouts and Charms
Boonduration & Pet Attribute Bonus.

Power
A – Cause vulnerability with your first strike when entering combat
M – Pets have opening strike when they are summoned.
GM – Regain Opening strike whenever you kill a foe or successfully dodge an attack

Adept
- Damage is increased when endurance is full
- Apply cripple to foes you hit while they are below the health threshold (50%)
- Gain fury when you hit foes while they are above the health threshold (50%)
- Pets do more damage on critical hits
- You deal more Critical damage with an Axe in your main hand.
- You order your pet to ‘Finish them off’ when you crit on a downed foe.

Master
- Off-hand skills have longer range, their recharge is reduced.
- You and your pet gain fury when a pet is summoned
- Long Sword, sword, knife and and spear do extra damage
- You apply ‘sharpened edges’ when an attack crits (cool down of 10sec)

Grand Master
- You and your pet deal extra damage while your health is above the threshold.
- Increases the range and damage of Longbow, shortbow and harpoon skills.

Skirmishing (Precision, condition damage; mobility, swapping weapons, traps)
A – Gain swiftness when swapping weapons in combat
M – Gain fury when swapping weapons in combat
GM – Gain Vigor when swapping weapons in combat

Adept
- Deal more damage while flanking
- Pets deal extra condition damage
- Use Poisoned Edges when you strike a foe below the health threshold. (75%)
- Chance to cause bleeding on critical hits.
- Spotter – Increases precision of nearby allies.
- The recharge of weapon swapping is reduced.

Master
- You gain fury and might when your pet de-spawns or dies.
- You and your pet gain 3 sec of quickness when you summon a pet.
- Reduces recharge on shortbow, longbow and harpoon skills.
- Trap skills use ground targeting and are larger

Grand Master
- The duration of pulsing by traps last longer by two pulses, Reduces the recharge on traps.
- Gain an attack of opportunity for you and your pet on interrupting a foe. Daze and stun durations you inflict last longer.

Wilderness Survival (toughness, condition duration, defensive combat moves)
A – Increases endurance regeneration
M – You and your pet gain protection when you dodge roll.
GM – You and your pet take less damage while your health is below the threshold.

Adept
- Reduces recharge of survival skills
- Gain vigor when using a heal skill
- A ‘successful Dodge’ removes a condition from you and your pet.
- Increases duration for conditions applied by your pets.
- Create a healing spring when you revive a downed ally, Increases revive speed.
- Gain Aegis when you are hit with a critical attack.

Master
- Receive protection and vigor when you take damage greater than a % of your maximum health.
- Gain regeneration when you suffer from bleeding, poison or burning.
- When your pet de-spawns or dies you loose 2 conditions
- Reduces recharge on great sword, sword and spear skills.

Grand Master
- Gain retaliation and stability when your pet de-spawns or dies.
- Applies camouflage when you are hit (cool down 12 sec)

Nature magic (vitality, healing power; nature magic, spirits)
A – Gain regeneration when your health drops below the threshold
M – Gain healing power based upon your power.
GM – Decrease the recharge time of Spirits and Nature Magic Spells.

Adept
- Casting spirits uses ground targeting.
- Casting Nature Magic skills uses ground targeting
- Create Muddy terrain when you are downed
- Regeneration you apply lasts longer
- Gain power based on your vitality
- When a pet de-spawns or dies you gain regeneration.

Master
- Increases the lifetime of spirits by 2 seconds, ‘activated effects give 1 extra pulse’
- Increases the range of Nature Magic skills by +300
- Your pets have Natural Health regeneration
- Decrease the recharge time of your healing skills.

Grand-Master
- Increase the % chance on spirits to 50/50 to apply the either/or effect.
- Increase the amount of foes/allies effected by the Nature Magic spells by 5.

Beast Mastery (boon duration, pet stats; charms, shouts)
A – Reduces the recharge of pet calling
M – You and your pet do more damage while you have a boon
GM – Any boons you have, are shared with your pet when it is called upon

Adept
- Boons applied to your pet last longer
- Reduces the recharge on shouts
- Charms periodically (15sec) grant their passive effect to allies for 5 sec.
- Pets are summoned near the current target.
- All Pet skills recharge faster.
- The passive effect of Charms is stronger.

Master
- The boons shouts apply also effect allies near the pet.
- Charms also apply might to allies when they are activated.
- Activated abilities (F) for pets cause cripple
- You gain might, your Pet gains swiftness when a pet is activated.

Grand Master
- Shouts apply regeneration and might to allies near you and near the pet.
- You gain boons your pet receives, your pet gains boons you receive.

Thank you if you waited to respond to this thread, I am now done copy pasting my work in here and reserving space for my yet to crystalize traits. :P … man, how being a fan can turn into something like a job real fast :/ hmmk hobby then :P

Man this is turning out to be more work then I thought, and a long read too :P … I am getting there though, slowly but surely. Must say that the way I envisioned Nature Magic, Spirits and Beastmastery with the Summon mechanic made it a lot easier to fill in the traits. Now I am struggling with dealing with 11 weapons, and 3 kinds of damage (straight up, crits & conditions) and also with the 3 ranges. They are supposed to go on the Power/Skirmish/Wilderness catagories, but what to put where and are my secondary stat effects in the right place for that? …

Feels like a puzzle where it’s not just putting the pieces in the right spot, but you have to make up the pieces as you go. And while that sounds simple in a puzzle analogy, it’s a lot harder in this ‘puzzle’ :P

Power AND Condition damage in the same line on a class with built-in bleeds to a rapid-fire autoattack? o.O

I think that’ll give condi builds a little bit too much DPS.

Thank you for your feedback, I wasn’t quite done with deciding on where to place which secondary stat…

Still though, this setup is created with a new profession mechanic in mind, where pets are more balanced around ‘profession mechanic’ skills, and thus Rangers receiving around a 20% increase in damage/utility back from the pets (as they are now).

Still though, I moved condi and crit damage and that helped me a lot in figuring out the actual placement of traits. I’m still not entirely happy, but on the other hand I am thrilled that I finally managed to get a trait everywhere. :P Now it’s time to hone these traits by reading over the whole thing a couple of times and letting it all sink in.

Feel free to give any feedback ^^