Guild Wars 2

Gathering while transformed – for exampled in the bandit disguise in the Seanan’s Bandits (Gallowfield WP) heart in Brisban, or using a tonic – results in a ‘fail’ (ruined gathered item) despite having an appropriately levelled tool, not being in combat, etc.

This is the case regardless of being in combat/not, making sure an appropriately levelled tool is equipped, etc. It occurs on all node types (ore, logs and plants). ‘Bonus’ items – gems, walnuts, hidden treasures – seem to drop as normal.

This behaviour seems to have started with the Wintersday patch.

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, I did look but couldn’t see anything.

It’s been posted a couple of times, usually by people who were posting about getting ruined items while gathering (they didn’t connect it to being in tonic form until someone else replied).

It’s not clear whether this is a bug or ANet intended the behavior.

Personally, I hope they reverse it regardless: it’s bad to force people to want to leave tonic form, unless it’s to fight. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s a high-priority issue, either.

One thing to add on this, If you use a synthesizer node that is able to give higher level items, you will only get the bottom tier from it while in tonics. Illconceived and I have both commented on this issue multiple times lol. Idk why anet would intend it, but then again, they appear to intend lots of things for a few years, sometimes saying things are intended, then call it a bug later >.>

Til they say something, we don’t even have a clue as to why. Probably a side effect of some other change they are working on.

I had a theory on how this works. Your gathering tool has a level, just like your weapon and armor. When you begin gathering, you temporarily swap from your weapon to the tool, and it compares the tool’s level against whatever your are harvesting.

Tonics are largely level 0. They override your weapon. Chances are good they also override your gathering tools.

Try harvesting in disguise in queensdale and see if it still fails.

Sariel V.7024:

I had a theory on how this works. Your gathering tool has a level, just like your weapon and armor. When you begin gathering, you temporarily swap from your weapon to the tool, and it compares the tool’s level against whatever your are harvesting.

Tonics are largely level 0. They override your weapon. Chances are good they also override your gathering tools.

Try harvesting in disguise in queensdale and see if it still fails.

Except it happens to people using level-less tools (like Watchwork Mining Pick). Generally speaking low level characters can still harvest high level mats using these. This might explain what’s going on with guild hall nodes; it doesn’t explain getting ruined mats using the everlasting or frostbitten tools.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Sariel V.7024:

I had a theory on how this works. Your gathering tool has a level, just like your weapon and armor. When you begin gathering, you temporarily swap from your weapon to the tool, and it compares the tool’s level against whatever your are harvesting.

Tonics are largely level 0. They override your weapon. Chances are good they also override your gathering tools.

Try harvesting in disguise in queensdale and see if it still fails.

Except it happens to people using level-less tools (like Watchwork Mining Pick). Generally speaking low level characters can still harvest high level mats using these. This might explain what’s going on with guild hall nodes; it doesn’t explain getting ruined mats using the everlasting or frostbitten tools.

It does because while the infinite tools don’t have a level to use, the nodes look at the tool to see what you will acquire, and the tonics appear to block that/show level 1 to the node. Whether in practice this is how it works, or just how it appears, the effect is of course what we see. It also fits with the apparent agony resistance dropping while using a tonic.

Regardless, result is as we see it, tonics are bad unless you like ruined stuff lol.