Guild Wars 2

Normally when a Thief (or anyone, I assume) attacks a target while stealthed, they receive the debuff that makes it impossible for them to stealth for a few seconds. However, when using Shadow Refuge, if you leave the ability’s area before the time is complete, you get the debuff. No attacks are even made and this happens.

I’m reporting it because time after time it has caused me issues in WvW (primarily) and some PvE content. If I try to hide using the ability, a Mesmer can just pull or push me out and I have ~3-4 seconds before I can use another ability to allow myself to be safe. The same thing goes for any other profession that can displace your character in some way. Normally these abilities would not even break stealth, even if inside Shadow Refuge’s area, but if you’re knocked out of it then it does so and provides the debuff as if you (the Thief) attacked.

I’m sure others do the same as me and use stealth utilities as a “panic button” to save themselves. This issue causes an inconvenience when this particular ability is used in the given situation, and ones similar to it.

The first image shows me inside the area of effect with the stealth debuff; the second image shows me outside of the area (slightly forward and left of the initial position), this time with the debuff.

Images: http://imgur.com/a/O5Nnl#0
I apologize for my timing on the shots since the buff and debuff were flashing, they are about 50% visible, but you can see tell what the icons are.

It’s intended. There even was a patch in the past that refers to it: “Shadow Refuge: This skill’s stealth removal tripwire has been updated to properly match the skill’s effects.”
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/info/news/Update-Notes-October-22-2012

I had no clue that was what the change was for. I’ve always noticed it doing this, but I use a build that didn’t take the ability, so it never concerned me. It just seems wrong for that to happen, in my opinion. Normally the only way to get the debuff (as far as I knew) was to attack, and this ability acting the way it does seemed wrong.

Thanks for clearing it up, though, I appreciate it. I guess I’ll just have to put up with it.