Guild Wars 2

Condi Damage/Vitality + Toughness/Condi Duration

Maybe we need 3 forms of balance for the two game modes instead of splitting it into just PvE and PvP. WvWvW IS different from sPvP and has a different gameplay style to it.

Imo, scourge is in a good spot in PvE right now. I think we can all agree on that.

For sPvP, I played around with it a fair bit and scourge seemed good. Right now, there are a couple learn to play issues, with everyone still feeling out the new spec and learning how to counter it. So, a weekend of testing really isn’t enough to form any major statements. I found scourge was particularly effective for point denial (I tried bunkering to great success). However, unlike Reaper, we don’t have any really good pull skills. Because of this, thieves with their rifles and rangers with their bows were able to kite me if I didn’t have the support of my team. If I took portal, I would need to rely on it being on/off CD for that. Incidentally, spellbreakers managed to make my life a living hell as well. They appeared to have a fair bit of condi removal and damage to them. There were some l2p issues involved, but I think its good that necromancers are finally on par, or at-least closer to on par.

In WvWvW, I did less testing. However, I found scourge to be extremely effective as backline support. But, so was my original necromancer too. As reaper amplified what my necromancer was good at in sPvP when it came out, scourge amplified what my necromancer was good at in WvWvW. It wasn’t horrendously OP and it was absolute garbage is caught alone (or when someone snuck behind it). But it was competent at supporting a zerg and dealing out conditions. . .which is kinda its purpose.

Substatic.6958:

Zefiris.8297:

Yes, necros are a selfish class by design. This isn’t new: Necros have always been more about supporting themselves than others, by design. The entire design of the shroud is pretty much the personification of this. This isn’t even a bad thing, inherently. It makes necros/reapers highly successful in two of the three main game modes.

So what about all the classes that excel in all 3 game modes?

Also isn’t this what specs and builds are for – so a class can at least have a chance in all facets of the game? For PVE Necro and its specs clearly need buffs and this can be seen by objective measures.

All classes should do well in their own right in all 3 game modes. That would be balance. If one class is garbage at a game mode, it needs to be evaluated and changed to be better at it, but still good at the others.

From a practical point, creating a new weapon would be pretty difficult (since you’d have to apply it to all the races, create new animations for each of them. . .).

I’d have suggested torch for a weapon, but necromancers are already getting that it seems! Next xpac, unless they change their mind now.

If they do create a weapon, it won’t just be for 1 class though. It’ll be a weapon that at-least 4 or so classes can use right off from the get-go (and more would likely get access to it with elite specs).

I’d agree, mace isn’t the best choice thematically. But I can see it being a realistic choice.

I don’t think they are going to remove the core mechanic either. Consider shroud is part of the reason necromancers are so scant for blocking and mobility skills. If they removed it, they’d have to give us those skills. Which would potentially pave the way for shroud users to get them unless handled right. From their perspective, it’d be a balance nightmare (for what they want as the balance). So, we’d probably end up getting another shroud.

Ashes and a new weapon would be nice, don’t get me wrong on that score. Perhaps we will get an entirely new weapon, and elite specs will change core mechanics. I’m hoping the former is true, and I could see it happening. But I don’t see the latter being true.

As it stands now, core mechanics are essentially core stats from GWI. They may change them a teensie bit (as seen where dragonhunter got offensive versions of their auras, for example). But they’ll keep the general trend around, likely. Else-wise, it would be akin to changing them going to GWI and changing how say. . .soul reaping and critical strikes worked. Or, for a GW2 example, it would be like removing attunements from ele or shatters from mesmer. It’d undermine the classes’ fundamental component and they’d have to re-do the entire spectrum of balance around it.

Traits:

Minor:
Tier 1)
Ritualist: You gain access to Spirit Shroud and Mace as a weapon.

Tier 2)
Restorative Touch: When you take conditions from allies, you apply regeneration to yourself.

Tier 3)
Essence Transfer: When you enter Spirit Shroud, you convert boons to conditions on nearby enemies and convert conditions to boons on yourself and nearby allies.

Major:
Tier 1)
Caretaker’s Charge: When you use a binding ritual, you gain swiftness and vigor for 10 seconds.
OR
Ancestors’ Rage: Your 1 ability from shroud taunts enemies and inflicts weakness.
OR
Mending Grip: When you use a binding ritual, allies near the spirit gain regeneration for 15 seconds.

Tier 2)
Spawning Power: Your binding rituals all gain 20% off their cooldown. In addition, you gain lifeforce when you use binding rituals.
OR
Spirit Light: When you enter shoud, you pulse healing and regeneration (lasts 5 seconds) for all nearby allies for 5 seconds.
OR
Spiritleech Aura: All spirits steal life with every attack and deliver it to a nearby ally (lowest health ally takes priority).

Tier 3)
Renewing Surge: Boons last 50% longer. When any of your boons end, you gain health and stamina.
OR
Clamor of Souls: Each spirit you bind gains +50% health. For each creature you have bound or summoned, your boon and condition duration increase by 5%.
OR
Spirit Burn: Your spirits inflict Burning on enemies who suffer from weakness.

All the skills below are categorized as “Binding Ritual” skills. All of the following “Binding Rituals” behave in the following manner:

The spirits are bound to a location, and cannot move more than a few steps away from the location where they are summoned. There would be a VFX of a chain holding the spirit to the spot at which it was summoned.

Heal Skill:

1) Spirit of Siphoning (1.5 second casting time, 30 second cooldown):
You summon a spirit who remains alive for 30 seconds, and constantly leeches life from up to 5 enemies in a large AoE during that time. Allies are healed (for a percentage of the damage dealt) as damage is dealt, should they remain in the area.

When it dies, it heals allies, gives necromancers in the party extra life force, and gives warriors in the party adrenaline. The amount given is based on the amount of time the spirit was alive.

Its death can be triggered early if desired.

Utility Skills:

1) Disenchantment (1.5 second cast time, 40 second cooldown once it is killed):
You summon a spirit that attacks enemies. In addition to doing damage, this spirit rips boons off enemies who are struck by its attacks and delivers them to allies. This spirit lasts until killed.

Once Disenchantment is summoned, the skill is replaced by “Agony”.

Agony (0.5 second casting time, 30 second cooldown):
You warp your spirit of disenchantment into a spirit of agony. Agony takes conditions off allies and applies them to enemies with each attack. In addition, its attacks strip boons off enemies and replace them with conditions. This spirit remains warped for 5 seconds, after which it becomes a spirit of disenchantment again. After it has reverted to a spirit of disenchantment, the cooldown for this (sub)skill begins.

2) Rejuvenation (1.5 second casting time, 35 second cooldown):
You summon a spirit heals allies in the area (by “attacking” them with healing spells). This spirit also rips conditions off allies with every attacks, transferring them the person who summoned them. This spirit lasts until killed. This skill becomes “Empowerment” when the spirit is summoned.

Empowerment (0.5 second casting time, 20 second cooldown)
You warp your spirit of rejuvenation into a spirit of empowerment. All conditions on you are turned to boons and are then duplicated to all allies into the area of effect. For 10 seconds, the spirit converts conditions into boons for all allies in the area of effect. After those 5 seconds, this spirit becomes a spirit of rejuvenation again.

3) Entropy (1.5 second casting time, 35 second cooldown):
You summon a spirit that delivers a random condition to your enemies with each attack. This spirit lasts until it dies. Once you use this skill, it is replaced with “Infection”.

Infection (0.5 second casting time, 20 second cooldown):
Your spirit of entropy is replaced by a spirit of infection. Every time it delivers an attack, it spreads one random condition on the enemy it attacks to up to 3 other enemies in an AoE near it. In addition, it spreads this condition to you as well. The spirit of infection lasts for 5 seconds, afterwards it reverts back to a spirit of entropy.

Elite Skill:

Ritual Lord (1 second casting time, 30 second cooldown):
You summon 3 spirits who all attack nearby enemies. One of the spirits is a spirit of bloodsong, which steals life from nearby enemies and heals you and nearby allies. One of the spirits is a spirit of wanderlust, which applies torment and cripple to enemies. One of the spirits is a spirit of pestilence, which transfers conditions from allies to nearby enemies and converts enemy boons to conditions. These spirits last until killed. This spell becomes “Rebind” when it is used.

Rebind (Instant cast, 10 second cooldown):
You can use this skill to bind all your spirits to a single location. Your spirits all teleport to the location at which you designate and they remain bound there.

New Weapon: Mace

Weapon Skills:
Skill 1)
Strike Essence: You deal damage to the enemy and gain 1% lifeforce.
-Smash Essence You deal damage to the enemy, apply weakness, and gain 1% lifeforce.
—Splinter Essence: You deal damage to the enemy, apply weakness (2 stacks), and gain 2% lifeforce.
Skill 2)
Spirit Rift: You open a spirit rift at your location, creating an AoE. Enemies inside this AoE take damage and are made vulnerable (1 stack) for 5 seconds. Once this AoE ends, allies within it are healed.
Skill 3)
Nightmare Weapon: You apply torment and fear to the enemy in an AoE.

Mechanic: Spirit Shroud

Skill 1)
Channeled Strike: You deal damage to the enemy. If you have any summons, enemies around each summon is also struck by this attack.
Skill 2)
Gaze from Beyond: You blind all enemies in a cone AoE for 3 seconds. Any using a skill or attacking is instead feared for 1 second.
Skill 3)
Lamentation: You apply weakness and torment to the enemy in the area. If they are using a skill, they are stunned for 1 second.
Skill 4)
Painful Bond: You create an AoE that siphons conditions from all nearby allies for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, these conditions are applied to all enemies in the area.
Skill 5)
Flesh of My Flesh: You lose health and create an AoE, healing all allies within it. You also convert conditions on allies into boons.

Alright! Why not!

To me, one thing necromancers lack is support. A common criticism is that they are a selfish class.

A lot of necromancer’s support (and offensive) strength comes from condition control and transfer. This is meant to focus on that, as well as adding in some ways for necromancers to apply boons via condition control as well.

This idea is how I’d implement a ritualist:

For sPvP, I use plaugelands and “Chilled to the Bone”. I only used “Chilled to the Bone” until we got plaugelands, I’ve been appreciating it.

I have used it in the past for capping points and area denial. Yes, its easy to avoid, but it pretty much forces people to avoid the area for 10 seconds. Your team can do a lot in 10 seconds. The points I enjoy denying the most are those “special” areas that award more points to your team if you cap them. As well, I have dropped it in the middle of team fights before, and I find enemies often fumble in order to re position themselves. (Or they end up suffering big time)

Of course, in WvW and PvE it is deadly useful as well.

That being said, it does need a couple things done to it:

-It should be a well or at-least ground place-able.
—That, or it should grant stacks of stability like “Chilled to the Bone”.
-It should have a combo-field associated with it.

Other than that, it is pretty rad at the moment. I’ve been having a ton of fun using it. I tend to get around the stability thing by using it when I’m not being focused or the enemy has already dished out their CC. However, I really do think that it should grant stability (or be ground target-able). Its an elite, after all!

I do like that its effect is pretty low-key, visual-wise. I tend to dump Executioner’s Scythe or a Well before it (leaving a red circle), and often my allies are dumping AoEs as well. This hides it fairly well.

A spoiler tag on the thread would be nice, as we are delving into spoiler territory potentially!

I’m not so sure we’ll meet Palawa Joko just yet. I don’t think he has that much of a stake in Tyria, though maybe he’ll set his eyes on it. It could be a situations where (like with Abbadon in Nightfall), he obtains our help in ridding a greater evil. Then uses the position to gain a greater foothold in Tyria. The same could happen with Kralkatorrik (who I believe we will be facing).

Palawa Joko has absolutely no reason to want to take vengeance on the dragons though. As far as we are aware, they are just a Tyrian thing. Though, since the crystal desert does connect Tyria to Elona, perhaps he will come to investigate its appearance.

I highly doubt we will do into Elona though. The crystal desert is about the size of Magnum I think, so that is likely where the expansion will take place. Perhaps in the living story, we might get more into Elona? Though, we still have to kill the Deep Sea Dragon after Kralkatorrik. Not to mention both Primordius and Jormag, who are still unfinished business (I’m guessing we’ll take them out in LS5 though).

I’m sure we’ll get into the story of Glint more though, as well as Aurene. Perhaps Kralkatorrik will come back and try to corrupt Aurene? Aurene will likely coming with us to the Crystal Desert though, perhaps she will be taken care of by the Forgotten there? Since the Forgotten are Glint’s servants and Aurene is Glint’s legacy. This’ll probably put her in the way of Kralkatorrik. Glint was his champion, and I’m going to go out on a limb and guess he still holds a massive grudge against Glint.

So, its probably going to be Dragon’s Watch+Forgotten+Aurene vs Kralkatorrik and his minions (corrupted Forgotten/Crystal Minions/Fused Dragon Magic minions?) in the next xpac. That is what I am guessing anyway. Joko might make an appearance as our temporary ally (or our enemy, since Kralkatorrik has mastery over death now?).

For sure though when Kralkatorrik dies, we may get access to Elona. Since he is the force keeping us out of Elona as of now.

This are my thoughts for now, anyway! I’ll probably ramble some more if I think of anything.

And this is why you raid with guildies/friends (aka real people). Not pugs. To be fair, its more difficult to ensure that pugs are an good. So, they have to use benchmarks and (often outdated) metas to ensure their group members are good.

Though, I maintain that raids are the kind of content where you don’t use a pickup group. You use a premade group of people you trust/get along with. That way, you can maintain quality AND have you fun. You don’t actually NEED top-notch gear or all optional classes. You just need people who know what they are doing and a couple class choices.

People in MMOs tend to have this drive to min-max (its typically how you advance, by getting your numbers to be as high as possible). But in this game, I’d take someone who knows their class, knows what they are doing, and enjoys what they are doing above Joe Progamer who plays a chronomancer with all the right ascended/legendary gear (which he had help getting with his trusty credit card) and has no clue how to play right.

The meaningful rewards from raids are time-gated in any event, so speed-running doesn’t really serve as much of a purpose either.

Honestly, if you enjoy necromancer play it. If you learn how to play it (which you will, if you enjoy playing it) then you’ll also figure out what you bring to the table for each situation.

If you find you aren’t bringing anything, then you probably haven’t figured out how to play it yet. If you find figuring out how to play it is dull, then its probably not the right class for you. Experimentation is the best teacher, I find (you might learn differently too, though). The same can apply for any situation, not just raids.

Anet seems to be avoiding underwater combat recently. Not that I blame them! (Seriously though, I enjoy underwater! Fix underwater skills ).

Personally, I think that all skills should at-least have an underwater equivalent. Maybe by the time we fight the Deep Sea Dragon we’ll get some changes.

(inb4 the Deep Sea Dragon is fought on ships. Or on the surface.)

And don’t forget that morality can and does differ from universe to universe. In the GW universe, like many fantasy universes with a summoning mechanic, launching your summoned creatures into danger for you (sacrificing them) is totally acceptable. Binding spirits, undead, servants, elementals, etc. to your will (and using them to your own ends) seems pretty acceptable in the GW universe, as its pretty much a common occurrence. (Same thing with the pokemon universe, as Lily brought that up)

Also, with regard to Ritualists doing “evil” (if this universe even considers it evil) stuff with their abilities, don’t forget. 1) The universe might not consider it evil. 2) Not all ritualists use those skills mentioned above. Certainly, ritualists are on the (if we use IRL morality, if we can even apply IRL morality. Since we live in a world where this stuff doesn’t exist.) darker side of the spectrum though. But that just makes them fit in with necromancers a little better!

Aside from that, having a ritualist subclass would be gorgeous. I am a little biased here, ritualist was my second favorite class in GW1 (right behind necromancer!). Having it as a subtype of necromancer does make me “squee” a little inside at the thought.

It seems like you put a fair bit of thought into this idea. I’ll support it, since numbers is how players can drive a game. +1! Hopefully anet takes this under consideration for the future.