Thief Elite Specialisation Idea: Assassin (based on gw1)

[Lex.3975]

I was bored one weekend, thinking about gw1, so I thought about elite spec based on my main, assassin.

 

ASSASSIN - Daredevil is all about acrobatics, sort of an expansion of that trait, lots of dodges and not getting hit. The idea for assassin is to be expansion of critical strikes. Lots of attack speed and lots of damage and lots of stuff happening on critical hit. 

- SPEC MECHANICS - Since assassin's attacks always followed chain lead -> off hand -> dual, idea here is something similar. Using off hand skills after main hand skill boosts off hand skill (increased dmg or condi), using dual skill after off hand boosts dual skill. Dual does more dmg if chain main -> off hand -> dual was used, rather than just off hand -> dual. (Shortbow here would be a problem as the only two handed weapon, but maybe designate which skills would act as off hand and which would be treated as dual). No more random steal skills, F1 becomes mark of death or expose defenses, which shadowsteps to target foe and unlocks F2 and F3 which are siphon speed, applies slow and gain quickness, and siphon strength applies weakness and gain might. F2 and F3 are mutually exclusive, which means you can use either one or the other, after which you need to use F1 again to unlock them (or in case of trait Improvisation, you can use twice)

- OFF HAND SWORD AND DUAL SKILLS
- dual attack (with sword main) - Nine tail strike or blades of steal - Big damage attack, unblockable (maybe have an evade window since both current dual sword skills do, and maybe gain a boon)
- skill 4 -  Critical defense - Channeling evade/block that lasts 1 second or half a second, if hit either opens access to a skill (Impale) that does good damage or it happens automatically upon block (similar to spear skill 3). The idea is that channel is short, so it is reactional, use it once you know you are going to get hit. (maybe just grant aegis for few seconds if attack wasn't evaded/blocked using this skill)
- skill 5 - Golden skull strike or temple strike - strike for some dmg, inflicts daze, imobilized foes are knocked down instead

- UTILITY SKILLS - stances 
- healing skill idea 1 - Battle scars - heal for fixed amount, for 5 seconds gain fixed amount of health for every attack (doesn't have to land successfully) 
- healing skill idea 2 - Battle scars - heal for fixed amount, evade all attacks for 5 seconds (something similar to warrior's defiant stance) 
- utility - Dark escape - lasts x seconds, gain superspeed and take half damage and conditions are half as strong, breaks stun (or maybe evade all attacks, but if you attack the stance ends)
- utility - Unseen fury - last x seconds, inflict blind and every strike (or every crit) inflicts daze for 1s or 1/2s (a stance cc option, maybe also grant increased power)
- utility - Shroud of distress - Break stun. Evade attack for 1 second. If an attack is evaded in this time frame (maybe halves recharge time) unlocks access to stance critical eye, which gives you increased ferocity and condition damage (or just ferocity). This stance remains unlocked for x seconds or until another stance is activated. If the attack is not evaded gain increased endurance regeneration for x seconds.
- utility - Moebius strikes - while in this stance dual attacks get benefits of proper lead-off hand-dual chain, without doing lead-off hand chain (maybe this should be elite)
- elite - Way of the assassin - gw1 skill translations is to get attacks speed and crit chance increase, but fury is already easily gained from traits, maybe this could improve effects of fury and quickness in duration or intensity or provide increase that stacks with those boons or maybe just grant fury and quickness on critical hit on a lower cooldown

- GRAND MASTER TRAITS - several ideas here
- way of perfection - each critical hit heals for percentage of dmg or fixed amount
- way of the lotus - each critical hit regenrates 1 initiative
- way of the fox - each critical hit has aditional x ferocity
- way of the viper - each critical hit inflict poison

[RabbitUp.8294]

This is a very nice take of assassin that actually feels like a worthwhile addition to thief. The main-off-dual chain is a nice opportunity to offer some depth to initiative instead of it being spam focused.

 

I would suggest going all the way and removing stealth. Instead when you would gain stealth, you gain Feigned Neutrality which provides damage reduction and heal over time and is removed when you use a skill.

[shrew.3059]

17 hours ago, Lex.3975 said:

way of perfection - each critical hit heals for percentage of dmg or fixed amount

Invigorating Precision?

[Fueki.4753]

Unless the specialization completely replaces Stealth, I'd rather not see an elite specialization called Assassin on Thief.

Not having Stealth is one of the things why GW1's Assassin is superior to GW2's Thief.

[AikijinX.6258]

If we have an assassin like spec then I want more ability to access quickness and massive damage creep🥴

[Lex.3975]

On 9/11/2021 at 4:09 PM, shrew.3059 said:

Invigorating Precision?

Right, completely forgot about that 😄.