replenishing despair - positive HP gain possible?

[forsaken.5026]

i'm looking to build a perma embrace the darkness rev build.

replenishing despair trait should help with that, as it provides the 1 energy pip required, however, it drains you slowly from health, so the challange is to retain a positive HP gain - either by increasing healing effectiveness or some barrier generation (or something else I haven't thought of).

 

can anyone advise on the easiest way to achieve this? i've been looking at anything that generates barrier, but couldn't find enything useful.

i'm sure i'm overlooking something, as I'm 100% positive I seen another guy running this setup, and his health bar was cycling between about 25% barrier, which got slowly drained by the torment, and then gaining it back again, effectively preventing his HP from ever decreasing. i couldn't start a conversation with this guy (maybe he was AFK), but it would seem it IS possible.

[thehipone.6812]

Seems like a bit of an odd gimmick, but since you mentioned barrier, maybe this?:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Resilient_Spirit

although you need to get the boons somehow.  Shared empowerment would potentially help with this avenue.  Was the player a herald, core or renegade?  Sanctuary runes can also give barrier on heals.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Steadfast_Rejuvenation gets you healing too, but you said barrier so I don't know, and this is starting to get too many different trait lines involved.  This trait doesn't trigger sanctuary runes per wiki.

 

Was the person that you saw actually playing/fighting/using skills or just parked somewhere AFK?

[forsaken.5026]

i managed to get his build (it was core rev) afterall, but he's not very responsive after that, so no further info.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PmAUGSHdEygqpmgmUP5U0iypnkGYf9F4EKogEOOL9LPA-e

 

I experimented with this a while ago, but couldn't prevent my rev from losing life over time, but I never had any barrier.

however, now that you mention it, the other rev had a bunch of boons at the time, which might've been the thing that made it possible.

[thehipone.6812]

Just messed around a bit with this for fun. 

 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PmwAYlzlhQHMIyhJRNsI6hBSfMBKgj1i+JF-zRJYvRN/RkuKQxLzBC-e

gets you to the point where you can just sit in town, standing still, tormenting yourself and not dying.  But I think the clove ascended food or a -condi duration rune is needed.  Fireworks rune isn't a great complement, but gets you passive boons for the barrier from resilient spirit.  With clove food, rune of Orr should work too.

 

I don't see the "stand still and not die" part of it as anything more than a meme build, but I took it to WvW and was able to clear a couple of camps easily.  Not a major feat by any stretch, but *shrug*.  It feels quite durable with tons of resolution, easy vigor, and also a bunch of stacking damage reduction traits.  Any competent opponent should eat it alive though.

Edited October 14, 2021 by thehipone.6812

[Jthug.9506]

fiendish tenacity (gm middle) can overcome replenishing despair depending on stats, should work great on cele.

[Khisanth.2948]

Gimmicky build but useful in lab at the mob doors...

[ArthurDent.9538]

Tormenting runes + generosity sigil to periodically transfer the torment you have built up on yourself.

[Thon.3780]

As I know 

Replenish despair + permeate pestilence. And I agree with AuthorDent for torment rune+generosity sigil.

Set Viper for damage or trailblazer  for sustain.

it should stack more torment and enough heal

 

but.. idk how far it can transfer condition to foes.