New Specialization Proposal

[Mecha.7301]

Greetings fellow rangers!

As always, I have great faith that Arena Net will fix the issues we have all been observing for the Ranger Pet dynamic. I want to stray away from that topic to talk about a potential idea for an Elite specialization. Here we go!

Elite Specialization: Grove Mangler Note: This is a working progress! All for fun.

The core of the specialization would be the ability to use tangling conditions (root) as a supportive rotation.

New Specialization Weapon: Spear (Land adaptation for Melee damage)

Skill 1: Thrust (generic damage) / Mangle (cripple condition) / Throw (I would like to see this last skill become ranged. It would seem appropriate for those enemies that attempt to move from melee range at the last second. Plus it sounds fun!)Skill 2: Earth Shock (Strike the earth around you for knock down effect and X damage to X number of enemy targets.)Skill 3: Entanglement (Melee strike with the power of nature magic to trap your opponent for a couple of seconds. Add X damage)Skill 4: Wild Root ( Strike an enemy in Melee range X damage; cast a binding root [chain/ tether] to nearest ally or self. )Skill 5: Forest Storm ( Cast a whirlwind effect in selected area. Blind for X seconds. Allies Gain Protection for X seconds. )

Healing:Wild Crops - Grow multiple stocks of grain in a directed area (cone) from player location (X time limit). Heal allies that step through each stock for X amount. Heals self for X % plus stocks used by allies or self.

Utility:Blessed Thorns (Passive): Increased endurance + allies.(Active): Retaliation + Rejuvenation ( X time limit). On critical strike during time limit of activation, create thorn wall (similar to barrier) that causes poison damage.

Mud Shield: Use the earth and water around you to cast a shield around yourself or ally for X % of Toughness and X time limit. Mud Shield triggers TAUNT to nearest target enemies.

Mushroom Sprout: Call on a Mushroom Sprout (Similar to Scrapper Drones) to rush at enemy(s) for X time limit. Mushroom Sprout causes X damage + Knockdown.( Consume Mushroom ): Sprout dies and leaves behind several quickness boon consumables.

Hook Vine: Reach out with a powerful Hook Vine to PULL and Entangle your enemies towards you for X time limit + X damage.ORReach out with a powerful Hook Vine towards an Ally and fling yourself to their location. Reflect damage of target ally and additional nearby allies for X time limit.

Elite Skill:OakHeart Fury (Passive): (Yes, a passive Elite Skill option)Every (X time limit) call on ( X number) of OakHeart saplings to aid you in combat. Each Sapling causes (X) condition damage (minimal melee damage).

OakHeart Fury (Active):For X time limit, target ally to transform them into an OakHeart (or maybe just size increase? Meh). OakHeart Fury Increases Vitality + Increase Toughness + 30% Chance to Entangle enemy on strike.

Notes: I'm not sure if the skills bar should change to something new when transformed as a OakHeart. Personally I'm leaning 60% on NOT having a custom transformation skills bar. I think JUST having the increase on stats to reflect the Elite skill is enough. Obviously I am open to suggestions. Please feel free to criticize the concept. I've also kept things as 'simple' as possible for ArenaNet's design team (*should they read this and become inspired! Woo!!), as most assets, abilities, skills, utilities are already in the game in some form or another. Either way, I hope this has inspired others to look into possible guesses towards the NEXT expansion and its elite specializations.

PS.New pets:
Bog Dog (Using the Pinipal Model to reskin.) F2 Ability: 'Bog Water' (Poison Aura)Vine Raptor: (Using Jungle Raptor Model to reskin.) F2 Ability: 'Tail Tangle' (Pull + melee Damage)Condor: (Aggressive Vulture Model to reskin.) F2 Ability: 'Scavenge' (Concept from Fire Wyvern F2 combined with Pig Forge F2. Basically it will evade damage, then come back down to uproot 'food', a.k.a. healing pack reskins. Maybe a reskin to look like meat chunks? Dead Critters? Hahaha! )Death Root: ( Sand Eel Model to reskin.) F2 Ability: 'Play Dead' (Evade damage for X time limit + cloak player character for X time limit.)Sloth: (Sloth Queen Model to reskin.) F2 Ability: 'Eat up!' ( Gain Health - A lot of it. )(I was simply inspired by Snorlax. Im not going to pretty this one up. Concept is pretty much - Pet gains life at an accelerated rate for X time limit. )

That's it for now!Thanks everyone for giving this concept a read. I do appreciate the time you took to go through it. Please forgive me in advance for any grammar mistakes, I tend to rush through typing. Feel free to leave a comment or critique. Cheers!

[InsaneQR.7412]

Some things i want to know from your idea:-What role should this E-Spec get. It seems pretty CC oriented to me but power and condi is a bit all over the place.-Whats the actual class mechanic?-What kind of Utilities are used. It looks to me like signets and we alrady have signets

[Mecha.7301]

@"InsaneQR.7412" said:Some things i want to know from your idea:-What role should this E-Spec get. It seems pretty CC oriented to me but power and condi is a bit all over the place.-Whats the actual class mechanic?-What kind of Utilities are used. It looks to me like signets and we alrady have signets

Great questions! Gets me thinking a bit deeper into the dynamics of the E Spec.

The role would function as a SUPPORT specialization. The goal was to have plenty of micro stuns / holds / slows to aid with dedicated damage specializations.

The class mechanic would be to build a constant flow of CC/ Power Damage synergy in parties / raids. However, solo game-play would rely on decent amount of pet damage (currently an issue) which is why I added scattered condition. Assuming ArenaNet makes corrections to Pet game play, condition damage would not be required for half of these skills.

AH! So true. Utilities does need a second draft. They seem like signets. Hmm, I really just had a vision of what effects they might have, but not the element of uniqueness.

---

Edit:

Utility: (Adaptations) *Adaptations will change qualities or statistics of its use, depending on the active supporting Utility skills.(Example: Paired with Glyph causes X effect + core Adaptations effect. Paired with Survival skill causes X effect + Adaptation effect. Etc.)

Paired( Survival Utility ) Add - Reduce ALL Weapon Skills cool-down by X time limit.Paired( Spirit Utility ) Add - Summon X Dust Mite. Dust Mite causes cripple / minimal melee damage.Paired(Trap Utility) Add - Drop 'Root Seed' ; Enemies in range become stunned for X time limit + X damage. (Referance: Mordrem Thrasher ability for graphic style. "Tentacle Thrash" )

Adaptation - Blessed Thorns (Passive): Increased endurance + allies.(Active): Retaliation + Rejuvenation ( X time limit). On critical strike during time limit of activation, create Thorn Wall (similar to barrier) for X time limit, causing X poison damage and grounds targets to Thorn Wall until duration ends.

Adaptation - Mud Shield: Use the earth and water around you to cast a shield around yourself or ally for X % of Toughness and X time limit. Mud Shield triggers TAUNT to nearest target enemies. Edit: Perhaps an active 'Mud Trail' during the Mud Shield duration that causes nearby enemies to slow? Hmm.

Adaptation - Mushroom Sprout: Call on a Mushroom Sprout (Similar to Scrapper Drones) to rush at enemy(s) for X time limit. Mushroom Sprout causes X damage + Knockdown.( Consume Mushroom ): Sprout dies and leaves behind several quickness boon consumables. Edit: Those same mushrooms cause enemies that trample through them X condition damage?

Adaptation - Hook Vine: Reach out with a powerful Hook Vine to PULL and Entangle your enemies towards you for X time limit + X damage.ORReach out with a powerful Hook Vine towards an Ally and fling yourself to their location. Reflect damage of target ally and additional nearby allies for X time limit.

How about that? Let me know Rangers!

[Dadnir.5038]

The issue that I have with your proposition is that you only propose the optionnal things (utility skills, weapon and pets) and don't talk about the things that you can't avoid when using this e-spec: traitlines and unique mechanism.

Sorry but that's not what someone can qualify as an e-spec, just some skills idea at best. You need to break free from the idea that skills make a spec unique, each spec need to work with the core and add something that make you say: "Oh yes! look at that avatar, that's a druid, so he got a traitline that deal with support and cc." Or "Damn! He just merged with it's pet it's a soul beast he will benefit quite a lot of it's spec mechanic and since he merge with this pet then..."

When I see your proposition I imagine someone that take the spec and don't use either spear nor your proposed skill and say to myself, "what will it be able to do? I got no clue at all..."

So, I'd very much like that you spend your efforts into describing carefully what the special mechanism will do, how it will interact and change your gameplay, as well as what kind of traitline you imagine will be there to support and strengthen this gameplay.

[InsaneQR.7412]

Thats exactly what i ment with classmechanic when you look at @Dadnir.5038 post above.

The idea if utilities giving bonusses dependinh on other utilities is actual quiet a nice concept.I am personally not very fond if many of your ideas because they lack structure. But your general idea of a CC oriented Spec is nice and something that ranger is missing atm. I also like the incorporation of barrier ehich would also fit the theme.Btw the suggested role it has as you describe it is Control (Anet has a soft trinity of Control, Support and pure Dmg). Its the role missing atm because support and pure dmg is already their as an elite spec.

My suggestions:Class Mechanic: No clear concept atm but something that conpletely replaces Petmechanics. Similar how shades replaces shroud on necro it should still work with traits and it should have effects depending on oets selected. A spirit themed mechanic would be interesting.

Weapon: Double MacePersonally i would actually choose shield but it does not bring enough skill flexibility and i doubt how it would fir ranger MH weapons.Double Mace over Hammer because it gives more combinatorial flexibility.CC oriented and Defense oriented.Lots of soft CC on MH and Hard CC on OH.

Utilities:Probably Spiritweapons, Concecrations wells or Meditations. All would fit the theme.

Traits are not really fleshed out here i make this stuff up on the go, not really thought about it deeply.

[Mecha.7301]

Hmm!

THAT'S the kind of critique that helps elevate concepts and design mechanics!

I thought something was missing and until you mentioned the flare and spice that makes other E-Specializations unique, I really didn't see it. You are absolutely right about the lack of Trait-lines and Mechanism. Looking back on this concept it is really only skin deep. Let's try to change that, starting with a dynamic mechanical design template. Here we go!

Update:GROVE MANGLER: Elite Specialization

Description: Once active, a Grove Mangler will begin to take on qualities of a living Treant. Every (X) seconds, Player Character will gain 'OakHeart's Grace' granting player a stack of (X) Armor and a Spirit Wisp (Maximum of [X] ). As each stack applies, the character will gain visual root armor to represent each additional stack. ( Example: Root Armor Shoulders, Root Armor Helm, Root Armor Chest...etc. ) When stacks of OakHeart's Grace reach their maximum, Player will be allowed 3 Utility uses without cool-down restrictions. (Example: Utility Skill [X] can be used 3 times in a row without cool down. Additionally, you can hold the Utility allowance up until you use ANY utility skill. Your stacks of OakHeart's Grace will diminish with every Utility allowance you spend until they are all spent.)

Spirit Wisp: Using F(x) will send one of your Spirit Wisps towards the closest enemy target and suspend them into a 'Dream' (Reference Sylvari Dream / Nightmare ), visually taking on a ghostly form for (X) seconds and out of combat until duration ends.

---

I think that's a start for Mechanics. I'm going to have to really take my time with Trait-lines. There is a lot of balance issues (As is) with current lines. I will do my best in the next post!

Keep me going Rangers!

--Quick Edit!

Just saw your post, you beat me to the punch InsaneQR! I like where you are going with the Weapons suggestion! Double Mace sounds pretty sweet of a deal. I'd love to read more on how that might work in group play or raids!

Rock on!

[InsaneQR.7412]

@Mecha.7301You are quiet the enthusiast arent you^^New to the forums i assume?

For the class mechanic i would actually like to see something similar to ventaris tablet. But instead if healing you can use it as a casting tool indipendent of the ranger with various possible effects depending on pet chosen. So dependent on the pets spirit etc etc. As i said i want it to completely replace pets but keep the inherent uniqueness of them.Problem.with this class mechanic us that it stringly resembles scourges mechanic or ventari rev. But i havent got a better idea.

For utilities and weapon effects i am totally on the planty, rooty side. Druid didnt delivered that well on that theme and i would like to see a strong CC spec with good AoEs and pulls and roots.

[Dadnir.5038]

If you want, you can also find quite a lot of idea in this thread, albeit it doesn't focus on ranger only:

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/1287/suggestion-propose-the-next-elite/p1