Game Update Notes - August 8, 2017

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

08/08/2017 - August 8th Release Notes

World Polish

General

• Current Events achievements from Living World Season 3 have been groupedinto new categories under the Side Stories achievement group.

• All Season 3 Current Events achievements have been unhidden, with theexception of those that cannot be progressed without specific Living Storychapters or expansions.

• Meta-achievements have been added for two of the new Side Storiescategories, including an achievement for beginning each new meta's story.

• A Central Tyria Mastery Point has been added to the existing rewards for theTransfer Chaser meta-achievement.

• With her journey concluded for now, Seis Burntheart has returned to heroriginal location in Frostgorge Sound, where she will direct adventurershoping to follow in her footsteps.

• Event scaling on the Ley-Energy Coalescence events has been rebalanced.

• The Bloodstone-Crazed Arctodus, Bloodstone-Crazed Devourer, andBloodstone-Crazed Moa have gained additional Power.

• Anomaly fragment enemies during the Ley-Line Anomaly events are now easierto stun when Counter Magic is used against them.

• Bandit leaders across Kryta have found their health further reduced as theirsupply lines remain in disarray.

• Responding to local demand for pet-care supplies, a new vendor has set upshop in Rata Sum to provide shoppers with fun and safe toys to entertaintheir cats. Further responding to local demand to "get these infuriatingfelines out of my lab," harmless and scientific equipment for shooing catsaway is also provided.

• Text has been standardized on food and utility tooltips.

• Added two new options to the Sound Options panel that will allow you todetermine how items with unique sound effects play back on your game client.The four options are listed below and can be independently specified forboth your items and other players' items:

  • All: All unique item sound effects will play back without restrictions(as they have traditionally).

  • Limited: Unique item sounds will have a chance to play but will usuallyfall back to default sound effects.

  • Mute Projectiles Only: Unique item sounds originating from projectileattacks (such as Quip and the Dreamer) will be muted, and all otherswill play normally.

  • Off: Unique item sound effects will be completely disabled, and defaultsound effects will play in their place.

• Fixed some issues in which only the left modifier keys (Shift, Alt, Control,etc.) were considered for various UI interactions.

Fractals

Shattered Observatory

• Fixed a bug in which green circles would not display properly for the finalboss.

• Fixed the attack timing for the final boss's Solar Blast.

• Aegis will no longer block the first beam attack in the final boss fight.

• Fixed a bug that could cause the platforms to sometimes not disappear in thefinal boss fight.

• Solar Blooms have had their aggro range increased so that they will alwaysfollow their target.

• Solar Blooms will now bounce off the edges of the final boss platforminstead of getting stuck.

• Solar Blooms' attack telegraph time has been increased by 0.25 seconds.

• For lower tiers, various mechanics for the final boss have had their damagetoned down so that the difficulty curve is more similar to other bosses.

• The Skorvald and Viirastra bosses now provide a daily reward chest.

• Increased the size of the hit box of the final boss.

General:

• Fixed a bug in which players might create a new fractal instance instead ofjoining their existing party when using the Lion's Arch or MistlockSanctuary fractal portals.

• Fixed a bug in which celestial infusion effects displayed the wrong color oncharr.

Items

• Giver's weapons now provide Expertise instead of Condition Duration.

• Giver's armor now provides Concentration instead of Boon Duration.

• Doubloons now provide Concentration instead of Boon Duration.

• Snowflake upgrades now provide Concentration instead of Boon Duration.

• Food consumables that provided Boon Duration or Condition Duration nowprovide Concentration or Expertise instead.

• Food consumables that provided stat conversion have had that bonus replacedwith a flat amount of stats:

  • Foods that converted Toughness into Vitality now grant level-appropriateamounts of Vitality.

  • Foods that converted Toughness and Vitality into Healing Power now grantlevel-appropriate amounts of Healing Power (primary) and Toughness(secondary).

  • Bowl of Chocolate Tapioca Pudding now grants +100 Toughness instead ofconverting Healing Power into Toughness.

  • Bowl of Passion Fruit Tapioca Pudding now grants +100 Power instead ofconverting Healing Power into Power.

  • Bowl of Prickly Pear Tapioca Pudding now grants +100 Condition Damageinstead of converting Healing Power into Condition Damage.

• Utility consumables have been overhauled and now all provide statconversion. More details can be found on the forums: https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Upcoming-Stat-Changes-in-the-Q3-Balance-Update/6667249

  • Sharpening Stones all provide at least one bonus to Power.

  • Maintenance Oils now provide bonuses to Concentration or Healing.

  • Tuning Crystals all provide at least one bonus to Condition Damage.

• Furious, Toxic, Bountiful, and Magnanimous utility consumable recipes havehad their ingredients adjusted to reduce their crafting costs.

  • When ascended materials are ingredients, Sharpening Stones will nowalways require Dragonite Ore, Maintenance Oils will require BloodstoneDust, and Focusing Crystals will require Empyreal Fragments.

• Runes of Balthazar: Fixed a bug that would not allow this rune's sixth pieceto fire while underwater or in air.

 

Profession Skills

With Path of Fire™ on the horizon, we'll soon be adding nine new elitespecializations with nine new trait lines to the game. Along with these newadditions, we are also taking some time to do a pass on the older trait lines inorder to update them for the current state of the game. There has been a generalpass on wording for traits to better clarify what they do, as well as severalfunctionality changes across all core profession traits and some Heart ofThorns™ elite specialization traits. These changes are aimed at improving thesynergy of these old traits with the lines they live in as well as across otherlines.

General:

• Ammunition System: The ammunition (ammo) system has been added to the game.Several skills across multiple professions now use ammo for their skills.Ammo skills have a stock (count) of uses that can regenerate over time. Eachammo skill has a short recharge between uses that varies per skill. Newskill facts for ammo count and Count Recharge have been added. CountRecharge and recharge between uses are affected by recharge-reduction skillsand traits.

• Light Aura: This skill no longer applies a single stack of vulnerability tosomeone striking you. It now reduces incoming Condition Damage by 10% inaddition to granting retaliation when struck.

• Area Weakness: Fixed a bug in which executing a blast finisher in a poisoncombo field would sometimes mistakenly apply 3 seconds of weakness insteadof the intended 5 seconds.

• A new icon for the Explosion skill fact has been added.

• A new icon for the Pierces skill fact has been added.

• Key words relating to profession mechanics and skill types have beenstandardized and highlighted across all professions.

• Charrzooka: This skill is now equipped for a 15-second duration instead ofexpiring after using a set number of attacks.

• Become the Raven:

  • Swoop: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected bymovement-speed modifiers.

• Become the Wolf:

  • Leap: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected bymovement-speed modifiers.

• Become the Snow Leopard:

  • Pounce: The distance this skill travels is no longer affected bymovement-speed modifiers.

Elementalist

In this balance update, the elementalist is seeing some cleanup of a fewelemental minions and a change in the way their Conjure utility skills behave.We've reworked different aspects of these weapons and removed the prohibitivecharge system with the intention of promoting holding on to the weapons andusing all of their skills. Several traits have seen augmentations, with ArcaneResurrection now allowing Geyser (in all of its formats) to revive downed alliesinstead of applying a flat revive percentage. And finally, we're looking tonormalize damage for the elementalist so that it is not effectively thebest-in-slot for damage, support, and survivability in all scenarios. To thisend, we are modifying the functionality for a few skills that unintentionallyoverperform against large hit-box targets, in addition to a select few damagereductions.

Profession:

• Overload Fire: The physical damage has been reduced by 10% in PvE only.

• Overload Air: The total number of attacks has been reduced from 17 to 14.

Weapon Skills:

• Lightning Surge: The cast time has been reduced by 0.4 seconds.

• Geyser: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use thehigher-value Healing Power multiplier in all game modes. Base healing valuehas been reduced by 33%. Number of pulses has been increased from 3 to 5.

• Phoenix: Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to hit more frequently thanintended.

• Wildfire: This skill can now only damage an enemy once per second. Burningduration has been increased from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.

• Burning Speed: This skill can now only damage an enemy once persecond. Fire-wall damage has been increased by 100%, and burning durationhas been increased from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds per tick.

• Burning Retreat: This skill can now only damage an enemy once persecond. Damage has been increased by 100%, and burning duration has beenincreased from 1 second to 2 seconds per tick.

• Flamewall: The damage of this skill has been increased by 100%.

Utility Skills:

• Greater Air Elemental:

  • Shocking Bolt: Recharge has been reduced from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.

• Air Elemental:

  • Lightning Strikes: This skill now fires projectiles directly at thetarget rather than in an area around the target.

• Water Elemental:

  • Frozen Ground: The cast time has been reduced by 1 second. Chillduration has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.

  • Crashing Waves: The cast time of the initial portion of this skill hasbeen reduced by 1.6 seconds. The number of targets knocked back has beenincreased from 1 to 3. The healing attribute multiplier has beenincreased by 300%.

• Fire Elemental:

  • Flame Barrage: Burning duration has been increased from 1 second to 3seconds per missile hit. Recharge has been reduced from 15 seconds to 10seconds.

• Arcane Blast: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been setto 3, with a 20-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge betweeneach use.

• Arcane Wave: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to2, with a 30-second count recharge. There is a 2-second recharge betweeneach use.

• Conjure Weapons: Conjured weapons no longer expire after a set number ofskill activations but instead last for a flat duration of 30 seconds.

• Conjure Lightning Hammer:

  • Lightning Leap: This skill now grants 3 seconds of quickness if it hits.The cooldown of this skill has been increased from 6 seconds to 8seconds.

  • Wind Blast: This skill now grants 3 seconds of superspeed if it hits.

  • Lightning Storm: This skill has been partially reworked. Lightning boltswill occur over a longer duration, with 50% of the bolts guaranteed toattack a target within the radius. The final attack delivered by thestorm guarantees attacks on up to five targets. The number of attackshas been increased from 10 to 12.

• Conjure Frost Bow:

  • Water Arrow: This skill now grants a stacking enhancement to the userwhen striking a target. This enhancement increases outgoing healing by10% per stack and stacks up to two times. In addition, stacks of WaterArrow modify other Conjure Frost Bow skills in different ways. Basehealing has been increased by 10%. The aftercast has been slightlyreduced.

  • Frost Volley: This skill now gains 10% bonus damage per stack of WaterArrow. Cast time has been reduced by approximately 0.5 seconds. Therecharge has been increased from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.

  • Frost Fan: This skill now fires one additional projectile per stack ofWater Arrow.

  • Ice Storm: This skill now fires one additional attack per stack of WaterArrow.

  • Deep Freeze: This skill now freezes for 0.5 additional seconds per stackof Water Arrow.

• Conjure Flame Axe: This conjure weapon now enhances the autoattack byunlocking Double Lava Axe when any other skill on the conjure weapon isused.

  • Double Lava Axe: Throw two lava axes in quick succession.

  • Burning Retreat: This skill can now only damage an enemy once persecond. The damage of this skill has been increased by 100%. Burningduration has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. Fixed a bug thatcaused this skill to not apply burning in some situations.

• Conjure Fiery Greatsword: Wielding this weapon while in combat will nowcreate Fiery Eruptions on random enemies within a range of 600 every 3seconds.

  • Fiery Rush: This skill is now able to hit an enemy only once per second.The damage of the wall portion has been increased by 100%.

• "Feel the Burn!": Fixed a bug that caused this skill to hit more than 5targets.

Traits:

• Powerful Aura: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from correctly sharinglight aura.

• Arcane Resurrection: This trait no longer grants an increased revive ratebut instead changes the functionality of the Geyser skill, causing it torevive allies in its radius by 7% per tick in addition to healing. Thistrait now casts Geyser on the elementalist when they begin reviving an ally.

• Elemental Enchantment: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it nowgrants up to 180 Concentration at level 80.

• Conjurer: This trait no longer increases charge count for conjured weaponsbut instead reduces the recharge for conjured weapon skills that theelementalist uses. Fire-aura functionality remains the same.

• Arcane Abatement: In addition to its previous effects, this trait now healsyou a small amount whenever you swap attunements.

• Imbued Melodies: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it now grantsConcentration.

• Harmonious Conduit: Bonus damage enhancement duration has been reduced from5 seconds to 4 seconds.

• One with Fire: Elementalist skills that grant fire aura have been updated toindicate the correct duration when this trait is equipped.

Engineer

In this update, we're making major changes to the Explosives and Tools traitlines as well as some changes to the Gadget skill type. Explosions traits havebeen reorganized and reworked to better support a larger variety of builds.While we expect any build that takes the Explosives line to have at least someexplosive skills, the line was disproportionately weighted to favor bombs andgrenades to the exclusion of other Power-damage options. We want this line tohave a few viable options for builds that don't go all-in on these kits whilestill having an explosive theme where appropriate. The traits Siege Rounds,Thermobaric Detonation, and Explosive Powder have been removed, and the ShapedCharge trait has been moved to the Grandmaster minor slot due to its passivefunctionality. Several new traits have been added to replace the lost traits,and some adjustments have been made to enhancement skills that suffered a lossof effectiveness due to the removal of these traits. The Tools line wassuffering from poor options at its Grandmaster tier, so we've reworked KineticBattery and Gadgeteer to smooth out their gameplay patterns.

Utility Skills:

• Weapon Kits and Device Kits are now referred to as Engineering Kits toreflect that their classifications are functionally the same.

• Removed the delay on gyro skills before they can be detonated.

• Turret Detonate Skills: Fixed a bug that caused these skills to count astoolbelt skills for the purposes of traits.

• Toss Elixir X (Underwater): Fixed incorrect duration skill facts when thisskill is traited with HGH.

• Personal Battering Ram: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count hasbeen set to 2, with a 25-second count recharge. There is a 5-second rechargebetween each use.

• Rocket Boots: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been setto 2, with a 20-second count recharge. There is a 2-second recharge betweeneach use.

• A.E.D.: This skill now removes confusion in addition to its previousremovals.

• Throw Mine: Added a missing skill fact for the number of boons removed.

• Mortar Kit: Fixed a bug that caused the effects for these skills to playincorrectly on WvW walls and doors.

  • Poison Gas Shell: Increased poison duration from 2.5 seconds to 3seconds. Increased field duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.

  • Endothermic Shell: Increased field duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.

  • Flash Shell: Increased field duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.

  • Elixir Shell: Increased field duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.

Traits:

• Explosive Descent: This trait has been removed and its functionality mergedwith Grenadier. It has been replaced with Blasting Zone. Fixed an incorrectnumber of grenades in the skill fact.

• Grenadier: This trait now reduces falling damage by 50% and causes you todrop grenades when taking falling damage, in addition to its previousfunctionality.

• Blasting Zone: This trait replaces Explosive Descent, grants +120 Power atlevel 80, and causes your blast finishers to grant 1 stack of might for 20seconds.

• Alchemical Tinctures: This trait no longer grants boon duration; it nowgrants up to 240 Concentration at level 80.

• Explosive Powder: This trait has been removed from the game. It has beenreplaced by Shaped Charge. Some explosion skills have had their damageincreased to compensate.

  • Throw Mine: Increased damage by 20%.

  • Booby Trap: Increased damage by 10%.

  • Rocket Turret Overcharge: Increased damage by 10%.

  • Shrapnel Grenade: Increased damage by 14%.

  • Big Ol' Bomb: Increased damage by 10%.

  • Fire Bomb: Increased damage by 14%.

  • Grenade Barrage: Increased damage by 20%.

  • Bunker Down: Increased damage by 10%.

• Shaped Charge: This trait has been moved to the Grandmaster minor slot. Ithas been replaced with Big Boomer.

• Evasive Powder Keg: Removed internal cooldown.

• Big Boomer: This trait replaces the slot left open by Shaped Charge. Itconverts 5% of Power to Vitality and 5% of Power to Ferocity.

• Thermobaric Detonation: This trait has been removed. It has been replacedwith Minesweeper.

• Minesweeper: This trait upgrades Evasive Powder Keg to drop a series ofmines along the dodge path instead of a single bomb.

• Siege Rounds: This trait has been removed. It has been replaced with OrbitalCommand. The duration of fields created by Mortar Kit skills has beenincreased to compensate.

• Orbital Command: This trait invokes an orbital strike when striking a foebelow 50% health and has a 15-second recharge.

• Reactive Lenses: This now uses the traited version of Utility Goggles whenGadgeteer is equipped.

• Lock On: Added functionality. This trait will now also analyze foes that youdisable. Disable analyze and stealth analyze are two separate skills withindividual recharges.

• Excessive Energy: This trait now grants its bonus damage when you are not atfull endurance.

• Kinetic Battery: This trait has been reworked. It now generates kineticcharges whenever a toolbelt skill is used. At 5 charges, gain quickness andsuperspeed for 5 seconds. Charges can only be generated while in combat butdo not expire until 5 stacks is reached or the trait is unequipped.

• Gadgeteer: This trait has been reworked. It no longer requires staticcharges and always enhances your gadgets as long as it is equipped. Gadgetrecharge bonus has been reduced to 20%. Fixed a bug that prevented enhancedskills from displaying their bonuses properly in the trait preview. Specificgadget enhancements have been adjusted as follows:

  • A.E.D.: When fatal damage is prevented, this skill now grants shockingaura in addition to its previous effects.

  • Throw Mine: Increased radius has been removed. This now causes you todrop a second mine at your location when cast.

  • Utility Goggles: Increased might gain from 3 stacks to 5 stacks.

  • Slick Shoes: This skill now inflicts cripple when it knocks downfoes, in addition to its previous effects.

  • Rocket Boots: This skill now grants superspeed after landing, inaddition to its previous effects.

  • Personal Battering Ram: This skill is now considered an explosion andinflicts burning, in addition to its previous effects.

• Pinpoint Distribution: Fixed an incorrect skill fact that listed this traitas providing Precision instead of Condition Damage.

Guardian

The addition of the ammo system also allows us to rework some old skill types.In this case, something we've long wanted to do—Spirit Weapons. These skills nowimmediately summon a weapon that performs a single, powerful skill and thenvanishes. We also revisited some of the older skills and traits that have gonelargely untouched in recent years to update them on the back end and smooth outsome of their functionality. One example of this is Zealot's Flame, which feltsomewhat random in its burn application, so we've smoothed out the burningaround you to pulse every second. In this update, we've also seized theopportunity to review a couple of trait lines, adjusting and reworking the Zealand Radiance specializations.

Weapon Skills:

• Zealot's Flame: Reduced burning duration from 6 seconds to 3 seconds. Ratherthan burning once every 3 seconds after the initial cast, it now burns everysecond as long as the enhancement persists. Fixed a bug that could preventthe application of burning to nearby enemies after the initial cast.

• Faithful Strike: The Healing Power contribution for this skill has beenunsplit from PvP and will use the 100% increase in all game types.

• Zealot's Defense: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to continue blockingeven if the skill was canceled.

• Wave of Wrath: Reduced the range from 600 to 300. Increased the attack anglefrom 90 degrees to 110 degrees to better line up with its effect.

• Orb of Light: Reduced the extended recharge time of this skill whendetonating the orb of light from 400% to 300%. Detonating the orb of lightnow grants light aura to allies, in addition to its previous effects. Thisskill has been unsplit from PvP and will use the 20% higher heal scaling inall game types.

• Empower: This skill now grants healing per pulse in addition to might. Itwill now heal for 17% of the previous healing value for 3 ticks and then 50%at the skill's end.

• Line of Warding: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and how has a30-second recharge in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

• Spirit Weapons: Spirit weapons have been reworked. They now use the ammosystem.

  • Hammer of Wisdom: This now has an ammo count of 2, and using the skillorders the hammer to knock down your foe. Count recharge is 30 seconds.

  • Bow of Truth: This now has an ammo count of 2, and using the skillbarrages an area with healing arrows. Count recharge is 30 seconds.

  • Shield of the Avenger: This now has an ammo count of 3, and using theskill creates a protective dome and flings projectiles at nearbyenemies. Count recharge is 25 seconds.

  • Sword of Justice: This now has an ammo count of 3, and using the skilltargets an area for the sword to repeatedly attack. Count recharge is 25seconds.

• Bane Signet: Fixed a bug with this skill when attempting to use it on atarget behind you.

• Hold the Line!: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will use theincreased 6-second duration in all game types.

• Fragments of Faith: The detonation effect of this trap is no longerunblockable.

Traits:

• Justice Is Blind: This trait now grants you light aura when you activateVirtue of Justice, in addition to its previous effects.

• Radiant Fire: Fixed a bug with this trait in which it would fail to applyburning to nearby enemies when triggered.

• Retribution: This trait now grants Ferocity while you have retaliation, inaddition to its previous effect.

• Zealous Scepter: This trait now also grants 1 stack of might for 10 secondsif you are using a nonscepter weapon when it triggers.

• Expeditious Spirits: This trait has been reworked and renamed EternalArmory. Eternal Armory increases the maximum ammo count of Spirit Weaponskills while reducing their recharge and causes strikes from Spirit Weaponsto inflict burning.

• Symbolic Avenger: This trait now converts 13% of your Toughness into Power,in addition to its previous effect.

• Radiant Retaliation: This trait has been reworked and renamedRighteous Instincts. Righteous Instincts increases your chance to criticallystrike and grants 1 stack of might for 6 seconds every second while you haveretaliation.

• Symbolic Exposure: Increased the stacks of vulnerability inflicted by thistrait from 1 stack to 3 stacks and the vulnerability duration from 3 secondsto 5 seconds.

• Invigorated Bulwark: This trait has been reworked. It now grants increasedoutgoing healing percentage when you block and no longer requires you towield a mace. This trait also reduces the recharge of mace skills andincreases the duration of boons granted by mace skills.

• Perfect Inscriptions: This no longer grants light aura but instead sharesthe passive effects of the activated signets with your allies.

• Honorable Staff: This trait now grants up to 200 Concentration at level 80,regardless of weapon wielded. Removed increased boon duration while wieldinga staff.

• Protector's Impact: This trait now casts Lesser Symbol of Protection whenyou use your healing skill in addition to when you take falling damage, andit has a recharge of 20 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused the falling damagereduction to not function while Lesser Symbol of Protection was recharging.

• Healer's Retribution: Fixed a bug that was preventing this trait fromgranting retaliation when using Purification.

Mesmer

In addition to being integrated into the new ammo system, mesmer mantras areseeing a comprehensive overhaul. When we took a look at the traits available tomantras, we found that harmonious mantras and restorative mantras hadconflicting purposes. Restorative mantras are most effective when you arerestocking your mantra charges, but harmonious mantras made it harder to dothis. With new mantras in the upcoming firebrand specialization, we wanted tomake sure that mesmer mantras had gameplay that was unique to them. Our decisionwas to focus mesmer mantras on combat casting, which meant removing harmoniousmantras and adding additional bonuses to mesmer mantras when they are fullyrestocked. The removal of harmonious mantras also allowed us to make the activeeffects stronger since we no longer had to worry about the balance skewing thatadding a third cast would create. Removing harmonious mantras also gave us spaceto build a new Dueling Grandmaster trait that favors Precision builds.

Profession:

• Cry of Frustration: Fixed the vigor skill fact that appears when BountifulDisillusionment is present so that the correct 8-second vigor duration isindicated.

• Illusionary Warlock: Fixed a bug that caused this phantasm's attack to notincrease in damage against foes with certain conditions.

• Illusionary Berserker: The attack from this phantasm now has a consistentmove distance and is unaffected by enhancements that change movement speed.

• Continuum Split: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill to go on alonger-than-expected recharge when traited with Master of Misdirection.

Weapon Skills:

• Phantasmal Berserker: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to not displaylegendary-weapon projectile effects.

• Spatial Surge: Slightly increased its beam width.

• Blurred Frenzy: This skill now goes on full cooldown if it is canceled.

• The Prestige: This skill now removes 1 condition when activated.

Utility Skills:

• Signet of the Ether: Increased the healing rate to once per second insteadof once per 3 seconds. The healing per pulse has been reduced to preserveapproximate healing per second.

• Mantras: Mantra skills will no longer display their number of charges in theenhancement bar and will instead use the ammo system. Reduced cast time by0.5 seconds. Mantras no longer grant bonus Toughness while channeling. Ammocount has been set to 2. Recharges between casts have not changed.

  • Mantra of Recovery: When fully charged, this skill now heals for a smallamount.

  • Power Return: Count recharge has been set to 20 seconds. Lowered basehealing by approximately 33%. Heal amount is increased while below 50%health.

  • Mantra of Concentration: Reduced recharge to 15 seconds. Count rechargehas been set to 30 seconds. When fully charged, grants a stack ofstability and aegis for 5 seconds.

  • Power Break: Removed unnecessary range skill fact. Cleaned up ambiguouslanguage about stun breaks.

  • Mantra of Distraction: When fully charged, this skill reduces therecharge of Diversion by 15 seconds.

  • Power Lock: Count recharge has been set to 24 seconds. Updated skilldescription to reflect that this skill hits multiple targets.

  • Mantra of Pain: When fully charged, gain 8 stacks of might for 5seconds.

  • Power Spike: Count recharge has been set to 10 seconds. Inflicts 5stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds on foes not using skills. Updatedthe skill description to reflect that this skill his multiple targets.

  • Mantra of Resolve: Reduced recharge to 12 seconds. When fully charged,gain resistance for 2 seconds.

  • Power Cleanse: Count recharge has been set to 24 seconds. Increased thenumber of conditions removed from 2 to 3. Added an effect to indicateskill area.

• Arcane Thievery: This skill has been unsplit and now has a 25-secondrecharge in all game modes.

• Signet of Midnight: The signet's active effect now grants stealth for 2seconds but no longer applies vulnerability or cripple. The recharge hasbeen increased from 25 seconds to 30 seconds.

Traits:

• Harmonious Mantras: This trait has been removed from the game.

• Superiority Complex: This trait replaces Harmonious Mantras and increasescritical-hit damage by 15%. This bonus is further increased to 25% againstfoes below 50% health or foes who become disabled by stun, daze, taunt,fear, knockdown, etc.

• Mistrust: This trait has been removed from the game.

• Ineptitude: This trait has been moved to the Grandmaster trait line inDueling, to the slot previously taken by Mistrust, and its effects havechanged. This trait now causes interrupts to inflict blind for 5 seconds,and applies blind to inflict 2 stacks of confusion for 5 seconds.

• Phantasmal Force: This trait replaces the slot left open by Ineptitude andhas the following effect: Phantasms gain a 1% damage boost whenever might isapplied to them, and a 4% damage boost whenever they attack (maximum bonus25%). This bonus damage lasts until the phantasm is destroyed.

• Restorative Mantras: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to show incorrectvalues based on the player's Healing-Power multiplier. Lowered basemultiplier by 37%. Increased Healing-Power multiplier by 25%.

• Persistence of Memory: This trait has been reworked. It now causes shatteredphantasms to transfer their boons to the mesmer.

• The Pledge: This trait now grants a flat 20% recharge reduction but nolonger causes torch skills to remove conditions. Instead, it causes torchskills to apply an additional stack of burning. (Does not affect phantasmattacks.)

• Mender's Purity: This trait now casts Lesser Power Cleanse, which removes 1condition from you and nearby allies. Fixed a bug that could cause thistrait to put Mantra of Resolve on recharge. This trait now shows an effectto indicate its radius.

• Chaotic Dampening: This trait now grants a flat 20% recharge reduction tostaff and trident skills instead of scaling the recharge reduction withChaos Armor. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to grant an unlisted 50Toughness while wielding a staff or trident.

• Descent into Madness: The skill fired by this trait has been renamed toLesser Chaos Storm. This trait now casts Lesser Chaos Storm when you useyour healing skill in addition to when you take falling damage.

Necromancer

One of the biggest changes for necromancers in this patch is the change to theVital Persistence trait. Previously, this trait reduced the rate at which lifeforce decayed while in shroud and was too powerful compared to the other twotraits in the same tier. We've changed the functionality of this trait in orderto provide a different option that is easier to track and is more competitivewith other traits in the same tier. The Lich Form elite skill has also receiveda significant update and had most of its functionality overhauled to betterposition it as a power-based option that can complement Plaguelands. One othermajor change was to the Signets of Suffering trait in the Spite line, whichpreviously was competing with Spiteful Spirit as a boon-corruption option. We'vereworked this trait to more directly benefit signet skills and increase theboon-corruption power of Spiteful Spirit a bit for players who want thatfunctionality.

Profession:

• Infusing Terror: Updated the description of this skill to clarify thedamage-reduction component.

Weapon Skills:

• Life Siphon: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higherhealing value in all game modes. Fixed a bug that caused this skill to go onhigher (normal) recharge when interrupted while Quickening Thirst isequipped.

• Dark Pact: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higherdamage value in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

• Spectral Walk: Removed one of the unique enhancements from visibilitybecause it had no function. Increased duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.

• Spectral Armor: Increased duration from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.

• Spectral Wall: Increased duration from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.

• Spectral Grasp: This skill now fires at the necromancer's original targetand up to 4 other enemies within a 1,200 range. Increased the recharge from20 seconds to 50 seconds. This skill has been unsplit from PvP and nowfunctions the same in all game modes.

• Lich Form: This skill has had a functionality rework for many of its skills.Its active duration has been increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds.

  • Marked for Death: This skill has been renamed to Lich's Gaze. Thefunctionality of this skill has been reworked and will now fire a boltof dark energy at a random, nearby enemy that cripples for 2 seconds andapplies vulnerability for 10 seconds. This skill uses the new ammosystem, with an ammo count of 5 and a count recharge of 1.5 seconds.There is a 0.1-second recharge between each use.

  • Chilling Wind: This skill has been renamed to Ripple of Horror. The lichwill now fire a wave of terrible power that fears enemies struck by itfor 2 seconds. Grants access to March of Undeath while the wave isactive.

    • March of Undeath: Shadowstep to your Ripple of Horror, destroyingit.

  • Mark of Horror: This skill has been renamed to Summon Madness. Thisskill no longer requires a ground target. Upon casting, minions willspawn every second for the next 8 seconds. Minions spawned have beenchanged from Jagged Horrors to a new Unstable Horror. Unstable Horrorshave a low health pool and will explode after 6 seconds if they are notkilled, dealing damage in a 180 radius around them.

  • Grim Specter: This skill has been reworked to no longer clear conditionsfrom allies or boons from enemies. This skill now tethers up to 5 nearbyenemies, drawing Vitality to the lich. The lich gains up to 30 Vitalityper stack for 20 seconds, life-stealing each pulse. Enemy players struckby this skill have their Vitality reduced by an equivalent amount forthe same duration.

• Shadow Fiend: Increased damage of basic attack by 50%. Increased damage ofHaunt skill by 33%, and fixed an incorrect skill description. Haunt nowapplies chilled for 3 seconds and weakness for 5 seconds, in addition toblind.

• Plague Signet: Updated skill facts to clarify that this skill's passiveeffect transfers 1 condition every 3 seconds from allies to yourself.

• Signet of Spite: When activated, this skill now inflicts 2 stacks of tormentfor 6 seconds, in addition to its previous active effects.

Traits:

• Soul Eater: This trait has had its functionality changed. It now reduces therecharge of greatsword skills by 20%. Additionally, it grants healing andlife force every second while in combat and wielding a greatsword

• Spectral Mastery: Duration increase has been reduced from 50% to 20%.

• Spiteful Spirit: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to be nonfunctionalwhile underwater. Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from grantingretaliation. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to fail to display thenumber of boons converted. Increased the number of boons converted from 1 to2.

• Chill of Death: The skill fired by this trait has been renamed to LesserSpinal Shivers.

• Terrifying Descent: This trait now also inflicts 1 stack of torment for 3seconds on foes you fear, in addition to its previous functionality. Theskill activated when taking falling damage has been named Lesser Terrify.

• Spiteful Renewal: This trait now triggers when you use a healing skillinstead of when striking a low-health foe.

• Signets of Suffering: This trait has been reworked to have the followingfunctionality: Signets have a 20% reduced recharge and their passiveabilities are improved. Signet passive effects are preserved while in ashroud.

  • Signet of Vampirism: Healing when struck has been increased byapproximately 50%.

  • Plague Signet: The number of conditions drawn per interval has beenincreased from 1 to 2.

  • Signet of Spite: Increased Power to 270 at level 80.

  • Signet of the Locust: Grants an additional 180 Healing Power at level80.

  • Signet of Undeath: Life-force gain per interval has been increased from2% to 3%.

• Ritual of Life: This trait no longer improves revive speed. The skill castby this trait has been renamed Lesser Well of Blood. This trait now causesWell of Blood and Lesser Well of Blood to revive allies by 7% each pulse.

• Life from Death: Increased the revive amount to 10%. Increased healing by25%.

• Vampiric Rituals: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now provides 5seconds of protection in all game modes. Increased life-stealing values byapproximately 100%.

• Speed of Shadows: This trait has been reworked, now grants 10 seconds ofswiftness, and removes all movement-impairing conditions when you enter ashroud.

• Vital Persistence: This trait no longer slows shroud decay but insteadgrants bonus Vitality and reduces the recharge of shroud skills by 20%.

Ranger

With this release, we've aimed to update numerous traits for readability andsynergy within each line. Included in these changes are some quality-of-lifeupdates, such as syncing pet-swap trait cooldowns with the cooldown pet swap, aswell as major revisions to some traits like Most Dangerous Game and EmpathicBond. While revisiting traits, we also reviewed the ranger's signets with an eyeon encouraging player choice of whether to activate the signet or retain thepassive benefits by ensuring the actives are not merely a temporarily betterversion of the passive.

Profession:

• Celestial Avatar: Fixed a bug that was causing druids in Celestial Avatarform to lose access to their energy and transformation if they were frozenby Ice Storm (in Bitterfrost Frontier).

• Drake: Fixed a bug causing the Tail Swipe skill to display a smaller radiusthan the actual skill; it now correctly displays the larger radius of 280.

Weapon Skills:

• Maul: Fixed a bug in which the damage was being incorrectly updated whentraited with Two-Handed Training.

• Swoop: Changed the range skill fact from 1,100 to 1,000 to better reflectthe actual range of this skill (no functionality change).

• Hilt Bash: Fixed a bug that was occasionally causing this skill to miss atnear maximum range or strike a target behind you.

• Winter's Bite: Unsplit this skill from PvP. The higher 150% damage will nowbe used in all game types.

• Ancestral Grace: This skill now grants your pet protection for 3 seconds.Fixed a bug in which the player's backpack would still be shown whilemoving.

Utility Skills:

• Signet of Renewal: Reduced the recharge of this skill from 60 seconds to 50seconds. The old passive effect of removing a single condition every 10seconds has been replaced with Signet of the Wild's, in which you and yourpet recover health constantly. The active effect now grants resistance toyour pet for 2 seconds when they take conditions from nearby allies tothemselves.

• Signet of Stone: Added additional tooltip information to indicate how muchToughness is gained from the passive of this skill.

• Signet of the Hunt: Increased the recharge of this skill from 30 seconds to40 seconds. The old active effect of increasing the damage of your and yourpet's next strike has been replaced with making your and your pet's attacksunblockable for 6 seconds.

• Signet of the Wild: Reduced the recharge of this skill from 60 seconds to 40seconds. The cast time of this skill has been reduced by 0.25 seconds. Theold passive of recovering health constantly has been moved to Signet ofRenewal and replaced with improved Ferocity for you and your pet. The oldactive of gaining stability and increased damage has been replaced and nowimmobilizes nearby foes for several seconds.

• Strength of the Pack: Removed a tooltip that was no longer relevant.

• Glyphs: Fixed a bug in which being transformed while in the Celestial Avatarstate would leave your glyphs in that mode.

• Muddy Terrain: This skill now inflicts slow for 1 second every pulse, inaddition to cripple. This change also applies to the version of the skillfired by the trait Soften the Fall.

Traits:

• Opening Strike: This trait now grants Opening Strike to both you and yourpet, rather than to just you.

• Enlargement: This trait has been replaced with Stoneform. Stoneform castsLesser Signet of Stone when your health drops below the 50% healththreshold, granting you temporary immunity to damage from attacks.

• Predator's Instinct: This trait has been replaced with Hunter'sGaze. Hunter's Gaze grants you varying amounts of might when striking a foebased on their health percentage.

• Clarion Bond: This trait now casts Lesser Call of the Wild when you swappets. Lesser Call of the Wild has a shorter cooldown and grants shorterduration enhancements than Call of the Wild.

• Alpha Training: This trait has been replaced with Alpha Focus. Alpha Focuscauses your opening strike to inflict cripple for 2 seconds.

• Brutish Seals: This trait has been reworked. It no longer grantsmight. Brutish Seals now grants 6 seconds of fury to allies around you whenusing a signet and reduces the recharge of your signets.

• Most Dangerous Game: This trait has been replaced by Vicious Quarry. ViciousQuarry causes fury on you, granting increased Ferocity, as well as anadditional critical-strike chance, and grants 4 seconds of fury when you arestruck while below 75% health.

• Natural Vigor: The endurance recovery granted by this trait has beenincreased from 20% to 25%.

• Expertise Training: This trait has been renamed and reworked to Taste forDanger. It now grants increased Vitality and converts 7% of Vitality intoExpertise for both you and your pet.

• Bark Skin: This trait has been replaced with Rugged Growth. Rugged Growthheals you or your pet while they have protection.

• Empathic Bond: This trait has been reworked and now splits the duration ofconditions applied to you between you and your pet.

• Rejuvenation: The internal cooldown of this trait has been reduced from 18seconds to 10 seconds.

• Instinctive Reaction: This trait no longer grants Power based on yourHealing Power. You and your pet now convert 7% of your Power into HealingPower.

• Vigorous Training: This trait has been renamed Spirited Arrival. Grant vigorand fury to nearby allies for 8 seconds when you swap pets.

• Lingering Magic: This trait no longer grants boon duration. It now grants upto 240 Concentration at level 80 to both you and your pet.

• Go for the Eyes: Removed increased pet Toughness.

• Zephyr's Speed: This trait now casts Lesser Quickening Zephyr when you swappets. Lesser Quickening Zephyr is not a stun break, has a shorter cooldown,and grants shorter duration enhancements than Quickening Zephyr.

• Companion's Might: This trait has been replaced with Potent Ally. PotentAlly grants 1 stack of might for 6 seconds to you or your pet when the otherone critically strikes a foe.

• Natural Healing: Removed the pet Healing-Power increase. Increased the pulseinterval from 1 second to 3 seconds. Increased the healing amount to retainoverall healing per second.

• Soften the Fall: This trait now casts Lesser Muddy Terrain when you use yourhealing skill, in addition to when you take falling damage.

• Lead the Wind: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from updating longbowskills with the Pierces skill fact.

Revenant

Inspiring Reinforcement felt lacking in its stability generation because youstill had to wait for the skill to complete before gaining stability. We'vechanged it to immediately grant stability to the caster so you have theopportunity to prevent crowd control before it lands. The Retribution traitline's identity was centered around Sustain and was somewhat lacking in synergy;a couple trait reworks here are intended to create some interplay withretaliation and stability. The Devastation line and the Legendary Assassinstance have been about Power damage and seizing initiative, and we've pushed afew modifications here to help Power builds and offer revenants more control onwhen their traits come into play.

Weapon Skills:

• Hammer Bolt: Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to hit foes beyond itsmaximum range.

• Echoing Eruption: This skill now leaps to a target, if there is one.Increased the leap distance traveled by 25%. Fixed a bug causing this skillto display the incorrect range.

• Shackling Wave: Increased damage by 66%. This attack now inflicts 8 stacksof vulnerability for 5 seconds. The range has been increased from 300 to450.

• Grasping Shadow: Increased damage by 25%. The fury duration has beenincreased from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.

Utility Skills:

• Protective Solace: Fixed a bug with this skill's tooltip displaying theincorrect radius.

• Inspiring Reinforcement: This skill has been unsplit from PvP, reducing theenergy cost of this skill from 35 to 30 in all game types.

• Vengeful Hammers: Added a third hammer and reduced damage by 33% to preserveapproximate damage per second. Changed the base function of this skill soyou can no longer lose projectiles as a result of passing too close touneven terrain. This skill has been unsplit from PvP, using the increasedhealing values in all game types.

• Energy Expulsion: Increased the duration of fragments created by this skillfrom 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

• Enchanted Daggers: Increased damage by 20%.

• Riposting Shadows: This skill now grants 6 seconds of fury when activated.

• Impossible Odds: This skill now grants 10% increased damage for its durationin addition to its existing effects.

• Jade Winds: This skill now inflicts 6 stacks of vulnerability for 6 secondson each foe struck, in addition to its existing effects.

• Soothing Stone: This skill now grants 5 seconds of retaliation when used,rather than scaling retaliation based on the number of conditions removed.

Traits:

• Abyssal Chill: Fixed a bug that affected how this trait displays its tormentskill fact.

• Nefarious Momentum: Increased the might granted when using anassassin-stance skill from 2 to 3 stacks. This trait now grants 2 stacks ofmight for 10 seconds when using a nonassassin stance skill.

• Mutilate Defenses: This trait now has a chance to inflict vulnerability whenyou critically strike rather than on any strike. The chance to inflictvulnerability has been increased from 25% to 33%, and the duration ofvulnerability has been increased from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.

• Empowering Vengeance: This trait has been reworked and renamed ViciousReprisal. Vicious Reprisal increases the duration of retaliation applied toyou by 50% and causes your attacks to do 10% increased damage, granting 1stack of might for 8 seconds as long as you have retaliation.

• Improved Aggression: This trait has been split and now increases tauntduration by 100% in PvE and 25% in WvW and PvP. It now also grants 2 secondsof retaliation when taunting a foe.

• Versed in Stone: This trait now also converts 13% of your Toughness intoPower.

• Determined Resolution: This trait has been reworked and now reduces thedamage you take while you have stability by 15%, and increases the durationof stability you apply by 33%.

• Hardened Foundation: This trait has been reworked and now grants up to 120Toughness, converting 7% of your Toughness into Healing Power.

• Natural Abundance: Increased the duration of fragments from this trait from5 seconds to 10 seconds.

• Hardening Persistence: Fixed an issue in PvP where this trait was notgranting the proper amount of Toughness when using Facet of Light.

• Planar Protection: This trait now casts Dome of the Mists when you use yourhealing skill in addition to when you take falling damage. Increased Dome ofthe Mists's recharge from 5 seconds to 20 seconds.

• Envoy of Sustenance: This trait no longer grants boon duration. It nowgrants up to 240 Concentration at level 80.

• Venom Enhancement: Increased the poison application of this trait from 1stack to 2 stacks.

• Focused Siphoning: Increased damage dealt by 20%.

• Malicious Reprisal: This trait now triggers when you block an attack as wellas when your attacks are blocked. The unblockable attacks from this traitnow deal 25% increased damage. This trait has swapped positions with JadeEcho and moved to the Master tier. Reduced recharge from 30 seconds to 20seconds.

• Assassin's Annihilation: Increased damage dealt by 20%.

• Enduring Recovery: This trait no longer grants a chance to recover enduranceevery 10 seconds when struck. Instead, it now grants a constant 25%increased endurance recovery, as long as the trait is equipped.

• Jade Echo: This trait has swapped positions with Malicious Reprisal andmoved to the Adept tier. Renamed the skill fired by this trait to LesserJade Winds.

• Assassin's Presence: Increased the Ferocity bonus granted by this trait to225 at level 80.

• Dwarven Battle Training: The chance to apply weakness has been increased to100%.

• Dismantle Fortifications: This trait now grants 5 stacks of might for 5seconds when you attempt to disable a foe with stability, in addition to itsprevious effects.

• Steadfast Rejuvenation: Increased the chance for healing to occur to 100%.Increased healing by 25%.

Thief

The Daredevil specialization has largely taken over the Power-based gameplaythat used to be the domain of the sword, so we are giving sword (andsword-related traits) an enhancement in order to ensure it has some uniqueutility to offer. Tricks and signets are also receiving several changes to helpthem compete with the very powerful utility skills offered by deceptions andphysicals. Finally, we are also reassessing some traits that we felt were eitherlacking in power or not offering enough diversity in choice.

Profession:

• Stolen Skills:

  • Skull Fear: Added a missing unblockable skill fact.

  • Consume Plasma: Increased the duration of stability granted by thisskill from 3 seconds to 5 seconds. This skill now also grants quicknessfor 2.5 seconds.

  • Throw Gunk: This skill is now targeted instead of ground targeted whenused underwater. Updated the skill facts to show the correct number ofhits.

Weapon Skills:

• Infiltrator's Strike: This skill now grants 3 seconds of swiftness whencast, in addition to its previous effects.

• Infiltrator's Return: Lowered the aftercast by 0.2 seconds.

• Larcenous Strike: This skill now deals 20% bonus damage to boonless foes.This damage is calculated after the boon strip takes place.

• Flanking Strike (Sword Attack): This attack is now unblockable.

• Flanking Strike (Spear Attack): This skill has been renamed to FlankingDive, to eliminate confusion with similarly named skills and traits.

• Tactical Strike: This skill has been unsplit and now dazes for 2 seconds inall game modes when attacking from behind. Increased the damage by 33%.

• Dancing Dagger: Now applies 1 stack of torment for 6 seconds, in addition toits previous effects.

• Pistol Whip: Increased the stun duration to 0.75 seconds. Added anadditional warning effect to Warmup. Reduced the number of flurry hits from8 to 4, to match the animation. Flurry damage has been increased by 100% tocompensate.

Utility Skills:

• Distracting Daggers: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count hasbeen set to 3 with a count recharge of 20 seconds. There is a 1-secondrecharge between uses.

• Haste: Lowered the recharge from 50 seconds to 30 seconds. Now grantsswiftness for 6 seconds, in addition to its previous effects.

• Roll for Initiative: Lowered the recharge from 60 seconds to 35 seconds.

• Signet of Shadows: The active effect now applies weakness and 10 stacks ofvulnerability for 5 seconds, in addition to blind. This skill now requires atarget before it will activate. This skill will no longer activate and donothing if it is cast on a target out of range.

• Thieves Guild: The thieves summoned by this skill will now use chatter linesthat match their race. Increased the number of thieves summoned to 3.

• Ambush: The thieves summoned by this skill will now use chatter lines thatmatch their race.

• Dagger Storm: Reduced the duration from 8 seconds to 4 seconds, but doubledthe number of daggers thrown. Now gives 1 stack of stability for 6 secondson activation instead of pulsing stacks. This skill now increases movementspeed by 100% while activated. Changed the system that limited hits on thesame target to be more consistent for multiple thieves using the skill atthe same time.

• Assassin's Signet: The active skill of this signet now triples the Powerbonus of the passive for 5 seconds. Reduced the recharge from 40 seconds to30 seconds.

• Hide in Shadows: Fixed a bug in which this skill was not receiving increasedstealth duration from Meld with Shadows.

Traits:

• Improvisation: Updated the text description to refer to Stolen Skillsinstead of Stolen Items. The skill-recharge portion of this trait now has a20-second internal cooldown.

• Hidden Killer: This trait now grants a lingering 100% critical-hit chanceenhancement for 2 seconds when you are revealed from stealth in addition toits previous functionality.

• Flanking Strikes (Trait): This trait has been renamed to Burst of Agility toeliminate confusion with the similarly named attack skills. The version ofhaste activated by this trait has been renamed to Lesser Haste. Lesser Hastenow grants swiftness for 6 seconds in addition to its previous effects.

• Pain Response: This trait now removes confusion in addition to its othereffects.

• Swindler's Equilibrium: Increased bonus damage to 10%. Increased internalcooldown from 1 second to 20 seconds. This trait now fully recharges stealwhen the conditions are met instead of recharging it by 1 second.

• Side Strikes: This trait has been removed, and its effects have beencombined with Flawless Strikes. It has been replaced with Assassin's Fury.

• Assassin's Fury: This trait grants 3 stacks of might for 8 seconds wheneveryou gain fury and has a 2-second internal cooldown.

• Flawless Strikes: This trait has been renamed to Twin Fangs and now causesattacks from behind or beside to have 7% bonus critical-hit chance inaddition to its previous functionality.

• Signets of Power: This trait no longer grants might when a signet is cast.Instead, it causes all signets to have a second passive effect. Theadditional passive varies per signet.

  • Signet of Malice: Heal on kill.

  • Assassin's Signet: Gain 2 stacks of might for 5 seconds on kill.

  • Infiltrator's Signet: Regain 1 initiative on kill.

  • Signet of Agility: Regain 10 endurance on kill.

  • Signet of Shadows: Gain 2 seconds stealth on kill (no effect if alreadystealthed).

• Cloaked in Shadow: The falling damage component of this trait has been movedto Last Refuge. This trait now makes you immune to critical hits while instealth in addition to blinding nearby foes when you stealth. The blindapplied by this trait can now be blocked or evaded.

• Last Refuge: The blinding powder cast by this skill has been renamed toLesser Blinding Powder. This trait now also causes you to cast LesserBlinding Powder when you take fall damage and reduces falling damage inaddition to its previous functionality. Fixed a bug that caused LesserBlinding Powder to be considered a trick instead of a deception.

• Endless Stamina: This trait now grants a +240 Concentration at level 80 inaddition to its previous effects.

• Don't Stop: This trait has been reworked and now causes incomingmovement-impairing conditions have 80% reduced duration while you haveswiftness. Additionally, when you gain swiftness it removes onemovement-impairing condition.

Warrior

In addition to moving some utility skills to the new ammo system, we're alsotaking a look at the Strength and Arms trait lines. These lines have severaladjustments aimed at making each choice more meaningful and less conflictingwith other choices in the same tier while also focusing the purpose of eachtrait line into areas that make the most sense. One important trait that changedin this process was Berserker's Power, which is an important trait for warriorswho rely on Power damage. This trait previously granted a damage bonus based onthe tier of adrenaline you were at when you used a burst skill. We've updatedthis trait to better scale with the amount of adrenaline you use so thatwarriors can feel good about using lower-level bursts consecutively rather thanalways waiting for the level 3.

Profession:

• Primal Burst: These skills now count as level-1 bursts for the purposes oftraits that scale on adrenaline level.

Weapon Skills:

• Throw Axe: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 2with a 10-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge between uses.

• Combustive Shot: Fixed a bug that caused the projectile created by thisskill to be destroyed without creating the damaging area when fired at enemygates in WvW.

• Scorched Earth: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to fail to hit some gatesin WvW.

• Flaming Flurry: Increased projectile speed by 66%.

• Aimed Shot: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higherdamage values and vulnerability stack amounts in all game modes.

• Flames of War: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the higherburn duration and burning stack values in all game modes.

• Blaze Breaker: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and now uses the highercondition durations in all game modes.

Utility Skills:

• "On My Mark!": This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been setto 2 with a 30-second count recharge. There is a 5-second recharge betweenuses.

• Kick: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to 3 witha 30-second count recharge. There is a 3-second recharge between uses.

• Throw Bolas: This skill now uses the ammo system. Ammo count has been set to2 with a 25-second count recharge. There is a 1-second recharge betweenuses.

• Bull's Charge: This skill now evades for the duration of the charge.Increased damage by 267%. This skill now goes on full recharge if

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fix:

• Fixed a server crash.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fix:

• Fixed server and client crashes.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a server crash.
• Fixed an issue that caused the redirector in Hoelbrak’s Great Lodge to send players to Hero’s Canton in the Black Citadel instead of Knut Whitebear’s Loft.

Ranger

• Instinctive Reaction: Fixed a bug in which the player’s pet gained slightly less healing power than expected.
• Taste for Danger: Fixed a bug in which the player’s pet gained slightly less expertise than expected.Elementalist
• Wildfire: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to inflict lower duration burning than expected.Thief
• Swindler’s Equilibrium: Fixed a bug that could cause this trait to go on cooldown even if it did not recharge Steal.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a client crash occurring in the Bitter Harvest story instance.
• Removed Path of Fire drops from non-Path of Fire content.
• Adjusted Ogre Watch territory.
• Fixed a bug in which anomaly fragments could be absorbed by the Legendary Anomaly at long range if they were stunned immediately after spawning.
• Performed server maintenance. (PvP Demo)

Guardian

• Sword of Justice: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill to strike fewer times than expected if the guardian was attacking at the same time.
• Hammer of Wisdom: Fixed a bug that prevented Hammer of Wisdom damage from scaling with the guardian’s attributes.
• Shield of the Avenger: Fixed a bug that prevented Shield of the Avenger damage from scaling with the guardian’s attributes.

Ranger

• Pets: Fixed a bug that caused a delay in readiness upon pet swap or world entry.
• Entangle: Fixed a bug that listed damage from this skill as Jacaranda’s Embrace.
• Ancient Seeds: Fixed a bug that listed damage from this trait as Jacaranda’s Embrace.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Enabled access to Captain Ellen Kiel’s office so players can complete tasks required by the Dreamer and Quip legendary collections.
• Fixed a bug that prevented Sword of Justice damage from scaling with the guardian’s attributes.
• Fixed a client crash.

Guardian

• Signets: Fixed a bug in which Perfect Inscriptions allowed the stacking of multiple passive effects.
• Sword of Justice: Increased the base damage of this skill by 80%.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fix:

• Fixed a server crash.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

Necromancer

• Scourge: Fixed a permissions bug preventing necromancers from accessing their scourge profession abilities underwater.

Ranger

• Leader of the Pack: Fixed a bug with this trait’s interaction when using the skill One Wolf Pack.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a server crash.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug in Siren’s Landing in which foes in the “Kill the undead that have escaped into the camp” event would become friendly at 0 health.
• Fixed a bug in Siren’s Landing in which the lava would occasionally continue to apply burning to players after they left it.
• Fixed a server crash.

Black Lion Trading CompanyImprovements:

• Improved tooltips on some items from the Living World Season 1 Memory Boxes.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• 64-bit Mac client: Fixed missing or disappearing environment models in the personal-story instanced version of the Cathedral of Hidden Depths.
• Fixed a client crash.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue with certain spider spawns in Lake Doric.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fix:

• Updated to prepare for the August 31 Path of Fire stress test.

[Mark Katzbach.9084]

Bug Fix:

• Updated to prepare for the September 7 Path of Fire stress test.

[Gaile Gray.6029]

Game Update September 13, 2017:

• Performed maintenance build in preparation for the launch of Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire.