[Elite Specialization] The Reality Shaper

[Me Games Ma.8426]

This concept focuses about making the mesmer a caster rather than going deeper into the trickster direction.If spellbreaker is mesmer through the eyes of warrior then the Reality Shaper is Necromancer through the eyes of mesmer.

Weapon: Staff (When Reality Shapers equip a staff they get to choose if they want to use the new or the old weapon set for staff. I thought about making it hammer but I don't like the idea of a ranged caster wielding a Hammer.)Skills: Minions the Reality Shaper Summons are bound to a fix timer of 20s. When it expires or the minions are killed they will explode in a strong attack. The Reality Shaper can choose to execute his minions using the flip over skill.Mechanic: Volatile Visions / Phase SpheresYou create Volatile Visions instead of clones. (These visions do not look like you and they do not have your name.)Volatile visions will run towards your target and explode dealing damage and conditions.Explosion: Cast Time 1/4s, Radius 240, Targets 5, 2x Vulnerability (5s), Explosion Delay 3/4s

Phase Spheres: are powerful AoE Effects.

• F1: Fractured Space - Create a sphere that deals damage to foes. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 5s, Cooldown 12, Radius 240, Range 1200, Targets 5, Combo Field Ether)
• F2: Tormented Reality - Create a sphere that deals minor damage and applies damaging conditions. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 5s, Cooldown 20, Radius 240, Range 1200, Targets 5, Confusion (4s), Torment (4s), Combo Field Ether)
• F3: Dimension Vortex - Open a portal into another dimension that pulls foes and deals minor damage. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 2s, Cooldown 30, Radius 240, Range 1200, Targets 3, Damage Interval 1, Pull Interval 3, Combo Field Ether)
• F4: Reality Sphere - Create a dome around you in which reality itself is phasing. Allies inside the dome can only be attacked by foes inside the dome. (Cast Time 3/4s, Duration 4s, Cooldown 60s, Radius 240, Combo Field Ether)

Staff:

1. Chaotic Discharge - Attack your foe with a discharge of chaotic energy that will damage nearby foes as well. (Cast Time 3/4s, Radius 180, Range 1200, Targets 3)
2. Energy Surge - Send out a stream of energy that damages foes. Foes below the health threshold will be dazed. (Cast Time 1/2s, Health threshold 50%, Daze 1s, Cooldown 10, Range 1200, Targets 3)
3. Volatile Summon - Fire a projectile that deals major damage and create two volatile visions next to your target. (Cast Time 3/4s, Cooldown 12, Range 1200)
4. Phantasmal Dominatior - Summon a phantasm that channels a damaging chaotic field. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 5s, Cooldown 16, Radius 240, Range 1200, Targets 5, Pulses 5, Combo Field Ether)
5. Volatile Storm - Create a storm of Volatile Magic dealing damage and weakening enemies. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 5s, Cooldown 25, Radius 240, Range 1200, Targets 5, Weakness(3s), Combo Field Ether)

Utility Skills:

• Summon Spectral Thief - Create a ranged minion that steals boons for you. When it expires you are healed by large amount. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 20s)
• Summon Ethereal Enchanter - Create a minion that applies boons to allies. When it expires you break stun and recieve a set of boons. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 30s, Expire Effect[5xStability(8s), 8xMight(8s), Swiftness(8s)], Minion Effect[Might(5s), Swiftness(5s), Targets 5])
• Summon Ether Phantom - Create a minion that inflicts conditions on foes. When it expires it explodes inflicting a set of conditions. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 25s, Expire Effect[3xPoison(8s), 3xTorment(8s), Cripple(8s)], Minion Effect[Torment(5s), Bleeding(5s)])
• Summon Phase Claw - Create a minion that deals damage. When it expires it explodes dealing area Damage. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 10s, Radius 240)
• Summon Chaos Fiend - Create a minion that deals damage. When it expires it explodes knocking down enemies. (Cast Time 1s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 45s, Radius 240, Knockdown: 2s)
• Summon Ether Lord - Summon an Aether Lord that attacks your foes. When the Aether Lord expires it deals damage and forms 5 Volatile Visions (Cast Time 1 1/2s, Duration 20s, Cooldown 60s)

Traits:Minor Adept - Allow the usage of a new set of staff skills. Gain Access to Phase Shifts and Minion skills.Major Adept I - Minions have reduced recharge and last longer. (Duration Increase 10s, Recharge Reduced 20%)Major Adept II - Your volatile visions inflict additional bleeding. (2x Bleeding (8s))Major Adept III - Summon a Volatile Vision when critically hit. (ICD: 10s)

Minor Master - Whenever a Volatile Vision explodes all your Phase Spheres are extended by one second. (I copied this mechanic from @mortrialus.3062 - Psychomancer)Major Master I - Deal more damage to foes inside your Fractured Space gain increased critical strike chance while standing inside your own Fractured Space. (Damage increase 20%, Critical Strike Chance Increased: 20%)Major Master II - Phase Spheres last longer. (Duration Increase: 2s, Explosion Duration Increase: 1 1/2s)Major Master III - You receive less damage from enemies far away. (Range Threshold 900, Damage Reduced: 15%)

Minor Grandmaster - Your Volatile Visions gain Superspeed when they spawn.Major Grandmaster I - Your Volatile Visions leave a damaging chaos field when they explode. (Radius 180, Duration 3s, Combo Field Ether)Major Grandmaster II - Volatile Visions' explosion is a blast. (Combo Finisher Blast)Major Grandmaster III - When you remove boons you steal them instead.

I intended to design it with strong AoE pressure and the possibility to function as a power DPS character. I don't think this would be broken as the specialization has obvious counterplay which is melee pressure.Combinations like: Shattered Concentration, and my Grandmaster III are pretty strong for a WvW scenario where this specialization can fill the role of a ranged AoE Bomber that removes boons (same role as the scurge).In PvE I suppose the main goal would be to either juggle Volatile Visions to keep Fractured Space up as long as possible or have burst phases in which you deal as much damage as possible while Fractured Space is active.

[derd.6413]

gonna go with no because of the inevitable AI issues.

also staff

your minions are more similar to scrapper gyros then actual minions

[Me Games Ma.8426]

@derd.6413 said:gonna go with no because of the inevitable AI issues.

also staff

That's some really constructive feedback. Thanks for your opinion!

[derd.6413]

@Me Games Ma.8426 said:

@derd.6413 said:gonna go with no because of the inevitable AI issues.

also staff

That's some really constructive feedback. Thanks for your opinion!

you're welcome

[Me Games Ma.8426]

@derd.6413 said:

@Me Games Ma.8426 said:

@derd.6413 said:gonna go with no because of the inevitable AI issues.

also staff

That's some really constructive feedback. Thanks for your opinion!

you're welcome

So why do you not want staff? Because we already have it? Because you want a new weapon type or is there another reason?

The AI problem... Well yeah. That's something that only ANet can fix. In the past we have seen them fix/change mechanics especially when an elite spec got that kind of skill so that it would work properly. And I suppose that you are only refering to the minions not to the Volatile Visions which essentially are a copy of the Volatile Branded Elemental and these guys work pretty well imo.

Regarding the fact that my minions are more like gyros. Yes that's the plan. I don't intend to copy paste a skill category. Similar to what Anet does when they give an elite spec the same skill type as a core profession already has - they change it up. Mantras for guardians have a Final charge. Mesmer Wells have a final pulse, Stances on Elementalists have a different effect than stances on warriors or guardians. That's why my minions are more like gyros. But the word gyro doesn't match a minion bomber profession imo :)

[Pyroatheist.9031]

Mandatory disclaimer about how this was a waste of time and effort because Anet doesn't take ideas from players and if they do they usually screw it up anyway.

The F4 would be pretty busted in WvW. You'd probably need it to actually have a larger range for it to be less broken. 360 or even 400 radius, allowing more wiggle room for movement as counterplay. It also may not be possible with current tech. Afaik there's no "proximity shield" effects in the game that simply negate damage based on an area. It would likely need to be iimplemented by applying a buff to both allies and enemies that only allows damage if both have the buff, but then you run into the odd issue of target caps with the buff application.

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think it's realistically feasible.

[derd.6413]

@Me Games Ma.8426 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Me Games Ma.8426 said:

@derd.6413 said:gonna go with no because of the inevitable AI issues.

also staff

That's some really constructive feedback. Thanks for your opinion!

you're welcome

So why do you not want staff? Because we already have it? Because you want a new weapon type or is there another reason?

the issue with staff is that it feels less like it was chosen because you had interesting ideas for it and more as a "what else could i have done?" and i can't tell if it is because of disinterest in the weapon or not wanting to deviate from a particular vision.

usually i can tell what the main issue is that i have with espec suggestions but i can't seem to figure it out for this one (which is a first)

[Me Games Ma.8426]

@"Pyroatheist.9031" said:Mandatory disclaimer about how this was a waste of time and effort because Anet doesn't take ideas from players and if they do they usually screw it up anyway.

The F4 would be pretty busted in WvW. You'd probably need it to actually have a larger range for it to be less broken. 360 or even 400 radius, allowing more wiggle room for movement as counterplay. It also may not be possible with current tech. Afaik there's no "proximity shield" effects in the game that simply negate damage based on an area. It would likely need to be iimplemented by applying a buff to both allies and enemies that only allows damage if both have the buff, but then you run into the odd issue of target caps with the buff application.

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think it's realistically feasible.

Yeah I know that this is never gonna make it ingame. I just enjoy making things like this up.

Regarding the F4, do you know how the endboss from arah p2 works? Exactly as you explained. :) It grants a buff to players inside the bubble.My initial idea was to make it protect the mesmer only. However I was unsure if there should be a skill that needs a large visual effect but only affects a single player.Thing is: If they had the tech this would have been a great counterplay to a ranged profession that would be totally op if it had standard distortion.

@"derd.6413" said:

the issue with staff is that it feels less like it was chosen because you had interesting ideas for it and more as a "what else could i have done?" and i can't tell if it is because of disinterest in the weapon or not wanting to deviate from a particular vision.

usually i can tell what the main issue is that i have with espec suggestions but i can't seem to figure it out for this one (which is a first)

wow you totally caught me. I really didn't have any Idea which weapon to give this elite spec and since I wanted long range AoE i went for staff. I don't like the Idea of a caster wielding longbow/rifle and as said above I really don't like hammer as a ranged weapon.

[Crey.5263]

Well, I'd say I'm not a fan of having two different skill sets for the same weapon, because then you can't combine it with the core class. Unless Anet is going to have something similar to the Revenant's mechanic for selecting the loadout. I almost always have a staff as the secondary weapon on my mesmer for it's utility.

If you wanted a 1200 range caster weapon, without suggesting that Anet add a new weapon to the game, you could always suggest a mainhand focus as a 2 handed weapon MH weapon...it has a lot of thematic possibilities with a mage warping reality through a magic mirror or crystal ball. In terms of the character model, I think it would look kind of like the mesmer using both hands to channel into the focus and effects flowing out of it.

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

@Pyroatheist.9031 said:Mandatory disclaimer about how this was a waste of time and effort because Anet doesn't take ideas from players and if they do they usually screw it up anyway.

Paragon, dervish, codex arenas in gw1, mesmer using clones mechanic, and exhaustion mechanic on gw2 were all ideas from players.