Deadringer (E-spec concept)

[Swagg.9236]


 

A living conduit to the spirit world, a Deadringer bends life force into corporeal form. This Necromancer conjures **phantoms**: soul energy incarnate. True to their name, Deadringers can call upon the emotional roil of the mists and bind spirits to the physical plane. These **shroud spirits**—collected, echoing energies of souls who have passed into the realm of the mists—can serve to combat foes or defend allies.

 

Often living as wayward hermits throughout the world, many people seek their counsel and skills in times of spiritual need. Potions brew, charms jingle and homes fill with phantoms as a single figure conducts an incense-trimmed seance. As wandering shamans and witch doctors, Deadringers typically live off of the land and what little support that comes from those beholden to them. However, in more remote areas, the Deadringer occasionally wears the mantle of pariah. Throughout history, there have been tales of mighty yet unconscionable Deadringers who would bind souls into artificial constructs or bodies of the recently dead. Whether to keep a lost love one near in heartbreak or to arrogantly wield the powers of ancestral spirits as tools of conquest, such twisted acts of raw command over the Mists have marred this spiritual profession's reputation in the eyes of those who still recite such stories.

 

[Swagg.9236]

#Hammer (spec weapon)

 

>!**[union Strike]** (1)

>!Cast-time: 1s

>!Strike foes in melee with your hammer and cast out a bolt of spirit energy that explodes on impact.

>!* Number of targets: 3

>!* Hammer strike damage: (0.65)

>!* Bolt damage: (0.65)

>!* Hammer range: 130

>!* Bolt range: 1200

>!* Bolt damage radius: 150

 

>!*This skill's projectile shares the same arc and movement speed as Elementalist [Fireball]. Both the melee attack and the ranged projectile attack can hit up to three targets respectively, and both attacks can strike the same target.*

 

>!**[spirit Rift]** (2)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Recharge: 6s

>!Smash the ground and open a pulsing rift of souls at the target location. While below the life force threshold, each pulse deals increased damage.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage (4x): (3.2)

>!* Life Force threshold: 50%

>!* Damage Increased: 25%

>!* Duration: 4s

>!* Combo Field: Light

>!* Range: 1200

 

>!*Mark dimensions match the Elementalist [Firewall] AoE. The mark reticle and placement are aligned such that the mark will attempt to place itself vertically with respect to the user's forward-facing orientation rather than horizontally like a typical “wall” or “ward line.”*

 

>!*Pulses occur at the beginning of each second of its duration (strikes immediately upon creation).*

 

>!*Whether or not [spirit Rift] inflicts increased damage or applies superspeed throughout its duration is determined by the user's life force percentage as the skill resolves. The pulse effect of a single instance of [spirit Rift] will not change function mid-duration if the user's life force moves above or below the threshold.*

 

>!**[spirit Walk]** (3)

>!Cast-time: ¼s / Recharge: ½s

>!Teleport to the target location. If your target location is within the area of effect of one of your Spirit Rifts, gain aegis and superspeed.

>!* Aegis (2s): Block the next incoming attack.

>!* Superspeed (3s): Movement Speed is greatly increased.

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 20s

>!* Combo Finisher: Leap

>!* Range: 600

 

>!**[soul Stream]** (4)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Recharge: 10s

>!Leap forward and smash the ground, unleashing a cascading streak of soul energy explosions. Each attack area is a blast finisher. If this skill combos with a light field, gain an ammo charge for Spirit Rift.

>!* Number of impacts: 3

>!* Number of targets per impact: 3

>!* Impact damage: (0.75)

>!* Impact radius: 180

>!* Combo Finisher: Blast

>!* Range: 1200

 

>!*Functions identically to Revenant [Echoing Eruption] except for the fact that this skill is oriented with a ground-target, directional reticle (akin to Druid [Vine Surge]) instead of it being entirely free-form or target-dependent.*

 

>!*The ammo charge granted by this skill layers over top of the baseline [spirit Rift] slot. It does not influence the recharge of the normal [spirit Rift] at all, and it does not recharge on its own after use. The only time the Deadringer's Hammer 2 obtains more than one ammo charge is if [soul Stream] accomplishes its conditional trigger (blasting a light field). [spirit Rift] cannot have more than 1 extra ammo charge at a time. This means that even if a Deadringer were to continuously use [soul Stream] on a light field without using [spirit Rift] at all, [spirit Rift] would still only accrue up to 2 "uses" at maximum (the "extra ammo charge" along with the base charge which just recharges normally on the weapon bar). If this effect is too difficult to code, then [soul Stream]'s conditional effect can simply just make [spirit Rift] recharge instantly.*

 

>!**[soul Twisting]** (5)

>!Cast-time: 3½s / Recharge: 25s

>!Spin rapidly, initially evading attacks while striking adjacent foes with your hammer. Each time you combo this skill with a light field, fling out a line of spirit energy in the target direction. These lines damage and cripple foes.

>!* Initial evade: 1s

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage (15x): (4.5)

>!* Blocks Missiles

>!* Damage radius: 150

>!* Combo Finisher: Whirl

>!* Spirit line damage (2x): (1.4)

>!* Spirit line crippled (1s): -50% Movement Speed

>!* Spirit line duration: 2s

 

>!*While performing this skill, the user will have a directional reticle (similar to the ones on many raid bosses) which appears directly in front of the character and denotes the direction in which the player is currently facing. This denoted direction is what the skill's tool tip refers to when referencing the “target direction” in which the skill would fling out a line of spirit energy.*

 

>!*The lines of spirit energy resemble the lines created by the Mordrem archer NPCs with regards to how they are created along with their hitboxes. They each last 2 seconds and do not count as combo fields of any kind.*

 

>!*This skill counts as 5 whirl finishers (once every 3 attacks).*

 

#Healing and Utilities

 

>!**[spirit's Gift]** (Healing)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Recharge: 25s

>!Manipulation. Surround yourself with a ring of light and heal over time. If you have an active phantom, the phantom also gains this healing ring. If your ring is overlapping with a phantom's ring, pulses grant additional healing, a stack of Spirit's Strength and remove a condition. This skill extends your active phantom's lifespan.

>!* Phantom lifespan extension: 6s

>!* Pulses: 6

>!* Healing: 1062 (0.25)

>!* Overlap healing: 1620 (0.5)

>!* Overlap conditions removed: 1

>!* Overlap Spirit's Strength (8s): Build strength, stacks up to 5 times

>!* Ring radius: 180

 

>!**[Cheap Trick]** (Utility)

>!Recharge: ½s

>!Phantom Manipulation. If you have an active phantom, it teleports directly behind your selected target and attacks. This skill extends your active phantom's lifespan.

>!* Phantom lifespan extension: 3s

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 20s

>!* Range: 900

 

>!*The range of this skill described within the tool-tip is relative to the player. If there is an active phantom in play when a player successfully resolves this skill onto a target within its range, the active phantom in question will teleport however far it needs to in order to position itself directly behind the player's selected target in order to attack it.*

 

>!**[sheer Soul Attack]** (Utility)

>!Recharge: ½s

>!Phantom Manipulation. If you have an active phantom, destroy it and damage nearby foes with a delayed blast of spirit energy.

>!* Number of foes: 5

>!* Blast delay: ¾s

>!* Damage: (2.5)

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 20s

>!* Combo Finisher: Blast

>!* Radius: 180

 

>!*This skill destroys an active phantom on the spot, so the explosion is not a targeted one per se. In order to land an explosion where the player wants it to land, an active phantom will have to be positioned at that location before using this skill.*

 

>!**[Phantom in the Mirror]** (Utility)

>!Recharge: 15s

>!Phantom Manipulation. If you have an active phantom, you and that phantom teleport to opposite ends of a line placed at the target location. Both you and your phantom then leap forward and pass through each other, damaging and dazing foes in a line. This skill extends your active phantom's lifespan.

>!* Phantom lifespan extension: 3s

>!* Number of targets: 3

>!* Damage: (1.0)

>!* Daze: 1s

>!* Combo Finisher: Leap

>!* Attack distance: 600

>!* Attack placement range: 600

>!* Breaks Enemy Targeting

>!* Breaks stun

 

>!*This skill's target reticle is a line much like any “ward line” already in the game. Both the player and an active phantom will be positioned at opposite ends of the line and vectored in such a way that when they both attack, they will leap toward each others' respective starting locations (even if one would proceed off of a cliff, into a wall, or toward some other environmental hazard).*

 

>!*The attack performed by user and phantom is a version of the Caithe (Transformation) [Viper's Leap] (a typical leap arc attack, however, it strikes all targets in a line instead of simply striking one targeted foe). Only one target can be struck per respective leap, however, the phantom and user leaps can each strike the same target.*

 

>!**[Cyan Haze Distortion]** (Utility)

>!Recharge: 25s

>!Manipulation. Grant a brief period of initial evasion to nearby allies and become a mobile light field which reflects incoming projectiles. Allies within the field gain health and superspeed with every pulse.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Initial evade: 1s

>!* Pulses: 5

>!* Healing: 390 (0.125)

>!* Superspeed (1s): Movement Speed is greatly increased

>!* Field duration: 4s

>!* Combo Field: Light

>!* Radius: 240

>!* Breaks stun

 

>!*This skill's combo field follows the user akin to Berserker [Flames of War].*

 

#Traits

 

>!**Hammer Proficiency** *(Minor Proficiency)*

 

>!You can wield hammers.

 

>!**Spirit Channeling** *(Minor Adept)*

 

>!You constantly regenerate life force over time. Your profession skills are replaced with phantom abilities based on your weapon, and your weapon swap is replaced with a single slot for shroud spirit options. Gain access to Manipulation skills.

>!* Life Force per interval: 5%

>!* Interval: 1s

 

>!**Ghostly Might** *(Major Adept)*

 

>!Whenever you activate shroud skill 3 while at the Spirit's Strength stack threshold, grant might and fury to nearby allies. This ability refreshes whenever you dismiss your shroud spirit.

>!* Spirit Stack threshold: 5

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Might|5| (15s): 150 Power, 150 Condition Damage

>!* Fury (8s): 20% Critical Chance

>!* Radius: 600

 

>!**Spirit to Flesh** *(Major Adept)*

 

>!Whenever you activate a shroud spirit, grant regeneration to nearby allies; you also gain a brief boost to outgoing healing, but lose life force over time.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Regeneration (5s): [Healing]

>!* Spirit to Flesh (5s): +50% Outgoing Healing Effectiveness; Lose life force at every interval

>!* Life force lost per interval: 7%

>!* Interval: 1s

 

>!**Warmonger's Soul** *(Major Adept)*

>!Whirl finishers you execute within light fields grant you superspeed and deal damage to adjacent foes.

>!* Superspeed (2s): Movement Speed is greatly increased

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage: (0.3)

>!* Radius: 180

 

>!**Inner Light** *(Minor Master)*

 

>!Light auras that you generate grant increased damage to allies whom they affect.

>!* Light Aura Damage Increase: 7%

 

>!**Spirit Light** *(Major Master)*

 

>!If you use a manipulation while under the effects of a light aura, detonate that aura. The explosion grants light auras to nearby allies while blinding nearby foes.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Light Aura (4s): When struck, you gain retaliation. Incoming condition damage is reduced by 10%. (Cooldown: 1s)

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Blindness (3s): Next outgoing attack misses.

>!* Radius: 240

 

>!*The user can regain a lost light aura (or effectively refresh an expiring one) with this trait.*

 

>!**Lamentation** *(Major Master)*

 

>!Whenever you activate shroud skill 3 while at the Spirit's Strength stack threshold, you daze and remove boons from nearby foes. This ability refreshes whenever you dismiss your shroud spirit.

>!* Spirit Stack threshold: 5

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Boons removed: 5

>!* Daze: ½ second

>!* Radius: 240

 

>!*Boons are removed before the daze is applied.*

 

>!**Phantom Armor** *(Major Master)*

 

>![Ghostmirror] grants superspeed to you and your phantoms. You have increased toughness and vitality while you have an active phantom.

>!* Superspeed (2s): Movement Speed is greatly increased

>!* Phantom Vitality: +150

>!* Phantom Toughness: +150

 

>!**Spirit Battery** *(Minor Grandmaster)*

 

>!Whenever you gain a stack of Spirit's Strength, gain life force.

>!* Life force: 1%

 

>!**Explosive Growth** *(Major Grandmaster)*

 

>! Leap finishers you execute onto light fields leave behind a rising orb of spirit light. After a delay, this orb explodes, damaging nearby foes.

>!* Number of foes: 5

>!* Damage: (0.85)

>!* Delay: 1 second

>!* Radius: 180

 

>!**Ritual Lord** *(Major Grandmaster)*

 

>! Reduces life force regeneration while spirit shroud is active, but also reduces shroud spirit recharge.

>!* Life Force regeneration reduced per interval: 3%

>!* Interval: 1s

>!* Shroud Spirit recharge reduction: 33%

 

>!**Phantom Body** *(Major Grandmaster)*

 

>![Ghostmirror] no longer has a cooldown, but it now costs life force to use. If you are above the life force threshold when you activate [Ghostmirror], you break stun.

>!* Ghostmirror Life Force cost: 4000

>!* Life Force threshold: 75%

 

[Swagg.9236]

#Deadringer profession skills

 

>**[*F1 ATTACK NAME*]** (F1)

>Cast-time: (varies by weapon) / Recharge: ½s

 

>* Maximum Count: 2

>* Count Recharge: 15s

 

* **This skill is always a movement skill which does not require a target to activate** (although, a target might be necessary for accurate attack pathing as is the case with many single-target leap attacks). **Upon activation, this skill leaves behind a “phantom” (a clone of the player) at the player's original location.** This phantom will then attempt to attack the player's current target (or the nearest target if the player does not have one selected) with the auto-attack of the phantom's equipped weapon (which will match the weapon of the player who summoned it). This skill changes based on the player's main-hand (or two-handed) weapon.

 

* Deadringer phantoms have stats identical to the player who summoned them (including the user's health at the point of summoning); phantoms come into existence with an un-listed, but always active, debuff which reduces their outgoing damage by a flat 50%.

 

* Phantoms have a life-span of 5 seconds and can be damaged and CC'ed. A Deadringer can have no more than 1 active phantom at a time. Should the Deadringer summon a phantom while one is already active, the older phantom will simply vanish as the new one appears.

 

>**[Phantom *F1 ATTACK NAME*]** (F2)

>Recharge: ½s

 

>* Maximum Count: 2

>* Count Recharge: 15s

 

* **This skill is an instant-cast ability which produces a phantom at the player's current location; this phantom then performs the attack that the player would perform if using the F1 skill.**

 

>**[Phantom *WEAPON SKILL 2*]** (F3)

>Recharge: (varies by weapon)

 

>* If you have an active phantom, [it performs your current weapon skill 2].

>* [Tool-tips]

 

* This is an instant-cast ability which will cause an active phantom to interrupt its current attack cycle and perform a functionally identical copy of the 2nd skill on the player's current weapon bar. If the 2 skill absolutely requires a target to function, then the phantom F2 skill will not activate unless the player has a target selected. If the 2 skill is a ground-targeted AoE, the player will still serve as the GTAoE's focus for finding its range limit (rather than using the phantom as the focus). In the case that the AoE is placed outside of the max range of the phantom, the phantom will have to walk to within range in order to begin activating the skill.

* This skill will fail if the user has no active phantom.

 

>**[Ghostmirror]** (F4)

>Recharge: 15s

>If you have an active phantom, swap positions with it.

 

>* Breaks Enemy Targeting

>* Range: 5000

 

* There should be no effective way to position a phantom 5000 range away from the user, but the range exists just to give the skill a fail-safe reliability when activated.

* This skill will fail if the user has no active phantom.

 

#EXAMPLE PROFESSION SET (Hammer)

 

>!**[soulsplitter]** (F1)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Recharge: ½s

>!Jump to the target location and slam your hammer down, damaging foes.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage: (1.0)

>!* Radius: 180

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 15s

>!* Combo Finisher: Leap

>!* Range: 600

 

>!**[Phantom Soulsplitter]** (F2)

>!Recharge: ½s

>!Phantom. Create a phantom that jumps to the target location and slams its hammer down, damaging foes.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage: (1.0)

>!* Radius: 180

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 15s

>!* Combo Finisher: Leap

>!* Range: 600

 

>!**[Phantom Spirit Rift]** (F3)

>!Recharge: 6s

>!Phantom. If you have an active phantom, it smashes the ground and opens a pulsing rift of souls at the target location. While you are below the life force threshold, each pulse deals increased damage.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage (4x): (3.2)

>!* Life Force threshold: 50%

>!* Damage Increased: 25%

>!* Duration: 4s

>!* Combo Field: Light

>!* Range: 1200

 

>!**[Ghostmirror]** (F4)

>!Recharge: 15s

>!If you have an active phantom, swap positions with it.

>!* Breaks Enemy Targeting

>!* Range: 5000

[Swagg.9236]

#SHROUD SPIRITS

 

>[*SHROUD SPIRIT*] (Weapon Swap slot)

>* Recharge: 8s

>* Any active phantoms vanish. [*SHROUD SPIRIT NAME*] stands at your side.

 

* **This spec does not allow a Necromancer to equip two weapons; the Shroud Spirit is instead the supplement for the Necromancer's weapon swap.** A Shroud Spirit is selected from a pool of three unique spirits which each provide the Necromancer with another weapon bar full of skills associated with that spirit. This means that no Deadringer will have more than 1 Shroud Spirit available to use at any given time.

 

* Shroud Spirits are ghostly, ethereal figures who stick to the user's side/back while active; they are mostly a visual cue to allow enemies to know that the Deadringer has a Shroud Spirit activated. They are not minions, but function as an Engineer kit would (an alternative weapon pick-up which retains player access to healing, utility and elite skills). Despite some skill descriptions reading "[spirit] performs this action," it's all essentially just flavor: all attacks will still project from the player hitbox upon use. Whether or not the player or the spirit makes animations for any attacks is just flavor-design discretion.

 

* **Shroud Spirit skills require life force in order to activate. A Deadringer's life force regenerates constantly at a rate of 375 life force every ¼ second (1500 LF/s).** Should a Deadringer drop below 1500 life force while a Shroud Spirit is active, the spirit will automatically stow (and go into cooldown), and the Deadringer will be forced back into his/her weapon set.

 

* Phantom skills will be disabled while a Shroud Spirit is active. Up for debate whether or not the array of F1-F4 skills could change to benefit the Shroud Spirit bar, but that would involve a lot more skills and a lot more balance decisions. Might be best to just leave it blank.

 

* **Shroud Spirits function like Engineer kits and do not deny the Necromancer the use of healing and utility skills.** They are not minions despite the fact that they float around the user as a visual effect.

 

* Shroud Spirits utilize a "builder" resource mechanic called **Spirit's Strength.** Players can gain stacks of Spirit's Strength through meeting the conditional requirements of certain Shroud Spirit skills. **Spirits Strength stacks can only be gained while in combat.**

 

 

 

#Ire

 

>!**[spirit Burn]** (Ire 1)

>!Cast-time: 1s / Life force cost: 750

>!Fire a bolt of energy that bursts on impact, striking adjacent foes. If you are below the life force threshold, this bolt also burns foes that it strikes.

>!* Number of targets: 3

>!* Damage: (0.85)

>!* Life Force threshold: 30%

>!* Threshold burning (2s): [damage]

>!* Radius: 180

>!* Range: 1200

 

>!*Projectile behaves in the same manner as Elementalist [Fireball].*

 

>!**[Ancestor's Rage]** (Ire 2)

>!Life Force cost: 2000 / Recharge: 4s

>!Wrathful spirits rise up and repeatedly strike foes at the target location. If you are standing inside the target location, this skill's pulses deal additional damage and grant you a stack of Spirit's Strength.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Pulses: 4

>!* Damage per pulse: (0.75)

>!* Damage per pulse if standing in target area: (1.0)

>!* Spirit's Strength (8s): Build strength; stacks up to 5 times

>!* Field duration: 4s

>!* Combo Field: Light

>!* Radius: 180

>!* Range: 600

 

>!*Shares "cast-time" and damage delay behaviors with Elementalist [Lava Font] (unlisted in tool-tips but it exists, and it cannot be used while disabled). Damage pulses at the end of every second during this field's duration.*

 

>!*Spirit's Strength has no baseline effects; it merely serves as a resource to be consumed by other skills. Other shroud spirits also utilize this mechanic.*

 

>!**[burning Soul]** (Ire 3)

>!Cast-time: 2¾s / Life Force cost: 4500 / Recharge: 6s

>!Channel a spell, granting area might and lose a stack of Spirit's Strength with each pulse. Each time that you lose a stack of Spirit's Strength in this way, you also grant a stack of Burning Soul to all affected allies.

>!* Number of allies: 10

>!* Pulses: 5

>!* Might (8s): 30 Power, 30 Condition Damage

>!* Burning Soul (10s): +2% Damage vs burning foes; +2% Condition Damage vs burning foes

>!* Radius: 450

 

>!*This skill shares its pulse timing with Druid [Rejuvenating Tides].*

 

>!*This skill can always be activated regardless of how many stacks of Spirit's Strength a user has when activating it.*

 

>!**[soul Striker]** (Ire 4)

>!Cast-time: ½s / Life force cost: 2000 / Recharge: 2½s

>!Ire strikes foes at the target location with a flurry of vicious blows. If you activate this skill while under the effects of a light aura, Ire's attacks are unblockable.

>!* Number of targets: 3

>!* Damage (8x): (2.4)

>!* Maximum Count: 2

>!* Count Recharge: 15s

>!* Pain damage range: 150

>!* Pain placement range: 400

 

>!*This skill's target reticle is box-shaped and denotes where the attack damage will occur. In effect, this skill charges the player with placing a series of fixed-direction, 150-range melee attacks. Pain itself will have a very brief wind-up animation before it begins its attack. The attack itself mimics Mesmer [blurred Frenzy] with regards to the strike timing and overall attack duration.*

 

>!*The Ire NPC which executes this attack is subject to damage and CC in a manner identical to Mesmer phantasms.*

 

>!**[Renewing Surge]** (Ire 5)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Life Force cost: 4500 / Recharge: 2s

>!Leap to the target area and damage foes where you land. If you combo this leap with a light field, you extend that field's duration.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage: (0.5)

>!* Combo Finisher: Leap

>!* Light Combo Field duration increase: 2s

>!* Range: 600

 

>!*Uses a leap arc and duration identical to Daredevil [Vault].*

 

#Resilience

 

>!**[spiritflesh Strike]** (Resilience 1)

>!Cast-time: 1s / Life Force cost: 2500

>!Resilience swipes twice in front of you. The first strike heals allies; the second strike damages foes. Damage increases if you heal an ally below certain health thresholds.

>!* Number of allies: 3

>!* Number of foes: 3

>!* Healing: 184 (0.2)

>!* Damage: (0.7)

>!* Damage if healed an ally below 50% health: (1.0)

>!* Damage if healed an ally below 25% health: (1.3)

>!* Range: 150

 

>!*This skill will heal the user, and will thus also trigger damage bonuses based off of the user's health thresholds.*

 

>!**[spirit Ribbon]** (Resilience 2)

>! Cast-time: ¾s / Life Force cost: 3000 / Recharge: 3½s

>! Tether ribbons of soul energy to allies around you. These ribbons pulse healing to allies so long as they remain in the tether range. When a ribbon expires naturally, it grants you superspeed and a stack of Spirit's Strength.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Healing Ribbon (3s): Receive healing over time

>!* Pulses: 4

>!* Healing per pulse: 130 (0.125)

>!* End pulse Spirit's Strength (8s): Build strength, stacks up to 5 times

>!* End pulse Superspeed (3s): Movement Speed is greatly increased

>!* Tether range: 600

 

>!*This skill will attempt to apply itself to allies with the lowest health within its range.*

 

>!*Heals immediately on successful cast and then once at the end of every second throughout its duration.*

 

>!**[Resilient Spirit] PvE** (Resilience 3)

>! Cast-time: 2¾s / Life Force cost: 6000

>! Channel a spell, healing nearby allies at the target location and losing a stack of Spirit's Strength with each pulse. Each time that you lose a stack of Spirit's Strength in this way, you also grant a stack of Resilient Spirit to all affected allies (effect stacks up to 5 times).

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Total pulses: 5

>!* Healing per pulse: 224 (0.2)

>!* Resilient Spirit (8s): +100 Vitality, gain health every second

>!* Resilient Spirit healing per second: 130 (0.125)

>!* Radius: 240

>!* Range: 600

 

>!*Channel pulse intervals mimic those of Druid [Rejuvenating Tides].*

 

>!*PvP version of Resilient Spirit's unique buff: duration reduced from 8s to 5s; vitality bonus reduced from 100 to 50; healing per second reduced from 130 (0.125) to 50 (0.1)*

 

>!**[Recovery]** (Resilience 4)

>!Cast-time: ¾s / Life force cost: 4500 / Recharge: 3s

>!Soothing spirits heal allies at the target area. If you are below the life force threshold, this field's pulses also cure conditions.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Healing pulses: 3

>!* Healing per pulse: 404 (0.5)

>!* Duration: 2s

>!* Radius: 180

>!* Life force threshold threshold: 50%

>!* Threshold conditions cured per pulse: 1

>!* Combo Field: Light

>!* Range: 900

 

>!*Healing pulse intervals mimic those of Elementalist [Geyser].*

 

>!**[Reversal of Fortune]** (Resilience 5)

>!Cast-time: 2s / Life Force cost: 4500 / Recharge: 25s

>!Block the next 3 incoming attacks targeting you and adjacent allies. Gain life force and a stack of Spirit's Strength for each attack you block in this way.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Block duration: 2s

>!* Life force per block: 1000

>!* Spirit's Strength (8s) per block: Build strength, stacks up to 5 times

>!* Radius: 300

 

#Bloodsong

 

>!**[spirit Light Weapon]** (Bloodsong 1)

>!Cast-time: 1s / Life Force cost: 1500

>!Strike foes and grant a Spirit Light Weapon to allies within your range. If you use this skill while under the effects of Bloodthirst, gain Spirit's Strength.

>!* Number of foes: 5

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Damage: (1.3)

>!* Spirit Light Weapon (2s): -15% Incoming Damage, -15% Incoming Condition Damage, gain health every second

>!* Health per second: 130 (0.125)

>!* Spirit's Strength|2| (8s): Build strength, stacks up to 5 times

>!* Combo Finisher: Whirl

>!* Range: 170

 

>!*The Spirit Light Weapon buff is applied only if the skill successfully resolves. The buff does not stack in any way (new instances will overwrite old instances).*

 

>!*The Spirit's Strength stacks are gained immediately upon skill activation rather than upon succesful resolution so long as the iser meets the conditional requirement.*

 

>!*Attack animation mimics that of Reaper [Gravedigger].*

 

>!**[Gaze of Fury]** (Bloodsong 2)

>!Recharge: 4s / Life Force cost: 4500

>!Bloodsong appears at the target location and grants Bloodthirst to nearby allies before striking foes with a whirling attack.

>!* Number of foes: 5

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Spirit damage: (1.3)

>!* Bloodthirst (4s): Heal for 7.5% of outgoing damage; cannot gain more than a total of 50 (0.5) health in this way per second

>!* Combo Finisher: Whirl

>!* Radius: 170

>!* Placement range: 900

 

>!*The attack performed by Bloodsong is identical to the player's [spirit Light Weapon] attack.*

 

>!*The Bloodsong NPC which executes this attack is subject to damage and CC in a manner identical to Mesmer phantasms.*

 

>!**[string of Fate]** (Bloodsong 3)

>!Activation: 1s / Life Force Cost: 4500

>!Dash forward, striking foes along your path. If you are at the Spirit's Strength stack threshold when you use this skill, lose all stacks of Spirit's Strength: this attack removes boons and applies a String of Fate to struck foes. If foes marked by String of Fate remain within its tether range until it expires, those foes are pulled to you.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Damage (9x): (1.8)

>!* Spirit's Strength stack threshold: 5

>!* Boons Removed: Stability, Protection, Aegis

>!* String of Fate (1½s): Foes are pulled to you.

>!* String of Fate tether range: 750

>!* Range: 600

>!* Unblockable

 

>!*Attack functions identically to Revenant [surge of the Mists].*

 

>!*The String of Fate expiration pull should be an attack designed so that one can evade it. It will be unblockable, however.*

 

>!**[Earthbind]** (Bloodsong 4)

>! Activation: ¼s / Recharge: 30s / Life Force cost: 6000

>! Create a path of spiritual energy which briefly stuns foes as it's created. Once created, its borders solidify into a ward which foes cannot cross.

>!* Number of targets: 5

>!* Stun: ½s

>!* Duration: 4s

>!* Range: 600

 

>!*This skill's stun is applied in the same way that the damage is applied from Revenant [inspiring Reinforcement]. The dimensions of this skill's ward wall also match those of [inspiring Reinforcement].

 

>!**[Displacement]** (Bloodsong 5)

>! Life Force cost: 7500 / Recharge: 50s

>! You and nearby allies gain superspeed and briefly evade attacks.

>!* Number of allies: 5

>!* Displacement (2s): Evade all attacks

>!* Superspeed (3s): Movement Speed is greatly increased

>!* Radius: 300

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

Mixture of Melee and Ranged. Perfect.

Need to ask one thing as I'm blaming my english on not understanding.

So these spirits we turn into them? Or are they minion-like?

[Swagg.9236]

> @"Ayumi Spender.1082" said:

> So these spirits we turn into them? Or are they minion-like?

 

Yeah, sorry if I wasn't more clear. They work like Engineer kits, so it's not a minion. There would be a visual model which floats near the player just to show that the shroud spirit is active. It would kind of be like the revenant spirits appearing briefly on F1-F2 swap except that the deadringer spirits stay by the player until they are stowed.

 

[Swagg.9236]

Added another Shroud Spirit as well as a healing skill and utilities which play off of phantom usage and positioning. There's one more Shroud Spirit in the chamber, and then I guess the only thing left would be traits, but I doubt I'll go quite that far. Although, the best traits would probably revolve around bonuses for being/using certain skills within close proximity to phantoms, spending Spirit's Strength for bonuses, light field combo bonuses, and I was thinking about a side-grade for how one might cast and juggle Shroud Spirits:

 

>**Ritual Lord** (Grandmaster Major)

 

>* Your Shroud Spirit no longer has a recharge, but it now requires time to cast.

>* Cast-time: 1s

 

Such a trait would be a good PvE option for those worried about juggling a high up-time on the bonuses from things like [burning Soul]. Truth be told, I think I'd rather just have the Shroud Spirits work like that all of the time in order to give maximum flexibility to the player, but that's just an idea. To the people worried about a shroud without a cooldown: slap a bunch of 10s internal cooldowns on all respective "enter/leave shroud" traits. Problem solved.

[Swagg.9236]

Added the final Shroud Spirit. Only thing left at this point would be traits, but I hardly feel driven enough to come up with a bunch of passives (although, it'd probably be a little easier than the normal process since this e-spec concept has a whole load of unique resources and buffs off of which trait designs could play).

[Namless.4028]

i would prefer having dark fields instead of the light fields

 

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"Namless.4028" said:

> i would prefer having dark fields instead of the light fields

>

 


 

[Swagg.9236]

> @"Namless.4028" said:

> i would prefer having [THAT FLAVOR] field instead of the [THIS FLAVOR] field

 

I mean, I guess; whatever. They *could* technically all get changed and it wouldn't matter (considering the field effects are disregarded for the primary, active skill effects). Just goes to show you how good the game designers were when they threw in, like, 9 field types and thought that they would all serve a valuable purpose (suddenly I'm remembering all those alpha videos displaying the power and grace of combo'ing ranger shortbow projectiles through elementalist focus firewall).

 

[Swagg.9236]

Threw together some traits, so this basically makes this spec concept done. They could still probably be improved, but the awkward structure of the GW2 passives system makes it needlessly invites bloat without really letting me expand upon a multi-faceted play-style (one only gets 3 major traits after all). So, to that end, feel free to pick it to pieces.

[Regon Phoenix.8215]

I don't know how i feel about very mobile hammer wielding necromancer who employ phantasm (who after last mesmer update now will always turn into clones) and run around with his clones.

I get why would necromancer would employ spirits, but clones/phantasm don't fit very well, especially with hammer wielding.

[TheSwede.9512]

I think that these Phantoms are supposed to be different from Phantasms. Though the similar names might cause confusion, perhaps naming them "Spectres" or "Shadows" would help differentiate that?

 

Otherwise, seems like a solid concept, OP. However, I can't help but to feel that it's a bit overloaded with everything, as I feel that Shroud Spirits alone is a strong contender for an Elite Spec mechanic while the "Phantoms" could've been Utility Skills.

Also, it might be easier to read and comprehend if you place the Profession Mechanic before the Utility Skills and Traits, as these consistently refer back to the new Mechanics.

 

EDIT: Also, that Hammer is sweet af. Never thought I'd see a Hammer that'd instantly make me go "yep, that's a Necro weapon alright", but you proved me wrong. Also love the hats, as well.

[Swagg.9236]

> @"Regon Phoenix.8215" said:

> I don't know how i feel about very mobile hammer wielding necromancer who employ phantasm (who after last mesmer update now will always turn into clones) and run around with his clones.

 

The spirit skills which use the phantasm-like minions only use them for one skill respectively, and they don't turn into clones.

 

> @"Regon Phoenix.8215" said:

> I get why would necromancer would employ spirits, but clones/phantasm don't fit very well, especially with hammer wielding.

 

I don't like dagger-wielding warriors which cast magical dome auras, but that's just my opinion. Your opinion here stops at the flavor level, which is not where you should set up camp if you're really trying to criticize anything.

 

> @"TheSwede.9512" said:

> I think that these Phantoms are supposed to be different from Phantasms. Though the similar names might cause confusion, perhaps naming them "Spectres" or "Shadows" would help differentiate that?

 

Yeah, that sort of change isn't that big of a deal if it would help with segregating it a bit from other, already present naming conventions.

 

> Otherwise, seems like a solid concept, OP. However, I can't help but to feel that it's a bit overloaded with everything, as I feel that Shroud Spirits alone is a strong contender for an Elite Spec mechanic while the "Phantoms" could've been Utility Skills.

 

If it seems overloaded, it's entirely in an effort to make the in-shroud and out-of-shroud aspects of this spec feel like genuinely different things which manage to keep the player engaged in what they are doing in order to be the most effective within PvP or PvE. While there is still a clear PvE rotation baked into some of the traits along with the Ire spirit and hammer weapon, it's still dense and positioning-dependent. Shroud spirits are set-up as more of a support/utility bar to complement the Necromancer's weapon choices. This is why the hammer and the phantom/spectre/whatever skills are so aggressive with their respective abilities. Not only do these complementary bars add some dynamic shifts to the Deadringer's gameplay, it also adds a little combat legibility to fighting a Deadringer because the presence of a shroud spirit implies that the Deadringer is going to behave in certain ways (which provides some counterplay options).

 

Although, all this said, I wonder if the Manipulation skills ought not to flip when a shroud spirit is active in order to prevent a utility bar from being somewhat useless while in shroud spirit form.

 

> Also, it might be easier to read and comprehend if you place the Profession Mechanic before the Utility Skills and Traits, as these consistently refer back to the new Mechanics.

>

 

I'll consider that.