[Elite Specialisation] The Arcanist

[alexscr.4269]

~ The Arcanist ~

 

**Weapon**: Focus (MH)

**Range**: 600-900

**Utilities**: Sigils (ground persisting AoEs similar to Chronomancer's Wells, Necromancer's Marks or Guardian's symbols)

**New attunement**: Arcane Attunement

 

_After years of studying arcane magic and ley lines intricacies, the Elementalist’s written down a book of spells, a grimoire, which alongside their magical sigils of power, allows the wielder to draw upon massive power to imbue themselves and their allies in a critical fashion._

 

 

**~ Focus skills ~**

 

* Fire #1: Arcane Fire: Fire out a pulsing stream of fire bolts in a cone in front of you, the end of the channel applying AoE Burning.

* Fire #2: Searing Flames: Hit foes near your target, applying Burning.

* Fire #3: Rapid Conflagration: Damage and burn foes and grant Fury and 5 stacks of Might to you and nearby allies.

 

* Water #1: Arcane Stream: Cast a fast and magically imbued orb that heals allies it passes through and damages foes.

* Water #2: Ice Barrage: Cast ice shards that damage foes, applying Chill.

* Water #3: Water Tendrils: Cast water tendrils from your weapon, healing allies, and rapidly attacking foes, applying Vulnerability with each successful strike.

 

* Air #1: Arcane Pulse: Send out a lightning pulse to your foe and 2 targets around it.

* Air #2: Lightning Gale: Conjure a magical cloud above your enemies, attacking and dazing enemies.

* Air #3: Magical Blast: Float and raise your focus, doing heavy damage, as well as granting Fury to you and your allies.

 

* Earth #1: Arcane Sand: Hurl magical sand at your foe, applying Bleeding at the end of the channel.

* Earth #2: Rocky Road: Grant stability to you and your allies, while knocking down enemies.

* Earth #3: Boulder: Levitate a boulder above your enemies, then dropping it with massive force, stunning your foes briefly and applying Cripple.

 

 

**~ Arcane Attunement ~**

 

Arcane Force is the Arcanist's resource that fuels the Arcane attunement. Arcane Force is gained whenever an attack critically hits.

While in the Arcane attunement, Arcane Force depletes over time.

 

The Arcane attunement features something new to the Elementalist: weapon swapping!

However, this is only available in the Arcane Attunement, switching between an offensive attunement and a support one.

 

**Support**

 

* Skill #1: Arcane Spell: Heal your allies and grant them Might.

* Skill #2: Arcane Recovery: Pulse arcane magic around you, cleansing conditions and granting Regeneration.

* Skill #3: Arcane Burst: Release a burst of restorative energy, healing allies and applying Protection and Fury.

* Skill #4: Arcane Dome: Project an arcane dome, reflecting projectiles and applying Stability, Resistance, and Retaliation to allies.

* Skill #5: Arcane Resistance: Apply and sustain arcane shields on you and nearby allies, blocking attacks for a short time. If the shields are sustained for their full duration, they explode, damaging enemies.

 

**Offense**

 

* Skill #1: Arcane Insight: Attack your enemy and inflict Vulnerability.

* Skill #2: Arcane Scorch: Harass your foes with arcane fire, applying Burning to them.

* Skill #3: Arcane Barrage: Send unstable arcane projectiles towards your foe, exploding on impact and apply Weakness.

* Skill #4: Arcane Storm: Conjure a magical storm, damaging foes and applying conditions to them.

* Skill #5: Arcane Explosion: Channel a massive explosion of magical energy, damaging foes and dazing them.

 

**~ Utilities ~**

 

* Healing skill: Sigil of Life: Channel arcane magic to heal yourself and your allies, applying Vigor and Regeneration. The lower the health pool, the more healing per tick.

* Utility #1: Sigil of Power: Grant Might to yourself and allies standing in the sigil, as well as damaging foes and applying Vulnerability.

* Utility #2: Sigil of Sanctuary: Pulse Protection and Resistance to you and your allies, as well as damage your allies and inflict them with Torment.

* Utility #3: Sigil of Potency: Grant Aegis and Vigor to you and your allies, while damaging foes and chilling them.

* Utility #4: Sigil of Mysticism: Damage and blind foes standing in the sigil, as well as granting Fury and Stability to you and your allies.

* Elite: Sigil of Insight: Grant Alacrity and Quickness to you and your allies, and Slow and Cripple to your enemies.

 

I didn't do traits, but I have some ideas for some:

 

* For the first 5 seconds, when attuning to the Arcane Attunement, your skills have critical potency. (this would allow for even the healing to be able to crit)

* Arcane Sigils empower you and nearby allies who stand in them. (this would turn the sigils into mini banners, with lingering effects for as long as they're active; for example: Sigil of Power could increase Power by 100, Sigil of Healing could increase Healing Power by 100 etc)

* Arcane Sigils now gain reduced recharge, and if they are activated below 50% health, they grant Fury and Protection.

 

 

Of course, this is just my idea and any constructive feedback is welcome. :)

[TwilightSoul.9048]

Interesting idea, I like how well Focus, Arcane Attunement and the Sigil utilities fit together - I really didn't like the idea of mainhand focus at first but in combination with the Arcane Attunement and the bits of "lore" you brought into it, it actually sounds very nice :) However the Weapon sounds quite weak for a MH weapon as it seems to be a more condition focused weapon(?) but doesn't really do enough in that regard, maybe you should include some sort of theme how you imagine the spec to be played?

 

It' might also be played as a support class thanks to the Arcane Attunements defensive/support skills and the Elite that grants Alacrity and Quickness (maybe it could replace Chronocancer, that would be amazing to have an alternative) - but there doesn't seem to be a obvious build around your spec so that could be something you might want to improve :)

 

Overall very interesting though, I really like the Arcane Attunement idea!

[Orpheal.8263]

Its rather an Ether Attunement, that would be in my opinion the right term for it.

Arcane is no element, its a magic category, while you can see Ether basicallly as neutral element, the source of magical energy in our characters, until an Elementalists puts via Attunements an Element into it to create the various magic spells of a certain natural element he/she wants to use.

 

Aside of this only , I like the concept as well. If you can implement into the traits effects now also, which allow it the Arcanist to use the elements basically like Ritualists Weapon Spells to enhance with the elements yours and your allies weapons with elemental side effects and/or their armors with defensive elemental side effect buffs, then would become this concept much closer to a complete Arcanist - or what others woudl call such a class as well - the classic Battle Magician/Red Mage basically.

 

Id personally also love for a long time, that Anet should make basically all offhand items bi hand useable. with different skills that they provide then. The player shoudl decide for hisself, if he wants to use a weapon like a Focus either as Main or as Offhand Weapon, same as like we can freely decide, if we use a Sword in either the left or right hand. So shouzld be be able to do as well freely with Torches, Focus Items, Shields and Warhorns. Would it mean that ANet woudl have to make some new Skills? Yes!

Its this very dramatic? NO Would it imbalance GW2, if Offhand Items could be used in both hands as you like? NO

 

Personally I'd rename the term Sigil, Sigils are already the term for our Weapon Upgrades... I'd rename this Term into "Pentagrams", or "Engraving/Gravures", or perhaps "Stigmas" or eventually "Charms/Enchants" could work as well. or "Wards" which was also a skil lterm that came from old GW1 Elementalists, somethign that I#d like to see return for Eles as I gives the Spec then some kind of nostalgia, if it uses old skill effect terms from the GW1 Elementalists ;)