User:MintyDemise/Minty Elite Specs/Elementalist Reimagining
I wanted to explore and think about base elementalist implemented in a different way as compared to the current 4 attunement, different weapon skills per attunement setting. Instead Weapon skills provide a base "Arcane" variant that gets enhanced by the effects of what element the current attunement is, this gives the skill an identity on how it would work, finally traits would then further enhance how an attunement interactions with each other as well as our current base interactions with aura mechanics. As weapon skills will be homogeneous in form, in this reimagining weapon swap would be available to the elementalist during combat.
Evolving from Guild Wars[edit]
For those not in the know in the original Guild Wars elementalists mostly had to focus on one element as their primary skill source. As there were only 8 different skill slots there was not a lot of space to take a skill of each element, not to mention attributes point investments scaled the damage/utility component of skills. This combined with enemies having specific element damage type resistances meant that to play an elementalist it was important to be aware of how damage was dealt through which element, and to prepare that before even going into the world to fight. While one plus element builds were possible they were not always effective or required some tinkering on elite skills and other factors. Guild Wars 2 reinvented this playstyle by allow for all elements to be available at once, and giving each element a set of custom weapon skills, having this large repertoire elementalist does not have an active weapon swap in combat. In the same vein additional identity was added to each element, Fire mostly supports damage of either power or condition types, Water some support damage amplification and healing, etc, etc.
In this reimagining, I want to replicate the choice factor of Guild Wars 1 elementalist, that is the player needs to make decisions on which element, but still preserve the power of having all 4 attunements. I also want to address the identity of each element as they are not created equal, and with elements equalized in how they approach an encounter allow traits to be more interactive between element choices. The latter focus is to make it so it is a difficult decision to choose one element traitline versus another.
Profession mechanic[edit]
Elemental Attunements still drive what is available to the elementalist at a time but instead of giving brand new skills they augment existing weapon skills. In the same thread when a player attunes to an element they are locked into that element until the next weapon swap. That said why would someone choose one element versus another, or what makes them so different from each other? Each element needs an identity that addresses different ways builds are made, as each one is a commitment for at least 9 seconds of combat. Below are how each element would create an identity.
| Skill | Type | 
|
|
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | ||||
| How would Fire deal direct damage? | Sequential escalating strikes like chain combustion | |||
| How would Fire deal condition damage? | Burning enemies | |||
| How would Fire support allies? | Granting them Might as an offensive boon | |||
| Water | ||||
| How would Water deal direct damage? | Sustained damage, like the flow of a river | |||
| How would Water deal condition damage? | Tormenting enemies | |||
| How would Water support allies? | Grant them Regeneration as a defensive boon | |||
| Air | ||||
| How would Air deal direct damage? | Sudden and fast or sometimes delayed | |||
| How would Air deal condition damage? | Confusing enemies | |||
| How would Air support allies? | Grant them Fury as an offensive boon | |||
| Earth | ||||
| How would Earth deal direct damage? | Delayed rumbles, slow and steady | |||
| How would Earth deal condition damage? | Bleeding enemies | |||
| How would Earth support allies? | Grant them Protection as a defensive boon | |||
Weapon skills[edit]
| # | Skill |
|
|
Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff | |||||
| 1 | Channeled Energy | 1 | Channel power into your target damaging them. | ||
| 1 |  Energy Strike |
1/4 | Fire a quick bolt of power towards your target damaging them while your ability to channel magic recovers. | ||
| 2 | Convergence Orb | 3/4 | 6 | Create a magical sphere in the target area that pulses damaging energies before exploding. | |
| 3 | Aura Assault | 3/4 | 6 | Summon multiple energy spheres cascading on the target area, gain an aura. | |
| 4 | Master's Disengagement | 1/4 | 15 | Dodge back and creating a field. | |
| 5 | Arcane Wrath | 3 3/4 | 30 | Rain magic down onto the target area, creating a field. | |
| Scepter | |||||
| 1 | Energy Spike | 1/2 | Strike your target with a spike of energy. | ||
| 1 | Energy Blast |
1/2 | Blast your target with magical power. | ||
| 1 | Energy Lance |
3/4 | Create a lance of power that pierces your target. | ||
| 2 | Gathering Force | 1/4 | 4 | Gather destructive power at the target area. | |
| 3 | Invoke Conjuring | 3/4 | 8 | Invoke a mystical being to strike the target area. | |
| Dagger | |||||
| 1 | Power Slicer | 1/4 | Energize your daggers for a melee strike. | ||
| 1 | Energy Saw |
1/2 | Slice and create a circular blade of energy that slices into foes. | ||
| 2 | Arcane Breath | 1/2 | 6 | Channel power into a breath attack. | |
| 3 | ' | 1/4 | 8 | ||
| 4 | ' | 3/4 | 15 | ||
| 5 | ' | 1 | 25 | ||
| Focus | |||||
| 4 | ' | 1 | 20 | ||
| 5 | ' | 1 | 30 | ||
