Virtue

This article is about the guardian's special abilities. For the guardian general specialization, see Virtues.

Virtues are the profession mechanic for the guardian profession. They occupy the F1-F3 slots of the mechanic bar. These abilities apply continuous passive benefits to the guardian as that character adventures, or they can be activated as something similar to shouts, granting an immediate benefit to all nearby allies. Activating one of these virtues will disable its passive effect until that ability recharges once again. Each virtue has its own recharge so may be used independently of the others. Functionality for these skills unlock as players level. Virtue of Courage unlocks at level 17.

List of virtues

#	Skill			Description
Guardian
F1	Virtue of Justice		20	Virtue: Burn foes every few attacks. Activate: You and your allies inflict burning on the next attack.
F2	Virtue of Resolve		30	Virtue: Regenerates health. Activate: Heal yourself and nearby allies.
F3	Virtue of Courage		45	Virtue: Gain aegis periodically. Activate: Grant aegis to yourself and nearby allies.
Dragonhunter
F1	Spear of Justice	0.75¾	20	Virtue: Burn foes every few attacks. Activate: Hurl a spear of light that passes through foes. Enemies struck become tethered and receive conditions periodically.
F2	Wings of Resolve	1	30	Virtue: Regenerates health. Activate: Leap to a target area, healing allies in the area.
F3	Shield of Courage		60	Virtue: Grants aegis periodically. Activate: Grant aegis to nearby allies and create a shield in front of you that blocks attacks. You are vulnerable from the sides and behind while this shield is active.
Firebrand
F1	Tome of Justice	0.25¼	30	Virtue: Burn foes every few attacks. Activate: Pull forth a magical tome on the dangers of the blazing heat in Kourna. Each tome skill use consumes a page.
F2	Tome of Resolve	0.5½	50	Virtue: Regenerate health. Activate: Draw forth an enchanted tome that recounts the trials undergone by the people of Vabbi. Each tome skill use consumes a page.
F3	Tome of Courage	0.25¼	75	Virtue: Gain aegis periodically. Activate: Conjure a mystic tome containing stories about the heroes of Istan. Each tome skill use consumes a page.

Related skills

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   Protector's Strike — Protect allies from the next incoming attack against them, and lash out when attacked, granting boons to nearby allies and fully charging the passive burning effect.
•  
  
   Renewed Focus — Meditation. Focus, making yourself invulnerable and recharging your virtues.

Related traits

Zeal

•  Zealous Scepter — Gain might when your justice passive effect triggers; gain more might while wielding a scepter.

Radiance

•  Justice is Blind — Gain a light aura and blind nearby foes when you activate Virtue of Justice.
•  Renewed Justice — Virtue of Justice is renewed when you kill a foe.
•  Wrath of Justice — Striking an enemy with Virtue of Justice's damaging effect casts Lesser Signet of Wrath.

Valor

•  Steadfast Courage — Gain protection when you block an incoming attack with aegis.

Honor

•  Purity of Body — Your Virtue of Resolve passive also regenerates endurance.

Virtues

•  Inspired Virtue — Virtues apply boons to allies when activated.
•  Virtue of Retribution — Gain retaliation when you activate a Virtue. Retaliation you grant has increased duration.
•  Absolute Resolution — Activating Virtue of Resolve removes conditions from nearby allies. Virtue of Resolve's passive effect is stronger.
•  Power of the Virtuous — Deal increased damage for each boon on you. Virtues gain reduced recharge.
•  Permeating Wrath — Virtue of Justice's passive triggers more quickly and now burns in an area.
•  Battle Presence — Nearby allies gain Virtue of Resolve's passive.
•  Indomitable Courage — Virtue of Courage's active breaks stun and grants stability to nearby allies. Virtue of Courage's passive gains a shorter interval.

Dragonhunter

•  Virtuous Action — The guardian's resolve has further increased, allowing virtues to be manifested as physical aspects.
•  Soaring Devastation — Wings of Resolve delivers an attack upon landing. Movement speed is increased when Wings of Resolve is not on cooldown.
•  Defender's Dogma — Blocking an attack causes Justice to reach its maximum charge and reduces the cooldown of Spear of Justice by 3 seconds.
•  Zealot's Aggression — Deal extra damage to crippled enemies. Justice's passive effect cripples enemies.
•  Bulwark — Shield of Courage gains increased radius and duration.
•  Big Game Hunter — Striking an enemy tethered by your Spear of Justice inflicts vulnerability and increases damage dealt. Tether duration is increased.

Firebrand

•  Purity of Word — Gain knowledge of Elonian lore, igniting a fierce drive to purge corruption and manifesting your Virtues as mystic tomes. Gain access to Mantras.
•  Archivist of Whispers — Your Virtues gain additional pages.
•  Swift Scholar — Equipping or stowing a Virtue grants you quickness.
•  Legendary Lore — Tome skills gain bonuses from scribbling in the margins by ancient bards.
•  Loremaster — Tome skills gain reduced recharge. Retain Virtues passives while they are on cooldown.

Trivia

• The guardian's virtue mechanic went through a long iteration process. At one point, it was a shield around the guardian that absorbed damage; at another, it was a mechanic similar to the thief's initiative and called resolve, and although scrapped it became the basis of the thief's said mechanic. Months later, a concept of sacrificing a passive effect for a greater power was introduced and became the virtue system.

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Skill types and profession mechanics