Hunter

Hunter Class:

Description:
Across the world there are those who specialise in certain ways of fighting, and usage of certain weapons like hammers, swords, axes, bows, and rumours of distant lands where people specialize in daggers or even scythes and spears. Yet here, knowing your weapon is not enough, you also have to know your enemy. Hunter specialize in knowing their enemies.

Weapon Mastery(Primary): For every rank in this attribute you gain +1% weapon damage. Some skills becomes more powerfull with more ranks in this attribute.

Tracking: Decreases the chance that monsters notice you when you enter their threat circle. Some skills becomes more powerfull with more ranks in this attribute.

Specialization: This skill has no inherent effect. Some skills becomes more powerfull with more ranks in this attribute.

Trapping:This skill has no inherent effect. Some skills becomes more powerfull with more ranks in this attribute.

Some skills:
Weapon Mastery:
Determination - 10 energy, 20 recharge. Stance: For 5..20 seconds your next 0..5 attacks cannot be dodged, blocked, or evaded.

Defence - 15 energy, 20 recharge. Stance: For 5..20 seconds, you block the next 5..20 attacks against you.

(Elite) Counter Attack - 20 energy, 30 recharge. Stance: For 0..10 seconds you hit anyone that hits you.(dunno about the wording...)

Tracking:
Locate <type> - 25 energy, 10 casting, 60 recharge. A red line stretches between you and the closest <type> enemy within 1..10 times earshot.
(Basicaly, there'll be one for insect, plant, ect, like the bounties in Nightfall, perhaps some elites for rare creatures.)

Followed Footsteps - 10 energy, 4 casting, 30 recharge. For 1..20 seconds the distance between you and the enemy will be automaticaly maintained.(I.E you run in syncronization with him, although you do not shadow step.)

Take Down - 5 energy, 1 casting, 60 recharge. You have 50...90% chance of knocking down target moving foe. You have 80..30% change of being knocked down.

(Elite)Cover Tracks - 10 energy, 4 casting, 20 recharge. For 2..20 seconds enemies stop following you as soon as you exit their threat range.

Specialization:
<type> Hunter - 25 energy, 20 casting, recharges on boss kills. You have 1..10% bonus damage against <type> creatures, and +0..10 armor against <type> creatures. You suffer -20 armor against enemies not of <type>.

Study Enemy - 5 energy, 10 casting. This is easily interuptable. For the next 20 seconds you have 2..20% bonus damage against this creature and +0..20 armor against this type creature, as well as 0..30% chance to evade/block its attacks. You suffer a -20 armor penalty and you are unable to evade or block attacks from other enemies.

(Elite) "I know its weakness!" - 10 energy, 5 casting, 10 recharge. Shout: Allies gain +0..10% damage against this enemy.

Trapping:
Lure - 5 energy, 1 casting, 1 recharge. Trap: Enemies within earshot are attracted to this trap, its destroyed if they reach it or after 30 seconds. Whichever happens first.

Ambush - 10 energy, 5 casting, 10 recharge, Nature Ritual: Easily Interuptable. Create a level 1..6 spirit. Enemies within this spirits range suffer -0..5 armor, and deal 1...10% less damage. This spirit dies after 30..160 seconds.

Net - 15 energy, 3 casting, 20 recharge. Skill. Throw a net at target foe. On impact, all foes in the area are slowed 90% for 10 seconds. The net projectile flies at a quarter of the normal speed. (copied from the Corsair's Net ability )

(Elite) Snare - 20 energy, 6 casting, 10 recharge. Trap: Easily interuptable. When this trap is trigger, the foe's movement speed is decreased by 70..90%(100% at 16) for 2..6 seconds.

<type> is either the creature's type, like the bounties in Nightfall, or class. this enables this build to be used in PvP.

Also, this class is not specificaly melee, ranged, or spellcaster. Most of the bonus damage counts for spells and attack skills aswell. If you use a primary as Hunter, your secondary will define your "role" on combat. As a secondary, it boosts your effectiveness against a known enemy.

Armor would be difficult.
I'd say the end set should give 60 armor, while one set increases mana and regen, increases armor, and another thats in between. Body and Legs should add regen, as they provide the most cover when it comes to armor. The armor must be very camo like, almost a cross between assassin and ranger. Headgear should idealy be a bandana. And the dance should be the Cossack dance :P

This class would not introduce any new weapon types.

A bit too much like the Ranger, but could always include it as part of the new core proffessions that mirror aspect of Ranger. If done so, the seperation would be cleaner.

The skills in Track is intersting, but also need to be apply to be of use in PvP as well.

The Weapon Mastery is too wide. Might suggest give them a more specific weapon. A Boomerang is a popular suggestion. Crossbow might be another choice. Slings and blowguns might be options too.

I do like the skills in Specialization.

Followed Footsteps and Take Down should be usefull in PvP against people fleeing.

Locate <type> might be usefull to keep track of the location of a certain type of enemy, perhaps a +% attack bonus would be usefull and/or make it more usefull in pvp?

As for "Cover Tracks", I can only thing it usefull in PvP types that feature npc oponents like Guild Battles. Do you think adding a small regen and a tiny spot of armor would help?

I'm kinda at a loss what kind of uniqe weapon a hunter would use. Boomerang makes sense, especialy if ANet can make its attack speed decrease with distance, and that it could count as a melee weapon when standing against the enemy. Almost like a Machette like Boomerang.

Crossbows makes more sense with a sniper or artiliry type class, while blowguns would be nice to be added with a class that specialised in status affects and hexes aplied through attacking with it.(Think of it as applying different and diverse "poisons" to the dart to gain a desired effect).

Slings sound decent though...