We have up until this point seen two systems of skill aquisition for new characters in the current chapters of GuildWars. Prophesies with its skill quests to unlock new skills, and in the last two where a new character have to purchase all skills. Both systems having their fair share of advantages and drawbacks.
Note: I am mainly concerned with new players and their first characters - people already owning previous chapters or having completed the game with X number of character is not the issue here.
Note 2: The system I am presenting for your input only applies for skills of a character's primary profession. Skills of the secondary profession would still be a purchase from skill trader kind of deal.
In nightfall we have these bounties given out by NPCs scattered around the explorable area positioned by rez shrines. My suggestion centers around a similar concept. But rather than giving out bounties for killing a certain type of critters for a reward. Talking to one gives you a blessing to hunt for a skill from a certain type of critters.
This skill hunt functions similarly to a signet of capture. But do not take up a place in your skill bar, it can not capture elite skills and it can not capture skills from bosses. - For that you need a normal signet of capture.
It is inactive until you have killed a critter of the type that use a skill of your primary profession you do not yet have unlocked. At which time it activates and captures that skill. If the critter has several skills you do not yet have unlocked, it will randomly select one to capture.
This skill will be unlocked and available to equip the next time you enter an outpost.
Each skill hunt can only capture one skill after a skill have been captures, you would have to seek out an other skill hunt NPC to give you a new one. (Or zone out and go back.)
You can only have one skill hunt active at one time.
Once you reach certain levels, you can no longer get skill hunts in low level areas. Once you reach level 20 you can not get skill hunts in any area.
In low level areas there are a skill hunt NPC at every rez shrine.
In mid level areas there might be one skill hunt NPC in a whole exploreable area.
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