Prophecies PvE-Only skills

So, when PvE-Only Skills were introduced in Nightfall (the ones linked to Sunspear), they were also retrofitted to Factions, leaving Prophecies behind (as usual). Then came GW:EN with even more PvE-only skills, making Prophecies the only game out of four (counting GW:EN as a game) without them. The question is: Why?

Well, basically, this is a plea to Anet to add them. This is also a suggestion on how it could be done, and what the skills could be. I am pretty unimpressed with what PvE-only skills we have now, since any of them could technically be balanced and slapped into PvP, with the exception of being linked to titles instead of attributes. They're fairly unoriginal, and don't take advantage of some of the major differences between PvE and PvP, namely the fact that the enemy is AI, which can be altered.

So what's my idea? Glad you asked.

First of all, how they can be added. They can be linked to the Protector title (and possibly Guardian), and the skills given by Vision of Glint in Droknar's Forge as a reward for completing Glint's quests and for purchase with hero skill points. This way, there is no more grinding added with these, and moreover, no new titles. Plus, this gives an incentive to actually completeing Prophecies for more than just the initial title. This injection may create new life in many of the currently barren missions of Tyria, which is a good thing, I think.

On to the skill suggestions.

There's one for each class. And remember: these are only suggestions. If you find any of them over/underpowered, or you have a better idea, don't just write off the idea behind the skills altogether - suggest an alternative.

Warrior: "Get over here!" 5e / 20r --- Shout. Target foe takes 15...50 damage and is teleported into melee range. If target is not a boss, they are also Dazed for 4...14 seconds.

Elementalist: Nexus Ward 15e / 1c / 20r --- Ward Spell. You create a Nexus Ward at your current location. For 8...18 seconds, allies in this area receive +2 energy regeneration and +10 maximum energy.

Mesmer: Mind Control 25e / 3c / 30r --- Spell. Target non-boss foe becomes an ally for the next 20...60 seconds. The target's level becomes your level while under the effects of Mind Control. You can only control one foe at a time. When this effect ends, the foe becomes hostile and cannot be the target of Mind Control.

Ranger: Spirit of Melandru 15e / 5c / 60r --- Nature Ritual. Create a level 1...8 Spirit. Non-human, non-spirit creatures within range take an additional +3...12 damage per attack while enchanted, and conditions on these creatures last 10...33% longer. This Spirit dies after 30...126 seconds.

Necromancer: Animate Monster 15e / 3c / 20r --- Spell. Exploit non-human, non-boss corpse to re-animate a level 1...18 Monster. The Monster has the same appearance and skills/attributes as the creature it once was and leaves a non-exploitable corpse. You can only have 1...2 Monsters at a time.

Monk: Light of Justice 10e / 2c / 15r --- Spell. All nearby foes are struck for 25...80 holy damage. All nearby allies are healed for 25...80.

Assassin: Confusion Powder Signet 1/4c / 20r --- Signet. For 5...20 seconds, target foe randomly chooses another foe as the target of their attacks and skills. This effect ends if the target randomly chosen dies.

Ritualist: Weapon of the Mists 5e / 1c / 15r --- Weapon Spell. For the next 5...15 seconds, target ally's weapon deals shadow damage. When that ally attacks a non-human foe, their attacks cannot miss or be blocked.

Paragon: Anthem of Confusion 6a / 2c / 2r --- Chant. For 5...15 seconds, the next time each ally uses a spell on a foe, that foe randomly hits a nearby foe on their next attack.

Dervish: Whirling Stance 10e / 45r --- Stance. For 8...20 seconds, your scythe attacks hit all adjacent foes.


Note: I know this has been done, in some forms, in other threads. However, I'm explicitly stating not only the ideas behind the skills, but also how they can be added into the game, and the gaping hole they are meant to fill.

I was thinking in adding a new Faction tittle to Prophecies, something like: Protector of the Holy Flame, to link these skills to that track.

I would have agreed with the addition before GWEN came out becuase I had this thought myself that it was unfair. However with GWEN being an expansion and not a full chapter, i do see that these skills are linked to Tyria, the game itself is centered purely in Tyria. The only thing i think the prophicies campaign is missing is a way of gainign the reputation elsewhere than in the GWEN.


With regard to that I would simply expand the bounties to those areas analogous to those they are already in. Therefore the Norn woudl offer bounties throughout the shiverpeaks, the Asura throughout Magumaa and Kryta and the Ebon in Ascalon.

This would leave the crystal desert open to some form of bounty not yet introduced, however it should be remembered that not all of Cantha has bounties, therefore it would not be necessary to have one in the Crystal dessert

The elementalist one is insanely overpowered ^_^

While you are right about the location of GW:EN, and it being an expansion - it is an expansion to any chapter, not just Prophecies. So by that technicality alone, the PvE-only skills available there don't enter into the equation. In other words, if you owned Factions + GW:EN, or Nightfall + GW:EN, you would have collectively more PvE-only skills than you would if you owned Prophecies + GW:EN. So, in all fairness, Prophecies does deserve their own skills, IMO.

Proph only pve skills would be nice but please think of something useful for A ;p
I'd like some kind of goodly dual attack... With blind and daze ;o

The recharge should be longer for something so efficient. If they did implement this, you could almost guarantee a nerfing sometime or another.

/signed though.

No point in having pve skills in prophecies for non prophcies classes, or being able to trade in hero skill points in a campaign that has no heroes...

Sunspears have skills for A and Rt.

Signet of Capture.


There's your Prophecies PvE-Only skill.

Also, technically Olais came from Proph ^_^

Technically, that'd be core.

To your first point - there are Kurzick/Luxon skills for Paragons and Dervishes, and Susnpear skills for Sins and Rits. To the second point - hero skill points don't really have anything to do with heroes. You get the points by earning ranks in certain titles, and all they do is offer free skills for your character, and unlocks for the account. The heroes getting them is a by-product of having the skill unlocked. Also, you can acquire hero skill points by paying a plat and a skill point. Though I agree, another way of acquisition for Prophecies would be in order if this was implemented this way. Perhaps the Glint quests? *shrug*

Ahh, that could be cool. I don't play the Sin enough to really know what it needs, especially in PvE. So yeah, any suggestions are welcomed!

Possibly. I could see it. Perhaps 30 seconds? I dunno, I'm comparing it to "Finish Him!" in a sense. Not only because of how widely useful it would be, but also the obvious nod to Mortal Kombat

... and I thought the GW:EN PvE skills were overpowered.
I like the idea of Propechies PvE-only skills, but not as powerful as these.

I dunno, some of those look overpowered... even for PvE only skills.

The overpowered GWEN skills are balanced by the amount of absolutely useless skills included :/

Huh!?!?!

Dervishes can only hit up to 2 adjacent foes standard, but I do think that skill is a total gip since over 3 total foes in melee range would happen in a farming situation. Perhaps something like this?

Chilling Reach 10e / 45r Stance. For 10...20 seconds, your scythe attacks hit nearby foes.

I agree that Prophecies, despite being one of the most engaging campaigns, is the most gipped in terms of extra glitz. /Signed for PvE skills.

i suggest some good pve only skills
1. reusable rez skill that available to all classes
2. some good healing skills that available to all classes(in case of no monk and rit, other classes can heal)

Sunspear Rebirth Signet.

Signet of Capture is a CORE PvE only skill.

- 10 skills should be enough... they could be linked to a Shining Blade faction, increased for killing mursaat and white mantles.

pve skill given for completing the titan source, so finally people will have a reason to do this quest.

Nice idea.
123344457678

I just did that the other day while vanquishing Flame Temple and Dragon's Gullet. Was much fun.

He said Reusable.

I lol'd. Someone's been spending a little too much time on the PvP side of things. There's no point in making PvE only skills if they're going to be basically on the same level as normal skills.

If anything, it'd be Deldrimnor in the central and southern Shiverpeaks. Introducing Norn and Asura influences into Prophecies would be just plain wrong - there's a time gap of the better part of a decade before most Prophecies characters (including NPCs) even knew the Norn and Asura existed.

On Whirling Stance: I'm not sure the idea there is to hit multiple targets, but to reproduce the way Dervishes behaved during the preview weekends - when they'd hit three targets adjacent to themselves regardless of location rather than the three having to be adjacent to each other as well. The main benefit wouldn't be to hit more than three opponents, but it means when there's one opponent behind you and one in front, you can hit both.

Might actually make me consider bringing out my Poisoned Scythe build again... but probably not.

Beecause, you know, ANet went to all the effort to make all the other skills, it would be kinda nice for builds that don't rely on PvE skills to remain competitive?

To more directly answer your question:
1) So they can be lazy and not balance a skill which could be a normal skill to PvP standards. Cynical, but I have to agree with the OP that this does appear to be a major contributing factor - I'm willing to bet that some of them were originally going to Utopia skills that they decided they couldn't be bothered balancing. Some of which (Pain Inverter, for instance) were clearly aimed at elite status.
2) To implement skill ideas that don't easily fit into the existing attributes. (As a corrolary, to give players a taste of other character's roles - Weakness Trap and Black Powder Mine, for instance, allow any class to play at being a trapper. I'm not sure I agree with this aspect, but it's there).
3) To implement skill ideas that, for one reason or another, simply wouldn't work in PvP. (I'd agree with the OP here that this wasn't an option they took much advantage of...)

On the whole, I don't like PvE skills that much - mainly due to the feeling they've used them to go for 1) rather than 3), and then tossed grind on top. In principle, though, with all the other campaigns loaded with PvE skills, it does feel that it would be fairer to give a handful to Prophecies.