Starting A Ritualist

Hey, I think I am going to start a ritualist and could use some tips.

Whats are some good builds for PvE ritualists? I need some healing ones that involve spirits (I like the spirits :P) and maybe a spirit spammer build, if theyre good in PvE.

Also can you list some nice weapons and some collectors on where to get armor? Thanks.

www.guildwars/wiki.org

anyways..
spirit spammingcan be complicated.. sometimes

I prefer channeling out of all the ritualist attributes. Here's a build I fuse a lot:

[skill]bloodsong[/skill][skill]vampirism[/skill][skill]essence strike[/skill][skill]spirit burn[/skill][skill]spirit rift[/skill][skill]nightmare weapon[/skill][skill]signet of spirits[/skill][skill]death pact signet[/skill]

Channeling 12 + 1 + 1
Spawning power 12 + 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An alternate build is:

[skill]bloodsong[/skill][skill]pain[/skill][skill]vampirism[/skill][skill]wanderlust[/skill][skill]spirit boon strike[/skill][skill]painful bond[/skill][skill]essence strike[/skill][skill]summon spirits[/skill]

Channeling 12 + 1 + 1
Communing 12 + 1
Spawning power 3 + 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A restoration build:

[skill]recuperation[/skill][skill]vampirism[/skill][skill]preservation[/skill][skill]spirit light[/skill][skill]mend body and soul[/skill][skill]vengeful weapon[/skill][skill]essence strike[/skill][skill]flesh of my flesh[/skill]

Restoration 12 + 1 + 1
Channeling 12 + 1
Spawning power: 3 + 1

Spirit Spammers are depressingly slow, and you should only consider using one in places you hardly have to move at all, like Alliance Battles.

If you want healing spirits, use [card]Life[/card]. I personally like [card]Preservation[/card] as well, though I don't know how other people here feel about it. The best part of Ritualists is their ability to damage and heal on the same skill bar, so invest in Channeling Magic and Restoration Magic, with MAYBE a few points in Spawning Power. (It's a bad attribute, but a few extra seconds for your weapon spells to last never hurt anyone.)

One thing I like about preservation is that serves a lot of purposes above and beyond just another healing spell;

It can draw aggro, or at least be another target rather than a human player.

It has a low cost and quick recharge, so it'll be up every fight.

It takes some of the pressure off of you or the other healers.

It helps not just now, but every 4 seconds after the initial casting and until the 90 second lifespan is reached, which is especially good in "defend the area" type of missions.

I can see how its worth may not be high in PvP, but in a PvE setting it can pay for itself.

Spirits are nice, but don't bring more than two if you wanna be an effective rit.

How the ritualist profession is is how you want to play it. You can be a pseudo monk and use restoration magic, you can be a pseudo ele and use Channeling magic, or you can suck and use Communing.

Restoration Build:

[skill]Weapon of Remedy[/skill][skill]Weapon of Warding[/skill][skill]Wielder's Boon[/skill][skill]Mend Body and Soul[/skill][skill]Protective was kaolai[/skill][skill]Life[/skill][skill]Weapon of Shadow[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

Channeling build:
[skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill][skill]Splinter Weapon[/skill][skill]Bloodsong[/skill] Optional Optional [skill]Offering of Spirit[/skill][skill]Warmonger's Weapon[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

The metagame is Hybrid Rits. Combining Channeling and Restoration magic generally provide the strongest builds in PvP, but it translates very well in PvE.

Hybrid Build #1:

[skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill][skill]Splinter Weapon[/skill][skill]Weapon of Remedy[/skill][skill]Weapon of Warding[/skill][skill]Protective was Kaolai[/skill][skill]Wielder's Boon[/skill][skill]Mend Body and Soul[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

Hybrid Build #2:
[skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill][skill]Splinter Weapon[/skill][skill]Offering of Spirit[/skill][skill]Weapon of Warding[/skill][skill]Protective was Kaolai[/skill][skill]Wielder's Boon[/skill][skill]Life[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

I don't do spirit spamming at all, but I figure the generic builds would be these.

Defensive Spirit Spammer:
[skill]Ritual Lord[/skill][skill]Boon of Creation[/skill][skill]Shelter[/skill][skill]Displacement[/skill][skill]Union[/skill] Optional Optional [skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

Offensive Spirit Spammer (spirit herder):
[skill]Pain[/skill][skill]Bloodsong[/skill][skill]Shadowsong[/skill][skill]Dissonance[/skill][skill]Painful Bond[/skill][skill]Boon of Creation[/skill][skill]Offering of Spirit[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill] or [skill]Flesh of my Flesh[/skill]

but I highly recommend against spirit spamming. It's a disgrace imho.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cosmic Error Spirit Spammers are depressingly slow, and you should only consider using one in places you hardly have to move at all Has no-one heard of Summon Spirits? Stick that in place of Boon in the above offense spammer, since you'll have plenty of energy with Offering. If you just want pure damage, swap dissonance for Fury and Shadowsong for Vamprism. If you're reckless like me you can even fit Anguish in place of a res. End result is the best single-target DPS avaliable in the game, with hardly any movement limitations thanks to Summon.

Quote:

like Alliance Battles. Wow, if you like losing, but that's its own thread.

Quote: Originally Posted by FoxBat

Quote: Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove

(There's also a "Ritualist Basics" thread at the very top of the page....look around for helpful information)

Quote: Originally Posted by Oso Minar

Quote: Originally Posted by Cosmic Error

Quote: Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove A full bar of spirits takes 20+ seconds to put up. Summon spirits lets you do it a little less often, but it's still pretty godawful slow.

That, and is it really that fun to hit 123456 then stand around doing nothing for 30 seconds?

Also, horseradish posted all the good build stuff, so he gets all the brownie points for this thread. That depends on your build I always use:
[skill]pain[/skill][skill]bloodsong[/skill][skill]Anguish[/skill][skill]painful bond[/skill][skill]Offering of Spirit[/skill](optional:[skill]splinter weapon[/skill][skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill])
So I'm doing something, and recasting spirits too.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cosmic Error

Spirit Spammers can be a pain to deal with in RA. Particularly if your team lets them creep up on you and box you in.

[skill]splinter weapon[/skill][skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill] rest is optional

Quote: Originally Posted by Terraban

I would suggest you not spirit spam, it's really not useful at all. Horseradish did a great job listing some of the common builds. Start with those, and once you get comfortable the class you can start experimenting with your own.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cosmic Error

I suppose I picked up a misleading bit of information earlier on, I'm not a huge ABer.

Sorry if I misled anyone, but the point still stands that Spirit Spam makes you really immobile.

For PVE, I am partial to Rit Lord.... I've run a Rit since factions first came out and am always impressed when I play that character.

I use:
Boon of Creation
Ritual Lord (elite)
Union
Shelter
Displacement
Optional (I use Pain for a quick boost on energy when Boon is up, but have also swapped other skills in and out here)
Summon Spirits (Kurzick)
Flesh of My Flesh

Prior to Summon Spirits, I was extremely happy with Feast of Souls - massive party heal if your monk is struggling.

I also have Resto builds and a damage build, and they are useful and fun, but Rit Lord will always be my fave ^^

Edit: Oh, and for pvp (AB is where I do this), I like Signet of Creation. Sounds odd at first, I know, but it's nasty. It gives all spirits and animated creatures within earshot health regen for 30 seconds, including those for the opposing team, so when an enemy MM attacks, hit that sig and run like heck.... because after 30 seconds, it destroys all minions and spirits affected by it. Nothing like making the enemy army go POOF. Funniest thing in the world to see the MM on chat... No, I didn't die, I don't know WHAT happened to all my minions!