When playing the assassin, I notice there are two types of builds: Spiking (used mainly in PvP) and what other MMO's call a "light tank."(Used mainly in PvE) Making the assassin in GW2 lean heavily toward one of the types would alienate the people who play the other type; therefore in my assassin CC I have separate attributes for the two. The two attributes would allow skills of the according type to be more effective and give players a more satisfying experience when playing either. One of the problems with having the two skill types in one attribute as GW has now is the combination of the two to make imbalanced builds. An example of this problem, are the builds that start off with black spider strike -> twisting fangs/Horns of the Ox -> Moebius strike -> and spam finishing damage with death blossom. Another problem with the current assassin is its ability to have up to and over 5 skill chains. By limiting the number of skills an assassin can use, single skills can become more powerful and more effective. The Shadow Arts line of skills will include movement, healing, and debuffing skills.
Armor, Energy, and Weapons
Armor, energy, regen, and health will remain the same as it is now in GW. It is fairly balanced and allows the assassin to use its skills effectively.
For Assassination:
Daggers-
Damage: 7-17
Attack Rate: every 1.10 seconds
Added Bonus: additional 10% chance to crit
Blade- (added mainly because assassins look neat with swords ;D)
Damage 10-20
Attack Rate: every 1.25 seconds
For Combat:
Dual Wielded Blades-
Damage 10-20
Attack Rate: every 1.25 seconds
New Class Specific Armor Mods:
Assailant’s Insignia: +2% damage while under the effects of a contract(explained later)
Keen Insignia: +3% chance to crit
Shinobi Insignia: +2% chance to block while under the effects of an enchantment
(All stack per piece)
New Class Specific Runes:
Rune of Zeal: gain 1 energy on crit (non-stacking)
Rune of Envy: steal 3 health on crit (non-stacking)
Skills and Attibutes
Critical Strikes- Same effect, but change the +1...3 energy gain on crit break points to 4…8…12 attribute points. Some assassin CC’s have changed this attribute to %chance to block, but in a game like Guild Wars, this is somewhat imbalanced. The energy gain on crit lets the assassin use many skills without losing too much energy, and with this assassin, have energy readily available after using a spiking chain. The Critical Strikes line of skills will be composed of “Jutsus” a type of perfected stance (keeping to the ‘sins’s Asian influence), that cannot be stripped and adds an IAS. Jutsus cannot be used with a stance.
Perfect Form[E]- 5en 25 recharge - jutsu. For 0...25 seconds whenever you use an attack skill, that skill criticals. You attack 0...30% faster.
Inevitable Hands[E]- 5en 20 recharge - jutsu. For 0...20 seconds whenever you use an attack skill, that skill cannot be blocked. You attack 0...30% faster.
Critical Zeal- 5en 20 recharge - jutsu. For 0...20 seconds whenever you critical, you gain 1 en. You attack 0...15% faster.
Killer's Resiliency- 5en 15 recharge - jutsu. For 0...15 seconds whenever you use an attack skill, you remove one condition from yourself. You attack 0...10% faster.
Swift Fists- 5en 10 recharge - jutsu. For 0...10 seconds you attack 0...40% faster.
As the Wind- 5en 15 recharge - jutsu. For 0...15 seconds you move and attack 0..15% faster.
Assassination- Works as weapon mastery for Blades and daggers.
Assassination-based assassins do not dual wield Blades due to its cumbersome nature when trying to kill a simple target. Adding points to the Assassination attribute increases its skills on an exponential scale, meaning heavy points need to be put into this line to make it effective, and using its skills with few points has a negative effect. The skills in this line will act like the dagger master skills currently on the assassin, however the chain is now: Lead -> Dual -> Finisher. Lead and Dual work like before, but Finisher attacks three times adding to damage. ALL of these skills will have at least 15 sec recharges, due to their heavier damage and ability to apply multiple conditions. Using Lead, Dual, and Finishing attacks disables other melee skills for the L, D, F skills’ recharge recharges. As mentioned before, Assassination skills include Contracts, which add an extra effect to attacks and have an ending reward for successfully completing a combo. Not fulfilling a contract quickly enough will end it prematurely. Contracts only work against one foe at a time.
Beast[E]- 10en 20 recharge - Lead. This attack strikes for +5...25 damage and target foe is knocked down for 0...4 seconds.
Unsuspecting Strike- 5en 20 recharge - Lead. This attack strikes for +5...25 damage, and an additional +5...35 damage if your target is above 90% health. This attack cannot be blocked.
Savage Strike- 5en 15 recharge - Lead. This attack strikes for +5...30 damage, and an additional +5...10 damage if target foe is using a spell. This attack interrupts target foe's action.
Viper Fangs- 10en 20 recharge - Dual. This attack strikes for +5...30 damage, and inflicts poison for 5...25 seconds.
Wild Blades- 5en 15 recharge - Dual. This attack strikes for +5...25 damage, and removes target foe's stance. This attack cannot be blocked.
Dragon Jaw[E]- 10en 20 recharge - Dual. This attack strikes for +5...35 damage, and inflicts burning for 0...5 seconds.
Bestial Assault- 5en 20 recharge - Finisher. This attack strikes for +5...20 damage, and inflicts bleeding and deep wound for 2...25 seconds.
Exhausting Assault- 5en 15 recharge - Finisher. This attack strikes for +5...20 damage and interrupts target foe. If target foe was using a spell, this skill inflicts exhaustion.
Shatter Rain[E]- 10en 20 recharge - Finisher. This attack strikes for +5...15 damage, and an removes an enchantment each time it hits. This attack cannot be blocked.
"There will be no escape"- 5en 2 cast 12 recharge - Contract. For 5...24 seconds your attacks against target foe inflict cripple for 1...3 seconds. If you successfully execute a combo target foe suffers -2...5 health degeneration for 5...12 seconds. Ends if you do not start a combo after 3...10 seconds.
"Their death will be swift"- 5en 2 cast 12 recharge - Contract. For 5...24 seconds your attacks against target foe have 0...10% armor penetration and deal +1...10 damage. If you successfully execute a combo target foe's maximum health is reduced by 5...15% for 3...15 seconds. Ends if you do not start a combo after 3...10 seconds.
"They wont know what hit them[E]- 10en 3 cast 12 recharge - Contract. For 5...24 seconds your attacks against target foe inflict dazed for 1...3 seconds. If you successfully execute a combo target foe is knocked down. Ends if you do not start a combo after 0...6 seconds.
Combat- Works as weapon mastery for dual wielding blades. Combat-based assassins dual wield blades to better take on multiple opponents. Adding points to Combat works in the same way as Assassination, only being effective until large numbers of points are invested. Combat will include low recharge, spamable melee skills that allow the assassin to have high constant DPS, such as Death Blossom currently in GW. There will be three types of melee skills combat assassins use: Main attacks, Offhand attacks, and Dual Strikes.
Attack chains for Combat assassins can go:
main -> offhand -> dual
offhand -> main -> dual
main -> dual
offhand -> dual
main -> offhand -> main -> offhand... -> dual
offhand -> main -> offhand -> main... -> dual
ect.
using both a main and offhand before a dual will trigger a secondary effect, and recharge all main and offhand attacks.
It will also include defensive enchantments and skills that allow for light tanking despite the assassin’s somewhat low AL, such as Critical Defenses.
Sweeping Strike- 5en 2 recharge - Main attack. Strike target foe and adjacent foes for +5...30 damage.
Falcon Strike- 5en 4 recharge - Main attack. Strike target foe for +5...30 damage and adjacent aerial foes are knocked down.
Thrusting Strike- 5en 2 recharge - Main attack. Strike target foe and foes adjacent to target foe for +5...30 damage.
Critical Strike- 5en 4 recharge - Offhand attack. This attack criticals and you gain 2...7 energy.
Arcing Strike- 5en 2 recharge - Offhand attack. Strike target foe and adjacent foes for +5...30 Damage.
Trampling Ox - 5en 4 recharge - Offhand attack. Strike target foe for +3...25 damage, if you are moving or attacking faster than target foe, that foe is knocked down.
Fox Thrust - 5en 1/2 cast 2 recharge - Offhand attack. This attack cannot be blocked.
Masterful Strike[E] - 5 en 2 recharge - Melee skill. This attack strikes for +2...25 damage and counts as both a main and offhand attack.
Blades of Steel - 5en 4 recharge - Dual Strike. Strike target foe for +1...7 damage for each assassin skill on your bar. If both a main and offhand attack precede, adjacent foes take 1...7 damage for each assassin skill on your bar.
Death Blossom - 5en 2 recharge - Dual Strike. Strike target foe and all adjacent foes for +20...30 damage. If both a main and offhand attack precede, adjacent foes take 20...30 damage.
Hunting Beast[E] - 5en 8 recharge - Dual Strike. Strike target foe for +5...30 damage. If both a main and offhand attack precede, all adjacent foes are knocked down.
Counter- 5en 10 recharge - Skill. For 1 second you cannot attack, and the next attack against you is blocked. Your next attack does 100...200% of the damage blocked.
Critical defenses- 10en 1 cast 30 recharge - Enchantment Spell. For 0...10 seconds, you have a +75% chance to block. This skill refreshes every time you achieve a critical hit.
Assassin's Comfort- 5en 1/4 cast 15 recharge - Enchantment Spell. For 20 seconds, you gain +1 health regeneration for each assassin skill on your bar and an additional +3 regeneration if you are under the effects of a jutsu.
Shadow Arts- This line of skills will include movement and positioning skills, as well as self healing skills. Movement and positioning skills include stealth-like skills, as well as shadow steps. Shadow steps will be changed to: move swiftly to target, meaning snares and cripple have effect on the speed of a shadow step, and it will require line of sight. Shadow steps will also have a WoW shadow step effect, providing a brief speed increase, and small damage bonus.
Appear[E]- 5en 1 cast 5 recharge - Shadow step. Move swiftly to target foe.(100% chance of failure with Shadow Arts 4 or below)
Vanish[E]- 5en 1/4 cast 20 recharge - Shadow step. You are no longer targeted by foes, and become inconspicuous. Move swiftly to random location in the area.
Inconspicuous- 10en 2 cast 20 recharge - Skill. If you are not within earshot of a foe, you become non-hostile to all creatures and move 80...30% slower. This skill ends if you use another non-contract skill. Lasts for 5...10 seconds if Critical Strikes are 4 or below.
Tactical Retreat- 5en 30 recharge - Stance. For 3...20 seconds you move 33% faster and gain 5 health each second you are running.
Cheat Death- 5en 1/4 cast 60 recharge - Skill. For 3...8 seconds, the next time you would receive fatal damage, that damage is negated, you are teleported to a random location in the area, and healed for 20...120 health.
Siphon Speed- 5en 1/4 cast 20 recharge - Hex spell. For 5...15 seconds target foes moves 33% slower and you move 33% faster. This spell recharges 50% faster if cast on a moving foe. Half range.
Expose Defenses- 5en 1 cast 20 recharge - Hex spell. For 2...12 seconds target foe cannot block while moving. Half range.
Paralyzing Fear- 10en 1 cast 20 recharge - Hex spell. For 2...12 seconds target foe cannot use stances and has a 0...20% chance to miss. Half range.
Shatter Dagger- 10en 1 cast 15 recharge - Hex spell. Send out a Shattering Dagger at target foe. If target foe is using a skill, they are interrupted and they cannot be the target of enchantments for 0...3 seconds. Half range.
EDIT NOTES: yays assassin hate!!! seriously people if I wanted a thread about why assassins are the worst thing to ever happen to GW, I would have made one. Thanx to the people who complemented my attempt to revise the class, both of you. The ninja picture is actually Factions concept art. Deadly arts will remain out of my concept because most of what people have complained about with the assassin's imbalancedness is directly related to that skill line. Runes changed to activate on crit.
EDIT NOTES 2: No, I didn't mean +4...8...12 energy on hit, geeze people. Preparations changed to "Plots" which end after a chain has been completed, and end prematurely if you do not execute a chain fast enough.
EDIT NOTES 3: Took some suggestions and changed shadow arts to include some shutdown. May be a bit over powered though. Plan on updating Assassination skills and overhauling Combat skills soon.
EDIT NOTES 4: Changed plots to contracts, and reworked combat skills. Added dual wielding to combat, and made jutsus require max Critical Strikes to keep up indefinitely.