Mantras = Stances (Skill Changes 1/05/05)

All Mesmer "mantras" - those skills which formerly worked much like a Monk's "blessings", enchantment spells costing an arrow of energy regeneration to maintain indefinitly - are now classified as "stances". Stances are those skills like Sprint, Flurr, or Lightning Reflexes that are, in effect, non-magical self-enchantments. Personal buffs.

What this means is that all Mesmer mantras now have an instant casting time and do not cost any pips. At the same time, a character can only use one stance at a time, casting a new one replaces the old one. Mantras have been adjusted a bit because of it, they cost in the 10~15 en range now and have recharge times in the 30~60 second range but mantras are still "infinte" durations just as they were when they were enchantment spells. Meh, I'd post all the details but it's the mechanic that matters, the details can wait until we have an actual skill database up and running.

Some further rebalancing changes :

ELEMENTALIST

Blinding Flash : Now 15 energy. Formerly 10 en.

Deep Freeze : Now a hex. Formerly a spell.

Thunderclap : Drains 15..7 energy from the caster when triggered.

MONK

Remove Hex : Now 7 second recharge time. Formerly 5 second recharge.

Aegis : Now 45 second recharge time. Formerly 30 second recharge.

MESMER

Inspired Hex : Now costs 5 energy with an instant recharge time. Formerly 10 energy and 5 second recharge.

Inspired Enchantments : Now instantly recharges. Formerly 5 second recharge.

Power Drain : Now 25 second recharge time.

Arcane Thievery : Opponent's skill is locked for 5...35 seconds linked to Domination. Now Costs 10 energy. Formerly a flat 20 second duration and 15 en.

NECROMANCER

Spinal Shivers : Drains 10..5 energy from the caster when triggered.

RANGER

Whirling Defense : Now 60 second recharge time. Formerly 30 second recharge.

Parasitic Bond and Holy Strike are supposedly improved too, but I don't have the numbers.
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Ye olde bumpage.

Thanks, need to update a few

Can you still cancel the Mantras at will? I have no clue what they're trying to accomplish by changing them this way. Is Mantra of Earth somehow suddenly playable after this change? Guess not.

Power Drain needed a nerf, this isn't a bad one. Blinding Flash needed one too, but it's the cooldown that's the problem there more than the energy cost.

Most of the rest are just cosmetic or having fun with useless skills. Wow, Spinal Shivvers only makes me lose 5 energy when I hit the opponent now? What a deal.

No clue why they're nerfing Aegis.

Peace,
-CxE

No. They work exactly as stances, except with no duration. They cannot be removed by enchantment removal etc. It also makes Mantra of Recall completely useless, as it doesn't actually do anything.

Agreed. At 4 seconds recharge, it's still far too spammable