Every ten levels, you'll be able to complete another chapter of your character's personal story. Completing them will lead you to new areas and reward you with equipment and items. You'll also make friends with important characters and learn more about the world of Guild Wars 2.
Leveling Up
Almost everything you do in Tyria grants experience points. If you like playing in an area, you can stay there for as long as you like and keep earning EXP. As you level up, you'll unlock new skills and features. Sometimes you'll also be awarded a choice of equipment and other gifts.
Equipment
Common vendors sell some armor and weapons, but more powerful equipment can be found by fighting enemies, unlocking karma merchants by completing renown hearts, and working on your personal story.
Equipment with a colored name contains attribute boosts. If you have a choice of items and aren't sure which attributes to pick, lower-level characters can all benefit from the power attribute. This strengthens your attacks even if you have only a few skills unlocked.
Gear Progression
Basic Equipment (White)
Defense: 9
Fine Equipment (Blue)
Defense: 15
+3 Power
+2 Ferocity
Required Level: 5
Masterwork Equipment (Green)
Defense: 51
+12 Power
+16 Healing Power
Required Level: 45
Equipping New Weapons
Every profession can choose from a variety of weapons. The first five skills on your bar are your weapon skills and change only when you equip a different weapon.
You can equip weapons from your inventory by right-clicking one and selecting Equip from the list of options. To see all your weapons and other equipment, open your Hero panel by pressing [H]. Select one of the slots next to your character's portrait to view all the items you can add to that slot, and then choose the one you want to equip.
As you level up, you'll gain access to more skills. Most of the skills you'll use early on are determined by your weapon, so try equipping different types of weapons to find a fighting style you enjoy.
Fight to Survive and Reviving Allies
Your character's health is displayed in a red circle in the middle of your skill bar. If your health is depleted by an enemy, don't count yourself out yet! You'll enter a downed state and have one last chance to fight for survival. The skills you have access to in this state aren't as powerful as your combat skills, but they may be enough to finish off a weakened enemy or hold out until another player revives you.
Defeat an enemy while downed and you'll rally, gaining some health and rejoining the fight. If you're downed again a short time after rallying, you'll have less time to save yourself before being defeated.
You'll be defeated if your health bar is fully depleted while in a downed state. In this state, you can open your map using M to select a waypoint to travel to, or you can wait for another player to revive you.
Anyone can revive players who have been downed or defeated. Downed players will have a blue marker over their heads to let their allies know they need help. Try to revive them if you can do so safely! They'll be back in the fight in no time.
Each time you're defeated, your armor becomes less durable. Repair merchants and anvils are found in friendly outposts and cities, providing free repairs whenever you need them.
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