Guild Wars 2> News>Release Notes for Blood and Madness

Release Notes for Blood and Madness

by The Guild Wars 2 Team on 15th October, 2013

Edrick was a monster, he brought his family shame
So they locked him in a box, mouth stuffed with candy corn
But now the son has risen to take his father’s name –
Beware the Bloody Prince, the son of Mad King Thorn!

LIVING WORLD

Blood and Madness

Halloween returns to Tyria, and the studious Magister Tassi is busy. Obsessed with everything related to Mad King Thorn, the diminutive scholar is hunting for a lost relic connected to the crazed monarch famous for his Halloween mayhem. But what she discovers is something tucked away centuries ago—and for a good reason. Join Tassi, uncover the Mad King’s ghoulish secret, and learn that some things that are hidden can return with a vengeance.

The Blood and Madness content will be available from October 15 to November 11, including rewards and achievements. The only exception is the A Royal Tradition achievement, which can only be completed when Mad King Thorn visits Lion’s Arch.

Story

  • Join Magister Tassi at the Nolani Academy ruins in the northwest corner of the Black Citadel for two multiplayer story instances:
    • The first introduces the players to this year’s Halloween story and the arrival of Mad King Thorn’s son, the Bloody Prince. As players work towards completing the meta-achievement, they can occasionally use Tassi’s relay golem to check in on her developments.
    • The second story instance requires completion of the Blood and Madness meta-achievement in order to enter and play the story conclusion. A least one player in the party needs to have met the prerequisite for the whole party to enter and begin the instance.

Lion’s Arch

  • Lion’s Arch has been decorated with Halloween flair. Decorations abound with pumpkins to carve. There are kids trick-or-treating, and merchants selling Halloween recipes. Even Zommoros has some festive spirit, turning the Mystic Forge into a cauldron. Jump in for some costume brawl fun!
  • Sonder the Seller in Fort Marriner will exchange candy corn for candy corn cobs, which can be used to buy a Mini Bloody Prince Thorn and 20-slot Halloween Pail inventory bags. He will also combine stacks of chattering skulls, plastic fangs, and nougat centers for refined versions. These resultant items are ingredients needed to craft exclusive Halloween weapons: The Mad Moon (shield), Arachnophobia (short bow), and The Crossing (staff).
  • Mad King Thorn himself will arrive in Lion’s Arch on Halloween from 9 a.m. PDT on October 30 to 9 a.m. PDT on November 1. Laugh at his mad jokes and play his Mad King Says game!

Open World

  • In the Krytan areas of Queensdale, Kessex Hills, and Gendarran Fields, the Haunted doors have returned. This time, there are two varieties: the green Mad King doors and the red-purple Bloody Prince doors. Upon interaction, each brings one of several occurrences: a trick-or-treat bag can appear, or an event will start where players will need to defeat an intrusion of either the Mad King’s army of candy-corn elementals, plastic spiders, and gargoyles or the Bloody Prince’s army of skeletons, mummies, and ghosts.
  • Just outside of each home city, players can find a tent and stage with Halloween decorations. Talk to the trick-or-treating kids, the Mad King Thorn actor in costume, or to the ghost Rasmus, who can transfer players to the Lunatic Inquisition activity in the Mad Realm.
  • The Heart of the Mists and the home citadels in the Borderlands have also been decorated for Halloween.

Mad Realm

  • The Mad Realm can be entered through the Haunted doors that appear in Queensdale, Kessex Hills, and Gendarran Fields. The Mad King and Bloody Prince doors will transport players to the west and east docks above the Mad King’s Labyrinth respectively. The Lunatic Boatmaster can bring you to the Lunatic Inquisition or the Mad King’s Clock Tower. Players can also interact with the portal seal on the ground to travel to the labyrinth below.
  • The Mad King’s Labyrinth has been thrown into conflict as the Mad King’s and Bloody Prince’s armies clash. Watch the Thorns bicker in the map as their forces fight for control. Three legendary bosses patrol the maze: the Skeletal Lich, the Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn, and the Labyrinthine Horror.
  • The Lunatic Inquisition activity pits players against one another, as Lunatic courtiers search out villagers in the labyrinth. Players must use found items and hidden secrets to survive the night.
  • The Mad King’s Clock Tower has returned with all of its jumping challenges. While ascending the tower, the player will remain fully visible, but fellow players will be shown with a mist effect.

Rewards

  • Completing the first story instance at the Nolani Academy ruins will reward the player with Tassi’s relay golem and four limited-use Halloween finishers. Summon the golem while completing Blood and Madness achievements to hear updates from Tassi.
  • Finishing the Blood and Madness meta-achievement, A Sweet Friend, will reward the player a Mini Candy-Corn Elemental. Completing this achievement unlocks the final story instance by returning players to Tassi in the Nolani Academy ruins.
  • Completing the final story instance will reward players with the Gift of Candy Corn, a personal candy corn mining node in their home instance that can be mined once a day.
  • The rewards for completing the Mad King’s Clock Tower have been updated for the new year.
  • Players who succeed at Mad King Says for the A Royal Tradition achievement will receive the Mask of the Night Skin.
  • Sonder the Seller at Fort Marriner in Lion’s Arch has an updated inventory with Halloween-themed goods and crafting materials.
  • Recipes for the Gift of Spiders, Gift of Souls, and Gift of the Moon have returned in their updated forms.
    • Recipe: Gift of Spiders requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 100 High-Quality Plastic Fangs.
    • Recipe: Gift of Souls requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 100 Tyria’s Best Nougat Centers.
    • Recipe: Gift of the Moon requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 100 Gibbering Skulls.

Achievements

  • A Sweet Friend is the Blood and Madness meta-achievement. By besting the Mad King’s labyrinth bosses, playing Halloween activities, opening trick-or-treat bags, and completing Mad Realm door events, players can earn enough points to earn the Mini Candy-Corn Elemental, which is a requirement to enter the conclusion of the Blood and Madness story arc.
    • Successfully playing Mad King Says when Mad King Thorn visits Lion’s Arch will also count towards the meta-achievement.
    • Note: The A Stomping Good Time achievement, which tracks use of Halloween finishers in PvP and WvW, will not progress if players are in a custom arena.
  • Special Halloween-themed daily achievements during the release also contribute to the meta-achievement. These are earned by participating in specific Halloween content each day.
  • Additionally, there are three achievements that become available after completing the A Sweet Friend achievement and deal with the second story instance encounter with Bloody Prince Thorn. Completing “You, Back in the Box” will award the Gift of Candy Corn, a candy-corn node that can be mined daily in the player’s home instance.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT

World vs. World

  • Introducing the inaugural WvW season:
    • North America and Europe have been split into three leagues each: gold, silver, and bronze.
    • Players will be tied to the world they are on when they first log in after the season begins. Players may transfer worlds at any time, but their final reward will be linked to the performance of their initial world.
    • The worlds in each league will be matched up against the other worlds in the league over the course of seven weeks, starting October 18.
    • The results of those matchups will contribute to a world’s Season 1 score.
    • At the conclusion of the season, players who have completed the WvW Season 1 meta-achievement will receive a reward based on their world’s ranking within their league.
  • A new achievement group has been added to the Living World category for WvW Season 1.
    • Twenty achievements have been added.
    • Completing 15 of the achievements will reward the Premier Season Veteran meta-achievement, a title, and a key that will unlock the final reward chest for Season 1.
    • Several of the achievements have reward chests with a variety of items, including ascended crafting materials.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH

General

  • Condition combat floaters will now display a splash behind the damage floater to identify the condition that dealt the damage. This feature is turned on by default. To turn it off, use the new UI option, Show Simple Condition Floaters.
  • Facts have been added to trait tooltips. Skills that are fired off from traits will now be displayed in the tooltip. Skills and traits that are affected by equipped traits will now display new facts in a blue color to indicate a trait caused this change.

Living World

  • Fixed several issues with the Clockheart resetting properly. He will now remove Aetherized Shielding and relocate to the center of the room upon party wipe.

Items

  • Runes of Lyssa now work properly on all elites.
  • Sigil of Impact: Tiers 2 and 3 will now only function if the target is knocked down or stunned, instead of always applying extra damage.
  • Superior Rune of Speed: The six-piece bonus of this rune set now correctly provides 25% increased movement speed.

Profession Skills

General
  • A new option for ground-targeting is now available in the General Options menu as ‘Fast with Range Indicator’. On key-press, ground-target skills will display their range indicator. On key-release, the ground-target skill will cast.
  • AoE spells with a maximum number of targets will now count combatants that block or evade the attack towards that maximum.
  • Fixed a bug where some zero-damage spells (Tainted Shackles, among others) did not place their casters in combat.
  • Fixed a bug that disabled utility-skill swapping while transformed.
  • Stun breakers will now break launch effects.
  • Tab targeting now prioritizes players over NPCs (including minions; mesmer clones are an exception) and champions over everything else.
  • Deselecting a target will reset the tab-targeting history.
  • Fixed an issue that caused extra “Miss” floaters to display whenever an attack was dodged, evaded, or missed due to a blind.
  • Fixed an issue that made F1-F4 skills display the wrong amount of damage (displayed too little damage if the weapon was better than common rarity).
  • Weapon skills that hide the player’s weapon will no longer hide their back-slot item.
  • Engineer turrets will now target whatever enemy was last hit by their creator whenever possible.
  • Fixed an issue where stuns would always round up their duration to the nearest second if players had extra stun duration from items or traits.
  • Immobilize now stacks in duration to a maximum of five times.
  • All player-controlled minions, excluding mesmer phantasms and clones because they were already increased in a previous patch, now have 71.43% more hit points in PvE maps.
  • Dark Projectile Combo: The damage portion of the life siphon bolt now slightly scales off power.
  • Dark Whirl Combo: The damage portion of the life siphon bolt now slightly scales off power.
  • Made it easier to retarget channeled skills. Now if players try to recast them on a separate target, it will cancel the current instance of the skill and start casting it again on the other target.
  • Made it harder to accidentally waste the player’s downed 2 skill when the player becomes downed while trying to use their weapon 2 skill.
  • Skills that buff allies in an AoE now prioritize party members.
  • Invisible collision elements will no longer block click targeting.
  • Fixed an issue where players could teleport while picking up the orb in Spirit Watch.
  • Stuns: The stun and dazed debuffs are now properly removed after using a stun break skill.
  • Signets: Signet passive buffs are now properly applied upon entering a PvP map.
  • Chill: Skill recharges will now appear in teal while affected by this condition.
  • Torment: Updated the description to more accurately display the damage done while standing still and moving.
Elementalist
  • Shocking Aura: Added the shocking aura buff to the skill fact.
  • Elemental Attunement: Normalized this trait so that each boon can be applied to up to five allies within a 240 radius.
  • Evasive Arcana: Normalized the radius to 180 for each spell created.
  • Persisting Flames: The duration increase for fire fields is now consistent.
  • Burning Fire: This trait now lists the proper skill names in its description.
  • Written in Stone: Fixed an issue that caused Signet of Air to lose its effect partially through the skill’s recharge.
  • Glyph of Storms: This skill now properly displays the duration of each spell. Added AoE rings to the fire and earth skills.
  • Geyser: Increased the base radius to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Blasting Staff. Fixed an issue so that the water field radius would match the increased radius with Blasting Staff.
  • Water Blast: Increased the healing stat scaling from 10% to 25%. Slightly decreased the base heal at low levels, but it will heal for the same base at level 80. Increased the base radius to 180. Removed the heal that occurs if the water blast strikes nothing.
  • Frozen Ground: Added an unblockable skill fact.
  • Unsteady Ground: This skill no longer damages or cripples enemies. It will now prevent foes from crossing the area, knocking them back a short distance. Lasts for 3 seconds.
  • Shock Wave: Increased the projectile velocity by 12.5%.
  • Burning Retreat: Increased the retreat distance by 200.
  • Static Field: Increased the combo ring radius to match the spell radius.Windborne Speed: Decreased the radius to 300 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Fireball: Increased the base radius to 120. Increased the radius to 180 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Meteor Shower: Increased the impact radius to 180 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Healing Rain: Reduced the radius to 420 when traited with Blasting Staff. Updated the skill fact to display the actual amount of regeneration applied.
  • One with Air: This has been redesigned. It now will grant 1.5 seconds of superspeed when attuning to air.
  • Earthquake: Added a range indicator.
  • Arcane Wave: This skill no longer applies conditions at an infinite range when traited with Elemental Surge.
  • Signet of Restoration: This skill now heals for the correct amount when Written in Stone is traited and the skill is activated.
  • Whirlpool: Added skill facts.
  • Glyph of Elementals: The Inscription trait now functions with this skill.
  • Glyph of Storms:
    • Firestorm: Reduced the number of maximum targets per impact from 10 to 5. Added an AoE ring.
    • Ice Storm: Added an AoE ring.
    • Lightning Storm: Increased the impact radius from 60 to 90.
    • Sandstorm: Reduced the number of maximum targets per pulse from 10 to 5. Added an AoE ring.
  • Glyph of Renewal:
    • Renewal of Fire: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius.
    • Renewal of Water: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius. Fixed an issue so that it will also fully heal the target that is revived.
    • Renewal of Air: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius. Increased the maximum teleport distance to 900 to match the range of the skill.
    • Renewal of Earth: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 360 radius.
  • Conjure Flame Axe: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Lava Axe: This skill now grants 1 stack of might for 8 seconds when striking an enemy.
    • Explosive Lava Axe: This skill is now a blast finisher.
    • Flame Leap: Reduced the recharge to 15 seconds.
  • Conjure Lightning Hammer: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Lightning Leap: This skill will now hit up to 3 targets.
    • Wind Blast: Increased the launch distance to 600.
    • Lightning Storm: Increased the lightning impact radius from 60 to 120. This skill can now be used while moving.
    • Static Field: This skill will now stun a target entering the field instead of dazing them. Increased the radius from 180 to 240.
  • Conjure Frost Bow: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Water Arrow: Increased the velocity by 20%. Normalized the healing radius to 240 around the target. Increased the base heal by 20%. Scaling with healing power has been increased from 10% to 30%.
    • Frost Volley: Reduced the recharge to 4 seconds.
    • Frost Fan: Updated the chill skill fact to display the proper duration.
    • Ice Storm: Increased the impact radius from 90 to 120.
    • Deep Freeze: Reduced the cast time of this skill to 1.5 seconds.
  • Conjure Earth Shield: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Shield Smack: This skill is now the first skill in the auto-attack chain. It will now hit up to 3 targets and apply 1 stack of bleeding for 6 seconds.
    • Shield Smash: This skill is now the second skill in the auto-attack chain. It will apply 2 stacks of bleeding for 6 seconds.
    • Crippling Shield: This skill is now the third skill in the auto-attack chain. Increased the damage by 50%. Reduced the range to 450.
    • Stone Sheath: This is a new skill. It is a channeled cast that will block one attack and then cause 3 stacks of bleeding for 6 seconds in a 240 radius.
    • Magnetic Surge: This skill can now hit up to 3 targets.
    • Magnetic Shield: This skill will now provide 2 seconds of protection per target pulled. It can also be used while moving.
    • Fortify: Reduced the recharge to 30 seconds.
Engineer
  • Bomb Kit—Bomb: Increased the base radius from 120 to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Bomb Kit—Fire Bomb: Increased the base radius from 120 to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Bomb Kit—Glue Bomb: Decreased the radius from 360 to 300 when traited with Forceful Explosives. Added an unblockable skill fact.
  • Kit Refinement—Magnetic Bomb: Decreased the radius from 360 to 300 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Self-Regulating Defenses: This trait now functions with Fast-Acting Elixirs.
  • Hidden Flask: This trait now functions with Fast-Acting Elixirs.
  • Autodefense Bomb Dispenser: This trait now functions with Short Fuse.
  • Sharpshooter: Increased the critical chance from 30% to 33%.
  • Metal Plating: Increased the damage reduction from 30% to 33%.
  • Homing Torpedo: This skill will no longer fail to strike larger wurm creatures.
  • Smoke Vent: This skill now has a range indicator.
  • Steel-Packed Powder: Fixed an issue so that the vulnerability condition will be granted to the grenade skill when this is traited, but will not apply to the Reserve Mines trait.
  • Elixir C: This skill now functions with Potent Elixirs.
  • Toss Elixir R: This skill now functions with Potent Elixirs. Resurrection has been normalized to 17% from a random percentage chance (14% to 20%). Underwater version now functions the same as well.
  • Toss Elixir S: This skill now only grants stealth. Base duration of stealth has been increased to 5 seconds.
  • Toss Elixir B: This skill now grants stability to allies, in addition to a random boon. Increased the base recharge to 30 seconds.
  • Elixir H: Decreased the protection duration from 7 seconds to 6 seconds when traited with Potent Elixirs.
  • Mine Field: Increased the base explosion radius from 120 to 180.
  • Reserve Mines: Increased the base explosion radius from 120 to 180.
  • Throw Napalm: This skill now leaves a fire field behind for 3 seconds when it lands, which burns enemies for 1 second every second. Burning duration of Throw Napalm on impact reduced to 4 seconds from 5.
  • Rifle Turret—Automatic Fire: Bleeding has been removed. This skill now applies 8 seconds of vulnerability on each hit.
  • Turrets:
    • All base (non-ground-targeted) turrets will now indicate when the engineer is in range of the target.
    • Turret models, nameplates, and health bars no longer linger after being destroyed.
  • Net Turret: Updated the rate-of-fire skill fact to indicate the correct rate of fire.
  • Supply Crate: Added a duration skill fact.
Guardian
  • Symbol of Judgment: Added skill facts for revive percent, pulse, and number of targets.
  • Symbol of Faith: Removed the range skill fact.
  • Zealot’s Speed: The Symbol of Wrath created by this trait will now have a 180 base radius and 240 radius when traited with Writ of Exaltation (to be consistent with other symbols).
  • Perfect Inscriptions: This trait now increases the effectiveness of the passive condition removal on Signet of Resolve.
  • Protector’s Strike: Updated the damage skill fact to more accurately display the correct amount.
  • Healing Breeze: Doubled the base heal when healing allies. Scaling from healing power has been increased from 20% to 40% when healing allies.
  • Merciful Intervention: This skill is now instant as a baseline skill.
  • Smite Condition: This skill is now instant as a baseline skill.
  • Focused Mind: This trait now grants fury when using a meditation.
  • Purging Flames: Base functionality has been reworked. This skill now removes three conditions from allies in an area effect around the guardian while burning enemies (enemies that enter or exit the flames are still burned). This skill now reduces the condition duration for allies who remain in the consecration areas.
  • Hallowed Ground: This skill now increases the boon duration for allies who remain inside the consecration areas.
  • Signet of Mercy: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius.
  • Pure of Voice: Fixed an issue so that this trait no longer removes a second condition. It will only convert one condition into a boon on allies affected by the shout.
  • Glacial Heart: This trait now delivers an area strike on the target it activates on, damaging and chilling up to five enemies in a 180 radius.
Mesmer
  • Descent into Madness: Fixed the Chaos Storm created by this skill to match the actual Chaos Storm skill functionality.
  • Illusionary Defense: Fixed this trait to properly decrease damage taken by 3% per illusion.
  • Feedback: Added a radius skill fact. Updated the skill facts to display changes from traits.
  • Medic’s Feedback: Increased the duration of the feedback bubble created by this trait to match the actual duration of the Feedback skill.
  • Winds of Chaos: Fixed the bleeding skill fact to display the proper duration when Chaotic Dampening is equipped.
  • Mender’s Purity: This trait now functions with racial skills Healing Seed and Prayer to Dwayna.
  • Power Cleanse: This skill now removes 2 conditions from up to 5 allies in a 240 radius.
  • Power Break: This skill now applies stability to up to 5 allies around the player in a 240 radius.
  • Illusionary Counter: Reduced the recharge from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Confusing Images: Reduced the recharge from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.
  • Mantra of Pain: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Resolve: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Concentration: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Distraction: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Phantasmal Duelist: The Illusionary Duelist’s attacks now have a 20% chance for a projectile combo finisher instead of 100% when traited with Duelist’s Discipline.
  • Arcane Thievery: This skill will now have a consistent animation when used with a greatsword.
  • Illusionary Wave: Updated the skill to indicate its actual attack distance, which is 450.
Necromancer
  • Life force meter improvements:
    • The meter has been resized in order to properly display the entire bar. Previously, about 10% of the bar was hidden.
    • The current life force value is now displayed on the bar.
    • The current and max life force is now displayed on the tooltip.
  • Spectral Armor: Increased the duration from 8 seconds to 9 seconds when traited with Spectral Attunement to match the intended duration increase. Added a duration skill fact.
  • Lingering Curse: This trait will no longer increase the duration of blind on the Deathly Swarm skill.
  • Target the Weak: This trait will now properly increase damage when the target has the torment condition.
  • Mark of Revival: Increased the base radius of the Reaper’s Mark created by this trait to 180 to be consistent with other marks.
  • Mark of Evasion: Increased the base radius of the Mark of Blood created by this trait to 180 to be consistent with other marks.
  • Spinal Shivers: Added a damage fact for each damage value based on the boons the target currently has on them.
  • Locust Swarm: Increased the base cripple duration to 2 seconds.
  • Spectral Grasp: This skill now grants bonus life force when traited with Spectral Attunement.
  • Tainted Shackles: This skill now uses radius instead of range.
  • Banshee’s Wail: Normalized this trait to increase the effectiveness of warhorn skills by 50%.
  • Vampiric Precision: The life siphon now correctly scales with the Bloodthirst trait. The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. The healing portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on healing power.
  • Vampiric Rituals: The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. The healing portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on healing power.
  • Vampiric Master: This trait will now cause minions to properly deal damage when siphoning life. The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. With the new damage addition, base siphoning from this trait’s minions has been reduced by 16%.
  • Unyielding Blast: Fixed an issue so that this trait will now properly apply vulnerability when using Life Blast underwater.
  • Vampiric, Vampiric Precision, Vampiric Rituals, and other life siphon skills: Increased the base siphoning by 20%.
  • Bloodthirst: This trait now grants 20% bonus siphoning, down from 50% more effectiveness (which results in no change when combined with the change to other siphoning traits).
  • Deathly Invigoration: The base heal from this trait has been increased by 100%.
  • Transfusion: This trait now scales with healing power at a rate of 20%, where it didn’t previously scale.
  • Well of Power: Fixed an issue so that this skill will properly convert burning, chilled, confusion, immobilize, and torment on allies.
Ranger
  • Nature’s Voice: This trait no longer carries the effects of Evasive Purity as well as the on-shout swiftness and regeneration.
  • Soften the Fall: Increased the number of maximum targets from 3 to 5.
  • Barrage: This skill will no longer have reduced condition duration when traited with Eagle Eye.
  • Companion’s Defense: Protection is now applied to the ranger at the end of the dodge-roll, while the ranger’s pet gains it at the beginning of the dodge-roll.
  • Spike Trap: This skill’s tooltip now appropriately displays when Trapper’s Expertise is equipped. Updated the skill tooltips to include the immobilize condition that occurs.
  • Healing Spring: Reduced the field duration to 10 seconds. It now pulses every 2 seconds instead of 3, so it will still provide the same amount of regeneration and condition removal, just in a more condensed time frame.
  • Vigorous Renewal: This trait now grants vigor to the ranger and nearby allies when the Healing Spring skill is cast and not on every pulse.
  • Maul: Damage for this skill has been increased by 7%. Vulnerability has been increased from 3 stacks to 5 stacks, and the duration has been increased from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.
  • Muddy Terrain: The maximum number of targets for this skill has been increased from 3 to 5.
  • “Sic ‘Em”: This shout now applies 4 seconds of revealed on the targeted enemy. Updated the range skill fact to 2000 to match the maximum usable distance of this skill.
  • Intimidation Training: This trait now has an attack that cripples enemies (600 radius), instead of directly applying cripple to enemies around the area.
  • Vigorous Training: This trait now grants 5 seconds of vigor to nearby allies (600 radius) when swapping any pet type in combat.
  • Shout Master: This trait now properly reduces Search and Rescue’s cooldown while in PvP.
Ranger Pets
    • Juvenile Jungle Stalker
      • Mighty Roar: Increased the might duration from 10 seconds to 15 seconds. Reduced the recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
    • Juvenile Brown Bear
      • Shake It Off: This skill will now remove two conditions from nearby allies.
    • Juvenile Black Bear
      • Enfeebling Roar: Reduced the recharge from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
    • Juvenile Blue Moa
      • Protecting Screech: Reduced the recharge from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
    • Juvenile Red Moa
      • Furious Screech: Reduced the recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
    • Juvenile Cave Spider
      • Weakening Venom: Increased the vulnerability from 1 stack for 5 seconds to 3 stacks for 10 seconds.
    • Juvenile Fern Hound
      • Regenerate: This will now also heal nearby allies for 1000 base and up to 1350 when traited with Compassion Training.
    • Juvenile Hawk
      • Lacerating Slash: Hawk and Eagle now have separate cooldowns for this skill.
    • Juvenile Lynx
      • Rending Pounce: This skill’s tooltip now displays the correct amount of bleeding applied.
Thief
  • Shadow Refuge: This skill now functions with the Meld in Shadows trait.
  • Shadow Pursuit: This skill now functions with the Meld in Shadows trait.
  • Blinding Powder: Stealth duration has been decreased from 5 seconds to 4 seconds when traited with Meld in Shadows. The skill remains with a base of 3 seconds. This skill is now a blast finisher.
  • Merciful Ambush: This skill now functions with the Meld in Shadows trait for the recipient of stealth.
  • Fixed an issue where some skills would remove the visual effect of stealth from the player.
  • Destroy Shadow Trap: This skill now has a 1.5-second cast time. It plays an effect on the thief and on the trap location when it is being cast. Added 5 seconds of regeneration.
  • Meld in Shadows: This skill now only increases Blinding Powder stealth by 1 second so it is consistent with the trait’s functionality.
  • Venomous Aura: Increased the venom share radius to 360.
  • Larcenous Strike: This skill now steals only 1 boon.
  • Body Shot: This skill now applies 1 second of immobilize. Reduced the number of vulnerability stacks from 10 to 5. Increased the initiative cost from 3 to 4.
  • Lotus Poison: The recharge is now set on each individual target that this trait triggers on. Reduced the recharge to 15 seconds.
  • Shadow Strike: This ability now has a distance skill fact that represents the distance retreated.
  • Withdraw and Roll for Initiative: These skills now properly remove immobilize upon execution.
  • Basilisk Venom: Petrify is now removed on stun break.
Warrior
  • Sharpened Axes: The adrenaline gain on critical hits now applies to all axe skills.
  • Battle Standard: This skill no longer applies boons until the end of the cast to prevent unintended behavior when canceling it.
  • Mobile Strikes: This trait now functions with the elementalist’s following skills:
    • Conjure Lightning Hammer skill—Lightning Leap
    • Conjure Flame Axe skills—Burning Retreat and Flame Leap
    • Conjure Earth Shield skill—Magnetic Surge
    • Rampage skills—Dash and Seismic Leap
  • Reckless Dodge: Increased the radius to 180. Increased the number of targets from 3 to 5.
  • Vigorous Shouts: Increased the base healing by 25%. Increased the scaling with healing power stat from 80% to 90%.
  • Lung Capacity: This trait has been moved to tier 1.
  • Empower Allies: This trait has been moved to tier 2.
  • Staggering Blow: This skill can now be used while moving. Reduced the cast time to 0.5 seconds.
  • Final Thrust: This ability now uses a more fluid animation.
  • Combustive Shot: Updated the effects and skill facts to reflect the radius of the actual attack (240). Rank 1 of this ability now attacks at a 180 radius, down from 240.
  • Quick Breathing: Fixed an issue so that this trait no longer removes a second condition. It will only convert one condition into a boon on allies affected by the warhorn skills.
  • Fear Me: Added an unblockable skill fact to represent its functionality.
  • Vengeance: Players are now granted the same duration of invulnerability as rallying upon activation (1 second from 5 seconds).
  • Mobile Strikes: Fixed an issue with some skills that wouldn’t remove immobilize until after the player had started moving.

Racial

  • Sylvari
    • Summon Druid Spirit: Reduced the cast time to 2.75 seconds. This skill can now be cast while moving.
    • Healing Seed: This skill now functions with the ranger trait Vigorous Renewal.
  • Human
    • Prayer to Dwayna: This skill now functions with the ranger trait Vigorous Renewal.

World vs. World

  • Fixed a display issue that caused the Borderlands ruins to incorrectly indicate which world owns which ruin.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented sentries from appearing in the center of some borderlands maps.
  • WXP boosters no longer affect WXP consumable items.
  • Static siege sites will no longer be affected by the siege decay timer.
  • Flame Rams now correctly apply structural vulnerability to neutral gates.
  • Borderlands Bloodlust has been changed:
    • One stack provides +30 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
    • Two stacks provides a total of +50 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
    • Three stacks provides a total of +60 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
  • The WvW rank-up bonus chest now provides greater item rewards.
  • Fixed a common buff-related client crash in WvW.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

New Items and Promotions

  • New Halloween weapons are available for 1 Black Lion Weapon Ticket from Black Lion Weapon Specialists. Weapon tickets and ticket scraps can be found in Black Lion Chests.
  • The trick-or-treaters are back in miniature form with the Costumed Mini 3-Pack in the Minis category for 500 gems. Combine these three adorable youngsters with a candy corn cob in the Mystic Forge to get a Mini Ghost Carlotta.
  • Every Black Lion Chest opened before November 11 will also grant an additional personalized trick-or-treat bag. Black Lion Chest Keys are available in the Consumable category for 125 gems each, 5 for 450 gems, or 25 for 2100 gems.

Improvements

  • Mad King and Witch’s Outfit items have been upgraded to rare status.

Bug Fixes

  • The Glory Booster buff icon has been modified to look more like a buff and not an item.
  • Mad King and Witch’s Outfit items can no longer be put in the Mystic Forge.
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