User:Seb2net/Astromancer

I didn't win, but I'll be keeping this for historical purposes and maybe make some adjustments when I'm bored.



The Astromancer
The Astromancer is a hybrid-type profession, who specializes in using the power of the stars, the moon and the sun to provide useful effects for the party. It is a versatile class with both party support and direct damage. They have a natural knack for contracting cosmic energies which flow through space. This gives them an immensely good mood and a sense of awareness and pleasure. Their skills revolve around general plain skills as well as some shouts and a few spells. The advantage of their skills is that while expensive they cast instantly. Finally, the Astromancer have a tremendous amount of knockdown skills at their disposal. Many of these trigger useful bonus effects when triggered like healing an ally or granting you energy.

While powerful skill users, they have some major drawbacks: they have no hex or condition removal, in addition to this they they possess few ways to inflict conditions themselves. Their healing skills can be quite conditional and expensive too. Therefore, having an Elementalist or Necromancer secondary profession can be useful for an offensive Astromancer, while a monk secondary can provide the much needed hex removal.

The acronym for "Astromancer" is "Am". This prevents confusion with the Assassin profession.

''The Masters of the universe. Using the awesome powers of space to distribute resources or inflict physical, fire or dark damage.''

Attributes
For every 2 points in Cosmic Power the Astromancer gains 1 energy whenever he or she uses any skill. Many skills, especially powerful "plain" skills which are difficult to prevent become more powerful with higher ranks in Cosmic Power. No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those related to dealing fire and physical damage and shouts affecting your allies become more powerful with higher ranks in Sun Power. No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those related to dealing cold and dark damage and shouts affecting your foes become more powerful with higher ranks in Moon Power. No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those related to healing yourself and allies and preventing damage become more powerful with higher ranks in Star Power.
 * Cosmic Power
 * Sun Power
 * Moon Power
 * Star Power

Weapon

 * The Astromancer can choose to wield a wand and focus or a staff of any of the 4 attributes just like the other caster classes of Guild Wars.

Armor

 * The Astromancer armor has a 60-armor value as well as an inherent +10 armor vs. Physical damage. This is because the space-powers give a certain protection against physical harm.
 * Visually the armor is adorned with star, sun or moon shapes. It is shiny and looks impressive with enormous amounts of glitter and "glam".
 * Girls wear skirts which reach anywhere from the ankle to the knee as well as tank-tops or long sleeved blouses. Boys wear short sleeved shirts and knickers. Everything has a metallic look despite being soft clothing.
 * The standard headgear of both genders is a round cap that covers the hair and ears. On top it has either a star, moon, sun or a planet with rings depending on the armor set.


 * Astromancers can choose from 4 different Armor Insignias to improve their defense.
 * Sunray Insignia Armor +15 vs. elemental damage.
 * Antimatter Insignia Armor +15 vs. Physical damage.
 * Ashen Insignia Armor +2 for each non spell skill equipped.
 * Blackmoore Insignia Armor-ignoring damage received is reduced by 10. (Non stacking)

Health and Energy

 * The Astromancer has 480hp at level 20 and an inherent +10hp on the headgear thanks to their constant cosmic trance.
 * 40 base energy and +4 regeneration, which may be increased with weapons and radiant insignias. The Astromancer also gains energy whenever he or she uses a skill which helps offset their relatively high cost. The player should prepare to devote at least 2 skill slots to energy control.

Skills

 * While the Astromancer has no exclusive skill types, they have a number of "plain" skills at their disposal. These activate instantly making them quite hard to counter. on the other hand they have a high cost to balance their powerful effects.
 * The Astromancer does indeed have some skills which cost 20 energy.
 * Astromancers have no signets or skills which interact with signets.
 * Their skill icons are based around the colours white and black.

Cosmic Power

 * Leo's Haste Stance For 1...6 seconds you move 50% faster, when this stance ends one nearby foe is knocked down. (15en/0ac/45rc)
 * Gemini's Wand Stance Whenever you swing your ranged weapon, you fire two projectiles simultaneously instead of one. This stance expires after 5...12 seconds or the next time you fail to hit with an attack. (20en/0ac/25rc)
 * Capricorn's Horn Enchantment Spell For 5...15 seconds whenever you cause piercing, slashing or blunt damage, that damage is fire damage instead. (5en/1ac/30rc)
 * "A Winner is You!" Elite Shout For 60 seconds, the next time you die you are instantly resurrected with 20%...60% hp and zero energy and all adjacent foes take 50...260 dark damage. (25en/0ac/80rc)
 * Chaotic Shuriken Skill For 3 seconds, throw one chaotic shuriken each second. The first strikes for 10..30 Dark damage, the second 10...30 Fire damage and the last 10...30 piercing damage. (15en/0ac/5rc)
 * Chaotic Dance Elite Skill Lose all enchantments and your current stance. For 1...14 seconds you move 90% slower and cannot get interrupted, knocked down, use stances, shouts or be the target of enchantments. While using Chaotic Dance you take 10%...30% less damage from all sources. (5en/0ac/40rc)
 * Glitch in the System Stance For 5...20 seconds the next time you are the target of a Shadow Step skill you are teleported to the shadow stepper's previous location. (25en/0ac/30rc)
 * I reject your reality and substitute my own Elite Enchantment Lose all energy, for 0...6 seconds all your skills costs are trebled you spend health instead of energy. (20en/0ac/25rc)
 * It's Beneficial to Maintain Elite Spell The % difference between target foe's energy and health is subtracted from target foe and all adjacent foe's energy and you gain the 2%...14% of all the energy the affected foes lost. (Maximum 40 energy) (20en/3ac/30rc)

Sun Power

 * Aries' Missile Ranged Attack If this attack hits you strike for 12...60 blunt damage and your target is knocked down. (25en/1ac/20rc)
 * Taurus' Whip Skill Target foe and up to 3 nearby foes are struck for 13...40 slashing damage and suffer from Deep Wound for 1...5 seconds. (5en/0ac/10rc)
 * Cancer's Pinch Skill Target foe takes 10...30 piercing damage. If that foe doesn't move for 2 seconds that foe takes an additional 20...60 slashing damage. (10en/0ac/10rc)
 * Libra's Balance Skill If target foe is suffering from more hexes than you that foe is knocked down and suffers 15..55 fire damage. If you have more hexes than target foe, you are knocked down and gain 2...9 energy. (5en/0ac/10rc)
 * Sagittarius' Hooves Touch Skill Target foe takes 10...60 blunt damage every second for 4 seconds. This effect ends if you, or target foe move. (25en/0ac/10rc)
 * Zealous Flame Spell Target foe is struck for 40...100 fire damage, if this skill kills that foe, you gain 2...10 energy (5en/2ac/7rc)
 * Sun Grenade Skill Throw a small firebomb projectile at your target dealing 20...80 fire damage to that target and 10...40 fire damage to adjacent foes. (10en/0ac/7rc)
 * Bright Sunlight Spell Target foe is blinded for 3...10 seconds. If that foe was attacking that foe also takes 15...70 fire damage. (10en/1/2ac/10rc)
 * Ball Clash Skill Target foe loses up to 1...3 hexes and takes 20...41 fire damage for each hex removed. If target foe is Hex-less this skill recharges instantly. (5en/0ac/25rc)

Moon Power

 * Half-Moon Skill Target foe takes 20...55 dark damage, if you are currently moving slower or faster than normal all adjacent foes take 20...55 fire damage as well. (15en/0ac/5rc)
 * Virgo's Boon Enchantment Spell For 8...15 seconds, whenever you knock down a foe that foe begins bleeding for 4...16 seconds. (5en/1ac/15rc)
 * Scorpio's Liquor Skill For 20 seconds the next time you suffer from a new condition all nearby foes receive the same condition. If you suffer poison all foes in the area take 10...30 dark damage. (5en/0ac/30rc)
 * "Age of Aquarius!" Shout For 2...5 seconds whenever each ally within earshot causes Cold Damage that damage is increased by 11...33%. (25en/0ac/40rc)
 * Pisces's Prison Target foe moves 50% slower for 1...7 seconds and takes 11...33% more fire damage. (25en/0ac/15rc)
 * Zealous Stomp Skill If you have less energy than that foe, target touched foe is knocked down and takes 20...75 dark damage. (5en/0ac/10rc)
 * Zero Punctuation Hex Spell For 3...10 seconds, while hexed with Zero Punctuation, target foe's next 1...3 spells cast 200% faster, but are easily interrupted. (10en/1ac/15rc)
 * Supermassive Black Hole Elite Skill A supermassive black hole that lasts 1...15 seconds appears at your current location. Adjacent foes move and attack 90% slower, nearby foes 50% slower and foes in the area 25% (25en/0ac/40rc)

Star Power

 * Never gonna give you up Skill The next 1...4 spells which target target other ally react as if that ally was below 50% health. (10en/0ac/30rc)
 * Mass Effect Skill The for 4...14 seconds whenever you take air damage, that damage is physical instead and you are immune to armor penetration. (15en/0ac/30rc)
 * "we like that" Shout For 10 seconds the next time each other ally within earshot uses a skill, that skill recharges 10...45% faster. (15en/0ac/45rc)
 * Strellian Shield Skill For 2...19 seconds, the next time each adjacent ally takes damage, that damage is halved and one random foe nearby for is knocked down. (5en/0ac/20rc)
 * Energetic Rain Spell Gain 0...2 energy for each ally within earshot. You are knocked down. If the Knockdown fails you gain an additional 1..6 energy. (Maximum 12 energy) (5en/2c/30rc)
 * Kiss of Life Skill Lose 25% health. Target touched other ally gains 10%...80% of what you lost. (15en/0ac/10rc)
 * "No no no no no no no no no no no no!" Shout The next time target foe is healed by another foe, your party members within earshot gain 20%...70% of the benefit in stead. (25en/0ac/20rc)
 * "I am Error" Shout For 10...30 seconds, the next time you are healed, the other party member with the lowest % of health is healed for 90...140% of that amount in stead. (10en/0ac/5rc)
 * Star Shine Skill Heal target foe for 60...14 health, if that target still has less than 50% hp, that foe is knocked down. (5en/0ac/35rc)
 * Star Light Skill Copy 10...60% of target foe's energy into your own health. (10en/0ac/10rc)

Dance

 * The female Astromancer starts with some robotic movements pointing and glaring around herself. After about 7 seconds she does "The Monkey" with quick and heavy arm and head movements. After a few more seconds she runs in a circle thrice and starts over back where the emote was activated.


 * The male Astromancer dances on the spot with arm flicking to the left and right. He then begins various movements left and right whilst snapping his fingers. The shoulders also move with the rythm of the steps. This dance resembles moves from this famous music video.

Inspiration

 * The armor look as well as female dance was largely inspired by this artist.

Counters
While the Astromancer may look near-impossible to take out with all the powerful healing and even self-resurrection, there are some flaws which can make him or her easy prey.
 * Energy denial. Even light energy denial can disable an Astromancer. This is because they need the energy for a skill before they can use it. Cosmic Power will return a bit of the cost after use unlike the Ranger attribute Expertise which reduces the cost beforehand.
 * Condition spam, Astromancers have no condition removal. They have no health regeneration skills either. By inflicting Bleeding, poison, disease and/or cripple they shouldn't pose much of a problem.

Not counters

 * Disruption. Most Astromancer skills activate instantly. Only their spells have an activation-time. Interruption isn't very useful against them.
 * Empathy + Backfire + Visions of Regret. The Astromancer profession needn't attack, nor cast spells, nor does it have any adrenaline based skills.

Usage

 * An Astromancer can provide both support and direct damage in a team. In pve he or she should be a midliner with a mix of healing and direct damage. The Astromancer cannot deal as much damage to many targets (AoE) as an elementalist, but it can amplify the overall damage output of the party and heal at the same time, making it a useful addition (or even a replacement) to the standard monk/tank/nuke trinity.


 * As for PvP Purposes, the Astromancer can take a lot of punishment with the various defensive skills. They also excel at shrine-capping and surviving against a mob.

Starting the character

 * The Astromancer is dependant on Cosmic Power for energy control, a starting Aatromancer will have some downtime between battles at early levels. On the other hand, this does provide a fun challenge, as using clever energy control will be immensely important in missions.
 * The first 2 skills an Astromancer receives are Star Light and Taurus' Whip these are 2 plain cheap skills.