Feedback:User/Thalanor Thornhale/Bringing the Mesmer to GW2

This is a work-in progress document as I am fleshing out a vision of how I envision the mesmer. I am a mesmer fan and as such want this profession to be as good as it can be. In this light, I encourage others to also contribute, discuss, suggest improvements to this article on how a Mesmer profession could be.

Mechanics Defining the Mesmer
- The Mesmer is the master of controlling and manipulating the foe. To manipulate the foe he/she can steal spells, or temporarily disarm opponents, hinder movements and affect area of effect spells. Some of his attacks are also rather disruptive - they can interrupt actions.

Special Resources
As with the other previously mentioned professions, the mesmer also manages a special resource. For the mesmer, these are spells that he has stolen.

Weapon Types of the Mesmer

 * Main-Hand: Sword, Wand
 * Off-Hand: Gun, Dagger, Focus
 * Two-Handed: Staff

Sword
Swordsmanship belongs to the basic education of a gentleman/woman such as mesmer. Unlike warriors, who rely on brute strength, mesmers prefer delicate rapiers, and understand the art of subtle subterfuge. The sword represents the mesmer's way to deal with close combat.

Parry Attack
Strike target foe for x damage. If this skill is launched at the same time as target melee player, parry the incoming attack and deal x-y damage. There is a small delay time after this attack (see below for reason).

Slow Reaction -> Disarm
Strike target foe for x damage. If target previously was parried, deal y more damage, and slow attack speed and duration of target player by z% for a seconds. If target foe is still under the conditions of slowing, disarm opponent (by for example slapping a rapier on the hand of the opponent carrying the weapon causing him/her to drop it) for b seconds.

Disabling Strike
Strike at target foe to induce bleeding for x seconds. Steal touched players ability that he/she was about to use or a random skill for y seconds.

Wand
The wand is the mesmer's primary magic weapon. Wand spells tend to focus on single targets at intermediate range.

Wastrel's Worry
If target foe does not activate a skill within x seconds, he/she receives y damage.

Phantasm
Shoot rectangular purple mirror projection in given direction. A phantasm is born out of any foe the mirror touches. Phantasm swirls around foe creating x health degeneration. Phantasm is created out of x energy from foe caught. For each point of health lost, Phantasm looses y energy. Phantasm consists only out of energy. Damage dealt to it is converted into mana cost. Phantasm dies when energy reaches 0. If target has no energy, target becomes enervated (slow) for z seconds.

Depression
For as long as target foe is within b feet of caster, foe takes x damage for each step he/she takes for the next y seconds. If target is not moving, foe loses z energy for the next y seconds.

Pin The Shadow
Throw dagger at shadow on the ground to pin attached character to the location for x seconds. To simplify this spell, it should be sufficient to target the dagger spell close enough to a given target. Attached "bomb" will trigger after a short amount of time y, or when the caster triggers this spell by activating this skill again before y occurs. Damage is proportional to the amount of charge time, and the amount of "effort" the pinned target put in to attempt to get away. The daggers are a targetable objects and can be destroyed by reducing the hit points of the daggers to 0.

Shadow Daggers
Throw daggers chosen direction. If they hit a target, the daggers will deal x damage. Shadow Daggers can be "triggered" by activating the skill again. If done so before a target is hit, shadow dagger explodes to become a cloud of smoke. It deals x-y damage for anyone caught within it but blinds foes caught within it for z seconds.

Pistol
The pistol can be a long distance weapon. It's an auxilliary weapon due to the longer recharge times. But their speed and interruption abilities make this weapon quite effective in disrupting the flow of the foe.

Energy Shot
Shoot a magical bullet in the chosen direction. Hit target receives x damage. Any skill target was attempting to use the time is interrupted.

Shatter Field
Shoot a charged magical bullet in chosen direction. This bullet deals x damage. If it hits a barrier created by a player/NPC, it shatters that barrier and deals y additional damage to its owner.

Focus
The focus is an off-hand weapon which the mesmer uses to store stolen spells.

Arcane Thievery
Steal ability from target player within x distance for z seconds. If no spell or action was performed, a random skill is stolen. If the target player was using a skill, that skill becomes deactivated for y seconds where z < y, and the caster gains this ability with attributes equivalent to the target player.

Absorb/Backfire
Absorb attack entering a cone-shaped area of x degree. This can be physical, or magical attack. All attack spells/skills absorbed, will be cued. Caster has y seconds time to release these spells or take damage equivalent to the unreleased actions absorbed.

Staff
The magical staffs are mostly used for longer range spells that often affect more than one person.

Phantasmal Glue
Shoot purple magic in chosen direction. Any object pierced by purple beam become attached to each other for x seconds. Attached characters are slowed when moving away from each other. If distance is larger than the initial distance + x, the attachment breaks but deals y damage to each attached person.

Own Magic
Shoot out purple magic wave in chosen direction. Purple wave takes ownership of any magic it touches and pushes each magical object in the direction of the wave. The range of the spell is determined by how long the spell is maintained up to a maximum z. During the time of maintenance, caster cannot move. Foes caught by wave lose x health.

Chaos Storm
Create a purple sphere. An expanding chaos storm forms until it reaches the outside circumference of the sphere. Chaos storm deals x damage and drains y energy. Spells launched within the sphere get reflected within it. If players leave the sphere they must pass through the barrier and lose z energy.

Illusionary Copy
Shoot out a purple wave. For any target touched up to x max depending on the level (probably a low level) create an illusionary copy of that character (y to z levels where y>z). The illusionary copy gains any ability the original character had. Illusionary copy is considered a pet/minion. Any skill use is converted to energy use. Illusionary copies consist of pure energy. Damage to it is converted to energy loss. When the illusionary copy reaches 0 energy, it dies. Optionally, the illusion may have a-b energy degeneration.

Control Options:

I am not sure here. One easy option is as followed. If a friendly character was copied, the Illusionary Copy will support the copied character with given skills and/or attack the same target the original is targeting. Because there are many ground-targeted spells this may not be good. In this case, the illusionary copy could just copy any action that the original character is performing and move in a similar way. If an enemy character was copied, the Illusionary Copy will use those skills to attack the original character. The AI here may be tricky, so in this case, the Illusionary Copy may just copy any triggered action against target foe, and just always tries to be close to target copied original. The question is what to do when beneficial spells are launched. I am not certain yet. The easiest way probably is to remain consistant and copy those spells against original foe. A barrier cast will be a barrier not friendly towards the original that is caster's allies can pass but not him. Ground-based healing spells may heal caster's allies. Consider inserting mocking gestures and movements in illusion when not actively triggering skills.

Implications:

Copied foe must consider whether to trigger attack spells or remain inactive. If copied foe attacks, he must consider the damage dealt to him. Foe can consider attacking the illusion and take some damage in exchange for loss of some live. But in this case, foe has chosen to spend some of its energy to shorten the illusion's life-span. If foe chooses not to attack, this counts as damage prevented. If foe choses to cast ground-based beneficial spell, he/she will make himself a target as many beneficial boons will be placed at the location of the foe. Allies must be aware of location of this.

Illusionary Mirror
Create two mirrors through some undefined mechanism. Any object entering one mirror will exit the other mirror. This applies to physical objects, including friendly or foe player, projectiles, as well as magical objects. Magical objects, and non-player characters can optionally temporarily be "owned" by the caster of the mirror.