Game updates/20081211

Bug Fix

 * Fixed a crash bug that occurred when using Boon Signet.

Updated Zaishen Rewards

 * Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Gelatinous Tonic with a new tonic for the month of December. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

 * Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates
For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

Assassin

 * : functionality changed to: "For 5..25 seconds, target foe suffers from -1..3 Health degeneration, and enchantments and stances on that foe expire 90% faster."
 * : recharge time reduced to 4 seconds. Functionality changed to: Target touched foe is struck for 10..85 damage and is Crippled for 5..15 seconds. This skill counts as an off hand attack.
 * : functionality changed to: "For 20 seconds, if target foe is suffering from Bleeding or Poison, that foe takes 5..15 damage per second."
 * : functionality changed to: "Shadow Step to target foe. If that foe is not using a skill that foe is knocked down. All your non-dagger attack skills are disabled for 10 seconds."

Dervish

 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, casting time reduced to .25 second.
 * : functionality changed to: "If this attack hits, you deal +10..40 damage. If your target is below 50% Health, you also inflict a Deep Wound for 5..20 seconds, otherwise that foe loses one enchantment."

Elementalist

 * : functionality changed to: "Target foe is struck for 5..50 lightning damage. That foe and all adjacent foes are Blinded for '1..7 seconds. This spell has 25% armor penetration."
 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time reduced to 15 seconds. Functionality changed to: "All nearby foes are struck for 7..112 fire damage. For 10..25 seconds, your Fire Magic attribute is increased by +0..2."
 * : recharge time increased to 40 seconds, casting time removed. Functionality changed to: "For 20 seconds, you have +0..40 maximum Energy, and 5 Health regeneration. When Energy Boon ends you gain 0..20 Energy and 0..100 Health."
 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, casting time removed. Functionality changed to: "For 3 seconds, all damage you take is reduced to 0. When this enchantment ends, you gain 5..20 Energy."

Mesmer

 * : functionality changed to: "For 10..25 seconds, whenever target foe suffers from a new condition, all foes in the area suffer from that condition as well and if that foe has two or more conditions that foe is Dazed for 1..3 seconds."
 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time increased to 20 seconds, Energy stolen increased to 5..15.
 * : recharge time reduced to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 10 seconds, target foe suffers from -1..5 Health degeneration. If that foe has another hex when Recurring Insecurity would end, it is reapplied."
 * : recharge time reduced to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 5..20 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes attack, cast spells, and move 33% slower.
 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time decreased to 15 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 1..31 seconds, this skill becomes the Elite of target foe. Elite spells you cast use your Fast Casting attribute instead of their normal attributes."

Monk

 * : recharge time increased to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: "Heal Target ally for 20..80 Health. Your next Healing Prayers or Protection Prayers spell that targets an ally heals for an additional 20..80 Health.
 * : recharge reduced to 2 seconds, casting time reduced to .25 seconds. Functionality changed to: "Remove 0..2 conditions from target ally. For 8 seconds, the next time target ally would take damage, that ally gains that amount of Health instead (maximum 20..100)."
 * : functionality changed to: "Target ally loses 0..9 conditions, and 0..9 hexes. For 1..5 seconds, conditions and hexes expire 90% faster on that ally. All your Smiting Prayers are disabled for 20 seconds."
 * : Energy cost reduced to 10, casting time increased to 2 seconds, recharge time reduced to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 5 seconds, target foe and all foes adjacent to this location take 5..45 holy damage each second and begin Burning for 1..3 seconds."

Necromancer

 * : recharge time increased to 45 seconds. Functionality changed to: "All corpses within earshot are exploited and you animate a level 1..17 bone horror plus one for each corpse exploited in this way. For 5..45 seconds, your Death Magic attribute is increased by +1."
 * : recharge time reduced to 15 seconds. functionality changed to: "For 20 seconds, your Necromancer spells cost -1..7 Energy to cast but you suffer from bleeding for 10 seconds each time you cast a spell."
 * : Energy cost reduced to 5, Health sacrifice removed, casting time reduced to 1 second. Functionality changed to: "For 6..30 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes suffer -1..3 Health degeneration, and gain 33% less benefit from healing."
 * : recharge time increased to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 5..20 seconds, target foe suffers -5 Health degeneration, and takes 5..15 damage while moving."

Paragon

 * : Recharge time increased to 25 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 4..10 seconds, all allies within earshot move 33% faster, and gain 5..15 Health while moving."
 * : functionality changed to: "Target other ally loses all conditions. If a condition was removed in this way, that ally moves 25% faster for 1..10 seconds.
 * : recharge time increased to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 10 seconds, the next time an ally within earshot would take fatal damage, that damage is negated and that ally is healed for 20..200 Health. Angelic Bond ends on all other allies."

Ranger

 * : recharge time reduced to 12 seconds, casting time reduced to 1 second. Functionality changed to: "For 0..24 seconds, conditions you apply while wielding a bow last 100% longer."
 * : functionality changed to: "When Spike Trap is triggered, every second (for 2 seconds), all nearby foes are struck for 10..40 piercing damage, become Crippled for 3..25 seconds, and are knocked down. Spike Trap ends after 90 seconds. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted."
 * : functionality changed to: "The next time you hit with an attack, your target is Crippled for 5..15 seconds and your animal companion instantly moves to your target, and causes Bleeding for 5..15 seconds the next time it attacks."
 * : recharge time reduced to 12 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 12..24 seconds, your trap skills are not easily interruptible and your Wilderness Survival attribute is increased by +0..2."

Ritualist

 * : recharge time reduced to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: "Target foe and all adjacent foes take 10..65 lightning damage. If you are within earshot of a spirit or holding a bundle item, you gain 10 Energy."
 * : functionality changed to: "Hold Glaive's ashes for up to 30..60 seconds. While you hold her ashes, all Ritualist skills have 10% armor penetration. When you drop her ashes, all foes in the area are struck for 10..100 lightning damage."

Warrior

 * : functionality changed to: "If Enraged Smash hits, you gain 1..4 strikes of adrenaline. If you hit a moving foe, you strike for +10..40 damage, and your target is knocked down."
 * : recharge time increased to 25 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 15 seconds, whenever you attack with a sword, all adjacent foes take 10..25 slashing damage."
 * : functionality changed to: "For 1..15 seconds, you attack and move 33% faster, but you take double damage."
 * : adrenaline cost increased to 4 strikes. Functionality changed to: "If this attack hits, you strike for +5..20 damage and any stance being used by your target ends. This attack cannot be blocked."

Assassin

 * : recharge reduced to 45 seconds, duration reduced to 5..21 seconds.

Dervish

 * : functionality changed to: "For 5..90 seconds, you cannot be blocked by enchanted foes, and your attacks deal cold damage and steal 5..20 life. This skill is disabled for 120 seconds."

Ritualist

 * : functionality changed to: "For 5..20 seconds, all spirits you control within earshot attack 33% faster and deal 5..10 additional damage."
 * : functionality changed to: "All spirits within earshot gain 50..200 Health."

Elite Missions

 * Killing Aspects of Kanaxai in The Deep now gives +100 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.
 * Killing The Leviathan in The Deep now gives +500 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.
 * Killing Kanaxai now gives +10000 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.
 * All dead party members are now resurrected when Kanaxai in The Deep is killed.
 * Killing Guardian Serpents or Twisted Barks in Urgoz's Warren now gives +100 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.
 * Killing both Greater Serpents in Urgoz's Warren now gives +500 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.
 * Killing Urgoz now gives +10000 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.
 * All dead party members are now resurrected when Urgoz in Urgoz's Warren is killed.

Challenge Missions

 * Faction received per refugee saved in Amatz Basin has been reduced to 1.
 * Faction received per kill in Aurios Mines has been increased to 5.
 * The Luxon Enchanters in Aurios Mines are now Ritualists.

Competitive Missions

 * The Turtles Siege Attack in Fort Aspenwood is now difficult to interrupt and requires multiple interrupts before it will be interrupted.
 * The Turtles Siege Attack in Fort Aspenwood now removes one enchantment on hit.
 * The end cinematic in Jade Quarry has been removed.

Bug Fixes

 * Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Jotun in Norrhart Domains to be unkillable, making the map impossible to Vanquish.
 * Fixed a bug that could cause players to lose ranks in an Eye of the North hunt blessing (such as Norn Hunting Party) if they gained a rank while dead.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Spear of Fury to give adrenaline gain on an unsuccessful hit.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Searing Flames to not trigger if the target died during the cast time.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Club of a Thousand Bears to not allow multiple target hits with a scythe.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Snow Storm to fail if the target dies while the spell is casting.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Salma to be unable to advance other quests while Deactivating R.O.X. was active.
 * Fixed a bug that prevented Burning Shield from being used during another action.
 * Fixed a bug that could occasionally cause the Spear of Archemorus and the Urn of Saint Viktor to duplicate.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Pain of Disenchantment to cause double Health loss to a target using Frenzy or Frenzied Defense.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Stolen Speed to increase the casting time of signets.
 * Fixed a bug that caused drunk effects to fade after zoning.
 * Fixed a bug that allowed the Kurzick base portals in the Ancestral Lands to be used by Luxons.
 * Fixed a bug which prevented players from being teleported by the Reapers in the Underworld.
 * Fixed a bug with Spirit to Flesh which allowed the skill to be used without targeting a spirit.

Miscellaneous

 * Improved the Hero AI for Enfeeble and Enfeebling Blood.
 * Sneak Attack is now properly categorized as a melee attack.
 * The concise description for "There's Nothing to Fear!" has been updated to specify that party members are affected by the shout.
 * The description for Watchful Intervention has been updated to clarify that damage must drop the target's Health in order for healing to occur.
 * The description for Signet of Creation has been updated to reflect that only spirits and animated creatures in the area will be affected.
 * Improved Hero AI to reduce the use of skills which would result in the Hero's death. For example, Heroes will not use skills that remove enchantments from themselves if it would remove Vengeance.
 * The Destroyer of Flesh now has Galrath Slash instead of Tiger Stance.
 * The Warrior's Construct in Sunjiang Distract [sic] now has Galrath Slash instead of Tiger Stance.

Guild Wars Wiki notes

 * This update also made the following undocumented changes to skills:
 * The recharge time of Wastrel's Collapse was increased to 20 seconds.
 * The recharge time of Ether Prism was increased to 15 seconds.
 * The cast time and recharge time of Peace and Harmony were changed to 1⁄4 second and 7 seconds, respectively.
 * Enraged Smash's cost was changed to 5 Energy, and it gained a recharge time of 5 seconds.
 * The recharge time of Signet of Spirits was decreased to 10 seconds.
 * As of this update, Power Leech still cost 10 Energy; this was fixed in the next update.
 * The duration of Avatar of Grenth was actually changed to seconds.
 * This update introduced a number of skill bugs, which were fixed in the December 12th update unless otherwise specified.
 * "It's Just a Flesh Wound" applied its buff even if no conditions were removed.
 * Cultist's Fervor worked with non-Necromancer skills.
 * Lingering Curse, Mark of Insecurity and Weaken Knees did not charge the target's health bar color to pink.
 * Bloodsong's attacks triggered Signet of Ghostly Might twice.
 * Recurring Insecurity reapplied itself when removed. This bug was not fixed until the December 15th update.