Saw a Diablo 1 variant on the LL called PaiN (hence the topic title) that limited healing to only Heal Other and also cut out the high power imba spells (if you've ever played D1 you know which ones those are) and I thought that would make a pretty fun GW variant if anyone wanted to try it. Credit goes to Hariel of the Lurker Lounge for the Diablo variant rules.
Guild Wars rules:
- Non-monks are not permitted to bring any healing of any kind. No paragon healing chants, no resto rit spells, no heal sig, no nothing. If you're not monk primary, you're not allowed to aid the red bars. This also includes condition and hex removal. That may only be performed by monk primaries.
- The only spells a monk is allowed to bring are the target other spells. If a spell is able to affect the caster, it is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: Orison of Healing, Heal Party, Reversal of Fortune, Guardian, Aegis, Holy Veil, Dismiss Condition, Healing Breeze.
- No skills that have an effect on the user are allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: Dolyak Signet, all stances, Energy Tap, Auspicious Incantation, Attunements, Glyphs, Nature Rituals, non-offensive Binding Rituals (Shelter, Union, etc.), shouts, chants, echoes (Watch Yourself!, Anthem of Flame, Aggressive Refrain) that will affect the user (note that targat other shouts such as Brace Yourself! are allowed), etc..
- No elite skills are allowed. Your entire bar must consist of non-elite skills.
- Every team member must have a vampiric weapon equipped. This is to prevent natural health regeneration.
- Quest rewards, consumable items, divinity shrines, etc., are not allowed.
- You may not use PvE only skills.
This does not need to be a team variant and since the only equipment restriction is a vamp weapon to negate natural regen it is easily manageable with heroes. It is suggested that people go in at least groups of two, though, so that you can avoid the use of henchmen. If you do not have enough vampiric weapons for all of your heroes, you should move at a faster pace between battles to limit regen. Waiting for characters to heal all the way is unacceptable.
Well, there you have it. I think it could be pretty challenging to try and play with such limited healing, especially when you think of how many staple monk skills are outright not allowed (RoF, Mending Touch, Dismiss, just about every hex removal skill in the game). Without any elites, damage and healing will be cut quite a bit, but not by an unreasonable amount. Again, the ones taking the biggest hit will be monks (losing WoH and RC) but it also prevents such skills as Searing Flames that are a bit imba. Also, I cut out the PvE only skills because some of them are a bit imba as well.
One of the last limitations I put in that I was a bit back and forth about was the disallowing of any skill that could affect the user. On the one hand, there are a lot of skills in the game that completely negates, some of which will almost rule out playing certain classes entirely (Paragons, for example) but it does tie in with the original rules from the D1 variant and will make things a lot more challenging.
The only rules I'm not carrying over from the D1 version are that in D1 you weren't allowed to twink chars at all and you couldn't res in town (had to either be ressed or leave the game and start a new one). The item restriction I'm not carrying over because the only real way to do that would be to say no taking anything out of storage, which makes this too much of a more restricted LoL than a variant of its own. You are allowed to buy whatever you want, though, so that right there eliminates the main restriction of the LoL, but the idea behind this one is that it's more of a skill restriction variant than an item restriction one. The other restriction about ressing is a bit moot with the GW version since the only way to carry that over would be to say no using res shrines, which is a bit hard to avoid since they're automatic.
So, to sum up:
- No using elite skills.
- Only monk primaries can heal.
- No using skills that can target or have an effect on the user.
- No using PvE only skills.
- No natural regen (attained through vamp weapons).
- No removing DP with anything other than fighting.
- No blessings from divinity shrines.
Guild Wars rules:
- Non-monks are not permitted to bring any healing of any kind. No paragon healing chants, no resto rit spells, no heal sig, no nothing. If you're not monk primary, you're not allowed to aid the red bars. This also includes condition and hex removal. That may only be performed by monk primaries.
- The only spells a monk is allowed to bring are the target other spells. If a spell is able to affect the caster, it is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: Orison of Healing, Heal Party, Reversal of Fortune, Guardian, Aegis, Holy Veil, Dismiss Condition, Healing Breeze.
- No skills that have an effect on the user are allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: Dolyak Signet, all stances, Energy Tap, Auspicious Incantation, Attunements, Glyphs, Nature Rituals, non-offensive Binding Rituals (Shelter, Union, etc.), shouts, chants, echoes (Watch Yourself!, Anthem of Flame, Aggressive Refrain) that will affect the user (note that targat other shouts such as Brace Yourself! are allowed), etc..
- No elite skills are allowed. Your entire bar must consist of non-elite skills.
- Every team member must have a vampiric weapon equipped. This is to prevent natural health regeneration.
- Quest rewards, consumable items, divinity shrines, etc., are not allowed.
- You may not use PvE only skills.
This does not need to be a team variant and since the only equipment restriction is a vamp weapon to negate natural regen it is easily manageable with heroes. It is suggested that people go in at least groups of two, though, so that you can avoid the use of henchmen. If you do not have enough vampiric weapons for all of your heroes, you should move at a faster pace between battles to limit regen. Waiting for characters to heal all the way is unacceptable.
Well, there you have it. I think it could be pretty challenging to try and play with such limited healing, especially when you think of how many staple monk skills are outright not allowed (RoF, Mending Touch, Dismiss, just about every hex removal skill in the game). Without any elites, damage and healing will be cut quite a bit, but not by an unreasonable amount. Again, the ones taking the biggest hit will be monks (losing WoH and RC) but it also prevents such skills as Searing Flames that are a bit imba. Also, I cut out the PvE only skills because some of them are a bit imba as well.
One of the last limitations I put in that I was a bit back and forth about was the disallowing of any skill that could affect the user. On the one hand, there are a lot of skills in the game that completely negates, some of which will almost rule out playing certain classes entirely (Paragons, for example) but it does tie in with the original rules from the D1 variant and will make things a lot more challenging.
The only rules I'm not carrying over from the D1 version are that in D1 you weren't allowed to twink chars at all and you couldn't res in town (had to either be ressed or leave the game and start a new one). The item restriction I'm not carrying over because the only real way to do that would be to say no taking anything out of storage, which makes this too much of a more restricted LoL than a variant of its own. You are allowed to buy whatever you want, though, so that right there eliminates the main restriction of the LoL, but the idea behind this one is that it's more of a skill restriction variant than an item restriction one. The other restriction about ressing is a bit moot with the GW version since the only way to carry that over would be to say no using res shrines, which is a bit hard to avoid since they're automatic.
So, to sum up:
- No using elite skills.
- Only monk primaries can heal.
- No using skills that can target or have an effect on the user.
- No using PvE only skills.
- No natural regen (attained through vamp weapons).
- No removing DP with anything other than fighting.
- No blessings from divinity shrines.
Alea Jacta Est - Caesar
I live my life by Murphy's Law.
I live my life by Murphy's Law.