On the latest episode of Points of Interest, host Rubi Bayer was joined by Game Designer Roy Cronacher to demonstrate the peaceful prowess of the newly announced revenant legend, Ventari. Like other legends the revenant can channel, Ventari is a historically important figure who made an impact on Tyria. In life, he was one of the few members of the centaur race open to a life free of violence and war. He carved his wisdom on a stone tablet and left it at the base of what would become the Pale Tree, and long after his death, his legacy serves as a guide for the sylvari people.

Roy said that the development team wanted to create a greater role for healing in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns™, and Ventari was a natural choice of character to represent the supportive role they wanted to build. The melee staff weapon the revenant has access to was originally envisioned as being DPS focused. Eventually the skills were reworked to have synergy with the healing role and the Ventari legend.

Salvation—the trait line associated with the Ventari legend—enhances the soft control, support, and healing of the legend and staff combo. Several of the Salvation traits enhance the revenant’s ability to passively punish enemies for attacking them by inflicting blindness on hit. One trait, Hardened Foundation, grants toughness based on healing power in order to allow the revenant to take hits even while healing.

The Ventari legend’s strongest tool for healing is Ventari’s Tablet, which is summoned from the healing skill and grants a set of utility skills when active. The tablet can be positioned strategically, and Roy mentioned that a lot of technology was needed to allow players to interact with it and move it around the field of battle.

A revenant channeling Ventari is anything but a passive healer; the legend is designed to encourage active play by both the revenant and their allies. However, Roy said that the Ventari legend is not optimal for solo play and shines brightest in a group of other players. Fighting near the tablet and maintaining battlefield awareness will provide the best results.

Check out the livestream recording below to watch the Ventari legend in action:

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