Hard mode

Hard Mode is a game mode that presents each mission and explorable area on a harder difficulty. A player must complete a campaign on normal mode before they can play it on hard mode. While in hard mode, players earn 50% more experience points. Hard mode exists for all PvE game content except for pre-Searing Ascalon.

Completing missions (with all bonus objectives) contributes to the Guardian title track. A player who completes all the missions of a campaign on hard mode is awarded the "Guardian of " title, where is one of Tyria, Cantha, or Elona, depending upon the campaign.

Completely clearing explorable areas of all creatures contributes to the Vanquisher title track. Even docile creatures, like tamable pets, are required to be killed to progress toward this title, but only if they are made hostile, such as by targeting or AoE damage effects. Creatures that hide under the ground until the party approaches also must be found and killed. If a party is wiped while all party members are at 60% death penalty, the party will be forced back to the last visited outpost.

Accessibility
To access hard mode, a player must first complete the final mission of a campaign normally. As long as one character on an account has completed a campaign, all level 20 characters on that account will gain access to hard mode for that campaign. Hard mode is toggled by two buttons above the party display in an outpost; the Normal Mode button is standard mission emblem, and the Hard Mode button is a stylized red helm.

In order to unlock hard mode for a given campaign, a player must log in at least once after the hard mode update with a character who has completed that campaign in normal mode.

Monsters
All hostile monsters in missions and explorable areas are significantly harder in hard mode. Their levels are all increased to be appropriately challenging for a group of level 20 players, usually between 22 and 30 depending on their original level and the size of the group allowed in the area. Beyond this, monsters have a 33-50% attack speed boost, a 33-50% shortened recharge time of all skills, a 33-50% run speed increase, and a 33-50% decrease in casting time. Finally, most non-boss enemies that didn't have an elite skill in normal mode have one in hard mode. Bosses that did not have an elite originally still do not have one, so you cannot capture elites from them.

Items
Items from all areas are powered up to correspond to a level 20 party. Max damage items drop in all areas in hard mode. Rare items are as powerful as rares found in end-game missions or explorables in normal mode; further, both rare and uncommon items drop more often in hard mode. However, area- or monster-specific loot, like Globs of Ectoplasm, still only drop where they do in normal mode.

There are certain items which only drop in hard mode:


 * Lockpicks are similar to keys. A lockpick is required to open a locked chest in hard mode, but can be used on any chest in normal mode too. They have a small chance of remaining intact on use -- this chance is modified by your character's level and progress on the Lucky and Treasure Hunter title tracks. From the update notes, "[t]he chance to retain upon opening a chest is determined by the following formula: (Character level/2) + (3*Treasure Hunter rank) + (2*Lucky rank)%" These items can also be purchased from merchants for 1.5, even if your character cannot access hard mode.
 * Skill Tomes allow your character learn skills that have been already unlocked on your account. The Elite Tome allows a character to learn elite skills and the Non-Elite Tome allows a character to learn non-elite skills. Skill tomes are profession-specific and are not available from merchants.
 * Passage Scrolls can be used to enter the Underworld or the Fissure of Woe without paying the entry fee. They must be used in the typical entry points for these locations. These scrolls can be used even if the character's region does not have the Favor of the Gods. These items are not available from merchants. In addition, Passage scrolls can be purchased in Cavalon (to enter The Deep) and House Zu Heltzer (to enter Urgoz's Warren). You buy them from the Faction Rewards NPC for 1000 faction.