A disabled skill has been made unavailable for a character to use. This can be permanent or temporary; it can be caused by others, by circumstances, or through the use of the character's own skills.
Guild Wars uses specific language in each skill's description to distinguish the disabling of skills from other types of shutdowns. Disabling a skill differs from causing a skill to fail, interrupting a skill, or creating conditions so that a skill cannot be used. Although Disabled skills bear similarities to recharging skills, recharge times can be reduced while the disabled duration cannot. Morale Boosts and similar effects that completely recharge skills will also end disablement.
Circumstances that can disable skills[ | ]
Disabling Circumstance | Notes/Examples |
---|---|
Player action | PvE skills will be disabled in PvP outpost and zones Weapon-dependent skills will be disabled unless a weapon of the required type is equipped. |
Opponent use of certain skills | Skills that state they will disable a foe's skill for an additional amount of time increase the normal recharge time. Other skills that state they will disable a foe's skill for X seconds only increase the time before the skill can be reused if X is greater than the normal recharge time. |
Player use of certain skills | Some skills disable other skills of similar attribute or type. |
Self disabling skills | Some skills disable themselves after activation. Unlike skill recharge, this lockout time cannot be reduced. |
Notes[ | ]
Once a skill has been disabled, its icon is greyed out and it begins recharging for the specified period. Skills and effects that reduce recharge times do not usually have any effect on the length that skills are disabled. For example, Quickening Zephyr spirits reduce recharge times by 50% without reducing the time a skill remains disabled.
- If a skill disables itself for an additional amount of time, this time is added to the normal recharge time. The recharge time can be reduced; the disabling time cannot.
- If a skill was disabled by an interrupt for X seconds, then that time runs concurrently with the recharge time. In some circumstances, the recharge time is so long that the disabling has no additional impact.
- Disablement times can exceed normal skill recharge times by significant amounts.
- Morale Boosts automatically re-enable any disabled skills, as well as recharging all other skills.
- Air of Superiority can also re-enable skills, if the Is there anything I can't do bonus triggers. (This does not recharge skills that specifically require Morale Boosts, such as the Resurrection Signet).