Guild Wars 2 Races & Racial Skillls

Guild Wars 2 may have a small race selection – with only 5 of them – but the attention to detail and unique features of each one, more than make up for it! The aesthetic differences, body types and skin colors change dramatically between them, so it’s a choice that will form your character in & out!

Each race also comes with 6 race-specific skills (which also may include many sub-skills like special forms!), so we have listed all of them below, hoping to help in your character creation process! Keep in mind that the Engineer profession offers additional variations for these racial skills, which are also supplied below.

So before you choose your Guild Wars 2 profession, make sure that you choose the most appropriate race as well!

Asura

Asura, Guild Wars 2 Race

Race Description: These alchemagical inventors may be short in stature, but they’re intellectual giants. Among the asura, it’s not the strong who survive, but the clever. Other races believe they should rule by virtue of their power and strength, but they’re deluding themselves. In due time, all will serve the asura.

Skill Type	Cooldown	Description
Utility	Pain Inverter	30	Apply confusion to nearby foes. You gain resolution.
Utility	Radiation Field	60	Create a Radiation Field at target location, inflicting poison and weakness on foes.
Utility	Technobabble	45	Daze target foe.
Elite	Summon 7-Series Golem	180	Summon a 7-Series attacking golem to fight for you.
Elite	Summon D-Series Golem	180	Summon a D-Series defensive golem.
Elite	Summon Power Suit	240	Summon a Power Suit which you or your allies can enter and use to combat foes.
Engineer	Pain Transference	45	Send out a bolt that steals a boon from your foe and gives them one condition from you.
Engineer	Vent Radiation	45	Vent radioactive gas to poison nearby foes.
Engineer	Confusing Speech	45	Confuse nearby foes with complex calculations.

Charr

Charr, Guild Wars 2 Race

Race Description: The charr race was forged in the merciless crucible of war. It is all they know. War defines them, and their quest for dominion drives them ever onward. The weakling and the fool have no place among the charr. Victory is all that matters, and it must be achieved by any means and at any cost.

Skill Type	Cooldown	Description
Utility	Battle Roar	35	Let out a battle roar, giving might and fury to nearby allies.
Utility	Hidden Pistol	15	Shoot target foe with a hidden pistol while evading backward.
Utility	Shrapnel Mine	20	Throw a shrapnel mine that bleeds and cripples foes.
Elite	Artillery Barrage	240	Call down an artillery barrage at target location, damaging foes.
Elite	Charrzooka	180	Pull out a powerful charrzooka that shoots rockets.
Elite	Warband Support	240	Call in members of your warband to assist you.
Engineer	Invigorating Roar	50	Let out an inspiring roar, removing weakness and vulnerability from allies and granting vigor.
Engineer	Booby Trap	45	Place an explosive charge on yourself that is triggered by a melee attack.
Engineer	Hidden Pistols	30	Draw both hidden pistols and unload a volley of bullets on your foe.

Human

Human, Guild Wars 2 Race

Race Description: Humans have lost their homeland, their security, and their former glory. Even their gods have withdrawn. And yet, the human spirit remains unshaken. These brave defenders of Kryta continue to fight with every ounce of their strength.

Skill Type	Cooldown	Description
Healing	Prayer to Dwayna	30	Beseech Dwayna to restore your health.
Utility	Prayer to Kormir	40	Beseech Kormir to remove 3 conditions from you.
Utility	Prayer to Lyssa	12	Pray to Lyssa, granting a random boon to yourself and a random condition to target foe.
Elite	Avatar of Melandru	180	Transform into an Avatar of Melandru.
Elite	Hounds of Balthazar	240	Summon two Hounds of Balthazar to fight at your side.
Elite	Reaper of Grenth	180	Become a Reaper of Grenth, chilling and poisoning nearby foes.
Engineer	Blessing of Dwayna	40	Beseech Dwayna to restore health and grant regeneration to allies at target location.
Engineer	Blessing of Kormir	30	Beseech Kormir to remove one condition from your allies at the target location.
Engineer	Blessing of Lyssa	35	Pray to Lyssa, granting a random boon to allies and a random condition to foes at target location.

Norn

Norn, Guild Wars 2 Race

Race Description: This race of towering hunters experienced a great defeat when the Ice Dragon drove them from their glacial homeland. Nevertheless, they won’t let one lost battle—however punishing—dampen their enthusiasm for life and the hunt. They know that only the ultimate victor achieves legendary rewards.

Skill Type	Cooldown	Description
Utility	Call Owl	30	Call upon an owl to attack and bleed your foe.
Utility	Call Wurm	60	Summon a wurm to fight for you.
Elite	Become the Bear	240	Shape-shift into norn bear form.
Elite	Become the Raven	240	Shape-shift into norn raven form.
Elite	Become the Snow Leopard	240	Shape-shift into norn snow leopard form.
Elite	Become the Wolf	240	Shape-shift into norn wolf form.
Engineer	Eat Owl Egg	30	Eat an owl’s egg to gain swiftness and regeneration.
Engineer	Eat Wurm Egg	30	Eat a wurm’s egg to gain vigor and regeneration.

Sylvari

Sylvari, Guild Wars 2 Race

Race Description: Sylvari are not born. They awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge gleaned in their pre-life Dream. These noble beings travel, seeking adventure and pursuing quests. They struggle to balance curiosity with duty, eagerness with chivalry, and warfare with honor. Magic and mystery entwine to shape the future of this race that has so recently appeared.

Skill Type	Cooldown	Description
Healing	Healing Seed	45	Create a healing seed at targeted location which periodically gives nearby allies regeneration.
Utility	Grasping Vines	45	Target foe becomes entangled by vines, and is unable to move until they have been destroyed.
Utility	Seed Turret	60	Create a Seed Turret at targeted location which will attack nearby foes.
Elite	Summon Druid Spirit	240	Summon a Druid Spirit to fight at your side.
Elite	Summon Sylvan Hound	180	Summon a sylvan hound to fight at your side.
Elite	Take Root	150	Take root at your current location, becoming immobile, but causing several turrets to grow nearby.
Engineer	Leafy Bandage	40	Use natural bandages to heal yourself and remove bleeding, burning, and poison.
Engineer	Vine Shield	45	Block incoming attacks.
Engineer	Throw Vine	45	Throw a vine and trip your foe.