Aftercast delay is the ¾ second time after activating certain skills, during which a character cannot move or use most other skills.
Mechanics[]
The delay is triggered immediately after activating a skill, e.g. an Elementalist casting a 2 second spell will have to stay put for 2.75 seconds (2s for the spell itself and 0.75s due to the aftercast). There is no delay if the skill is canceled or otherwise fails to activate (e.g. due to an interrupt).
However, the delay does not prevent the use of skills with zero activation time, most notably stances, shouts, and most attack skills.
Skills affected[]
These skill types do not have an aftercast delay (unless noted below):
- All Shouts and Stances
- Attack skills (except as noted below).
- Ranger preparations from Prophecies or Core
- Shadow steps (except as noted below).
- Other skills without any activation time.
These skill types always have an aftercast delay of ¾s:
- Ranger, Paragon attack skills with 0.5s activation times;
- All spells, chants, echoes, glyphs, & rituals;
- These skills without activation times: Air of Superiority, Burning Shield, Feral Aggression, Inspirational Speech and Ursan Force;
- These Shadow steps: Aura of Displacement, Dark Prison, Death's Charge, Shadow Prison, and Shadow Fang;
- All forms except the elite Norn ones, Raven, Ursan, and Volfen Blessing;
- All signets except Dolyak Signet.
- Any other skills
Notes[]
- Obviously, martial classes are less affected by aftercast delay (ACD) than casting professions.
- Mesmers are especially delayed because Fast Casting only affects activation and recharge times. Even with a maximum FC, mesmers will not be able to trigger more than 2 interrupts in a second (since each triggers a ¾ second delay).