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Revision as of 09:14, 9 February 2018

Comprehensive Ranger Guide
File:Ranger and wolf.jpg
Type Spiritual Semi
Spell Circles Minor Spiritual, Ranger Base
Prime Requisites Dexterity, Intuition
Mana Statistics Wisdom
Physical Skills
Skill Cost Ranks
Two Weapon Combat 3/2 2
Armor Use 5/0 2
Shield Use 5/0 2
Combat Maneuvers 6/4 2
Edged Weapons 3/1 2
Blunt Weapons 4/1 2
Two-Handed Weapons 6/2 2
Ranged Weapons 3/1 2
Thrown Weapons 3/1 2
Polearm Weapons 7/2 2
Brawling 4/1 2
Ambush 3/3 2
Multi Opponent Combat 10/4 1
Physical Fitness 4/0 2
Dodging 7/5 2
Magical Skills
Skill Cost Ranks
Arcane Symbols 0/5 1
Magic Item Use 0/5 1
Spell Aiming 5/15 1
Harness Power 0/5 2
Elemental Mana Control 0/15 1
Mental Mana Control 0/15 1
Spirit Mana Control 0/5 1
Spell Research 0/17 2
Elemental Lore 0/20 1
Spiritual Lore 0/10 1
Sorcerous Lore 0/18 1
Mental Lore 0/20 1
General Skills
Skill Cost Ranks
Survival 1/1 2
Disarming Traps 2/4 2
Picking Locks 2/3 2
Stalking and Hiding 2/1 2
Perception 0/2 2
Climbing 2/0 2
Swimming 2/0 2
First Aid 2/1 2
Trading 0/3 2
Pickpocketing 2/3 1

About the Guide

This guide is brought to you by members of the GS community from discussions via various forums, Discord chats and direct player input on gswiki. It is ALWAYS open for contributions from the community.
Last Upate: 2/9/2018

Race and Stat Considerations

Racial Bonus To Starting Statistics (Sortable Table)
Race Strength Constitution Dexterity Agility Discipline Aura Logic Intuition Wisdom Influence Total
Aelotoi -5 0 5 10 5 0 5 5 0 -5 +20
Burghal gnome -15 10 10 10 -5 5 10 5 0 -5 +25
Dark elf 0 -5 10 5 -10 10 0 5 5 -5 +15
Dwarf 10 15 0 -5 10 -10 5 0 0 -10 +15
Elf 0 0 5 15 -15 5 0 0 0 10 +20
Erithian -5 10 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 10 +25
Forest gnome -10 10 5 10 5 0 5 0 5 -5 +25
Giantman 15 10 -5 -5 0 -5 -5 0 0 5 +10
Half elf 0 0 5 10 -5 0 0 0 0 5 +15
Half krolvin 10 10 0 5 0 0 -10 0 -5 -5 +5
Halfling -15 10 15 10 -5 -5 5 10 0 -5 +20
Human 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 +15
Sylvankind 0 0 10 5 -5 5 0 0 0 0 +15

AgiDex

Roundtime is quite simple. Strength and encumbrance can be a factor but that can be managed by carefully managing inventory. The most important factor is AgiDex, or the sum of the bonuses of a character's Dexterity and Agility. This combined total helps reduce the Roundtime of a physical attack by a specified amount:

Agility +
Dexterity		 Roundtime
reduction
8 - 22 1
23 - 37 2
38 - 52 3
53 - 67 4
68 - 82 5
83 - 97 6
98 - 112 7
113+ 8
Roundtime reductions above 5 are not
achievable without enhancive items.

Pairing that table with the stat table above we can break it down to see each races theoretical maximum AgiDex, before enhancives:

5 RT Reduction 4 RT Reduction 3 RT Reduction
Halfling Aelotoi Erithian
Burghal gnome Dark elf Human
Elf Forest gnome Dwarf
Half-elf Giantman
Sylvankind
Half-Krolvin

This is important because weapons have a minimum RT, and a base RT. By taking the base RT and subtracting the bard's AgiDex we can find that ranger's unencumbered swing RT.

Dexterity is also important as the AS stat for the Archer Ranger.


Strength

Strength bonus adds directly to melee AS. Any melee ranger is going to want a decent Strength stat and will want to pair that with a decent AgiDex possibility. The table below shows the Strength stats of races compared to their AgiDex capability:

5 RT Reduction STR Mod 4 RT Reduction STR Mod 3 RT Reduction STR Mod
Halfling -15 Aelotoi -5 Erithian -5
Burghal gnome -15 Dark elf 0 Human 5
Elf 0 Forest gnome -10 Dwarf 10
Half-elf 0 Giantman 15
Sylvankind 0
Half-krolvin 10

While Strength is an important AS stat for melee rangers, it is the RT stat of Archers. Every 10 STR Bonus will reduce archery RT by 1 second. Unlike melee attacks, the additional RT for AIMing a ranged attack can be reduced as well. That makes Strength extremely important to an Archer ranger. This typically should be paired with a good Dexterity bonus for AS purposes. The table below shows a comparison of all races according to their Strength, alongside their Dexterity:

Race STR Mod DEX Mod
Giantman 15 -5
Half-Krolvin 10 0
Dwarf 10 0
Human 5 0
Sylvan 0 10
Dark Elf 0 10
Elf 0 5
Half-Elf 0 5
Aelotoi -5 5
Erithian -5 0
Forest Gnome -10 5
Burghal Gnome -15 10
Halfling -15 15

There is a very obvious correlation between Strength and Dexterity. Almost invariably as one goes up, the other goes down. This makes the choice of races for an archer a tricky balancing act.

Skills

Physical Skills

  • Armor Use Reduces RT associated with heavier armor, Combat maneuver penalties, and spell hindrance from wearing armor
  • Shield Use Generates DS when using a shield.
  • Weapon Use Raises AS with a particular Weapon.
  • Two Weapon Combat Allows the use of two one-handed weapons.
  • Combat Maneuvers +.5 Melee AS per rank and access to combat maneuvers.
  • Multi-Opponent Combat Reduces penalties from force-on-force and allows for mstrike.
  • Ambush Assists in aiming physical attacks.
  • Physical Fitness Core training, HP growth, Maneuver defense
  • Dodge Generates evasion DS.

Magical Skills

  • Arcane Symbols Allows the use of and improves durations from scrolls.
  • Magic Item Use Allows the use of and improves the durations from magic items.
  • Harness Power 3 mana per training up to your level, 1 per after that.
  • Spell Aiming Weapon training for bolts, which rangers do not use.
  • Mana Control Allows the sharing of mana and improves your own mana regen. Rangers have easy access to Spiritual Mana Control.
  • Spell Research Learn spells and make those you already know better.
  • Lores Incremental improvements to specific spells related to that lore.

General Overview of Ranger Spells

Buffing Spells

Attack Spells

Miscellaneous Spells

Lores

Rangers are spiritual casters and can make use of two of the three Spiritual Lores. Spiritual Lore, Blessing typically provides a wide variety of small, incremental bonuses to the ranger, while Spiritual Lore, Summoning offers some strong offensive magic boosts and powerful improvements at specific breakpoints. Both are quite useful depending on the focus of the ranger.

Blessing Lore

  • Disease Resist (104) Provides a bonus on a Seed 1 summation to the secondary warding roll against disease.
  • Poison Resist (105) Provides a bonus on a Seed 1 summation to the secondary warding roll against poison
  • Spirit Warding II (107) Provides a Seed 10 summation percentage chance to boost TD by +25 against any warding spell.
  • Fasthr's Reward (115) Increases the percentage chance for the spell to activate on a Seed 1 summation.
  • Spirit Strike (117) Provides a percentage chance equal to 3 * Seed 5 summation to gain an additional swing with the bonus.
  • Lesser Shroud (120) 60 ranks unlocks the ability to cast on others for 2 minutes.
  • Natural Colors (601) / [[Mass Colors (611) Increases DS at Seed 5 summation and Hiding bonus at Seed 1 summation.
  • Resist Elements (602) Boosts bolt DS at Seed 5 summation.
  • Foraging (603) Each rank, up to 30 total, provides the equivalent of 3 ranks of survival in foraging bonus
  • Skinning (604) Improves the value of skins by a percentage equal to Seed 5 summation.
  • Self Control (613) Increases spiritual TD by a Seed 5 summation.
  • Sneaking (617) Improves the ability to walk in icy conditions without slipping
  • Resist Nature (620) Increases the resistance provided by one half of the total ranks, rounded down
  • Assume Aspect (650) Improves multiple bonuses available through various aspects.

Understanding the Bonuses behind Spiritual Lore, Blessing

None of the Blessing lore bonuses taken alone are very impressive. The power of the lore is the sheer amount of benefits that a ranger can receive. This one lore will provide moderate bonuses to DS, TD, Hiding, Bolt DS, Skinning, Foraging, and some tertiary abilities. While there is no big wow ability or bonus all the little things add up quickly to become very useful to some rangers.

Summoning Lore

Summoning lore provides less total useful benefits than Blessing lore but some of them have the wow factor that the other lore is missing. This is the go to lore for rangers that want to be deadly with their attack spells.

  • Spirit Fog (106) 40 ranks unlocks the ability to auto hide the caster for 30 seconds, something a ranger should not need.
  • Unbalance (110) Increases the effectiveness but a ranger typically has a hard time warding things with Minor Spiritual spells.
  • Fire Spirit (111) Increases the DF but rangers do not bolt.
  • Locate Person (116) Allows the locating of targets in adjacent, near-adjacent, or even far away realms. Also enables a locate-back functionality.
  • Web (118) The bolt EVOKE version unlocked with this lore is of no interest to a ranger but the improvements to the area web could be.
  • Call Lightning (125) Reduces the time to gather the storm by 1 second per 10 ranks, up to 70 ranks. At 80 ranks, or 40 with 625 active, the spell can be used indoors.
  • Spirit Guide (130) Reduces the randomness of landing locations.
  • Whispering Willow (605) Allows whispering over longer distances, with hidden or invisible targets.
  • Sounds (607) Increases the spell hindrance ability by a percentage equal to a Seed 1 summation
  • Tangle Weed (610) Gives a Skill Bonus/2 chance to inflict strength draining poison.
  • Breeze (612) Provides a Skill Bonus/2 chance for the winds to hinder the movements of creatures in the area.
  • Imbue (614) Adds a Seed 1 summation bonus to the total mana the wands/rods are able to store.
  • Call Swarm (615) Increases the effectiveness on a Seed 5 summation.
  • Spike Thorn (616) Has a percentage chance of an extra damage cycle equal to Skill Bonus/2 - 30%.
  • Nature's Fury (635) Extra damage cycles, the second having a percentage chance equal to skill bonus, the third equal to skill bonus - 100.
  • Assume Aspect (650) Improves multiple bonuses available through various aspects.

Understanding the Bonuses behind Spiritual Lore, Summoning

Obviously there are quite a few benefits of Summoning lore that do not apply to any ranger. The trade off is that the ones that do tend to be amazing. Many a high-level ranger has become a "weed mage" with enough ranger spell ranks and summoning lore. Essentially they kill primarily or wholly with spells like Spike Thorn and Nature's Fury. The bonuses from Summoning lore make this viable.

Spell Research Training

With few exceptions rangers should follow a simple spell progression path:

Wall of Thorns (640) Is possibly the most powerful defensive spell in Elanthia. Most rangers will want to have access to it as soon as possible. Overall the ranger circle provides a far greater benefit than the Minor Spiritual circle up until 640. Once that powerhouse is achieved then going back into Minor Spiritual for 120, for the additional DS and TD, makes sense. From there everything becomes a matter of preference and the needs of the ranger's build.

Training

This is broken down into Core Training, and Discrete Training.

  • Core training includes skills you train in a certain amount each level for that build.
  • Discrete Training includes skills that you want to hit a breakpoint on.

Common Core Training

Core training for ANY bard:

Total: (10/30)

Common Discrete Training

The Archer Ranger

Robin Hood, Green Arrow, Legolas, Daryl Dixon, Link, the list goes on. These are just some famous fictional ranger types that use a bow as one of their primary weapons. The tradition of the nature wise, forest dwelling archer goes back longer than we can remember. In GemStone IV this character archetype is one of the most deadly and efficient hunters around. A properly trained archer ranger will devastate their enemies with precise shots to critical body parts while using their nature magic to set up their targets as needed. Some chose to do so from stealth as a sniper, while others stand toe to toe with their foes and rely on spells and dodge to keep them safe. Both approaches have their merits and, as we rangers are wont to say, there really is no wrong way to train a ranger.

Why ranged?

Why Ranged? Ranged Weapons are one of the most efficient forms of combat in GemStone IV. The ranger class is uniquely setup to employ ranged combat effectively. The skills we are able to train in compliment the ranged play style. Many spells on the ranger spell list also help with archery.

Nothing beats taking down a tough enemy with a single, well-placed shot to the eye. That is the kind of efficiency archery in GemStone IV excels at. A properly trained archer can take down any enemy that can be crit killed with ease and rangers have all the tools to make it happen.

From a skills and stats perspective, Rangers are set up to be natural archers. Their cost for ranged weapons is tied for second with rogues as the cheapest in the game at 3 Physical and 1 Mental training points. One of their primary stats, Dexterity, is the main Attack Strength statistic for ranged as well. They also have the third lowest cost for ambush and are tied for the second lowest cost to perception, both important secondary skills that affect an archer’s AS and DS. Rangers are also the only class aside from rogues who can effectively make use of hiding as a defense.

The ranger spell list provides many unique benefits for archery, both directly and indirectly. Self Control (613) provides a direct boost to the ability to aim a ranged attack. Phoen's Strength (606) gives a phantom increase of +10 to strength bonus, a flat 1 second reduction to ranged round time. Mobility (618) offers a large bonus to Dodge, an archer’s primary defense. Sniper builds benefit from hiding bonuses from Natural Colors (601) and Sneaking (617), as well as being able to retain the +30 AS bonus from Camouflage (608) for multiple attacks, as long as the archer remains hidden. Rangers also benefit from a plethora of set up spells that can complement any weapon style, such as Sounds (607), Tangle Weed (610) and Call Swarm (615).

With so many benefits built in to the ranger class for archery, it is not hard to see why this is one of our preferred training paths.

Archer Ranger Core Training

This is your base training that every archer ranger should have each level.

# Cost Skill
2x 9/3 Ranged Weapons
2x 0/6 Perception
1x 3/3 Ambush
1x 7/5 Dodging
1x 4/0 Physical Fitness
1x 0/5 Harness Power
23/22 Total

Archer Ranger Discreet Training

These values are plateaus you should strive to reach at some point in your career.

# Ranks Cost Skill Notes
30, 60, or 70 5/0 Armor Use For Brigandine, Double Chain, or Augmented Chain respectively. Try to train up to your desired armor ASAP as points allow.
50 2/0 Climbing By level 100, train this as needed to make climb checks prior to that.
50 2/0 Swimming By level 100, train this as needed to make swim checks prior to that.

Optional Additional Training

A list of the most common skills to use your additional training points on.

# Cost Skill Notes
2x 6/4 Stalking and Hiding If you plan to snipe then you will want to 2x this, if you are an open archer then skip it entirely.
1x-2x 1/1 Survival This will aid in skinning and foraging.
1x-2x 2/1 First Aid This will aid in skinning and reduce herb eating RT
2x 6/6 Ambush Additional AS for a steep cost.
0/17 Spell Research For spells beyond 640 and 120
0/10 Spiritual Lore, Blessings For additional benefits from certain spells.
0/10 Spiritual Lore, Summoning For additional benefits from certain spells.
0/5 Magic Item Use For more effective use of magic items.
0/5 Arcane Symbols For scroll reading.
0/5 Spiritual Mana Control 25 ranks for perfect sharing and 2x multicast

Post Cap Goals

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