Ranger
From NEStalgia
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The Ranger combines physical strength with an impressive arsenal of healing and attack magic to make for a versatile, balanced fighter. “Jack of all trades, master of none”, the Ranger has no glaring weaknesses. Rangers are an excellent class for soloing, but can also be an asset to any party.
Equipment
Rangers can equip Swords, Daggers, Bows, and Staves. They can use a variety of armor ranging from heavy chain mail to cloth. In their offhand slot Rangers can equip Bracelets and Necklaces. In short, a ranger's equipment options mirrors their versatility in terms of skill choices and play style.
Skill Trees
Skill trees are the basis of leveling and customizing your character in NEStalgia. The skill tree menu unlocks at level 5 and at that point the player will be able to customize their character with the five points available. There are three ways to gain additional points:
- Gain an experience level, which grants one point.
- Progress through the plot of the game, which grants one point after completing the main quest connected to Verity's lighthouse and an additional point after completing the main quest connected to the Arctic's ice palace.
- Spend 100,000 gold on a Greater Moon Blessing, which grants four points all at once.
As of v1.62 this allows for a maximum of 38 points to spend.
Nature Tree |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Branch | Level | Description | Image |
| Regrowth | 5 | Increases the base power of all healing spells per point, up to a maximum of +8 to spell power. This branch includes the spells Heal, HealMore, and Detox. |  |
| Holy Power | 20 | -8% MP cost of all healing spells, up to a maximum of -32%. This branch includes the spell HealWave. | |
| Nature's Fury | 5 | Increases the base power of all storm spells, up to a maximum of +6 to spell power. | |
| Tempest | 8 | -5% MP cost of all storm spells, up to a maximum of -20%. This branch includes the spells Electro and Sizzle. | |
| Cloud Burst | 15 | +5% to storm spell multi-target damage, up to a maximum of +20%. This branch includes the spell Lightning. | |
| Sagacious | 5 | +2 to Intelligence per point, up to maximum of +12. | |
| Staff Mastery | 5 | +2% to both Plus Storm and Plus Healing when using a staff, up to a maximum of +8% to both. | |
Nature Tree Overview
- Regrowth: Essential for any build that relies partly or mostly on healing. Without this branch a ranger is unable to cast any kind of healing spell on their own. This branch requires a heavy skill point investment but that investment is worth it in the long run.
- Holy Power: As with Regrowth, this branch of the Nature Tree benefits builds that factor in healing. Access to HealWave allows most any ranger build to provide support healing at the least, and the reductions to spell cost go a long way towards ensuring a ranger can keep healing for a long period of time.
- Nature's Fury: Any build that focuses on storm damage will benefit from this branch. Unlike similar branches available to wizards and conjurers, points in Nature's Fury do not increase the cost of storm magic. This is ideal early on in a storm ranger's career; they receive the benefit of added power without the drawback of burning through their MP at an increased rate.
- Tempest: Any ranger looking for a source of multi-target damage should look here, as without points invested in this branch spells like Electro and Lightning are off-limits. The reduction to spell costs is a welcome bonus, reducing the costs of spells that are already modest in that respect.
- Cloud Burst: This branch is another solid choice for a ranger looking to maximize the power of their storm magic, increasing the power of all multi-target storm spells without increasing their cost.
- Tempest: Any ranger looking for a source of multi-target damage should look here, as without points invested in this branch spells like Electro and Lightning are off-limits. The reduction to spell costs is a welcome bonus, reducing the costs of spells that are already modest in that respect.
- Sagacious: Additional intelligence is of good use to many ranger builds, providing increased magic defense alongside increased spell power. Any ranger with points left over can do worse than placing them here.
- Staff Mastery: One of three ranger branches that have a synergy with one or more weapon types, Staff Mastery increases the power of storm and healing spells. As the name implies though, a staff must be equipped in order to receive these benefits.
Hunter Tree |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Branch | Level | Description | Image |
| Quickness | 5 | +3 to Agility per point, up to a maximum of +18. This branch includes the skill Counter. |  |
| Awareness | 8 | +20% to Repel's effect vs. stronger monsters, up to a maximum of +40%. This branch inludes the spell Sense. | |
| Guts | 10 | +3% to Fire, Ice and Storm resist per point, up to a maximum of +9% to each. | |
| Daring Offense | 5 | +2% physical damage per point when using either a bow or a staff, up to a maximum of +14%. This branch includes the spell Soften. | |
| Steady Aim | 5 | +1% to bonus crit. | |
| Dead Eye | 15 | +1% to bonus crit. | |
| Solid Defense | 5 | +2% to physical defense per point when using either a sword or a staff, up to a maximum of +14%. This branch includes the spell Harden. | |
| Moving Target | 5 | +1% to bonus dodge. | |
| Agile | 15 | +1% to bonus dodge. | |
Hunter Tree Overview
- Quickness: Investment in this tree has no immediate benefits aside from keeping a ranger's turn early on in the battle order. With full investment, a ranger can not only counter multiple incoming single target attacks but they have the option of learning how to reduce incoming elemental damage on top of any protection their intelligence and equipment provides.
- Awareness: If making Repel more effective is of interest, then points here are well spent. Also, Sense can provide a good gauge of how much longer a boss fight is expected to last. This in turn allows the ranger and their teammate(s) to adjust their strategy as needed.
- Guts: There's nothing wrong with reducing the amount of elemental damage taken from enemy attacks, so if the skill points are available then Guts is a fine choice.
- Daring Offense: The second of three ranger branches that have a synergy with one or more weapon types, Daring Offense is a big part of any physical ranger build. If the bonuses to physical damage aren't enough, then there are the options of increasing the rate of critical hits via further skill point investment along with being able to lower a target's defense via Soften.
- Steady Aim and Dead Eye: A 1% increase to critical rate for one skill point is a fair bargain. It helps that these two branches are an easy way to increase a stat that is otherwise difficult to boost.
- Solid Defense: The last of the three ranger branches that have a synergy with one or more weapon types, Solid Defense does for reducing physical damage received what Daring Offense does for physical damage inflicted. Any ranger build that seeks to increase physical durability with the option of increasing the durability of others as well should place points here.
- Moving Target and Agile: Like with Steady Aim and Dead Eye, these two branches allow a way to boost a stat (dodge rate) that is otherwise limited to a few pieces of equipment.
Foundation Tree |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Branch | Level | Description | Image |
| Stamina | 5 | +2% to max HP per point, up to a maximum of +10%. | 404x318px |
| Wisdom | 5 | +2% to max MP per point, up to a maximum of +10%. | |
| Luck | 5 | +3% chance to resist all attacks that have a randomized success rate per point, up to a maximum of +15%. | |
| Fire/Ice/Storm Enchant | 12 | (Can only choose one branch to go into) +4% Fire/Ice/Storm damage added to physical attacks and 4% converted to Fire/Ice/Storm per point, up to a maximum of +20% to each. | |
Abilities
Abilities are skills that the player can use both inside and outside of battle. These abilities will either be bought on the skill tree using skill points or will be learned automatically once the player hits a certain level.
Note: Listed MP costs are the default. Points in the Holy Power branch of the Nature tree will reduce the MP cost of Heal, HealMore and HealWave. Similarly, points in the Tempest branch of the Nature tree will reduce the MP cost of Shock, Electro, Sizzle and Lightning.
| Ability | MP Cost | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shock | 4 | 1 | Inflicts Storm damage on a single target. |
| Guard | 0 | 4 | When used on an ally or the ranger themselves, the ranger's physical defense is increased. If used on an ally, the ranger will also take all single-target attacks that were directed at that ally. Occurs at the start of the round. |
| Repel | 5 | 8 | Reduces the frequency of or outright prevents monster encounters in the overworld. Has no effect if monsters are equal or higher in level compared to the leader of the group. |
| Impale | 2 | ?? | Inflicts minor damage on a single target: chance to cause bleed. |
| Outside | 4 | 16 | Used in caves and other dungeons; returns the party to the entrance. |
| Headshot | 0 | ?? | Inflicts minor damage on a single target: chance to cause confuse. |
| Ability | MP Cost | Branch | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal | 5 | Regrowth | Heals an ally for a small amount of HP. |
| HealMore | 13 | Regrowth | Heals an ally for a moderate amount of HP. |
| HealWave | 25 | Regrowth | Heals all allies for a small amount of HP. |
| Electro | 8 | Tempest | Inflicts Storm damage on an enemy group. |
| Sizzle | 9 | Tempest | Inflicts Storm damage over time to a single target. |
| Lightning | 13 | Cloud Burst | Inflicts Storm damage on all enemies. |
| Ability | MP Cost | Branch | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | 0 | Quickness | Counters all single-target attacks directed at the ranger. Occurs at the start of the round. |
| Sense | 0 | Awareness | Examines enemy stats in battle and lists nearby foes in the overworld. |
| Soften | 6 | Daring Offense | Lowers the physical defense of a single target. |
| Harden | 10 | Solid Defense | Boosts the physical defense of a single ally. |
