| Main News EverRing The Counter Spells Quests Equipment |
So you want to be a ranger aye? Although rangers, along with other hybrids, have an experience penalty associated with the class, many people are still willing to become rangers. Why do you ask? Well simply put, rangers are one of the most well rounded and balanced classes in the game. We can do a little bit of everything. Rangers are 3/4 warrior and 1/4 druid. We recieve most of the same skills as a warrior but a few levels later than them. We also receive some of the magic powers of our druid brethern, the first of which begins at the 9th season. Although we will never be as powerful as a warrior in battle or a spell caster to the equivelent of a druid, we do take the best of both and make a pretty good class all our own. Well now that you have established that you want to play the ranger class, you are probably wondering what race to choose. There are three races that may choose the ranger class. They are Human, Half Elf and Wood Elf. All of these races come with certain benefits and disadvantages but in my opinion, any of the races can make excellent rangers. Below each race will be briefly examined.
Humans are one of the most diverse races in all off Norrath. They may choose to be any class except Shaman. So with so many choices for a Human to choose as his occupation, what can you expect if you choose the life of a Ranger? Human Rangers begin their life in the jagged pine village know as Surefall Glade. Well one of the most noticeable differences between a Human and his elf counterparts is the lack of infravision. Nightime play as a human will prove to be more challenging because you will not be able to see well at night, but then again some people relish that sort of challenge. Also, rangers recieve the spell Eyes of the Cat, which grants infravision, at the 30th season. So at that level and beyond, night time play will not be a factor. As I mentioned, Humans can play almost any class and because of that, their statistics are not really overlly impressive. Although Rangers have a bit higher strength, stamina, agility and wisdom over other Humans, they still are weaker than their elven counterparts when it comes to the Ranger class. So then you may be asking yourself, why would I want to be Human? Humans are the mark by which all other races are judged, so therefore they do not incure any experience penalty for race like Half Elves and Wood Elves do. Humans have the highest starting strength which will enable them to carry more without being encumbered and which also affects the Attack/Damage score. Also at the 15th season they get the spell Feel Like Cat, which is an agility boosting spell. At the 30th season they receive the spell Strength of Earth, which is a strength boosting spell. So when you look at the Human Ranger overall, these things put together can make a Human just as good as an Elven ranger. Half Elves are half Human and half Wood Elf. They share some of the best traits of both races. Because of their mixed heritage, Half Elves may begin in the jagged pine village of Surefall Glade or in the tree city of Kelethin. Half Elves, like Wood Elves, have infravision which will make night time play alot easier than for Humans. Because Half Elves are half Human and Half Wood Elf, they incure a slight experience penalty (although less than Wood Elves) for race. Overall, Half Elves have good statistics which makes them good candidates for being a Ranger. The most noticable difference is their very low wisdom score, which is the lowest of the three races. As you may already know, wisdom is the mana source for rangers. But since Rangers are more Warrior than Druid, this should not be a factor when you choose your race. Half Elves are 2nd best in strength, stamina and agility of the three races but they are the best when it comes to dexterity. Dexterity affects the ability to hit more accurately, which will definately come in handy. Dexterity also effects how often weapons with special procs will go off, so a Half Elves higher dexterity should not be overlooked. When you look at the Half Elf Ranger overall, they can make fine Rangers. When you hear the name "Wood Elf", most people picture and associate them with the forest, the woodlands, nature... People also naturely think of Druids and Rangers. Wood Elves begin in their tree city of Kelethin. Wood Elves have infravision which is a welcome bonus for night time play. They also have the ability to forage and hide which they receive at their 1st season. Because Humans are the mark to which all other races are compared, Wood Elves recieve an experience penalty. Wood Elves have, argueably, the best statistics for Rangers. They have the highest agility and wisdom scores of their counterparts. Having high agility increases your chances to avoid hits along with melee skills of dodge, parry and reposite working and going off. High wisdom means more mana, which is definately helpful for when you want to heal yourself or someone else after a hard fought battle. Wood Elves have the 2nd highest dexterity but the lowest strength and stamina. Rangers, at the 30th season, receive the spells Strength of Earth, which increases the strength score and Invigore, which helps to restore stamina. So this should help to improve your character and make him comparable to any of the other races. So when you take a look at the Wood Elf ranger overall, they too can make fine Rangers.
Well hopefully the preceding has given you a good and impartial look at what each of the three races has to offer. All three races can make fine Rangers. With the spells that rangers recieve and with magic equipment that is out there, any of these races can be just as good as any other. THE most important thing in choosing your Ranger is to pick a race that you will be happy with. Too many times people make a character that they are not happy with. If you can find a race that you are comfortable and happy with, you will be sure to enjoy much success as a Ranger. |
|
