What is a ranger? In my words, besides wonderful... We are one with the nature. We use mostly our physical strength, along with spells to hunt the lands. Although we have the ability to make ourselves stronger with the spells we have, mostly we use them to blend in with the woods, and defend ourselves while hunting.
What you want to think about is your statistics. These build the characters physical and mental strength, thus, the most important part of character creation. The higher stats will give a bonus, and the lower a penalty, which will affect your abilities, as in your AS, DS, CS, TD, how fast you gain experience, how fast you absorb experience.
Although you want the higher stats, that isn't always possible. Don't worry to much if you can't get the perfect roll. In time your stats will get higher. A total roll of 620+ is an average start. When you first see the set of 10 numbers, you will notice they have a certain pattern to them, the first three being anywhere from 50-100, the three after that being anywhere from 40-60, the three following those anywhere from 20-50, and the last, anywhere from 20-100.
The maximum you can roll is a 700, mathmatically, although I've never heard of anyone doing this I'd guess there will always be the possiblity, if you do, lemme know about it!
**Note** The race you chose will have bonuses, and penalties to it. Keep this in mind when placing your statistics.
I decided to throw this in here, its what Sybryna's stats look like as of now, although they aren't perfect, I'm very pleased with what she has. Maybe it will give you some idea of what your looking to do with the numbers your seeing.
Gender: Female Age: 53 Expr: 1006998 Level: 30
Currently Stat Bonus
Constitution (CO) ..... 77 ..... 13
Dexterity (DE) ..... 55 ..... 2
Discipline (DI) ..... 55 ..... 2
Logic (LO) ..... 61 ..... 10
Intelligence (IN) ..... 48 ..... 4
Strength (ST) ..... 99 ..... 29
Reflexes (RE) ..... 91 ..... 20
Charisma (CH) ..... 45 ..... -2
Wisdom (WI) ..... 100 ..... 25
Aura (AU) ..... 94 ..... 22
Dexterity (DE).... This is your agility, or how good you dodge manauver attacks, try to place a 50 or better here.
Discipline (DI)... Your will power, also helps determine your training points, try putting a 60 or better here.
Logic (LO) and Intelligence (IN).... These two statistics work together to determine how fast you gain and absorb experience, try to put a 50 or better in each.
Strength (ST).... Obviously this determines your AS, also plays a part in your starting hit points, as well as how much of a load you can carry. Try to place a 80 or better in here.
Reflexes (RE)... Plays a part in determining your DS, try to put a 60 or better here.
Charisma (CH)...Determines your physical looks and peronality, I've also learned in other guides, it seems to help haggle with shopkeepers. Put your lowest roll here.
Wisdom (WI)...Self explanitory in the word itself, this is your intuition, and very important. Helps figure out your mana points as well. **This statistic will also automatically be raised by 10, another profession bonus, try putting at least an 80 here, but no more than 90 because of the bonus.
Aura (AU)... This figures out your spirit points. These points are needed to live, if ever you get down to 0 points, you die. Also plays a big role in how many training points you get. Try to place an 80 or better here.
The first 10 times you train in a certain skill it will add 5 to the level of the skill each time, the next 10 you will add 4, the next 10 you'll add 3, and so on until you reach one, where you will remain each time you train in it. Remember, just because you're getting only one... it adds up, so don't give up on it. Also, don't be afraid to learn different things, rangers make it easy to do different things, with ease.
Weapons.... There are several different to chose from, with edged being the most common, and the easiest to find for sale. Ranged was recently implemented, so I'm not so sure about that seeing how I was already older when this was done, I've never trained in it. Blunt is the second most common, and almost as easy to find as edged. Two handed and Pole Arms require you to keep one hand free, which means no shield for you, and is a bit more difficult to defend yourself. Thrown weapons isn't yet implemented to my knowledge, though again, I wouldn't train in it even if it has been, but I'm not of much help here. You chose what you want, and train in it. Train here at least once a year for life, if you can squeeze in two per year, you'll be very happy you did.
Ambush.... When not hidden your CM determines whether or not you'll hit the target aimed for, when hidden, your skill determines this. When hidden also, you're more likely to make a critical hit. If you chose to train in this skill, train once a year for life.
Armor....Training in this will allow you to wear heavier armor without a penalty of round time. Most of us train until about 40 skill, so we can wear double leather, or 120 to wear brigadine, its even possible to go higher to wear chain armor. There is a but though.... armors carry spell hinderances, and can cause a spell to fail. Double leather is a wonderful armor to wear, without much spell hinderance, Sybryna has worn this since she was first born to the lands, and at 30 has never had a spell failure do to it thus far. Just be sure to know what you're wearing and you shouldn't have to many problems.
Brawling... This lets you use your fist like a weapon, in other words training here gives you a bit more strength with a punch. Also helps in Voln Fu.
Combat Maneuvers...An important skill! Sybryna is way behind in this, and regrets is greatly. This skill gives you 1 to your AS every other training, and after you reach 150 in skill, you get 1 every three trainings. Most important about this is it helps you greatly against maneuver attacks, such as boil earth, clouds, bolts, and more. Train in this once a year for life, you won't regret it.
Multiopponent Combat... Not yet implemented
Shield Use... Train here once a year for life, very important. At an older level you'll get additional DS over the base of the shield, so not training in this skill is really rather dumb. Will also help determine the defense against elemental attacks.
Stalking and Hiding....Being able to hide from a critter before ambushing will help your chance to make a crititcal hit when the attack is aimed. I'd train here once a year for life if you're going to train in it.
Two Weapon Combat.... Pretty self explanitory. Expensive to, and has its set backs, no shield...more wounds. You be the judge.
Climbing and Swimming....At one time may not have been as important as it is now. Alternate these two every year. Without it, you may not be able to get where you want to when your older.
Disarming Traps.. Well... yep yep, helps you disarm a trap, works with perception to do so.
First Aid.. Train here once a year until you feel you have enough. This skill helps you tend wounds you have. The more its bleeding the more skill you'll need to tend it without time penalty, and the more skill yo have, the more likely you are to stop the bleeding all together. This skill also determines how well you skin a critter.
Physical Training... Increases your number of health points until you have reached the max. Don't double here, theres much more use for the extra points elsewhere, and in no time at all you will have reached your max hp's. If you chose to train in this skill after you reach your max health points, it'll help to recover lost points at a faster rate.
Perception.... Train till you feel you have enough, although its different for everyone so enough is a huge area. This sill will help you find hidden entrances, yes Sybryna messed up here to, she has a horrible time finding someone to help yer get in and out of the monestary, because she can't find the entrance on her own yet. This will also help you find traps, and helps you see if someone is trying to pickpocket you.
Picking locks... This along with a lockpick will help you open the locks on boxes, just remember traps traps traps, don't forget to look for those!
Picking pockets... I was goona leave this one out, because I don't take well to thieves, but its said to help see if someone is picking your pockets, and helps keep the theives out of them too.
Trading...Helps get better prices on items at shops, some merchants, and seems to help get higher prices at the pawn shop.
Magic Item Use... This may be useful to you, considering us rangers can make our own rods and wands with spell 614, from sticks, which you can find with the help of 603. Some spells are harder to use in wands than others.
Mana Sharing... Train here as much as you can until you hit at least 102 skill. This allows you to give and recieve mana to and from others. Its very useful when your casting mass hues for a group and need the extra mana to give more of the spell. It also helps when you want a spell, if you can send, you can usually get the spell.
Scroll Reading....Training here will allow you to read and use scrolls, by invoking them. The spells on here can be useful when you're in need of one you don't have. Some spells here are also harder to invoke than others.
Spell Aiming... Not very useful to a ranger, but it helps with your AS for elemental attacks and wands.
Spell Research...Train here and gain a spell, though Sybryna has chosen to train here every year, she's given up alot for it. So put thought into how you train here. A little reminder, to get 625 you have to train for 621, 622, 623 and 624 although there is no spell there.
Now, lets recap here. A decent training plan for a ranger who wants to be a ranger... Once a year in Armor use until you've reached at least 40. Once a year for life in CM. Twice a year in weapon of your choice, I say this because its the main way we gain experience, so being stronger is what you want. Once a year for life in Shield use, once a year till you've reached your max hp's at least in physical training. Rotate every other year with climbing and swimming till you think you have to much. Once a year in mana share if you can, until you've reached 102 at least, once a year in perception till you feel you've enough, if you chose to ambush and hide, once a year for life there, and... as often as you can in spell research.
I will say it again, put the for lifers first, if you don't you won't be happy. The rest of the skills you can train in how you please, making your character the way you want is what its all about. Once you have a plan though, stick with it.
Ranger Circle
601, Natural colors.........10 to your DS, self cast, 15 sec. per lvl, with a duration of 100 minutes maximum.
602, Resist Elements..........Will help to protect you from the wind on the glacier, in pinefar, on the new mountain, as well as other areas. 1 minute per lvl of caster.
603, Foraging..........Helps to forage, self cast, 15 sec. per lvl of caster
604, Skinning...........Improves the skinning ability, lasts a minute, self cast.
605, Tracking...........Not yet implemented.
606, Phoen Strength.......Wonderful spell, 10 to your AS, helps your round time, can only be cast outdoors, 30 sec. per lvl, and is self cast only.
607, Sounds.........-20 DS to the target of this spell
608, Camouflage.....Only useable outdoors, makes the caster hidden, and adds 30 to the AS of the first attack
609, Sunburst........Allows you to reveal hidden characters, and creatures, and lets you detect invisible ones also.
610, Tangle Weed......Creates a thorny vine which drags creatures, and anyone not casted to you in the same area to the ground, can only be cast outdoors.
611, Mass Colors......Adds 10 to the DS of yourself and anyone joined to you, 30 seconds a lvl, with a max of 4 hours.
612, Breeze.......Creates a strong breeze which can blow away clouds, and light objects, 3 sec. per lvl.
613, Self Control......Probably the most useful spell we have, adds 25 to your DS, spirit warding, and elemental defense, self cast only, lasts 1 minute per lvl.
614, Imbue......Allows you to take a stick, which you can forage for in almost all wooded areas, and turn it into a wand which will then be imbeddable, and eventually into a rod, which holds more mana. Outdoors only for this one too.
615, Whispering Willow....A fun spell, whoever its cast on can whisper to anyone that is in town and outside, only cast outdoors, 30 sec. per lvl.
616, Spike Thorn.....Creates a thorn under the target, which can create quite a bit of damage, works better outdoors, though can be cast indoors as well.
617, Sneaking.....Used with natural colors, or mass colors, when you have this spell on, others will not be able to see you when sneaking from room to room, 15 sec per lvl.
618, Mobility.......Helps you dodge maneuver attacks, and adds to the Voln Fu fighting ability, 30 sec. per lvl.
619, Mass Calm.....Calms all creatures in the room, wonderful spell, duration depends on the lvl of you and the critter.
620, Killer Weed.....Like 610, but instead of just dragging the critter down, it causes damage too. When indoors its used like 610, and will most definately hurt anyone not joined to you, so use caution when casting this in an area where people walk through often.
625, Natural Colors.....Allows you to cast a spell that usually can only be cast outdoors, was recently implemented, and I don't yet have it, so I don't know anymore than this about it.
Spirit Circle
101, Spirit Warding I..adds 10 to your TD, and 10 versus elemental attack spells, 1 minute per lvl.
102, Spirit Barrier......adds 50 to your DS, but takes 50 from you AS, 1 minute per lvl.
103, Spirit Defense.......adds 10 to your DS, not stackable, and lasts 2 min. per. lvl.
104, Disease Resist.....Gives you a chance to ward disease, if the first try fails, 1 min per lvl.
105, Poison Resist.....Same as above, just poison, go figure!
106, Spirit Fog....adds 50 to everyone in the rooms DS, including the critter, helps with hiding also, 1 min per lvl.
107, Spirit Warding II....same as spirit warding I, except for adds 25 instead, 1 min per lvl.
108, Stun Relief.....Unstuns the target
109, Dispel Invisibility......Dispells invisiblity... another baffling one huh?
110, Unbalance.....If warding fails, the target can take damage, get stunned, knocked down, and even killed.
111, Fire Spirit.....Casts a flare, or can be aimed like a major fire attack.
112, Water Walk......Lets the target walk on calm waters. 1 min per lvl
113, Undisease....Cures target of disease
114, Unpoison.....Cures target of poison
115, Spirit Burst......If warding fails, target will be stunned
116, Locate Person.....Will tell you where target is if they are in town, and not in a magical zone
117, Spirit Strike....Same spell as in the blue crystals, adds 75 to your attack for one swing, also helps Voln Fu.
118, Web......Causes a web to entangle target if warding fails.
119, Herb Production....Causes an herb to grow randomly, only cast outdoors.
120, Lesser Shroud....adds 25 to your DS and TD, 30 sec per lvl
125, Call Lightning......Will cast a cloud that shoots lightning bolts at the target, outdoors only.
130, Spirit Guide.....Fogs everyone joined to the caster to a certain area depending on where you are.
150, Wall of Force.....adds 100 to DS, 10 seconds per lvl.
Now, back when I rolled Sybryna up, you started in the lands with light leather, a backpack, and a belt pouch. These days you get a weapon, shield, and the rest. So, this saves you the trouble of fidning these items yourself. If you type info, you may notice you have some silvers with you. Those are used to pay off your debts, and in the same place as you pay those off, you can ask for a job, its a quick easy way to gain some experience and some money.
One easy thing to do to get to that first level is to visit each place on the DIR list, by doing this you gain experience. If you go to them all, you'll find yourself ready to go train for your first time. You train an inn. In Icemule Trace, its the thirsty penguin inn, and in Whenimers Landing its at Friths Inn, and The Raging Thrak Inn, just find the front desk, and simply check in.
Another easy thing to do for some experince, is to go and learn from the Raging Thrak, behind the curtain in The Raging Thrak Inn, or Trevor Dabbings, who is behind the curtain in Icemule, at The Thirsty Penguin. If you pay close attention to them, you recieve a nice reward.
Try to pay attention to people who may be selling a drake weapon. These can be used at young levels, and are one of the best you can get, for a decent price. If you trained in OHE, try finding a drake falchion, if OHB, look for a drake mace, alot of the times you can find these at the pawnshops, or others tend to give them away when the find them.
First off, don't go around killing other players, you're more than likely going to get yourself either killed, in jail, or the gods won't let you back in the lands for a short period of time. The lands aren't meant for hunting other players, so lets stick to the critters.
Here's a big one to remember, always have your weapon in your right hand, and your shield in your left. If you do this the other way around, you're going to have big problems. One good way fo doing this is always get your weapon out first, shield second. By doing this, your weapon is always in your right hand. To check, type glance, or look at the little graphic on your wizard front end program, if you use that. Make sure your in stance def, before you head out. This will give you a maximum defense against anything in the room with you. You may want to let the critter take a swing at you first, then go into stance off, and attack it. The numbers you see represent your AS, their DS, the AvD is the capiblity of your weapon against their armor, the d# is a random number. The bigger the d# is, the more damage you will do. To swing you would type att rat....which obviously stands for attack rat... if you don't kill it with the first shot, then just type att again. By leaving out the rat part of that, you will keep swining at the same rat. Example...if there are two of the same critters in a room, and a third comes in, and you've been swinging at one for a few times, if you type attack rat again, you will swing at the one that just ran in, if you just type att, you will be swining at the one you were before it came in, thus letting you continue to do damage to the one you have been. Once the critter is dead, you skin it and search it, then continue on to the next one.
If you chose to ambush, you'll want to hide first. Then, instead of useing the attack command, you'd use the ambush command and the specific area you want to hit. Example, Sybryna hunts Hooded Figures right now, and she usually ambushes them. So, first off you want to hide, when you've done that sucessfully, you'd type amb figure right leg. You leap from hiding to attack, and if you hit the critter, you tend to do more damage by ambushing. Ambushing usually slows you down, unless you have a light weapon in hand, so make note of that too.
Gemstone III is a role-playing game. Its as simple as that, don't go around talking about anything that has to do with real life. Its greatly frowned upon, and is probably goona get you good and hollared at. You're here with a character you've created, so put some effort into it, make that creation what you want of it, give him/her a personality thats unique. You can do so much if you want to with your character. If you please the GM's you may even get an award for good role-playing.
Remember to check that your shield is in your left hand, and your weapon in the right, remember that the GLANCE command will show you this.
You're going to want to tip those that heal you and open boxes for you, its not expected, but we all do it, they deserve something for their help.
Don't carry around to much silver, there are thieves out there, hope your not one of them, so just deposit them at the bank.
Always always always use the word MY! Example, put MY falchion in MY sheath. If you don't, you may get a message that your not holding a falchion, because there may be one on the ground, or you might put it in a sheath thats laying on the ground also. You're goona lose your weapon that way. Same thing with anything you put away. MY MY MY!!!
Try to hunt in a group, and if you do, don't steal all the kills. Having an extra person can be helpful when hunting, not only for the extra power, but if you die, you're more than likely goona have some help getting to town where you can be raised.
Try to find mass spells, in town, many older players cast what we call massies, this adds extra DS to you if you join them.
Don't Don't Don't talk OOC, ick! Keep the real world to itself, your an Elanthian when in the lands. Don't forget it.
Try to find a node to rest in, this helps clear your head faster, and regain any mana you may need to respell yourself up.
Ask if you have to, more people are likely to help than not.
Don't go around yelling either, thats icky too. Yelling is considered when your talking using all capital letters, so yes, back there I was yelling when I said MY, but of course there was a good cause for it.
If a critter is limping, its more than likely being chased, so let it be and find another.
Last big of advice I'll give is help others if you can. Thats improtant, because working together is what its all about.