Is the charm animal spell worth the trouble

[Esoh]

Basically I'm a new ranger to EQ2 played ranger in pretty much all the other MMOs out there but giving this game a try. Been playing my ranger now till level 17 but have a question though. Is the skill to charm a animal really worth it here. I miss having a pet in game there usually a big help but is it actually worth using that many AAs for it here. Would like to know from the experienced rangers here. I play on a PVE server and will get to the point for rading down the road. Also when I do get it how hard is it to respec your AAs on here in case its a bad decision. Thanks for all the input

[Andok]

Respecs are easy, but you can’t move AA points between your Ranger and Predator trees. I think most rangers will tell you that the Charm Animal AA is not worth it and that you will lose a lot of potential DPS by spending your AA points on it.  However, the only person that can say if it’s worth it is you.  If you get a lot of enjoyment out of having pets and are willing to sacrifice some potential DPS, then I say go for it. You can always respec to a better raiding config when you get higher level.

[Esoh]

Thanks for the reply now you opened up another subject I havent even touched what skills in the predator tree are the must have ones. In every game there always some skills you must get or you gimped your toon for life. Currently atm I havent put any points in the predator tree. Thanks again for the help trying to head off a car wreck if u get my drift hehe

[Andok]

Unfortunately, rangers haven’t reached a consensus on what is the best Predator tree setup.  The two major ‘camps’ are that either STR/AGI or AGI/INT are the best (lots of other people tout other configurations, but those two are the most popular).  Raiders seem to lean towards the AGI/INT setup and rangers who group/solo and spend a lot of time in the ‘sweet spot’ (the distance away from a creature where you can use both range and melee CAs) lean toward STR/AGI.   I’m not a raider, and probably never will be, but I selected INT over STR because I like the extra damage with my poisons.  Whichever way you choose to go, I recommend starting with the AGI line first.

[snowbrdr093]

Any decent Ranger is AGI/INT, the damage potential from it is incredibly higher than that of the STR line.

[LoreLady]

As it is vice versa.. all depends on what zones you fight, the gear you have and the setups you get.

[Ingreen99]

<p>I targeted my AAs to use the pet line.  Im on a PvP server and by choosing to go the pet route I sacrificed other useful abilities, abilities that I will eventual gain anyways.  I like having the pet around, It Helps potentially with solo encounters.  Not so much in PvP fights, because the pet isn't effective in keeping players off your back.  But... a pet helps with down times between encounters.  EQII has very little down time between fights anywans, but on the PvP server the benefit of the pet is when you are able to finish an encounter with full or better than normal potential.  On the PvP server people love to wait until you have encountered or finished fighting a mob before ambushing.  The pet helps mitigate that.</p><p>In addition, a pet will allow you to fight multiple mobs that otherwise would own you.  Pets IMO are good for mitigating encounters gone bad.  It's all in how you like to play and use your abilities.  I really enjoy having my pet around.  and would choose the same AA path again.  Oh, finding a good pet is essential.  A good pet can create a good increase in your DPS.  I always find a pet of higher con to mez, I might take multiple trys but once the pet is yours put it to work.</p>

[Skydrop]

<p>We have two other kinds of pets other than the AA charm animal ability. One are the fluff pets, Hawk, Bear and Tiger (plus others but those three are the Ranger specific fluff spells). The other is the Hawk from Hawk dive.</p><p>I think Hawk dive is often overlooked, in certain situations it can be amazingly usefull. If you pull with Hawk dive and slack off initially on the DPS there's a high chance the mob will stick on the Hawk right up till it's dead, waiting for the agro proc to hit on the hawk and carefull use of Elude and Surveilance can keep agro on the hawk. This means instead of melleeing the mob as you would normally soloing once the mob has closed on you you can be wherever you want, unload almost everything and then close in on the mob. But, it breaks stealth so there goes Selection, Veiled Fire and Snipers Shot. I've never seen it break stealth in between Longblade/Surveilance and then Emberstrike/Rangers blade.</p><p>I'm heading down the lines to get the ranged extension and double attack first but I think once I've maxed my Ranger tree I'll probably be very tempted to respec atleast once to see what the charm animal ability is like - I spec'd my ranger on beta to give it the charm animal AA and had quite a lot of fun but realised it wasn't going to add much to my DPS in the situations I think are key, heroic instances/dungeons and raiding.</p>

[Bog]

<cite>Skydrop wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>We have two other kinds of pets other than the AA charm animal ability. One are the fluff pets, Hawk, Bear and Tiger (plus others but those three are the Ranger specific fluff spells). The other is the Hawk from Hawk dive.</p><p>I think Hawk dive is often overlooked, in certain situations it can be amazingly usefull. If you pull with Hawk dive and slack off initially on the DPS there's a high chance the mob will stick on the Hawk right up till it's dead, waiting for the agro proc to hit on the hawk and carefull use of Elude and Surveilance can keep agro on the hawk. This means instead of melleeing the mob as you would normally soloing once the mob has closed on you you can be wherever you want, unload almost everything and then close in on the mob. But, it breaks stealth so there goes Selection, Veiled Fire and Snipers Shot. I've never seen it break stealth in between Longblade/Surveilance and then Emberstrike/Rangers blade.</p><p>I'm heading down the lines to get the ranged extension and double attack first but I think once I've maxed my Ranger tree I'll probably be very tempted to respec atleast once to see what the charm animal ability is like - I spec'd my ranger on beta to give it the charm animal AA and had quite a lot of fun but realised it wasn't going to add much to my DPS in the situations I think are key, heroic instances/dungeons and raiding.</p></blockquote>Skydrop, Tell me more about how to attain the Hawk. New to ranger, I can see this in my PVP-(RPing). It sound like so much fun. Basically whats a fuff pet?

[Prandtl]

<p>Hawk dive is a CA you get at level 65.  It siphons hate from all non-fighters in the group and deals limited crushing damage.  Unfortunately, it also breaks stealth.  It has some uses, especially while soloing, but is generally considered to be 'not that great'</p><p>Fluff pets are skills you get at level 20,40, and 50.  They are critters that follow you around, but don't do anything except...  well they don't do anything!  Ask Bongo!</p>

[Bog]

Thanks Pradtl

[Skydrop]

<p>Yeah, Hawk Dive is very limited in its uses, about the only scenario it actually has a good use for is the one I described, plus you don't get it for 65 levels meaning once you've got it's something of a novelty. Firing it off to add to your DPS is negligable as a couple of hits from a T7 bow are going to equal all the damage output done by the thing.</p><p>One more thing to add - it's a dumb-fire pet, once used on a target it can't be controlled.</p>

[Winerd]

<p>Just to add my two cents.  I'm a 61 ranger who solos most of the time (I prefer to spend time exploring, doing odd quests, etc. instead of grinding xp).  Right now I'm grinding writs to eventually get my wanderer faction title and I use the befriend animal spell a lot.  I've found that the pets aren't as good as caster pets (such as conjuror tank pets).  Basically, after a few hits, the mobs come running at me.  the befriend animal spell has helped with providing just a little bit of extra dps (one pet actually killed a mob by itself) and can be helpful with distracting adds when I manage to pull multiple solo encounters (a common occurence in Tenebrouse Tangle).</p><p>one thing not mentioned is that the befriend animal only works on animals so many mobs are unaffected by this spell.</p><p> As with respecing.  It is easy to do and is relatively inexpensive if you don't do it too much and jack up the price since each respec increases in cost.  I do plan to eventually respec and orient myself to a more dps oriented ranger when I get to lvl 70 and I can raid with my guild.</p>

[Sural_Argonus]

I may have only just returned from being canceled...But I've discovered that the Achievements are your choice, and you shouldn't browbeat others for their choices.  Just because YOU think one combination is better...doesn't mean it will be great for someone else. Personally, I don't use poisons, so the Nightshade tree is not good for me.  (I have enough trouble remembering to pick up food and drink)  The Stamina tree as well is useless to me, because I don't use spears.. So why should I spend points on things I normally don't do?

[Skydrop]

Sural@Guk wrote: <blockquote>Personally, I don't use poisons, so the Nightshade tree is not good for me.  </blockquote> I never thought I'd hear a Ranger say out loud "I don't use poisons", can I get a D-P-S?

[Sural_Argonus]

<cite>Skydrop wrote:</cite><blockquote>Sural@Guk wrote: <blockquote>Personally, I don't use poisons, so the Nightshade tree is not good for me.  </blockquote> I never thought I'd hear a Ranger say out loud "I don't use poisons", can I get a D-P-S?</blockquote> Have no problem with my DPS.  And the main reason I don't use poisons....is mostly because I never think about buying them.  I kill just fine with my 2 imbued weapons, both adorned with disease damage, and my imbued bow. I know I COULD do better....but since I am hardly ever around a place I can buy them...It just ends up being low on my importance scale. Now if I did get into Raiding and such...might be a different story.  I know poisons help with DPS and such...But I just never bother

[Ranja]

You do know that poison is about 15%-20% of your damage. So you are basically saying "I dont care if I am 15%-20% less effective". At least use NPC bought poison. I never thought I would see the day when a predator admitted htey did not use poison. SOE made the predator class CAs with poison usage in mind. So without poison usage, you are pretty much gimping ourself to less than t1 damage. But hey to each their own. As long as you are making the decision fully aware of how much it is affecting your DPS

[Sural_Argonus]

<cite>Ranja wrote:</cite><blockquote>You do know that poison is about 15%-20% of your damage. So you are basically saying "I dont care if I am 15%-20% less effective". At least use NPC bought poison. I never thought I would see the day when a predator admitted htey did not use poison. SOE made the predator class CAs with poison usage in mind. So without poison usage, you are pretty much gimping ourself to less than t1 damage. But hey to each their own. As long as you are making the decision fully aware of how much it is affecting your DPS </blockquote> You know...I don't really care for people telling me how *I* should play the game....I *KNOW* about poisons.  I *KNOW* what they do and what effects they have.  I also *KNOW* they would allow me to perform better.  I also know that I am rarely anywhere I can buy the stuff.  So therefore...I don't make it a priority.  HOWEVER I am not opposed to them.  I will get them if the need arises.  But since I have to PAY for them (No active guild alchemist) I am a cheap SOB.  I don't even use crafted arrows.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I play the game the way *I* want to play.  *NOT* the way some random person who doesn't even know me thinks I should play.

[Gareorn]

Sural@Guk wrote: <blockquote><cite>Ranja wrote:</cite><blockquote>You do know that poison is about 15%-20% of your damage. So you are basically saying "I dont care if I am 15%-20% less effective". At least use NPC bought poison. I never thought I would see the day when a predator admitted htey did not use poison. SOE made the predator class CAs with poison usage in mind. So without poison usage, you are pretty much gimping ourself to less than t1 damage. But hey to each their own. As long as you are making the decision fully aware of how much it is affecting your DPS </blockquote> You know...I don't really care for people telling me how *I* should play the game....I *KNOW* about poisons.  I *KNOW* what they do and what effects they have.  I also *KNOW* they would allow me to perform better.  I also know that I am rarely anywhere I can buy the stuff.  So therefore...I don't make it a priority.  HOWEVER I am not opposed to them.  I will get them if the need arises.  But since I have to PAY for them (No active guild alchemist) I am a cheap SOB.  I don't even use crafted arrows.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I play the game the way *I* want to play.  *NOT* the way some random person who doesn't even know me thinks I should play. </blockquote>You mis-read Ranja's post.  He didn't tell you how you should play the game.  If he did, I don't see it.  Frankly, I don't think anyone cares about how you, or anyone else for that matter, plays the game.