RIFT Online (Part Two)

Character Stats and Leveling Up
Now for this part, there really isn't much to talk about because the things that you can do to them are very limited.

Apart from the measly little input that you gain from leveling up, most of your character stats are actually derived from the equipment that your wearing. If you strip them all off, you won't be left with much...apart from your health and mana.

And if you've remembered from the previous part, the stuff that you can wear is pretty much restricted by your chosen calling. Therefore, unless your a Warrior and can wear just about anything, there's no way that you can otherwise "gimp" your character on something like "I've allocated my stats wrongly" or stuffs like that.

(Just take extra note of the stats coded in cyan instead of white. Those are the ones deemed, by the devs, to be especially important for your calling.)

While we're at this, I do find it pretty interesting that RIFT Online offers something called "Mentoring".

As far as I know, this feature unlocks itself when your character reaches level 15 and allows for you to actively lower your character's level down to the minimum of 10.

It can be accessed via right clicking on your portrait like as shown. And when activated, reduces the stats of your character down to the level of which you've designated...regardless of what your wearing or using. You do still keep the existing skills that you have though and can use them as per normal, albeit at a reduced potency I believe.

With this feature, you are now able to downgrade yourself and party with your friends of a lower level (who might have just started playing because of you). Pretty handy, right?

Souls and Soul Trees
Rather than the character stats, the variability of a character, in Rift Online, actually falls upon something called Souls.

Each calling has a variety of different souls. Some of them are meant for healing, some for support, some to tank while others are for offensive purposes. Your choice from these souls would ultimately form the roles that your character can take upon as well as how they would fight in a battle (the skills that they can use).

However, I would have to say beforehand that...things aren't quite that simple though.

Although you may have chosen certain souls (up to three) for your character, and can perform the said roles, it doesn't mean that you can do them well. There is still the matter of "climbing" up the soul tree, so as to speak, that you must concern yourself with.

The higher you climb up a particular one, the more skills (actives and passives) that you will gain access to, and the better you'll be able to play the role (that the soul's meant for).

Naturally, of course, you are free to diversify. But it is important to take note of the potential "synergy", to quote The Secret World's terminology, between the souls that you ought to be looking for. Without this synergy, then I suspect that your build might soon fall apart...faster than you would think.

How the Soul Tree Works

Basically, these soul trees here kindda resembles the ones I've encountered in SWTOR.

For every level that you gain, you'll acquire at least one to two soul points. You may then spend these points into any of the three soul trees that you've picked. And likewise, the more soul points you put into that tree, the higher you may "climb" up that tree.

However unlike SWTOR, there is an added dimension to this tree, that we get in RIFT Online, called the "Roots" of a soul tree. As you put in more and more soul points to develop the soul tree, its "roots" will start to "grow" and "flourish", thereby unlocking even more of its potential power.

Literally just like a tree, right?

Changing and/or Resetting Souls
So long as you've not yet allocated any soul points into the soul, you are pretty much free to take it out and swap it for another. Just click on the soul's icon and you will be given a list of souls that you can switch into.

However, do note that if the soul that your looking for isn't found on that list, then chances are that its a cash-only soul. And I'm afraid that those can only be unlocked by buying the appropriate service packs like as shown ("Dream Soul Pack" and/or "Storm Legion Souls").

If unfortunately that you've already spent your soul points, then the only way to switch out the soul is to do a "Soul Reset" at your appropriate calling's trainer. But it will cost ya...and the more points that you've spent, the higher the costs to reset.

Same Character, Multiple Roles
Alternatively, you may also opt for something cheaper like for example, purchasing a new role. (Also done at the same NPC "trainer".)

When bought, it will bestow upon you an additional role slot for which you may activate, insert new souls and then reallocate your soul points. Its like having a brand new character, but without the pain of needing to re-level it.

With this, it now becomes possible to have your character play on multiple roles, with each having a different build.

For instance, you could make one for a tank, one as a damage dealer and one for supporting the group as a healer. And then depending on your team's needs, you can simply switch into the appropriate role there and then.

But mind you though, all of these roles will nonetheless have to be made up of souls from within the same calling (as you've originally chosen for your character during character creation). It is simply not possible for you to choose souls from any other callings.

(Afaik, each character can only acquire up to five role slots through this method I believe. No more, no less. Additionally, each progressive one is more costly to unlock as well.)

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Next: RIFT Online (Part Three)

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