The Dead Shall Rise to Fight Again

by: Taea

Do you enjoy the smell of dead bodies in the morning? Perhaps you’re a recycling fiend who would like to reuse the Bane enemy that you kill, and still be a healing asset to your squad? Then look no further than the Exobiologist, Tabula Rasa’s answer to the Necromancer.

How to become an Exobiologist: An Exobiologist begins like all players as a recruit in bootcamp. At the end of level 4 you will train as a Specialist in Alia Das, and continue working on your levels. Just before level 15, you will be directed to your local trainers again, probably at the Twin Pillars base in Wilderness. Choose to become a Biotechnician, and work your way through to level 30. The final tier trainers are found all over, but you’ll first see them at Daghda's Urn or inside Foreas Base in Divide. After training as an Exobiologist, you will receive the following abilities:

Signature Abillity - Reanimation Wave: Popping this ability will bring to life all nearby enemy bodies within 25 meters (biological only, no ‘bots), and make them your friends. The trick is to kill as many different kinds of Bane as you can quickly, in one area, before the bodies decompose. If you can avoid looting the bodies, they will last a lot longer. You won’t have any real control over them, but they do seem to exhibit an interest in keeping you alive. Caretakers will heal you, Technicians will repair your armor, and they’ll all throw random shots at whatever is attacking you. These zombies will last for 2 minutes, after which they poof into green smoke.

We love love love this ability! Try using this in a cave full of mox to scare your friends, or to have your own private army. Reanimation Wave requires 100% adrenaline, and the following Logos: Life from Divide, Negative from Divide, Spirit from Torden Mires and Vortex From Valverde Plateau. Note: Vortex requires Eloh, Empower, Only, The and Strong.

Hortimonculus: Here you can target a dead enemy body to grow a new plant that gives off a healing aura within 20 meters, and a random resistance buff. You and your squadmates can also use/click the plant to receive a direct heal. Each click of the plant will reduce its life, so use it wisely.

• Pump 1, 1 Medical Grade Micromech and 50 power, 100% health, 10% resist buff.
• Pump 2, 2 Micromech and 75 Power, 200% Health, 20% resist buff.
• Pump 3, 3 Micromech and 100 Power, 300% Health, 30% resist buff.
• Pump 4, 4 Micromech and 125 Power, 400% Health, 40% resist buff.
• Pump 5, 5 Micromech and 150 Power, 500% Health, 50% resist buff.

In high pressure situations, every bit of healing power can help, but the Hortimonculus requires the squad to stay in one spot. For that reason we don't recommend spending many points here. Use of this skill will be based totally on your preferred play style. Hortimonculus requires the Logos Summon in Divide, Life from Divide, Control from Pravus Instance off Wilderness and Friend in Divide.

Cadaver Immolation: Not content to merely shoot the bad guy dead, you want to use the body as an exploding bomb. Target an enemy body(biological only) and cast, wait 5 seconds, and see that Thrax Soldier erupt. The resulting violent explosion will burn nearby enemies, and is a lot of fun to watch.

• Pump 1, 1 Medical Grade Micromech and 25 power, extreme damage, 12 meter radius
• Pump 2, 2 Micromech and 50 power, extreme damage, 14 meter radius
• Pump 3, 3 Micromech and 75 power, extreme damage, 16 meter radius
• Pump 4, 4 Micromech and 100 power, extreme damage, 18 meter radius
• Pump 5, 5 Micromech and 125 power, extreme damage, 20 meter radius

Cadaver Immolation is a fun tool to use, but not every fight will be set up correctly for it. You will use this in large groups of enemy that are close together, especially swarmers like the Lashers. Cadaver Immolation requires the Logos Damage in Wilderness, Area in Wilderness, Around in Crater Lake Instance off Wilderness and Death in Incline.

Reanimation: In contrast to Reanimation Wave, this ability works on single targets only. Raise the dead for a 2 minute long new best friend. They are about as useful as the previously mentioned pets, in that you have no real control over what they do. Your level of skill determines the level of the creature you bring to life.

• Pump 1, 1 Medical Grade Micromech and 50 power, 4 levels below yourself
• Pump 2, 1 Micromech and 75 Power, 3 levels below yourself
• Pump 3, 1 Micromech and 100 Power, 2 levels below yourself
• Pump 4, 1 Micromech and 125 Power, 1 level below yourself
• Pump 5, 1 Micromech and 150 power, Equal level to yourself

Reanimation does stack with the below Create Clone ability, giving you the possiblity to have 2 short term pets for those really tough fights. However, it's not recommended to spend many points in this skill, as Clone is much more useful. Reanimation requires the Logos Summon in Divide, Life in Divide, Negative in Divide and Spirit in Torden Mires.

Create Clone: No one will call you vain for making a replica of yourself. After all, who better can you trust? The clone will use only the weapon you are holding at the time you create her, and also has the ability to use a basic skill like Lightning. Casting with one weapon in hand, then switching yourself to a different damage type weapon will give you a good mix of damage against the mobs.

• Pump 1 Doppelganger, 5 minute duration, 5 levels lower than yourself, 10 Medical Grade Micromech and 100 Power
• Pump 2 Caricature, 7 min duration, 4 levels lower than yourself, 10 Micromech and 125 power
• Pump 3 Body Double, 9 minute duration, 3 levels lower, 10 Micromech and 150 power
• Pump 4 Stand-In, 12 minute duration, 2 levels lower, 10 Micromech and 175 power
• Pump 5 Dead Ringer, 15 minute duration, 1 level lower, 10 Micromech and 200 power

Create Clone is used in almost every fight, and should be pumped all the way to 5 for the best in impromptu squadmate. The ability requires the Logos Self in Wilderness, Friend in Divide, Summon in Divide and Here in Wilderness.

Older skills you still use: Everyone plays differently, but these abilites from your Specialist and Biotechnician days will help you as an Exobiologist.

Injection Guns: This weapon skill, gained as a Biotechnician, represents the primary offensive weapon you will use. Injectors give you a nice range of 50 meters, and do an impressive amount of targeted damage. Take this one to at least Pump 3, where you first start to get some armor penetration bonus, but work toward a full Pump 5 for lifelong use.

Bio Armors: This is the primary armor that will be used throughout your life as an Exobiologist. Pump 1 should be sufficient, as additional pumps do not increase the armor rating.

Bio Augmentation: Great for soloing, and helpful in squads, this ability gives a 15 minute buff. The pump level determines which stats are increased: Health, Power, Body, Mind then Spirit. Pump to 3 to gain the Body buff.

Tools: Again, pumping to 3 will allow you to use a direct healing disc to raise the dead, keep armor repaired, and help you use those cipher tools on the sneaky locked crates. A direct repair tool should stay on your weapon tray at all times, and will be your most used item, behind your weapons. Pump 5 should be the ultimate goal, as this is the most used skill you have.

Lightning: Sure, it's a recruit level skill, but your Clones will have this as their primary ability. An Exobiologist with a full Lightning Clone will lay waste to all enemies in her path. Pump this as high as possible.