Crunching Numbers
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A Guide to Vanguard
Statistics
(Page 3)
By Ralsu
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- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#Overview">Overview
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#Terms">Terms
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href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#Attributes">Attributes
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#STR">Strength
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#CON">Constitution
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#DEX">Dexterity
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#VIT">Vitality
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#INT">Intelligence
- href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=472#WIS">Wisdom
Stats
- Armor Class
- Hit Points
- Endurance
- Energy
- Defense
- Attack
- Off-Hand Damage
- Ranged
- Resistances
- Healing Focus
- Spell Damage Focus
Bonuses
Bonuses
Min/Max People
V. Class Bonuses
Only your starting attributes are affected by your
choice of class.
VI. Racial Bonuses
Each character gets 20 attribute points
(AP) per level, starting at level 10. 6 of your AP are placed
for you automatically--one per attribute (STR, CON, DEX, VIT, INT,
WIS). Human races can then place the remaining 14 AP wherever they like
within soft caps of 5 per level.
Other races can
place 10 wherever they want to within soft caps of 5 per level.
The
final four AP for non-humans (any besides kojani, mordebi,
qaliathari, or thestran) are placed automatically based on the race.
Points placed automatically count against the soft cap of 5 per level.
Additionally, characters get racial bonuses to their soft caps. These
are called preferred stats and allow characters of a race to flesh out
in a way that reflects the traits of the race. Human races
get soft cap bonuses to all attributes. This means that the soft caps
for humans are 6 per level. Each other race gets 4 soft cap bonus
points spread across 2 or
3 attributes.
The racial AP and soft cap bonuses are always for the same attribute.
This means that you will always need
to spend 4 AP to reach the soft
cap for an attribute.
Please review the chart below to learn about racial
bonuses:
AP bonuses
soft cap bonuses
Elf
+1, WIS +1,
INT +2
for casters
+3, WIS +1
with high
HP--good for tanks or hearty clerics
+1, INT +3
casters
+3, INT +1
healers
+3, WIS +1
who parry well and melee who crit often
Elf
+2, VIT +1, WIS +1
Elf
+1,
WIS +3
and healers with a large energy pool
+1
well for all classes
+2,
INT +2
sturdy casters
Giant
+3,
CON +1
strong tanks
+1
well for all classes
+2,
CON +2
tanks and hearty melees
+1
well for all classes
+1,
VIT +2, INT +1
healers and decent casters
+1
well for all classes
+1,
CON +2, WIS +1
than average
tanks, melee, and healers
+2,
CON +1, WIS +1
melee and hard-hitting tanks
+1, DEX +1,
WIS +2
tanks
Elf
+2,
VIT +2
healers and good tanks
VII. For Min/Max
People
It's very hard to nail down the absolutes in Vanguard, but I know
you'll want to try. The free points each level ensure that
everyone will get 41 points added to each attribute on the way to level
50, the level cap at launch. With a hard cap of 18 times character
level, I believe any plan for maximizing an attribute with gear will
meet with frustration. 900 (18 x 50) is simply too large a number to
think of reaching when even the highest soft cap is 378. Thus, racial
stats will determine the realistic caps for any attribute. Let me see
how much I can help you in identifying important attributes to build up:
- Best attributes for tanks: DEX,
STR, CON, INT,
VIT, WIS (in that order)
- Race that best fits tank based on the above:
style="font-weight: bold;">lesser giant, orc, halfing
- Best attributes for melees: STR,
DEX, CON, INT, VIT, WIS (in that order) - Races that best fit tank based on the above:
style="font-weight: bold;">lesser giant, orc, varanthari
- Best attributes for healers:
VIT, WIS, INT, CON,
DEX, STR (in that order) - Races that best fit healer based on the above:
style="font-weight: bold;">goblin, raki, wood elf
- Best attributes for casters: INT,
WIS, VIT, CON, DEX, STR (in that order) - Race that best fits caster based on the above: style="font-weight: bold;">gnome, dark elf, high elf
Keep in mind that any race can max out 3 attributes at
once within the soft cap. The difference will be in how high that soft
cap is. Your choice of a race will help you get closer to the hard cap
of 900 after buffs and gear.
The attributes in Vanguard are also complicated, making pretty hard to
limit yourself to 3. Try being a tank who chooses to min INT. You'll
have a hard time telling who has aggro from that add. For once, it
looks like we have a game that tries to discourage the min/max build
approach.
Finally, consider your role in a group and how other aspects of
character development might influence your build. Blood Mages have the
ability to bond with someone to share his physical damage. This means
DEX could be very important for a Blood Mage (to increase the dodge
chance) and likely explains why
Sigil had that as one of the AP bonuses for that class until just
before the end of beta. Shamans can be built to add melee or spell
damage depending
on the selection of patron by that particular Shaman. Of course, the
primary function of a Shaman is to heal, but different Shaman builds
could be effective based on the choice of patron.
VIII. Conclusion
Vanguard works hard to put new twists on old systems, providing gamers
with a set of attributes that are meaningful to practically any class.
On top of that, the formulas--as best I understand them--make character
customization via gear very realistic. One tank might decide to wear
gear that adds to DEX so that he takes less physical damage. Another
tank might decide to focus on physical resistance to achieve the same
effect. The possibilities are many, so have fun planning your character!
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