Lineage 2/The Player Character (PC) Classes & Character Guides/Elder

Elders can be considered to be the intermediate class between Human Bishops and Prophets, mixing the elements of healing powers (and mana recharging abilities), offensive abilities, and buffs. As with all Elves, Elders have high natural Wit (useful for faster healing and buffing), but also suffer from low Intelligence (lower magical attack abilities; a weaker output damage)

Key Skills

• Agility - A highly popular buff to improve one's evasion. A favorite amongst many characters, especially ones that utilize light armor mastery's boost to Evasion (such as the Human Treasure Hunter).
• Resist Shock - Another popular buff to decrease the chance of being placed into a state of shock. Useful when dealing with enemies that have the means to stun (most commonly ones with blunts).
• Greater Heal – The Elder's main healing spell. Although Greater Heal is slower in comparison to a Bishop's Greater Battle Heal, the Elder's natural fast casting speed tends to make up for this.
• Vitalize - A secondary healing spell that can also cure poisons. It is more powerful than a regular Greater Heal at the trade off of more mana required to cast. However, in later levels, the power begins to even out, with Greater Heal eventually overtaking Vitalize's healing powers.
• Greater Resurrection – Resurrects another character from dead and restores a percentage of experience lost from the penalty of death.
• Party Recall - Returns all party members within a certain radius of an Elder to the nearest town, village, or harbor.
• Sleep – Put a target into sleep
• Might of Heaven – Does damage against undead mobs
• Wind Shackle - Decreases target's attack speed.

Equipment/Playstyle

The Elder receives both Robe Mastery (physical defense per point) and the Mage Light Armor Mastery (not to be confused with the Light Armor Mastery of Fighters, the Mage's version adds physical defense per point, along with increasing attack speed, mana regeneration and casting speed exactly like the Robe's passive skills Magician's Movement, Mana Recovery, and Spellcraft). The benefit of using Robes is the addition inherit mana increase found on robes. Light Armors provide additional defense whilst having all the benefits of wearing a robe jacket / pants combination.

As such, one can find two playing styles to the Elder: A caster (using robes) or a fighter (light armor using weapons to directly attack the enemy). Popular weapons to fight mobs include:

• Dual swords - a combination of good physical attack and decent magical attack, proving useful for both casting and fighting
• Polearms - useful for its longer range combined with Dryad Root (mostly for lower-level Elders). Most mobs do not have ranged attacks to be able to strike back.
• Bows - a given. Decent power combined with range.

Of course, there are many different playing styles that fall in between, for reasons varying from personal preference to Adena issues. Don't let what is given here limit your possibilities.