I find climbing to be one of the most underrated skills. One of those skills you don't need every day, but when you do need it, you REALLY need it. There are many areas in the realms that are near impossible to get into, or out of (or both) without proficient climbing skill.

Rangers and Thieves both get a climbing bonus. Rangers' chances will be better climbing in the wild, worse in the city and vice versa. When Rangers lead a party, our skill in scouting is used to adjust the bonus that we provide to others to climb. For Rangers, our Scouting ability will provide a bonus when we lead a group, not to your own climbing skill, but to your ability to find paths in the wilderness for others to follow, IF they need your assistance. The difference will be when you are leading a group, as to whether or not you have sufficient skill to help others whose skill is NOT sufficient to climb an area on their own. If your climbing skill is not sufficient, then they won't be able to make the climb. If it is, then they will. For followers... when your group leader climbs, you will NOT automatically follow... but if your skill is enough, or the combination of your skill and the skill of the group leader, then you will climb too. If not, you will be left behind if the leader chooses to climb without you. Either way, succeed or fail, you will still learn an good amount of experience for the climb. Previously, only the group leader got climbing experience.

Held item penalties are now weight-based rather than just quantity-based.  In other words, climbing with a dagger in hand will be easier than climbing with a bastard sword, and climbing with a small shield will be easier than climbing with a tower shield. Makes sense, right? We're still limited to climbing with only weapons or shields in hand.

You will learn better now if you are leading a group of people up a climbable object. When joined with another who is leading, if the leader climbs something, you will also be checked to see if you can climb it. If you cannot, then the leader will be notified and have to choose to climb it again, leaving you behind, or not to climb it. Everyone in your climbing party will gain experience will be awarded to all those climbing (or failing to climb) Note: Just because you can climb an area several times a minute, that does not mean that you'll learn any more experience doing so than climbing it just once. 

Tip: There are many climbable things such as slopes, crevices, holes, openings, ropes, walls, stairs, ladders, cliffs, columns, rockslides and so on. Experiment around and see what teaches you. Because of the new changes in climbing with a party, if your in the Crossing Guild ask an older Ranger to climb with you or better yet a bunch of people. This way you all learn! Climbing Areas:

Novices:

• The grating into the sewer in Crossing
• The treehouse in our guild in Crossing
• The trail to Stone Clan (Northern Trade Route)
• The tree at the Arthe Dale swimming hole (n, n, w, s from inside Arthe's gate)
• The pole in the Empaths' Guild (down, climb pole, go stair to get out.)

Above Novice:

• The bent willow tree out Crossing's North Gate
• Later on, if you REALLY want heavy duty climbing skills...take a boat to Aesry! (Entire island involves climbing)
• Lang - Has numberable logs to climb over and as of 2003 Lang Arbor Society added in new climbable trees that teach over 200 I believe!

The boxes, chests, coffers, etc. that you get from some critters need to be disarmed before you attempt to pick the locks. Make an attempt to disarm the box. If you're successful you'll find a trap. If not, try again. After finding the trap you'll need to render it useless by disarming again. This step can get sticky. A failed attempt may leave you with an explosion in your face, poisoned, or sprayed with acid. Tip: If there is more than one type of box in the room try using DISARM FIRST... or DISARM MY...

Please Refer To My DISARMING Page For More Info!

Evasion is your primary defense. This often appears as a tough skill to learn, and it is while you're younger. The more proficient you get in your armor skill, the better you will evade. Also, you will gain more experience for successfully evading harder critters. The downside to this is that you won't dodge as frequently, and you may get beaten up pretty good (but that increases your armor skill, so it helps you anyway!). Find a critter that doesn't do a whole lot of damage, and tends to gang up on you (more chances to evade). 

Tip: To maximize evasion, don't hold a sword! This is a great way to practice thrown and other melee weapons at the same time. Make sure you check your STANCE and set evasion to 100% if you want to try to evade above all else. 

Also, Burden (type enc) interferes with evasion. No burden means no evasion penalty. Evasion is affected by our Ranger bonus. Sphere of Protection will greatly enhance your ability to evade. You also want to type parry, not dodge, to best use your evasion ability.

This is a great skill to have, and I suggest you learn it often for you own sake! With more skill you can stop the bleeding from wounds for a short period of time. With lots of skill, you can stop them for longer time spans. There is no way to completely stop bleeding with the TEND verb. You can also tend someone else if they sit or lie down. Warning: If you bleed too much, you will lose vitality. If you're feeling beat up, or on death's door, I suggest you get healed quickly!

Please Refer To My FIRST AID Page For More Info!

The ability to find herbs, woods or rocks flowers and grasses. While this may seem like a mundane skill, it's one that I use the most (as you can likely assume by reading the alchemy section - some of the best alchemists are rangers, for the sole reason that we can find the stuff!). You can forage randomly or for a specific item. 
Tip: It seems that you learn more by pushing yourself. Forage for something that's hard for you to find. Try foraging for rosewood sticks a few rooms North out the West Gate - you will never find them!

Please Refer To My FORAGING Page For More Info!

Your ability to see things not so easily seen to the normal eye. The better you are, the more likely you are to catch someone with their hands in your pockets, find someone hiding in the shadows or catch them stalking you. How do you learn it? 

• The BEST place to learn perception is outside the Crossing Bank, just make sure you deposit any money you have on you, less you are stolen from. Hang out a bit and search around or hide. Search there for people in hiding. Every one you catch will give you perception experience. You will be mind-locked in no time! DO NOT EVER point at someone in hiding, unless you have their consent. This pulls them from hiding, - and it's liable to piss people off.
• You can also buy some juggable items and juggle them. Beanbags are the easiest, and you should start with those. Juggling items have changed now and only an item that is the correct weight for you will teach perception properly. The best way to tell is to look for something that you can juggle about 3 to 4 of regularly. 
• Noticing people hide, or sneak, or steal will give you perception experience. Noticing people on your level or better in these skills teaches much more. Noticing someone steal from you grants you more than seeing them steal from someone else. A good way to gain perception this way is to tell someone who asks for 'open pockets', which means that you won't accuse them of stealing from you, that you do indeed have open pockets.

Note: Perception WILL NOT prevent a pickpocket, but you will be able to see who's trying to steal for you.

The act of hiding in front of people or critters. There are 2 ways to learn this:
1. Hide in front of a bunch of people - which also will work your perception. This method works fine, but will become monotonous very quickly.
2. Hide, and advance on a critter, or load your longbow and aim at it, then try to step into the shadows. If you tire, retreat and hide again. 

Tip:  Encumbrance will affect your ability to hide. Try to lighten your load.

Please Refer To My HIDING/STALKING Page For More Info!

The ability to move around while hidden. While you're stalking someone you'll move where they move. Sort of like being in a group, but you're hidden. It's best to ASK before you stalk someone you don't know. A great way to practice is to find a friend and stalk each other. My personal favorite way to stalk, is on a hunt with others. I have my weapon in hand, hide, advance the critter, stalk it, and them ambush it!

A Ranger only skill that I really love, despite the complaints of some folks.  To use it, you must first "set up the track" by SCOUT <person> while they're in the room with you. When the person leaves the room, simply type TRACK. If you're successful you'll track them down! The person could have walked one room away, or to the other side of Elanthia. With skill comes more success, the ability to "hold" the track for a longer time period. 

Please Refer To My SCOUTING Page For More Info!

One of our main requirements, so skin everything you kill. Some critters are harder to skin that others, and thus give you a bit more skill. It is better to kneel before a kill and then skin, but I find this difficult, especially if you are in a swarming room. You are also better to use a light edged weapon or knife to skin with, anything else increases an injury to yourself as a novice. Also invest in a Hide Scraper from the Tanner's Shop. Scraping skins/pelts/hides will also work your skinning skill, as well as mechanical lore.

Please Refer To My SKINNING Page For More Info!

Swimming is a skill that Kalika seems to like the younger guild members to know. It can be hard to learn at first, especially if you are one of those Races that lack in Strength and Stamina (a disadvantage for me being Elothean). The higher your skill, the less fatigued you will get when swimming. Take heart, you only need to fulfill 40 levels of swimming. I do recommend you still swim after the met requirement, you never know when a higher level will come in handy. You should have no burden when attempting to swim. Having a burden tires you out, and makes swimming many times more difficult. Remember, the stronger the current the harder it is to learn. The same applies if the current is against you.

Some good areas to practice are the swimming hole in Arthe Dale. Just wander around in there for a bit, and you will pick up swimming fast. To swim, just move like you would normally walk around. After about 20 lessons, change to the brook to the far west of the goblin area, and this will carry you to your required 40 lessons for 10th circle. After this, Aesry is the place to be- the sea near the docks carries you for many, many ranks. Also, The Faldesu River, near the ferry to Riverhaven, begins teaching around 80-85 ranks.

Please Refer To My DISARMING Page For More Info!