Which are better skinners?

[Silvestra]

Are rangers the best skinners or are empaths better? And if rangers are better, are empaths a close second?

[Gan]

I would say rangers because of the skinning spell they have. Especially since survival and first aid ranks are interchangeable I dont see a huge difference there if both examples were trained comparitively.

[CrystalTears]

With FA being equal, I'd say rangers are better because they have the skinning enhancement spell. I'm not sure what empaths have that increase skinning effectiveness.

[Kitsun]

You're talking fully trained ranger with 2x in FA and Survival with full lore bonus from skinning versus a 3x/2x empath? I'd say the bonus from skinning probably beats out the extra 1x from FA since at 4x Skinning skills most of them would be magnificent quality anyway.

Probably not quite as realistic to find a ranger with that many spare points though. Even post-cap I doubt they'd be willing to dump enough to go 2x with non-combat skills and go full out blessing lore.

[Gan]

FIRST!

:lol:

[Celephais]

Rangers can 4x the skinning skills, and can learn the skinning spell.
Empaths can 5x the skinning skills.

The skinning spell can be obtained by empaths (infused scrolls, rechargables, etc), and they can heal themselves when skinning creatures that wound you when skun (yes I know, I said skun). Empaths can also hunt with less concern for encumberance and heal any wounds that hinder skinning. Rangers make better aimming hunters (to not damage the pelt), and do not have to worry about mana.

I imagine the benefits of skinning spell when cast by a ranger w/ enough ranks of ranger spell circle and blessing lore would outshine that extra 1x of skinning skill that empaths have.

[Drew]

If the ranger is trained for 620 (which is also quite the money maker) then their lore will add 10% to the value of each skin. Between that and the skinning spell I can't imagine empaths can come close. Still, if I was going to make a skinner for the purpose of making money, I'd use an empath. Quicker kills, no encumberance worries, can hunt myklians solo.

[Sean]

how much are myklian pelts even worth these days?

[Amber]

Last I hunted myklians, they were between 2 and 3k each. A ranger can hunt them solo as well as an empath can; just forage up some ambrominas leaf beforehand and take a bite after skinning.

[Donquix]

i've been wondering about this too. I may change my cleric to a caster build, and if I do that i'll have a lot of spare points from where hes at now and i'd like to pick up skinning. Whats considered good enough to be a decent skinner for cash?

I can do 2x fa 1x survival, but it makes points pretty tight. Would just 2x FA be workable?

[Mistomeer]

Skinning skill becomes fairly irrelevant to making money off skinning. Once you have enough ranks to get everything near magnificent quality every time then the only variable becomes damage to the skin. The easiest way to do this is to use 312. Can 717 have the same affect?

Realistically, any older character that is 3x skinning is going to make plenty of money off of it. I've made a ton using bone shatter. The skinning changes came about originally because of the lake. On the lake I remember sorcs, wizards and clerics all out there skinning making plenty of money. So it really doesn't matter all that much once you hit a certain point.

[Gan]

Off topic:

"Skin that smokewagon!" - Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.

[Gan]

Skinning skill becomes fairly irrelevant to making money off skinning. Once you have enough ranks to get everything near magnificent quality every time then the only variable becomes damage to the skin. The easiest way to do this is to use 312. Can 717 have the same affect?

Realistically, any older character that is 3x skinning is going to make plenty of money off of it. I've made a ton using bone shatter. The skinning changes came about originally because of the lake. On the lake I remember sorcs, wizards and clerics all out there skinning making plenty of money. So it really doesn't matter all that much once you hit a certain point.

With my capped empath who was 3x then 2.75x in FA. I never saw a difference in overall pelt value (honestly I think after a certain point - diminishing returns kicks in).. until I sunk those points into trading.

[Drew]

I think a ranger with 1x FA, 1x survival, the skinning spell and blessing lore + trading would probably make the most money like level.