Wildlands Expansion - Arcane Skill and Staves

This page details the new Arcane skill and related Arcane Staves introduced with the Wildlands Expansion (May 19, 2024).

Arcane Skill

The Arcane skill is a new skill available to players on Outlands that allows them to wield Arcane Staves as well as boost the benefits they receive from Arcane Runes. Players can raise their Arcane skill up to 100 points.

Arcane Staff

The Arcane Staff is a new class of weapon designed around supporting "pure mage" builds. There are 20 different Arcane Staff types available, each with identical stats but a unique projectile hue.

Skills for Arcane Staves

• Arcane Staves are two-handed equippable weapons.
• A player's chance to Hit/Defend with an Arcane Staff is based on their Arcane skill, capped by their Wrestling skill.
• Effective use requires both Arcane Skill and Wrestling skill.

Combat Mechanics

• Arcane Staves function as normal weapons for melee attacks, receiving standard bonuses (Magical/Crafted properties, Aspects, Mastery Chains, Skill Bonuses, Slayer, etc.).
• They act as Ranged Weapons with Range 12.
• They do not require Ammunition.
• Unique mechanic: Arcane Staves ignore target's Armor; damage is instead reduced by the target's Effective Magic Resistance.

Arcane Weapon Special: Hex

• Damage is increased by 50%.
• Applies a Hex effect reducing the creature's Magic Resist by 50 for 8–15 seconds (scaled by weapon speed).
• If the creature already has an Effective Magic Resist of 0 prior to the attack, the Damage of the Weapon Special is increased by a further 50%.

Arcane Buildup

• Players using Arcane Staves generate an "Arcane Buildup" effect when fighting creatures.
• Successful hits increase Arcane Buildup by (20% * (Arcane Skill / 100)).
• Maximum Arcane Buildup is 100%.
• An overhead meter displays current Arcane Buildup when it changes (visible only to the player).

Arcane Buildup Bonuses

• Spell Damage bonus vs creatures = (Arcane Buildup * 50%).
• Damage Resistance bonus vs creatures = (Arcane Buildup * 25%).

Example

A player with 80% Arcane Buildup:

• Gains +40% Spell Damage vs creatures (80% * 50%).
• Gains +20% Damage Resistance vs creatures (80% * 25%).

Buildup Restrictions

• Bonuses only apply while an Arcane Staff is equipped.
• Arcane Staves require concentration; Buildup resets to 0% if the player has any Followers under control (excluding Mounts).
• Buildup resets to 0% if the player has used a Barding skill in the last 60 seconds.

Buildup Decay

• For every 10 seconds without landing a successful Arcane Staff hit on a creature, Arcane Buildup decays by 20% (down to 0%).

Casting While Equipped

• Players can cast spells (including in PvP) while equipped with an Arcane Staff if they have at least 80 Arcane skill AND 80 Wrestling skill.
• Players can continue making Arcane Staff attacks while casting or holding a spell.

Arcane Staves in PvP

• Hits against other players do not cause Spell Interrupts.

Spell Interruption While Casting

• Players have an (Effective Arcane Skill / 100%) chance to avoid Spell Interruption from Creature/Environment Damage while casting with an Arcane Staff equipped.
• PvP-based interrupts use the player's Wrestling skill as normal.

Casting Bonuses

When casting using an Arcane Staff, players receive bonuses based on the staff's Material/Properties:

Damage Bonus

• Ruin: +5%
• Might: +10%
• Force: +15%
• Power: +20%
• Vanquishing: +25%
• Exceptional Quality: +10%
• Dullwood: +1%
  • Shadowwood: +2%
  • Copperwood: +3%
  • Bronzewood: +4%
  • Goldenwood: +5%
  • Rosewood: +6%
  • Verewood: +7%
  • Valewood: +8%
  • Avarwood: +9%
• Lesser Slayer: +15%
• Regular Slayer: +30%
• Greater Slayer: +45%

Mana Refund Chance

• Accurate: +5%
• Surpassingly Accurate: +10%
• Eminently Accurate: +15%
• Exceedingly Accurate: +20%
• Supremely Accurate: +25%
• Exceptional Quality: +10%
• Dullwood: +1%
  • Shadowwood: +2%
  • Copperwood: +3%
  • Bronzewood: +4%
  • Goldenwood: +5%
  • Rosewood: +6%
  • Verewood: +7%
  • Valewood: +8%
  • Avarawood: +9%

Crafting

• Players can craft Arcane Staves using the Carpentry skill under the Arcane Staves category.
• Treated as normal weapons for crafting (Exceptional, Mastercrafted, Colored Materials like Avarwood).

Store Purchase

• Store-quality versions available from Mage NPCs or Carpenter NPCs.

Magical Arcane Staves

• Magical versions occur as Loot Drops similar to normal weapons.

Training and Skill Gain

• Train Arcane Skill at any Mage NPC Vendor.
• Gain skill by making attacks with or casting while equipped with an Arcane Staff.

Training Arcane Staves

• Purchase Training Arcane Staves from Mage or Carpenter NPCs.
• Inflict 1–2 Damage, intended solely for skill gain.

Skill Title

• Players with Arcane skill can select "Arcanist" for their Paperdoll Skill Title.

Arcane Codex

• The Arcane Codex is a Weapons Codex for Arcane Staves, enabling Stances and Finishers.
• Arcane Codexes are Blessed.
• Crafted with Inscription skill (Books and Tomes category).
• Requires at least 80 Arcane skill AND 80 Wrestling skill to use.
• Earn Experience by killing Monsters. Accumulate points to spend on Upgrades.
• Reset Spent Points every 5 minutes.

(Note: Arcane Codex Stances/Finishers not detailed here, likely follow standard Codex patterns)

Arcane Runes

• Arcane Runes now have a fixed duration of 15 minutes (no longer scaled by Inscription).
• Radius is fixed at 12 tiles (no longer scaled by Inscription).
• The bonus received by each player from a nearby rune is increased by their own (100% * (Arcane Skill / 100)).
• Effects updated:
  • Aggression: Follower Damage +10%
  • Trap (formerly Chemistry): Trap Damage +15%
  • Spell (formerly Empowerment): Spell Damage +10%
  • Essence: Arcane Essence usage reduced by 33%
  • Mana (formerly Focus): Mana Refund chance +7.5%
  • Fortification: Effective Armor Rating +25
  • Rage (formerly Fury): Melee Damage +10%
  • Healing: Healing Amounts received +15%
  • Immunity: 15% chance to ignore Disease or Bleed damage
  • Poison Warding: 25% chance to ignore Poison damage
  • Spell Shielding: Effective Magic Resist Skill +50
  • Toxicity: Poison Damage +15%
  • Frenzy (formerly Whirlwind): Attack Speed +7.5%

Arcane Aspect

• Arcane Aspect is also covered under Wildlands Expansion - Aspects.
• New aspect enhancing Arcane Staves mechanics for pure spellcasters.

Arcane Aspect Armor

• Increase to Arcane Buildup Bonuses: Damage and Damage Resistance bonuses from Arcane Buildup increased by (20% * (6% * Tier Level)) of normal.
• HP Recovered Per Mana Cost of Damaging Spell: Recover health = (Mana Cost * (10% * (3% * Tier Level))). Occurs even on Mana Refund. (In PvP, this becomes Damage Resistance vs creatures instead).
• Chance to Ignore Arcane Buildup Decay: (12% * (4% * Tier Level)) chance.

Arcane Aspect Weapon/Spellbook

• Aspect Special Effect: Mana Thief:
  • Inflicts (500 + (50 * Tier Level)) damage divided among creatures within 3 tiles.
  • Additionally, for 60 sec, Arcane Staff hits have (12% * (4% * Tier Level)) chance to restore 10 Mana (effect can stack).