Empathies

[Firebreed]

Should I even consider keeping wild empathy/imp. wild empathy on my action bars? What about elemental empathy?

[efreet5]

Tbh, I've never used regular wild empathy. I do use improved wild empathy in any later quest where there are animals though. In over 99% of the content you'll never even glance at the icon, but sometimes, like in Enter the Kobold, charming a few dogs and having them trip everything for you can make it a lot easier. So, it's a decent ability, but held back by the low amount of animals you fight in the later game. In the early game there aren't any animals worth charming, so it's kind of a moot point. Elemental Empathy can be decent at times, but elementals tend to have higher saves than most animals. If you have the extra aps (as a ranger you do) it's not going to kill any build to use the action point to access it. Charming elementals can be quite helpful when it does work on them and as a ranged ability there's really no harm in trying to charm them.

I pretty much put wild empathy on par with my bow. It's only useful sometimes (many shot off timer) and I could get rid of it, but then I'd lose out on another advantage of my class. Using it in the rare situations where it can help doesn't hurt you and you can always put the ability on a lesser used hotbar to access when you do need it.

[Mercureal]

It's not bad to have, but it's a niche skill. As stated, there aren't many enemies to use it against but it can be useful at times. While leveling, I really only used it while soloing, never in a group; the value you get isnt worth the time it takes to use when you're in a party. If you do solo, it's worth noting that you can use it while stealthed, without breaking stealth. And it works against magical beasts, too, for what that's worth - can be fun to charm the big spiders in the Vale of Twilight wilderness when rare hunting.

I had elemental empathy for about a day - all it does is make them stand there hypnotized. They won't fight for you (unlike Improved Wild Empathy), but they will stand there and let you kill them without fighting back.

[Firebreed]

I had elemental empathy for about a day

I lol'd. Thanks & Lock.

[Glenalth]

They're good fun in epics.