Life Staff Abilities and Skill Trees for New World

While this page focuses on assessing the viability of abilities and skill tree nodes, it also gives a bit of advice on how to use them. The gameplay section of our Life Staff guide has additional information regarding the usage of abilities and each of our Life Staff PvP Builds and Life Staff PvE Builds has a detailed gameplay section that explains how to play the build.

• Divine Embrace — 25 mana, 6-second cooldown: Heals target player for 120% weapon damage.
• Privilege — Divine Embrace costs 20 mana.
• Shared Struggle — If the target of your Divine Embrace is below 50% health heal one additional ally within 8m for the same amount.
• Rebound — If the ally healed by Shared Struggle is below 50% health, heal another ally within 8m of that ally.

Summary: This has huge burst potential and is the standard option taken across PvP and PvE. Divine Embrace shares the same cast time as Light's Embrace, but comes with abilities higher cooldown and mana cost. Thanks to Refreshing Divine Embrace, Divine Embrace has the potential to come off cooldown faster and restore mana. That perk in combination with Shared Struggle, and Rebound if you chose to take it, provide AoE spread potential that is unparalleled. Divine Embrace is one of the most important abilities to have as a targeted group healer.

Crafting Material: Steel Life Staff Charm - Refreshing Divine Embrace: Using Divine Embrace on a target below 50% health reduces the cooldown by 50% (69% on weapon) and gain 3.5% (5.8%) of your max mana.

• Sacred Ground — 15 Mana, 20-second cooldown: Create an area on the ground with a 3-meter radius that lasts for 12 seconds. Allies in the area are healed for 16% weapon damage every second.
• Holy Ground — Regenerate stamina and mana 50% faster when in sacred ground (applies to allies too).
• Anointed — While allies are in Sacred Ground they are healed for 50% more from ALL healing.

Summary: Due to the buffs it applies, and partially because of its healing output, this ability shines as an ability that is almost mandatory in any healing build. While it offers a large amount of burst, it increases the healing received by anyone standing in its ground effect by 50% through its modifier, Anointed. Additionally, it fortifies allies with Fortifying Sacred Ground and increases stamina and mana regeneration. Its impact in a PvE and PvP environment is the highest compared to all other Life Staff abilities. A target can be burst healed more effectively with Divine Embrace, or AoE output of Beacon and Orb of Protection, can be increased for those within the Sacred Ground. If there is any "Must Have" ability for a healer, this is the one.

Crafting Material: Starmetal Life Staff Charm - Fortifying Sacred Ground: Allies healed by Sacred Ground gain Fortify, increasing damage absorption by 9.7% (16% on weapon) for 5 seconds.

• Splash of Light — 15 mana, 15-second cooldown: You and all group members within 100m are healed for 60% weapon damage.
• Shared Recovery — For each ally healed that is below 50% health, you gain 5% of your max mana.
• Purify — Splash of Light removes 1 debuff when it HEALS an ally.

Summary: This is a speciality ability that is generally used in PvP to heal ranged dexterity players (Bows and Muskets) or specialized "kill squads" who tend to be spread out and assassinating enemy targets. The ability is very beginner friendly because it has 100-meter range and ignores line of sight. However, the healing output is overshadowed by all other abilities. Additionally, when used, it locks the caster into a "clap" animation that makes it difficult to escape enemies when used at inopportune times. It does become more useful when taking Purify in combination with Purity Of Light to increase output. Splash of Light can be useful in niche builds, but is more commonly not used in PvP or PvE.

Crafting Material: Orichalcum Life Staff Charm - Purity Of Light: Allies with a debuff removed with Splash of Light are healed for 48% (85% on weapon) weapon damage.

• Orb of Protection — 16 Mana, 10-second cooldown: Shoot out a light projectile that grants 10% fortify, heals an ally for 8% weapon damage, and deals 146% weapon damage when it hits an enemy.
  • Protector's Blessing — If Orb of Protection hits an ally, they gain Recovery for 10 seconds (Recovery heals for 6% Weapon damage per second).
  • Shared Protection — If you successfully heal an ally with Orb of Protection, you also gain Fortify and Recovery.
  • Aegis — When this projectile hits, it effects all allies within a 3-meter radius.

  Summary: The utility of Orb mixed with its healing potential makes it similar to Sacred Ground. It is used commonly in targeted group healing builds and AoE builds in both PvP and PvE. The primary benefit is the 10% Fortify it provides for 20 seconds and its perk Mending Protection will increase overall healing output in any build. It does offer a quick burst heal and a 10-second heal over time to maintain small amounts of damage on a large number of targets. Additionally, as long as you successful hit an ally with this ability, you will also receive the Fortify and Heal over time effect. Since this ability is a low cooldown with a long duration, it has extremely high up-time. This ability can be uted in any build and will have significant healing contribution.

  Crafting Material: Reinforced Steel Life Staff Charm - Mending Protection: Increase healing power by 24% (42% on weapon) for 3 seconds if Orb of Protection heals an ally with less than 50% health.

  6.

  Light's Embrace

  • Light's Embrace — 18 Mana 4-second cooldown: Heal target for 80% weapon damage +15% more for each Life Staff buff on that target.
  • Inspire — When you heal a target with Light's Embrace, that target gains 25 stamina.
  • Connection — When you heal a target with Light's Embrace, gain 2% of your max mana for each buff your target has.
  • Magnify — When you heal a target with Light's Embrace, extend the duration of life staff buffs on that target by 2 seconds.

  Summary: This is a strong utility option, but its healing is outpaced by Divine Embrace. It increases survivability by giving the target stamina back when healed, and by increasing movement speed with Accelerating Light's Embrace. It has its place in both PvP and PvE thanks to its low cooldown and mana consumption. This can be taken over Divine Embrace if the utility is preferred over raw healing output and cooldown reset potential.

  Crafting Material: Reinforced Starmetal Life Staff Charm - Accelerating Light's Embrace: Allies below full health gain haste when hit with Light's Embrace, increasing movement speed by 18% (30% on weapon) for 5 seconds.

  7.

  Beacon

  • Beacon — 16 Mana 35-second cooldown: Shoot out a light projectile that deals 146% weapon damage to enemies, attaches to its target and heals all nearby allies for 16% weapon damage each second for 10 seconds.
  • Infused Light — Beacon's Area of effect is increased to 4.5 meters.
  • Radiance's Blessing — Beacon lasts 5 seconds longer.
  • Speed of Light — When Beacon heals a target it also applies 20% haste for 3 seconds (Haste increases movement speed).

  Summary: This ability has a long cooldown but synergizes very well with AoE builds that use Refreshing Evasion. Its healing output is very potent and is exceptional when combined with Sacred Ground. It is important to note this ability will shoot a projectile that sticks to the first player or surface it comes in contact with. So, if possible, try to stick to players who will always be fighting in melee to get the most effectiveness out of this ability. It is very punishing to miss with this ability, so be sure to at least aim this at the ground where there is the highest concentration of players or action. To start combat, this can be put on a friendly player so they can take advantage of Speed of Light to engage or chase down enemies while healing all friendly players in the area.

  Crafting Material: Reinforced Orichalcum Life Staff Charm - Keen Beacon: When Beacon heals a player they gain +6.1% (+10% on weapon) critical chance for 6 seconds.

  8.

  Skill Trees

  9.

  Healing Tree

  • Absolved — Must have, largely down to unlocking Blissful Touch however not needing to spend mana to attack is invaluable.
  • Mending Touch — Low value option, since Intensify is not taken you will not be heavy attacking. In addition, removing only 1 debuff is overshadowed by other options in this tree. If taken, it can removed roots, slows, or damage over time effects.
  • Blissful Touch — Your main filler when abilities are on cooldown is light attack. This will result in a significant amount of healing when shot through multiple allies. It synergizes very well with Revitalize and it is an extremely valuable option in all healing builds.
  • Desperate Speed — Due to Blissful Touch and the abundance of regular healing that comes out (Heal over time effects included). Desperate Speed can trigger on a regular basis, effectively adding a huge amount of throughput as long as you are keeping active.
  • Revitalize — Strong skill that has great synergy with Refreshing Move. This results in significant amounts of cooldown reduction and has high value due to Blissful Touch with the large number of light attacks being used.
  • Enchanted Justice — This is one of the lowest value skills in the entire Life Staff tree. While it can offer life-saving potential through its heal over time. It is a low amount of healing with a 2-minute cooldown. It does not come up very often, and when it does it is not always in a useful situation. This skill becomes important since it is needed if you are seeking to obtain Divine Blessing
  • Sacred Protection — Free bonus healing, this is a great pick in any build to increase healing output for free.
  • Intensify — This stacking buff is a bit awkward with most healing setups. While it does provide significant output in any setup, it does not flow well. If you swap weapons the buff will completely drop, you need to spend a decent amount of time stacking it, and it is just one more thing to remember to maintain. In most situations, trying to stack three heavy attacks, and then accounting for missed heavy attacks or chances for the buff to drop when weapon swapping, it becomes easier to just continuously light attack. In the time it takes for 3 fully charged heavy attacks you can easily use 4-5 light attacks that will heal with Blissful Touch and reduce cooldowns with Revitalize.
  • Divine Blessing — More healing, especially on people closer to death (The players most needing healing). The main drawback on this skill is requiring 10 skills in the tree to unlock it, meaning it is not always an applicable option, however it does provide a lot of additional healing. In some cases, it is not worth taking the additional points to receive this bonus due to other options having more value depending on the Life Staff build.
  10.

  Protector Tree

  • Bend Light — Free healing increase in any build. This increases healing output by dodging. This buff lasts long enough that you do not have to worry about exhausting your stamina bar, and because we are frequently dodging anyway it makes it a very good option.
  • Defensive Light — This is an extremely low value option that is never picked. Mana is never a real concern. Blocking is not common with the Life Staff except for a few situations, and even if blocking frequently this still has minimal value.
  • Protector's Touch — With the large number of light attacks coming out from any build this skill does have good value. Although the buff does not last incredibly long and it does drop when swapping weapons it can be beneficial when healing and being hit by enemies in melee or from range. It does require you to consistently hit light attacks to get the most value.
  • Protector's Strength — This is the most free healing increase throughout the whole Life Staff. You will always have a buff on you either from abilities or from passives, so you will always have increased healing.
  • Balance — While it does have some survivability when health gets low, it has minimal overall value. Many options provide more of a benefit and this is generally seen as a wasted option.
  • Spirits United — If using Light's Embrace, this will give 15% more healing when using the ability on yourself or your party. The mana regeneration is not very beneficial due to mana not being a concern.
  • Glowing Focus — Intensify, Fortify, and Recovery will have increased durations. As such, this does have some value when using something like Orb of Protection, but most durations are already quite long and are extended through benefits coming from Focus. This skill does not extend abilities like Sacred Ground or Beacon, so it is not frequently taken.
  11.

  Changelog

  • 22 Oct. 2023: Guide updated for expansion.
  • 18 Jan. 2023: Guide added.

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