The chain grants the Sharpshooter a range of summonable spirits that can knock back, poison, and generally harass enemies that attempt to approach the Sharpshooter. Helping keep the distance needed for the bow to do its best is the Adventurer skill tree. The fittingly titled Precision skill tree amplifies this ability, specializing in attacks that do high impact, stacking damage from a distance (with a shotgun-like scattershot for times when a swarm is threatening).
The Sharpshooter is the only class able to use the bow, a highly accurate, whip fast weapon that emphasizes the precision focus of the character. The newest of the Torchlight 3 classes, the sharpshooter is another ranged specialist, trucking more in the realm of physical weapons than fancy magics (though they have some tricks up their sleeves in that department). The train can be upgraded with a range of elemental and AoE attacks, providing precious ranged support for the hammer-wielding bruiser. It is important to remember that the train will follow the Railmaster's path exactly, including any looping and backpedaling, making awareness of the positioning key. The Conductor allows for the customization of your loyal train, centered around the Build Train ability that causes the character to put down a track a la Bugs Bunny. Lineage provides some key area-control skills, focusing on attacks that can clear the area around the player via strikes that provide knockback and slowdown effects to keep the chances of being surrounded to a minimum. The two skill trees available to the Railmaster, Lineage, and Conductor, expand the abilities of the Railmaster themself and their accompanying train, respectively. The Railmaster is a melee-oriented class with a big twist in the form of a profoundly unique pet choice - a fully automated, battle-ready train. This guide aims to help players make their pick from the party, going over some of the basics for each class and breaking down which will work the best for diving into that dungeon. Each has its own distinct style and usage, requiring different approaches to gameplay and varying ways to develop their skills to maximize potential. The Railmaster, Forged, Dusk Mage, and Sharpshooter pack some very unique punches, whether that be in the form of different shades of magic, pinpoint accuracy, a swirling tornado of steel and steam, or, well, a train. There is some notable diversity, however, in the four playable classes currently accessible in Torchlight 3. Related: Torchlight 3 Trailer: How Forts & Fort Customization Work It might not be anything fancy, but it is a pleasant callback both to its Torchlight forerunners and the classic dungeon crawlers of the early days of RPG gaming - Diablo with a Funko Pop aesthetic if you will. It has taken the form of an ultra-simplified RPG boiling down level gains to the distribution of skill points amongst set trees and looting for gear to properly power up the player - including the unusual relics, who provide their own distinct skill trees to their bearers. However, with the recent release of the early access beta, the long-suffering dungeon crawler seems to have finally found its feet.
The game has gone through a series of changes over the course of its two-year development process it has bounced between developers and studios, soldiered on through sudden delays and identity crises, even changed from a far-reaching MMO to a form closer to its RPG series predecessors. The path that leads to the current state of Torchlight 3 is one that is long and especially winding.