As an experienced Wasteland veteran, I know the agony of messing up your squad‘s builds. Maybe you didn‘t fully understand the mechanics when leveling up initially. Or perhaps you just want to shake things up mid-game. That‘s where respecing comes in!
Wasteland 3 does things a bit differently than other RPGs when it comes to respecting your characters. This guide will cover everything you need to know to rebuild your Desert Rangers into badass wasteland survivors.
What Does "Respec" Mean in Wasteland 3?
Before we dive in, let‘s quickly go over what respecing is all about.
Respecing refers to completely resetting a character‘s allocated attributes and skill points. This lets you redistributed them from scratch to create a brand new build. Many RPGs allow this by offering special potions, paying gold, or visiting certain NPCs.
The main reason for respecing is fixing poor build decisions or experimenting with different playstyles. For example, you may realize too late that your sniper lacks enough action points to be effective. Or perhaps you want to respec your medic into a slicing/dicing melee warrior instead. Respecing enables adapting your squad without having to restart the entire game.
How Does the Limited Retrain System Work?
Unfortunately, Wasteland 3 does not allow for complete respecing like some other RPGs. There is no way to get a full refund on already allocated skill points. However, the game does provide a limited retrain system to modify your characters. Here‘s how it works:
- Retraining is only available at the Ranger HQ location. Look for the "Manage Squad" menu.
- Pay a fee in dollars for each character you want to retrain.
- The initial retrain cost is $200. This increases by a multiplier of 1.75x for each subsequent retrain.
- The maximum retrain cost caps out at $3000 after the 6th retrain.
- Retraining allows re-allocating any new skill points gained from leveling up.
- Already allocated skill points cannot be refunded – only new points may be redistributed.
So while not a full respec, this system lets you tweak and optimize your squad by reassigning points from new levels. The cost quickly escalates if you overuse it though!
When Should You Consider Retraining Your Rangers?
Since retraining isn‘t free, you don‘t want to overdo it. Here are some good times to consider heading back to HQ for some squad adjustments:
- You realize a character‘s skills don‘t match your intended playstyle.
- You learn more about the game‘s mechanics and want to refocus.
- You acquire new weapons/gear that would benefit from different skills.
- You‘re having trouble surviving certain encounters or areas.
- You want to experiment with different party compositions.
Ideally build some generalist Rangers first to learn the basics before specializing. Avoid excessive retraining as the costs add up rapidly. With some smart planning, you can optimize your squad without breaking the bank!
Build Examples to Consider for Retraining Rangers
Here are some powerful archetypes to model your Rangers after when retraining:
The Sniper
- High Coordination (for action points and ranged damage)
- Sniper Rifles and Handguns skills
- Lockpicking skill
- Luck and Intelligence attributes
The Tank
- High Strength (for equipping heavy armor)
- Heavy Weapons skill
- Leadership skill (for party bonuses)
- High Constitution attribute
The Medic
- High Awareness (boosts healing effectiveness)
- Surgeon and First Aid skills
- Kiss Ass skill (for dialogue checks)
- High Intelligence attribute
The Negotiator
- High Charisma (improves buying/selling prices)
- Kiss Ass and Smart Ass skills
- Weapon skills as secondary damage dealing
- High Luck attribute
Of course, you can mix and match skills however you like – these are just proven templates to consider.
Which Attributes Are Most Important to Boost When Retraining?
When reallocating your squad‘s attributes, make sure to prioritize ones that maximize your intended build. Here are some key attributes to focus on:
Coordination: Increases your action points and also improves ranged weapon damage. This is arguably the most universally valuable attribute as action economy is so critical in Wasteland 3‘s tactical combat.
Luck: Boosts your critical hit chance as well as other random beneficial effects. Great for boosting damage-dealing capabilities.
Intelligence: Provides more experience points which speeds progression. Excellent for skill-focused builds.
Charisma: Improves buying and selling prices. Vital investment for a negotiator or trader build.
Strength: Allows equipping heavy weapons and armor. Important if going for a tanky juggernaut.
Speed: Dictates initiative order – higher speed means earlier turns. Crucial for controllers and burst damage dealers.
How to Farm Money for Multiple Retraining Sessions
As mentioned earlier, each retrain session increases the cost significantly. Here are some tips for earning enough dollars to fund your Ranger makeovers:
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Invest skill points into Barter itself during initial level ups. Better buying/selling prices mean more profit.
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Complete side quests and explore optional map areas. This nets valuable loot to sell.
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Strip down unused weapons and armor with the Field Stripping skill and sell the parts.
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Once you unlock the Antiques Appraiser perk at Barter level 7, prioritize selling junk items. This gives a 5% chance to sell for 50x the normal price!
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Visit vendors after completing quests or clearing areas – their inventories refresh with more items and cash.
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Save up before large purchases like vehicles or clue items. Retraining costs can quickly drain funds.
With smart financial decisions, you‘ll have plenty of cash to continuously respec and optimize your Wasteland 3 squad.
Should You Respec or Recruit New Custom Rangers?
When shaping your squad, you have two main options:
Retraining existing Rangers lets you reuse their unlocked skills and reconfigure attribute points. This may be faster than leveling brand new recruits.
Recruiting offers a fresh start with a custom name/appearance. New recruits start at level 1 but with empty skill trees to fill.
Retraining is quicker but recruiting allows more flexibility in build options. My advice is to initially retrain your starters to fix any glaring issues before bringing in additional custom Rangers. This gives you the best of both worlds!
Respec Too Much? How to Balance Retraining and Progress
It‘s tempting to constantly re-optimize your squad, but don‘t get carried away. Frequent respecing has an opportunity cost – the money could be better spent on weapons, gear, and base upgrades.
Here are some signs you might be respecing excessively:
- Party members feel under-leveled compared to quests
- You‘re struggling to afford new equipment
- You failed to upgrade the Kodiak or build squad facilities
- You respecced someone just to tweak a single skill
Try to limit retraining to key build pivots rather than minor tweaks. Respecing is a tool best used sparingly.
Final Thoughts on Respecing Your Rangers
Hopefully this guide gave you a comprehensive overview of Wasteland 3‘s retraining system. While not as flexible as a full respec, it‘s a valuable tool for evolving your squad‘s skills and attributes.
When used judiciously, retraining lets you rectify build mistakes and experiment with new party compositions. Just be wary of the rapidly escalating costs. With smart financial planning and selective retraining, you‘ll have a squad ready to conquer the wastes!
Let me know if you have any other Wasteland 3 topics you‘d like me to cover. I‘m always happy to provide insider tips to fellow Desert Ranger enthusiasts. Stay dangerous out there!
