Tracking
The Tracking skill allows players to locate nearby creatures, NPCs, and players. On Angel Island and Seasons, Tracking has been significantly enhanced and serves as a core wilderness, scouting, and detective skill.
What Tracking Does
Tracking can be used to search for:
- Animals
- Monsters
- Human NPCs
- Players
Once a target is selected, Tracking will attempt to guide you toward that target if they remain within range.
Tracking Range
Tracking range is based on skill level.
Base Formula:
Search Range = 10 + (Tracking Skill × 0.1)
Examples:
| Tracking Skill | Search Range | Arrow Range | Hint Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 30 | 60 | 90 |
| 50.0 | 45 | 90 | 135 |
| 100.0 | 60 | 120 | 180 |
Note: Angel Island, Mortalis, and Seasons rulesets triple the standard tracking search range.
Search Range
The Search Range determines how far away a target may be detected when performing a tracking search.
A Grandmaster Tracker can locate targets up to 60 tiles away.
Arrow Range
If a tracked target is within Arrow Range, a quest arrow will point directly toward the target.
At Grandmaster Tracking:
- Search Range: 60 tiles
- Arrow Range: 120 tiles
Hint Range
If a target is beyond Arrow Range but still within Hint Range, Tracking will provide directional clues such as:
- North
- South
- Northeast
- Southwest
At Grandmaster Tracking:
- Hint Range: 180 tiles
If the target moves beyond Hint Range, the trail is considered lost.
Tracking Hidden Players
Tracking a player is not based solely on the Tracking skill.
When attempting to track another player, several skills are considered:
Tracker:
- Tracking
- Detect Hidden
Target:
- Hiding
- Stealth
A tracker with high Tracking and Detect Hidden will have a greater chance of successfully tracking hidden players, while players with Hiding and Stealth become increasingly difficult to follow.
On Angel Island and Seasons, Forensic Evaluation also assists investigators when pursuing suspects. A Grandmaster Forensic Evaluation skill can provide up to an additional 10% tracking bonus.
This makes Tracking, Detect Hidden, and Forensic Evaluation a powerful combination for bounty hunters, detectives, and those seeking justice against murderers.
Tracking and Detectives
Tracking plays a central role in the Detective profession.
When combined with Forensic Evaluation, detectives can collect evidence from murder scenes and store leads inside a Forensic Notebook.
These leads can substantially improve the effectiveness of Tracking when pursuing a suspect.
A skilled detective can follow a murderer far beyond the normal tracking limits by leveraging forensic evidence collected from the suspect's victims.
For more information, see Detective.
Training Tracking
Tracking can be trained by repeatedly tracking nearby creatures, animals, NPCs, or players.
Tracking gains are available from 0.0 to Grandmaster simply by using the skill.