Lineage II/Elder

Elders can be considered to be the intermediate class between Human Bishops and Prophets, mixing the elements of healing powers (and mana recharging abilities), offensive abilities, and buffs. As with all Elves, Elders have high natural Wit (useful for faster healing and buffing), but also suffer from low Intelligence (lower magical attack abilities; a weaker output damage)

Key Skills

 * Agility - A highly popular buff to improve one's evasion. A favorite amongst many characters, especially ones that utilize light armor mastery's boost to Evasion (such as the Human Treasure Hunter).
 * Resist Shock - Another popular buff to decrease the chance of being placed into a state of shock. Useful when dealing with enemies that have the means to stun (most commonly ones with blunts).
 * Greater Heal – The Elder's main healing spell. Although Greater Heal is slower in comparison to a Bishop's Greater Battle Heal, the Elder's natural fast casting speed tends to make up for this. In C5 this spell was changed from instant heal to instant heal+overtime heal, thus making it less useful in PvP situations.
 * Vitalize - A secondary healing spell that can also cure poisons. It is more powerful than a regular Greater Heal at the trade off of more mana required to cast. However, in later levels, the power begins to even out, with Greater Heal eventually overtaking Vitalize's healing powers.
 * Greater Resurrection – Resurrects another character from dead and restores a percentage of experience lost from the penalty of death.
 * Party Recall - Returns all party members within a certain radius of an Elder to the nearest town, village, or harbor.
 * Sleep – Put a target into sleep. C5 changes caused this spells casting time to be changed to 10 seconds making it useless, Trance has replaced Sleep as Elders new crowd-control buff.
 * Might of Heaven – Does damage against undead mobs.
 * Wind Shackle - Decreases target's attack speed.
 * Bless Shield - Improves chances to shield block attacks. Extremely useful buff to keep mage classes alive against archers.
 * Advanced Block - Improves defense of shield. Another useful buff for mages to keep them alive, although less useful than Bless Shield.
 * Clarity - Reduces targets MP consumption of skills/spells.
 * Major Heal - Instantly replenishes targets HP. Since Greater Heal was changed in C5, this becomes main healing spell in c5. It requires less MP to use but requires Spirit Ore to be used.
 * Trance - Puts target into state of trance. Since Sleeps cast time was greatly increased, Trance was introduced to Bishops/Elders as their main crowd-control spell.
 * Block Windwalk - Removes any buffs that increase speed from target, slow their speed and prevent them from getting buffs that increase speed for a period of time. This spell is useful to protect yourself from enemy daggers in PvP, however this spell requires you to be Eva's Saint  so it is not available until very late in the game.
 * Prophecy of Water - Increases targets Matk/Mdef/Cast Speed/Magic Crit/MP regen, but slows down speed. Could be considered as the ultimate buff of Elders as all nukers would welcome it any day, however this spell requires the lvl78 and you to be Eva's Saint.

Equipment/Playstyle
The Elder receives both Robe Mastery (physical defense per point) and the Mage Light Armor Mastery (not to be confused with the Light Armor Mastery of Fighters, the Mage's version adds physical defense per point, along with increasing attack speed, mana regeneration and casting speed exactly like the Robe's passive skills Magician's Movement, Mana Recovery, and Spellcraft). The benefit of using Robes is the addition inherit mana increase found on robes. Light Armors provide additional defense whilst having all the benefits of wearing a robe jacket / pants combination.

The main playstyle of Elders should be caster, and therefore wearing mage weapons and robes.

Any mage weapon that has Acumen SA is most likely the best option, since it increases the Elders already abnormally high cast speed even more. Health SA weapons are also popular option for Elders that like to PvP a lot since it increases their max HP, allowing them to take more hits. Matk plays small role in Elders spells, spells that require decent matk weapon to be effective are Trance/Block Windwalk/Wind Shackle/Mana Burn/Might of Heaven/Erase.

Armor sets there was numerous choices but of because the armor that increases cast speed/mp regen are the best choice. Blue Wolf robes set is most typical armor as it offers boost in max MP/MP regen/Cast Speed. Higher grade robes, if you can afford them, such as Dark Crystal robes increase Cast Speed the most thus making it very popular choice for PvP healers, for PvE Majestic Robes set is perhaps better since it increases MP Regen a lot, it does also increase cast speed and has anti-stun property thus making it also good choice for PvP healers.

Of course, there are many different playing styles that fall in between, for reasons varying from personal preference to Adena issues. Don't let what is given here limit your possibilities.