I already did my best with google to try to answer this question.  All I could find were returns from 2015 from when all sorts of Ranger talents/abilities were bugged, and they were inconclusive, besides.

 

I just wanna know if there's any point in equipping this item.  Nothing in the character page indicates it has any actual affect on Stalker's Link.  With or without the torc equipped, Stalker's Link states +10 acc and +20% damage per 3 secs.

 

My first thought was that maybe the torc is supposed to grant Stalker's Link if the character hasn't taken that ability.  But I removed Stalker's Link from the ranger with the console, re-equipped the torc, and it didn't appear to do anything (no active effect listed).

Stalker's Link itself only gives you +10 ACC. It's the torc that gives you +20% dmg on top.

 

It should go away once you remove the torc. If it doesn't then that's a bug. THis has been around forever. I thought it got fixed though.

Edited October 9, 20187 yr by Boeroer

Apparently it's still bugged as all get out.  I'm in 3.08, btw, not 3.07.  So, indeed latest version.

 

 

- If I unequip the torc, Stalker's Link effect listed on the character info page still reads as granting +10 acc and +20% dmg over 3 seconds. This remains true even after reloading the game.

 

- if I equip the torc, the Stalker's Link active effect icon beside the character portrait in the UI disappears.  The active effect is still listed in the character page, however.

 

- Speaking of the Stalker's Link active effect icon beside the portrait, if I hover my mouse over it, it only lists the +20% damage, and says nothing about an accuracy bonus.  This prompts me to suspect that the icon was originally granted by the torc the first time I equipped it... but now it only appears when the torc is unequipped.  Bizarre.

 

 

I wonder if everything resets correctly if the character levels up.  I'll try that with the console.

 

I'll also try loading the game without the patchwork launcher.  I've encountered some other issues that are resolved only by not using the launcher.  e.g. I can't change the opacity slider's value unless I load the game without the launcher.  

 

 

edit: Neither fixed anything in this case.

Edited October 9, 20187 yr by cogwheel

Even now it still seems to be bugged like crazy.

Sticking my head back in to note for posterity and google returns:

 

Eventually, the Stalker Link damage bonus does disappear if the torc is unequipped for long enough.

 

Either certain area transitions remove it, or the torc's active effect is handled like a timed duration 'under the hood', and when the duration expires the torc needs to be equipped for it to resume again.  Or maybe it's like an invisible modal.  I'm guessing it's like this because it was the only way in the engine to modify a class ability via equipment.

Edited October 14, 20187 yr by cogwheel