Shaman Guide For New Players

[newsmurf]

Dear Shaman Friends,

I hope this information helps you along with your choices. It will be just a few words on my thoughts of being a shammy. My credentials are leveling 4 level 60-65 shamans, 2 progression, 1 live server, and this one. I have played this class a long time = ).

Picking a race:First off do what you want! If you like being a leezard, or a big strong ogey, do it, whatever keeps you around, but there are some cold hard facts!

Trollolol: Hands down the best race to level, being next to lguk and oasis is very win in my book. The regen is an immense help leveling up if you cannot afford to twink your character.
Once you hit 60 you are always better than an ogre if you are not tanking a mob, as you gain 12hp standing per tick, that's 144hp per min, which equates to 3 free cannis(150mana). If you sit it is 18(more than a fungi). FYI compare this to clarity II = 132 mana per minute. (Ya you got free clarity 2. So hood) Stack this with your fungi and regrowth and it's on like donkey kong, I can main heal a lot of things most players would not dare = ).
Regent Symbol Of Innoruuk Quest- Good lord this alone is a reason I would sign up for troll. We are on a server where mobs have additional % of runspeed, so even though this is only 10 or 15% snare, it's invaluable, especially come velious when snares and roots stack. It's all the difference from root rotting a mob and having him get a round off on you.


Ogey Powah: Must say Feerrororott is the worst starting zone of all time, visibility is crap, and after 13 years I still cannot find the druid rings easily. If i make an ogre I grab a port to WC and hunt in ec/wc from 5+. Befallen is a great place to get some ZEM exp as well for the lowbies!
Ogey powah comes from your starting stats, you get 13 more stam, 22 more str, and 7 more wis than a trolley. These bonuses are a very a minor significance, as all your stats are almost maxed out with vp gear, however they still are a nice cushion towards getting to the 200 cap of wis/stam.
The real reason people make ogey is for one reason:front stun immunity, at end game this is pretty priceless, it increases your dps because your jbbs will not be interrupted as frequently, and most importantly, you won't be taking that brutal stun at 40% when you were casting torpor on yourself and possibly getting gibbed the rest of the way down. Ogres are specifically better to some degree at going toe to toe with big named creatures for this reason, lodizal, ww dragons etc(velious mobs).

Balancing HP/Wis gear- There's 2 kinds of shamans, one is the solo artist, the other is a troll or ogre who makes you believe he's a cleric(at 60).

Solo Sham:Ideally you want around 2300-2500 hp self buffed, mana will fall around 2400ish with this much hp, this allows you to comfortably drop to 1100 health, and your torpor will tick for max value assuming you throw in a canni or two. With this setup, as long as torpor out heals whatever is hitting you, you can kill it.

Duo Sham: This is my choice. My shaman rides along 2200 health self buffed. However my mana is slightly under 3k depending on what gear pieces I have on, and I do not have a single piece of VP gear. People say "oh well i have 300 more hp so i always have more mana". Well, guess what, there will be many times when you cannot afford the luxary of throwing in a cannibalize because of the 2.5 second global cd it's going to hit you with, so you have to rely on your manapool not bottoming out because you cant canni. With this setup I have duod fungi king many times, as well as fought King+A reaver at the same time with a monk and warrior. I can also duo the protector in seb, which is fun as hell and quite rewarding = ).

Just boils down to player style-or hell carry a extra bag around to do both!


Best advice to those leveling- If you can afford to, ideally the setup is a Jade Mace,PWC,Fungi,FBSS or better, and its game over. People complain about shamans being awful early but with gear they are actually better than anything else besides a decked out iksar monk. Pull with slow, melee, mob dies quickly without dots or nukes. You can melee to level 39, ask me for spots if you like = ).

If you can't- make friends, specifically melee, otherwise yes it will be rough between 19-23.

PS if you are really a truly first time p99 player shaman and you don't have jack shit, post here, and maybe some of us will throw you some stuffz to get you goin! I usually have a pwc lying around for such things = ).

[ManticSquee]

Thanks for the tips. I'm new to the server and new to shamans. I'm an Ogre named Goreflesh (picked Ogre because it best fits the name). :) I just hit level 9 and am looking forward to all the cool things that we get later on. For now I'm just excited to have SoW :)

[idontbuff]

What are some rather nice solo camps for the 40-45 range when I can't find a group?

[newsmurf]

check out sol b royals, not sure when that camp turns light blue, but i would ride that out until then. also CoM is godlike if you can afford to buy shrink potions for 2nd floor.

[newsmurf]

oh you know whats badass exp dude, try the bloodwater goblins in loio, right outside kedge ent.

[Kevynne]

check out sol b royals, not sure when that camp turns light blue, but i would ride that out until then. also CoM is godlike if you can afford to buy shrink potions for 2nd floor.

Turns lb at 48/49

[Estu]

I have to heavily dispute the Feerrott complaint. The Feerrott is one of the best starting zones in the game because of the money you get there as a newbie. Froglok tads drop mesh armor, which sells for platinum to merchants, and lizardmen drop a lot of coin loot, and you can hand in lizard meat in Oggok for two-handed weapons which sell for a couple of gold. That shit really adds up. Having a hard time getting around because of the fog? Suck it up! You're an ogre, have some cojones!

[kaos057]

Ogre is best race. When you slow something chances are its coming for you. Now any other race is most likely gonna get stunned at this point. Not ogre though.

[titofuentes]

Just a couple incorrect assertions in your initial post. Yes, trolls/iksar regen 12 standing/18 sitting at 60. This is not 144 hp per minute standing. It's only 120. Sitting it's 180. This doesn't equal 3 free cannis for 150 mana. 120 hp in that minute gives you 2 canni 1s which is only 56 mana at 60. Here's the equivalent mana for hp from troll regen. Standing: canni 1=67.2 mana. Canni2=64.48 mana. Canni4=66.49 mana. Sitting: canni1=100.8 mana. Canni2=96.72 mana. Canni4=99.73 mana. This is all against someone not regenning at all. Since trolls/iksar only regen 8/11 respectively over ogres and barbs the numbers are lower. 44.8 42.99 44.32 respectively for standing and 61.6 59.1 60.95 respectively for sitting. This is how much extra mana you can produce per minute by picking troll or iksar. You also give advice of buying a fungi etc if you can afford it. Obviously this guide is for established players since who has 100k plus when starting out here?

[idontbuff]

So I am a bit confused, how does a shaman solo royals in solb? I'm level 40 on my shaman, any advice?

[newsmurf]

uhhh server ticks are 5 seconds no? and what is you smoking canni 3 = 50 mana a pop.

damnit this is why u dont stay up for 26 hours.

[newsmurf]

nerrr i was lied to

Tick - the basic unit of time in EQ equal to 6 seconds of real time.

[lecompte]

Yar, server ticks at 6 seconds.I know the frontal stun argument is very popular but it is push that interrupts most of my casts, not stun.

[Jimjam]

I'm sure everyone reading knows this but stand with your back to a physical object, or with the mob down hill of you to reduce push interupts.

You can eliminate push interupts almost entirely by casting from a corner.

[lecompte]

Oh, clever. Sadly I feel backed into a corner when I'm... backed into a corner.

[Izor_01]

I am just starting to play a shaman which is my first real attempt at a character on this server, I got him to lvl 17 yesterday and it’s been a little bit testing at times...

The last few levels I have really been not able to take a hit and I have had to resort to root rotting which has been working on but hugely draining on my mana. After one fight and I have to chill out for a couple minutes and med I won’t pull anything unless I am 80M+.... I am assuming Cani will help greatly with this and I am looking forward to getting to 24( trading cyber-sex for PL... LOL)

Root rotting is pretty slow but its steady exp my advice to people who want to roll a shaman is be patient and solo in outdoor zones that way if things get a little dicey you can run to zone without much worry, but grouping would likely be the best bet…

[Estu]

grouping would likely be the best bet…

This - early on, shamans without crazy melee gear are pretty awful soloers. It does gradually get better as you get canni, regen, pet, etc.

[Tecmos Deception]

Once you hit 60 you are always better than an ogre if you are not tanking a mob, as you gain 12hp standing per tick, that's 144hp per min, which equates to 3 free cannis(150mana). If you sit it is 18(more than a fungi). FYI compare this to clarity II = 132 mana per minute.

12 * 10 = 144? Check.
144 hp via canni -> 150 mana? Check.
11 * 10 = 132? Check.

Flunking out of 3rd-grade math? Priceless.


Aww. I was beat to it. But mine is more fun.

[Splorf22]

To be fair, he's doing the actual math right, just with the wrong assumptions (12 ticks per minute rather than 10)

[Zeonick]

I really hope it gets better. Without being uberly geared it is soo tough to solo. I'm level 23 at the moment and thankfully i've gotten in some great groups and have had some people to duo with also. At the moment though I feel so weak. I'm constantly running out of mana during my duos which just makes me feel like a useless scrub! I am hanging in there though because I know it gets better and i've always wanted to play a shaman.

There has been some good info posted here but the OP guide itself is a little weak. Get a fungi and awesome melee weapons and tank your way to 39! I wish it was that easy. I have saved 200pp through out my journey so far - so I have a ways to go on that fungi :)

[gotrocks]

iksar best race for shaman come velious, still pretty boss in kunark.

iksar actually best race for any class that can be iksar come velious. ;)

[newsmurf]

tecmos you muppet i said i was wrong, i thought server ticks were 5. theres even a link for it, soooo stop being angry behind your monitor. i had been up a long time doing crypt =/ dont be hater. btw arent you a necro or some junk? shoo!

[Izor_01]

I rolled Iksar I love it I have no regrets, the regen is cool and the starting area is amazing, the only downside is being KOS everywhere...

[Tecmos Deception]

It gets better, Zeonick. Shamans are one of the classes that is pretty slow going early on (if you aren't twinked), but that gets decent in the 30s or so and pretty crazy at 50+.

Even duo for you right now can be painful, primarily because your slow isn't significant yet and you don't have regen to help top people off between pulls while you sit there medding/canniing. But regen and canni come at 24, a new slow comes at 29 (although I would guess you won't cast a slow and say "Wow!!" until you are 39), you get a pet for some added damage at 34, etc. Definite progression there, so if you can just stick with it you definitely come into your own.

[Tecmos Deception]

tecmos you muppet i said i was wrong, i thought server ticks were 5. theres even a link for it, soooo stop being angry behind your monitor. i had been up a long time doing crypt =/ dont be hater. btw arent you a necro or some junk? shoo!

You thought that was an angry post? ;)

I'm an enchanter!

[titofuentes]

uhhh server ticks are 5 seconds no? and what is you smoking canni 3 = 50 mana a pop.

damnit this is why u dont stay up for 26 hours.

Suppose Canni 3 gives you 50 mana at 60. I don't agree with that premise but we'll go with it. Cannibalize 3 is 100 hp for 50 mana. Since you're regenning 120 hp per minute this is going to give you (120/100)*50 which gives you 60 mana per minute. Sitting it would be 90 per minute. That's for trolls/iksar. Ogres and barbs will be 20 and 35 respectively. So at 60 using Canni 3 you gain 40 and 55 mana per minute respectively. This is extra mana in addition to what you're normally getting with the Cannidance. Canni 4 has a better ratio so the numbers will be slightly higher using it. Those numbers are in my previous post. Less downtime for troll/iksar or an extra Torpor every 5 minutes. I'll still take an ogre

[Zyn]

Hey @Newsmurf, what's your IGN?

Would love to ask you some questions :)

[Zeonick]

It gets better, Zeonick. Shamans are one of the classes that is pretty slow going early on (if you aren't twinked), but that gets decent in the 30s or so and pretty crazy at 50+.

Even duo for you right now can be painful, primarily because your slow isn't significant yet and you don't have regen to help top people off between pulls while you sit there medding/canniing. But regen and canni come at 24, a new slow comes at 29 (although I would guess you won't cast a slow and say "Wow!!" until you are 39), you get a pet for some added damage at 34, etc. Definite progression there, so if you can just stick with it you definitely come into your own.

That's really good to hear. I guess I was getting a little impatient as I'm sooo close to 24 yet soo far because I have such little time to play. My duo partners do always appreciate me though, buffs and heals are always nice. I would say enchanter was the easiest and safest exp so far but monk is the most fun and probably faster, yet more dangerous.

Anyway, shamans are just damn fun and I'm glad I picked one for this server :)

[Zarash]

I just figured out how to get on the server. I used to play a Barbarian Shaman in 2001. I started to play the regular servers and its not the same so I figured I would start a character here.

I see talk of troll, Iskar, and Ogre, no love for a Barbarian shaman? Also its been so long since I played what should I start my stats at with a barbarian? I was thinking about dumping everything into Stamina for the extra Hp's.

[Estu]

I just figured out how to get on the server. I used to play a Barbarian Shaman in 2001. I started to play the regular servers and its not the same so I figured I would start a character here.

I see talk of troll, Iskar, and Ogre, no love for a Barbarian shaman? Also its been so long since I played what should I start my stats at with a barbarian? I was thinking about dumping everything into Stamina for the extra Hp's.

Barbarian shamans don't have a ton going for them but play whatever you feel like. HP return on STA for shamans is pretty awful so I'd suggest going WIS instead and picking up HP.

[Zarash]

I am thinking about playing that or a wizard.

[Zeonick]

Bonus to a barbarian is that not everyone in the world hates you

[Zarash]

Just made him up 105 wiz and 105 stam. Figured that I would make it equal.

[Jimjam]

Barbarians can wear a few mid size pieces that ogre/troll can't and they can wear some plate that iksar can't.

They take less xp to level up than any of the other races (does the fatty/lizard advantage mean you can kill 12 mobs for every 11 a barby does)?

[Zarash]

I am level 5 now. I made up the barbarian Shaman. If your around Halas sometime drop by and say hi lol.

[Zeonick]

Nice another Barb shaman! Welcome to the club :) by the time I hit 24 and run back for my new spells i'm sure you will be long gone, haha. If not i'll come by Halas and say Hi!

[Zyn]

You're almost done with the worst part of being a Shaman! 24 is a GREAT level.

P.S. I'm also a Barbarian Shaman :)

[Izor_01]

I have got my Iksar shaman to lvl 18 getting close to 19 and i am a little bit tempted to re-roll barbarian.

The regen is nice, FOB and kurns are nice but being KOS to everyone is a bit of a pain in the ass... I started playing just as POP was released and I did not have to worry about getting around using Boats i was able to use POK books which made the game ultra easy.

I will probably just grind it out to lvl 29 and invisibility as that will make getting around much easier...

I know i can ask for ports but i don't have much Plat for donation as i was barely able to buy my lvl 19 spells as it is..

When rolling a new toon remember getting around is a pain for Iksar...

[Potus]

I have got my Iksar shaman to lvl 18 getting close to 19 and i am a little bit tempted to re-roll barbarian.

The regen is nice, FOB and kurns are nice but being KOS to everyone is a bit of a pain in the ass... I started playing just as POP was released and I did not have to worry about getting around using Boats i was able to use POK books which made the game ultra easy.

I will probably just grind it out to lvl 29 and invisibility as that will make getting around much easier...

I know i can ask for ports but i don't have much Plat for donation as i was barely able to buy my lvl 19 spells as it is..

When rolling a new toon remember getting around is a pain for Iksar...

Ugh man you're almost past the hump, keep going. 19-24 is the worst. Iksar regen is definitely worth the pain of having some old world mobs attack you, and you'll get really nice items via your Iksar Shaman quests and Kylong.

Also you have levitate. Wait for the boat to FV to come, levitate onto it. Then when you zone into Butcherblock run off the boat super fast. Go murder tons of Crushbone orcs and after like 2-3 days of exp'ing there you can be amiable with the Dwarf guards.

[Izor_01]

Ugh man you're almost past the hump, keep going. 19-24 is the worst. Iksar regen is definitely worth the pain of having some old world mobs attack you, and you'll get really nice items via your Iksar Shaman quests and Kylong.

Also you have levitate. Wait for the boat to FV to come, levitate onto it. Then when you zone into Butcherblock run off the boat super fast. Go murder tons of Crushbone orcs and after like 2-3 days of exp'ing there you can be amiable with the Dwarf guards.

I know i feel so close and so far... I was going make my way to OT and see if I can get someone to port me to EC and i will head over to uper guk/Oasis for exp and see how it goes.. But thats an option too crushbone and unrest are at my disposal if i go that route...

[DarkwingDuck]

Dear Shaman Friends,

I hope this information helps you along with your choices. It will be just a few words on my thoughts of being a shammy. My credentials are leveling 4 level 60-65 shamans, 2 progression, 1 live server, and this one. I have played this class a long time = ).

Picking a race:First off do what you want! If you like being a leezard, or a big strong ogey, do it, whatever keeps you around, but there are some cold hard facts!

Trollolol: Hands down the best race to level, being next to lguk and oasis is very win in my book. The regen is an immense help leveling up if you cannot afford to twink your character.
Once you hit 60 you are always better than an ogre if you are not tanking a mob, as you gain 12hp standing per tick, that's 144hp per min, which equates to 3 free cannis(150mana). If you sit it is 18(more than a fungi). FYI compare this to clarity II = 132 mana per minute. (Ya you got free clarity 2. So hood) Stack this with your fungi and regrowth and it's on like donkey kong, I can main heal a lot of things most players would not dare = ).
Regent Symbol Of Innoruuk Quest- Good lord this alone is a reason I would sign up for troll. We are on a server where mobs have additional % of runspeed, so even though this is only 10 or 15% snare, it's invaluable, especially come velious when snares and roots stack. It's all the difference from root rotting a mob and having him get a round off on you.


Ogey Powah: Must say Feerrororott is the worst starting zone of all time, visibility is crap, and after 13 years I still cannot find the druid rings easily. If i make an ogre I grab a port to WC and hunt in ec/wc from 5+. Befallen is a great place to get some ZEM exp as well for the lowbies!
Ogey powah comes from your starting stats, you get 13 more stam, 22 more str, and 7 more wis than a trolley. These bonuses are a very a minor significance, as all your stats are almost maxed out with vp gear, however they still are a nice cushion towards getting to the 200 cap of wis/stam.
The real reason people make ogey is for one reason:front stun immunity, at end game this is pretty priceless, it increases your dps because your jbbs will not be interrupted as frequently, and most importantly, you won't be taking that brutal stun at 40% when you were casting torpor on yourself and possibly getting gibbed the rest of the way down. Ogres are specifically better to some degree at going toe to toe with big named creatures for this reason, lodizal, ww dragons etc(velious mobs).

Balancing HP/Wis gear- There's 2 kinds of shamans, one is the solo artist, the other is a troll or ogre who makes you believe he's a cleric(at 60).

Solo Sham:Ideally you want around 2300-2500 hp self buffed, mana will fall around 2400ish with this much hp, this allows you to comfortably drop to 1100 health, and your torpor will tick for max value assuming you throw in a canni or two. With this setup, as long as torpor out heals whatever is hitting you, you can kill it.

Duo Sham: This is my choice. My shaman rides along 2200 health self buffed. However my mana is slightly under 3k depending on what gear pieces I have on, and I do not have a single piece of VP gear. People say "oh well i have 300 more hp so i always have more mana". Well, guess what, there will be many times when you cannot afford the luxary of throwing in a cannibalize because of the 2.5 second global cd it's going to hit you with, so you have to rely on your manapool not bottoming out because you cant canni. With this setup I have duod fungi king many times, as well as fought King+A reaver at the same time with a monk and warrior. I can also duo the protector in seb, which is fun as hell and quite rewarding = ).

Just boils down to player style-or hell carry a extra bag around to do both!


Best advice to those leveling- If you can afford to, ideally the setup is a Jade Mace,PWC,Fungi,FBSS or better, and its game over. People complain about shamans being awful early but with gear they are actually better than anything else besides a decked out iksar monk. Pull with slow, melee, mob dies quickly without dots or nukes. You can melee to level 39, ask me for spots if you like = ).

If you can't- make friends, specifically melee, otherwise yes it will be rough between 19-23.

PS if you are really a truly first time p99 player shaman and you don't have jack shit, post here, and maybe some of us will throw you some stuffz to get you goin! I usually have a pwc lying around for such things = ).


IKSAR >

[Etaria]

Hmm, I made a Barbarian. Wanted wood elf, but yeah.

I made it to level 45, but wow, there is SO much to learn in the game. What makes it hard, is people see you as 45, and expect you to know so much already. I have actually thought about starting a new shaman, (and maybe troll or ogre after reading all of this I had no idea about), and reinforcing what I have learned so far, and learn more.

I really do not mind the level grind, so that's not a problem. And at lower lvls, seems people do not expect as much and I can ask more questions. Game changes a lot at higher lvls and feel maybe I need more practice/knowledge at the lower lvls.

[Estu]

Hmm, I made a Barbarian. Wanted wood elf, but yeah.

I made it to level 45, but wow, there is SO much to learn in the game. What makes it hard, is people see you as 45, and expect you to know so much already. I have actually thought about starting a new shaman, (and maybe troll or ogre after reading all of this I had no idea about), and reinforcing what I have learned so far, and learn more.

I really do not mind the level grind, so that's not a problem. And at lower lvls, seems people do not expect as much and I can ask more questions. Game changes a lot at higher lvls and feel maybe I need more practice/knowledge at the lower lvls.

I think starting over would be a bit silly. Don't worry so much about people's perceptions. Just be willing to ask questions, do research (the Wiki is very helpful), and experiment. You'll get the hang of it. And people will appreciate it if you're interested in improving your play.

[Etaria]

Yeah, just hard when their perceptions are vocalized in a snide way. To be fair, I have run across a few VERY awesome people (ready to explain, don't sweat small stuff), but it seems at the higher lvls, people are less accepting of those (like me) who are, well, newbies (even at 45)!

[webrunner5]

The role of a Shaman does not really change much at all once you get Canni and your dog. It just seems to get a LOT more busy with harder mobs and constant pulls. More Slows, more Haste, more Roots, etc, you get the idea. It all seems to come at a lot faster pace with a better chance to be oom or "screw up".

I can only stand to play mine in a group once in awhile anymore. Just WAY too many people wanting buffs all the time. Even people not in your group wanting them lol. And with Canni dance NEVER a break. It can be stressful as hell compared to the Wizard that is casting 2 nukes every 10 minutes. :D

But it is a great class for both grouping and solo. All 3 classes have their advantages. Barb not evil, Ogre no frontal stun, Troll free Fungi at high level. I went Barb. Can't stand ducking in zones even though you can use Shrink and and make Shrink pots.

But I think grouping the Troll re gen is a big edge and Solo the Ogre Frontal Stun does help. When Velious comes out we all probably wish we were Ogres if solo is your thing...

[prie]

Fantastic guide i tried a barb sham however i have never really played trol or ogre think i will give one a go!

[wingelefoot]

Any suggestions for a good spot to get some chill exp at 30? i'm hurtin

[Zeonick]

Any suggestions for a good spot to get some chill exp at 30? i'm hurtin

How did hhk go for you? I know it may be a little slow there right now, but like I said ingame, try grouping or duoing in sola if you can also, if the guards are a little tough, try getting a group in the basement.

[Buttermilk]

First post here, thanks for the guide. It helped me decide to go with Ogey Powah when previously I was stuck between troll and iksar. I absolutely hated Feerrott, I couldn't see mobs and would get lost ending up in high lvl camps. I am new to the server and don't have any friends let alone know a druid to teleport, so I didn't head for WC/EC. I instead headed towards Innothule Swamp and I started to kill creatures there. Anyways, thanks again and if you ever see an ugly ogre named Buttermilk on, and are feeling generous, I would sure appreciate any help whether it be advice or anything you can spare to a new p99 player. Take care.

[Estu]

First post here, thanks for the guide. It helped me decide to go with Ogey Powah when previously I was stuck between troll and iksar. I absolutely hated Feerrott, I couldn't see mobs and would get lost ending up in high lvl camps. I am new to the server and don't have any friends let alone know a druid to teleport, so I didn't head for WC/EC. I instead headed towards Innothule Swamp and I started to kill creatures there. Anyways, thanks again and if you ever see an ugly ogre named Buttermilk on, and are feeling generous, I would sure appreciate any help whether it be advice or anything you can spare to a new p99 player. Take care.

Don't know why new players are so afraid of asking people for ports. Do a /who all druid 39 60, ask nicely, and go wherever you please.

[Buttermilk]

I should ask, I guess I am not used to a mature gaming community. Most games these days are full of kids/adults who act like they're twelve. I naturally expect to get flamed or badmouthed but I suppose that isn't the case here.

[Ahldagor]

i say roll iksar. start in fob and head to kurns, and in kurns you start to get group feels. eventually head to the sarnak fort in loio after you get canni, the dancing seems endless, and you also learn which buffs which classes need. mana management is crucial, but you can save some peeps pretty quick when need be. there's also plenty of solo options around cab, and kunark is just fun to explore. yes you're going to be hated by everyone but your fellow lizards, but that's what factioning is for. hell, do an odd faction like runnyeye (there's a banker in the zone...)

[Akashii]

After doing some googling and deciding I want to play p1999 I decided on an Ogre Shaman. This thread helped tip me in the direction im heading in. If anyone is willing to help out a noob I wont say no! Akashii is my in game name!

[Bearlight]

Ok I need ideas for leveling a barb shaman (lvl 11). Was able to quest a bunch of leather gear. Any help would be great. ingame Bearlyght on PvE.

[Kimja]

How did you do it on Quellious? Just copy that method! :p

[Bearlight]

How did you do it on Quellious? Just copy that method! :p
Ha! I don't remember at all. Getting old I guess.

[czahrien]

Ok I need ideas for leveling a barb shaman (lvl 11). Was able to quest a bunch of leather gear. Any help would be great. ingame Bearlyght on PvE.

I am around your level and curious as to what quest(s) you did as I am fairly undergeared.

[Bearlight]

Polar bear skins for armor, wanted poster for summoned weapon, and gnoll fangs

[czahrien]

Polar bear skins for armor, wanted poster for summoned weapon, and gnoll fangs

Cheers! This was a big help. Thanks man. :)

[Oblivion]

Just as a side note, I've seen people paying 25pp for those polar bear skins. You only need to sell 4 to buy banded armor, instead of using 4 for raw-hide gear.

[dbouya]

In an attempt to make this thread more newbie friendly. Low level shamans are the best low level healers in the game. What you can do is cast inner fire once per tick and still get your sitting/meditation to go off. This is the most mana efficient heal in the game at levels below say around 20. so if you're level 14 and find solo'ing impossible you should try to grab a full group somewhere, make some friends, have some fun, and be an effective healer. Inner fire is crazy OP at low levels, almost makes you think it was a mistake back in 1999.

[Faerie]

How much spell swapping do shaman have to do? I've always wanted to play this class but the lack of spellsets has prevented me from doing so. It's bad enough trying to keep people buffed as a druid...

[Dangermouse]

I don't find the spell swapping too bad.

When I'm duoing (which is my usual play style) I tend to keep these spells loaded all the time:

Slow, root, SoW, 2 DOTs, canni. When indoors you can ditch SoW obviously. When in a larger group you won't need DOTs much.

Then the other 2 slots, I swap between heals and buffs. You don't need to give everyone in the group all your buffs, it doesn't really help.

Tanks get AC buff (protect) + haste (when you have it) + regen.
DPS get Str + haste.
Dex for people with proccing weapons or who want to work on their skills.
Agi and Sta are generally not worth the mana IMHO. Sta gives your tank a few extra HP but unless you're cutting it really close with the heals, what good will that do? And as long as your tank's Agi is above 75 the benefit from any more is pretty small.

At level 27 (as I am now) the stat buffs all last about 36 minutes, so there's not too much swapping required. I think the key is getting your group to realise that not everyone needs every buff.

[Sinaz]

Current setup @ lvl 28.

I keep 6 or 7 spells loaded and just swap the last 1/2 slots out for buffing.

Loaded is usually Dot, Heal, Regen, Canni, Nuke, Slow/Debuff.
7th spell is SoW or Root depending upon situation.

I cast STA on everyone in the group. Who doesn't want more HPs?
Regen is generally myself, tanks and chanters (+ others if mana is good).
STR on melee.
AC/HP buffs on tank.
SoW, random (again depends upon the situation).

SIN

[Markis628]

Hey folks - First time player here looking to begin on Project 1999 and creating me a Shaman (new to the class to boot!).

I notice that there was no mention of the Barbarian class - Are the Troll and Ogre options really [I]that[I] much better that I should shelf the idea of rolling a Barb? I really like the idea of playing a barb, more so just because I think I will really hate being such a large race.

Is the shaman going to be miserably slow and painful to level returning to the game starting from scratch? I am excited about the challenge!

[Juhstin]

Hey folks - First time player here looking to begin on Project 1999 and creating me a Shaman (new to the class to boot!).

I notice that there was no mention of the Barbarian class - Are the Troll and Ogre options really [I]that[I] much better that I should shelf the idea of rolling a Barb? I really like the idea of playing a barb, more so just because I think I will really hate being such a large race.

Is the shaman going to be miserably slow and painful to level returning to the game starting from scratch? I am excited about the challenge!

Barbarian will level faster than Ogre/Troll.

If you're not looking to min/max than Barbarian is fine. There are plenty of 60 Barbarian Shamans running around. Its really up to you.

[Markis628]

Thanks for the response on my Barbarian choice! I started him last night, name is Spurs. I hear Poison Wind Censor is a great starter weapon, but just not available to a guy starting from scratch.

Going to be farming some Orc Belts or something to get the cash.

Seems like there is a strong Shaman community out there - Looking forward to getting back the good old days!

[Sinaz]

Save all your LQ / MQ / HQ pelts and sell them once you get to EC (if you cant find someone in Everfrost that is). Should have enough for a full set of banded (90pp) and a nice lowbie weapon (100pp).

SIN

[Sinaz]

I managed to get one of these for around 130pp but there plenty of other options as well.

http://wiki.project1999.com/Springwood_Club

SIN

[Sinaz]

Also defn worth looking at the quests in Halas.

I did turn in the Polar Bear Skins for the armour but actually think you're better off selling them (think 25pp each) and using the cash to buy banded armour ASAP.

http://wiki.project1999.com/Halas#Newbie_Quests

[mgellan]

Yar, server ticks at 6 seconds.I know the frontal stun argument is very popular but it is push that interrupts most of my casts, not stun.

^^^ This, as mentioned easily countered by casting against a wall / corner.

I've never regretted rolling Barb on Live, Progression, or here. The ability to operate as a good race gives me more time to kill mobs, so any incremental benefits of the other races pale by comparison, not to mention the lower levelling time. Iksars are really hampered with limited gear options IMHO. And sorry, I just dislike playing Trolls and Ogres immensely, what can you do.

Normally I only share this kind of thing with my Guild but I suppose people would find this useful: P99 Barb Soloing Guide to 60 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cHD0ywn7ALLLgm9t0Mvo2zkuwIfnqWS6jwybZiuDeKo/edit?usp=sharing). It really only represents one path but hopefully it helps people.

Regards,
mg

[Glenzig]

PS if you are really a truly first time p99 player shaman and you don't have jack shit, post here, and maybe some of us will throw you some stuffz to get you goin! I usually have a pwc lying around for such things = ).

Well I'm not usually one to beg for handouts, but since you volunteered. I am indeed a brand new Ogre Shaman. Just signed up over the weekend. Currently sitting at level 4 in EC. This is my first experience with P99, and it is just what I have been looking for. Bringing me back to the old days of my very first MMO experience. Anyway, the name is Rottbreath, if you have any goodies to throw my way, I won't turn them down. If not, thanks for the post, it was very informative.

[Macdeth]

First-time SHM here just hit lvl 19. I've been doing croc groups but starting to look for new grounds.

I've been slowing with drowsy even though I have the lvl 14 slow - is this a mistake? It's much more mana efficient and seems to land easier. Groups aren't dying. I pull w/ Drowsy and then beat it with a stick. Maybe a dot if it's an even con.

Also, I just got Malaise and am wondering where it is best used. Pulls are so fast in groups I just can't seem to justify using many of the spells I have atm. Besides, when not pulling with drowsy I'm constantly being asked for buffs inside and out of group. Should I save these debuff lines for larger encounters, or am I being a slacken shaman?

Using a fine-steel 2hb and 1hb (trading to keep skill). Is the springwood club the cheapest/easiest weapon upgrade to look for? I'm pretty busted after spells and banded armor, although sowing at the docks has helped a bit.

[lecompte]

You're doing fine Macdeth. If you want new hunting groups, try orcs in HHP. At level 60, I'll often use my level 39 slow -- perfectly normal to save your higher level slows for harder mobs. Malaise is used when a caster dps group is fighting a yellow con or something that is going to resist your slow. Springwood club is easy. I'll give you one in fact. I'll be home in 6 hours (5PM PST) and I'll give ya one.

[Rupertox]

Yeah, just hard when their perceptions are vocalized in a snide way. To be fair, I have run across a few VERY awesome people (ready to explain, don't sweat small stuff), but it seems at the higher lvls, people are less accepting of those (like me) who are, well, newbies (even at 45)!

and 6 months later, you have here the best shaman of the server (not on gear, just on playing)

[Macdeth]

You're doing fine Macdeth. If you want new hunting groups, try orcs in HHP. At level 60, I'll often use my level 39 slow -- perfectly normal to save your higher level slows for harder mobs. Malaise is used when a caster dps group is fighting a yellow con or something that is going to resist your slow. Springwood club is easy. I'll give you one in fact. I'll be home in 6 hours (5PM PST) and I'll give ya one.

Jeez thanks, lecompte. I'll check out hhp. Won't be on till 730pst probably.

[thieros]

and 6 months later, you have here the best shaman of the server (not on gear, just on playing)

she is superawesome, this is an accurate post

[Estu]

First-time SHM here just hit lvl 19. I've been doing croc groups but starting to look for new grounds.

I've been slowing with drowsy even though I have the lvl 14 slow - is this a mistake? It's much more mana efficient and seems to land easier. Groups aren't dying. I pull w/ Drowsy and then beat it with a stick. Maybe a dot if it's an even con.

Also, I just got Malaise and am wondering where it is best used. Pulls are so fast in groups I just can't seem to justify using many of the spells I have atm. Besides, when not pulling with drowsy I'm constantly being asked for buffs inside and out of group. Should I save these debuff lines for larger encounters, or am I being a slacken shaman?

Using a fine-steel 2hb and 1hb (trading to keep skill). Is the springwood club the cheapest/easiest weapon upgrade to look for? I'm pretty busted after spells and banded armor, although sowing at the docks has helped a bit.

1) Don't melee stuff in a group when you could be medding. If you want to DPS, you can do it better by nuking than by meleeing (especially if your best weapon is fine steel). Any time a caster who can meditate (i.e. is level 4+ for INT casters or 8+ for WIS casters) is meleeing in a group, they're doing it wrong.

2) Don't slow stuff until you're at least 30ish+. Low level slows don't do very much (drowsy is only about a 15% slow at your level) but they still take a noticeable amount of your mana and have high aggro. If you want to prevent someone from taking damage, heal them instead. If you want to pull, use something low-aggro like your level 1 nuke so that the tank can grab the monster off of you easily.

As a shaman, your role in a group at low levels is primarily that of a healer and secondarily that of a buffer. You can also root for crowd control, and you can nuke if you have extra mana. As you get higher level, slows will come into play more.

[Macdeth]

1) Don't melee stuff in a group when you could be medding. If you want to DPS, you can do it better by nuking than by meleeing (especially if your best weapon is fine steel). Any time a caster who can meditate (i.e. is level 4+ for INT casters or 8+ for WIS casters) is meleeing in a group, they're doing it wrong.

2) Don't slow stuff until you're at least 30ish+. Low level slows don't do very much (drowsy is only about a 15% slow at your level) but they still take a noticeable amount of your mana and have high aggro. If you want to prevent someone from taking damage, heal them instead. If you want to pull, use something low-aggro like your level 1 nuke so that the tank can grab the monster off of you easily.

As a shaman, your role in a group at low levels is primarily that of a healer and secondarily that of a buffer. You can also root for crowd control, and you can nuke if you have extra mana. As you get higher level, slows will come into play more.

I see both of your points, thanks. The only counter-point I would raise is that I've often been the tank in my groups. There have been a ton of clerics and druids around to group with it seems. The few tanks I have grouped with have been really bad at keeping the pace going. I was grouping with an excellent monk for awhile but the few times we had a tank class they weren't cutting it so we decided I'd just tank. As she pulled them in I could instantly get aggro with drowsy so she could be off to grab another, and healers were fine keeping me up.

If I get a group with a proper tank class I'll try your suggestions. Nukes seem so mana-intensive, though. Again, thanks for that advice I will surely try it! I like a properly structured group with a fast puller and everyone doing there job, but sometimes you work with what you have.

[Estu]

I see both of your points, thanks. The only counter-point I would raise is that I've often been the tank in my groups. There have been a ton of clerics and druids around to group with it seems. The few tanks I have grouped with have been really bad at keeping the pace going. I was grouping with an excellent monk for awhile but the few times we had a tank class they weren't cutting it so we decided I'd just tank. As she pulled them in I could instantly get aggro with drowsy so she could be off to grab another, and healers were fine keeping me up.

If I get a group with a proper tank class I'll try your suggestions. Nukes seem so mana-intensive, though. Again, thanks for that advice I will surely try it! I like a properly structured group with a fast puller and everyone doing there job, but sometimes you work with what you have.

Sure, if you don't have a tank then all bets are off. If you do have a tank but they can't hold aggro, root is a good way to guarantee that they hold aggro (a rooted monster will always attack whoever is closest). I think as you get higher level you'll see more tanks and more competent tanks.

[Zulathan]

Thanks for posting this :)

[Rkelly]

Any recommendations for a 50 shaman who doesn't have epic yet? I've had bad luck with Iksar Child spawns, 8 golems so far over 3 Fear trips and no spawns. CoM mobs have too high HP

[Potus]

You go murder those Bloodgills in LOIO until 52, sir.

[Destron]

Any recommendations for a 50 shaman who doesn't have epic yet? I've had bad luck with Iksar Child spawns, 8 golems so far over 3 Fear trips and no spawns. CoM mobs have too high HP

I'm 39 and I am able to solo in CoM, I'm sure you can handle it as well.

Just curious, is the iksar child spawn that rare? What's typical to expect before you see one?

[Rupertox]

. If you want to pull, use something low-aggro like your level 1 nuke so that the tank can grab the monster off of you easily.
.


Initial agro cap is 50, so that is not very accurate :P

[Estu]

Initial agro cap is 50, so that is not very accurate :P

Hmm, wasn't aware of this.

[Wecoan]

Any good outdoor zones to grind in for the first 24 levels or so? (I'm assuming by your post 24 is a sweet spot spell wise). Spells cost a bomb and I gotta be picky about which ones are important so I can't really buy gear atm hence why I need to avoid dungeons (solo at least)

[Rupertox]

Hmm, wasn't aware of this.



Yea initial agro is capped at 50 so if you PULL with slow, tank will be able to PULL agro off you very fast.

[Potus]

Am I the only one who has trouble eyeing the ticks on this server? They seem to fluctuate between reporting correctly and not. I try going off my dots now, and that's not entirely accurate.

[Markis628]

New Shaman in the making here, returning to the game after years and years away from Live - Entirely new to the Shaman class and community.

I had made a new post asking about some tips and suggestions on making a Shaman and getting him going - found this post super helpful - thank you!

PS- Any decent weapon sitting around that could be spared would be amazingly helpful!


Thanks,
Spurs