Thinking about coming back to level another toon - Need twink help to motivate me.

[oldhead]

I'm all over the place waiting for EQ next...
I've got like 5 free to play games going and even tried getting back into Eve online.

Been having cravings of coming back to P99....
If I sell off my monks gear I should have 30-40k plat to twink something.

My thoughts
Class:
- I was thinking a shaman.
- NEVER played one before
- I want to group 100% of the time if possible. Shamans are very group-able and can solo when need.

Race:
- I want Iksar. I crave Iksar shaman cus man I love iksar.
- Ogre are better with stun immunity but I hate fat races (trolls and ogre)
- This race choice between benefit and aesthetics makes me conflicted.. drains my motivation to get started again :mad:
- Iksar or Ogre? Stun immunity or sweet ass looks and regen?
- I heard the stuns on P99 were bugged and thus makes ogres the must have choice, true?


Next what should I get with 30-40k?
- I will be looking for best bang for the buck.
- Meaning I'd rather not invest an 10k for an item with +2 more wisdom than a 1k item. I looked at the wiki but that is a best in slot guide, not a best budget item for twink.
- I really have zero idea on gear when it comes to shaman as I NEVER played one ever.


Last but not least.... I could just be a cleric but I think shaman might be as if not more group friendly for leveling. Plus while I am a bomb ass C-Heal dropping nukka I do dislike the responsibility of being main healer all the time and very sucky at farming something I want. What do you think?

[Derubael]

iksar obvious choice.

[Arteker]

iksar obvious choice.

if u want to be a walking handbag wih teeths and need viagra or a cybernetic mechanic iksar tail

Human > iksar

[khanable]

iksar obvious choice.

[Derubael]

2 out of 2 iksars agree, iksar is the obvious choice.

update:

2 out of 2 iksars, 1 out of 1 ogres, and 1 out of 1 tasslehof agree, iksar is the obvious choice.

[Grimfan]

I would actually go Iksar, I regret making an ogre and will probably reroll him to Iksar since I only got him to 10. I got an ogre up to 30ish on another emulator where you could go really fast and old world zones as a fatty is annoying as heck. Being normal sized is much cooler. But I mean, do what you want to do really, if you feel you're going to regret it then ogre is cool too.

[Tasslehofp99]

don't forget that ogre stats are sick for shamans, capping stamina isn't too important but it gives you a nice little hp boost and any other race of shaman will likely not hit 255 stam without the absolute best gear possible in this era. Stun immunity is very nice, but at times I would've preferred iksar or troll regeneration.

My 60 ogre sham hits 4k hps raidbuffed and his gear is mediocre (1 piece of hate armor, the rest was bought in ec tunnel for under 40k) at best.


Personally I would do what others have reccomended though and go with the class/race that you like most, instead of basing your decisions on the opinions of those who are purely concerned with min/maxing.

[Daldaen]

Go Iksar. Ogre stun immunity is vastly overexaggerated in its power I think.

To start off there are a few items that set themselves apart from just 'other items'.

Firstly, Regen BPs:

Fungi - 15 regen - 100k~ (out of your range)
Ikky BP - 5 regen - 25k~
Rubi BP - 3 regen - 15k~

I *may* go for an Ikky BP if I were you and then fill in the rest with bare essentials. But I'm not sure. I too don't like dumping all my money into a single item... unless it is absolutely game-changing (like a cleric or rogue epic is).

Secondly, a solid weapon:

Poison Wind Censer - 2HB 20 DMG / 28 Delay - 1.5-2k~
Darksea Harpoon - 10 DMG / 28 Delay - 1.5k~
Slime Coated Harpoon - 10 DMG / 25 Delay - 1.5k~

I'd suggest a 2hb and a harpoon. The harpoons can be used from 1-10 when you have a 20 DMG cap on all your melee swings (10*2), and then once you ding 11 and that cap is increased you can swap the Harpoon to your range slot for mana. Then melee with 2HB

Lastly some HP Rings.

2 HP Rings (5AC/55HP) - 250 pp each

10AC and 110 HP split between two slots is quite awesome. It easily outweighs mana for basically any class from 1-20~.


Beyond that... Not really coming up with anything that is extremely important to buy from 1-40s~. If you are focusing on WIS:

Ears - Gold Jasper / Forest Loop (50pp/ea)
Neck - Ivory Imbued Collar (100-150pp)
Face - Platinum Ruby Veil (300-400pp)
Head - Nightshade Wreath / Totemic Helm* (200pp)
Fingers - HP Rings (250pp/ea)
Wrists - Runed Mithril Bracer* / Chipped Bone Bracelet (400-500/ea)
Arms - Platinum Armband (200)
Hands - Splitpaw Gloves (20)
Shoulder - Prayer Cloth of Tunare / Lizardscale Mantle (150)
Chest - Bloodstained Tunic (150)
Back - Mammoth Hide Cloak / Molten Cloak (1000-1500~)
Belt - Flayed Turmoilskin Belt / Reed Belt / Mucilaginous Belt (700-1500~)
Legs - Gatorscale Leggings / Sebilite Scale Leggings (1500~)
Feet - Wolf Fur Slippers / Kobold-Hide Boots / Golden Efreeti Boots* (100-500~)
Secondary - Charred Guardian Shield (300-400~)
Primary - Harpoons (1500) -- See above
Range - Harpoons (1500) -- See above

*Iksar can't use.

The costs are guessed for the left-most item. As you go to the further right items they cost more. I'd tend to argue against getting STA items at a low level as their returns are pretty low, and there aren't too many high HP items that are affordable at low levels.

So what is that... 25k on Ikky BP, 2-3k on weapons, 500 on HP rings. If you have closer to 40k than 30k, you can fill the rest of your gear using my list above for under about 10k, closer to 7k I'd guess. May be wise to skip Belt/Leg/Back slot for the time being since they cost so much more than the other slots.

[Tasslehofp99]

I just started playing my sham about a year ago so not very familiar with them compared to other classes.

One thing I do know is that hp gear >>>> wis gear once you have canni.


Its a very unique class when compared to druids or clerics, so sacrificing wis/mana for hp may seem unnatural to those o us familiar with cler/dru but trust me its the right call.

[oldhead]

I just started playing my sham about a year ago so not very familiar with them compared to other classes.

One thing I do know is that hp gear >>>> wis gear once you have canni.


Its a very unique class when compared to druids or clerics, so sacrificing wis/mana for hp may seem unnatural to those o us familiar with cler/dru but trust me its the right call.

Was reading the wiki and it made a very valid argument that mana > Hp

[Tasslehofp99]

Was reading the wiki and it made a very valid argument that mana > Hp

Yeah it is deffinetly debateable but in my experiences having 4k hps to turn into mana to keep up with buffs/debuffs in groups or raids is amazingly helpful.

[Daldaen]

Yeah it is deffinetly debateable but in my experiences having 4k hps to turn into mana to keep up with buffs/debuffs in groups or raids is amazingly helpful.

Eh I'd argue HP is irrelevant (to a certain extent). So long as you have enough HP to outdo what Torpor heals, it isn't that important unless you are trying to AFK a lot. But if you are constantly using Canni to stay under 100% HP, and allowing your innate regen + Regrowth to do its thing, and you have enough HP to drop down to 30-40% and Torpor and then continue to Canni as Torpor ticks...

I mean 4k HP is fine and all, but having a larger mana pool means immediately available mana. Whereas HP is mana that you have to cast Canni and wait to get it.

This is from a grouping/raiding perspective. If you are soloing summoning mobs and stuff that changes however.

But this is an argument/debate that has been going on since Y2K. So I don't really expect it to be solved or change here. I just listed WIS/Mana gear because it is generally cheaper and more effective for grouping at lower levels (since you won't canni or tank).

[Shamen]

I like your class/race choice, Im Iksar shaman myself and loving it! Iksar are boss!

I see 2 ways of doing this. I would either spend all 40k to get items I know I would keep for a long time or I would spend as little as I can getting only the basic stuff and keep the rest to start fungi fund, because it is the single most important item you need as shaman. I would not buy epic MQ, because getting shaman epic is easy.

SPENDING:
- 2x Platinum Fire Wedding Ring (500p)
- Hooded Black Cloak (3k)
- Black Sapphire Platinum Necklace (5k)
- Sebilite Scale Coat (4k)
- Poison Wind Censer (1.5-2k)
- Howling Harpoon (4k)
- Black Sapphire Electrum Earring (3.5k - 4k)
- Earring of Essence (6k)
- Platinum Tiara (8k)

other suggestions: Kylong Gauntlets (4k), Obulus Death Shroud (4k), Jarsath rotts in KC (leggings, wrist guard, gauntlets), Mucilaginous Girdle (1.5k), Black Fur "clicky sow" Boots (if you can get help killing Black Dire), Broom of Trilon after you get pet at 34lvl, Golem Tear Ring (2k), Djarn's Amethyst Ring (12k), Supple Scale Armband rott or buy loot rights in KC,

SAVING:
- get full set of banded armor and pay someone 2k to help you turn it into Scaled Mystic Armor
- Poison Wind Censer (1.5-2k)
- 2x Platinum Fire Wedding Ring (500p)
- get more armor as you lvl, keep 36k and start saving for Fungi!

When I look back, judging from my experience, I would probabaly go the saving way. I mean all the nice gear with hp and other stats is cool, but you will get it eventually. Getting fungi is different story though and nothing will help you as much as this amazing piece of gear. it is 100k these days and who knows how much it will be when Velious comes out...getting it asap would probably be my priority.

[Verenity]

Buy an iksar ceremonial BP IMO: regen is so, so amazingly good on a shaman and regen items tend to keep their value so you can always resell it once you get in the territory to buy a fungi tunic.

I also highly recommend ogre shaman for many reasons that I'm sure you have already heard or know, so I won't bother to explain my reasoning. If you want to solo hard stuff, it's hard to beat the upside of ogre.

I'll sell ya a poison wind censer for cheap if you want it. Really good leveling weapon for a shaman. My only caveat is that you have to make your shaman an ogre ;)

[syferis]

Be warned, Shamans are in abundance atm.

[webrunner5]

Be warned, Shamans are in abundance atm.

And they cost a F'ing ton to equip well. Think like 300k or more. They are stupid expensive to play. And you don't have time to take a piss on one in a group. But I sort of like mine at times. :p

[Zeonick]

And they cost a F'ing ton to equip well. Think like 300k or more. They are stupid expensive to play. And you don't have time to take a piss on one in a group. But I sort of like mine at times. :p

So not true. You dont need a fungi and melee items to play a shaman. You could play it naked and root rot things all day. I started on this server as a shaman with out a copper in my pocket and am doing just fine with no twinking what so ever. I would say be warned that shamans are really boring in the early levels.

[Daldaen]

So not true. You dont need a fungi and melee items to play a shaman. You could play it naked and root rot things all day. I started on this server as a shaman with out a copper in my pocket and am doing just fine with no twinking what so ever. I would say be warned that shamans are really boring in the early levels.

This is why I want a PL on my shaman from. 20-24.

At 24 Canni/Slow/Regen make playing a shaman far more interesting
At 34 more DoTs and pet make it even better
At 60 Torpor makes them OP as hell.

[oldhead]

TBH the thought of constantly always having to cani is the one thing I always disliked about shaman and kept me from playing them

[oldhead]

Be warned, Shamans are in abundance atm.

I know... but so are monks. At least shamans are a bit more welcomed in groups.


How are clerics?

Honestly I just want to group 100% of them time. Cant stand solo playing MMO's.

[Mezzmur]

iksar obvious choice.

Gnome superior race.

[Byrjun]

Iksar has the following problems:

* KOS to everything
* Missing alchemy vendor
* Worst starting stats
* No slam
* No stun immunity
* Can't use a bunch of equip, most importantly JBB and JBBP (for clickies that are useful all the way through Velious)

Definitely the weakest racial choice for a shaman, but Iksar do look cool.

But this is an argument/debate that has been going on since Y2K. So I don't really expect it to be solved or change here. I just listed WIS/Mana gear because it is generally cheaper and more effective for grouping at lower levels (since you won't canni or tank).

I think the debate was over about 13 years ago when most people realized that focusing on HP gear made you a lot stronger and more flexible.

So not true. You dont need a fungi and melee items to play a shaman.

No one needs a fungi. But it's BIS for a shaman until Vindi BP in Velious. Shaman has the most expensive spell in the game, Torpor. Besides that, even your junk spells that you'll never cast cost 5k+. All the HP gear that you'll most likely want to use generally costs much more than wisdom gear, and then you have stuff like JBB at around 40k. Shaman is pretty expensive for a caster, again mainly because of Torpor which is essentially required at 60 and costs 100k+ I think about now, if you can even find it for sale.

[Nocsucow]

if you are going iksar you need to go sit in karnors for about a day and get you full jarsath for free most items are good for shaman the guants are one of the best you can get and legs are bye far the best

[Pan]

If I were starting a shaman (of any race), regen BP (whatever I could afford) would be my first purchase and then I'd stack as many HPs as I could with what I had left. That's enough to get you started w/o major frustration...the rest of the gear will show up when it does.

[Zeonick]

Iksar has the following problems:

* KOS to everything
* Missing alchemy vendor
* Worst starting stats
* No slam
* No stun immunity
* Can't use a bunch of equip, most importantly JBB and JBBP (for clickies that are useful all the way through Velious)

Definitely the weakest racial choice for a shaman, but Iksar do look cool.



I think the debate was over about 13 years ago when most people realized that focusing on HP gear made you a lot stronger and more flexible.



No one needs a fungi. But it's BIS for a shaman until Vindi BP in Velious. Shaman has the most expensive spell in the game, Torpor. Besides that, even your junk spells that you'll never cast cost 5k+. All the HP gear that you'll most likely want to use generally costs much more than wisdom gear, and then you have stuff like JBB at around 40k. Shaman is pretty expensive for a caster, again mainly because of Torpor which is essentially required at 60 and costs 100k+ I think about now, if you can even find it for sale.

Yeah if you get all that equip and every spell you may or may not need it will be expensive. But just gwt decent gear and an epic and instantly you're force to be reckoned with. All the other stuff will come in time, spell farming, seb groups, you dont neeed it to be a good shaman, that's all I'm saying.

[oldhead]

If I were starting a shaman (of any race), regen BP (whatever I could afford) would be my first purchase and then I'd stack as many HPs as I could with what I had left. That's enough to get you started w/o major frustration...the rest of the gear will show up when it does.

Simple yet solid advice.

[Gustoo]

Also be an ogre.

[doraf]

Make a necro or something. Something that doesn't need raid gear and the epic is too shitty to care about.

[oldhead]

Well, talk about demotivating. Logged into my Monk and my tstaff was gone. That is what I was gonna sell off to start over on a shaman. Put most of my eggs (plat) in that basket last time I played.

It's weird. Nothing else was gone. My char wasnt stripped at all. Still have 4 tink bags on him and some semi decent monk gear. Either someone log on him and just grabbed the staff or some bug ate it.

Checked my EC mule to make sure I didnt give to him to sell. Nope. Just like I remember him. Had some pocket change plat from selling my SK twink gear and some nick nacks

Check my other characters... nothing. Very strange. Fuck.

Can't imagine petitioning about something like this will bring any results.

[oldhead]

Just checked my logs. I indeed had it last time I logged off in Dreadlands. I was beating a drolvarg in the head with it.

Logged on today and my monk was in East Commons. Still had everything but the tstaff... even had the oynx that my log shows I picked up off the dead Drolvarg.

My account got hax0rd and they only took the staff sometime between...

[Tue Aug 14 21:26:17 2012] It will take about 5 more seconds to prepare your camp.
and
[Sat Jan 11 23:37:09 2014] You have entered East Commonlands.

[doraf]

A GM might be able to tell you who logged in your monk.

[oldhead]

A GM might be able to tell you who logged in your monk.

I put in a petition.. will see what happens.

Was kind of hoping I would be in EC tonight trying to sell my staff and buy stuff to twink with =/

[DrKvothe]

Iksar regen and small size are a huge plus. If you sell those tink bags, you've got more than enough to comfortably level to 60. I'm 56 with no jbb, and it wasn't particularly challenging. Epic + root is OP. If I had JBB, I'd probably have to slow the mob in nuking in case root breaks, and that's actually a huge mana cost when you're root/rotting 4 at once.

If you stick to cash spots til 45, you could probably get that extra 20k you'll need on top of tink bag 20k to purchase a JBB if you go another race. Don't discount barbarian. Between exp penalties and noob leveling quests, we level super fast.

Alchemy is a non issue. Halfling druid to 19, bind at halas alchemy shop, buy 1k pp charisma gear, still selfport to wc and do your crafting in tunnel. Plenty of enlightenment to help you skill up.

[Byrjun]

I agree that JBB doesn't help much at 56. It's a lot more powerful solo tool BEFORE you get epic and Paralyzing Earth. JBB becomes an incredibly useful tool again at 60 so you can actually do some dps to that 20k HP mob you're soloing (or as a way to destroy trash mobs without using buckets of mana constantly).

"small size" is irrelevant to a class that gets shrink as a class ability.

Regen bonus is nice, but it is yet another thing you'll realize isn't that important once you get 60 (with fungi, regrowth, and torpor, your racial regen will be insignificant).

The alchemy suggestion is just kinda funny. Sure, it's possible to do all that, but 1kpp worth of mats will last you for about 3 minutes of combines above 100 skill, if that.

[JayN]

iksar sk bro! im sure youll get 60 before/if velious ever comes out

[DrKvothe]

The alchemy suggestion is just kinda funny. Sure, it's possible to do all that, but 1kpp worth of mats will last you for about 3 minutes of combines above 100 skill, if that.

That was 1kpp worth of charisma gear. Really more like 800pp iirc. I get the same price on my 111 charisma druid that I get on my max faction barbarian with charisma buff.

Yeah, mat trips are much more expensive than 1kpp, obviously. I spent 5kpp just getting the mats to skill through the DS pots, which are pretty slow moving products. Still, the biggest sellers are SoW, IVU, and Shrink, none of which are particularly expensive to make, so I don't often need more than ~5kpp on that alt.

[HeallunRumblebelly]

I agree that JBB doesn't help much at 56. It's a lot more powerful solo tool BEFORE you get epic and Paralyzing Earth. JBB becomes an incredibly useful tool again at 60 so you can actually do some dps to that 20k HP mob you're soloing (or as a way to destroy trash mobs without using buckets of mana constantly).

"small size" is irrelevant to a class that gets shrink as a class ability.

Regen bonus is nice, but it is yet another thing you'll realize isn't that important once you get 60 (with fungi, regrowth, and torpor, your racial regen will be insignificant).

The alchemy suggestion is just kinda funny. Sure, it's possible to do all that, but 1kpp worth of mats will last you for about 3 minutes of combines above 100 skill, if that.

Gotta admit, though, once you get torpor jbb becomes not quite as big of a deal. pox / bane / epic are just wtf worthy dots.

[webrunner5]

I would go with a Cleric. Once Velious comes out there will be a BIG NEED for them with all the HP Velious mobs have. Complete Heal is a game breaker then.

There will not be the 40 second fights like in Kunark. And they are really not that much plat to equip. Regents can add up though. But they will REALLY be need for the long fights and raids chain healing. You said you like to group. They fit your need to a tee.

[Byrjun]

Gotta admit, though, once you get torpor jbb becomes not quite as big of a deal. pox / bane / epic are just wtf worthy dots.

Depends on the mob. Mana spent on pox / bane is still mana you need to spend time regenerating back. And if you're fighting a mob that does decent dps, you will need all of your mana to spend on torpor. I find JBB more time efficient than pox / bane a vast majority of the time, and time efficiency is really the main consideration as a 60 shaman.

Even if you are fighting something where you have the liberty to bane / pox, you probably have the ability to mix in some JBB clicks during dot ticks.

Basically, JBB is really useful and it'd suck to not be able to use it. It's not overrated.