Started a warrior

[Ratmonkey20]

I have already started a cleric, and love playing P99. It's awesome being back in a real mmorpg again. The other night I got on, and spent 20 minutes LFG as a cleric in EC, and decided it was time to create a warrior. I've never actually played a warrior past maybe 30 in current live (not even close to the same...especially with merc) and maybe level 6 back in original Kunark. So I'm curious of your opinions...

I started a Halfling Warrior. Maxed Stamina out. And am at level 6. Loving it so far. I did this because, if I understand correctly, a halfling warrior is the fastest leveling character in the game? And even if it's not, it's still fun to play a short person, and a more unusual combination. Heck, I'm playing a CT Erudite Cleric for that matter.

Ok. Go.

[NegaStoat]

Edit - I recant from my shameful ways. I'm a firm supporter of stamina now, at least on a halfling warrior. A goal of reaching up to +50 strength on good / cheap items from EC is very possible. The 110 stamina with the base 80 strength is a hard start to screw up with.

+3 strength earrings (+6 total, 60pp), sebilite scale cap (+4 str, 300pp), seb scale bracelet / kylong wrist guards (+4 str, +8 total, 2-300pp each), sarnak hide mask (+5 str, 150pp), seb scale shoulders (+4 str, 3-350pp), werewolf hide cloak (+3 str, 150-200pp), crafted arms (+1 str), crafted legs (+1 str), crafted hands (+5 str), thick banded belt (+15 str, but 3k cost).

+37 strength in items with short term goals to obtain, +52 strength when the thick banded belt is purchased. Not much of a drop on total AC value worn either.

The halfling starts play with a base 90 Dex. Others will chime in with more experience how important dex is, but honest, that's not a horrid starting value either.

[kaev]

I'm pretty sure that Strength has no effect at all on melee agro generation. It's swings rather than hits, and weapon base damage(*) rather than actual damage done. There's also a modifier for 2handers that reduces their agro.

Dunno where you come up with that 150 cap on STA.

To repeat, STR affects damage done and the weight you can carry, but NOT agro.



(*) Can't recall offhand whether the damage bonus that all melees & hybrids (except Bard) get for primary hand & 2handers at L28+ figures into agro generation or not.

[NegaStoat]

The soft cap of 150 I mentioned was on strength, not stamina. I know stamina isn't capped.

As for aggro and strength, I stand corrected. I was under the assumption that Strength helped determine if an attack actually hits for damage (it does), but I was not aware that threat is developed for attacks merely being attempted - regardless of if they hit or not. If missed hits still develop threat based on the raw stats of the weapon being swung, then I was woefully ignorant of it working that way for the server.

Strength is still especially useful for a large span of time a warrior is not tanking, and is in a group for DPS. Not to mention it being useful for solo hunting as well.

[captnamazing]

As a level 60 halfling warrior, allow me to sweep aside all infidels and commend your choice. Welcome brother, let us rise up against all foes of the Vale and bathe their children in the spent blood of their fathers.

As Stoat said, don't play this class/race combo for the exp bonus. Unless you have about 200k to throw on your warrior at level 1, you will almost never be soloing. The exp bonus would be awesome, if we were a solo capable class. But, we are not. The bonus merely balances out the inevitable party penalties you will suffer by grouping with the lesser races.

I cannot emphasize how great it is to have sneak and hide. Hide, allowing you to go invis safely in many a dangerous zone. Sneak, to slip by your foes, to pull single mobs in a packed dungeon, or later, to wander the streets of Neriak, slaughtering guards, then sneak behind their merchants and sell them the weapons of their defenders.

You made a good choice emphasizing STA. At later levels, it is no difficulty to get above 200 STR in a group setting. With the clicky buff from cobalt boots, I always have 190. I did 20 STA, 5 STR. If I could do it again, I'd probably put that 5 STR into DEX.

Why? Because DEX affects how often your weapons proc. This is essentially how you will maintain aggro after your mid 30's. So, find some DEX gear in the meantime.

Your small stature will prove useful time and time again. You can slip through tiny cracks in dungeons, get into the Hole without needing a key. The only time I wish I was a size larger is while tanking in Plane of Sky.

Halfling is really a great warrior race. I can see why Ogre is better for a min/maxer perspective. Frontal stun immunity is nice. But if you play this game for the enjoyment of less common/obvious characters, then you are in for a treat.

Good luck.

[Jimjam]

If I rerolled my halfling warrior I'd prolly go 20 sta 5 dex too. Having a natural 105 dex would be helpful. I'd be tempted to dump it all into dex if I was aiming for 205 long game.

Sadly it seems you can't single pull by hitting hide and then taunting through a wall/round a corner anymore. However, now you can hit sneak and throw a forged javelin instead to minimise adds when pulling from a cluster. Sneak also gives you access to more merchants and quests.

Halflings have access to some decent cultural armour if you want it (but you have to pay a dwarf for it).

They have a handy default bind too, Misty Thicket has a huge traffic of druids passing through, and if you die you can often get a port back to where you were within minutes. That's a decent perk until you rebind. Rivervale also includes a lot of tradeskill options that are useful to a warrior and an ore merchant right next to the forge so you don't need to worry about encumbrance so much while smithing.

[kaev]

The soft cap of 150 I mentioned was on strength, not stamina. I know stamina isn't capped.

...

Ah, yeah, misread that, sorry.

Dunno where you came up with that 150 cap for STR :p


Also, Filbus is right, even if he is a dirty little haffer.

[Ratmonkey20]

So more questions relative to a Warrior. I've been reading forum posts, and if I'm understanding correctly, warriors aren't wanted as much in groups as say a Paladin or a Shadow Knight? At least not until end game? I certainly may never make it to end game, and have typically just enjoyed grouping along the way. Should I consider rolling paladin/SK? Would this help me to get groups as a tank, more than warrior? If true, then my next roll would be Erudite SK =P

Thanks!

[Gaunja]

Halflings are the superior warrior race!! :)

[krilla]

In my experience, nobody is going to stress over whether you're a warrior, SK or pally in the 1-50 game. The catch is, warriors have trouble generating enough aggro to tank effectively. If you go warrior, it's your responsibility to have weapons that proc, for aggro purposes. Otherwise your whole group is gonna have a bad time.

That's all I know.

[captnamazing]

In my experience, nobody is going to stress over whether you're a warrior, SK or pally in the 1-50 game. The catch is, warriors have trouble generating enough aggro to tank effectively. If you go warrior, it's your responsibility to have weapons that proc, for aggro purposes. Otherwise your whole group is gonna have a bad time.

That's all I know.


As Krilla says, you'll be needing proc weapons. There are different ones that proc at different levels. You could dual wield the Smoldering Brand and Iksar Berserker Club (800pp for both) and get some procs til level 25 or so, then you can get Obsidian Shards, which do a DD/AC Debuff. Then when you hit 36 you DW Yaks and can actually be a good tank.

Or get a haste item and hold aggro with weapons like lammies. That works too for a while.

Don't be discouraged if you aren't holding aggro over epic rogues.

[Jimjam]

In my experience, nobody is going to stress over whether you're a warrior, SK or pally in the 1-50 game. The catch is, warriors have trouble generating enough aggro to tank effectively. If you go warrior, it's your responsibility to have weapons that proc, for aggro purposes. Otherwise your whole group is gonna have a bad time.

That's all I know.

I don't find the aggro problem is much of a problem in a group if the group works well as a team.

edit:
Some weapons you can acquire whilst XPing: Polished Granite Tomahawk, Highpass (the rune-type effect is moderate aggro and pads your tanking. I used this in offhand during my teens). Attainable early teens.
Iksar Berserker's Club is attainable mid/late teens, Kurns tower (more of a dps weapon, really but worth picking up anyway. The +str/ac/dex buff is nice but doesn't really add much aggro).
Obsidian Shards can be picked up early 20s, Soldunga (Procs a small direct damage and some -AC on the enemy. I found the IBC was roughly the same aggro as these just because it has such a better ratio).
Once you are 36 you can 'help out' on a rogue epic kill in Kithicor for an Scimitar of Ykesha. Procs the hallowed 0.0sec stun + DD which is excellent aggro. Thinking about it you can probably pull the same stunt in steamfont on the Renux kill to get a Trochilic's Skean (though you may need to pay for loot rights on this one).
At 40ish you can hit up City of Mist and wait for a Kunzar Ku'juch to drop (snare/dot is decent aggro, but be careful when using this in a group that is relying on mez. Also remember it won't work on rooted mobs./edit

This said, if you have money and are willing to spend it the first thing you want to invest in is the best weapons you can afford.

Many classes that can generate a lot of hate also have ways of controlling their hate generation. If the warrior is really struggling simply rooting the mob (so it attacks the closest player - the warrior) is pretty effective. If someone is really twinked out not co-operating... there is a good chance they are twinked out with a fungi and can tank better than you anyway.

I've not had a problem finding groups on my warrior, and often receive tells from strangers asking me to come tank for them even if I'm not LFG.

[Gaunja]

What above poster said about LFG. If you are a good tank, people will seek you out.

[Ratmonkey20]

Awesome, well thanks for the information guys, you have belayed my fears and I'll continue to enjoy playing my warrior. Infact, I spent a bit of time last night playing ;-)

Thanks!