Shaman Question

[fastboy21]

I am working on a limited budget, hate to spend money on things that I can't trade again (like spells, MQs, etc.).

My new shaman is currently lvl 56. I have about 90k saved up from just playing him (I don't want to borrow money from another toon or sell any items off the others).

Should I buy the shaman epic mq? Or just keep playing to 60 and buy torpor?

Ideally I will have enough money for both (I don't plan on guilding the shaman, so there is no chance of getting a legit tear), but currently I'm holding out. Over all, Torpor seems much more useful to me than the epic with the exception of solo'ing for exp. The only solo'ing I plan to do after 60 is for loot farming or helping friends out.

Thoughts? If you had to choose between epic and torpor, which would you take? Eventually, I'll get both so really asking which is worth getting first.

[Legidias]

Torpor for soloing big things, epic for xp / loots on lots of small things?

IMO epic to xp, and then save up / do VP wurms and get a torpor?

[Baler]

Get your epic, and search for a good price. If you got it today than it would carry you to 60 (your epic dot for root rotting) Then at 60 you can worry about torp.
Epic is anywhere from 40k to 80k now-a-days I believe. I remember when shm epic use to cost 10-15k tops.
Then if you do manage to find someone willing to sell it for a reasonable price it leaves you with plat for other spells (malo, bane, pox, avatar, etc)

[loramin]

I'd say it depends mainly on how fast you want to level. Your epic will flat out increase your leveling speed on anything you root/rot, which will make a big difference in 56-59.

On the other hand though, if you're leveling quickly enough already Torpor is definitely more powerful. So would you rather get through 56-59 faster or would you rather have the more powerful shaman when you hit 60?

Personally I'd do Torpor, but that's just because it took me forever to save up for it. If I knew I could earn another 60k plat fairly easily I'd do the Epic, because ultimately you'll want both and you'll get so much more mileage from the epic if you get it earlier on.

[Tuurin]

Join a guild that does fear and save yourself a bunch of cash. Then just get raid gear and a dropped torpor not even need the plat anyways.

Right, then use the 60 to twink a ranja like everybody else does :D

[commongood]

They’re both incredible features but no doubt once at 60 Torpor is by far more essential. Basically every single “shaman solo” camp, be that A4 in PoM, Crypt in Sebilis, Cliff Golems, WW dragons or something else is flat out impossible without Torpor. Most if not all are possible (if somewhat more tiresome/problematic) without epic.

Otoh like others have mentioned your leveling process from 55-60 will be solo-enabled and much, much easier and enjoyable with epic.

I bought child’s tear at lvl 47 and certainly never regretted it. I was then fortunate enough to be able to loan 100k for Torpor when I dinged 60. Took me about 2-3 months to farm plat with my epic/torpor shaman to pay it all back. And that was not playing the shaman every day or power farming all the time. Point is, a torpor shaman can farm 100k in a few months, a torporless epic shaman cannot (at least not by soloing). Make of that what you will :)

[fastboy21]

Thanks for the responses.

Pretty much where I am is that I am just going to level to 60 and buy/farm Torpor as a priority.

The main utility in having the epic is the ability to lvl easier, faster, and solo...but I'm enjoying the group game as it is and chugging along towards 60.

If I were to buy the epic now I would definitely not have another 80k for a Torpor most likely. On the other side, it seems that I can farm pp for the epic MQ relatively easily at 60 with Torpor.

The most tempting thing has been not selling stuff on other toons. When I rolled the shaman it was meant to be a "self-contained" alt. No twinking, etc. Overall, it has been much more fun this way...but the last few levels have been tempting me to dip into the bank.

Several folks have also PM'd me suggesting that I just join a guild and deguild after they give me my epic and torpor. I guess that's the easiest way, but I'm resisting that too...

[commongood]

Several folks have also PM'd me suggesting that I just join a guild and deguild after they give me my epic and torpor. I guess that's the easiest way, but I'm resisting that too...

Are you serious? I’m sorry but that’s incredibly poor form. I mean by all means I would suggest joining a guild and earning epic and torpor rather than having to buy them. But to deliberately have the intention of ditching that guild as soon as you’ve been awarded epic and torpor just seems strange and cynical as fuck. Do you specifically not want to be in a guild?

[fastboy21]

Are you serious? I’m sorry but that’s incredibly poor form. I mean by all means I would suggest joining a guild and earning epic and torpor rather than having to buy them. But to deliberately have the intention of ditching that guild as soon as you’ve been awarded epic and torpor just seems strange and cynical as fuck. Do you specifically not want to be in a guild?

I agree with you. I don't plan to do that either. I was just sharing some of the PMs I got.

one of them was actually from an officer in a guild saying that they needed new shamans and that I could always leave if I didn't enjoy the guild at any time (including after getting my torpor).

I did get some positive PMs too with actual ethical advice on how to farm a torpor.

[commongood]

Wow, yeah fair enough. To get back on topic;l: if you grouping Moreso than soloing then I’d agree on saving money for torpor.

[loramin]

one of them was actually from an officer in a guild saying that they needed new shamans and that I could always leave if I didn't enjoy the guild at any time (including after getting my torpor).

For years I went out of my way to avoid joining a guild on this server. I even went so far as to farm the plat for an epic MQ and got the server's help to take down Rak. So when I joined my guild, Anonymous, it was with one goal in mind: Torpor.

Unfortunately however Anon wasn't taking down Kunark dragons at the time, so I wound up selling a couple of fungis to get my Torpor. But where I'm going with this is that I could have quit as soon as I realized I wouldn't get Torpor, because I didn't join Anon to go to Plane of Sky, or Halls of Testing, or anywhere like that. But once I learned that I could get a feign death ring in Sky, or how easy it was to get a full suit of dragon armor, I stayed in.

So whatever guild made that offer (as long as they're not a loot council guild), my advice would be to give it a shot. Could be a (comparably) easy way to get Torpor, and/or it could get you some other cool pixels. Plus raiding as a shaman is fun :)

[Halfcell]

Just XP in Seb, always find out who is at emperor and try and talk yourself into the group, and when you get in, clear your schedule. From 56-60 you are bound to see Torpor drop at least twice. Between JBB's, Heiro cloaks, other spells, and the drops you get from other camps you group at while you wait you should have plenty of plat/trade for torpor if your dice suck and you don't win it outright. By leveling from 55 to 60 in Seb exclusively, and being amiable so people wanted me in their groups i left Seb at 60 with a JBB, Fungi, Heiro cloak, and Torpor, all without paying a dime for any of them. You can too.

[commongood]

Just XP in Seb, always find out who is at emperor and try and talk yourself into the group, and when you get in, clear your schedule. From 56-60 you are bound to see Torpor drop at least twice. Between JBB's, Heiro cloaks, other spells, and the drops you get from other camps you group at while you wait you should have plenty of plat/trade for torpor if your dice suck and you don't win it outright. By leveling from 55 to 60 in Seb exclusively, and being amiable so people wanted me in their groups i left Seb at 60 with a JBB, Fungi, Heiro cloak, and Torpor, all without paying a dime for any of them. You can too.

That's actually excellent advice. That's what I wish I had done but having small kids and playing at odd times, soloing just suited me better so I very rarely got to commit to a group. If you're able to group frequently I would definitely level to 60 like suggested.