Halfling Warrior

[Makken]

I want to roll a halfling warrior as an alt. But before I sink time into this unconventional choice, would this combination be viable end game? Could a halfling main tank a raid?! If you have an end game halfling warrior, post photos of their awesome tufted feet!!

[Keebz]

My halfling warrior is unreasonably fun. Perfectly viable end game.

[sajbert]

It's been said a hundred times over. Race really doesn't matter much. There may be the odd raid fight where size is an issue if you don't have AoN or such. Frontal stun immunity may help you apply aggro a bit faster but there's nothing that can't be tanked by other races and it's not uncommon to see raid tanks that aren't ogres.

Most of the benefits of racial choice affect solo or small group. Whatever disadvantages Halflings have are IMO made up for by not having an XP penalty and even an XP boost, so many players never make it to 60 as the time investment is huge. Hide and in particular sneak is very nice, huge QoL. Not being hated everywhere is quite nice too. Stat disadvantage isn't that bad either with Velious gear being available. With BIS-gear all stats more or less will be capped.

[Jimjam]

Since your focus is on end game viability, yes they are viable.

Here are my feet, but boots are on. Sorry. Also not end game either. A couple of 'steps' before that.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Halfling Warriors used to have a unique advantage compared to other Warrior races on P99. They could do something called sneak pulling, where you could pull single mobs while sneaking (all halflings get sneak as a racial bonus). That was removed years ago, so halflings no longer have this benefit sadly. That was a good reason to go Halfling Warrior when sneak pulling was a thing.

Sneak still has some benefits for a Warrior. It does allow you to buy/sell from merchants you wouldn't normally be able to if you are sneaking and interacting with them from behind. You can also turn in quests this way if the faction requirement is indifferent or lower.

If are set on playing a small race Warrior, I would suggest Gnome if you don't hate their look. Gnomes Warriors get https://wiki.project1999.com/Clockwork_Watchman_Vambraces , which is a rechargable 40% spell haste clickie. This means you can get up to 81% haste yourself with worn haste + spell haste. Out of the three small races, that is probably the best perk in 2025.

Any race can Warrior raid tank, you just need good enough gear and the proper knowledge for the encounters.

[PatChapp]

Go gnome, buy clockwork clicky arms. Have maximum fun. Any race is fine,means almost nothing end game. Ogar is overrated

[Makken]

He’s amazing. Brings a tear to my eye.

[Makken]

Thanks for the info! I will consider gnome—love the Velious plate for gnomes.

[PatChapp]

Thanks for the info! I will consider gnome—love the Velious plate for gnomes.

For reference on the arms,I leveled a cleric with them recently just hit 50. Mostly solo and 100% uptime(while xping) on the haste buff,I went through exactly 2 stacks. At a cost of roughly 1000p per stack they are very economical.

[Makken]

Maybe a stupid question, but does it matter how I allocate points between starting stats if it all maxes out end game? I know common wisdom is if you roll a gnome or halfling dump it all in STA. But does it hurt to put like five points in STR?

[Keebz]

Definitely put most of your points in STA. 5-10 STR to make your life easier early going is fine. That being said, given it's Velious era, I'd personally just get some cheap STR jewelery / items to hold me over.

Gotta be honest with yourself about the character though. Are you rushing to the end game (what I'd be doing) or are you gonna spend the next year or two savoring the journey? If the former, consider min maxing, if the latter, do what lets you enjoy the ride.

[Samoht]

As a Halfling Warrior, max out STA. FoS + VoG will max out your STR/DEX while raiding.

[kjs86z2]

gnome is kinda master race w/ arms and wallhax but halfling is baller

race doesnt matter its velious in 2025

[Goregasmic]

For warriors sta is a no brainer since you're the class that gets the most out of it not only in hp per sta but in functionality too.

But for your question, you're not going to max out everything if you're not doing a lot of high end velious raiding for a significant time or have permanent access to raid buffs so starting points can require some consideration depending on your class and your goals.

[Jimjam]

OP what do you mean when you say endgame?

[kjs86z2]

OP what do you mean when you say endgame?

7k hp club

[Makken]

OP what do you mean when you say endgame?

It is a good question what I mean by "endgame." I guess I used that term in two senses. In my first post, what I really meant was will I eventually have to give up the character because they can't hang in the role of warrior meaningfully after a certain point. But I take the comments thus far to mean I won't--all races are viable even at the highest difficulty of content.

In my second post about stat allocation, I used endgame to refer to a point at which characters are maxing out all stats meaningful for their classes. Probably what I mean is with max-level priest buffs in a solid group / raid, will it matter if I spend five of my 25 starting points in STR. I again take the answer to be no.

[kjs86z2]

It is a good question what I mean by "endgame." I guess I used that term in two senses. In my first post, what I really meant was will I eventually have to give up the character because they can't hang in the role of warrior meaningfully after a certain point. But I take the comments thus far to mean I won't--all races are viable even at the highest difficulty of content.

In my second post about stat allocation, I used endgame to refer to a point at which characters are maxing out all stats meaningful for their classes. Probably what I mean is with max-level priest buffs in a solid group / raid, will it matter if I spend five of my 25 starting points in STR. I again take the answer to be no.

in the end game race matters less than at char creation / leveling untwinked

vulak was killed in kunark gear, its all fashionquest in 2025

[Jimjam]

In answer to part b) an ogre will reach end game a little sooner, but the gear needed to max stats (with buff support) isn’t too heinous, even as a halfling. It is a bit trickier for a halfling to max without buffs though.

[Botten]

Agreed.

With the age of this game and research...

Everything has been done before, especially in the beginning when choosing stats and race.

At this point play what is fun and fashion quest.

May I suggest Dex warrior sprinkled with a little wood elf action.
Min slash maxing doesn't really matter.

[Samoht]

In answer to part b) an ogre will reach end game a little sooner, but the gear needed to max stats (with buff support) isn’t too heinous, even as a halfling. It is a bit trickier for a halfling to max without buffs though.

There are many choices for Warrior race that are worse than Halfling. I will not stand for this racism.

[Samoht]

Warrior Race Tiers

S tier:
Ogre (STATS/stun)

A+ tier:
Troll (stats/regen)

A tier:
Barbarian (stats)
Dwarf (stats)
Iksar (regen)

B tier:
Halfling
Gnome (haste)
Human

Elf tier:
Wood Elf
Dark Elf
Half-Elf

[DeathsSilkyMist]

In my second post about stat allocation, I used endgame to refer to a point at which characters are maxing out all stats meaningful for their classes. Probably what I mean is with max-level priest buffs in a solid group / raid, will it matter if I spend five of my 25 starting points in STR. I again take the answer to be no.

All races can be stat capped on STR and DEX easily with buffs. Avatar + FoS is around 160 STR and DEX. I think the lowest starting STR/DEX is 65 or 70, so any naked race with those buffs has at least 220 STR and DEX before gear. Velious melee gear will easily give you those last 35 points (or less if your race starts with more) in both.

STA only gets +50 from Riotous Health, so STA is generally the better stat to dump into for endgame. You can also get +20 STA from Primal Essence, a clickie buff Shamans get from Hammer of the Dragonborn. But that doesn't stack with Avatar. You usually don't see Warriors asking for Primal Essence. That being said, Velious gear tends to be generous with STA, so you will eventually cap that too if you go full BiS.

Putting points into CHA is the only stat you are guaranteed not to cap as a Warrior. So you can do that if you are worried. CHA is used for a spell called Divine Intervention, which gives you a chance to not die if you normally would based on your CHA.

[kjs86z2]

cha war is only for the sweatiest of the sweatlords

[Makken]

Putting points into CHA is the only stat you are guaranteed not to cap as a Warrior. So you can do that if you are worried. CHA is used for a spell called Divine Intervention, which gives you a chance to not die if you normally would based on your CHA.

Thanks, DeathSilkyMist! I have not been worried about CHA or capping every stat. But that might be a product of my ignorance. I am particularly focused on STA (for taking hits) and STR (for hitting and holding aggro). And I guess maybe DEX and AGI to a lesser extent. But you raise a good point about the assumptions l am making about what is important.

[Makken]

Warrior Race Tiers

S tier:
Ogre (STATS/stun)

A+ tier:
Troll (stats/regen)

A tier:
Barbarian (stats)
Dwarf (stats)
Iksar (regen)

B tier:
Halfling
Gnome (haste)
Human

Elf tier:
Wood Elf
Dark Elf
Half-Elf

Samoht, if the metric is FashionQuest and generally looking badass, does Elf Tier flip to the top? I watched a female wood elf tank Brother Quinn with a Blade of Strategy and a silver bucket on her head a couple months ago, and she looked really cool (bucket and all).

[kjs86z2]

fashion > any tier list

[Jimjam]

Thanks, DeathSilkyMist! I have not been worried about CHA or capping every stat. But that might be a product of my ignorance. I am particularly focused on STA (for taking hits) and STR (for hitting and holding aggro). And I guess maybe DEX and AGI to a lesser extent. But you raise a good point about the assumptions l am making about what is important.

From my understanding Str doesn’t help for aggro.

[Keebz]

Yea, STR is mainly useful for being able to carry all your crap without being encumbered (a set of plate armor, clickies, proc weapons, etc.). DPS is a distant secondary concern. Aggro is unrelated.

As you level, STR becomes less and less useful, meanwhile STA just gets better and better.

[CrazyPro]

fashion > any tier list

ogre is best fashion soooooooo

[CrazyPro]

Maybe a stupid question, but does it matter how I allocate points between starting stats if it all maxes out end game? I know common wisdom is if you roll a gnome or halfling dump it all in STA. But does it hurt to put like five points in STR?

str is arguably the easiest stat to max with gear
dump everything into sta and never look back

[sajbert]

With silly amounts of raid gear sta gets capped even without raid buffs as a war of ant race. Charisma is arguably therefore endgame minmax stat.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Thanks, DeathSilkyMist! I have not been worried about CHA or capping every stat. But that might be a product of my ignorance. I am particularly focused on STA (for taking hits) and STR (for hitting and holding aggro). And I guess maybe DEX and AGI to a lesser extent. But you raise a good point about the assumptions l am making about what is important.

TLDR: if you are a min/maxer with the goal of full best in slot gear, dump points into CHA. Otherwise dump points into STA. Only put points into STR or DEX if you want a bit of help in the early/mid game, at the cost of not using those points in the endgame due to being stat capped. Don't put points into AGI*, WIS, or INT.

*There is an exception to AGI if you are a race that starts with less than 75 AGI, like Ogre. You get a penalty to AC if you have less than 75 AGI, so some people like putting 5 points into AGI on an Ogre so they don't have to rely on having a piece of AGI gear or a buff.

[Makken]

From my understanding Str doesn’t help for aggro.

Wait, wouldn’t STR help with aggro because it increases damage output? I am learning a lot today . . . What is the determining factor for aggro—taunt?

[PatChapp]

Wait, wouldn’t STR help with aggro because it increases damage output? I am learning a lot today . . . What is the determining factor for aggro—taunt?

The damage you do actually doesn't matter for threat,white damage agro is equal per swing. Hit,miss,riposted back at you doesn't matter. All produce the same threat,it's something like weapon dmg +dmg bonus per swing

[DeathsSilkyMist]

The damage you do actually doesn't matter for threat,white damage agro is equal per swing. Hit,miss,riposted back at you doesn't matter. All produce the same threat,it's something like weapon dmg +dmg bonus per swing

Correct. EQEMU code says this too:

https://github.com/EQEmu/Server/blob/cb866cba31eaaf03a779952c50fcbf9f4d6f5466/zone/attack.cpp#L1733


// Hate Generation is on a per swing basis, regardless of a hit, miss, or block, its always the same.



When you exclude all of the out-of-era hate bonuses like bane damage, so far I only see base weapon damage + damage bonus for hate per swing.

Wait, wouldn’t STR help with aggro because it increases damage output? I am learning a lot today . . . What is the determining factor for aggro—taunt?

For Warriors, your most reliable form of generating agro is weapon swings + weapon procs.

Taunt is not guaranteed, and only puts you at the top of the agro list if you weren't there already. Not to say you should never use taunt. It's just not something you'd hinge a raid on. Consistency is key.

[Keebz]

Sakuragi's guide (https://wiki.project1999.com/Sakuragi%27s_Warrior_Guide#The_Mathematics_of_Thre at_Generation) and the wiki (https://wiki.project1999.com/Aggro#Hate_Management) have some good bits for explaining how aggro works. NOTE: Sakuragi's guide is great, but from the Kunark era, when end game gear was a lot shittier so he tends to value DEX way more than you need to at this point in Velious.

[Makken]

All good stuff and extremely helpful! The P99 community is coming through for my halfling warrior (rolled him last night and gave him a silly culinary-adjacent name that I hope Mayor Gubbin would be proud of—Ladle). Say hi if you see me around!

[kjs86z2]

All good stuff and extremely helpful! The P99 community is coming through for my halfling warrior (rolled him last night and gave him a silly culinary-adjacent name that I hope Mayor Gubbin would be proud of—Ladle). Say hi if you see me around!

See you in two years for the 3:30 am batphone.

[Jimjam]

All good stuff and extremely helpful! The P99 community is coming through for my halfling warrior (rolled him last night and gave him a silly culinary-adjacent name that I hope Mayor Gubbin would be proud of—Ladle). Say hi if you see me around!

Welcome to the Leatherfoot Raiders, Ladle. You’re in good company.

[TheRusty]

Maybe a stupid question, but does it matter how I allocate points between starting stats if it all maxes out end game? I know common wisdom is if you roll a gnome or halfling dump it all in STA. But does it hurt to put like five points in STR?

It doesn't matter in the least. You can cram all 25 starting points into Intelligence and still do just fine. The only thing you'll notice is that you spend a little more money to pad out your physicals with leveling gear. And depending on your bankroll you might not even notice that.

A halfling Warrior begins life with:
STR 80
STA 85
AGI 100
DEX 90
This is WITHOUT putting the 25 starting points anywhere.

Now if we're talking End Game, congratulations you beat all the bosses and are just farming for new guildies stuff?

You'll end up with
STR 287
STA 294
AGI 165
DEX 197
(Based on the warrior velious raiding gear list from the wiki.)

ADD ON SHAMAN BUFFS!
STR 357
STA 344
AGI 217
DEX 257

And of course a pile of Hit Points, Armor Class, resists, etc on top of all these stats. Of course anything above 255 is wasted.

So if you really absolutely want to minmax your halfling warrior for the bleeding edge end game? I guess you'll put those 25 starting points into Agility, actually, since that's where you'll end up below 255 (though, again, you can probably get there with some gear swaps ANYWAY)

It doesn't matter, if you're focused on end game content (and if you are, you're probably getting help leveling and so don't need to worry about whether you can clobber an ice Bone Skeleton with sufficient efficiency)

[Duik]

A lil off topic but when people say vulak (for example) was beaten with (what was largely) kunark gear were all (main tanking) warriors ogres then? Did a few other classes suffice?

Or does the "any race can MT" mantra only apply to 5 years of Velious gearing.

[Jimjam]

A lil off topic but when people say vulak (for example) was beaten with (what was largely) kunark gear were all (main tanking) warriors ogres then? Did a few other classes suffice?

Or does the "any race can MT" mantra only apply to 5 years of Velious gearing.

Half elf

[Duik]

YAY 12342!

[sajbert]

It doesn't matter in the least. You can cram all 25 starting points into Intelligence and still do just fine. The only thing you'll notice is that you spend a little more money to pad out your physicals with leveling gear. And depending on your bankroll you might not even notice that.

A halfling Warrior begins life with:
STR 80
STA 85
AGI 100
DEX 90
This is WITHOUT putting the 25 starting points anywhere.

Now if we're talking End Game, congratulations you beat all the bosses and are just farming for new guildies stuff?

You'll end up with
STR 287
STA 294
AGI 165
DEX 197
(Based on the warrior velious raiding gear list from the wiki.)

ADD ON SHAMAN BUFFS!
STR 357
STA 344
AGI 217
DEX 257

And of course a pile of Hit Points, Armor Class, resists, etc on top of all these stats. Of course anything above 255 is wasted.

So if you really absolutely want to minmax your halfling warrior for the bleeding edge end game? I guess you'll put those 25 starting points into Agility, actually, since that's where you'll end up below 255 (though, again, you can probably get there with some gear swaps ANYWAY)

It doesn't matter, if you're focused on end game content (and if you are, you're probably getting help leveling and so don't need to worry about whether you can clobber an ice Bone Skeleton with sufficient efficiency)
Agility appears to be incredibly marginally useful. Probably better to slap those points into Charisma for cleric DI. If you solo then I'd be better to slap those points into dex to get that primal proc faster. Added bonus, faster hammer proc to get a pickup at hammer hill.