Please help me choose a race for my shaman.

[abyssalstalker]

The XP penalty shouldnt even be a consideration. What you pay for in time to level up, you gain in permanent natural regeneration and enhanced natural armor class. This honestly yields more XP since less downtime recovering HP. Foraging is nice too.

I played a human necro up to the 50's without knowing about the iksar regen. Once I learned, I immediately rerolled. You're playing EQ... you're in this game for the long haul. Why gimp yourself over a few extra days of leveling difference, if that?