Returning Beastlord, unsure what to roll?

[Cillaz]

Hi all
An ex Beastlord from Stromm back to relive the old days! I've been lurking on the forums and watched a few streams/YouTube vids trying to decide what to play but decided to post and ask some Q's.
I'm on holiday for another week but will start to play once I'm back, but my main Q is that I used to be a bst, but can't play one in P99. What should I play now? I don't know enough about P99 yet to know if there are lots of groups around or if I'll have to solo etc so that could impact the decision.
I made a necro on the progression server years ago and got to 51, but not sure i wanna go nec again. I like monks and played one to 53 before rolling my bst, way back when, but it would be hard from scratch if there's not much grouping in P99. My other thoughts are druid/sham/chanter. I like pets and all of these classes can charm to get me one.
Anyways I'm rambling, but any suggestions for an old Beastlord on what to play, instead of me making 6 diff chars and taking them to 15-20 and then deciding.
Also if anyone from Stromm/Inverse Logic play here now that remember me, pm and say hello!!

[Cillaz]

Forgot to mention, I'm not interested in mages, despite them being regarded as the pet class!

[DrKvothe]

Druid's a safe bet, because if you don't end up liking the playstyle it gives you a port whore alt whenever you're waiting for something on your main (camp to open up, friend to log on, etc.).

Beyond that safe (but probably less enjoyable) choice, enchanter seems to be the most powerful pet class in p99. Go DE chanter with all points in charisma.

[Lojik]

It's not too hard to get groups, tbh i'd recommend monk. Fun class.

[Somekid123]

Druid has solo capability, finds groups a lot more easier 1-50 then would 50-60 [All though mobs fleeing in dungeons has opened up druids getting invited for there Ensnare].

More importantly, if you decide on an alt or a new main after druid, that druid can farm a lot of gear to either sell for plat to buy or straight put on alt.

[Rhambuk]

Welcome.

There is a decent amount of grouping going on, pretty much in every level range maybe a little tougher in the high 20's low 30s low 40s...its been a while but i know people still group.

youll see a lot of posts about stupid squabbling in low level zones and powerlevelers but its nothing to get too discouraged over.

as far as class id say monk if you like to melee like your bst, if you really like pets obviously necro because mages are one trick ponies.

just depends if you want to dps or heal or solo really.

[loramin]

Maybe I'm biased (with a Shaman as my main), but ...

* Beastlords were a Monk/Shaman hybrid, so if you don't want to play Monk then Shaman would seem like the next logical choice
* Shaman are the only class out of the ones you listed with a summonable and controllable pet (Druids and Enchanters can both charm pets, and Enchanters get a non-controllable summonable pet)
* Shaman are awesome in the Project 1999 era (and, especially at the higher levels, are awesome soloers)

[Rhambuk]

nothing in p99 is going to match how OP beastlords were on live.

best pets, great buffs/heals, good personal dps etc etc.

it would be easier to focus on a niche, healing/tanking/dps and picking a class that way than trying to find one that reminds you of bst imo

[dractus]

Monk or druid!

[Vayder]

nothing in p99 is going to match how OP beastlords were on live.

When was this?

[koros]

When was this?

+1

[Cillaz]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll go with a druid, I'm still tempted by a monk or sham, but think a druid will be good to learn about P99, with solo/group ability and easy travel with ports/sow. Then I can always have a monk or sham alt later on if I don't like the druid. And I've never played a druid, so will be a nice challenge too. And I can charm a pet when I miss my wolf!!
On the OP subject, at 70 I did some tests with my Mage friend I played with. Fully self buffed, both pets with full Mage summoned gear, his water and air pet always beat mine. Just pet on pet. Once I got around 100 AA and had good crits and double attack (via AAs) the self DPS was good, but before that, bst mele was nothing special. Around 20-40 I remember the pet being powerful, but into the 50's it evened out and to me the bst felt strong but not OP. but that was 9-10 years ago

[Tikku82]

Druids and monks are overplayed. Go Ranger.

[Wudan]

SHAMAN.

great soloer
important in groups and raids
epic is very easy to get
great first class for p99

[fadetree]

Real men play Rangers. Plus you get to wear tights.

[fishingme]

You will never have a hard time with being a chanter.

[DrKvothe]

Melee is an important part of leveling until at least 24 for shaman. For ~2kpp, you can get a poison wind censer that will dramatically ease your leveling experience. The same is true for bards, for example. 500pp gets you a sionache's partisan (9/19) that dramatically improves the rate of leveling until you hit 18 and can start kiting hard. Etc. etc. for all classes that like to hit things when they're young.

Additionally, any character that uses mostly white damage will be 21% more efficient with a FBSS (12k pp). I would avoid too much alt-ing until you have one you can pass along to your new chars.

I'd stick with druid. At 19, you start getting self ports and a decent heal and you can zoom around the world and try any dungeon you want to bring back the warm glow of nostalgia of p99 dungeon crawling. If you do HHK goblins from 24 or so to 34, you'll make a couple thousand plat off bronze and selling ore to players. From 29+, you can make tons of dough porting. Just bind where you're leveling, and whenever anyone in zone needs a port you can provide it then gate back. You'll be surprised how much some people will tip.

Its not like the time you spend on your druid will be a waste, even if you eventually decide not to continue him. 1) You're going to have a lot of fun. 2) You're going to make a lot of plat. 3) You're going to relearn how to play the game. I don't know how much 3 applies to you, but I bet it applies at least a little.

[Wrench]

When was this?

played a bst on live till 63

haste, slow, semi-decent tanking and melee damage, pet with proc buff, large pet heal, mana and heath regen line, tons of other stat buffs

cc was about only missing thing, but could handle multiples like a champ

[Nordenwatch]

depends honestly on how dedicated you want to be to the game. Shamans are absolutely terrible for the first 25 or so levels, but they're arguable the best class in the game for plat generation at 60, torpor + canni is a pretty overpowered mechanic if you ask me.

Druids on the other hand, very fun for the first 50 or so levels. pretty decent healers until clerics get complete heal, ports will make you some money. However end game, druids get shafted in all sorts of ways. You wont see many druids in a group in HS or Sebilis, hope you like karnors!

[Elements]

Shaman and enchanter are both solid choices. Monk too. I wouldnt recomend druid unless you want to reroll at 50 and have a pocket porter.

[Yinikren]

A druid is never a *bad* thing to have, it is always nice when you save the day for someone because you are grouping in CoM or some out of the way place and a melee in your group dies and is bound on the mainland and you've got the main or alt to rescue him.

The sheer utility that a midlevel druid gives is more than enough reason to start on the server with one, even if he isn't your main later. I believe all the useful ports come by 34 or 39, so it isn't even a heavy time investment if you decide the class isn't for you.

[Sadre Spinegnawer]

if you roll a shaman, you will get good groups in hard camps. Shamans are the Sham-pagne of classic classes.

And I say that as an enchanter. the Champale of eq classes.