Would I regret starting P99 as a Human Druid?

[Rallon]

Hi all,

All the buzz around Ragefire reminded me about Project 1999, so I want to roll up and play old-school EQ, albeit much more casually than I could as a kid the first time around.

My very first character the first time around was a Human druid, though I ended up switching servers and rolling a Wood Elf Bard to play with a friend before too long. I still remember scraping together enough cash to afford the spell that summons the little light item so I could find my way through the tunnel in and out of Surefall Glade as a blind human. I'm thinking about going Human Druid all over again, but I've seen a lot of advice from skimming the forums to suggest that the Freeport side of the world is much preferable to Qeynos-land for new players.

Will I doom myself by going Human Druid down in Surefall? I'm not particularly worried about end-game min-max concerns - more about being all alone and unable to put together money for spells.

Is this a bad idea - should I look elsewhere as somebody starting fresh and copper-less, or are folks just suggesting Freeport for easy access to buffs in EC?

Thanks!
--Rallon

[Tann]

I'll add the word Half Elf, or Half-Elf, to this. So that we can summon the all mighty.

[Yumyums Inmahtumtums]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

[Jimjam]

But is there a velious plate helm for half elf druids?

[Danth]

While Humans aren't the top Druid race, ultimately race doesn't affect Druids all that much, so there's nothing wrong with your preference. Levels 1-8 are fairly rough for any kind of Druid because you lack meditate. Once you can start killing things like willowisps successfully you'll have sufficient money for your spells, and Druids don't particularly need much in the way of equipment at low through mid levels.

Night blindness isn't much of an issue on P1999; the client used here (Titanium) has a built-in night brightener that works in outdoor areas so Humans get by much more easily than they did historically. A few dark indoor areas (such as Befallen) are quite dark without a light source, but there aren't many and you don't usually have to worry about it. Save a lightstone for use as a light source. At very low levels you can just use a torch or lantern you can buy for a few silver or gold off a vendor; you won't immediately have anything better to put in your offhand anyway.

As you suspect, Freeport is popular mostly for access to buffs and possibly newbie hand-outs. If you wish to relocate to Freeport, you get an invisibility spell right away at level 5 so that's trivially easy, too--not fast, but plenty safe. Be sure to get a bind if you do this. Note that the Druid spell merchants aren't particularly close to Freeport; I think Rivervale is closest.

Danth

[Kutsumo]

Just FYI, with the titanium client human "blindness" is barely noticeable. It's a little bit dimmer than the ultravision classes. No need to regret human b/c of sight, at least.

[B4EQWASCOOL]

I can't imagine a better race than halfling for a first character druid for the xp bonus alone.

[Tuljin]

Human is a fine race for druid. Roll 15 wis and 15 sta for nice balanced stats.

[kaev]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

dawww... Kaev was last seen staring at the Seb bubble in TT, haven't logged him in some time now, and he's my only Half-elf char. My druid is Human, and I'm told he looks very good with the high rez textures applied to old models. For FashionQuest Human druid is the way to go. Maybe someday I'll put a robe on Medra for the ultimate in druid FashionQuest.

There is tremendous coolness to being a Half-elf druid, but it comes at tremendous cost: Half-elf chain look is ugly almost beyond words and Half-elf leather look is mediocre at best. Both Human & Half-elf druids can follow Karana, unmatched amongst EQ dieties in coolness. Karana's only flaw is allowing haffer druids to exist, but they're short and easily overlooked. A Half-elf druid following Karana is, of course, the apotheosis of cool, but you do suffer with a severely downgraded FashionQuest score.

[Chubba]

I have a 36 Druid and haven't found any issues with him being a Human. My wisdom sits at 164 and stamina around 105 at the moment. I still have plenty of items to pick up on him.

Plus I do believe charisma still plays a role in critical failures on a lull, it is nice to have a lull resisted and not pull everything. Not sure how much of a difference the extra charisma makes though in comparison to a Halfling.

[SamwiseRed]

half elf
half elf
half elf

hmm where is he?

[kaev]

I have a 36 Druid and haven't found any issues with him being a Human. My wisdom sits at 164 and stamina around 105 at the moment. I still have plenty of items to pick up on him.

Plus I do believe charisma still plays a role in critical failures on a lull, it is nice to have a lull resisted and not pull everything. Not sure how much of a difference the extra charisma makes though in comparison to a Halfling.

Harmony does not fail, there are no resist checks and thus no critical failures. Harmony is incredibly OP for easy pulling in outdoor dungeons (indoors you need cleric/paladin/enchanter/bard, preferably with high charisma). All that matters with Harmony, assuming you're outdoors where you can actually cast it, is to have particle effects on so that you have visual confirmation of which mobs were affected by the cast.

As for charisma on a druid, I don't think it is useful other than for vendor prices like everybody else. I'm pretty sure that the druid animal charm spells are not affected by charisma the way enchanter charms are, afaik only relative level & target MR matter.

[Emoteen]

My main is a human druid on red - I loved starting in Qeynos Hills. Starting from scratch you can get 5hp earrings and rings from Qeynos sewers (at level 5 no problem). A lot of good low level money quests (rabid wolves and bears really bring in the low level pp). Not unheard of to get a Blackburrow group - but you can solo just fine. After BB you can do the bandits in WK. By the time you hit 19 you have SoW and invis and can make the run to WC for the teleports and then go where you wish.

[Daldaen]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

Confirmed! I must have missed this thread as I was working late last night and stopped forum questing.

As for the comment on CHA - It should impact Lull/Calm Animals. I *think*... I never use the spell anymore since at level 60 I can just faceroll my way through Kedge. I suppose in Chardok it would be useful if you're factioned and you want to help a non factioned person invis down (though you could just start a train). In Velious it may have more applications though.

Harmony is unresistable as mentioned above, it doesn't matter for Harmony. Also as mentioned above, Harmony is extremely OP. Though it is outdoor limited, it trivializes pulling outdoor zones like Mistmoore/CoM/Unrest (Mistmoore and Unrest you should be able to be dubious in Wolf Form also, for super easy pulling).

Half-Elf is awesome for druiding. I never get SoW or port requests on my Druid. In fact I get more Rez requests on my Druid than I do get ports. Plus you look sweet.

In Velious, you will want to be Tunare Diety for the DS Gloves and Root Neck. Gloves have awesome stats and having mana free root without devoting a spell gem to it is very nice too. Plus Halflings are horrible. But Humans can be Tunare as well.

I still suggest Half-Elf. Human is far too boring of a race in a fantasy game.

[Lorian]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

Nah, Dark Elf is is the best looking class. Half Elf comes second mainly because their plate helm and chainmail legs looks like shit with the Luclin graphics. Might be different with the classic graphics though.

[kaev]

I still suggest Half-Elf. Human is far too boring of a race in a fantasy game.

Sorry man, but you're wrong. Human is only as boring as the player behind the keyboard. You want boring? For classic/kunark/velious EQ boring is Halfling druid, Iksar necro, Dwarf paladin, Ogre anything, ... You won't find Human (or Half-elf) anywhere in that tired old minmaxer's list of "best" combos.


Nah, Dark Elf is is the best looking class. Half Elf comes second mainly because their plate helm and chainmail legs looks like shit with the Luclin graphics. Might be different with the classic graphics though.

Half-elf plate helm with Luclin graphics is in and of itself sufficient reason to never ever let that shit pollute my display again. That wasn't enough for Verant tho, they had to also include the horrible animations and the crimes committed against Ogre, Troll, & Iksar models, all of which combine to drag Luclin graphics down to completely irredeemable levels of yuck. (But, like, that's just my opinion, man.)

[Tuljin]

The Dude Abides rofl

I have a similar general opinion about Human being kind of lame in a fantasy game, but they are statty, rare, and moustachioed in EQ so they're actually tight. Plus Robe graphic

[Rallon]

Thanks, all! My bearded-and-eyepatched Human Druid is now a mighty level 3 and blowing up all the things in QHills 4 damage at a time.

[Yumyums Inmahtumtums]

There are considerations for Halfling on red as you can see through walls and are generally smaller/more evasive.

[Caridry]

Karana's only flaw is allowing haffer druids to exist, but they're short and easily overlooked.

Plus Halflings are horrible.

OMG! :eek: :( :( :( :(

You all are horrible horrible people! Our people are noble, and loyal! So what if we eat all your muffins. :D

[Saludeen]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

Waaaaaaaaaaat. I have DE mask on everytime I zone because I can't stand being a half elf.

to OP: roll a human druid because they look awesome and you can always get a port.

[loneless999]

not one person mentioned that human druids dont get hide wood elfs and halflings do great for charm killing if you cant afford the bloody goblin ring hide is not 100% but it works most of the time

[GreldorEQ]

I use Hide frequently every day - i ghink its a good skill to have.

[Sorn]

I love hide! Especially when I have to run off for a second in real life and a hill giant comes strolling by where I'm sitting. Hide won't wear off like camo and uses no mana. Only drawback (since it's racial) is that you have to find something not indifferent to you to con to make sure it worked.

Nothing wrong with halflings, in my opinion. Just store the cookies where they can't reach and it's all good.

[Clark]

Half elf is the best looking race in the game in any armor type. Daldaen and Kaev are the sexiest characters on blue.

lol

[Waedawen]

I regret not rolling a Half Elf of Tunare because they just look so god damn sexy it's unfair. Humans can wear robes, though. Human Druid in a Crystal Covered Shroud is a fucking joke.

I'll always swear by Pansy Elf though. Small + Med armor, good enough graphics, and with setting base wis at 100 it's very hard to argue for any of the other races. Halflings having sneak is in fact extremely useful for faction / quest purposes.... but with certain items all of these advantages can be completely nullified and eventually all that actually matters is that you worship Tunare so you can get your super sweet mittens and root necklace.

If you're seriously going to min-max 'stats' then Halfling with 100 base wisdom is the best. But once you factor in itemization as an elite level 60, worshipping Tunare is the only thing that actually matters. And those filthy savages know nothing of the blessed bounty bestowed upon us by The Mother of All.

[Kossorri]

And those filthy savages know nothing of the blessed bounty bestowed upon us by The Mother of All.

When you say bounty you mean as in a reward for bringing back your heads, right? lol :)

[Kossorri]

And those filthy savages know nothing of the blessed bounty bestowed upon us by The Mother of All.

When you say bounty you mean as in a reward for bringing back your heads, right? lol :)