Newb questions

[skrumplenuts]

When soloing, do lowbie shamans buff themselves with every buff or are some not worth the mana?

Also, how do magicians start the research process? Is it the book that you get from the lightstone quest?

[Pyrion]

The most important lowbie shaman buff is inner strength, because as a side effect it is the most efficient heal that you get for quite some time. Other buffs are not really important, but why not? Next buff that comes to mind at level 9 is of course SOW.

The lightstone quest results in a training book for research, its not your actual research book. Nobody does those training combines as you need mob drops to practice them. Usually you use that quest just to get more money for your light stone. The book sells for a lot more money than the light stone.

The real research book can usually be bought in your mage guild somewhere. The wiki has an article on research, look there.

[Charlievox]

Turning in a Greater Lightstone (which sells to vendors for just under 5 plat) gets you a Concordence of Research, which sells to vendors for 10 plat & change.
Or you might possibly sell your lightstones in the tunnel for around 7 plat.