Please help me choose a race for my shaman.

[Jan Jensen]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Just curious, why?

Because, next to warriors, shamans are one of the most expensive classes to gear up for simply functional play. It's a helluva lot more fun as a second character, once you can throw a fungi on him and not feel oppressed by shaman gearing/spell prices.

If farming and getting a foundation together is the intent of the OP, I'd venture to say that chanter makes a far better first character. It also helps to make the player better skilled long term, becoming more familiar with a lot of the game's mechanics and nuances. Chanter also has the added benefit that epic can't be MQ'd - so you won't find level 60s at your quest mobs unless they themselves need the epic. Contrasted with PoFear shaman tear routinely being sold for 75k+ by golem farmers.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Jan Jensen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Because, next to warriors, shamans are one of the most expensive classes to gear up for simply functional play. It's a helluva lot more fun as a second character, once you can throw a fungi on him and not feel oppressed by shaman gearing/spell prices.

If farming and getting a foundation together is the intent of the OP, I'd venture to say that chanter makes a far better first character. It also helps to make the player better skilled long term, becoming more familiar with a lot of the game's mechanics and nuances. Chanter also has the added benefit that epic can't be MQ'd - so you won't find level 60s at your quest mobs unless they themselves need the epic. Contrasted with PoFear shaman tear routinely being sold for 75k+ by golem farmers.

The way I see it, Shaman have levels 61 (epic) and 62 (Torpor) ... it's just that you earn those levels with plat, not XP. Some other classes (eg. Cleric) also have level 61 (epic), but not all do (some epics don't make enough of a difference to count as a "new level"). And certainly no other class I can think of has level 62.

But just because Shaman have the option of going up to level 62 doesn't mean they have to, and an epic-less, Torpor-less level 60 Shaman is still on par with other level 60 classes (both in terms of power and group desirability). And that same Shaman can also farm plenty of cash camps to buy stuff for their alts (see the Treasure Hunting Guide link in my signature; almost everything in there can be soloed by a level 60 Shaman, not 61 or 62).

I'll grant that a 60 Enchanter can solo some stuff that a epic-less/Torpor-less Shaman can't, but both are perfectly capable of solo farming for their alts (unlike say a Warrior). Recommending that someone play a class they don't want to play, simply because it's *slightly* better at solo farming alt stuff at level 60 (before either class has farmed 200k, at which point the Shaman will see a much greater power increase) seems like bad advice to me.

[Yttrium]

My two cents. I went Ogre shaman. I don't like the way trolls look and I was worried about the iksar no plate thing. Stun immunity sounded cool too.

I have slowly worked my way up to 30 and I realize stun immunity while neat will probably never be necessary as I likely won't hit 60. I really wish I had regen though especially since I got Canni.

If I could go back I would probably do troll.

[Para99]

Originally Posted by Jan Jensen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If farming and getting a foundation together is the intent of the OP, I'd venture to say that chanter makes a far better first character. It also helps to make the player better skilled long term, becoming more familiar with a lot of the game's mechanics and nuances. Chanter also has the added benefit that epic can't be MQ'd - so you won't find level 60s at your quest mobs unless they themselves need the epic. Contrasted with PoFear shaman tear routinely being sold for 75k+ by golem farmers.

I don't think there are many Enchanter's that see the epic not being MQable as a benefit. Verina and Vessel are still basically permanently camped even though they can't be MQ'd. It can't be overstated how much easier it is for an Enchanter to farm 75k than it is to camp two spawns that you can potentially camp for 10 full days only to lose the FTE and have to do it all again. Even the Wraith and Hate pieces are a pain in the ass if you're not in a guild that does Fear/Hate often, able to bribe a guild that does, or luck into it.

There's a reason there aren't many 60 shamans without epics, but there are 60 enchanters without epics everywhere.

[psychosiszz]

Its all about the Troll Shaman. Best looking race imo.

[Tortok]

I went Troll Shaman and never looked back. Regen will help until Torpor which will be lots of hours spent and I like the looks of them.
For pro/con there many posts...

To summ it up:
- Ogre Frontal Stun Immunity and less exp penalty than Troll/Iksar (put 5 points in AGI!)
- Iksar Regen but no plate armor like Jaundiced Bone or SolRo Temple Quest armor and least places to bank/vendor
- Barbarian for least exp penalty and most places to vendor/bank
- Troll Regen

Just go for the looks imo, all shamans are great regardless of race.

[Baylan295]

Originally Posted by Para99 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I don't think there are many Enchanter's that see the epic not being MQable as a benefit. Verina and Vessel are still basically permanently camped even though they can't be MQ'd. It can't be overstated how much easier it is for an Enchanter to farm 75k than it is to camp two spawns that you can potentially camp for 10 full days only to lose the FTE and have to do it all again. Even the Wraith and Hate pieces are a pain in the ass if you're not in a guild that does Fear/Hate often, able to bribe a guild that does, or luck into it.

There's a reason there aren't many 60 shamans without epics, but there are 60 enchanters without epics everywhere.

MQ rights for VT/VD would be outrageous if it were possible to do it. I have personally assisted with 3(?) kills of each of those mobs, including my own pieces. While VT is more contested, I got her without socking at all. VD often just sits up for a period of hours. If you are smart and track they are very attainable.

Hate and fear are their own challenge, but most guilds doing any kind of raiding are happy to roll up to Hate or Fear and do those mobs when they are up.

[NegaStoat]

I tried an Iksar shaman with very good gear and kept feeling so weak in comparison to other classes I played around with. I kept thinking in the back of my mind that the higher Wisdom and natural AC were a big deal so I kept going for a bit. Then out of curiosity I made a fresh account and made a new Troll shaman and gave him respectable gear and a funny name, and spent some time on him.

It's a world of difference for the early game when you're struggling for lvl 24. The vastly larger Str and Sta are a big deal, along with Slam. The Innoruuk snare necklace is okay as a small aid for reaching 24 as well. It's a welcome option. Another big deal is that questline giving you a free Halfling illusion mask that opens up a crapton of old world Quest turn in options.

Go troll. You won't feel like you're 2nd rate to anything.

[Tortok]

How could I forget about the darkness necklace, it is great for groups when you lack a snarer to avoid adds. Duoing with monk I would not want to miss it in camps with adds near by. If you go Troll be sure to take Innoruuk as deity.

[Gilder]

Barbarian. There's not enough Barbarians on p99