Shaman

Description

File:C shaman.gif

The Shaman is one of the most understated classes in Norrath. They are very well rounded offering powerful offense, defense, and buffs.

With the exceptions of the Iksar, Shamans can wear two types of plate armours in the world of Norrath. Iksars can't since it chafes their scales, and must resort to chain-mail or the special Iksar armours they have crafted over time. This affords them a high amount of protection, which helps greatly when soloing.

Shamans have two forms of offense. Their most powerful damage lies through the damage over time spells (DOT's). Shamans get two powerful lines of these spells. One poison based, and the other disease based. They can stack these spells to achieve a very efficient damage output. Alternatively they can also use their cold damage based direct damage spells. These are good for adding in a little extra punch, or for fights of short durations.

In terms of defense and debuffs, Shamans have the most powerful Slowing Spells and Resistance debuffs in the game. This greatly reduces the damage output of the enemy and also assists the entire party in succeeding on magical attacks.

Shamans also have the best buffs in the game, able to increase all statistics except for Wisdom and Intelligence by over 50 points at higher levels. This not only makes them highly sought after in groups, but means that the shamans can be a lot more selective in what equipment they choose to wear. They also have spells to increase running speed and attack rate, as well as increasing hitpoints and AC.

Shamans can use almost any one or two handed blunt weapon in the game, and have a limited selection of piercing weapons at their disposal also. Shamans can melee reasonably well with their buffs up, and with a pet at their side are capable of doing some serious damage. Downtime is also minimised with Shamans with both a health regeneration spell, direct healing spells, and a hitpoint to mana conversion spell.

Shamans are the only class which can do Alchemy, a trade skill which can help in funding the purchase of spells or equipment as your character progresses.

The downside to Shaman's is that they can get very repetitive. With so many awesome buffs at their disposal they are always getting begged for spells. In dungeon raids their main purposes are buffing and debuffing, with very little mana left to actually get into the nitty gritty of the fights. Also most of the Shaman races are evil, and are forced to travel lengthy distances to bank and resupply.

Also in order to be mana efficient Shamans normally have to use Damage Over Time spells. This normally results in kiting or a drawn out process of rooting and DOT'ing. This can be particularly difficult on caster mobs which will still have offensive capability even though rooted.

Shaman's can only charm animals up to mid levels, and they only get a few pet upgrades.

The shaman class is a very enjoyable one to play, particularly for those who enjoy role-playing. It is a very self-sufficient class, which functions excellently both as a soloist or in a group.

Class Titles

Level 1-50	Level 51-54	Level 55-59	Level 60
Shaman	Mystic	Luminary	Oracle

Creation Guide

Picking the Right Race

The first thing you have to pick then is your race. Which race you pick will determine the foundation of you character for the rest of your life in Norrath so it is kind of important you pick one you like. Fortunately there is no truly "bad" Shaman race, so you can't pick wrong.

Races

Barbarians are the only shaman race which is not evil. All the other races are killed on sight in the old world (ie. in almost all non-Kunark/Velious cities, and by guards in nearby zones). Barbarians level the fastest of the races. Barbarians have no night vision, but can wear both medium and large sized armour.

Ogres level slightly slower than the Barbarians, but have the advantage of not being able to be stunned from blows delivered to their front. They can still be stunned if attacked from behind. Ogres also have some basic night vision and very high Strength and Stamina.

Trolls level considerably slower than the Ogre. They have the added bonus of an increased health regeneration rate. This amount increases as their level increases.

Iksar share the same regenerative abilities as trolls, can forage, have an innate AC bonus, but they cannot wear plate armor - including Planar and Kunark sets. Things even out in Velious, but think carefully before choosing an Iksar. Iksar are hated in almost every city, good or evil.

Differentiating Factors

• Faction: Only Barbarians can travel freely to all good cities in the old world; every other race is killed on sight. Iksar have it even worse, as they are killed on sight everywhere except Cabilis and Velious.
• Jaundiced Bone Bracer: If you can afford this (roughly 10k) item at level 45 it will help you level significantly faster, as it lets you cast a mana-free direct damage spell. Every Shaman race except Iksar can use this item (Iksar actually can't wear any plate armor before Velious, but the JBB is by far the most relevant plate item).
• XP Penalty: Barbarians have the lowest penalty (5%), Ogres have the second lowest (15%), and Trolls/Iksar have the highest (20%)
• Frontal Stun Immunity: Only Ogres get this racial ability, which prevents them from being stunned by mobs in front of them. This ability is of limited use while leveling up, but can be more useful (though certainly not necessary) for soloing high-end content.
• Regeneration: Both Trolls and Iksar get faster regeneration than other races. This varies by level, being roughly twice as fast at level 1 and almost three times as fast by level 60. Racial regeneration is particularly useful as a Shaman levels up, but less so at higher levels. Once they acquires the spell Torpor at level 60 regeneration becomes almost completely irrelevant.
• Iksar Abilities: Iksar get several minor abilities that other races don't, including Forage, additional AC, and a starting Swimming skill of 100. Iksar also get a unique quest line Shaman Skull Quests, but because that line wasn't completed in the classic era it's reward isn't very good.
• Deity Symbol Quests: All Shaman can complete a quest at low levels to get an item with a right-click effect. The Barbarian Initiate Symbol of the Tribunal is the least useful (it summons a magic hammer which quickly becomes inferior to normal weapons). The Ogre Initiate Symbol of Rallos Zek is also less useful (it casts a level 1 Cleric short duration melee self-buff, Yaulp). Trolls get a choice between Cazic Thule (God) and Innoruuk (God), while Iksar must pick Cazic Thule (and may have a harder time doing the quest because of their faction). The Initiate Symbol of Cazic Thule and Disciple Symbol of Cazic Thule let Cazic Thule Shaman cast low-level fear spells on undead and animals, which can be useful when soloing. Finally there is the (Innoruuk-worshipping) Troll-only Regent Symbol of Innoruuk, which let's the Shaman cast the level 1 Necromancer snare spell Clinging Darkness. Since Shaman never get a snare spell, and since such spells can prevent mobs from running away and getting help from other mobs, this is probably the most useful item.
• Infravision: All Shaman races except Barbarians get Infravision. However, due to the Project 1999 Titanium client's ability to raise Alphas levels, this is much less of an issue than it was on live.
• Statistics: Combining the two main Shaman statistics (Stamina and Wisdom) you get: Ogre 204, Troll 184, Barbarian 180, Iksar 165. However, if you plan to reach level 60 and raid, eventually you can acquire gear that lets you reach maximum stat values, so statistics should not be a primary concern for a starting shaman who expects to play that far.
• Starting Area: Because Kunark (the Iksar home continent) was developed after Antonica (the home continent of the other three races), most players would agree that its zones were better designed and are more friendly to new characters. For instance, the Barbarian starting area has the high-level Vengeful NPCs who kill low level characters, while the Iksar starting zones like Field of Bone don't have such higher-level monsters wandering through low-level areas.
• Appearance: Arguably this is more important than any of the above factors. Your character's basic appearance will never change, and if you don't like looking at your character it won't matter what in-game benefits their race offers, so be sure to pick a race that you personally are attracted to (for more than just in-game benefits).
• Bear Form Appearance: When Shaman reach level 55 they get the spell Form of the Great Bear. Barbarians using this spell appear as polar bears, Ogres as grizzly bears, and Trolls and Iksar as black bears.

Starting Statistics

The following table lists the starting stats and XP penalty of each Shaman race. The colors describe the stat's importance to Shaman: Green stats are very important, while Yellow ones are only moderately helpful, and Red ones have almost no value. XP penalty describes how much additional experience the race requires. For instance, a Barbarian Shaman would require 105% of the experience that a character with no penalty (eg. a Human Cleric) would require to be the same level.

NOTE: All races get 30 additional stat points at character creation.

Race	Str	Sta	Agi	Dex	Wis	Int	Cha	Total	XP Penalty
Barbarian	103	100	82	70	80	60	60	555	5%
Iksar	70	75	90	85	90	75	60	545	20%
Ogre	130	127	70	70	77	60	42	576	15%
Troll	108	114	83	75	70	52	45	547	20%

Regeneration

Standing Barbarian/Ogre	Sitting Barbarian/Ogre	Level Range	Standing Iksar/Troll	Sitting Iksar/Troll
1	2	1-19	2	4
1	3	20-49	2	6
1	4	50	2	8
2	5	51-55	6	12
3	6	56-59	10	16
3	6	60	12	18

Suggested Starting Statistics

There are different play styles for a shaman, but the two most important stats for all Shaman will be Stamina and Wisdom. However, it is also important for any class to have at least 75 agility to avoid a major AC penalty.

Whether a shaman should focus on Stamina or Wisdom more is a matter of some debate. Stamina adds to HP, and since Shaman can convert HP to Mana with their Cannibalize spell line it also (in some sense) adds to Mana. However, while Wisdom only adds to Mana, it adds far more (point for point) than Stamina. For a more detailed exploration of the issue the Shaman: Stamina vs. Wisdom page has an excellent breakdown of the math involved.

Wisdom Focused-Build

• Barbarian: 5 points to Stamina, 25 points to Wisdom for equal starting STA & WIS.
• Troll: 5 points to Stamina, 25 points to Wisdom
• Ogre: 5 points to Agility, 25 points to Wisdom
• Iksar: 5 points to Stamina, 25 points to Wisdom

Stamina Focused-Build

• Barbarian: 25 points to Stamina, 5 points to Wisdom
• Troll: 25 points to Stamina, 5 points to Wisdom
• Ogre: 5 points to Agility, 25 points to Stamina
• Iksar: 25 points to Stamina, 5 points to Wisdom

Religion

Regardless of their religion, every Shaman race except Barbarian (who must pick The Tribunal as their religion) will be hated by "good" NPCs. Since a shaman's religion won't make him more hated, which one you choose won't matter much. Unfortunately since all evil religion choices are hated, even if you work to improve your "good" factions (by killing enemies of good factions), you will still never be able to trade in many "good" zones because of your race and religion.

Troll Shaman that choose to worship Innoruuk have the benefit of being able to quest for http://wiki.project1999.com/Regent_Symbol_of_Innoruuk which gives them a low level snare effect (slowing a monsters movement speed) not available to other race/religion combinations.

Spells

Some of the spells available to Shaman are not particularly useful, while others are essential. Wisewolf has compiled an excellent Shaman Spell Purchasing Guide which offers advice on which spells to purchase while leveling your shaman.

Level 1

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 5

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 9

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 14

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 19

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 24

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 29

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 34

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 39

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 44

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 49

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 50

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 51

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 52

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 53

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 54

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 55

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 56

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 57

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 58

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 59

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Level 60

Spell Name

Spell Description

Era

Class

Location

Mana

Item-Based

Reclaim Energy

Although the spell Reclaim Energy is not technically on the Shaman spell list, it is very useful for Shaman, as it allows them to despawn their pet to get back the mana they spent on casting it. This allows much faster "pet cycling" (ie. repeatedly summoning a pet until you get one of maximum level) and lets them use their pet as a backup mana battery in emergencies when mana runs out.

Fortunately Shaman can effectively gain this spell by completing one of the four Magician Focus Items quests. Although Shaman can't equip the focus item, they can still right-click it from inventory, allowing them to use Reclaim Energy (mana-free) as if it was a part of their spell list.

Pet Information

{{#lsth:Pet Guide|Shaman Pets}}

Skills

Specialization

{{#lsth:Skill Specialization|Shaman}}

Casting Skills

Level	Trained	Skill	Cap Until 50	Cap Above 50
1	No	Abjuration	235	235
1	No	Alteration	235	235
1	No	Conjuration	235	235
1	No	Divination	235	235
1	No	Evocation	235	235
1	No	Channelling	200	220
8	Yes	Meditate	235	252
30	No	Specialisation	235	235

• Specialisation can be trained up to 20 for 1 point but will level without training.

Combat Skills

Level	Trained	Skill	Cap Until 50	Cap Above 50
1	No	1 Hand Blunt	200	200
1	No	2 Hand Blunt	200	200
1	No	Bind Wound	200	200
1	No	Defense	200	200
1	No	Hand to Hand	75	75
1	No	Offense	200	200
1	No	Piercing	200	200
15	Yes	Dodge	75	75

Miscellaneous Skills

Level	Trained	Skill	Cap Until 50	Cap Above 50
1	No	Alcohol Tolerance	200	200
1	No	Beg	200	200
1	No	Fishing	200	200
1	No	Forage (Iksar Only)	50	50
1	No	Sense Heading	200	200
1	No	Swimming	200	200

Shaman-Specific Quests

{{#lsth:Class Race Quest List|Shaman}}

All Shaman Gear

• All Slots
• Ears
• Fingers
• Neck
• Head
• Face
• Chest
• Arms
• Back
• Waist
• Shoulders
• Wrists
• Legs
• Hands
• Feet
• Primary
• Secondary

Gearing

Class specific gear suggestions are cross listed on the Gear Reference page. See also Equipping a Shaman.

Pre-Planar

{{#lsth:Players:Pre Planar Gear|Shaman}}

Planar

{{#lsth:Players:Planar Gear|Shaman}}

Kunark

{{#lsth:Players:Kunark Gear|Shaman}}

Velious Pre-Raid/Group

{{#lsth:Players:Velious Pre-Raid Gear|Shaman}}

Velious Raiding

{{#lsth:Players:Velious Raiding Gear|Shaman}}