Like all healing classes in Vanguard, the Shaman is something of a hybrid- though definitely a primary healer. This versatility means that a Shaman?s role is constantly shifting. At times she may solo, at other times serve as primary healer in a group. Often if there is another primary healer in a group, a Shaman may spend a lot of her time assisting those in combat through debuffs and dps, through wards and finishing heals. At level 15 she chooses a patron, who provides a pet along with certain unique abilities.

A Shaman receives a small number of spells in those first ten levels, but how she approaches them is as important in the beginning as it will be later on.

Wisdom (WIS), Vitality (VIT) and Intelligence (INT) are a Shaman?s primary attributes. Shamans who choose the Hayatet path (caster Shaman) may want to focus more on INT than normal. Tuurgin and Rakuur Shaman may find a greater need for Strength to do melee damage.

Building the Shaman you want begins at the character creation screen, where you choose your Shaman?s race.

Selecting the Right Race

Shamans of all races start with the same attributes, but the choice of race can affect how many points the Shaman automatically gets placed into his prime attributes.

Starting attributes:

STR	CON	DEX	VIT	INT	WIS
30	30	25	35	40	50

Beginning at level 10, each character gets 20 attribute points (AP) per level. Six of your AP are placed for you automatically–one per attribute (STR, CON, DEX, VIT, INT, WIS). If you are not human, an additional four points are assigned based upon your race. (Humans are Kojani, Mordebi, Qaliathari, and Thestran). You can place the final 10 points (14 for humans) wherever you want to within soft caps of 5 per level.

Additionally, characters get racial bonuses to their soft caps. These are called preferred stats and allow characters of a race to flesh out in a way that reflects the traits of the race. Non-human races get 4 bonus points to soft caps (usually two or three attributes only) while human races get 6, 1 for each attribute. Thus, a human can be more balanced, while a non-human becomes more specialized.

The table above gives values that can help you decide what is possible with Shamans of different races. Look at the bottom row of each cell. For example, Vitality for Varanjar gives you these numbers:

76 - 240

In this case, the first number shows you the minimum value of this attribute at level 50 if you never spend points in it. So a Varanjar Shaman will have a Vitality of 76 if he never puts points into Vitality. (Such a Shaman would not have much strength in healing.) The second number shows you the minimum if you spent every AP on it to the soft cap with every level up. Neither of these numbers takes into account how these values can change due to buffs or armor. What they show you is the range of possibilities for this attribute. So at level 50, an unbuffed Varanjar Shaman with no armor can have a Vitality score anywhere between 76 ¨C 240.

Considering the fact that Vitality increases healing effectiveness and energy regeneration, you could use these ranges to decide which race to be. If Vitality were the most important attribute to you, then looking at this table you might wish to be a Goblin Shaman, because they have the highest potential unbuffed vitality.

It is unlikely that you would focus on only one attribute, but you should take these values in consideration if you want to know what your potential will be at level 50. Of course, you may have personal or roleplay reasons for preferring one race over another. Maybe you would rather play Lesser Giant than anything else. In that case, this table will let you know where you?re going, and what plans you can make for the development of your attributes.

Racial Abilities

The other important factor to consider when picking the race for your Shaman is racial abilities. With their short durations and long recasts, racial abilities are less important than attributes in the selection process, but they can be used to pick between races that are otherwise equal. The racial abilities are listed below.

Lesser Giant: Strength of Torsheim
For the next 30 seconds after this ability is activated, you will increase your max hit points by 50%. Hit point regeneration increases for 60 seconds. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Ingenuity
Harvesting: +5 Lumberjacking

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Varanjar: Endless Fortitude
For the next 30 seconds, this ability will cut the cost of all endurance/energy spells by half while increasing your spell and melee damage by 25%. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Quarrying

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Vulmane: Spiritual Bond
This ability will apply an effect to every member in your group, allowing 35% of all damage done by them to return to you in the form of health for 20 seconds. Recast is 15 minutes.

Animal Reflexes: 10% bonus to run speed.
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Skinning

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Goblin: Hex of Ghalnn
Whoever is afflicted by this hex will return 3% of the mana and hit points for every hit that is made on them. The effect lasts for 60 seconds. Recast is 15 minutes.

Small Race: 2% bonus to evasion
Crafting: +10 Reasoning
Harvesting: +5 Mining

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Orc: Fury of Ghalnn
For the next 5 attacks after this ability is activated, you will receive a 10% increase to damage and 50% of all the damage you do will return to you in the form of hit points. Recast is 15 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Quarrying

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Wood Elf: Form of Nature
When this ability is activated, you become and okami and all movement impairing spells will be stripped from you, and for the next 30 seconds your run speed will be greatly increased. You will also be immune to all movement impairing spells during this time. Recast is 30 minutes.

Elven Wisdom: 2% reduction in energy cost
Crafting: +10 Finesse
Harvesting:: +5 Lumberjacking

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Mordebi: Curse of the Ancients
This ability stuns the target for 8 seconds, and reduces the aggro range to 0. The target will not assist/aggro while stunned, and the effect does not generate any aggro. Recast is 30 minutes.

Human Ingenuity + 10 bonus to all weapon skills, and dodge.
Crafting: +10 Finesse
Harvesting: +5 Reaping

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Varanthari: Desert Skin
For the next 15 seconds after this ability is activated, you will mitigate 35% of all damage, and every mob that attacks you has a 50% chance of being stunned for 2 seconds. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Quarrying

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Choice of Patron

There is still another thing you may want to consider before creating your Shaman. You can read more about Patrons in the Shaman class guide (see links below [or link here]), but briefly: You can choose Tuurgin, Rakuur, or Hayatet. Tuurgin is the spirit of the bear, who gives you a pet suitable for tanking, as well as greater strength and endurance. Rakuur is the wolf spirit, who gives you a wolf pet, as well as greater dexterity and health. Hayatet is the phoenix spirit, who gives you a phoenix pet as well as greater energy regeneration.

So you know from the start that there are three kinds of Shaman you can be. It is not vital that you know which one interests you the most before creating your Shaman. However, knowing your path ahead of time gives you more information to think about when you choose your race. For example, a Shaman of Hayatet may attack more as a caster, rather than a melee class. So you if know you want to be a Shaman of Hayatet, you might also be looking closely at the potential INT in the attributes table above. The highest potential INT value, 286, is shared by Varanjar, Mordebi, and Goblin. You can allow this to affect your choice of race if you wish.

Level 1-10 Tactics

Whether you choose to follow the quest lines of your starting area, or set out on your own to grind against the enemies of your choice, you have the tools to make your way through the world.  You begin with two spells that set the tone for the class: Remedy (your small heal line) and Spirit Strike (magical damage against your opponent?s spirit). This represents the future for you as a Shaman, for you are both healer and caster. In the beginning you may simply open by pulling something with Spirit Strike, then hitting it with whatever blunt weapon you have. As your health falls, you can take a moment to cast Remedy on yourself.

At level 2 you get Flesh Rot, a DoT (Damage Over Time) spell that continues to cause harm to your opponent while you?re doing other things. Things really become interesting at level 4. First, you receive two buffs that can be cast on yourself and others. One enhances hit points and armor class, while the other increases your available energy and lowers your casting time. You want to keep these buffs on yourself (and any group members, if you?re grouping) at all times.

At level 4 you also receive a melee attack, Strike of Skamadiz. This doesn?t change your tactics; it only allows you to hit particularly hard now and then. You can watch it recharge, then strike again.

So far it seems that your methods of killing something remain consistent. You pull a mob with your two damage spells, and then hit it repeatedly. Not all that different from some other classes. At level 6 you receive a larger heal and an upgrade to Spirit Strike (remember to replace the Spirit Strike I button with Spirit Strike II). Now you have two heals: Remedy (your small heal) and Restoration (your large heal).

Runners and Kiting

I want to focus on Winter?s Roar, which you also receive at level 6. One of the dangerous moments in any pull can occur when your offensive target begins to run. Runners are a problem because they can run toward other enemies, and then before you know it, all his friends have come to play. This is bad. You need some way of stopping runners before they can get very far, and that?s where Winter?s Roar comes in. Yes, it is a direct damage spell, but it is also a root spell that can freeze your target in place for 3 seconds (as long as the target doesn?t resist your spell). Winter?s Roar is your friend, and since it takes no time to cast, you will know at once whether it has worked. You can also use it during the pull. For example, you can drop your DoT (Flesh Rot), and then freeze your target while he?s running toward you. This gives you time to cast Spirit Strike before he gets to you.

At level 8 you get another root spell: Grasp of Goromund. This is supposed to last longer than Winter?s Roar, but in practice incoming damage to your target can break the root. If you prefer, you can attempt kiting with this spell. To kite, you would cast Grasp of Goromund and keep yourself at a distance from your target, throwing your damage spells while your target cannot touch you. This doesn?t work so well with caster mobs, which can hurt you even at a distance. Some prefer kiting with a root, while others prefer to just get in close and beat their target with a large blunt object while Flesh Rot ticks away. The choice is yours; and in fact, which of these styles you prefer might influence your choice of patron later.

More About Level 8

You also receive Hoarfrost. This is interesting because it reduces cold resistance even while it does damage over time. What this means is that if you?ve already cast Hoarfrost, then your target has less resistance to another cold-based attack, such as Winter?s Roar.

The most enjoyable spell you will receive at level 8 is Spirit of Rakurr. This is a speed buff, allowing you to run 30% faster¡ªas fast as a level 1 horse. If you do have a horse, then it gives you a 5% buff to the horse?s speed. With Spirit of Rakurr, you and your group mates can run around an area much more quickly than normal.

Dealing With Adds

If you?re relatively new to massively-multiplayer online games (MMOs), then you may want to keep in mind the difference between mobs that are safe to move around, and mobs that are aggro¡ªthat is, they will attack you if you move near them. The names of aggro mobs appear in red text, as opposed to the yellow text of more docile mobs. If you?re in an area filled with aggro mobs, you should be more careful. Don?t just wander through an area hoping to reach the one you need; try to clear around it a bit, even if that takes longer. You will be safer if you do, and less likely to get another on you while you?re fighting your first one. Kiting is more dangerous in this sort of situation, as you don?t want to be moving around too much with so many enemies about.

In the early levels, I seldom had trouble dealing with adds until I was around level 8 and was faced with two rather difficult mobs at once. In any case, you don?t have a stun to eliminate one of the mobs, so you can either take the hits and try to get the first one down as quickly as possible, or you can try to root one with Grasp of Goromund and move away from it so that you can deal with the other in relative peace. If you?re facing a melee mob and a caster mob, obviously you would want to root the melee mob and deal with the caster first because rooting a caster is pretty useless.

Grouping

Even in your first ten levels, certain quests might be better with groups. Depending on your starting area, this may happen sooner or later. Sometimes the quest text will have the word “group” at the top, or will say something like “bring a friend or two.” It is good to practice the techniques available to you within a group to discover what works best. Don?t be afraid to discuss tactics with your group mates. Remember that these first ten levels are about learning the basics of your class, and what you may be capable of.

As a Shaman you are a healer. Even if you possess a mad zeal for raining fiery destruction on your enemies, never forget that you have a responsibility for keeping your group mates alive. If you are the only primary healer in a group, healing is your first duty. If you?re in a group with another primary healer, discuss which of you will focus on healing and which will be a backup healer, focusing on other things. Cooperation and communication are essential. In these early levels you only have two heals:  Remedy (small) and Restoration (large), and you will need to discover over time how much of each you can cast before you run low on energy too soon, or you gain aggro (the mob notices you?re healing and gets annoyed at you).

As you move through these early levels, pay special attention to your energy bar in the upper left. Get to know how much energy each of your spells uses, and plan ahead. How much healing are you likely to need if you get an add? Know how much of that bar do your healing spells take, so you can reserve that much energy for special circumstances. It?s best to not find yourself low on energy when something unfortunate happens.

Level 10

At level 10 you receive Spirit Call (you can resurrect your group mates)  and Summon Spirit Orb (they can resurrect you). Now you?re ready for serious grouping. Don?t forget to summon those orbs into your allies? packs before you set out.  You also receive your first Spirit Bond (these are a Shaman?s stances). There is always something new to learn, but the first levels are there to give you a foundation for building the kind of Shaman you want to be.