Shattered Kingdoms

I'd like to start off by saying that I love seeing classes get some work done on them. Thank you for putting in the time to try and refresh/balance some of the gameplay.

The shaman class has a distinct connection to nature and the spiritual realm, and I think it would be very fitting for them to get herbalism. It would also be great if they got an ability to refine those herbs into potions or poisonous salves made from one or all of the spells attached to the herbs, but I'm not yet sure how this could accomplished so that it is worthwhile but not overpowering.

I don't think this skill would would cause the class to become too powerful, and the only real argument I can see against it is that it takes one of the unique boons of being a scout away from that class. That could be solved with, perhaps, a skill or change to that class, though, and would be the subject of another thread.

Thoughts?

Wow, hi Gremlin.

Thematically cool idea, and it's not like herbs would make them any stronger, you can get herbs if you want. The problem for me however is that, in my opinion of all the classes in the game, Shaman is probably the most perfectly balanced and the least in need of a new toy.

While I find the idea very fitting and very nice, I fear that if Shamans get herbalism, then scouts will be considerably nerfed. At the moment, a Scout is useful because of two things, skin and herbalism.

Besides that, it has been shown in numerous engagements that they are not as ranged masters as they'd like and they are outmatched by any merc specced in ranged combat.

So, if you share one of their two unique skills - herbalism - it will make the class even less attractive to play.

I do love your idea, I just cannot agree with it for mechanics reasons.

Currently i am playing a shaman and here is my input. Right now they are pretty decently balanced and not really in need of anything. If they got herbalism i think you would give them to much support and collecting. Meaning they would have to brew/herb which would take a ton of time.

What would be better is if you could change up spirit doll and voodoo. What would be sick is if you can hold a doll of someone you can ignore there magical resistance. Meaning you got a MR barb, get a doll you can heal through it. That pesky sorceror thats always ethereal, Get a doll and you can just voodoo him.

MR working against voodoo was such an odd change.

Voodoo's one legitimate use has always been to help keep the near-invincible caster classes in line. And now...nope.

Between that and the hoarding code, voodoo seems completely defunct now aside from griefing unequipped newbies maybe. Any real voodoo requires you to carry around a mana kit, which you can't do, so voodoo power has gone way down across the whole game.

I don't think voodoo, even with a doll, from somebody not wearing mana eq is going to do much except to maybe human casters. But they're wearing MR now anyways.

yea it made them think of what to enchant for. Now its always MR and you cant dispel it, Cant Voodoo it, only way is to get a ethereal backstab. That is not even for sure with mirror image.

There are several spells that ignore magic resistance. It's up to you to figure that out though.

I like this idea. Knowing nature lore in actuality tends to make it easier for a person to find edible things (food), which would seem more in line with a scout, to me. Where ACTUAL shamanism is HEAVILY reliant on herbology in order to shift one's state of mind to commune with the spirits (student of nontraditional religions for the past 17 years, heh).

Yes but are any of them on a shaman?

Does it make sense RP-wise? - Yes
Does it make sense real life-wise? - Yes
Is it necessary mechanics wise in SK? - No.


Herbalism is a skill unique to scouts. As is skinning things and camouflage. Its these 3 things that make scouts an option over a merc with a ranged spec. Start 'diluting' these skills into other classes and you diminish scouts. Yeah it makes RP sense, but then it also makes RP sense for sorcs to have spells like disintegrate, contingency meteor swarm, planeshift, contingency. Oh. and WISH. ... But let's not go there :p