new mistic here.. w/ dumb questions

[Collum]

<p>I am sure the questions are covered up in the threads here someplace, but I am at work and dont have time to dig. (lunch break here)</p><p>I picked a barb mistic, because, I kinda like sticking to my old EQ memories. Anyway....</p><p>Only lvl 7 ATM. Are there benefits to sticking with 2h (2h hammers?) weapons, or stick with spear (hammer?) and buckler.</p><p>Any advice is appreciated.</p><p>Thanks! </p>

[Finora]

<p>Well, generally speaking 2h weapons tend to do more dps than 1handers (given equal quality weapons).</p><p>Eventually it'll depend on what weapon you have at the time, the stats on the weapon and the quality of your buckler/symbol. Personally, I used a 1h spear almost exclusively (other than getting skillups in blunt) until I got the screaming mace in my 40s. That was just personal preference though. If I'd tried I could have found a hammer that was just as good (and maybe better) than the spears I was using.</p><p>After the screaming mace I used several other blunt weapons until KOS came out with the achievement lines  requiring a spear or a 2h spear for some abilities, then I got a couple of nice spears (because they became more readily available, nice spears were hard to come by in my 40s/50s). </p><p>Now I have a 1h spear, 1h hammer (really really nice or I wouldn't have it at all), and a 2h spear. I use each of these at various times depending on what I'm doing. </p><p>The best advice I can give you is keep both your blunt skill and your piercing skill up so that when I nice weapon comes your way no matter what kind it is you will be effective (as you can be as a priest) using it. Different achievment lines require different weapons/secondary items to use certain abilities in that tree. So if you don't want to be switching out a lot when you start working on those then you might lean towards one kind of weapon or secondary item over another. Like I said before I have no problem switching out weapons on the fly so I just carry them all around.</p>

[Collum]

<p>Thank you Finora!</p><p>We have a TON to learn about this game =)</p><p>I guess its time for me to DL and read the manual!</p><p>I will be duoing with my wife, for the most part. She will be playing some type of caster. At times we will team up with some of her family. We all moved to EQ2 because we got tired of the lag in VG..</p><p>We are on the everfrost server. Seems there are a lot of friendly people there =)</p><p>/cheers!</p>

[Owlbe]

I generally stick with a 2h or 1h spear. I use 2h spears because there is a 2h spear attack as the 2nd ability in the agility line for shamans.  I don't like wasting aa points and its another attack with a short root effect on it.  Not a fan of switching weapons around but thats a option as well. I would say look at the shaman aa lines and see which ones you will take and tailor your weapon choice around that (shield, 1h spear, 2h spear, staff, symbol)

[Thunderthyze]

<cite>Collum wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I guess its time for me to DL and read the manual!</p></blockquote><p> Good luck on that one mate......<img src="/smilies/385970365b8ed7503b4294502a458efa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Personally ever since the Sceptre of Rahotep (HQ reward) I have been a hammer and buckler man....well high elf actually. The buckler aa line allows you a bit of added dps when soloing and the hammer allows use of some nice fabled weapons later on. For raiding I swap the buckler out for a symbol and my Adamantine Doomhammer gets the boot in favour of my FT equipped prismatic hammer.</p>

[Collum]

<p> Thanks for the responses =) </p><p>I was trying to avoid carrying around a bag full of weapons, like I had to do in EQ1. (bane weapons=) At least in the newbie zones there are lots of bags for quest rewards! So I will collect weapons and switch them around for skill ups.</p><p>Last night I was lucky and had a buckler drop.</p><p>Next dumb questions: =P </p><p>Is our mana pool based off WIS? </p><p>Which stats should I concentrate on? </p>

[rumblepants]

Yes, our power pool comes from Wisdom. I focused on Wisdom and Strength because all of my spells are now Combat Abilities from AA and they use Strength to boost damage.

[Finora]

<p>OH! As a mystic no matter how weak your starting race is, eventually you'll be able to easily carry around multiple strongboxes (usually used for banks to store stuff but stronger classes often carry them instead of bags because they are larger).</p><p>And yes, like rumble pants said Wisdom is your power pool. Str helps your melee damage (if you choose to go that route with your achievements) if you don't go melee intelligence is what helps with your spell damage.</p><p>Stamina is your HP, agility helps your avoidance.</p>