What is it about Shamans, Defilers in particular that...

[DarumaRanger]

<p>... has them have such a good reputation for power efficiency?</p><p>I keep reading around about how Shamans, Defilers even more so than Mystics, have such great power efficiency, end fights having kept their groups alive while still being at/near full power, etc, etc, etc...</p><p>I've looked at the spell lists and don't see anything about a power regen spell, ala Druid's Spirit/Sense of the Bat or an Enchanter's clarity line of spells.  Maybe I've just missed it?</p><p>So, why do Shamans/Defilers have this reputation?</p><p>Inquiring minds want to know <--- <wonders how many folks here are old enough to get this reference> <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Uh... mainly because I'm considering a Sarnak Defiler alt once RoK comes out, hehehe.</p><p>Thanks.</p><p>Take care.</p>

[cggerth]

Maybe defilers just understand how to conserve mana <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />defilers have 2 spells that only they have that nobody else has.  Forced cannibalize at 53.  This you can cast every 30ish sec and it restores between 20-40power per 3 or 5s.  this can go anywhere between 20-40 depending on how many AA points you spend in it.Defilers also have cannibalize which is an end AA line that converts health to power.We do have maelstrom that lets us give some power to the entire group but it stuns you.  I've never once used this on a raid.Things that I use that every class has access to...Hearts/shards, manastone, vessel from the living tombs, overclocked manastone as a tinkerer.  I have a ton of items I can swap to mid raid that increases my incombat power regen.Also defilers use part of their health and less power then other classes when casting heals.  This could be part of why we are more mana efficient.

[Madmoon]

<p>Our heals coming at cost to our health is probably the major reason.  Also, our debuffs are pretty power-benign, as opposed to a druid's damage output, so our secondary skills, after healing and warding, are useable without draining all mana out.</p>

[Besual]

<cite>cggerth wrote:</cite><blockquote>Maybe defilers just understand how to conserve mana <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />defilers have 2 spells that only they have that nobody else has.  Forced cannibalize at 53.  This you can cast every 30ish sec and it restores between 20-40power per 3 or 5s.  this can go anywhere between 20-40 depending on how many AA points you spend in it.Defilers also have cannibalize which is an end AA line that converts health to power.We do have maelstrom that lets us give some power to the entire group but it stuns you.  I've never once used this on a raid.Things that I use that every class has access to...Hearts/shards, manastone, vessel from the living tombs, overclocked manastone as a tinkerer.  I have a ton of items I can swap to mid raid that increases my incombat power regen.Also defilers use part of their health and less power then other classes when casting heals.  This could be part of why we are more mana efficient.</blockquote>Well, defilers have some more items that give +power: Hulook's hat and the shaman pants from Lab for example.

[DarumaRanger]

<p>Ah, interesting.</p><p>Thank you folks.</p><p>I wonder just how much health it takes to cast a heal?  Ever get into a situation where it may be just as deadly to heal yourself and expend health in the process as it is to just try to weather the storm and hope the mob dies first?</p><p>I wonder how my lil' Sarnak Defiler to be is gonna feel about that? <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Take care folks.</p>

[cggerth]

<cite>DarumaRanger wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Ah, interesting.</p><p>Thank you folks.</p><p>I wonder just how much health it takes to cast a heal?  Ever get into a situation where it may be just as deadly to heal yourself and expend health in the process as it is to just try to weather the storm and hope the mob dies first?</p><p>I wonder how my lil' Sarnak Defiler to be is gonna feel about that? <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Take care folks.</p></blockquote>I've been there before <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />You can't actually kill yourself by healing yourself.  If you do not have enough health to heal, it will give you a message saying not enough health.  (this is where our self buff that regens incombat health comes in handy). I've had that message come up quite a few times where everyone in the group is yelling at me to heal myself, and i'm yelling back I don't have enough health to heal myself.  Provides some interesting stories afterwards.  (in those situations, cast a ward as it doesn't take health).

[Blumfield]

Also, it seems to me that our great health regen often translates to increased power regen through cannibalize, heals taking hp to cast, manastone, other canni-esque items, etc

[Rob626]

Another aspect of power efficiency: All of our wards (which prevent damage) are used. Other healers have heals that either can either lapse without benefit (reactives don't work unless you get hit) or over-heal (Heals over Time and Reactives can try to heal the target for more health than they actually posess which cannot happen) Even if a ward lapses the remaining bit turns into a heal so there is very little wasted heal. Looked at another way, Healing efficiency= How much heal is used/power spent and not potential heal/power spent. So power point-for-power point a ward is the most efficient method of all the heal types for keeping someone alive.

[Arielle Nightshade]

And as far as your health being used up.  When raiding with my Warden, one single target heal on the Defiler brings 'em back to full health, even if they have been healing their butts off.   If they soul ward, that's a different story, but your little Sarnak is not going to have to worry about that for some time...and by then you'll be good with how it works.

[Greggthegrmreapr]

<p>Tribal Spiritist's hat, manastone, and Cannibalize are usually enough to keep me with more than enough power.  With those 3 things, I was at 90% power when my guild killed Mayong last night.  Thats the first time I was in on, it, so I don't know what is normal.  I heard its a fight all about power regen.  Add onto those, Manastone 2, the shammy pants, and the book from claymore (useful if you die, use it and 7k power!) I rarely run out of power.</p>

[knightofround]

I crunched the numbers awhile ago and I think I remember Forced Cannibalize being the equivielent of both FT and Regen 42 if you keep it up at all times. With doomrage pants, manastone, and tribal spiritist hat, I never drop below 50% in raids as long as there's one mana regenner in the group.It's true that our patch heals cost health, but between our self-regeneration buff and the regenative effect of forced canni, it's hardly noticable. In a raid situation, we rarely use those patch heals because they are so slow casting compared to other healers; by the time the defiler lands theirs, druids have got off two =PThe health cost was only noticeable in lower level xp groups, and when you're trying to single-heal unrest.