Shamans & Language

[Aardra]

I'm loving the shaman class, but it is becoming quite apparent that they need a bit more in the way of language tools. Since shaman RP leans very nature-y I find myself around the grove a lot, yet my poor epic Shaman (who regularly communes with nature spirits) is left completely out of the loop as everyone speaks Druidic or Sylvan all the time. I feel, as characters who (or many of whom) regularly commune with spirits that are inherently tied to the material plane, they should at least get Animal Language. Thanks.

[Gouge Away]

Shamans need a few things, there's very little gear for them either..

But.. maybe Shamans could get one bonus language of their choice between (off the top of my head and very debatable) Celestial, Animal, Sylvan, Abyssal, Infernal? Or something like that, to accommodate the many potential ways a Shaman go, a necro-shaman speaking to Abyssal spirits makes sense as well as a more naturalistic shaman speaking to animals or a goodly "ancestor spirits" shaman speaking celestial.

[Aardra]

Shamans need a few things, there's very little gear for them either..

But.. maybe Shamans could get one bonus language of their choice between (off the top of my head and very debatable) Celestial, Animal, Sylvan, Abyssal, Infernal? Or something like that, to accommodate the many potential ways a Shaman go, a necro-shaman speaking to Abyssal spirits makes sense as well as a more naturalistic shaman speaking to animals or a goodly "ancestor spirits" shaman speaking celestial.

I like this! Maybe gate it behind epic levels, or somethin'?

[Glowing Mushroom]

I 100% support Shamans getting the Animal language.

They are in need of more love.

I am also hoping to see something that directly represents their affinity to the spirits. A summonable Spirit companion that acts like a familiar. It can be possessed and spoken through. And it levels up to powerful levels through tiers if the Shaman class is taken to 30, similar to the Druid and Totems, with the most powerful final abilities coming at lvl 28. This would not only give them more RP goals and lore to work with and bolster the Shaman class for RPers, but it would give them a viable and strong summon that can be used for PvE/P in addition to their Circle summons.

You could even choose how it would appear through a new RP NPC, similar for Druids and the Totem NPC.

It could appear as a whisp, or an ethereal animal of your choosing, or different types of ghosts with lighter colors to them.

[Aardra]

I 100% support Shamans getting the Animal language.

They are in need of more love.

I am also hoping to see something that directly represents their affinity to the spirits. A summonable Spirit companion that acts like a familiar. It can be possessed and spoken through. And it levels up to powerful levels through tiers if the Shaman class is taken to 30, similar to the Druid and Totems, with the most powerful final abilities coming at lvl 28. This would not only give them more RP goals and lore to work with and bolster the Shaman class for RPers, but it would give them a viable and strong summon that can be used for PvE/P in addition to their Circle summons.

You could even choose how it would appear through a new RP NPC, similar for Druids and the Totem NPC.

It could appear as a whisp, or an ethereal animal of your choosing, or different types of ghosts with lighter colors to them.

I <3 u.

[Kuma]

But.. maybe Shamans could get one bonus language of their choice between (off the top of my head and very debatable) Celestial, Animal, Sylvan, Abyssal, Infernal? Or something like that, to accommodate the many potential ways a Shaman go, a necro-shaman speaking to Abyssal spirits makes sense as well as a more naturalistic shaman speaking to animals or a goodly "ancestor spirits" shaman speaking celestial.

Having them pick a language at first Shaman level (a-la Knight paths) would be ideal, tbh.

[garrbear758]

So they originally did not get animal to try to distance them from druids. Now that druidic exists, I'm definitely open to giving them a bonus language. I do like the idea of letting them choose one, so that's probably the direction I would want to go with it.

Items are something we're getting to eventually on all the new classes; it has just been a slow process.

[Aardra]

So they originally did not get animal to try to distance them from druids. Now that druidic exists, I'm definitely open to giving them a bonus language. I do like the idea of letting them choose one, so that's probably the direction I would want to go with it.

Items are something we're getting to eventually on all the new classes; it has just been a slow process.

Yes! Thank you for even considering this!

[Xerah]

Agreed. We actually have the coding for language choosing now, so that makes things a lot easier too.

[chris a gogo]

I do think keeping class languages to a class is a better option if the "shaman" wants to speak sylvan not really an issue thats a racial language, if they want to speak a secret language like druidic then dipping into druid and having to take druids oaths is a fair compromise.

[sarithia]

I'm all for the language choice, I think it's a wonderful idea. Shamans are already something that can be considered quite broad, and I think simply giving a choice of one language -- take sylvan, for example -- might narrow and niche down something that can be played in a range of ways. I adore the idea of sylvan, animal language and abyssal, it would fit relative parts of a spectrum the way a shaman can be played, definitely.

[Kuma]

... now this also raises the idea of choosing, say, Infernal or Abyssal as a NE tiefling or divine class instead of being locked into Abyssal.