Age of Conan Class Interview: the Bear Shaman

Posted Feb 13, 2008 at 8:38AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Titles, News, Interviews Tags: Evan Michaels, Funcom

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Apparently playing a Priest class in Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC, Xbox 360) doesn't necessarily mean that you sit in the back healing and buffing your party members. During the latest installment of the Age of Conan Class Interview, Ten Ton Hammer chats with Evan Michaels, Game Designer for Funcom, about the all new hybrid melee and healer class, the Bear Shaman.

Despite taking its roots from the Priest class, the Bear Shaman was found to be one of the more formidable melee classes as well. This supplements the rudimentary healing spells the class already possesses. If you're expecting another Priest class that just buffs and heals, then you've got another thing coming after watching the Bear Shaman in action.

Despite the name, however, the Bear Shaman does not have the ability to transform into a bear and wreak havoc on its foes. Instead, a Bear Shaman can channel different spirit totems and manifestations which grants different melee buffs to augment its high attack power.

Here are just some of the examples cited on the different Claw Totem abilities a Bear Shaman can choose from:

• "Claws of Stone", which grants a chance of increasing the defenses of the Bear Shaman.
• "Claws of Corruption", which causes melee attacks to inflict additional poison and unholy damage whilst also cursing the target, causing others hitting that target to inflict additional damage as well.
• "Reaper Claws", increases melee damage whilst also having a chance to proc a bleeding wound on the target which can stack up to 3 times.
• "Claws of Life", which grants melee attacks by the Bear Shaman and his allies a chance to slightly heal their wounds.

While this may seem like the class is rather overpowered, Michaels mentions that it's all balanced out since players have to keep a careful eye on balancing their character's health, mana, and stamina pools while playing a Bear Shaman. Also, they have a very limited skill set when facing off against ranged opponents.

Players can see the Bear Shaman and much more when Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures goes live this May. In the meantime, we'll keep everyone posted on any more updates we spot from the game.

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