Frostreaver TLP - Barbarian Shaman Guide Part 1: Levels 1–5 in Everfrost

When a new Barbarian Shaman first emerges into the snow-covered streets of Halas, they possess very little. Handing in the guild note will provide a guild tunic, but beyond that there is only a club, a few supplies, and whatever courage they can muster. The early levels can feel brutal. Spells are expensive, armour is scarce, and even a single extra piece of equipment can make the difference between victory and a corpse run.

Fortunately, Everfrost provides everything a young Shaman needs. The frozen channels that run between Halas and the entrance to Blackburrow contain almost all the creatures and quest items required to reach level five comfortably. The key is understanding what to keep, what to sell, and where to take the valuable items you find.

For the first few levels, most of your hunting will revolve around four creatures: ice spiders, ice goblins, skeletons, and polar bears.

Ice spiders are perhaps the most important. They drop both Wooly Fungus and Spiderling Silk. Wooly Fungus should never be sold. Once you have collected eight pieces, return to Waltor Felligan, the Shaman Guildmaster located outside the Shaman Guild at approximately +289, +373 in Halas. Waltor can be located using the Find function (Ctrl+F). The reward is nine gold pieces and a random Shaman spell, making it one of the most valuable quests available to a beginning Shaman.

For more information about the quest: Wooly Fungus

Spiderling Silk should also be retained. Although it has no immediate quest use, it forms the foundation of future tailoring work. Two Spiderling Silks can be combined in a sewing kit to create Silk Thread, a component that will become increasingly useful as your tailoring skill develops.

Ice goblins provide a second important source of advancement. Every Ice Goblin Necklace should be saved rather than sold. Once six necklaces have been collected, they can be handed to Lysbith McNaff, the Warrior Guildmaster located in the Pit of Doom at approximately +566, -410. Like many important NPCs in Halas, she can be located through the Find function.

The necklace quest rewards experience, faction and coin, and can be repeated throughout the early levels.

For more information about the quest: Ice Goblin Necklaces

Skeletons are often ignored by new players who focus entirely on animals and goblins. This is a mistake. Skeletons frequently drop cloth armour and rusty weapons, both of which are extremely useful during the opening levels. A few pieces of cloth armour can significantly improve your survivability, while rusty weapons either provide an upgrade over your starting club or can be sold to finance future spell purchases. Bone chips are also worth keeping if you have bag space, as they can often be sold to other players.

Polar bears complete the core hunting cycle of the early game. Every Polar Bear Skin should be saved and delivered individually to Cindl, the tailoring supplies merchant located inside Mac's Kilts at approximately +300, -160 in Halas. Each hand-in rewards a piece of Tattered Armour, providing a steady source of equipment upgrades while levelling.

For more information about the quest: Cindl's Polar Bear Collection

Cindl is one of the most important NPCs a young Barbarian will encounter. While the Polar Bear Skin quest is useful in its own right, her true importance lies in tailoring. Many new players make the mistake of selling ruined pelts to merchants. In reality, several of these items become valuable once tailoring enters the picture.

Ruined Bear Pelts should always be retained. Combined with patterns purchased from Cindl and a Large Sewing Kit, they can be transformed into patchwork armour pieces. This provides a reliable method of improving equipment while simultaneously raising tailoring skill.

High Quality Bear Skins should also be saved rather than sold. Although they may seem like ordinary vendor loot, they are used in the creation of backpacks and become increasingly valuable as tailoring progresses.

By the time a Barbarian Shaman reaches level five, they should have completed several Wooly Fungus turn-ins, handed in multiple sets of Ice Goblin Necklaces, acquired pieces of Tattered Armour from Cindl, and begun building a stockpile of tailoring materials. More importantly, they should have learned one of the most important lessons in EverQuest: loot is rarely just loot.

A piece of fungus becomes a spell. A necklace becomes experience. A bear skin becomes armour. A ruined pelt becomes a tailoring project. Understanding those connections is what transforms a struggling novice into a capable adventurer.

With a few levels, a handful of spells, and some basic armour acquired, the next destination begins to loom on the horizon. Beyond the frozen channels lies Blackburrow, where gnolls, groups, and the wider world of Norrath await.

From Guide to Story

Much of the route described in this guide was also used as the basis for the opening chapters of Caradawc. If you would like to see what those first few levels might have felt like from the perspective of a young Barbarian Shaman, you can read:

Caradawc: The White Breath of Everfrost: Chapter One

The story follows Caradawc's earliest days in Halas, his first hunts in Everfrost, and the beginning of his journey toward Blackburrow and the Symbol of the Initiate.