Thoughts on playing a Shaman?

Well, I completed a full-series run with a Shaman last year. Mine was a NG half-elf rather than a NE half-orc, but that shouldn't make much difference to most of the play.
The Shaman's signature spirit-summonings are fairly useful in BG1ee+SoD, albeit mostly as distractions for enemies to take some of the heat off your party. In BG2ee (particularly in the early stages), there are times when the same use as distractions is worthwhile, but those summons are no longer the main function of a Shaman. Instead, it's now more like playing a regular Druid, but of course with the Sorceror-style casting instead of Mage-style casting - so it's definitely advantageous to have some other divine caster in the party to know all the less-often-used spells which you haven't chosen for your Shaman to know about. (I took along Aerie, and your choice of Viconia sounds sensible for an Evil run.) However, the weapon-proficiency options are (IMO) more useful than a regular Druid, in particular being able to use a Shortbow as your ranged option. It's not a class designed to be much use in melee (so no, leave the Axe of the Unyielding with Korgan!), but it's an adequately-powerful and interestingly-different type of caster and can also contribute with ranged weapons, so I found it very enjoyable to play.
Tip 1: especially in the the earlier stages when your Shaman is often using the summoning dance, put the Ring of Free Action on your Shaman, so that the enemy can't stop the dance (and thereby unsummon your spirit allies) with a Web/Hold/whatever.
Tip 2: since Shamans get no bonus spells from WIS, and since they're more suited to ranged weapons than melee, the key stat for your build is DEX.
Prediction: with your specified companions, a NE Shaman is a good choice for protagonist, and the game will be a smooth win.

 

I agree with Gallowglass. I didn't get so far as ToB with my shaman, but the spirits are a great source of distraction in BG1 and early BG2. The power of a free damage sink shouldn't be underestimated. Plus they have all the spell power of a druid. I liked the class a fair bit.

 

Well, once you get it, perhaps yes, but in a full-series run that'll be 2/3 (maybe 3/4) of the way through, so Shortbow is your good ranged option for most of the game even if you want to switch to Firetooth when you get that far. Also, with your chosen party, you have the same ranged possibilities with Hexxat - and she's pretty good with Firetooth too! Then near the end, when you need +4 weapons for some battles, there isn't a Throwing Dagger that can do that, so your ranged choice is the Gesen Bow (a Shortbow) or K'logarath (a Throwing Axe).