Shadow Knights are the dark knights of evil gods.  They combine physical prowess with ruthless faith in their dark lords.  They are granted dark powers by these lords, whom they serve by working to destroy every good thing they can find.

Type:

Hybrid

Class Skills:

Shadow Knights combine the martial abilities of Warriors with the dark magic of a Necromancer , though this is a simplification.  Their knowledge in the arts of war are not as deep as a Warrior's.  They never learn to dual wield, and they do not kick.  Further, the Warrior will always surpass them in overall knowledge of weapons.  Their spell casting abilities follow the same line as a Necromancer's, though at a lagging pace, and they are never able to achieve true mastery over death the way a full-fledged Necromancer does.  Instead, they gain many spells to aid them in combat, spells that assist them in the toe-to-toe work that separates them from Necromancers, including spells to increase their ability to aggravate an opponent, and abilities to siphon their opponent's fighting abilities.  Finally, the Shadow Knight has the ability to Harm Touch once a day, which allows them to channel the energy of their dark gods into a single, devastating attack.  This ability is relatively weak, at first, but does more harm as the Shadow Knight gains power.

Other Names:

Reaver, Revenant, Grave Lord, Dread Lord, Crusader (Iksar), Dragoon (Dark Elf)

Armor:

Shadow Knights wear Platemail, when money or supplies permit.  They will make do with chain or leather, if they must.

Religion:

Shadow Knights must serve one of the dark gods from which their power derives: Bertoxxulous, Cazic-Thule, Innoruuk, or Rallos Zek.

Questing:

Most Shadow Knights are sent off by their Guild Masters to begin crafting their own set of armor to defend themselves in the battles to come.  From there, they seek to become closer to their gods.  In this way they become more powerful, and more capable in destroying their foes.  This is primarily through the many quests for magical arms and armor.

Culture and Training:

Shadow Knights are trained in a very rigid, very organized fashion.  They are hierarchical, and their daily lives are full of rituals and formalities they must follow.  They are trained in both the art of combat and the arts of darkness.  Their lives are a mix of fervent worship and combat.  This is not to say they are all stiff and ritualistic themselves, but they do have codes of conduct to live up to.  These codes of conduct are influenced by the gods they serve.  You will find a Shadow Knight of Bertoxxulous to be very different from a Shadow Knight of Rallos Zek, and a Cazicite Shadow Knight different from both of them.

Interaction:

Shadow Knigts are often found leading the forces of evil. In a party, they tend to the front lines. They are capable of taking damage almost as well as a Warrior, and their lifetaps can keep them a bit healthier. In fact, it may be hard for a Warrior to keep an enemy's attention when a Shadow Knight is around. The Shadow Knight's aresnal of spells is ideal for weakening their foes, but they are also the sort of spells that keep an adversary's attention. The Shadow Knight also brings a pet along, which, while not as strong as other pets, is an extra hand in the battle on the party's side.

Alignment:

All Shadow Knights are evil.  Shadow Knights are either Orderly or Discordant, but they are never Neutral.

Roleplay Tips:

You are your dark god's tool for the destruction of good.  Your god has chosen you, and made you more than what you were before.  His dark gifts flow through you.  You can feel that power pulsing in your veins, and you can share that feeling with others, making them writhe in the grip of agony.  Your life is lived to see others die.  The weak, the foolish, and any who oppose the will of your god will be struck down by the force of your dark powers, and the bite of your steel.  Corruption, tyranny, death, and war, these are your watchwords.  Strife follows you wherever you go, and you are usually the source of it.  You feel no pity or remorse for those you trod under your steel-shod feet, for they are inferior, and know not the beauty of the dark visions your god has granted of you, of the power they oppose.  Your god is great and terrible, and you are the walking proof of this, every day.

Quote:

"Look not to the light, fool.  Look to the dark, and you will find me there, waiting.  I am your end, and your honor, in death, means nothing."