Shadow Knight
The antithesis of a Paladin, a Shadow Knight derives power from the evil gods he serves.
He's part Warrior, part Necromancer and has the innate ability to Harm Touch. - EverQuest manual
Description
Shadow Knights are unholy warriors who use fear, pain and disease to attack all that is good in the world. Shadow Knights are primarily a melee class, able to wear plate armor and wield many kinds of weapons.
The Shadow Knight is considered by many as the opposite to a Paladin, while in some ways this is true, on Norrath they aren't the traditional evil Black Knight to the Good White Knight. The races that are capable of producing Shadow Knights are not all innately evil, even Humans are known to become them. In a similar fashion to a Paladin, Shadow Knights have to be dedicated to their deity, whether this dedication is because of a desire to serve or to gain in power and wealth is debatable. What is true for certain is none of the deities Shadow Knights follow could be thought of as good and will usually be classed as evil.
Shadow Knights have many of the skills and undertake similar training to that of a Warrior, complemented with an impressive spell casting ability in Necromantic magic. They are one of most respected and feared professions and as individuals are formidable opponents, even inexperienced Shadow Knights have completed tough and painful tasks, proving their worth enough to be trained. The Iksar especially give difficult tasks to their young apprentices, many of whom will never make it beyond their apprentice status. They are taught to fight without fear or mercy and not to question their masters, at least not until they can defeat them and give commands of their own.
Shadow Knights have no qualms about their method of defeating an opponent, including leaching their health and strength to enhance their own. Among the dark spells available to them, Shadow Knights can cause an enemy to run in fear and then slow their movement, catching up and striking them repeatedly where their armor is most vulnerable. This isn't to say Shadow Knights avoid direct combat as they are very powerful duelists, often using weapons of a cruel and damaging shape (and resulting effect). They are among the most dangerous enemies that an adventurer could encounter and as an ally need to be respected and dealt with carefully, Shadow Knights have a reputation for being quick to anger and easy to annoy and not always making their distaste known until it maybe fatal for the party responsible.
Roleplaying 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.
Class Titles
| Level 1-50 | Level 51-54 | Level 55-59 | Level 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Knight | Reaver | Revenant | Grave Lord |
Creation Guide
Picking the Right Race
The first thing you have to pick then is your race. Which race you pick will determine the foundation of your character for the rest of your life on Norrath so it is rather important that you pick one you like. There are a number of differences between Shadow Knight races which can influence your decision.
Firstly, different Shadow Knight races level at different speeds. Dark Elves, Humans, and Erudites level the fastest. Ogres level quite a bit slower than these races. Trolls and Iksar level even slower than Ogres. It will take an Iksar or Troll Shadow Knight more than twice the experience to reach Level 60 compared to a Halfling warrior. So be prepared for a long haul if you choose one of these races.
Humans and Erudites have no night vision, which could be a problem if you do not know the geography well. Erudites also have a naturally high magical resistance. These two, being neutral races, have good faction compared to all other Shadow Knights, and have the advantage of being allowed into many cities restricted to other Shadow Knights, often (but not always) without any extra faction work. Also human Shadow Knights are the only race that can have a moustache, so do consider that.
Iksars and Trolls have one key advantage over the other races. They both regenerate their health much faster. This is especially important when feigning death as it allows you to heal much faster whilst you are immobilized.
Ogres have an advantage in that they cannot be stunned from melee attacks when hit from the front. This can be very helpful throughout your characters life, and is an ability that cannot be duplicated by any gear in the game. They also have the highest strength and the most hitpoints of any race choice.
Ogres and Trolls have the racial Slam ability that can be used rather than Bash. This skill is available at level 1 and does not require a shield to be equip to use.
Faction wise, most Shadow Knights are not liked very much. Iksars can only trade in Cabilis. Erudites and Humans have more choices, but religion can sometimes be problematic for them, as they can easily trash what good faction they have if they choose their battles without thinking of faction consequences. Choosing Rallos Zek, if that option is available, will give you some mobility in neutral races' cities as well as most of Kael Drakkel. In the end however, your choice will not matter too much as you are fairly restricted no matter which race you pick.
Racial Experience Statistics
Note: Class experience penalties are no longer in effect on P99 as of 9/21/15. Racial penalties of 20% for Trolls and Iksar and 15% for Ogres are still applicable.
Starting Statistics
| Race | Str | Sta | Agi | Dex | Wis | Int | Cha | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Elf | 70 | 70 | 90 | 75 | 83 | 109 | 65 | 20 |
| Erudite | 70 | 75 | 70 | 70 | 83 | 117 | 75 | 20 |
| Froglok | 80 | 85 | 100 | 100 | 75 | 85 | 55 | 20 |
| Gnome | 70 | 75 | 85 | 85 | 67 | 108 | 65 | 20 |
| Half Elf | 80 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 70 | 85 | 75 | 20 |
| Human | 85 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 85 | 80 | 20 |
| Iksar | 80 | 75 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 85 | 60 | 20 |
| Ogre | 140 | 127 | 70 | 70 | 67 | 70 | 42 | 20 |
| Troll | 118 | 114 | 83 | 75 | 60 | 62 | 45 | 20 |
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Religion
Religion is not of a huge concern to Shadow Knights as they are already hated. Most choose to worship Innoruuk the Prince of Hate, as it ties in well their role. The other choices are Cazic-Thule, or rarely Bertoxxulous or Rallos Zek. Shadow Knights cannot be agnostic, as their dark powers are directly linked to their study or worship of their deity and the dead.
