*Dreadknight Guide*

[Niteflyx]

Hey, there's been alot of questions on boards about some Dreadknight questions like stats, race, skills, etc.. So maybe this will clear it up on some Dreadknights-to-be or people who want to check
out the feel for our class! This is far from being complete, so if any seasoned Dreadknights can
contribute their opinions, suggestions, changes, etc. that'd be great! This still needs alot of work,
sections, info, and stuff like that, and I will keep this updated, so do what you can please~
-Nite


Thanks to many Dreadknights of the vanguardfighters.com community who contributed to this guide and made it what it is!


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1. What is a Dreadknight?

To be added

2. Creating your DREADKNIGHT
Which race do I choose? Stats?
Race determines what stats are auto allocated for you every level and what your racial abilities are.

Once hitting level 10, your character gains 20 stats points.
+1 to each stat (6)
+4 Racial Allocation (4)
+10 Your choosing (10)

For humans, they have no racial allocation, so they may spend 14 points by their choosing. You may spend up to 4 points in one stat per level; 5 if you are a human.

Example:
I'm a Dark Elf Dreadknight and just leveled. I get 1 to each of my stats, and an additional two to INT, one to WIS, and one to DEX, since I'm a Dark Elf. I may choose to allocate 10 more points, with no more than 4 in one stat. So, I put 4 points into STR, 4 into DEX, and 2 into CON. Make sense?

Anyone care to explain this better maybe? =p

Starting stats

              |STR |CON |DEX |VIT |INT |WIS |[/b]
Starting Stats    | 35 | 50 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 25 |
                  |    |    |    |    |    |    | 
Racial Allocations
Lesser Giant      | 3  | 1  |    |    |    |    |
Thestran          |    |    |    |    |    |    |*
Vulmane           | 1  |    | 1  |    |    | 2  |
Dark Elf          |    |    | 1  |    | 2  | 1  |
Kurashasa         |    | 2  |    |    | 2  |    |
Qaliathari        |    |    |    |    |    |    |*
Kojani            |    |    |    |    |    |    |*
Orc               | 2  | 2  |    |    |    |    |
*Human races do not get racial allocations

Racial Skills
(Need help on these)
Each race gets innate abilities and an active ability.

Dark Elf: All spells cost 2% less mana, and can summon Child of Haelifur. castable once every 15minutes, can give the Dreadknight a 15 minute buff that increases AC by %15.
Kurashasa: 5% increase in run speed and +10 reasoning bonus (crafting). Also have an ability that gives you 25% mitigation and chance to slow mobs that hit you for 1 minute (30m recast).
Vulmane: 5% increase in runspeed. For 20s, 25% of your group's damage is returned to you in health form (group lifetap). 15m recast. Currently cannot put more than 3 points into STR/DEX from a bug.

So what race do I pick?
Ultimately, I go by play what race you think you'd have the most fun with. Since DRKs use all the stats, it'll require us to be somewhat rounded. Playing a Dark Elf? Maybe invest some points into CON and STR. Playing an Orc or Lesser Giant? Toss some points into INT next time you ding. The only time this will come into play is if you want 7 points of STR per level or something like that, requiring you to play a Lesser Giant and maxing our STR every level. Personally, I think your other abilities would suffer if you did something like this. Also, take into consideration your classes racial abilities.

If you're interested in playing with a friend, maybe pick races that start near each other. For a factioning guide to be non-KOS to some cities, check out this resource. Mobs listed are all below lvl10 so it'll be somewhat easy to get the 100 faction required to be non-KOS.

This is all subjective, but it is my opinion to PLAY WHAT WILL BE THE MOST FUN FOR YOU!


What stats do what? What should I spec?
This is always being discussed about, and each Dreadknight plays differently. That being said, here are what the stats do for us, and some suggestions.
Strength: Increases our auto-attack and melee skill damage. Also increases our block skill up to 14%. Useful since increases our DPS, hate, and block, so it's a pretty well rounded stat. Can be increased with our Devour Strength buff.
Constitution: Increases our hitpoints and resists. Resists are roughly 10 CON = 1 resist in all schools of magic. The ratio of CON->HP gets better as you increase in level, although the payoff isn't that amazing, being roughly 4hp per CON point.
Dexterity: Increases crit chance and chance to parry. Similiar to STR in the sense that increases our defense and offense, so useful. It's payoff per point isn't amazing, however.
Vitality: Increases run speed, health regen and mana regen. (need more info on usefulness) Can be increased with our Devour Strength buff.
Intelligence: Increases taunts, spell damage, and chance to see who that mob is hitting! Has a good payoff. (need more info) Can be increased with our Devour Mind buff.
Wisdom: Increases the size of our mana pool. (need more info) Can be increased with our Devour Mind buff.

It's good to keep in mind right now most of the plate armor in the game has melee stats, so it may be worth while to invest some points into the caster stats.


3. Skill List

Stances
(All percentages marked with a * increase by 1% per level of DC)
Ebon Blade: Our offensive stance. Increases damage by 10%* and endurance costs increased by 10%.
Armor of Darkness: Our defensive stance. Increases mitigation by 10%*, lowers damage by 10%, and increases our hate generated by 30%*.
Shadow Meld: Our evasion stance. Currently borked.

Offensive Melee Skills
Vexing Strike: Our main damage spam skill. Also increases DC.
Malice: Like Vexing Strike, except with a longer cooldown and a bigger hit. Also ups our DC, and gets a bonus if flanking with an ally.
Wrack->Ruin (crit combo): Triggered by a crit, these skills do % of melee damage and then some. Very good damage.
Vile Strike->Anguish: Higher level combo chain. Useless at the moment.
Backlash: No comment.

Defensive Skills
Bleak Foreman: Increases the chance to block the next attack.
Shield of Fear->Dark Bastion (crit combo): Shield of Fear increases block chance based on DC level. Dark Bastion increases ACbased on DC level. At level 50, DC5, you're looking at +18%block and +900ac.
Apothotic Shield: No comment.
Vengeance: (counterattack): Triggered on a successful block. Stuns opponent for X seconds or X hits. Breaks too fast for much use.
Dark Ward: Take 25% less damage over the next X hits, or 60s. 60s recast.

Aggro Management Skills
Provoke: Our primary taunt skill, gives Dreadknight X hate.
Seething Hatred: Our 'snap taunt' skill. On a minute recast, it forces enemy to hit Dreadknight for X amount of hits. Very useful. This ability does not add any hate; it is similar to a rescue, except no defensive target is needed.
Incite->Inflame (crit combo): Incite deals damage and adds a respectable amount of hate. Inflame acts similar to Seething Hatred (forces enemy to hit the Dreadknight for X hits).
Scourge (rescue): Forces your defensive target to stop hitting your offensive target and hit you for X hits.
Enthralling Nexus(rescue): Forces all attackers on defensive target to hit you for X hits. Kind of broken at the moment.

Spells
Cull (LIFETAP/LEARNABLE): Lifetap. Can only be used when mob is stunned. How to learn is listed below.
Incantation of Hate: No comment.
Bane: No comment.
Torture: Damage and hate over time. A very good tool in aggro control.
Word of Doom: High spiritual damage, 15m recast. Death Touch, if you will.
Black Wind (AE): Frontal cone magic AE. 15s recast, high mana cost.
Scythe of Darkness (AE/LIFETAP): Frontal AE skill that does respectable damage to all mobs in its area, and returns 100% of the damage to you.

Symbols
Dreadknights can maintain one Symbol on them at any time.
Symbol of Suffering: Damage shield.
Symbol of Despair: Self rune. Absorbs X damage every 5s. Also has a X% chance (increases with DC) of stunning the attacker for 3s.
Symbol of Wrath: Increases damage by X for every level of DC. Also increases rate in which you increase DC.

Utility
Shadowy Veil: 60s invis and +15% run speed (stacks with other run speed/mount). 80s recast.
Hatred Incarnate: Instantly takes Dreadknight to his max DC potential. 30m recast.
Vile Howl: AE fear.
Shadow Incarnate: No comment.
Ominous Fate: Stun for X seconds or hits. Instant cast, recast of 1m.
Dreadful Visage: Increase your DC, spammable.
Slay: Has a % chance to kill a mob under 10% health. Usually doesn't work on quest/boss mobs.
Despoil: Remove a positive buff on enemy.
Ravaging Darkness: Endurance siphon for 8seconds. Very useful, especially in conjunction with Scythe of Doom.
Frighten: Single target fear.
Abyssal Chains: Snare.
Shadow Step: Teleports you behind your target; used in conjunction with a skill to perform immediatly after teleport.
Harrow (POSITIONAL/LIFETAP): Can only be used behind target. Best to be performed with Shadow Step in a macro. Deals damage and returns it 100% to caster; our primary lifetap.
Phantasmal Blade (POSITIONAL): Only able to be used out of combat. Stuns mob for X seconds or until hit. Our 'sap' or 'mez' skill. Best to be performed with Shadow Step in a macro. Limited uses.

Debuffs
Devour Strength: Drains X STR/VIT from target and gives you X STR/VIT (1-for-1 ratio). Lasts 5m.
Devour Mind: Drains X INT/WIS from target and gives you X INT/WIS (1-for-1 ratio). Lasts 5m.
DREADFUL COUNTENANCE: This is what our class is based off of. Read Section 4 for more information about it.

4. Dreadful Countenance
This is a listing of the Dreadknight's Dreadful Countenance Debuff. These are the debuffs applied to the mob (i.e., Incoming Critical improves the chance to score a crit on the mob that has the debuff)

Dreadful Countenance I: Rising Dread
Incoming Critcal: +5%
Resistances: Reduced

Dreadful Countenance II: Wave of Despair
Incoming Critcal: +7%
Resistances: Reduced
Incoming Spiritual Damage: +5%

Dreadful Countenance III: Fell Aura
Incoming Critcal: +9%
Resistances: Reduced
Incoming Spiritual Damage: +10%
Damage: -5%

Dreadful Countenance IV: Hopelessness
Incoming Critcal: +11%
Resistances: Reduced
Incoming Spiritual Damage: +15%
Damage: -7%


Dreadful Countenance V: Dread Tide
Incoming Critcal: +13%
Resistances: Reduced
Incoming Spiritual Damage: +20%
Damage: -10%
Dread Knight Damage: +15%

5. Learnable Skills
Here is a listing of mobs that cast a Dreadknight Learnable spell. You must be of appropriate level and to be hit with the spell to learn it. After 10 or so updates, the spell will appear in your spell book.

Cull I (Lvl 30)
Qalia - CIS: Guardian of Time
Qalia - CIS: Time Warden
Thestra - Ruins of Trengal Keep: Shinak Deathdealer
Thestra - Ruins of Trengal Keep: Warlocks?
Thestra - Ruins of Trengal Keep: Destroyers?
Thestra - Ruins of Trengal Keep: Dreadknights?

Cull II (Lvl 42)
Thestra - Graystone: Risen Attenant
Thestra - Graystone: Risen Servant
Thestra - Graystone: Risen Sycophant



6. Gear
(Need some info)
7. Gear Quests
(need more info/links)
lvl20: Lord Tsang's Weapons
lvl22-30: CIS Armor Quest Line/Ageless Weapons
Lvl25-40: Celestine Ward Armor Quest Line/Weapons
lvl38: Arena Master Weapons

8. Leveling/Quest Areas

Lvl10-15
Lvl16-20
Lvl21-25
Coterie Infineum Sanctuary: Qalia, southwest of Khal. Large questline for groups at Donovan's Roost for armor/weapons. Mines for 21-25s.
Lvl26-30
Coterie Infineum Sanctuary: Qalia, southwest of Khal. Large questline for groups at Donovan's Roost for armor/weapons. Sanctuary for upper 20's.
River Valley: Located behind the mining camp in CIS. Quests start in mining camp.
Lvl31-35
River Valley: Located behind the mining camp in CIS. Quest hubs in mining camp, and also a tent inside RV and a camp for 30+ quest hubs for solo/group. Also, 32-34 4 dot sirens for grinding.
River Palace: Dungeon inside River Valley. 34+ 4dot mobs in difficult pulls.
Cragwind Ridge: Located in Qalia, southwest of CIS. Huge quest hub for soloers/small groups.
Lvl36-40
Seawatch Coast: Take boat from Khal to Strandan. Bounty Hunter quests for great neck/chest/legs and plenty of grindable solo/group mobs. Also, arena quests for weapon and armor.
Lvl41-45
Lvl46-50


9. Tips and Tricks




Macros
Lifetapping: Set up a Shadow Step->Harrow macro like this:

/use "Shadow Step"
/use "Harrow IV" (or whatever your highest rank is)

Crowd Control: Similarly, a macro can be set up with Phantasmal Blade:

/use "Shadow Step"
/use "Phantasmal Blade II" (or whatever your highest rank is)

[Niteflyx]

(reserved for changes)

[Daseal]

Very nice job! I picked up the game just a few days ago and thus far loving it (besides the fact that I'm stuck on a stump waiting for a GM at this very moment). However, I'm finding relatively simple information somewhat hard to find. IE what level and where can we find stances, etc etc. This is a great guide, thanks!

[Niteflyx]

try the command "/stuck yes" (without quotes obviously) =p

We have outdated beta spells posted at the top and didn't include anything like that in this guide, maybe I can compile levels for upgrades and stuff.. that'll probably be more useful for a 'guide' rather than listing our full details of damage, %'s, etc anyway, maybe i'll work on that tonight

You get AoD stance at lvl10 and 23 I think you get the shadow meld stance btw glad you enjoyed it!

[Daseal]

Wow, after 40 minutes of waiting all I had to type was /stuck yes! Thanks a lot! Yeah, I'm an old school EQ player and WoW player, so I'm used to the type of game. It's finding the basic information that I've found the hardest. Luckily I have a buddy who's level 40 something that has been able to help me with most of the non-DK questions!

[Niteflyx]

Hehe hopefully you like DRK, it's a fun class; we're solid soloers and solid tanks. While we do have our bugs as do all classes, we're still most definitely functional. Everyone on these boards is pretty helpful (and you avoid the cross-class fights most of the time found on silkyvenom.com here) so if you have a question, most people will help ya~

I'll mess around with some leveling area guides that I'm familiar with. I'm a Dark Elf and prefer Qalia, so I always tried to avoid Kojan/Thestra.. but I'm sure others have leveled up there and such

[velzevul]

SoD is a spell according to my latest findings , intel increases its damage, i have no other way to explain it. Test it out, I would like to see more input on it.


Kurashasa racial - 25% miti and chance to slow mobs that hit you. 1min long, 30 min recast. Kura also supposedly get 5% run speed bonus as an animal race and a 10 reasoning bonus in TS. Diplomatic expression I do not remember.

[Lynxal]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Wow, after 40 minutes of waiting all I had to type was /stuck yes! Thanks a lot! Yeah, I'm an old school EQ player and WoW player, so I'm used to the type of game. It's finding the basic information that I've found the hardest. Luckily I have a buddy who's level 40 something that has been able to help me with most of the non-DK questions!

The next command you will come to love is /rope. People can throw you a rope and pull you to them. You can't see the rope, and they have to have line of site with you so if you are actually stuck inside like a rock or something it won't work. However, stuck in a crevice or some other geometry as happens quite a bit, it works great.

[Zuul]

Thanks for heading this up Nite, should be very useful

Vulmane Racial ability is a %(can't remember off the top of my head what % exactly) of all group damage is translated into heals to the vulmane for 30s(I think, I'd have to check on the duration), recast is 15 minutes though... I almost always cast it, then WoD for a decent sized heal when the poo hits the fan.

And the Despair Symbol, you posted that it puts up a Rune absorbing X damage, but forgot about the X% (which increases with DC level) chance to stun your attacker for 3 seconds that it adds

And Dark Ward lasts for X hits or 60s, on a 60s recast.

And I didn't see Shadowy Veil up there. 60s invis + 15% run speed buff (stacks with all other speed buffs) on a 80s recast.

[Niteflyx]

No prob, thanks for the changes, makin' them as people post