Dread Knight Abilities - Page 4

Zer033x · 09-21-2006, 04:04 AM

First of all, hi guys, this is my first post here on Vanguard Fighters. I played EQ as an SK for 5 years, I was the first Iksar SK to 60, 65, and 70 on my server. I just loved playing the class so much because of the feel of them and their actual job in the world. I always felt I was unique and useful because I brought a little something different to the table.

In EQ the SK was pretty much half warrior half necro so it made sense to give them lifetaps. In VG I'm not certain lifetaps would fit the class as well so I am not sure if they will incorporate that into the Dread Knight. If I were to choose an ability I would like dread knights to have though it would be lifetaps because they greatly increase soloability. I wasn't too big on soloing all the time, but I thought it was cool that i could solo some things that other classes couldn't and this was greatly in part because of lifetaps.

As far as the VG Dread Knight goes I think the focus on debuffs would make a lot more sense. This happens to be a part of the EQ SK that was lacking, and that I always felt they should improve upon, but the few debuffs we did have in EQ I had fun playing with even if they were weak.

I'm really looking forward to the VG Dread Knight. I hope the class focus is on debuffing enemies and augmenting self. I think some good debuffs and self augmentations added to our ability to defensively tank will make us a very cool class for groups and solo alike.

So in conclusion, I hope the VG Dread Knight focuses on debuffs or lifetaps. Preferably debuffs since the EQ SK was focused on lifetaps more.

One last thing that I hope we have is invisibility. I think it fits the class pretty well, and would be hard to get used to not having something like that after playing a EQ SK with pre-nerf circlet of shadow.

DomwinFell · 10-02-2006, 08:08 PM

It is tough to go by what limited info has been released, but i would have to say that the best one would be based upon your choice of play. If you are looking to tank as a DK (which certainly seems possible) you may want life taps to keep yourself alive and keep aggro off the healer. Personally, i think Dreadful Countenance sounds the most useful in a party environment.

Depending how the mob is weakened with this ability it could have the most impact for the DK class. If it is core values such as 'Defense', 'Attack', etc this ability could make or break a party fighting higher end mobs. But i would imagine that values such as 'attack rate', 'accuracy', etc will be affected.

I would talk about soloing...but if you pick up an MMO to solo, i have only one thing to say to you :arrow: "Go buy Monster Hunter"

Varangarian · 10-05-2006, 04:27 AM

I apologize as I'm not familiar with how Vanguard plans to develop class talents/skills via some tree style selection (ala Shadwobane or to a lesser degree WoW) or offering all/most to every1 of that class based on levels (ala EQ)

But for DK's I think the best routes would be:

1) Lifetap/lifesteal style where you draining HP to keep your own hp up taking the stress off the healers. There could be tons of oppurtunities with spells this way (huge direct lifesteal, dot type lifetap, enchant weapon lifesteal, etc). This makes the ultimate DK tank who can last on his own with minimual heals (compared to some1 who cant heal themselves this way). Since the taps are not direct heals, like a paladins it lets the DK swing while healing.

2) Curse/debuff styel where the DK weakens the enemies drastically. This could get real creative with paraylsis/stun curses, damage curses, attribute droping ones, resistance droping ones, miss chance, etc.

3) Absorbtion style where the DK attribute taps his foes. Draining their strenght and giving it to him, or any other attribute. This could be kind of tied into the lifetap style, but i think there should be a finite difference from a stat drainer and a hp drainer. In this sense the DK's self buffs would be weaker then a paladin's but since you're draining stats from your foes it makes up for this. You could be really creative here by allowing the DK to even absorb special abilities of their enemy.

4... I think fear should be a common element to all DK's, while usefull it shouldn't be the mainstay of the DK as fear effects in my experience often times wipe your group more often then save you.

Of course balancing is needed, and while I'm planning to go DK I don't want them unstoppably badass...just pretty close.

On a side note I like the slight customization of WoW's talent trees (despite their flaws and the many flaws of that game) and loved the creative Shadowbane system. I know Vanguard is not the latter for sure, but some customization would be nice so that if I want to curse/debuff with my DK I can do so better then the DK that wants to do Lifetaps the best and he can out lifetap me.

Victus · 11-29-2006, 12:45 AM

CC and Stuns! I see Dreadknights being an awesome offtank.

XeroKill · 01-08-2007, 11:56 PM

As long as we are a unique class I will be happy with the abilities they give us. I was always partial to Fears and Snares on my SK in EQ1. I just hated the fact that all we got spell-wise in EQ1 was lower level Necromancer spells. Even after they "changed" our spells to unique names, that is all they were is names. Even though they called it "Such and Such of DOOM!" it was still a watered down Necromancer spell when you look at the effects of it.

As long as we are unique and not totally gimp for the first 4 expansions, I will be cackling all day and all night.

Saphhyre · 01-09-2007, 07:10 PM

I used to play an SK on EQ1 for close to 7 years. Had well over 500 days played, and had no alts. My life was SK and nothing but. I loved the class and continue to love the class. It is/was the best Paladin hating class ever.

Coming to VG, I have hopes and dreams. I want the DK to be nothing like but almost exactly like the SK. I do not wish to see spells/skills exactly like the Necro but ones of their own. I do desire the pulling abilities with Feign Death but I dont desire the eratic, stupid pet that we had. The lifetaps are indeed helpful to grouping/raiding for the simple fact that dependencies on healers are not required. Debuffing are also useful which help healers not have to heal tanks as much. But I don't prefer to see any debuffs since SK's never used them when tanking. As far as crowd control abilities, the agro spells SK's had were great but not all THAT great. I would like to see better. Last but not least, snares. It was always a problem not to have a snarer in a group and it was always the Knights who came to the rescue. I would like to see at least a great snare to help save groups when the required snarer fails to do their job.

That is all....

Saphhyre ZaTeeva
Dread Knight of Vanguard

Breaenna ZaTeeva
Shadowknight of EQ1 (retired)

Mauve · 01-09-2007, 08:41 PM

Hi new to these forums, but im playing a dreadknight in beta atm, and i thought id reply.

Dreadknight feels to me.. how a shadowknight SHOULD be, but its not really that similar to a shadowknight from eq1-2

it has dreadfull countenance which is a kind of aura that passes on to any enemy in combat with the dreadknight, which slowly debuffs the enemies more and more as they become filled with fear and dread.

a lot of our abilities seem linked to the dreadfull countenance, some doing more damage/more agro etc with more dreadfull countenance on the enemy...

Still not sure how it all works myself as im still learning, but Dreadknight from all im hearing, is equal to warriors in terms of tanking... its not quite as good at agro but the dev's stated they are intended to hold agro equally well so it will be worked on.

Dreadknight all in all feels very evil, it lacks the skeleton pet and feign death that was in EQ1, has abilities that require you to be flanking or behind target to do more damage (and a nifty little shadow step that can take you into position in an instant)

Dunno if this helps anyone, but il try post more and more accurate info if i can, and as i level and find out more

velzevul · 01-09-2007, 08:59 PM

i am itching to find out about the stun that was promised... what level skill is it, what are the costs involved?

what lifetaps do DKs have? are they useful or nothing but symbolic?

XeroKill · 01-11-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velzevul

i am itching to find out about the stun that was promised... what level skill is it, what are the costs involved?

what lifetaps do DKs have? are they useful or nothing but symbolic?

If you want to see what they are in beta, just take a peak at the link in my signature.