Ratonga SK In Need of The Basics

[Norgoz]

Heya Shadow Knights. Recently I have decided to make my little Ratonga Commoner into a Shadow Knight and I know very little of EQ2 SK abilities and limitations. I'll explain what I do know then move on to some questions I would appreciate answers to. I am currently a Lv39 Berserker and have grouped with Paladins semi-often, but I've only grouped with a Shadow Knight on one accasion that I can remember. He was also 38. I know you guys get a lifetap line of spells, castable wards, and a couple group HP buffs. I know you guys get a pet at higher levels and a skeleton illusion (<u>Does this convert HP > POW like EQ1?</u>), but I know not of the specifics of any of these abilities. My Brother is a Lv22 SK but is retired so he can't exactly tell me much. Last I was on his SK, I could cast FD on another player. <u>Is this still possible?</u> I know Crusaders have less defensive skills and lower hate generating abilities than a Warrior does (and it shows, yet, I've had hate pulled from me by a Paladin who refused to stop taunting to finish HO's). <u>Is there a certain routine so-to-speak that will generate more hate than taunts alone that I should look into? How can I make the best out of the SK's abilities such as Lifetap and Ward in a tanking situation? </u>As a Ratonga, I have higher agility than most other races, but MUCH lower strength and stamina.<u> Should I focus on stamina and HP mostly (aside from AC which is top priority)? or should I work on strength as well (if I'm in the tanking position)? Should I go for Stamina in each specialty upgrade? I would assume to, but /shrug How much will wisdom/intelligence effect spell effectiveness and is it worth working on? Which Stat does SK's power pool come from? Any suggestions on Adept3 abilities I should look into?</u> Note: I grind through levels very fast, so please note if I will be using the ability for awhile or not. <u>Do SK's normally, and in your own experience(s), have many power issues? If so, how can I compensate for them?</u> These are all of the questions I can think of at this time. I greatly appreciate your feedback and I will be checking later for answers. (I'll look around the forums for different spell specifics, but I asked about them in my post, because the numbers don't always tell the whole story) <u></u><div></div>

[Vitriol]

<BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Norgoz wrote:<BR><BR><U>How can I make the best out of the SK's abilities such as Lifetap and Ward in a tanking situation?<BR></U>As a Ratonga, I have higher agility than most other races, but MUCH lower strength and stamina.<U> Should I focus on stamina and HP mostly (aside from AC which is top priority)? or should I work on strength as well (if I'm in the tanking position)?<BR>Should I go for Stamina in each specialty upgrade? I would assume to, but /shrug<BR>How much will wisdom/intelligence effect spell effectiveness and is it worth working on?<BR>Which Stat does SK's power pool come from?<BR>Any suggestions on Adept3 abilities I should look into?</U> Note: I grind through levels very fast, so please note if I will be using the ability for awhile or not.<BR><U>Do SK's normally, and in your own experience(s), have many power issues? If so, how can I compensate for them?</U><BR><BR>These are all of the questions I can think of at this time. I greatly appreciate your feedback and I will be checking later for answers. (I'll look around the forums for different spell specifics, but I asked about them in my post, because the numbers don't always tell the whole story)<BR><U></U> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I am going off memory, so please excuse any mistakes.</P> <P>Skele illusion is not a power conversion buff.  It grants +defense +shield +disease mitigation at the cost of lower pierce, crush, etc.  (But no negative to axe :smileywink<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <DIV>You can FD any group member.  Whether the mob will believe the character is dead is another story.  30 minute refresh.  Wipes all buffs off the target.  Not sure if food and drink are wiped.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>There are a few posts on MT agro opener, but basically nuke/dot, start HO, nuke/dot, AE taunt to finish HO.  THEN your groupies can start fighting.  Use the one group buff and your ward to increase hate.  AE as appropriate.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Lifetaps are very power draining and wards are very short lived.  You will be warding yourself to help build hate anyway.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As for stats, its up in the air right now.  If the proposed combat changes go live, you are going to want AGI.  Don't work on +WIS/+INT.  25% of SK power is from WIS, 75% from STR.  Decent +WIS items are pretty hard to find.  Most SKs have power issues, so +STR is always good.  INT increases spell damage.  Most equipment has decent +INT on it anyway.  Personal, I went with STA/HP until I started noticing a power problem, then I switched to STR.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best Adept 3 recommendation is Vigor of Trust.  That spell didn't master for like 12 levels.  Adept 3s of buffs usually stink, but any little benefit will add up when you consider how long you have that spell for.  Then Adept 3 Rescue since it never masters.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I personally have MAJOR power issues.  Up your STR.  Manastone or certain other items is really the only way to compensate in battle.  Drinks of course for out of battle.  Basically, if you are MTing, don't DPS heavily or you won't have power to ward/buff/taunt for hate.  If you are DPS, learn which of our spells are more power inefficent than the rest.  Sadly, most are power inefficient.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Start generating tainted essences when you get the spell and bank every one.  Our pet is the most efficent DoT we get.  I'd adept 3 the pet also.  Pet 1 is 26.6 and Pet 2 is 40.6.</DIV>

[Norgoz]

Thanks for your reply, Vitriolic, but I'm still confused about some things. I would greatly appreciate more persons oppinions on this, and preferably, a highend Shadow Knight giving their oppinion(s) on how I should evolve my SK and what to focus on as far as statistics go. I've known since EQ1 that you should always go for STA since in highend HP is key in survival (I.E. Area attacks/spells), however, on EQ2 I'm not sure how it would go for a Shadow Knight, especially since I'm playing an odd little race with lower than average STR/STA but pumped AGI. Could someone give suggestions on what I should select as my stat training? Should I get STA each time and just focus on STR/AGI gear? Should I focus on STR and get STA/AGI gear? Should I get AGI and focus on STR/STA gear? Thank you all for your response. <div></div>

[Ishnar]

<DIV>I once saw someone say there are basically two strategies for improving yourself.You can concentrate on your  races natural strengths, or you can concentrate on your races natural weaknesses.  Concentrating on your weaknesses will never make your character better than medeocre all around, concentrating on your strength will at least make your character excell in one aspect.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If your natural agility is high you might just concentrate on that, which will eventually make your avoidance the best or , looking at the combat changes in test, give you the best mitigation, as damage will be based on str vs agi.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Or you can do what most people do and try to compensate for your character's weaknesses.  But then there will never be anything about your character's stats that make it stand out.  A ratonga will never be able to match a barbarian or ogre in str or sta but you could narrow the difference somewhat.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So I'm not making a recomendation, just giving you a point to consider.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ishnar</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Norgoz]

<div></div>I appreciate the reply Ishnar. Your oppinion's making me think hard on this.  The only thing that keeps me from making the decision of one trait upgrade over the other (I'm currently at the stage of my first stats upgrade at level 8, waiting for more responses and suggestions before I make my final decision) is that I still haven't heard from someone that's in the highend or has highend experience and can shed some light on what would be the most useful in the end. Like I said before, HP for AEs, is what I've always known to go for. Since we have power issues and Ratonga's STR is naturally low I dont know if I should focus on STR or not either. Agility does sound VERY tempting as far as group tanking goes, but in a raid encounter with constant AEs, I don't think it would do me much good... unless, of course, the AE were melee-based and not elemental. I know it may sound like I'm brushing your oppinions off and waiting for a "better" one, but that's not the case. I appreciate all oppinions, but I'd like to hear all sides of the story before I decide on what ending I plan to write, if that makes sense. I appreciate all replies, and please do so, if you have an oppinion that may help me out. I'm new to playing a Crusader on EQ2, and could use any and all advice I can get. I'd like to learn as much as possible before I nose-dive into anything major. <div></div><p>Message Edited by Norgoz on <span class=date_text>04-26-2005</span> <span class=time_text>07:53 PM</span>

[Vitriol]

You get one free /respec.  Why not make your choices now and see how your character plays.  You can always respec once you make it to the end game. <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I personally chose a stupid racial tradition (proc with a long cast/recast).  I will probably respec once I make all my choices and see how they play out.</DIV>