Classes

Identity

The Shadow Knight is a plate-armored tank who wields the power of darkness not in service of evil, but against it. Where the Paladin draws strength from devotion to a faith, the Shadow Knight has learned that fighting monsters often requires becoming something like one.

They’re relentless, morally gray hunters, and a career spent hunting monsters leaves marks. The Shadow Knight studies what they fight, adapting techniques and methods from a diverse range of enemies. They’re formidable combatants in any encounter, but against monsters they know, they wield an invaluable edge.

In fights that would exhaust a more conventional tank, the Shadow Knight is sustained through force: life steals and ability drains replenish their strength at the expense of their foes. They’re built for aggression as much as they are endurance, and that shapes every choice they make at the front line.

Archetype: Antihero Monster Hunter

Roles: Tank, Melee DPS

Races: Deep Dwarf, Deep Elf, Goblin, Human, Ogre, Troll

Shadow Knight

Defining Traits

  • Wears plate armor and prefers a two-handed weapon, but is capable of using a shield if needed

  • Has higher damage output than the Paladin, but less pure mitigation than the Fighter

  • Uses life and strength drains which can be distributed to themselves or the party

  • Casts fast, short-ranged abilities suitable for tanking under pressure

  • Can collect monster-hunting abilities from past encounters

  • Distinctly thematic from the Necromancer: no pets, no death magic, and undead are just another monster to them

What’s Changing

The Shadow Knight is stepping away from necromancy as its driving lore and toward the monster hunter antihero fantasy. The sinister tone stays; the undead trappings don't.

The biggest addition is the monster lore system. Collectable abilities learned from specific monsters give the Shadow Knight a customization layer that rewards experience and planning. Drains and transfers remain central, but the ability suite around them is getting more depth and scaling across the full level range.

The class is also gaining the same fast-casting, short-range abilities as other knight classes. It retains its role as the high-damage tank with the dark edge, but the dedicated pet and ability sharing with the Necromancer are being cut.

More:

  • Monster hunter antihero identity and lore

  • Drains, transfers, and debilitating effects

  • Collectable abilities from monster encounters

  • Depth, upgrades, and scaling across the level range

  • Fast-casting, short-range abilities

Less:

  • Necromantic lore and strictly undead theming

  • Dedicated pets

  • Generic magical utility

Archer - Bard - Beastmaster - Cleric - Druid - Elementalist - Enchanter - Fighter - Inquisitor - Monk - Necromancer - Paladin - Ranger - Rogue - Shadow Knight - Shaman - Spellblade - Wizard