SB Info *A must read if you enter game*

[Martok]

Ok. I will try to keep this post as brief as possible. We have decided to (as a group/guild) join the Mourning server. This decision was reached from what the majority of RP guilds have decided.

Let me make a quick breakdown of some of the classes I have had ICQ's about.

Assasin Very nasty. I hate assasins. Very sneaky. Many times I think I am all alone and out of nowhere one of these little suckers come out of the shadows and own me. Did I mention I hate assasins? (By the way, assasins are meant to take out single targets. Primarily casters. If you plan on being an assasin don't plan on taking out a Barbarian one on one. Not going to happen.

Barbarian I would have to say the Barbarian is the most offensive melee class in Shadowbane. They get TONS of hit points and are brute strenth in the flesh. Barbarians are the king of dealing out melee damage. They are tough to take down by the casters since they simply have SOOOO many hit points. But also beware, Barbarians have about zero defense and will also take tons of damage.

Bards I have very little info on bards at this time. Bards have been known as the "gimp" class of shadowbane and are very rare in game. I don't suggest anyone start out as this class at this time.

Channeler The mage of air, fire, water, and earth. Channelers are extremely powerful casters. They are damage dealers plain and simple. You do have two options when you create your character. To become either a Healer/Channeler, or a Mage/Channeler. Healer Channeler seems to be the most popular template. It allows you to wear light armor, use a shield, and have minor heal spells. Mage Channelers have a tad bit more offensive punch but die much faster than their Healer/Channler counterparts. I must say the best thing about Channelers is their ability to lift themselves on the currents of air. Yes! They can simply cast a spell and lift themselves off the ground and up over walls! Very neat! ---this is one of the classes I might be playing in release---

Confessor This is my favorite class based on RP reasons. Confessors have the ability to wear medium armor, use a shield, wield a hammer, and cast spells of utter destruction. Confessors have been hit with the nerf bat hard the last patch. The life tap spells used to be their bread and butter. With the recent nerf patch this is no more. Confessors are the kings of DOT spells with a few direct damage spells to follow. They are hard to bring down in battle because of their armor/shield. ---will most likely be this class in release---

Crusader Holy warriors. These are a hybrid class plain and simple. Healing ability as well as tanking ability. They are not huge offense, they are more of a secondary tank character with support ability. They have great defense. If you are going Crusader, Dwarf is the way to go.

Druid Don't know a whole lot about this class. Druids are somewhat similar to Confessors without the direct damage spells and armor. Druids have lots of DOT's, buffs, and healing ability. Not to fond of this class from what I have read though.

Fury This lady is one tough broad! The Amazon women known as Furies are tough chicks! Furies are the masters of elemental spellcasting. I have only seen a few Furies in combat and each time I did she killed me

Huntress Another tough chick. Huntress are (picture Amazon women in loin cloths wielding BIG spears).

Prelate This is the healer hybrid. Prelates are kind of like Wardens in DAoC. Jack of all trades but master of none. This is a pure support character. Prelates can buff, heal, cast offensive spells, and tank a bit; although none of which is the prelate the best of.

Priest Behold the followers of the All-Father. These holy clerics are the healing power of the game. With great heals come great buffs. There is a Priest shortage in the game overall. Priests have the best heals and best buffs as well as snares/roots/mezzes. Being a Priest will make you everyone's friend.

Ranger Child of the woods. Rangers have many different ways to spec. Archer, fighter, stealther. I really wanted to be a Ranger but had too much trouble figuring out a good template. Rangers will never be the kings of damage, so I suppose the Rogue Ranger is the way to go.

Scout Similar to the assasin. Scouts are absolutely deadly in combat one on one. They don't last too long if you get the jump attack on them though. For those of you that played DAoC, the scout class is just like Zarbalt.

Templar Kin to the Confessors, the Templars are the fighter class of the Temple of Cleansing Flame. Templars are hybrids that profess the superiority of the human race along side their Confessor brethren. Templars have many of the same spells as Confessors but with the ability to wear heavy armor and dish out some decent damage.

Thief I know absolutely nothing about this class.

Warlock Masters of the powers of the mind. This class has changed so much I can't really offer an opinion that would be helpful at all.

Warrior The bread and butter tank. Warriors wear heavy plate armor, can use a shield, and can go either one or two handed in weapons. Warriors have very good damage output but have very good defense as well. Warriors are extremely hard to take down in battle. Dwarven Warriors with the Forgemaster discipline are nearly unstoppable.

Wizard The all powerful of the mage class. Wizards have the ability to wield great power as well as have a pet or familiar. Recently pets have been nerfed bad, as was the Wizard's offensive damage. Wizards are still one of the defining classes of the game. Their spells (especially Mage Bolt) have the farthest range in the game. Wizards also get an Invisibilty spell and teleport spells. Invaluable to use the Teleport spells. Not only can a wizard teleport himself to a point on the local map, but teleport the entire group as well.

Well, here is my (brief! ) run down on some of the classes.

There is a TON of different templates you can go for in Shadowbane, so don't feel like you have to be a "cookie cutter".

My only suggestion is don't be a bard. hehe.

The game server will be available MONDAY for those of us who are able to get our game copies by then. TUESDAY the game goes live with FULL SUPPORT. I am guessing the majority of people that preorderd the game will not be in until Tuesday or Wed.

See you on the inside.

[Martok]

I found this on the SB forums. Somewhat useful except for number 10

(No particular order)

1. If your character has a name that other people think is stupid, unroleplayish, or unoriginal (l33t dude, drizzt, etc) you can expect to be pked often and for no reason. Ive put this to the test.

2. Get through noob island and the freeholds and into a player guild/city before makign a final judgement about the game. PKs and Griefers are rampent in the formentioned places due to the 'no killing' rules.

3. Plan your character well. Ask around, learn information, and plan your character up to level 50. Weigh all options before training a skill or raising an attribute.

4. Remember you are accountable for what you do (at least more so then other games). Killing someone will leave your name in their death list. Not being apart of a city means you take xp penalties and other, possibly hidden ones. Meaning people can usually find you. Take this any way you wish.

5. Every city is involved in politics. Do not expect to be a leader of or own a city without having to deal with politics, it just won't happen.

6. This is a 'team' game, guild vs guild. If you wander around solo do not expect to kill monsters and other people. You may be able to but on average not all classes are balanced in a one on one fight, do not expect them to be. Friends are key to survival.

7. In addition to number 4, what you or your guild mate does could eventually lead to the destruction of your city. Pay close attention to those you hang around and know when to seperate yourself from them, or them from you.

8. Allies are good but allies also bring more enemies. If you ally one large guild then you are gaining all of that large guilds enemies. Weigh your alliances before making them, but never neglect them because allies can save your skin.

9. Manage your guild well. More members means more money comming into your city but it is also harder to control and so your overall quality drops. Having 100 people will mean little if 20 well trained ones can kill them. Organize your guild into subgroups if needed and make sure you know what your guildmates (especially lower ranks) are doing.

10. Hire Grey Ghost Recon for all of your scouting needs. Grey Ghost Recon will not be able to do many things we initially thought we would due to game mechanics (spying to a degree, underwater recon, kidnappnig, etc) but there are many things we can still do. Our webpage will be updated before release most likly. Also keep in mind we offer polictial and military council. You can even come to us if you want help organizing your guild or just want someone to bounce ideas off of. (ok, sorry for the shameless plug )