Leveling in Shadowbane

[Martok]

Some information found on the Shadowbane forum regarding leveling:

Ashen Temper: First, you are right that Shadowbane has Levels, as does EQ. But Levels in SB are different than the ones in EQ. First of all in EQ, cookie cutter characters are extremely easy. What makes one Level 20 DE Cleric different from another? You have the exact same skills and you can work them all up to your Level Cap. Chances are that at Level 20, if you meet a character the same Race/Class combo as you, you'll see numerous similiarities in Skills.

Now, in Shadowbane, say you meet a Rank 2 (Level 20) Crusader. First difference is what Base Class did the other person start as since you can be either a Healer or Fighter to become a Crusader. That alone will give you different skill sets and different specializations. On top of that, you can pick up to 3 of 14 Disciplines. And, on top of that, YOU get to choose what Skills you enhance with Skill Points. On top of that, you get to choose what Points you put into your Attributes.

Then there is the differences in Levels. Have you ever tried to fight someone 5 - 10 Levels greater than you in EQ? It's not even a contest. There was a time I ran into a Wizard who was 4 Levels beneath me (my DE Cleric) and I was OOM. The Wizard was at full mana and used all his mana nuking me. At the end he was OOM and I still end up killing him (remeber, I was OOM when he started to attack).

In Shadowbane, Levels decline as a character rises in Rank (to the point where players are receiving nothing more than the bragging rights of the newly gained level.) and Practice Points decrease their benefit as Powers and Skills approach mastery, and a high Rank character receives far fewer new hit points, stamina points, and mana than a character that rises from first to second level. Furthermore, Attributes have maximum values (determined by character Race and modified by Traits, if any). That is one of the beauties of the "Soft Cap". If you've played Arcanum, you'll instantly notice what I'm talking about. As a Level 30 character, I could take out a Level 40 character. I had the bumps and bruises to show for it but the point is that when the dust settled I was bloody and the enemy was dead.