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Stats | Runes | Skills & Powers | Equipment | Classes & Professions
Even with a guild template restricted to a single race, there's a bewildering array of character development options confronting the starting player. This guide should not be considered a definitive guide to any specific class or character build, but should give you a basic understanding of character development in Shadowbane.
There are 5 basic attributes in Shadowbane: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, and Spirit. You receive 5 points to add to your attributes at each level from 2 through 19; 4 each from 20-29; 3 each from 30-39; 2 each from 40-49; and 1 point at each level from 50-59. This adds up to a total of 190 points you can add to your stats after creation.
The Irekei starts with 185 points pre-assigned among his various attributes, plus 40 stat points unassigned which can be used to raise starting stats or purchase runes. (Note that this assumes you initially lower all stats to their true starting minimum by pulling 5 points out of each). The starting minimums for each class are as follows:
Fighter: 40 Str, 50 Dex, 40 Con, 30 Int, and 25 Spi
Rogue: 35 Str, 55 Dex, 35 Con, 45 Int, and 15 Spi
Healer: 35 Str, 40 Dex, 40 Con, 40 Int, and 30 Spi
Mage: 25 Str, 50 Dex, 35 Con, 45 Int, and 30 Spi
The stat caps are the same for all classes, until altered by applying runestones:
Stat caps: 85 Str, 130 Dex, 90 Con, 110 Int, and 85 Spi
Note that this adds up to an overall stat cap of 500 before runes, higher than the 415 total stat points available to your character (185 preassigned +40 discretionary +190 from leveling); you'll never be able to max all your stats even if you never apply a single runestone.
Each stat has different effects, and will be more or less important to your character depending on your career path.
Strength is the primary damage stat for all melee weapons except daggers. Characters planning on pursuing a heavy-armor melee build will focus on this as their most important attribute. It also feeds to a lesser extent into damage calculations for bows and for daggers, and determines your carrying capacity (note that strength buffs do not increase your encumbrance!) Mages and Healers will likely ignore this attribute altogether; archers and dagger specialists may spend some points here but probably not many.
Dexterity is the most important factor in bow, dagger, and unarmed damage. It also plays a part in your defense rating, the effectiveness of defensive skills such as block and parry, and factors into your to-hit rating with any sort of attack (including magical). This will be a key stat for archers and lightly armored melees; it's of some small usefulness for casters and healers. The 30% dex penalty for wearing plate-class armor makes the value of investing here questionable for heavy tanks.
Constitution determines both your health and your stamina. As such, it should be considered at least a secondary stat for all classes.
Intelligence should also be considered a priority for all classes. Offensive magic relies on Int as the primary damage factor in much the same way that swords rely on Str; in addition to that, though, you get a +3% bonus to all skills for every 20 points of intelligence you have. Also, the highest you can raise any skill is equal to your Int + 60: A fighter with base 30 Int caps all skills at 90%, but can raise them to 120% with an Int of 60. Fighters and Rogues should plan on raising this attribute to at least 60 and possibly 80 or even higher, depending on how many different skills you intend to train; healers and mages will probably cap this as soon as possible, and raise it even higher with runes.
Note that skill bonuses from secondary attributes do not figure into this cap; each skill gets a smaller bonus from some other attribute, varying by skill, which is added in separately.
Spirit determines your available mana pool, and also plays a factor in magical damage and healing. This is a key stat for magic-focused classes, but should be completely ignored by classes with no mana-based abilities. Hybrid classes such as the ranger, huntress, and rogue/assassin, may or may not find some investment here to be necessary, depending on how much spellcasting they find themselves doing.
As a general rule, heavy fighters will focus on Str, Con, and Int; archers and dagger specialists will focus on Dex, Int, and Con, and casters will focus on Int, Spi, and Con.
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Fighter: 40 Str, 50 Dex, 40 Con, 30 Int, and 25 Spi
Rogue: 35 Str, 55 Dex, 35 Con, 45 Int, and 15 Spi
Healer: 35 Str, 40 Dex, 40 Con, 40 Int, and 30 Spi
Mage: 25 Str, 50 Dex, 35 Con, 45 Int, and 30 Spi