Your Deathknights

DKs really need their own community, just like Goths XD. If something grows up I May join in

We'll see. It's all just idea's floating around at this point. Which brings me on to another question.

I keep reading here and there that Death Knights have enhanced physical strength but by "How much"?. Enough to go toe to toe with a worgen in a melee brawl or are we talking slight enhancements? What are people's thoughts on this and taking this into account for sensible Roleplay?

I think it depends a bit. Like one could say a person without limits or restrictions as a example a DK could run forever at full speed where as a human he could not run so fast for too long.

Then again it's all magic. They would be pretty strong i guess enough to tackle a worgen maybe, but opinions differ. For in roleplay? As long as it's fun and doesn't make anyone said. They are strong but in some terms weak.

Eira Vanimedle wrote:We'll see. It's all just idea's floating around at this point. Which brings me on to another question.

I keep reading here and there that Death Knights have enhanced physical strength but by "How much"?. Enough to go toe to toe with a worgen in a melee brawl or are we talking slight enhancements? What are people's thoughts on this and taking this into account for sensible Roleplay?

To simplify things for myself, I simply go by the mechanics. Unholy Might grants 15-25% bonus strength (depending on the patch), so I go with around 20% stronger. Going by racial stats, worgen are about 15% stronger than humans, therefore a human death knight would be equal to or slightly stronger than a living worgen.

Drustai isn't the Hulk. She can't break chains apart with her bare hands. The strength makes her slightly stronger than a well-built draenei warrior, but nothing more than that. When paired with a living worgen, she'd be about 11% stronger (worgen are by default 9% stronger than draenei, so 20 minus 9 = 11%).

In other words, the differences are marginal. Stronger, yeah, but being a death knight doesn't make you Superman.

The resilience on the other hand, that's the big one. Short of getting shot in the head or similar "critical" damage (like holy magic, fire, or being impaled by a ballista bolt...), Drustai powers through most injuries like a truck. Each blow weakens her and she'll eventually go down, but being stabbed in the chest or having her throat slit isn't going to immediately stop her. Basically, the kind of resilience you'd expect from a zombie.

For Eliza, she has had a tiered existence. Based upon the point that she has reached in her story arc, the reason for her to exist has changed:

1) At first she was alive purely for revenge. She was fooled into believing her parents were murdered by a specific Kaldorei woman. Eliza spent 10,000 years training and preparing herself for the day they met again. It even drove her to become a Death Knight in search of greater power. Once they finally came together again, after nearly killing each other, things began to unravel about Eliza's past that showed the woman was not in fact responsible for their deaths.
Reason: Revenge

2) Following this Eliza had to deal with the fact that she spent 10,000 years on revenge for nothing. It took away her entire existence and she had struggled deeply. Sort of the way that Maiev was following Illidan's death. At this point she made amends and dedicated herself to the eradication of the scourge menace she helped gain a foothold. Once they were all destroyed, she would in turn destroy herself.
Reason: Repentance

3) A lot went on in her life and after learning the truths behind her 10,000+ years it changed her outlook. She was basically motivated by an outside force to become what she had. Knowing that her entire life was more or a less a lie, she turned from the path of repentance and began to search for answers again. Being a Kaldorei she reached out for Elune's grace to give her reason for existing. Though there have been many that tell her she should just die, others have encouraged her and pushed her into knowing that even in undeath, she still is alive. She has been brought to face the fact that she may be undead, but there are still those that can/will care about her.
Reason: Acceptance By Others

There's no telling how the current arc (3) will end, but right now she is alive simply because she has comrades and friends. Which will eventually get tricky as they are only mortal.

My Death Knight did fall to the scourge and was raised once more in the Acherus. He fought with the Ebon Knights right up until the Lich King was defeated. He began to serve the alliance further during the cataclysm but swiftly grew hateful of an alliance that shunned him in their cities and only wished for him to fight their battles.

Ultimately he considers the alliance weak and deceptive, unworthy of his time. As for the Ebon Knights, he considers them cowards and fools for letting their potential go to waste under the Highlords rule.

As for how I role play him, I don't focus on combat so much. He's reignited his personal desires for power so he makes heavy use of blood magic. I've role played that that his flesh has not yet decomposed much, but this is on account of blood magic. However this does require victims to fuel, so he basically hides away from civilization preying on the scum of the world, who would not be missed.

I could share most of Beladon's post for my dk, actually.
Decurius, my death knight, was born good: after the death of the Lich King, he joined the Alliance Army to repay the debt he felt he had towards the Alliance for accepting him back. When he finally realized he wasn't accepted at all, and that most people would prefer his head on a pike, he simply left. First, the Alliance Army, then Alliance as a whole. He's an Acherus knight by convenience, not for else, considering he'd rather see Stormwind and Darnassus blow up Theramore like than fighting for them, not having interest in fighting an eventual new Scourge, be it even the Forsaken.

About decay, I worked around it on Decurius: my opinion on decay of death knights is way different than the one of the server majority, so I worked on a compromise: Decurius is a worgen and a death knight who heavily relies in blood magic to preserve himself, to the point of preventing and halting the decay. Thus though, he gets tremendously weaker when he needs to use blood magic for other purposes, like offence and/or even healing other people.
And that's how I balance him for fights: he can be extremely powerful, especially if brought to an edge, but such power doesn't come without a cost. In particular, runic power require charge. He can't really use spells after having depleted all of his runes(but how much charge he has at start depends prominently on plot purposes), and he usually use spells for defense purposes, while the attack is usually done with normal swings of the sword(s). He's never actually fought normal human people, but he'd be way stronger, considering both the curse and the undeath.

How'd he feel about a sort of 'dk-community'? Considering he's extremely moody, depends on how it is presented. Probably though he'd think of them as poor deluded people. Also though he'd try to help them. So, you have my support for it, in case.

Hello guys, I havent posted on these forums much but I wanted do post here

My DK is a Draenei and much like many of my kind do these days, I RP him as being extremely old. His life still echoes in his mind and after having regained controll of himself, he tossed aside his runeblade and went to Shattrath to ask the Aldor (he was Aldor once) and the Naaru what to do. They told him to go get his runeblade back and attempt a ritual to make it less of a "wicked" blade and spend his "second chance" to eradicate as much evil as he can before he gets his "true death". He even went to Northrend to pick up his paladin daughter to keep him in check. "The Naaru have not forgotten me".

At first glance, no one would notice he is a DK, his eyes arent much different from before, and he is not decomposed. His old arcane/light prowess is still echoing through his body, while he cannot exactly use those powers, they keep him intact.

He is not the typical dark and ominous DK, but some things and feelings are lost to him, sometimes. But twenty millenia of life doesnt just dissapear.

As of now, he has joined Wild Tempest and is about to do something about his runeblade so that he can fight for the Alliance and Azeroth. No one likes him for what he is though

Vangrel Lansire wrote:Vangrel continues to serve the principles and ideology of the Dark Lord. He is devoted to bringing absolute perfection and Undeath to the world, his death knight presence is only an unliving testament to the far reaching power of the Lich King.

Vangrel's purpose has been to indoctrinate the Forsaken in the ways of the Scourge as best as possible, therefore his task is far from complete and his goals far from accomplished.

What drives them to keep going? What do they strive for and how do they fit into society today?

Unbreakable loyalty to the doctrine of Arthas. He strives for giving control of Azeroth to the undead.

Does Vangrel ultimately seek to become the new lich king(Through control, not power)? Does he fear making even more splinter groups of scourge based undead? Such as the strangler warbands in the plaguelands? I assume his loyalties to the banshee queen is but a farce. How has he gone on unnoticed in this doctrine he follows?

Drustai isn't the Hulk. She can't break chains apart with her bare hands. The strength makes her slightly stronger than a well-built draenei warrior, but nothing more than that. When paired with a living worgen, she'd be about 11% stronger (worgen are by default 9% stronger than draenei, so 20 minus 9 = 11%).

Where do you get the whole % thing from out of curiosity Dru? Also a deathknight in unholy presence smacking about a two handed weapon with unholy frenzy to top it off is a freight train plowing the fields.

The resilience on the other hand, that's the big one. Short of getting shot in the head or similar "critical" damage (like holy magic, fire, or being impaled by a ballista bolt...), Drustai powers through most injuries like a truck. Each blow weakens her and she'll eventually go down, but being stabbed in the chest or having her throat slit isn't going to immediately stop her. Basically, the kind of resilience you'd expect from a zombie.

Which brings me into my next question. Is there any good sources on the necrotic energy fueling the death knights? Is it expected to "run out" eventually? Is it expected to last an eternity in a shell of decay or is it something so much more or so much less do you think? I believe I havn't really read much of it anywhere.

Now on to my last call out while I am at it. Who still Roleplays their DK's to this day and would be interested in having a gathering to try and establish each other into today's society the idea of maybe, just maybe turning it into something more? If it fails it fails but still is worth trying.

Eira Vanimedle wrote:

Drustai isn't the Hulk. She can't break chains apart with her bare hands. The strength makes her slightly stronger than a well-built draenei warrior, but nothing more than that. When paired with a living worgen, she'd be about 11% stronger (worgen are by default 9% stronger than draenei, so 20 minus 9 = 11%).

Where do you get the whole % thing from out of curiosity Dru? Also a deathknight in unholy presence smacking about a two handed weapon with unholy frenzy to top it off is a freight train plowing the fields.

http://www.wowpedia.org/Races#Playable_races_and_classes

Base stats. Humans have 20 strength, Worgen have 23. Meaning worgen have about 15% more strength than humans on average (20 x 1.15 = 23).

I prefer going by those stats since it makes things simpler than having a million lore debates about how strong people are. The stats give defined numbers, so I personally prefer using those defined numbers.

The resilience on the other hand, that's the big one. Short of getting shot in the head or similar "critical" damage (like holy magic, fire, or being impaled by a ballista bolt...), Drustai powers through most injuries like a truck. Each blow weakens her and she'll eventually go down, but being stabbed in the chest or having her throat slit isn't going to immediately stop her. Basically, the kind of resilience you'd expect from a zombie.

Which brings me into my next question. Is there any good sources on the necrotic energy fueling the death knights? Is it expected to "run out" eventually? Is it expected to last an eternity in a shell of decay or is it something so much more or so much less do you think? I believe I havn't really read much of it anywhere.

When you get hit, you lose HP. When you lose all of your HP, you die. That's enough of a source for me that DKs have a finite 'life force' that runs out as they take damage. They're not invincible. The more damage they take, the weaker they get, until they perish entirely.

Also, all undead require sustenance. They do get 'hungry' and have to replenish themselves... usually by feeding on the living in some manner (Blight eats away at the land and transfers it to the undead. Ghouls and zombies cannibalize the bodies of the recently slain. Death knights feed off of pain and suffering. San'lyn feed off of blood. Ghosts drain life when they touch the living. Even Gargoyles merge themselves into the land and feed off of it to heal). If we go by standard undead story traits, an undead probably won't die without replenishing the unholy energy that drives them, but they will get weaker in both body (less capable, more rotten) and spirit (mindless, unhinged, bloodthirsty).

My death knight was an orcish warrior who served the Kor'kron in Icecrown, and was part of the force that ambushed the alliance in Icecrown Citadel while they were engaged with the Scourge in battle.

Throughout most of his life he had only known victory and as of such, believed in strength and in strength only. When in his final moments he faced an enemy that would kill him - He embraced death, knowing that he had earned a warriors death. When he was ressurected, he went through three stages quite quickly.

First, he was confused, this did not seem like the after-life he had imagiened. Then, he was furious, that his honourable death had been taken from him, and then - He was thrilled, learning that he could now become stronger than he had ever been, and had even joined those who had been strong enough to kill him.

When the lich king died, he was still engaged with some Ashen verdict forces in some of the Nerubian tunnels underneath icecrown, he fled in mindless confusion when the lich king died and managed to survive long enough to re-gain his senses somewhat.

When he found out that the argent crusade, the ebon blade, the alliance and the horde, all had banded together against the scourge -

He was dissapointed. He could not turn to either of those, as they had not gotten what he would consider a true victory, and he had not been truely defeated either.

Instead, he looked to history, tracking down the cult of the damned members that was in hiding and gaining the knowledge of who created the Scourge.

He now serves what he considers his true masters - The Burning Legion, and acts on the whim of some generic demonic overlord, biding his time until the time is right.

Lavian Dawson wrote: Which brings me into my next question. Is there any good sources on the necrotic energy fueling the death knights? Is it expected to "run out" eventually? Is it expected to last an eternity in a shell of decay or is it something so much more or so much less do you think? I believe I havn't really read much of it anywhere.

Drustai wrote:Also, all undead require sustenance. They do get 'hungry' and have to replenish themselves... usually by feeding on the living in some manner (Blight eats away at the land and transfers it to the undead. Ghouls and zombies cannibalize the bodies of the recently slain. Death knights feed off of pain and suffering. San'lyn feed off of blood. Ghosts drain life when they touch the living. Even Gargoyles merge themselves into the land and feed off of it to heal). If we go by standard undead story traits, an undead probably won't die without replenishing the unholy energy that drives them, but they will get weaker in both body (less capable, more rotten) and spirit (mindless, unhinged, bloodthirsty).

I don't think much thought has ever been given to the sustenance of the undead. There's a quest in Zul'Drak where you have to feed brains to the ghouls there, but it seems to be little more than a bit of a gag to play with the cliché of zombies eating brains. I'm curious whether Bolvar Fordragon taking up the Lich King's mantle was only to be able to keep the Scourge as a usable opponent in Cataclysm and beyond, or whether it's supposed to justify the continued existence of all undead.

That said, ever since the Forsaken came in to play, the relationship between the one who "raises" and the one who "is raised" has become rather confusing for me.

Technically, my Death Knight was corrupted. During the siege on Icecrown he picked up a blade because his broke. He still feels the irony that he picked up the blade... Because it was for his survival.

At first he took it with him because it was his sword, for his protection. At home he noticed he couldn't let the blade go. He couldn't toss it in fire, or have it far away from him. Weeks later, his wife noticed he felt cold. Not human temperature.

And after that... Well, I prefer tweaking that part and all. The thought behind it was to not be a typical: "Oh, I got killed", but I prefer him being slowly corrupted.

Your soul slowly being sucked into the blade by each person you gank. Love it Aishling. Im playing a DK on AD atm, one who was in the Host of Suffering.

Duvaineth Wisp Reaper. For an elf Dk she is too (stupid ) to kill herself. Has no knowledge of her past nor has any weakling emotions such as regret and so on. She is Loyal to the Knights of the Ebon Blade and shows favour towards the alliance, for she despises of the Banshee queen who wants all former hord heroes to be in her control. But above all its her need to serve the will of her blade that keeps her going on.

Dorothee Drake: Once loyal to the Knights of the Ebon Blade, now prefers to serve her former faction the alliance. Now that the war is over with the scourge she must satisfy her blade with war. The alliance has more battles than the Ebons so fighting for them is the best solution for her. She does not care who the alliance battles as long as she can do the killing. At one point she may begin to search for her past, there her rp story will take a turn in another direction perhaps. No one knows only ic will show.

Aishling wrote:Technically, my Death Knight was corrupted. During the siege on Icecrown he picked up a blade because his broke. He still feels the irony that he picked up the blade... Because it was for his survival.

At first he took it with him because it was his sword, for his protection. At home he noticed he couldn't let the blade go. He couldn't toss it in fire, or have it far away from him. Weeks later, his wife noticed he felt cold. Not human temperature.

And after that... Well, I prefer tweaking that part and all. The thought behind it was to not be a typical: "Oh, I got killed", but I prefer him being slowly corrupted.

I still want this, but I want to go Worgen(I can't stand humans for some reason). However, I am stuck in how and where this could've happened. I assume my char turned Worgen first, and then DK(having a blade that sucks away the soul). However, he can't be part of the IC assault then, if I am correct. All I could think of was playing a former Lordaeronian... As Gilneas had nothing to do with Scourge and all.

Help?

Aishling wrote:

Aishling wrote:Technically, my Death Knight was corrupted. During the siege on Icecrown he picked up a blade because his broke. He still feels the irony that he picked up the blade... Because it was for his survival.

At first he took it with him because it was his sword, for his protection. At home he noticed he couldn't let the blade go. He couldn't toss it in fire, or have it far away from him. Weeks later, his wife noticed he felt cold. Not human temperature.

And after that... Well, I prefer tweaking that part and all. The thought behind it was to not be a typical: "Oh, I got killed", but I prefer him being slowly corrupted.

I still want this, but I want to go Worgen(I can't stand humans for some reason). However, I am stuck in how and where this could've happened. I assume my char turned Worgen first, and then DK(having a blade that sucks away the soul). However, he can't be part of the IC assault then, if I am correct. All I could think of was playing a former Lordaeronian... As Gilneas had nothing to do with Scourge and all.

Help?

Worgen DKs were former Pyrewood/Arugal servants. They were outside the wall. They were assumedly taken about the same time that Scourge forces dug up and revived Arugal. A handful could have wandered around Lordaeron before then, away from Pyrewood/Shadowfang, and had unlucky encounters with the Scourge.

So, worgen DKs would have been part of the assault on Light's Hope Chapel.