Shadow Strike

Description
Target foe takes 12...41 shadow damage. If that foe's Health is above 50%, you steal 12...41 Health.

Acquisition
Skill Quests: Skill Trainers: Signet of Capture:
 * Casualty Report (Piken Square)
 * Captain Osric (Yak's Bend)
 * Dakk (Ember Light Camp)
 * ... to be added ...

Usage

 * Much like with Deathly Chill, beware of relying too heavily on this skill as a primary source of damage. Though you may be devilishly effective originally, once your foe's health becomes lower, this skill will not suffice without backup.


 * In the absence of effects which alter cast time or recharge time (such as Fast Casting or the effects of many rods and offhand items), Vampiric Gaze does damage much more quickly than this skill. At 12 Blood Magic and assuming it is cast continuously, Vampiric Gaze does an average of ~8.67 damage per second. At 12 Blood Magic and assuming it is cast continuously, Shadow Strike offers only 8.2 damage per second against a foe with greater than 50% health, and once that foe's health drops, that damage also drops to a measly 4.1 damage per second. At 16 Blood Magic but cast the same way, Vampiric Gaze does an average of 10.5 damage per second, whereas Shadow Strike offers only an average of 10.0 damage per second against a healthy foe and 5.0 damage per second against a foe with low health.
 * Of course, Vampiric Gaze costs its user an average of ~1.67 Energy per second (equivalent to five "pips" of Energy Regeneration) when cast continuously, and Shadow Strike costs an average of only 1.0 energy per second when cast the same way (equivalent to three pips of energy regeneration). Because casters, Necromancers included, typically have four "pips" of regeneration, a constant casting of Vampiric Gaze will cost a net loss of one "pip", or one energy every three seconds, whereas a constant casting of Shadow Strike will leave the user with one "pip" to spare. These numbers of course change in the presence of energy modifiers such as maintained Enchantments, Blood Ritual, [[Soul Reaping], and so on.
 * At 12 Blood Magic, this means that Vampiric Gaze offers 5.2 damage per energy, and Shadow Strike offers 8.2 damage per energy against a healthy foe but 4.1 damage per energy against a weak foe. At 16 Blood Magic, though, Vampiric Gaze offers 6.3 damage per energy, and Shadow Strike offers 10.0 damage per energy against a healthy foe and 5.0 damage per energy against a weakened foe.
 * To conclude, Shadow Strike always has a slower rate of average damage than Vampiric Gaze, particularly when the target is at low health. However, constant casting of Vampiric Gaze will cause the user to run out of energy in the long run. Shadow Strike offers a better damage per energy ratio than Vampiric Gaze against healthy foes but a markedly lower amount against weakened ones. Given this, though, Vampiric Gaze tends to be the overall choice for users who are not extraordinarily low on energy or who have any other forms of energy gain, such as Soul Reaping. Of course, the Necromancer with space to spare in his or her skill bar can use both skills to increase the overall effect.