User:Leonim/Character/Shakni Zendergrim

Attributes

 * Blood Magic : 12 + 1 + 1
 * Curses : 12 + 1 + 2
 * Soul Reaping : 3 + 1

Attributes

 * Blood Magic : 12 + 1 + 1
 * Death Magic : 8 + 1
 * Shadow Arts : 9
 * Soul Reaping : 5 + 1

Equipment
An Insightful staff of Enchanting is a must-have, blood staff will do (unprotected) dark damage when at range, but beware the 20% HSR for Blood Renewal, while a death staff would deal cold damage and help your enchantment management. Naturally, a Rune of Superior Vigor is advisable. ;)

Tips

 * Don't wand/attack when under Dark Escape (or hexes activated upon attack), you won't need the extra damage anyway and you can chase your prey enough time to get a kill.
 * You are both dealing touch (armor-ignoring) shadow damage to your target AND adjacent ones, think about it when placing yourself among melee attackers.
 * Don't cast Blood Renewal before it ends, but as soon as it does, or you will suffer the consequences of too much sacrifice without the necessary health gain (which is, by the way, above 80% of your updated max health every ten seconds, without taking the +6 health regen into account).
 * Shroud of Distress has a double purpose, cover the two main enchantments and save some sweating whenever you go below the critical limit : 25% of your max health.

Partnership

 * Have a teammate bring Balthazar's Aura to hasten the demise of your unlucky foes, and Vengeance to raise you until they are all dead.
 * Enlist a bonder with Essence Bond, Life Bond and Vital Blessing (with the very optional Life Barrier), remind him/her that Balthazar's Spirit will also benefit you, twice actually, because of Dark Aura.

Variants
After some usage or depending on the opponents, you will probably wish for upper max health, some plain healing (instead of health regeneration) or just a big tank-style, then change your secondary to :
 * Ritualist and trade Shadow Arts for Restoration Magic : Spirit Light will fit very well, and/or a combination of Wielder's Boon with a long-duration Weapon Spell like Resilient Weapon or Weapon of Warding. You can also choose Communing and use a Vital Weapon health enhancement along some spirits like Shelter, Union and/or Displacement.
 * Elementalist (Geomancer) and use Kinetic Armor coupled with Dark Pact, while sending some Crystal Waves after snaring foes with Grasping Earth or Ward Against Foes. And if you really want lethal fun from time to time, bring Sliver Armor.
 * (As a side note, the benefit of Energy Storage is helpful when swapping primary profession in case of PvP-only characters.)


 * Ranger (Beastmaster) and bring your fellow nature spirits Symbiosis and Fertile Season along, at low-level they will work miracles since they won't protect foes much against you while giving you a nice edge (works like a charm with Blood Renewal). If you are mainly facing elemental damage, prefer Wilderness Survival skills, like Troll Unguent, Storm Chaser and Dryder's Defenses.
 * (As a primary Ranger, you could use your high Expertise to chain those touch skills without any energy or health problem while protected by Whirling Defense when hate is growing up.)


 * Warrior (Tactician) : when charging on your preys, use Balanced Stance, and when recovering, chain Wary Stance and Bonetti's Defense (don't forget to use Blood Renewal after each).