Opinions needed: Death Knight Caster.

[Adam255]

Now, a thought came to mind when I was thinking of a nice variant for my new Death Knight. A Caster.

I'll put it rather simply, to not take up too much of your time:
A Death Knight that chooses to manipulate unholy energies in a form of spells and casting them. Of course, death knights can wear plate, and if I would get that character idea through, it'll be a tank who can cast. Worry not! If I do manage to find a way to make this concept, I will restrict the character to cloth and cloth alone for IC preference. (Bulky armor gets in the way of casting.)

Now for my questions!
1) Is it even possible?
2) Would it be any different from a Shadow priest?
3) How would it come to effect? (In forms of simple bolts of energy, or things such as disease spreading and weakening spells.)

Thanks for your time, and opinions!

[Morhana]

Well, I can't answer any of this for sure, because I do not have the necessary qualifications, but I believe it would be different from a Shadow Priest, because a Death Knight uses a different type of power from Shadow Priests, as far as I can tell. I think the attacks would be based on traditional death knight abilities, most likely, but in a less melee-based form. I don't know what people would allow on this server, but I believe the original death knights were more of casters, so I can't imagine it would be totally implausible... But, don't take my word for it. Definitely get a second opinion.

[Adam255]

Ah, yes... I did get the thought of having it play out with all the regular DK abilities, such as all their special strikes, but have it play out differently, and from a range.

For instance:
Plague Strike - (In-game description) A vicious strike that infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing shadow damage over time.

I thought it could also be...
Plague Strike - A large spear of unholy energy forms in <caster's> hand and darts towards <target>, piercing the skin and infecting the target.

It's a thought, but in general it's pretty much 'Give ranged attacks, remove ability to wear plate.'

[Morhana]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure death coil and death and decay were used by the old death knights back in the day, so they wouldn't need to be changed as far as I know, considering they world like any other normal spell anyway, a bolt and an AOE...

[CappnRob]

Aren't DKs called "casters" on the character creation screen? Because if so, then yeah.

[Adam255]

I think it could be alright, actually. Simply modify the usual Death Knight attacks to fit a caster-type attack.
As for the OOC balancing, as I stated earlier, remove the ability to wear plate in exchange for ranged casting.

Any more opinions?

[Uguu]

Death Coil, Icy Touch, Death Grip, Death and Decay, Blood Boil, etc etc. They have a number of 'ranged spells', but they are mostly a melee unit, supported by ranged magic, like a paladin is.

[Adam255]

Indeed, they are, but that's where my variant idea comes into play. Make it a completely range/casting oriented character by changing some of the melee attacks into ranged spells.

[Xigo]

As Uguu said, DKs are essentially unholy paladins. Spell casting would be as awkward as trying to play a Paladin who only uses ranged attacks.

A Necromancer is essentially a 'ranged DK'.

You could try to be a DK who focuses on ranged attacks. Though you'd still ultimately be a DK.

[Adam255]

Ah, alright.
So now comes up a new question; May I use a DK OOCly to make the Necromancer ICly? Or would he have to be alive and whatnot? This isn't a deal-breaker or anything, just thought if we already have a Death Knight that needs a concept, could just make him to a Necromancer.

[Uguu]

Only magic a Death Knight has is Runic-Based. Not sure they can 'change' into other casting types, like Necromancers or Warlocks and the like.

[CappnRob]

Only magic a Death Knight has is Runic-Based. Not sure they can 'change' into other casting types, like Necromancers or Warlocks and the like.

I think he moreso means using the OOC effects of DK spells (notably unholy ones, I assume) to RP a necromancer. OOCly, the magic is of course runic based DK mumbo jumbo, but IC it's shadow/necromancy magic.

[Dae]

You could try to be a DK who focuses on ranged attacks. Though you'd still ultimately be a DK.

To me, this seems like your best bet.

Its especially with the point you make in the OP about wearing cloth armor for the sake of plate not getting in the way of casting.
Too bad DKs can't use daggers- I'd love to see a runeknife. Perhaps find a staff-like polearm to fit the theme?

Perhaps the character was a caster prior to becoming a DK, and now free of the Lich King's influence, they're trying to reclaim their past by focusing on a specific certain aspect of their new power.

If your character has a decent reason for using ranged skills and you don't go outside of what characters are normally able to do in-game, then I don't see a problem with it.

Necromancers are a different matter, and you best decide now if you want a DK or Necromancer, because you're talking an entirely different IC class.