Neverwinter's next expansion Shadowmantle adds new class

Perfect World Entertainment has announced the second module/expansion for their DnD inspired MMO Neverwinter. The free expansion will introduce the MMO's first new class, the Hunter Ranger, who can comfortably fight up close and from afar.

To pull this off, the Ranger utilizes both his bow and a twin set of daggers to dispatch his enemies posthaste. The daggers are more suited towards AOE situations, while the bow offers better single target DPS. Players can toggle between modes during combat and are given additional movement skills in order to keep the class mobile. Beyond just dealing big damage numbers, the Ranger can also provide much needed buffs and crowd control to group environments.

Besides the new class, Shadowmantle expands upon Neverwinter's ongoing story by adding the Dread Ring campaign, which has players exploring a massive structure built for ritual magic. Unlike the Feywild campaign, Dread Ring will be much less linear and features new loot, rewards, and iconic DnD boss battles. The campaign will culminate with a fight against the undead army of Valindra Shadowmantle (the undead necromancer from the cgi trailer). Players will even get to battle the lich herself.

Existing classes will also receive new Paragon Paths which introduce brand new combat choices. Control Wizards for example, can now learned the art of catching things on fire, while the Guardian Fighter can become more a more proficient Swordmaster. Overall, each added path will provide players one new At-Will, one new Encounter, one new Daily, three Class Features and three Feats.

Perfect World has yet to announce when Shadowmantle is scheduled to go live. However, players can already hop onto the public test shard and try out the new additions for themselves. More information can be found by checking out the official preview here.