```metadata
title: The Death Knight Official
description: ''
tags: ''
systems: []
renderer: legacy
```
##### The Death Knight Official
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Lichborn Transformations | Runes Available | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| 1st | +2 | Lichborn, Hands of Death | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Runic Weapon | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Death Knight Path | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Aura of Decay | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Path Feature | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | On a Pale Horse | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Aura of Souls | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 11th | +4 | Death Strike | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 13th | +5 | ─ | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Death March | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Path Feature | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Aura Improvements |6|4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Path Feature | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
## Class Features
As a Death Knight, you gain the following class features
#### Hit Points
___
- **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per Death Knight level
- **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier
- **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Death Knight level after 1st
#### Proficiencies
___
- **Armor:** Heavy armor, Light armor, Shields
- **Weapons:** Simple weapons, Martial Weapons
- **Tools:** None
___
- **Saving Throws:** Wisdom, Strength
- **Skills:** Choose two from Deception, Stealth, Investigation, Arcana, History
#### Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- *(a)* a martial weapon and a shield or *(b)* two martial weapons
- *(a)* five javelins or *(b)* any simple melee weapon
- *(a)* a priest's pack or *(b)* explorer's pack
- *(a)* chain mail or *(b)* scale mail
\page
Credit: Kyounghwan Kim
\page
# Class Features
#### Lichborn
At the 1st level in this class, you can transform into your spiteful and skeletal form. As a bonus action you can invoke this form for a round.
- Movement speed is reduced by 5 ft
- Become immune to the Charmed, Frightened, and stunned conditions for the duration of the form. Activating this form removes any of these conditions
You can transform a number of times equal the number shown in the Death Knight Table
#### Hands of Death
At the 1st level you learn ancient secrets. Knowledge of Shadowfell enhances your strikes with a suspenseful necrotic crackle of energy. This seemless energy can be transfered back to the Death Knight.
- All melee weapon attacks do a bonus 1 necrotic damage and grant 1 temporary hit point.
- The necrotic damage and temporary hit point(s) increases to 2 at 5th level in this class, 3 at 11th level, and 4 at 17th level
- You can forgo the temporary hit point gain to end one poision or disease effect on yourself
#### Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
##### Defense
-While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
##### Dueling
-When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
##### Great Weapon Fighting
-When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
#### Two-Weapon Fighting
-When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack
#### Spellcasting
- By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on necrotic magic through decay and death to cast spells as a paladin does.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Death Knight table shows how many spell slots you have. To cast one of your Death Knight spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of Death Knight spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Death Knight spell list. When you do so, choose a number of paladin spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your Death Knight level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.
### Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Death Knight spells, since their power derives from the strength of your emotions.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
### Spellcasting Focus
You can use your Runic Weapon as your spellcasting focus
#### Runic Weapon
Starting at the 2nd level, you can carve runes into a weapon you are proficient in over the course of a long rest. You have a max number of runes shown in the Death Knight table. Using a Runic Weapon takes up an attunement slot, however if a weapon already takes up a slot it satisfies this need.
##### Rune of the fallen crusader
- Having this rune, you gain a bonus to walking speed of 5ft.
##### Rune of Stoneskin Gargoyle
- Using this rune, you can gain an extra hitpoint for each level you have in this class
##### Rune of Razorice
- Using this rune, you can declare damage as magical cold damage.
##### Rune of Spellwarding
- With this rune, damage taken from spells is reduced by your proficiency bonus
##### Rune of Unending Thirst
- When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may expend one hit die to gain hit-points.
##### Rune of Hysteria
- When you roll initiative you can add your Wisdom modifier ( minimum 1)
##### Rune of Sanguination-
Prerequisite: 10th level
- Once per long rest, when you drop to below zero hitpoints you can instead drop to 1 hitpoint
\page
#### Regressed Health
Starting at the 3rd level, for every 10 years that pass you only age 1 year, and you cannot be magically aged.
#### Death Knight Path
When you reach 3rd level, you pick your Death Knight Path, which is detailed below the class description
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level.
#### Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
#### Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
#### Aura of Decay
Starting at the 6th level, when an enemy creature is within 10 feet of you, they have disadvantage on checks to maintain concentration
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
#### On a Pale Horse
Beginning at the 9th level, once per long rest you can use the "Find Steed" Spell to summon a Nightmare without using a spell slot or components. This mount is loyal to you and obeys your commands. It shares your initiative count, however it can only take the Dodge, Disengage, or Dash action.
#### Aura of Souls
Starting at the 10th level, when an enemy creature is within 10 feet of you, they suffer disadvantage on ability checks.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
#### Death Strike
Starting at the 11th level, all your strikes carry decaying and necromantic magics with them. All your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.
#### Death March
Starting at the 14th level, when you have been traveling for at least an hour, you can enter the ethereal plane. You can remain in the ethereal plane as long as you keep moving towards your goal.
#### Aura Improvements
At 18th level, the range of your auras increase to 30 feet.
# Death Knight Spell list
##### 1st level spells
- Absorb Elements
- Arms of Hadar
- Command
- Compelled Duel
- False Life
- Hellish Rebuke
- Ice Knife
- Protection from Evil and Good
##### 2nd Level Spells
- Augury
- Blindness/Deafness
- Gentle Repose
- Hold Person
- Ray of Enfeeblement
##### 3rd level spells
- Animate Dead
- Bestow Curse
- Blink
- Counterspell
- Dispell Magic
- Revivify
- Speak with Dead
##### 4th level spells
- Death Ward
- Dimension Door
- Fire Shield
- Ice Storm
- Stoneskin
- Evard's Black Tentacles
##### 5th level spells
- Contagion
- Hold Monster
- Hallow
- Insect Plague
- Raise Dead
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# Path of Blood
#### Bone Shield
Starting at the 3rd level, whenever you gain hit-points, you can also gain temporary hp equal to half that amount rounded up. Healing gained during a long rest does not count for this effect.
> ##### Rule Tip
> Temporary Hitpoints do not stack, instead you pick a source of temporary hitpoints to use. These temporary hit-points go away after a long rest
#### Aura of Blood
Starting at the 7th level, a number of allies within 5ft. of you equal to your wisdom modifier ( Minimum 1) have advantage on melee attack rolls
#### Death Grip
Starting at the 15th level, you can use shadowy blood magic to pull an enemy within 30ft. directly to you. As a reaction, make a ranged spell attack, and on a hit you successfully pull your enemy
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (Minimum one) per long rest
#### Purgatory
Starting at the 20th level, while you are in your Lichborn form you can cast Necromancy spells as a bonus action
# Path of Frost
#### Frostbite
Starting at the 3rd level, once per turn, when you deal Hands of Death damage, you can choose for the target to have disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you until the start of your next turn
#### Aura of Ice
Starting at the 7th level, in a 10ft. radius around you is considered difficult terrain.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
#### Howling Blast
Starting at the 15th level, whenever you hit a target with hands of death, that target has their speed reduced by 10 for their next turn.
#### Icebound Fortitude
Starting at the 20th level, while you are in your Lichborn form you can activate frostbite more than one time, and Howling Blast reduces speed by half instead of 10.
# Path of the Unholy
#### Death Coil
Starting at the 3rd level, you learn the the secrets of using a death coil. When you take the attack action on your turn with a melee weapon, one of those attacks can be made at 30ft. range.
#### Aura of Pestilence
Starting at the 7th level, enemies that are within a 10ft. radius around you cannot regain hit-points.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
#### Dreadblade
Starting at the 15th level, whenever you deal necrotic damage you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage done (Minimum one)
#### Spell Eater
Starting at the 20th level, you gain advantage on saving throws against spells. Once per long rest, when you take damage from a spell, you can instead convert that damage into temporary hit-points