The Knight Phantom

During the Last War, the knight phantoms were specialized light cavalry that used phantom steeds to reach the critical point in a battle, then a combination of spellcasting and martial prowess to win the day. Part of Aundair’s famed Knights Arcane, the knight phantoms prided themselves on their ability to ride hard and reach strategic points in the battle before the enemy could — or to rescue Aundairian units in danger of being overwhelmed by the enemy.

Like other members of the Knights Arcane, the knight phantoms remain in service to the Aundair crown after the end of the Last War. But their numbers are diminished, and many a knight phantom has retired — or put her war-won talents to use as an adventurer.

Knights Arcane

Specialized military group headed by Lord Darro ir'Lain and loyal to the crown. They are one of Aundair's strongest and most capable units. Most members of Knights Arcane are Fighters with the Martial Archetype of the Eldritch Knight found in Player's Handbook, pg. 74. The Knight Phantom described here is an even more specialised unit of this organization.

The Code of Conduct

Phantom Knights are no traditional wizards. They use magic in order to retrieve persons or items for the Crown, or take over strategic locations long before allies and enemies arrive. It is imperative for their duties that they are quick and effective. The Knight Phantoms always consider the demands of a mission and prepare their spells in order to evade capture, do the job efficiently, and ideally survive the process, because failure often means death. Captivity is not an option for them, and it is expected that no one will come after a captive Knight Phantom to stage a rescue — if one is captured, they have no recourse but escape on their own and report their failure back to Aundair.

Knight Phantom Spellboook

Knight Phantoms receive extensive training, both physical and magical, but focus particularly on a set of spells that are considered of paramount importance. Each receives a spellbook that includes those spells, and it is considered a violation of their code of conduct to lose that spellbook or fail to prepare as many of those spells as the Knight Phantom is able to, especially Phantom Steed.

Knight Phantom Favored Spells

Aspect of the Phantom

Starting at 2nd level, the Knight Phantom can take on a gray, semi-insubstantial appearance that allows him to move like a shadow. You activate Aspect of the Phantom as a bonus action and it lasts for as long as you concentrate on it, up to 1 minute. While in that state, your movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks. Additionally, you hover just above the ground, ignoring difficult terrain and other impediments that don’t extend more than a few inches above the ground. You do not exert weight on the surface under you, so you can move across fragile or liquid surfaces.

Using this feature in the same turn that you cast Phantom Steed allows the steed to benefit from its effects for the duration of the spell, but only while you're mounted on it.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Phantom Training

When you adopt this tradition at 2nd level, you become proficient to the following: light armor, a one-handed melee weapon of your choice, and your choice of either Acrobatics or Athletics.

Also at this level the Phantom knights have already learned to master the Phantom Steed spell more than any other spell. The Phantom Steed spell is copied to your spellbook and you can cast it once without using a wizard spell slot. You do not need to memorise it in order to use this ability. You can use this ability again after you finish a long rest.

Alacrity of the Phantom

Starting at 6th level, your extensive physical training begins to synergize fully with the arcane aspects of your powers. Whenever you cast one of the Knight Phantom favored spells, or use Aspect of the Phantom or Countenance of the Phantom, and for one minute after that, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Additionally, you can cast Phantom Steed as if its casting time was 1 action.

Countenance of the Phantom

Beginning at 10th level, when you are attacked by a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll, as you take a ghostly pallor, dark mist surrounds you, your eyes shed a baleful red glow, smoky tendrils slither at the shadows around you, and you exhude an ominous feeling of dread.

If the attack misses and the attacker is not immune to being frightened, your first attack against that attacker during your next turn has advantage.

You can expend a spell slot when using this action to add an additional 1d8 of force damage per level of the slot expended.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Blade of the Phantom

Starting at 14th level, you can extend the nature of the misty arcane shadows of the Phantom into your blade, turning it gray and partially insubstantial, allowing it to swing cleanly through armor while still rending flesh. As an action, choose a target within 5 feet of you. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. If it fails, you make a melee weapon attack against it as part of the same action; this attack hits automatically, and deals force damage instead of the normal damage type of the weapon — any bonus effects retain their normal type.

You can expend a spell slot when using this action to add an additional 1d8 of force damage per level of the slot expended.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Playing a Knight Phantom

As a knight phantom, you are among Aundair’s most elite soldiers. You can get to places that traditional cavalry can’t reach — and you can get there before your enemy has a chance to react. And once you’ve arrived, you can outcast what you can’t outfight and outfight what you can’t outcast. That’s the strategic maxim drilled into every knight phantom: Throw your strength against your enemy’s weakness, and you’ll carry the day for Aundair.

Now that the Last War is over, many knight phantoms are retired or on “detached duty,” free to seek their fortunes across Khorvaire. Unless war breaks out again, you have a great deal of independence and need only check in with the Knights Arcane from time to time.

Combat: While most knight phantoms are accomplished equestrians, few fight from the backs of their phantom steeds. While faster than conventional horses, phantom steeds are too fragile to handle the rigors of a cavalry charge. You’re likely to use your phantom steed to get to the battle, then dismount and use spells or swordplay to defeat the enemy (which is why you’re called a knight).

Because you fight reasonably well in melee, you’re more likely than most arcane spellcasters to cast protective and attack-enhancing spells on yourself before battle.

Advancement: When you volunteered for knight phantom training, you made an unusual choice. You diverted a career in the arcane arts to learn the soldier’s craft as well. Few arcanists have the physical attributes to make good soldiers, so you’re already a breed apart. And when you consider the elite missions that the knight phantoms undertake, you’ve had plenty of chances to earn promotions and decorations in the Aundairian military. Even though peace prevails across Aundair at the moment, Aurala’s realm still faces many dangers. If you opt for active duty, the Knights Arcane will definitely keep you and your fellow knight phantoms busy.

Daily Life: Now that the Last War is over, many knight phantoms sell their unique talents as mercenaries or freelance adventurers. Those that remain on active duty mostly patrol Aundair’s borders, arriving at trouble spots before conventional troops can even get out of the barracks. They otherwise live typically austere military lives, stealing time with their spellbooks and to brush up on their arcane skills whenever they can.

Resources: The Knights Arcane tend to issue equipment on a per-mission basis, so you have whatever you own and whatever they’ve given you. Because the Knights Arcane has access to powerful spellcasters, you have access to all sorts of magic arms and armor. But you aren’t the only soldier clamoring for better gear; access doesn’t mean ownership.

Organization: At the height of the Last War, the knight phantoms were able to field two heavy cavalry companies for the Knights Arcane — nearly 400 knight phantoms in all. Now only a single company of 150 knight phantoms remains on active duty; the rest are dead, retired, or on long-term leave from the Knights Arcane.

Captain Mathus Brochand now commands the knight phantoms, and his staff is responsible for keeping at least tenuous tabs on former members who are still in fighting shape. He’s headquartered in Lathleer, although the knight phantoms have been spending more time in the vicinity of Windshire than anywhere else lately.

Reactions: The knight phantoms are rare enough that most Aundairians tend to group them with the Knights Arcane in general. Everyone knows that the Knights Arcane combine spellcasting with traditional military techniques, and most think of the knight phantoms as just “Knights Arcane on horseback.” While the details of the knight phantoms elude most Aundairians, they know that the Knights Arcane were a bulwark of Aundairian strength throughout the Last War — and thus any Knight Arcane is assumed to be a war hero by default. The average Aundairian has a friendly initial attitude toward anyone wearing the coat and leather of the knight phantoms.

Karrnathi and Thrane soldiers regard the knight phantoms less kindly, but an unfriendly attitude is limited by the fact that only elite enemy units and top commanders knew of the knight phantoms’ existence. Unless they actually faced the phantoms in battle, former soldiers of Karrnath and Thrane have are mostly indifferent toward a knight phantom.

Credits

The Knight Phantom is a property of Wizards of The Coast. It appeared at the sourcebook of Five Nations for the world of Eberron in 2005. Eberron is created by Keith Baker. Five Nations was written by Bill Slavicsek, David Noonman and Christopher Perkins. The conversion to 5th Edition Rules was made by Makis Klaoudatos and Thanos Chatzisavvas.

Disclaimer: The phantom blade may look like a lightsaber but it is not. There are no Jedi or Sith in dungeons and dragons.