Death Knight

Created by: Slavic Superstar

“All that I am: anger, cruelty, vengeance - I bestow upon you, my chosen knight. I have granted you immortality so that you may herald in a new, dark age for the Scourge.”

A hero… that’s what you once were. You stood boldly against the shadow and purchased another dawn for the world… with your life. But the evil you fought is not so easily banished; the victory you claimed, not so easily held. For now, the specter of death looms over the world yet again and it has found new champions to bring about its final reign. Knights of darkness, wielding runes of death and destruction, bound by the will of the undead. This is the hour of their ascension! This is the hour of your dark rebirth.

Death Knights were once heroic, virtuous defenders of humanity. However, they were corrupted by the subtle machinations of an undead and lured to their dark standard. These former heroes were given untold power and the promise of immortality in exchange for their loyalties. Although they retained their humanity, their twisted souls were bound to the undead’s will for all time. Bestowed with black, vampiric runeblades and shadowy steeds, death knights now serve as the Scourge’s mightiest generals.

When an undead’s control of their death knights is broken, their former champions seek revenge for the horrors committed under their command. After their vengeance is won, the death knights often find themselves without a cause and without a home. One by one they trickle into the land of the living in search of a new purpose. Frost sharpens their strikes; blood fortifies their bodies; and undeath allows them to erupt in unholy rage in the heat of battle. A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies, replaced with cold steel.

Undeath as a knight

Death Knights engage their foes up-close, supplementing swings of their weapons with dark magic that renders enemies vulnerable or damages them with unholy power. They drag foes into one-on-one conflicts, compelling them to focus their attacks away from weaker companions. To prevent their enemies from fleeing their grasp, death knights must remain mindful of the power they call forth from runes, and pace their attacks appropriately.

To protect themselves and their fellows from death in battle, death knights gird themselves in heavy armor and parry attacks with their blades. They have a personal connection with their blades, and can forge runes into them in order to increase their power, these runeblades are empowered with dark magic and they can expend the power of their runes for vicious attacks.

Death Knights have noticeable changes in appearances. For instance, unlike their other racial counterparts, most Death Knights appear like a paler version of their living selves. Their eyes now have an unholy light or even tattoos that cover their faces.

Heavy plate armor, and honorbound, with greatsword and unholy magic in hand. A death knight is a fearsome enemy and makes for a loyal teammate. A deal struck with one is sure to be completed without fear of being double-crossed.

 

 

Creating a Death Knight

As you create a death knight, the most important aspects of your character are how you were driven to becoming an undead thrall, and how do you seek redemption for the atrocities you committed when under their command? Did you lose a loved one and give up on the mortal world, instead seeking to take your place among the undead? Were you once a holy warrior who strayed from his faith and was cast out, only to be taken in by the cold embrace of the dead, but still seek to give yourself to the cause of protecting the innocent? Did your sense of purpose and duty lead you to attack a lich, or vampire lord, finding yourself raised as their minion and knight? Have you always carried a seed of darkness within you, and so sought out the undead to take you as one of their own only to be released from your service because of the death of your overlord? Or are you a simple criminal who was taken as a death knight during an attack on your town, now taking this new life as a path of penance?

What is your relationship with the powers of the death knight and the abilities it promises to grant you as you step closer to its mastery? Do you respect and fear the power of death that surges through your veins, using them only when necessary? Do you relish in the strength it offers you, embracing your gifts and using them freely? Has your freedom instilled you with the confident control of mind over matter, certain you can bend these gifts to bring a brighter dawn?

Consider too that while a death knight belongs to an order of other death knights, all who have broken free of the same master, many strike out on their own to do their best work. What made you leave the comfort of your order? Do you intend to return, or have you decided you have more to learn in the world beyond? What do you seek in other adventurers that can help you meet your goals?

While most death knights follow a path of neutrality or even good, some have fallen to the dark, seductive side of unholy power, and use their abilities for selfish and evil purposes. These villains ruin the already tenuous reputation of the free death knight orders.

Class Features

As a Death Knight, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10

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: All armor

Weapons: Simple melee weapons, martial melee weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Acrobatics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

• (a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons
• (a) 4 javelins or (b) 2 handaxes
• (a) dungeoneer’s pack or (b) explorer’s pack
• chain mail and a holy symbol from your past life

Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Death Knight Multiclassing

Should you wish to multiclass into a death knight, the prerequisites and proficiencies gained are listed below.

Death Knight Multiclassing Prerequisites

Ability Score Minimum. Strength 13 or Dexterity 13, and Wisdom 13

Death Knight Multiclassing Proficiencies

Proficiencies Gained. Light armor, medium armor, simple melee weapons, martial melee weapons.

 

 

Unholy Sense

At first level as an action you can detect the aura that surrounds undead creatures. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area.

• 1st Action: Presence or absence of undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover.
• 2nd Action: Number of undead auras in the area and the challenge rating of the strongest undead aura present within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover.
• 3rd Action: The challenge rating and location of each undead aura within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Runeforging

Beginning at 1st level, you know a ritual that creates a magical, living bond between yourself and your weapons. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest.

The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond. Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can’t be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence as you, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to instantly materialize in your hand, unless it is held by a greater power. In addition, you may also absorb its physical form within your very being, which may act as an effective storage place. At level 5 you can have up to two bonded weapons, you can summon both at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break one of the other two.

In addition all death knights learn the art of runeforging, allowing them to carve mystic runes into their weapons. Carving a rune into a weapon takes one hour which you can do during a short rest. The weapon being runeforged must be a melee weapon. In addition, any weapon with a rune carved into it counts as a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. You may only carve a rune into one weapon which you are bonded to.

Forged Runes of the Novice

Rune of Lichbane: 1d4 (or 1d6 for a two handed weapon) extra fire damage to all attacks made with this weapon, in addition to the weapon’s normal damage.

Rune of Razorice: 1d4 (or 1d6 for a two handed weapon) extra cold damage to all attacks made with this weapon, in addition to the weapon’s normal damage.

Rune of Cinderglacier: 1d4 (or 1d6 for a two handed weapon) extra necrotic damage to all attacks made with this weapon, in addition to the weapon’s normal damage.

Forged Runes of the Veteran

Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle: When entering initiative you gain your death knight level as temporary hit points. 1d8 extra fire damage to all attacks made with this weapon, in addition to the weapon’s normal damage. Blood Aspect only. Two-Handed weapons only.

Rune of the Fallen Crusader: Whenever you hit a creature concentrating on a spell with a melee weapon attack, the creature has to make their concentration check at disadvantage, if you critically hit the targeted creature loses concentration, and 1d6 extra frost damage to all attacks made with this weapon. Frost Aspect only.

Rune of Spellshattering: +1 to all saves against magic, and 1d8 extra necrotic damage to all attacks made with this weapon. Unholy Aspect Only. Two-Handed weapons only.

 

 

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.

Blind Fighting

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

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, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. 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.

Rune Magic

Beginning at 2nd level, as a death knight, you can use runic magic, allowing you to channel the power of death into powerful, often destructive attacks and abilities. The Death Knight has access to a single rune of each aspect; blood, frost, and unholy. Each runic ability costs one rune of the appropriate aspect. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended runes. When you finish a short rest, you regain a single rune of your choice, you may only regain a rune in this way once before long resting. You learn all apprentice runic abilities. At 7th level your chosen aspect of death grants you a specialist runic ability. Some of your runic abilities require your target to make a saving throw to resist the abilities’ effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Runic Magic save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Apprentice Runic Abilities

Blood Boil: “There is only one way to ease the pain: death.” As an action you boil the blood of those around you, each creature of your choice in a 10-foot radius centered on self must make a constitution saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Costs 1 blood rune.

At Higher Levels. This abilities’ damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (3d6), 11th level (4d6), and 17th level (5d6).

Icy Touch: “Has Hell frozen over yet?” As an action you reach out with your hand and create one of frost to wrap around a throat within your reach, a single creature within 60 feet of you must make a constitution saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 cold damage on a failed save and it can’t regain hit points for 1 minute, on a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and suffers none of the abilities other effects. The creature can attempt to remake the save at the end of each of its turns to end the effect. Costs 1 frost rune.

At Higher Levels. This abilities’ damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (3d8), 11th level (4d8), and 17th level (5d8).

Plague Strike: “Embrace death, and the heavy burden of life will be lessened.” As an action you brandish your rune weapon and point it at one creature within 5 feet of you unleashing a plague upon them. The target must make a constitution saving throw. The creature takes 2d10 poison damage on a failed save, on a successful save, the target takes half as much damage. Costs 1 unholy rune.

At Higher Levels. This abilities’ damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (3d10), 11th level (4d10), and 17th level (5d10).

Specialist Runic Abilities

Death Strike: “Every victorious battle empowers our pursuit of vengeance.” As an action you brandish your rune weapon and make a melee attack with it against one creature within the reach of your weapon, if you hit a creature with this melee weapon attack, you can expend one blood rune, the target then suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects as well as having its life force drained. You receive half of the normal weapon damage as hit points. Doesn’t trigger from and on small creatures like rats or flies, insects, etc. (Blood Aspect Only) Costs 1 blood rune.

Mind Freeze: “The chilling touch of death can give even the bravest of souls pause for thought.” As an action you smash the target’s mind with cold, a creature within 30 feet of you must make a constitution saving throw. A creature loses the ability to cast spells for 1 minute on a failed save, on a successful save, nothing happens to the target. The creature can attempt to remake the save at the end of each of its turns to end the effect. (Frost Aspect Only) Costs 1 frost rune.

Anti-Magic Shell: “The pact is sealed!” As an action you surround yourself in an Anti-Magic Shell, you have resistance to damage from spells until the end of your next turn, you may end spells of your choice that are affecting you, you may use this ability while under mind control. (Unholy Aspect Only) Costs 1 unholy rune.

 

 

Death Aspect

At 3rd level, you commit to an aspect of death. Choose Aspect of Blood, Aspect of Frost, or Aspect of Unholy, all detailed at the end of the class description. The aspect you choose grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 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.

Death Coil

Starting at 6th level, you may fire a blast of unholy energy at your enemies. You gain the ability to make a ranged spell attack using your wisdom modifier. This attack deals 2d6 necrotic damage, and has a range of 120 feet. Death coil does not have disadvantage if a creature is within 5 feet of you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use a rune to make another death coil attack if all your death coil attacks have been used. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At 10th, and 14th levels, the necrotic damage increases by 1d6, totaling 3d6, and 4d6 necrotic damage respectively.

At 18th level, you may add your wisdom modifier to the damage.

Runes Abundant

Starting at 7th level, you have improved your runic magic to a degree where you can harness an additional rune of the death aspect you chose at level 3.

Runeforging Mastery

At 10th level, you have become a master in runeforging, resulting in you being able access the aspect specific runes detailed in the “Forged Runes of the Veteran” section.

Rune Magic Mastery

When you reach 13th level, your ability to harness the power of death has improved to a point where you regain all runes on a short rest.

Raise Ally

At 17th level, your legendary control over death allows you to grasp your allies souls and return them to their bodies, for a price.

You gain one use of Raise Ally which allows you to touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This ability also neutralizes any poison and cures nonmagical diseases that affected the creature at the time it died. This ability doesn’t, however, remove magical diseases, curses, or similar effects; if these aren’t first removed prior to using the ability, they take effect when the creature returns to life. The ability can’t return an undead creature to life.

This ability closes all mortal wounds, but it doesn’t restore missing body parts. If the creature is lacking body parts or organs integral for its survival – its head, for instance – the ability automatically fails.

Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The target takes a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. Every time the target finishes a long rest, the penalty is reduced by 1 until it disappears. This ability costs the death knight all of their available runes (minimum 3) and can only be used once per long rest.

King of Death

At 18th level, you have become death, destroyer of worlds, your enemies cower when your name is spoken, all other death knights look to you for example, you are no longer a death knight, you are a king of death, and death never stops. When you roll initiative and have no runes remaining of your aspect, you regain 1 rune of that aspect. In addition, whenever you score a critical hit with a weapon empowered by your Runeforging, you regain one expended use of a rune of your choice.

 

 

Death Knight Aspects

Once a death knight exits their apprenticeship they must choose which aspect of death they wish to follow as they begin their journey of undeath. The power of each aspect must be honed and each has great boons to give to devoted neophytes.

Aspect of Blood

A dark guardian who manipulates and corrupts life energy to sustain themself in the face of an enemy onslaught. In undeath, some death knights find a special affinity for the blood and bone of the living. They carve into their enemies, sustaining themselves with deadly sanguine strikes, while using the bloody, shattered remains of the dead to fortify their own defenses. These crimson-soaked knights bend the very rules of mortality to control the frontlines of the battlefield. The aspect of Blood focuses on the physical act of dying, and uses the power of blood to fortify the death knight’s body against death and debilitate wounded enemies. Blood knights often seem wild and violent as they revel in death and the spilling of blood.

Blood Tap

Starting when you choose this aspect at level 3 you are able to harness the lingering lifeforce of the dead, as an action, you can roll your death knight hit die and add your constitution modifier and choose a dead creature that you can see, within 30 feet of you. You can heal yourself for the same amount rolled on that die. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier. Once you expend all your uses, you can’t use this feature again until you complete a long rest. Doesn’t trigger from and on small creatures like rats or flies, insects, etc.

Death Strike

Starting at 7th level you gain the Death Strike rune magic ability detailed under the “Specialist Runes” section of rune magic. You also gain +1 ac when wielding a two handed weapon.

Will of the Necropolis

Starting at 11th level, you gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on Constitution saving throws against being poisoned. You are immune to disease.

Improved Death Strike

At 14th level, your death strike technique has improved resulting in your death strike attack now being a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20. You now receive all of the normal weapon damage as hit points.

Might of Mograine

At 20th level, your Constitution score increases by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.

 

 

Aspect of Frost

An icy harbinger of doom, channeling runic power and delivering vicious weapon strikes. Combining martial prowess with supernatural cold, frost death knights leave their enemies chilled to the bone—and broken of the will to fight. Unlike mages who learn to harness frost magic to great effect, these death knights are born of it, rime gripping their decaying hearts. These frozen undead warriors wield dual blades to strike with ferocity and inflict deathly cold upon anyone who would stand against them. The aspect of frost focuses on the emotional aspect of dying, and the sense of loss and emptiness that it causes, and uses this power to hone the death knight’s mental and physical abilities to perfection. Frost knights often seem emotionless and uncaring, with little regard for the sanctity of life.

Icy Talons

Starting when you choose this aspect at level 3 you can use two-weapon fighting even when the one handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light. You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

Mind Freeze

Starting at 7th level you gain the “Mind Freeze” rune magic ability detailed under the “Specialist Runes” section of rune magic. You may use the death coil ability as a bonus action.

Nerves of Cold Steel

At 11th level, you gain resistance to cold damage and are unaffected by cold weather. You have advantage against saving throws to become exhausted. You are immune to disease.

Killing Machine

Starting at 14th level, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you gain the ability to make a free death coil attack against any creature within range as a reaction. Doesn’t trigger on and from small creatures like rats or flies, insects, etc.

Guile of Gorefiend

Starting at 20th level, your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.

 

 

Aspect of Unholy

A master of death and decay, spreading infection and controlling undead minions to do their bidding. While free from the undead’s grasp, some death knights still embody the ever-corrupting nature of the Scourge plague that once threatened to consume the world. No matter their allegiance or cause, they remain defilers of life; and nowhere is their callousness more on display than when threatened. Inflictors of the most aggressive of diseases—and masters of raising unhallowed minions from the ground—these unholy death knights are vicious melee combatants, capable of striking with the force of an undead legion and unleashing pestilence that would bring their foes to ruin. The aspect of unholy focuses on the physical remains of death, the flesh and bones left to rot after the spirit has left, and uses them to further their quest for power. Unholy knights often seem sacrilegious and irreverent, treating the bodies of their friends and enemies alike with little respect.

Undead Minion

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to create a loyal undead minion to serve you. You gain Summon Undead as a spell-like ability which when used expends an unholy rune, and can only be used to summon a Putrid spirit. This ability does not require concentration, and this ability upcasts based on half your death knight level rounded up. You may only have one undead minion at a time.

Anti-Magic Shell

Starting at 7th level you gain the “Anti-Magic Shell” rune magic ability detailed under the “Specialist Runes” section of rune magic. Your undead minion gains a bonus to ac equal to half your wisdom modifier (rounded up) when within 10 feet of you.

Lichborne

At 11th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage, and gain advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened or charmed. You are immune to disease.

Master of Ghouls

Starting at 14th level, you are able to inscribe a forged rune onto your minion, the rune of spellshattering now applies to your undead minion but not their attacks. Your minion now counts as one of your bonded weapons and can be summoned within 5 feet of you as well as stored within your physical being.

Rage of Rivendare

Starting at 20th level, your Wisdom score increases by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.