Death Knight v 1.4.1

Class Features

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

Hit Points

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• 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

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• Armor: Light & Medium, Shields
• Weapons: Simple & Martial weapons
• Tools: Blacksmithing Tools

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• Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Religion, Persuasion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a martial weapon or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
• An Explorers Pack

Stolen From The Afterlife

Most Death Knights are taken from the afterlife without consent, raised as a husk to do a Necromancer's twisted bidding. Other times, they refuse the cold call of Death, to finish a task in life. Regardless of their cause, their physiology is changed drastically. You gain the following traits:

• You make death saving throws with advantage, but cannot be restored to consciousness by healing magic or potions.
• You are resistant to Necrotic damage.
• You are considered the "Undead" type as well as your race's type for the sake of spells or abilites that can affect either.
• You have a number of abilities/spells that require targets to make saving throws, your DC = (8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier) .

Runeweapon

At level 1, Death Knights are bestowed with a Runeforged weapon, and the knowledge to craft new ones. You may convert any melee weapon into a Runeweapon with 3 hours of work, and an amount of gold equal to the weapons original cost.

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You are able to inscribe up to 3 runes at any time, however a rune cannot be removed once inserted. You gain your first rune at 4th level, at which point the Runeblade becomes magical. You gain an additional rune slot at 9th and 15th level. Inscribing/replacing a Rune takes significant time, level 4 runes take 1 hour, level 9 runes take 3 hours and level 15 runes take 8 hours of work. Runes effects are passive and are considered magical. Any weapon that has at least one rune inscribed into it is considered magical.

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Only Death Knights can harness the benefits of Runeweapons.

Death Strike

At 2nd level, Death Knights are able to channel lifestealing energies into their weapons. Once per turn, when you succesfully hit a living creature with a melee weapon attack, but before you roll for damage, you may choose to sap life from them as you strike. You heal an amount equal to half the damage dealt. This can be done a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, regaining all uses on a short rest.

Death Grip

At 2nd level, you harness the energies that surrounds and binds all matter. As an action you may target one Large or smaller creature within 30ft and force them to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pulled into melee with you and any movement it has is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn. You regain the use of this ability after a short rest.

Path of the Scourge

At 3rd level, you choose a Path that shapes the nature of your power and how you harness it. Choose either, Blood, Frost or Unholy, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you abilities at 3rd, 6th, 10th and 14th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Dark Command

At 7th level, as a bonus action you gain the ability to cast the compelled duel spell. . This version of the spell does not end early if you attack another creature, move further than 30ft from the creature, or other creatures attack the target.

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You regain the use of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Anti-Magic Shell

At 9th Level, as a bonus action you gain advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects for the next minute. This can be done once per long rest.

Empowered Death Strike

At 11th level, you now heal for the full amount of damage you deal with your Death Strike feature.

Wraith Walk

At 15th level, you can partially enter the Shadowfell as an action, becoming incoporeal, gaining immunity to any movement impairing effects/conditions and doubling your movement speed for 10 minutes. During this time, climbing does not cost you extra movement, you have advantage on stealth checks and you are able to move through physical objects and material but cannot end your turn there. If you do you are forced out to the nearest unoccupied space and take Force damage equal to your level.

You are immune to all damage except Force whilst in this form but cannot attack, cast spells or physically interact with creatures and objects. You regain the use of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Ignorance of Torment

At 18th level, you have become one with the forces of death and are able to fully control your husk of a body. When you take damage that would reduce to you to 0hp but not kill you outright, you can use your reaction to instead return to 1hp and immediately take a turn, regardless of initiative order.

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You regain the use of this ability at the end of a long rest.

For the Forsaken

At 20th level, you have mastered your curse, wrestling it under your control. Your Death Strike feature now has unlimited uses.

Blood Path

A Dark Guardian who manipulates and corrupts energy to sustain themselves in the face of an enemy onslaught. 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.

Heart Strike

At 3rd level, when you use your Death Strike feature, your weapon attacks next turn against that creature critically hit on a roll of a 19 or 20 on the d20.

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You also gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Blood Boil

At 6th Level, as a bonus action you touch a creature and inflict a plague on its blood. The creature must succeed on Constitution saving throws or be affected by Blood Boil, making a save at the end of each turn to end the effect.

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Blood Boil lasts for a 1 minute and you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature afflicted with blood boil.

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You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) , and regain all uses after a long rest.

Crimson Aegis

At 10th level, you are now able to store excess healing as a pool of extra hit points. Whenever you are healed beyond your max hit points you gain temporary Hit Points equal to the amount healed over. Temporary hit points gained in this way cannot exceed an amount equal to your Death Knight Level plus your Charisma modifier.

Bone Shield

At 14th level, when you slay a creature, you shatter their bones from their body and bind them to your form for 1 hour. Whilst the bones orbit your body, the next attack within 10ft that hits you removes a single charge and you can use your reaction to deal 2d8 Piercing damage to the attacker.

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You can have a maximum number of charges equal to your proficiency modifier. For every 2 charges, your AC increases by 1, lasting until the charges are expended. You cannot gain this benefit from constructs or other creatures that do not have bones.

Marrowrend

At 18th level, you are empowered by your fallen enemies. Whilst you have Bone Shield active your movement speed increases by 10ft and you are resistant to Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing damage.

Frost Path

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.

Frost Strike

At 3rd level, when you use your Death Strike feature, it deals an additional 1d8 Cold damage and reduces their movement by 10ft until the end of their next turn. The Cold damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level.

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You do not heal for the cold damage dealt.

Remorseless Winter

At 6th Level, you gain resistance to Cold damage.

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Also, unless you choose otherwise, any water within 15ft of you freezes over, allowing you to walk atop it. Each 5ft area of ice can carry 250lbs of weight.

Killing Machine

At 10th level, when you slay a creature with a weapon attack, you may use your reaction to move up to your movement speed and make an additional weapon attack.

Frostborn Chains

At 14th level, as an action you gain the ability to summon terrifying ice energies, shackling all Large or smaller enemy creatures you choose within 30ft of you. Affected creatures must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. The target may repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.

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If a creature is damaged whilst restrained by this ability, the chains are destroyed, dealing 3d10 Cold damage to the creature, and releasing them.

Obliteration

At 18th Level, you mark a creature for death as a bonus action. That creature becomes vulnerable to all damage dealt by you until the end of your turn. This can be done a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) .

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If you kill a creature whilst it is under this effect, you regain a single use of this feature. You regain all expended uses at the end of a long rest.

Unholy Path

A master of death and decay, spreading infection and controlling the undead to do their bidding. 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.

Plague Strike

At 3rd Level, when you use your Death Strike feature, the target creature must make a Constitution saving throw, or be poisoned for 1 minute.

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The creature is able to repeat the save at the start of their turns, ending the effect on a success. A creature that succeeds is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Puppeteer of the Dead

At 6th level, you touch a medium corpse that has been dead no longer than 7 days, and summon a Thrall. The Thrall acts on your initiative, and you may use your bonus action on each turn to command it. Thralls last 1 hour and use the following stat block:

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Thrall

Medium Undead, Unaligned

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• Armor Class 10 + your proficiency bonus
• Hit Points 8 + 2x your Death Knight level
• Speed 30ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	8 (-1)

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• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
• Damage Immunities Necrotic
• Senses passive Perception 11
• Languages Any languages you speak
• Challenge __

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Strength of the Damned. Thralls have advantage on attack rolls against creatures if you or another undead are within 5ft of the target.

Actions

Multiattack. The Thrall makes one claw attack and one bite attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: + your PB + your charisma modifier to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit (1d6 + + your Charisma modifier) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: + your PB + your charisma modifier to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit (1d8 + your Charisma modifier) piercing damage. The Thrall heals for half the damage dealt.

You can only control one Thrall at a time. When you reach 9th level, you may control two Thralls simultaneously and at 15th level, you may control three.

Empowered by Undeath

At 10th level, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls for each undead under your control, to a maximum bonus of +3.

Arise, Forsaken

At 14th Level when a creature dies within 15ft of you, you may use your reaction to rise it as a Risen under your control. Risen act on your initiative, requiring no action to command.

When you fail a saving throw and you have a Risen under your command, you may sacrifice the Risen, destroying it, and instead choose to succeed on the saving throw. Risen last 1 hour and use the following stat block:

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Risen

Medium Undead, unaligned

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• Armor Class 12 + your proficiency bonus
• Hit Points 10 + 3x your Death Knight level
• Speed 40ft. fly 30ft

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 +3)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

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• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
• Damage Immunities Necrotic
• Senses passive Perception 12 + your proficiency
• Languages Any languages you speak
• Challenge ____

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Turn Immunity. Risen are immune to effects that turn undead.

Strength of the Damned. Risen have advantage on attack rolls against creatures if you or another undead creature are within 5ft of the target.

Sacrificial Boon When the summoner fails a saving throw, they may destroy the Risen to instead suceed on the save.

Actions

Multiattack. The Risen can make two claw attacks or two Shadow Blast attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 + your spell attack to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit (1d10 + 2 + your Charisma modifier) slashing damage. Target must make a Constitution save (your spell save DC) or have its movement speed reduced by 10ft until the end of its next turn.

Shadow Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: + your spell attack to hit, reach 60ft., one target. Hit (2d6 + your Charisma modifier) Necrotic damage.

You may only have one Risen at any one time.

Commander of the Dead

At 18th Level, your summons are extremely potent, gaining the following benefits:

• When reduced to 0HP, your summons explode, dealing 4d6 Necrotic damage to all creatures within 10ft.
• As a bonus action, you may consume a charge of your Death Strike feature to heal one of your summons within 30ft of you for an amount equal to your Death Knight level.
• If you have 3 or more summons active, they gain an additional 10ft movement speed and have advantage on saving throws.