Black Knight (5e Class)

Black Knight

In the beginning, a being of shadow and metal lumbered out of the abyss. Human warriors, an unknown order of knights, rode to slay the beast. The fight cost many lives, but the beast fell to its knees at last, a smattering of knights remaining. As they tried to strike the killing blow, the beast exploded, covering the knights in its essence, trapping the knights in their armor as their bodies were transformed into the metal of the beast. And so they remained, cursed, immortal sets of armor. Any who put them on die instantaneously, their bodies becoming the new host and their memories added to the ever growing list. These are the Black knights, cursed magic wielding warriors.

Creating a Black Knight

When creating your Black Knight, you must determine how you entered in contact with the suit of cursed armor. Have you found this armor in the depths of a dungeon, and worn it by accident, thinking of it as being nothing more than a piece of loot? Do you inherit the armor, being a family treasure for generations? Are you part of a cult or order that seeks these armors, and volunteered to use it?

By Sanha Kim

Quick Build

You can make a Black Knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. If you intend to pursue the Rune Engraver archetype, choose Charisma as your secondary ability instead. Second, choose Soldier or the Haunted One as your background. Finally, choose the greatsword and a spear, 5 javelins and a dungeoneer's kit as your starting equipment.

Class Features

As a Black Knight you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Black Knight level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Black Knight level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception

Equipment

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

• Cursed Armor
• (a) a longsword and a shield or (b) a greatsword and a spear or (c) a martial weapon and a simple weapon
• (a) 5 javelins or (b) a heavy crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) dungeoneer's kit or (b) explorer's kit
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Black Knight

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Excess Points
1st	+2	Cursed Armor, Armor Excess	5
2nd	+2	Sanguine Metal (+1), Excess to Excalibur, Fighting Style	10
3rd	+2	Black Knight Archetype, Absorb Armor	15
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	20
5th	+3	Extra Attack	25
6th	+3	Noctem Armis	30
7th	+3	Black Knight Archetype Feature	35
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	40
9th	+4	Sanguine Metal (+2), Bolstering Metallurgy	45
10th	+4	Shards to Spare	50
11th	+4	Excalibur Mastery	55
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	60
13th	+5	Sanguine Metal (+3), Excess to Spikes	65
14th	+5	Metal Soul	70
15th	+5	Black Knight Archetype Feature	75
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	80
17th	+6	Unstoppable Steel	85
18th	+6	Black Knight Archetype Feature	90
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	95
20th	+6	Supreme Metallurgy	100

Cursed Armor

Starting at 1st level, the cursed armor you donned becomes the true vessel of your soul, as your body dies inside it. The metal of the armor acts as your own flesh, and you can no longer remove it by any means besides your own death. You can no longer wear armor, nor can you benefit from magical rings, bracelets, boots, helmets or gauntlets. In addition, you gain the following benefits:

Steel Skin

You gain the protection of the cursed armor you wear. Your AC becomes 18, if it is lower. As you take damage, your armor starts to worn out. You lose 1 AC for each 6 + your Constitution modifier hit points you lose, to a minimum of 10. Your AC comes back to 18 after a long rest.

Living Armor

Your movements are stiff and loud. You have disadvantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and your movement speed becomes 20 feet, if it is higher. In addition, while you remain motionless, you are indistinguishable from a normal suit of armor.

Heavy Gauntlets

You can use the armor's gauntlets for attacks. The gauntlets are considered martial weapons, cause 1d6 bludgeoning damage and have the light property. You may make one melee attack with your gauntlet as a bonus action. You cannot be wielding a shield to make this attack.

If you are not wearing a shield, you can use your bonus action to protect yourself using the gauntlets, gaining +2 to your AC until the start of your next turn. You can't benefit from this bonus action if you are wielding a weapon.

Cursed Metabolism

You are immune to poisons and diseases. However, you no longer benefit from spells that restore hit points, potions, balms or herbs.

Supernatural Strength

Your armor seems to have its own strength. You can wield two-handed and heavy weapons in one hand, however you can only have a shield in the other hand.

Armor Excess

At 1st level, your bond grows so strong that the metal on your armor becomes organic, constantly growing as skin or hair. You gain a pool of excess points equal to 5 for each level you have in this class. Whenever you would take damage that is not psychic or necrotic, the damage is taken by the pool instead. When you finish a long rest, your pool returns to its maximum. You can also spend a hit die to restore points to your pool equal to your Black Knight level.

Any excess metal that leaves your body is turned into regular shards of iron.

Sanguine Metal

Starting at 2nd level, your armor grants you a bonus of +1 to your AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th level to +3 at 13th level and to +4 at 20th level. Your AC can never be reduced to a number below 10 + your sanguine metal bonus.

This bonus is also applied to the attacks and damage rolls made with your gauntlets, that are now considered magical weapons.

Excess to Excalibur

Starting at 2nd level, you learn how to shape the excess of your armor into powerful magical weapons. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 excess points or more to form weapons. The weapon can take any shape or form you want, but regardless of the chosen shape, it is considered a martial melee weapon, and causes either bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage (you choose when you form the weapon). It can be a one handed weapon, that causes 1d8 damage and has the versatile (1d8) property; or a two-handed weapon that causes 1d12 or 2d6 damage and with the two-handed property.

When your form the weapon, you can choose one of the following properties to apply to it: thrown (20/60), light (for one handed only), reach, finesse. The weapon formed lasts for 10 minutes, until you create another, or until you use it to cause damage a number of times equal to the amount of points used to create it. When the weapon is destroyed on a hit against a target, that target takes additional damage equal to the amount of points used to create the weapon.

If you spend at least 10 excess points or more, the weapon is also considered magical, for the purposes of overcoming resistances to non-magical damage. The maximum excess points you can spend to form the excalibur equals your Constitution modifier + 5 x your proficiency bonus. In addition, the weapon gain a bonus to attacks and damage rolls depending on the number of excess points spent to form the weapon:

Excess to Excalibur

Excess Points	Bonus
10	+1
25	+2
30	+3
35	+4

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular 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.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

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, 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.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Absorb Armor

At 3rd level, if you touch a set of magical armor that is not worn or carried, you can absorb the magic contained in it. Doing so destroys the armor, and give you its benefits. If the armor requires attunement, you must have an attunement slot free, but you instantly attune to it. If it has a magical bonus, it replaces your Sanguine Metal bonus if it is higher, but don't stack with it.

You can have only a single armor absorbed at any given time, and can't absorb another while you currently have one absorbed. You can release the magic of your current absorbed armor onto another set of non-magical armor by spending 1 hour with that armor within touch, which can be done during a short rest.

Extra Attack

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

Noctem Armis

At 6th level, cursed darkness on your black armor help you to meld with the shadows. You don't suffer disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while in dim light or darkness. In addition, when you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible until you move or take an action or a reaction.

Bolstering Metallurgy

Upon reaching 9th level, you can use your excess metal to temporarily boost your abilities. You can expend 1 excess point as a bonus action to enhance either your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, granting you advantage on ability checks with the chosen ability score until the start of your next turn. You can choose to maintain this benefit additional rounds by expending 1 excess point at the start of each of your following turns (no action required).

Shards to Spare

When you reach the 10th level, the metal shards on your armor grow uncontrollably with greater speed. Whenever you roll initiative, your excess pool regain 10 points.

Excalibur Mastery

At 11th level, you gain full control over your ability to form your powerful excalibur through the use of your armor excess. You gain the following benefits:

• Your excalibur no longer breaks upon a certain number of hits, and you can decide to break it whenever you hit a creature.

• If you are attuned to a metal melee weapon, when you create your excalibur, you can choose to absorb temporarily the magical powers of that weapon and transfer to it. The excalibur have its properties, except for magical bonus to attacks and damage rolls. When the excalibur breaks, the weapon recover its magical properties.

• When you make two attacks with the Excalibur as part of the Attack action, you can make a third attack as part of that same action.

Excess to Spikes

When you reach the 13th level, you can make the excess on your armor to spring upwards, forming a coat of serrated spikes. As long as you have a excess point, you can use your bonus action to protrude or retract the spikes. At the start of each of your turns while the spikes are out, you deal 1d6 piercing damage to any creature grappling you or any creature grappled by you. You add your Sanguine Metal bonus to this damage.

In addition, whenever a creature within 5 feet of you hit you with an attack while the spikes are protruded, you can choose to spend 5 excess points to cause the spike to break, piercing its body. The creature takes the spike damage +5 piercing.

Metal Soul

Starting at 14th level, you gain proficiency in all saving throws.

In addition, when you fail a saving throw, you can spend 5 excess points to reroll the save, choosing the new result.

Unstoppable Steel

At 17th level while you have at least half you excess points, you can’t be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, or stunned.

Supreme Metallurgy

At 20th level, your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4, to a maximum of 24.

Knight Archetype

Adamantine Titan

Adamantine titans are Black Knights who have the innate ability to transform their excess metal into a more dense and powerful substance, making their defenses impenetrable to most attacks. They are the strongest and more resilient of all black knights, and they truly embrace the defensive power of the cursed armor.

Excess to Adamantine

Starting at 3rd level, instead of just growing uncontrolled, your excess condenses in a more dense and powerful metal, similar to adamantine. When your Excess pool is at half its maximum or higher, critical hits against you become normal hits, and your attacks made using gauntlets against objects and structures are considered critical hits.

In addition, weapons created using the Excess to Excalibur feature are considered adamantine weapons.

Tempered Metal

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you take damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage taken by your tempered metal die. The tempered metal die size depends on the amount of Excess Points you have on your pool: 1d4 (at least 1), 1d6 (25 to 44), 1d8 (45 to 64), 1d10 (65 to 84), 1d12 (85 +).

In addition, the amount of damage you can cause using the Excess to Excalibur weapon before it is destroyed increases by a roll of the tempered metal die for each 5 points spent to create it. You use the tempered die size you had before you create this weapon. This also increases the damage caused on the last hit using the weapon.

Mighty Titan

At 7th level, you add your Sanguine Metal bonus to all your Strength and Constitution checks.

In addition, as long as you have half your excess points or more, your are considered a Large creature.

Inexorable

When you reach the 15th level, you gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage.

Titanic Might

When you reach the 18th level, your Strength score increase by 2, to a maximum of 22. The maximum increases to 26 at 20th level.

In addition, as long as you have half your excess points or more, your are considered a Large creature.

Black Shielder

Black shielders are black knights who learn the ability to forge powerful shields using their excess metal. These knights are guardians, and tend to be closest to what is thought of knights: selfless protectors, who use their now cursed existence to protect others from harm.

Excess to Aegis

At 3rd level, your excess of metal can form a powerful shield, the aegis. You can conjure this shield from your armor or shun it back to it using your bonus action. The aegis is a bonded shield, and also benefit from your Sanguine Metal. While wielding the aegis, you can use your bonus action to take the Shove action, adding your Sanguine Metal bonus to the result of the check.

In addition, whenever you or a creature within 5 feet are hit by an attack while wielding the aegis, you can spend 1 to 5 points from your Excess Pool to enlarge the shield, increasing your AC by +1 for each point spent, until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack, potentially turning the hit on a miss.

Tower of Power

Starting at 7th level, you may choose to transform a your aegis into a Tower Shield using a bonus action. While equipped, the Tower Shield grants gives you and one creature within 5 feet the benefits of half cover, but grants you disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. You can return the Aegis to its normal form using a bonus action on your turn.

Defensive Master

All your time taking the brunt of damage has taught you just how to deal with it to minimize its effects. At 15th level, when you or a creature within 5 feet take damage from an attack or failed Dexterity saving throw while tower of power is active, you can use your reaction to halve the damage.

Hostile Barrier

You might not be the heaviest hitter, but ignoring you isn’t a wise decision. At 18th level, whenever an enemy steps into your Attack reach, you can take an opportunity attack against them with advantage. You can use this feature once in each creature's turn, but no more than once per turn, and can't use it on the same turn you have used your reaction.

Rune Engraver

Rune engravers are black knights who learn how to harvest the magical curse bestowed upon the armor to cast spells. They are capable of channeling the power of the spells through the use of magical runes, that concentrate the power, and use the excess metal of the armor as a form of magical fuel.

Metal to Mana

Starting at 3rd level, you can use the latent magic potential on your armor excess to cast spells.

Excess Cost Table Spell Level Excess Cost 1st 10 2nd 15 3rd 25 4th 30 Cantrips You know two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level. Excess Cost You can convert the excess metal on your armor into mana, using it to cast spells. If the number of excess points you have go below 0, the spell you are attempting to cast fails. Each spell cost an amount of excess points, depending on its level, as shown in the Excess Cost table below: Excess Limit Though you have access to the power of the curse latent on your armor, it takes training and practice to channel that energy. There is a limit on the number of excess points you can spend to cast a spell. The maximum amount of excess points you can spend equals 10 at 3rd level, 15 at 7th level, 25 at 13th level and 30 at 19th level. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. These spells are represented by runic engravings on your armor. The Spells Known column of the Black Knight table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your rune engraver spells. You use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell or when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spellcasting Focus You don't need a focus or material components without a cost in gp to cast your rune engraver spells. In addition, if the spell has a cost in material components, its cost is reduced by the amount of excess points you have used to cast it (to a minimum of 0). Excess to Rune At 3rd level, you learn the magical art of rune engraving. You gain proficiency with the smith's tools. In addition, you can use these tools to engrave magical runes on your armor. You can create a rune by casting a rune engraver spell with a casting time of 1 action in a shard of metal from your armor. This process takes 1 minute. You can use the rune as a bonus action. A creature other than you can read the rune as an action, activating the spell. When you infuse a spell in this way, it must be used within 8 hours. After that time, its magic fades and is wasted. You can have a maximum number of runes at the same time equal to your Charisma modifier. Runic Empowerment Starting at 7th level, whenever you cast a Rune Engraver spell, you add your Sanguine Metal bonus to the Save DC and spell attack bonus. In addition, you can spend 10 minutes after you finish a long rest to remove one of the cantrip or spell runes on your armor, replacing by another, with a level you have access to. Mana Armor At 15th level, you can reabsorb part of a wasted magic back to your armor, forming a magical ward. The mana armor pool begins with 0 points. Whenever a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your Rune Engraver spell, or whenever you miss a spell attack, the ward gain a number of hit points equal to twice the spell level. Cantrips don't restore the ward. The ward can have a maximum number of points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. Whenever you take damage, the ward is damage instead, before the Excess pool or your hit points. In addition, as long as your mana armor has 1 point, you have resistance to the damage of spells, and advantage on saving throws against spells. Oppressive Runes When you reach the 18th level, you can use the cursed power of your armor to reduce your target's defenses, leaving him vulnerable to your magic. When you cast a Rune Engraver spell, you can spend 3 points from your Mana Armor to give yourself advantage on the spell attack, or impose disadvantage on the target's first save. Multiclassing In order to multiclass as a Black Knight, you must find a set of Black Knight armor. Your character retains existing class levels, ability scores, and proficiencies, but you may not take any more levels in the class you had before multiclassing, or any other class once taking Black Knight levels. 4.00 (2 votes) Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes