Death Knight, 2nd Variant (5e Class)

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Ardalkhayal Campaign Setting
This page is part of the Ardalkhayal campaign setting. Please refrain from making major edits to this page. If you wish to change something on this page, or you see an error, bring it up on the talk page or contact JayeLovee. Minor edits such as fixing spelling or grammar are encouraged.

All pages in the Ardalkhayal campaign setting


Death Knight[edit]

A death knight is a servant of Bolvar, the personification of death. In their original life they were all mighty paladins. During the rebirth into their unlife they made a pact with Bolvar to trade their eternal rest for the ability and privilege to protect the balance between life and death, and vanquish those who cheat it. Death knights have a faint dark energy surrounding them, and can channel the energy to do most of their spells or shape it to do their bidding. Some of the most experienced death knights can even control the flow of life and death itself.

Creating a Death Knight[edit]

A death knight's word is paramount, once given it cannot be broken. By nature, death knights are Lawful in alignment. Most are Lawful Neutral and all follow a strict code of honor called the Death Pact. Death knights are commonly Lawful Evil. They summon the dead and execute extremes of action to bring order to a chaotic world. A Lawful Good death knight is extremely rare. Due to the dark energies filling the death knights, even Lawful Good death knights have a subtle dark aura about them. Death knights do not suffer fools and avoid rogues and bards seeing them as deceitful and untrustworthy. A death knight's honor is everything: gain this as a personality trait. You may wish to go over with your DM and compile a Code of Conduct appropriate to your race, campaign setting and the like. Death Knights are a unique form of undead, granted an immunity against "if the target is undead" alternative spell effects. Effects of spells that specifically target undead, such as Turn Undead, still function as normal


Quick Build

You can make a Death Knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, choose the rune weapon and shield, chain mail, javelins, and explorer's pack.

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium, and Heavy armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple melee weapons, Martial melee weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, and Survival. Languages: Necromonger

Equipment

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

  • (a) a Rune Weapon and any martial weapon or (b) a Rune Weapon and a shield or (c) a two-handed Rune Weapon
  • (a) Scale Mail or (b) Chain Mail
  • (a) 4 javelins or (b) 2 Handaxes
  • (a) Dungeoneer's pack or (b) Explorer's pack
  • If you are using starting wealth, you have 1d4x10 gp in funds.

Table: The Death Knight

Level Proficiency
Bonus
Features Profanities Known Maximum Runes —Spell Slots per Spell Level—
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 Rune Weapon, Death's Pact - -
2nd +2 Necrostrike, Fighting Style, Spellcasting - - 2
3rd +2 Profanities, Dark Order 2 - 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 2 - 3
5th +3 Extra Attack, Runeforging 2 1 4 2
6th +3 Order Feature 2 1 4 2
7th +3 Necrosteed 3 1 4 3
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Bone Shield 3 1 4 3
9th +4 3 1 4 3 2
10th +4 Order Feature 3 1 4 3 2
11th +4 Fighting Style 3 1 4 3 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Improved Runeforging 3 2 4 3 3
13th +5 4 2 4 3 3 1
14th +5 Unholy Command 4 2 4 3 3 1
15th +5 Order Feature 4 2 4 3 3 2
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement, Shadow Step 4 2 4 3 3 2
17th +6 5 2 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 Sanguine Strike 5 2 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Obliterate 5 2 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 Order Feature 5 2 4 3 3 3 2


Ability Score Increase[edit]

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.

Rune Weapon[edit]

At 1st level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. over the course of this hour, the death knight recites Death's Pact as below. The weapon must be within your reach during the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond. A Rune Weapon is central to the death knights abilities; without it, the death knight can not use any of his class abilities (with the exception of Runeforging and creating/summoning a bonded weapon). You can have only two Rune Weapons at any given time. If you attempt to forge a bond with a third weapon, you break a previous bond of your choice automatically. Reforging a broken Rune weapon costs 150 gold pieces in materials per death knight level achieved. Reforging requires access to a Rune Forge. The weapon has properties similar to a Phylactery.

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, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

Starting at 5th level, a death knight can engraved their Rune Weapon with runes through a process known as Runeforging. The Runes run along the weapon lengthwise. These Runes are written in Deathmonger. The death knight's weapon is as sacred as his honor. In addition, a Rune Weapon acts as your holy/unholy Symbol and Spell Focus.

Reforging[edit]

Damage to the Rune Weapon results in damage to the death knight. Should the Rune Weapon be broken or damaged beyond 50% the death knight takes d12 per death knight level achieved. If the Rune Weapon is damaged beyond 75% the death knight loses all class abilities except Runeforging and takes an additional d12 per death knight level achieved. The base Rune Weapon has 40 hit points, AC (hardness) 20, and a break DC of 40. The Rune weapon's AC (hardness) and hit points increase by 1 point every other level, to a maximum of 50 hit points and 30 AC at 20th level. Rune Weapons are vulnerable to radiant type damage and resistant to necrotic type damage.

Death's Pact[edit]

Bolvar, the personification of death, has made a pact with you to allow your Necro existence between undeath and life. This pact binds you to service and allows you access to the class abilities. A side effect of this pact is slower aging: for every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

Death's Pact:

  1. The First Allegiance is to death, not life. The death knight is expected to protect the secrets of the death knights and their origins. When able, the death knight is obligated to protect sites where the dead are laid to rest from desecration.
  2. The Second Allegiance is to revere death, not undeath. The undead try to cheat the natural cycle of life, and the death knight must use every available means to stop them and restore natural order. If the undead are rampaging, he or she is to take command or quell them regardless of personal vendetta or mood. Refusal to release the spirit, or to use magic that traps or otherwise damages the soul to any degree is a slight against death.
  3. The Third Allegiance is to honor for all of eternity. The third allegiance demands that a death knight keep the faith. In this, his word is his bond, once sworn he shall uphold it so long as his trust is not broken, even against his convenience. His word is to stand until his own death. Death knights are expected to repay kindness with kindness and slights with retribution.
Breaking Death's Pact

The Pact and its consequences are at the GM's discretion. The death knight is a powerful class and should have major drawbacks and weaknesses as a consequence. Young death knights often run afoul of their pact and lose their abilities, sometimes at the most inopportune of moments. If you break an oath, agreement or contract, or grossly violate the Death's Pact you lose your class abilities, and may not progress any farther in levels as a death knight until you perform a task (GM's discretion) in repentance for your actions.

Necrostrike[edit]

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit an enemy with a melee attack you can expend a spell slot to channel a necrostrike when you take an attack action to deal an additional 2d8 necrotic on your next successful hit. The necrotic damage increases by 1d8 for every spell level higher than 1st. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a celestial.

Fighting Style[edit]

Starting at 2nd lvl, you adopt a particular fighting style as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style more than once, even if you later get to choose again. At level 11, choose another fighting style.

  • 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.
  • Defensive: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Close Quarters Shooter: When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. Finally, you have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks.
  • Tunnel Fighter: As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.
  • Mariner: As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Spellcasting[edit]

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on your unholy powers through meditation and prayer to cast Spells reminicent of what you once knew in your former life.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Death Knight table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. 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 death knight Spells equal to your Charisma 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.

For example, if you are a 5th-level death knight, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level Spell Slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared Spells can include four (+2 Charisma mod, 5/2=2.5rd=2, total 4) Spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Decaying Necrostrike, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared Spells.

You can change your list of prepared Spells when you finish a Long Rest. Preparing a new list of death knight Spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per Spell Level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability[edit]

Starting at 2nd level you begin to test out your ability to manipulate your unholy power

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spells and spell-like abilities since their power derives from your strength of will. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell or ability you cast and 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 can use your Rune Weapon as a spellcasting focus for your Spells.

Dark Order[edit]

At 3rd level, you chose a Dark Order. Choose between either the Blighted Blade, the Ebony Blade, or Death Incarnate, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Profanities[edit]

Starting at 3rd level, you learn a number of profanities as listed in the above table, chosen from the list below. You can use an action to activate or deactivate one profanity, activating a profanity while you have one already active will automatically deactivate the previous one, you can only benefit from one profanity at a time. You have to use a spell slot to activate a profanity. The profanity lasts for 10 minutes, or until you activate another.

  • Tomb Armor. Gain +1 to your Armor Class.
  • Aura of the Damned Whenever any enemy creature within 10 feet of you makes a constitution saving throw, it does so with a -2 modifier
  • Deathwind. When you or a creature within 10 feet of you takes fire, poison, necrotic or cold damage, you can use your reaction to give that creature resistance against that damage type until the start of your next turn.
  • Gravemist. Undead creatures within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws.

Extra Attack[edit]

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

Runeforging[edit]

Starting at 5th level, you gain the ability to Runeforge your Rune weapon. This requires access to your Order's Runeforge. It takes 1 hour to Runeforge a Rune weapon inscribing one Rune upon it. Runed Weapons are infused with magic and act as a magical weapon allowing you to fully damage spirits, elementals, or beings otherwise incorporeal.

Starting at 12th level, you can inscribe two Runes onto your Rune Weapon. This process takes 2 hours per Rune. and you can have no more than 2 Runes on a Rune weapon.

Only a death knight can safely wield a Rune Weapon inscribed with Runes. All others take 2d6 necrotic damage per round while wielding the weapon.

  • Rune of the Fallen Crusader: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight can expend a spell slot to heal themselves for 1d6 per spell slot level plus Charisma modifier. This heal can not bring back lost limbs.
  • Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight gains advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws while wielding the Rune Weapon (does not apply to death saving throws).
  • Rune of Cinderglacier: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight can: Channel Necrostrike once per long rest for free.
  • Rune of Lichbane: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight gains advantage on all attacks against undead creatures.
  • Rune of Spellbreaking: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight gains a benefit of +1 to all spell saves. This effect can't stack.
  • Rune of Swordbreaking: once inscribed onto a Rune Weapon the death knight gains a parry benefit adding +1 bonus to his armor class. This effect can't stack.
Creation of a Runeforge

In the absence of your order’s runeforge you can also create a runeforge yourself out of any pre-existing forge, by obtaining the following items.

  • any skull, from a medium or smaller creature
  • any skull, from a large or bigger creature
  • 4 pipes of any metal
  • core of a fire elemental
  • core of either an ice or water elemental
  • demonic ashes
  • 1 ruby for every eye socket on the skulls

To construct a runeforge you would place the large skull on the ground in front of the bottom of the forge, directly touching it, place the smaller skull on top facing in the same direction as the large one, affix the four metal pipes to connect the top skull to the corners (or cardinal directions, if round) of the forge, place a ruby inside each of the eye sockets, place the fire and ice/water cores inside the forge, sprinkle demonic ash inside, then launch a necroblast at it to imbue it with dark energy and light it up.

Temporary runeforging

In the absence of access to a runeforge you can attempt to force runes onto your weapon, but this comes at a cost. Make either a Constitution or Charisma save (player’s choice) with a DC18 to inscribe a rune onto your weapon. Every attempt you make at forcing runes does 1d8 psychic damage to you or your rune weapon, regardless of whether or not you succeed. This damage can not be resisted. Starting after your next long or short rest, as long as you keep a forced rune on your weapon your maximum hit points are reduced by the same amount of damage you took to inscribe it (only the amount lost on the successful attempt counts towards this reduction). This effect can not be removed through any means other than placing the rune weapon into a runeforge and properly imbuing it with runes.

Necrosteed[edit]

At 7th level, The death knight gains the ability to summon and banish a Necrosteed by expending a 2nd level or greater spell slot. Summoning it opens a portal within 5 feet from the death knight. The first time this ability is used a ritual must be performed (length one hour) involving the sacrifice of mount / creature, praying over its remains and burning not less than 200 gold pieces worth of incense. The creature will then take an exclusively ebony physical appearance and glow a sickly green and black aura but still maintain all its features of its original form. If killed, the creature is simply banished and its service can be regained by performing the same ritual minus the sacrifice and for half the time. If desired, the creature can be replaced by simply performing the same ritual with another creature. When the new Necrosteed is banished, the old Necrosteed’s remains are simply spewed out by the portal. Necrosteeds are considered Undead. You gain proficiency in riding your Necrosteed with this ability.

Bone Shield[edit]

Starting at 8th level, When you take slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing damage; as a bonus action, you may expend a 2nd level spell slot to create a layer of bone armor, granting you 20 temporary hit points. Duration 1 minutes or one battle whichever is shorter. Every spell slot level used to cast this increases the amount of temporary hit points by 5, to a maximum of 35.

Improved Runeforging[edit]

Starting at 12th level, you can inscribe two Runes onto you Rune Weapon. This process takes 2 hours per Rune. and you can have no more than 2 Runes on a Rune weapon.

Unholy Command[edit]

Starting at 14th level, You can expend a spell slot and speak a one-word command to a creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or follow the command on its next turn. Duration one round. The spell has no effect if it doesn’t understand your language or if your command is directly harmful to it.

Some typical commands and their effects follow. You might issue a command other than one described here. If you do so, the DM determines how the target behaves. If the target can’t follow your command, the spell ends.

  • Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you.
  • Drop. The target drops whatever it is holding and then ends its turn.
  • Flee. The target spends its turn moving away from you by the fastest available means.
  • Grovel. The target falls prone and then ends its turn.
  • Halt. The target doesn’t move and takes no actions. A flying creature stays aloft, provided that it is able to do so. If it must move to stay aloft, it flies the minimum distance needed to remain in the air.

When you use this ability by expending a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can affect one additional creature for each slot level above 1st. All of the creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.

Shadow Step[edit]

Starting at 16th level, as an action, you may expend a 3rd level spell slot or greater and teleport to a point you can see within (Charisma mod x 10) feet into or out of shadow, with an additional 10 feet for every spell slot level above 3rd.

Sanguine Strike[edit]

Starting at 18th level, you may expend a 2nd level or higher spell slot to form shadowy chains of necrotic energy in conjunction with an attack action. The next time you land a hit on a creature with a melee weapon attack before this spell ends, the chains wrap around the target and they are at disadvantage on any rolls made for the next minute.

Higher Level Casting
  • When a 3rd level spell slot is used to activate this ability you also deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the creature
  • When a 4th level spell slot is used to activate this ability you also deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage, and the creature is paralyzed.
  • When a 5th level spell slot is used to activate this ability you also deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage, the creature is paralyzed, and you heal yourself for an amount of hit points equal to the necrotic damage

Obliterate[edit]

Starting at 19th level, you may expend a 2nd level or higher spell slot to fill your weapon with Necrotic energy in conjunction with an attack action. For the next 1 minute any successful attack with your Rune Weapon will deal an additional 1d6 Necrotic damage, increasing by 1d6 for every spell slot level above 2nd used.

Order of The Blighted Blade[edit]

Death knights of the Blighted Blade use their knowledge of plagues to spread disease among the ranks of their foes. Countless cities have fallen to the contagions brought by a single Blighted Blade.

Blighted Profanities

As a member of the Order of the Blighted Blade you gain access to the following profanities.

  • Plague-filled: You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage to saving throws against poison
  • Plague-bringer: Your poison damage becomes unresistable
Plaguesense

At 6th level your knowledge of diseases lets you sense its presence on instinct alone. You can sense any poison or disease within 30 feet, and have advantage on attack rolls when fighting creatures that can poison you.

Cloak of Spores

At 10th level, as a reaction, when a creature hits you with a melee attack it has to make a Constitution save against being paralyzed for one minute from your plague-ridden body. Every round the creature is paralyzed it has to make another Constitution save to fight off the disease.

This ability can only be used twice per long rest.

Enhanced Toxicity

At 15th level, your mastery of poison has allowed you to produce it in greater quantities. Whenever you deal poison damage you deal an additional +3 poison damage.

Pestilent Embrace

At 20th level, you can, as an action, cause a wave of pestilence to radiate from you for 1 minute. Any non-friendly creature that starts their turn, enters, or is currently in a 30 foot radius of you has to make a Constitution saving throw against being poisoned for 1d8 of poison damage for three rounds, and any creature that is poisoned takes an extra 1d6 of damage from your strikes while this ability is active.

After activating this ability you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.


Order of the Ebony Blade[edit]

Death knights of the Ebony Blade use their knowledge of the dark arts to supplement their physical and mental capabilities, allowing them to perform superhuman feats. With their expertise of shadow manipulation, they are recognized among the most effective dealers of death. Hordes upon hordes will charge the death knight only to swing at a shadow and then fall to its blade, one by one.

Ebony Profanities

As a member of the Order of the Ebony Blade you gain access to the following profanities.

  • Terrorize. You gain advantage on all intimidation checks.
  • Soulflay. Nonfriendly creatures within 10 feet have a -2 modifier when they make Charisma saving throws.
Night's Watch

By 6th level, the Ebon Blade's training enhances your ability to fight without seeing. You gain blindsense 10ft, and no longer suffer disadvantage when making attack rolls against creatures hiding through either darkness or non-magical invisibility. This ability only affects organic or undead creatures, and has no effect against constructs or inanimate objects.

Dark Fortitude

Starting at 10th level, once per long rest, you gain the advantage on a saving throw of your choice. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

Embodiment of Shadows

Starting at 15th level, as a reaction to being hit with an attack you may turn your physical body into pure shadow. You take no damage and instead apply one of the following effects based on the type of attack: If it was a melee attack, re-appear behind the creature who attempted to attack you and automatically make an attack with advantage. If it was a ranged attack you may move up to 10 feet and reappear. You may only do this twice per long rest.

Nocturnal Embrace

At 20th level, you can, as an action, surround yourself with an aura of darkness that lasts for 1 minute. The aura reduces any bright light in a 30-foot radius around you to dim light. Whenever an enemy that is frightened by you starts its turn in the aura, it takes 4d10 psychic damage. Additionally, you and any creatures of your choosing in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures draped in this shadow. After activating the aura, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Death Knight Spell List[edit]

You know all of the spells on the basic Death Knight spell list and additional spells based on your subclass. Known spells still have to be chosen and prepared as usual.

Cantrips

grave touch, infestation, Necroblast, plague blast, raise ally, shadow hand.

1st-Level

Blessing of Bolvar, cause fear, compelled duel, Decaying Necrostrike, detect evil and good, detect magic, detect poison and disease, Pity of Acherus, purify food and drink, Shield of Bolvar, shield of darkness, Virulent Necrostrike.

2nd-Level

Asphyxiate, commune with death, death's march, Field of Fear, gentle repose, protection from poison, Shadow Blur, tormenting image.

3rd-Level

bestow curse, blinding necrostrike (deals necrotic damage instead of radiant), death's caress (deal necrotic damage instead of radiant), Decaying Ground, Enhanced Darkness, Pull of Acherus, remove curse, rune circle, Wraith Walk.

4th-Level

aura of life, aura of purity, blight, death ward, grasping shadows, soul release, staggering smite, strength of shadows, Virulent Plague.

5th-Level

banishing smite, contagion, dispel evil and good, Hallowed Ground, Mograine's Order, radiant death, Unholy Weapon (deals necrotic damage instead of radiant).

Cantrips[edit]

Necro Blast[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

A beam of Necrotic energy streaks toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4+2 necrotic damage.

At Higher Levels: The spell intensifies as you reach higher levels: 2d4+2 at 5th level, 3d4+2 necrotic damage at 11th level, and 4d4+2 at 17th level.

1st Level[edit]

Pity of Acherus[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to (1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier).

If used on an undead creature, they instead take 3d10 necrotic damage. This version of the spell requires a successful melee spell attack against the target.

This spell has no effect on constructs.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot above 1st. If used against an undead, the damage increases by 1d10 for every spell level above 1st.

Decaying Necrostrike[edit]

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your weapon flares with an unholy darkness, and the attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target and causes the target to slowly decay. At the start of each of its turns until the spell ends, the target must make a Constitution save. On a failed save, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial extra damage dealt by the attack increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Virulent Necrostrike[edit]

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute The first time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your weapon flares with a sickly green energy, and the attack deals to the target one of the following, as chosen by the player:

  • An extra 2d6 poison damage
  • An extra 1d6 poison and 1d6 necrotic damage.

Additionally, if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Constitution save, or else its AC is reduced by 1 and gains disadvantage on Strength checks and saves.

2nd Level[edit]

Field of Fear[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: 10 minutes

You create a magical zone that crackles with fearful energy in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range. Until the spell ends, an enemy creature that enters the spell’s energy for the first time on its turn, or starts its turn there, must make a Charisma save. On a failed save, the creature is frightened. If the creature is friendly, it instead gains advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Any creature that can see, hear, or sense magic is aware of the spell and can avoid the affected zone.

Asphyxiate[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Shadowy tendrils extend from your hand and wrap around your target, and they must succeed on a Dexterity save to avoid it. On a failed save, the tendrils wrap around them and you can choose whether to strangle or ensnare them. If you choose to strangle them, they take 1d6 force damage per turn. If you ensnare them they become grappled. The target must make a Constitution save to break free at the beginning of every one of their turns.

3rd Level[edit]

Enhanced Darkness[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

A 60-foot-radius of darkness spreads out from a point you choose within range. The sphere is pitch-black, and turns any light within an extra 60 feet into low-light.

If you choose a point on an object you are holding or one that isn’t being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the affected object with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.

If any of this spell’s area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 3rd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.

Decaying Ground[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 150 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You launch a blast of necrotic energy at a point within range you can see, causing the ground there to become decayed and infused with necrotic energy. All the ground within a 20 foot radius of the point becomes difficult terrain for the duration of the spell.

When a creature moves into or within the area it takes 1d4 necrotic damage and 1d4 poison damage for every 5 feet it travels.

Any creature that can’t see the area at the time of the casting must make a Perception check against your spell save DC to recognize it as hazardous.

Pull of Acherus[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Shadowy coils wrap around the targeted creature. The target must make either a Dexterity save to dodge, or a Charisma save to break the tendrils. On a failed save the target is pulled to any space within 5 feet of you or an alternate target within 30 feet of both you and the initial target.

At Higher Levels: When this spell is cast using a 4th level spell slot or higher you can pull one additional creature per slot level above 3rd

4th Level[edit]

Virulent Plague[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Choose one target within range. All non-friendly creatures within 10 feet of the target must make a Constitution save or else become infected with “Call of the Necromongers”

At the start of its turn, any creature infected with this “Call of the Necromongers” takes 2d6 poison damage. This disease can not be removed through normal means, and can only be cured by the death knight who inflicted it.

Any time a creature infected with “Call of the Necromongers” dies, all non-friendly creatures within 10 feet must make a Constitution save to resist getting infected and further spreading the plague.

At Higher Levels: When this spell is cast using a 5th level spell slot, the initial targets can not resist it through saving throws.

5th Level[edit]

Hallowed Ground[edit]

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

A sickeningly unholy green and black energy radiates from you, distorting and diffusing magical energy within 30 feet of you. Until the spell ends, the sphere moves with you, centered on you. For the duration, each friendly creature in the area (including you) has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Additionally, when an affected creature succeeds on a saving throw made against a spell or magical effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on a saving throw.

Multiclassing[edit]

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Death Knight class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13, Constitution 13.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Death Knight class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields, necromonger language.



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