View source for Death Knight (3.5e Prestige Class)

<noinclude>{{author
|author_name=Frank and K
|date_created=2006
|status=Complete
|balance=Very High
|isnotuser=true
}}
<div class="blank">
{{#set:Summary=Combining undeath with the dark blessings of fiends, the Death Knight wields powers of both flame and death, able to raise undead servants and armies on his own through his spell-like abilities.
|Length=5
|Minimum Level=6
|Base Attack Bonus Progression=Good
|Fortitude Save Progression=Poor
|Reflex Save Progression=Poor
|Will Save Progression=Good
|Class Ability=Other
|Class Ability Progression=Other
}}
{{#set:Allowed Alignments=Lawful Good}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Lawful Neutral}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Lawful Evil}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Neutral Good}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Neutral}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Neutral Evil}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Chaotic Good}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Chaotic Neutral}} {{#set:Allowed Alignments=Chaotic Evil}}
</div>

==Death Knight==</noinclude><includeonly>===Death Knight===</includeonly>
{{quote|There is no horror you have known that can prepare you for what I am about to reveal.|}}

Those who take up the black sword of the Death Knights in the name of powerful evil gods are not all undead. They aren't even all evil, since sometimes evil gods simply curse warriors in order to screw with them. But a lot of them are evil and undead, and that gives the Death Knight his classic image.

<noinclude>===Becoming a Death Knight===

Some warriors do indeed pursue the path of the Death Knight, seeking the power that comes with undeath. Others are not so lucky; should a goodly warrior draw the ire of an evil god, the god may indeed curse him with undeath. The unwilling Death Knight will then have to deal with their own unholy powers, which by their own existance may make the warrior lose standing with the goodly people he serves.

</noinclude>{| class="dragon monstats" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|+ style="font-size: larger; white-space: nowrap;" | Entry Requirements

|-
! Base Attack Bonus:
| +6
|-
! Skills:
| Knowledge (Religion) 4
|-
! Special:
| Must have proficiency with all martial weapons
|-
! Special:
| Must have had nonviolent contact with a fiend
|} 

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ <div>{{Anchor|Table: The Death Knight}}</div>
<p>Hit Die: d12</p>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Level
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Special
|-
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]]
|- 
| 1st || +1 || +0 || +0 || +2
| class="left" | [[#Sword of Death|Sword of Death]], [[#Life and Death|Life and Death]]
|- 
| 2nd || +2 || +0 || +0 || +3
| class="left" | [[#Army of the Dead|Army of the Dead]]
|- 
| 3rd || +3 || +1 || +1 || +3
| class="left" | [[#Spheres|Sphere: Bone]]
|- 
| 4th || +4 || +1 || +1 || +4
| class="left" | [[#Bonus Feat|Bonus Feat]]
|- 
| 5th || +5 || +1 || +1 || +4
| class="left" | [[#Spheres|Sphere: Fire]] 
|}
'''Class Skills ([[Skill Points::4]] + [[Int]] modifier per level)'''<br/>
{{3.5e Skills|Climb,
Concentration,
Craft,
Intimidate,
Jump,
Knowledge (all skills taken individually),
Listen,
Move Silently,
Spot,
Swim}}

<noinclude>====Class Features====</noinclude><includeonly>=====Class Features=====</includeonly>

All of the following are class features of the Death Knight.

'''Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:''' The Death Knight gains no new proficiency with armor or weapons.

'''{{Anchor|Life and Death}}:''' A Death Knight can transform himself into a [[Vampire, Tome (3.5e Template)|Vampire]], [[Ghoul, Tome (3.5e Template)|Ghoul]], [[Revenant (3.5e Template)|Revenant]], or [[Swordwraith (3.5e Template)|Swordwraith]] if he chooses either upon becoming a Death Knight or at some later date. Rules for being these undead creatures are found in the [[Tome of Necromancy (3.5e Sourcebook)|Tome of Necromancy]]. In addition, a Death Knight may qualify for and use [[Tome of Necromancy (3.5e Sourcebook)/Necromancers with Style#Feats|Necromantic Feats]] using his Base Attack Bonus instead of a caster level.

'''{{Anchor|Sword of Death}} ([[Su]]):''' A Death Knight can transform his blade into a black instrument of destruction. His melee attacks inflict 2d6 of Unholy damage against living creatures.

'''{{Anchor|Army of the Dead}} ([[Su]]):'''A 2nd level Death Knight may raise undead as per ''[[SRD:Animate Dead|animate dead]]'' or ''[[SRD:Create Undead|create undead]]'' with a caster level equal to his hit dice.

'''{{Anchor|Spheres}}:''' At 3rd level, a Death Knight gains the [[Bone (3.5e Sphere)|Sphere of Bone]]. At 5th level, he gains the [[Fire (3.5e Sphere)|Sphere of Fire]].

'''{{Anchor|Bonus Feat}}:''' At 4th level, the Death Knight gains a [[Tome Combat Feats|[Combat]]] or [[Tome Fiend Feats|[Fiend]]] feat he meets the prerequisites for.

<noinclude>===Campaign Information===

A Death Knight naturally makes a good antagonist for an adventure or even a campaign. But, unusually, one can also make a great tortured hero in the event of being an unwilling Death Knight. The DM might even ignore the Skill requirement and work with the player for this.

====Playing a Death Knight====


'''Combat:''' A Death Knight can expect to be in melee, but his spell-like abilities gained from their Spheres add some versatility to his options. If one has the stomach for it, he can animate corpses and build himself a useful group of undead minions to have in combat. The Sphere of Fire also gives him the ability to, in a word, burninate, often with extreme prejudice. However, all of the spell-like abilities granted by their spheres are only useable once a day (unless the Death Knight takes a Fiend class and picks up the Spheres again).

'''Advancement:''' A Death Knight would do well to maintain their Good BAB progression. Since they now qualify to take Necromantic Feats, it would be useful for one to do so (because those minions sure are handy). They may also branch into a Fiendish class of some sort to also gain more Fiend abilities--particularly Spheres.
Non-evil Death Knights will probably go into a martial class, possibly the same one they were before they became a Death Knight.

====Death Knights in the World====

{{quote|I am a reasoning undead. That is to say, my mind is a roiling mass of black envy and shrieking hatred. I would dearly love to be able to claim that violent, tearing carnage does not come naturally to me. Instead, I'm finding it hard to stop myself from dismembering your mortal coil and glorying in spilling the blood-warmth I will never again know as I send you screaming for mercy into the uncaring void. Don't make it harder.|}}

~Gaeran Losenger (also known as Lord Loss) undead human Death Knight.

Whether they are the ruthless generals of undead armies or afflicted heroes who strive to have the curse broken, Death Knights are, first and foremost, individuals. Death Knights as a whole have no formal organization, but it's possible for some to work together--particularly those who have military ambitions. Of course, the evil army-building Death Knights are the ones who get remembered, and the popular perception of a Death Knight is an evil warlord leading his undead hordes across the land.



'''NPC Reactions:''' Most people fear the undead. They fear those who can command them even moreso. That being said, it all comes down to the Death Knight himself. It is very possible for one to earn respect and tolerance if he's didn't seek his position and continually shows that he is, well, not a bad guy.

====Death Knight Lore====


Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can research Death Knights to learn more about them.  When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

{| class="zebra d20"
|+ Knowledge (Religion)
! DC || class="left" | Result
|- 
| 11 || class="left" | Death Knights are warriors with powers over death. They can raise corpses and are naturally suited to lead groups of undead.
|- 
| 16 || class="left" | Death knights gain more magic as they get stronger. Their powers seem to be over undeath and fire.
|- 
| 21 || class="left" | Not all Death Knights are evil. Some are actually noble people who have run afoul of evil deities.
|}


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{{3.5e Races of War Breadcrumb}} &rarr; [[Races of War (3.5e Sourcebook)/Warriors with Class|Warriors with Class]]<br/>
{{3.5e Prestige Classes Breadcrumb}}
[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
[[Category:Tome]]
[[Category:Class]]
[[Category:Prestige Class]]
</noinclude>

{{Navboxes}}
Allowed Alignments	Lawful Good +, Lawful Neutral +, Lawful Evil +, Neutral Good +, Neutral +, Neutral Evil +, Chaotic Good +, Chaotic Neutral + and Chaotic Evil +
Article Balance	Very High +
Base Attack Bonus Progression	Good +
Class Ability	Other +
Class Ability Progression	Other +
Fortitude Save Progression	Poor +
Identifier	3.5e Prestige Class +
Length	5 +
Minimum Level	6 +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Reflex Save Progression	Poor +
Skill	Climb +, Concentration +, Craft +, Intimidate +, Jump +, Knowledge +, Listen +, Move Silently +, Spot + and Swim +
Skill Points	4 +
Summary	Combining undeath with the dark blessings of fiends, the Death Knight wields powers of both flame and death, able to raise undead servants and armies on his own through his spell-like abilities. +
Title	Death Knight +
Will Save Progression	Good +