Returned from Death

The experience of being brought back to life is often a difficult one. Some suffered in their final moments, and the thought of reliving it can break some, resulting in an insane weapon for their patron to wield. Others have been returned from another era, and they must learn of the world that has passed them by as they lay in the ground. Whatever the cause of their death, one thing remains certain: a death knight is changed from their first life.

Warriors of their Patron

Death knights are created when an entity needs an enforcer. Whether they bargained for it or were forced into it, death knights serve as the hand of their patron. When there is a threat, they strike out. When there is an insult, a blade of necrotic magics corrects the slight.

Death knights are rare and meeting another is rarer still, but often, when two meet, it is with weapons drawn and spells ready. This is due to the wide range of patrons who create death knights. Oftentimes, the purpose of one is counter to the other, so it is rare for both parties to walk away unscathed from even a casual meeting.

Disciplined and Patient

As ones who have experienced death and usher others into its embrace, death knights learn that being at peace with one’s lot is important. The purest expression of this attribute is their rune-scribing. The focus and time needed to properly write a single rune is both soothing and demanding. The trance they enter to attune their focus and imbue their inks with the energy needed to inscribe a rune of power brings a tranquility that lets them cope with their nearness to death.

Creating a Death Knight

As you design a death knight, contemplate how they became a servant of their patron. Was it a mutual agreement? Was it for revenge? Or was it a deception? Consider how they act on their patron’s behalf. Do they act as a proper knight, or are they a scoundrel, doing as they wish until their next objective?

Rivals Table

Hit Points

• 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

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, 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.

Pact Magic

By 2nd level, your patron's hand in returning you to life grants you pact magic and allows you to cast death knight spells.

Bound Mount

When you become a cavalier, as
a 1 hour ritual, you can summon a mount.
While you ride your mount, you can take the
dash action as a bonus action. If you are not
riding your mount in combat, it moves on your
turn, and you can spend a bonus action to
command it to take an action.

Your mount has the statistics of a riding horse or another CR 1/4 creature that can be ridden (at your DM's discretion), though it is a celestial, fey, or undead (your choice) instead
of its normal type, and if your mount has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence becomes 6, and it gains the ability to understand any language that you speak; you can also communicate with it telepathically as long as it is on the same plane of existence as you.

Your mount also uses your proficiency bonus instead of its own, and it has a bonus to its Hit Points equal to twice your death knight level. Additionally, while on your mount, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target your mount.

At 5th level you can alter its form and statistics to that of a war horse or another creature of CR 1/2 or less that can be ridden. The limit increases to CR 1 at 9th level and CR 2 at 13th level.

Knightly Demeanor

At 1st level, your training as a cavalier imparts a refined air to your countenance.

You can give yourself advantage on Charisma (intimidation) checks a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest. You regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Skilled Rider

At 6th level, you become a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and are not incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

• While mounted, you have immunity to the surprised condition.
• You gain proficiency with Animal Handling, or if you are already proficient, you can choose a skill from the death knight skill list and gain proficiency with it.
• You have advantage on checks to stay mounted against non-magical and magical effects.

Evoke Fear

Your training as a destroyer has imparted the ability to cause even the most stalwart to cower before you. You can give yourself advantage on Charisma (intimidation) checks a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest and regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Close the Gap

At 1st level, when you take the attack action, you gain an additional 5 feet of movement. You can use this movement before or after making your first attack.

The additional movement increases to 10 feet
at 6th level and 15 feet at 15th level.

Savage Techniques

At 6th level, when you hit with a melee weapon
attack using your Strength modifier, you can
attempt to brutalize an opponent and beat them
down with power and fear. You can use savage
techniques a number of times equal to your
Charisma modifier per long rest.

• Batter. The target creature must make a
  Strength saving throw against your Spell
  Save DC or be knocked prone.

• Battle Cry. You let loose a primal scream and strike fear into your opponent. The target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, they become frightened of you until the end of its next turn.
• Break the Gate. The target creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, the target creature has -2 penalty to its AC until the end of its next turn. Break the Gate does not stack.

Imbued Physique

At 10th level, your training grants you enhanced physical capabilities and a more sinister aspect. When you make a Strength (athletics) or Charisma (intimidation) check, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Improved Savage Techniques

By 15th level, you have learned to perform superior versions of your Savage Techniques.

• War Cry. Creatures targeted by Battle Cry make the Wisdom saving throw at disadvantage.
• Shatter the Gate. Break the Gate now causes them to also have a -2 penalty to all saving throws until the end of their next turn.
• Overwhelm. When the target of Batter is one size larger than you or smaller, they are knocked prone and cannot make a save against it.

Channeled Power

At 18th level, you learn to temporarily enhance your muscles with magic. As a bonus action, you can increase your Strength score by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier for 1 minute. This enhancement can take your strength above 20, but it cannot exceed 30. If your Strength score is set by a Magic Item, this feature does not increase the set amount, instead increasing your natural Strength score, and you use whichever is higher.

While your channeled power is active, you can use your Savage Technique feature once per turn without expending a use.

You can use this feature once per long rest.

Order of Ebon Blades

The second sister order, the ebon blades have the entrance to their headquarters in the first layer of the plane Acheron, Avalas. Through a rift accessible only to death knights and their patrons, lies the Adamant Bastion where ebon blades undergo their transformation from a mere swordsman to a swordmaster whose skill is unrivaled.

Keeper of Secrets

At 1st level, as a result of your training, hiding the truth has become second nature. You can give yourself advantage on Charisma (deception) checks a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest. You regain all uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Expanded Spell list

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Magi Spells table. The spell counts as a death knight spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of death knight spells you know.

Mage Adept

When you choose this order at 1st level, you can learn cantrips from the Magi Spell list. At 1st level, you choose two cantrips. At 10th level you can learn one additional cantrip.

Additionally, you can cast the spell find familiar as a ritual, but you can only use it to create a crawling claw. This spell does not count toward your spells known.

Initiate Necromancer

At 6th level, once per long rest, you can cast the spell Animate Dead at 3rd level without expending a spell slot. At 10th level, you cast it as a 4th level spell, and at 15th level, it is cast at 5th level.

Additionally, undead you control use your proficiency bonus for attack rolls and add it to their AC.

Forbidden Lore

At 10th level, you have unlocked many secrets of the multiverse. When you make an Intelligence (arcana) check or an Intelligence (religion) check, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Adept Necromancer

At 15th level, undead you create gain the following benefits:

• Your undead minions are created with temporary hit points equal to your death knight level
• Your undead minions weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
• Your undead minions weapon attacks deal additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Master Necromancer

At 18th level, once per long rest, you can cast Create Undead at 6th level without expending a spell slot.

Rune Forged

As a rune warden, you have undergone a ritualistic tattooing that has permanently altered your body, and you can choose one rune from the list of runes to be tattooed upon your back. This rune does not count against your number of inscribed runes, but it can only be changed when you gain a level in the death knight class.

Rune Giver

At 6th level, you learn to temporarily grant an ally a rune. During a long rest, you can spend 2 hours to rune scribe an ally's weapon. Choose a rune from the death knight rune
list that does not have a level or subclass prerequisite to scribe onto an ally's weapon. If the rune normally has
more than one use, it only has one use when
inscribed this way, and it only lasts until the end of
the next long rest.

You can use this feature once per long rest.

Improved Rune Weapon

By 10th level, you can use a bonus action to will
your rune weapons to give off bright light for 20 feet
and dim light for another 20 feet. Objects and
creatures within the bright light are seen as if under
the effects of detect magic. You can dismiss the light
at will. If your rune weapon leaves your hand,
it will cease to give off the light.

Rune Lore

At 10th level, your study of runes has resulted in an
expanded knowledge of ancient civilizations.
When you make an Intelligence (history) check,
your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Improved Rune Scribe

By 15th level, your hours of practice and dedication to the
art has resulted in your ability to inscribe runes more efficiently. You have learned to halve the time it takes
to rune scribe, including the time it takes for your rune giver feature.

Greater Rune Giver

At 15th level, when you use your rune giver feature, you
can give up to two runes to one ally or one rune to
two allies.

Runic Recharge

At 18th level, you can use an action to recharge a single use
of a rune that you have expended.

You can use this feature once per long rest.

Rune Sniper

As a Reaper, you have learned to use your rune weapon feature on ranged weapons, and you also add the archery and thrown weapon fighting styles to the list of death knight fighting styles.

Additionally, when you reach 2nd level, you can use your Necrotic Strike feature with a ranged or thrown rune weapon.

Rune of the Arcanist

Prerequisite: Order of Magi

You can add your Charisma modifier to the damage you deal with any magi cantrip, and you can learn one additional magi cantrip.

Rune of Arctic Strikes

When you use your Necrotic Strike feature, you can cause it to deal Cold damage. When you do so, the target creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target's movement speed is halved until the end of your next turn.

Rune of Athleticism

As a bonus action, you can cast Jump or Longstrider on yourself without expending a spell slot.

You can use this rune a number of times per long rest equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

Rune of the Clouds

This rune allows you to draw a shrouding mist around yourself. As an action, you create a 10ft radius circle of fog centered on yourself that follows you. The area around you is treated as heavily obscured, but you can see through it. The fog lasts for 1 minute, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action.

You can use this feature once per short or long rest.

Rune of the Crusader

You can use the necrotic energy of your runes to heal yourself. When you hit with a rune weapon and use your necrotic strike feature, you can roll a number of hit dice equal to your Charisma modifier and heal for the total rolled.

Hit dice used by this rune are expended, and you do not add your Constitution modifier to the amount healed.

You can only use this rune once per short or long rest.

Rune of Culling

Prerequisite: Order of Reapers; 9th level

When you use your lethal critical and improved lethal critical features, you can add an additional d10 to the damage

Rune of the Death Ward

Prerequisite: 13th level

When you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you instead drop to 1 hit point.

This rune can only be activated once per long rest.

Rune of Defense

Prerequisite: 13th level

Whenever you must make a saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1).

Rune of the Endless Harvest

Prerequisite: Order of Reapers

When you use this on a rune weapon with the thrown property, it causes the weapon to return to your hand after each attack. If a feature grants you more than one attack, you can use the same weapon to make all your attacks in the same turn.

When used on a rune weapon with the ranged property, you gain an unending supply of non-magical ammunition.

Rune of the Frozen Grasp

Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can reduce that creature's speed by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.

Rune of the Gargoyle

Prerequisite: Order of Destroyers

When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total.

You can use this rune once per short or long rest.

Rune of Hellfire

Prerequisite: 17th level

This rune allows you to hurl a magical ball of fire fueled with energies derived from your rune weapon.

As an action, you choose a point you can see within 120 feet. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 6d6 fire damage and 6d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

You can use this rune once per long rest

Shadow Wyrm Mount

Large dragon, unaligned

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• Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 58 (5d10 + 15)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

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• Damage Immunities Necrotic
• Senses Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
• Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6
• Skills Perception +7, Stealth +8
• Languages Can understand any language spoken by its master
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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One with Shadow. When in dim light or darkness, this creature has advantage on stealth checks Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the dragon can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. The dragon makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage and 2 (1d4) necrotic damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d6 + 4)

Shadow Breath (1/long rest). The dragon exhales shadowy fire in a 20-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Custom Spells

Crypt Fangs

5th-level conjuration

• Casting time: 1 Action
• Range: self (40 foot radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You reach down and place your palm against the ground, causing spires of shadow to pierce the ground. Creatures you choose within 40 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or they take 4d10 necrotic damage and become frightened until the end of your next turn. On a successful save they only take half damage, and they are not frightened.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 5th.

Grave Hammer

Evocation Cantrip

• Level:: Cantrip
• Casting time: 1 Action
• Range: 5 feet
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: Instantaneous

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee weapon attack against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and they cannot use their reaction until the end of your current turn.

At higher levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals extra necrotic damage equal to 1d8. The damage increases by 1d8 at 11th level (2d8) and 17th level (3d8).

Hoarfrost Chains

4th-level conjuration

• Casting time: 1 Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (four iron chain links)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You conjure a writhing mass of chains made of ice. When you cast this spell, you can direct the chains to wrap around any number of creatures within 30 feet of you that you can see. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or you and the targeted are unable to move further than 30 feet from you. A creature bound in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. Additionally, creatures chained in this way make Dexterity saving throws at disadvantage.

If your movement would cause a creature to be further than 30 feet from you, you can either release them (no action required), or you can move at a cost of an additional 1 foot of movement per creature per 1 foot moved. Creatures you leave chained while you move in this way causes them to move with you. You may also use a bonus action on your turn to attempt to chain an additional creature that is within 30 feet.

Life Ward

1st-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 Reaction
• Range: Self
• Components: V,S,M (a miniature shield pendant)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You can protect a creature within 30 feet or yourself from harm. When you or an allied creature would take damage from any source that can be reduced, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d8.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage reduction increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Necrotic Flare

Evocation cantrip

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You launch a sphere of sickly green-black fire at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 necrotic damage. A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn’t being worn or carried.

At higher levels. This spell’s fire and necrotic damage each increase by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4 and 2d4), 11th level (3d4 and 3d4), and 17th level (4d4 and 4d4).

Virulent Sickness

3rd-level necromancy

• Casting time: 1 Action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute

After a rapid incantation, you cause a sickness to infect a target creature. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or they are affected by one of the diseases you choose from the list below. If a creature is immune to disease, they automatically succeed.

• Rot: the affected creature cannot gain temporary hit points and only heals for half of the amount (rounded down).
• Agony: the affected creature takes 1d6 psychic damage at the beginning of each turn for the spell's duration.
• Leg Palsy: the affected creature's movement speed is halved, and they cannot take the dash or disengage action.
• Erratic Nerves: the affected creature must roll a d6 before each weapon or spell attack roll. On a 1 or 2, they take 2d6 lightning and the attack roll is made with disadvantage.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher, the number of targets you can affect increases. For each spell slot higher than 3rd level, you can target one additional creature in range.

Order of Fallen Paladins

The order of the fallen paladins is unique among the knightly orders. It is the only one whose members have no patron, and it cannot be chosen, rather one dies into it. Oath Breakers that have committed atrocities of the highest order resurrect as one of these. Only upon finding atonement and redemption can they find rest.

Order of Fallen Paladins Runes

The Ascended Knight

Not all death knights are created by a patron. Like liches, not all those who obtain their power, require another to grant them the power or knowledge to do so.

Instead, the Ascended gain knowledge as a result of study and devotion to their singular desire to become a Death Knight, unbound by the restrictions of a patron. Those who wish to follow the path of an Ascended should take the following Variant Features:

Artwork (in order of appearance)

• Single Combat MtG Art by Livia Prima
• Sorin, Solemn Visitor MtG Art by Cynthia Sheppard
• Ghostly Touch MtG Art by Jason Felix
• Rune Circle by FadedShadow589
• Midnight Reaper MtG Art by Sidharth Chaturvedi
• Garruk, Apex Predator MtG Art by Tyler Jacobson
• Nahiri, the Harbinger MtG Art by Aleksi Briclot
• Liliana, Dreadhorde General MtG Art by Chris Rallis
• Jace, the Living Guildpact MtG Art by Chase Stone
• Kaya, Bane of the Dead MtG Art by Magali Villeneuve