Additional Death Knight Subclasses
For the Death Knight by KylenBlaise
If you are looking for the full class, you can find it here.
Rune Warden
Rune Wardens learn their arts deep within the Feywild. There they learn to empower not just their weapons, but their body. They tattoo runes and artistic ley lines upon themselves to attune their bodies to runic energy more thoroughly than the members of any other order.
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 Lore
At 1st level, your study of runes, and by extension other languages, gives you two additional language proficiencies.
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 only 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.
Improved Rune Scribe
By 15th level, you have learned to half 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 do so once per long rest.
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.
Restriction: Evil Alignment only
This subclass is designed to be a template for antagonists, similar to the Oathbreaker (DMG page 97). As such, it is imbalanced for player characters, and it will need tweaked for that purpose. Speak with your DM about this before making a character using this subclass.
Withering Touch
As a fallen paladin, you are unable to heal, instead your hands take life. You have a pool of necrotic energy that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can deal necrotic damage to a target creature's equal to your paladin level × 5.
As an action, you can make a melee weapon attack. On a hit you can deal, necrotic damage to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.
If you kill a creature with this feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to either half of the damage dealt (rounded down, minimum of 1) or half of the creature's maximum hit points (rounded down, minimum of 1), whichever is less.
Aura of Desolation
At 6th level, death oozes from your very being, drawing life from those around you. Creatures you choose that enter for the first time or start their turn within 10 feet of you, lose a number of hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Aura of Terror
At 10th level, your presence insights fear in your foes. Creatures you choose that enter or start their turn within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your death knight spell save, or they become frightened of you for 1 minute.
The creature can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns. Once a creature succeeds, it becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Schadenfreude
At 15th level, you learn to transfer the effects of spells from your self to another. As an action you can end one spell on yourself. You can then use a reaction to cause another creature within 30 feet to be affected by the spell instead.
The creature can make a Wisdom saving throw, or the effect is transferred to them. A creature can choose to not make the save and automatically receive the effects of the spell.
Greater Auras
At 18th level, instead of expanding the effects of your auras, you concentrate them into the same area for greater effect:
- Greater Aura of Desolation. The amount of hit points lost is now equal to twice your Charisma modifier.
- Greater Aura of Terror. Your aura is so suffocating that it causes even the most stalwart beings to feel fear. Creatures that are immune to the frightened condition can be frightened by your aura, but they make the saving throw with advantage. Creatures not immune to being frightened have disadvantage on the initial saving throw; if they are frightened, the subsequent saves are made without disadvantage.
List of Subclass Specific Runes
Rune of the Inquisitor
Prerequisite: Order of Rune Wardens; 9th level
This rune allows you to gain insights into what you see. As an action, you can cast Identify. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma Modifier.
Rune of Lingering Protection
Prerequisite: Order of Fallen Paladins
While this rune is active, you have immunity to disease, the frightened condition, and you have advantage against charm effects.
Rune of Necrosis
Prerequisite: Order of Rune Wardens; 13th level
This rune imbues your weapon with more necrotic energy. You gain 1 additional use of your Necrostrike feature per long rest.
Rune of Necrotic Smite
Prerequisite: Order of Fallen Paladins
When you hit with a melee weapon attack using a rune weapon, you can expend one spell slot to channel necrotic energy into your rune weapon and deal additional necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8.
Rune of the Retained Divine
Prerequisite: Order of Fallen Paladins
You can learn additional spells from the paladin spell list. The number of spells you can learn are equal to to a third of your death knight level (rounded down). These spells do not count against your total spells known.
Rune of the True Warden
Prerequisite: Order of Rune Wardens
This rune activates the leylines in your body to create a matrix of defensive energies around you. While you are not wearing any armor, your armor class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.