Class Features

As a blackguard, you gain the following class features.

Unholy Vigor

1st-level blackguard feature

You can use your dark power to invigorate yourself. As a bonus action, you can grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your blackguard level. These temporary hit points disappear after 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Fighting Style

2nd-level blackguard feature

You adopt a 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.

Spellcasting

2nd-level blackguard feature

You have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells as a cleric does.

Dread Smite

2nd-level blackguard feature

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal 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. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a celestial, to a maximum of 6d8.

Additionally, when you select a Vice at 3rd level, you gain the ability to change the damage type of your Dread Smite whenever you use it. The damage type you can change it to is dependent on your choice of Vice, as listed in the table below.

Inured to Decay

3rd-level blackguard feature

By 3rd level, the negative energy flowing through you makes you immune to disease.

Blackguard Vice

3rd-level blackguard feature

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the vice that binds you as a blackguard forever. Up to this time you have been tempted by your dark emotions, standing along the boundary between light and darkness. Now you choose from one of the Vices detailed at the end of the class description.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include vice spells and the Channel Divinity feature.

Ability Score Improvement

4th-level and higher blackguard feature

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.

Extra Attack

5th-level blackguard feature

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Dark Blessing

6th-level blackguard feature

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

Aura of Hate

10th-level blackguard feature

You and any allied fiends and undead within 10 feet of you gain a bonus to melee weapon damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Improved Dread Smite

11th-level blackguard feature

By 11th level, your heart is so suffused with shadow essence that all your melee weapon strikes carry dread power with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage. The damage type of this effect can be necrotic damage, or it can be the damage type associated with your Vice.

Vile Touch

14th-level blackguard feature

You can use your action to make a melee spell attack against a hostile creature within your reach. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on all saving throws until the start of your next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Blackguard Vices

Each blackguard selects one vice to embrace above all others, but only evil blackguards embrace all vices as a way of life. Five vices are included in this document: despair, domination, fury, pride, and treachery.

Vice Spells

3rd-level Vice of Despair feature

You gain vice spells at the blackguard levels listed.

Channel Divinity

3rd-level Vice of Despair feature

You gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Control Undead. As an action, you target one undead creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target must obey your commands for the next 24 hours, or until you use this Channel Divinity option again. An undead whose challenge rating is equal to or greater than your blackguard level is immune to this effect.

Disrupt Life. As an action, you channel negative energy and focus it into a burst of life-destroying power. Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of you of your choice must make a Constitution saving throw, taking necrotic damage equal to 2d10 + your blackguard level on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Aura of Despair

7th-level Vice of Despair feature

You emanate an aura of hopelessness and sorrow. Hostile, non-undead creatures within 10 feet of you suffer a penalty on attack rolls and ability checks equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up, minimum of a -1 penalty), provided that you aren't incapacitated.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Unliving Fortitude

15-level Vice of Despair feature

You gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage. You also have advantage on saving throws against effects that inflict exhaustion or the poisoned condition.

Dread Lord

20th-level Vice of Despair feature

You can use your action surround yourself with an aura of gloom 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 allied creatures in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures draped in this shadow.

While the aura lasts, you can use a bonus action on your turn to cause the shadows in the aura to attack one creature. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes necrotic damage equal to 3d10 + your Charisma modifier.

After activating the aura, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Vice of Domination

Blackguards of domination demand submission from their enemies. They impose order by force whenever necessary, crushing resistance and making others do their bidding. Surrender on the blackguard’s terms is the only hope for any foe. Those who fail to capitulate can expect to be crushed and displayed as bloody examples of what it means to oppose the blackguard's resolve. In the hands of evil, dominance becomes tyranny.

Most blackguards of this vice are former paladins of the Oath of Conquest. Not all evil paladins of this oath become blackguards, however. Rather, a conquest paladin becomes a blackguard when the desire to harm others begins to outweigh their quest to establish order. Enjoying the use of violent force to subjugate foes, as well as taking delight in the suffering of others, is a distinct sign that a conquest paladin has fallen down the path of darkness.

Despite this connection to the Oath of Conquest, blackguards of this vice needn't serve the forces of law. For example, a chaos-based blackguard that serves a demon lord might use this vice's power to dominate others as a display of their master's supremacy. With this in mind, non-lawful blackguards of domination are few and far in between, typically because some other vice fits their personality more.

Vice of Fury

The Vice of Fury is for blackguards who particularly enjoy violence, murder, and the obliteration of their enemies. Many of these blackguard of fury channels raw anger into the violence required for victory. In battle, blackguards of fury are wild killers, impulsive, bloodthirsty, and destructive. They answer every offense or injury with overwhelming retaliation, and their enemies receive little mercy. Allies can expect a blackguard of fury to rush to the forefront of any armed conflict and to bring foes to ruin as quickly as possible. Evil blackguards of fury allow the vice to rule them entirely, not just on the battlefield.

Reprint: Oath of Vengeance Paladin

Blackguards of the Vice of Fury gain the same features as paladins of the Oath of Vengeance. However, they needn't follow any tenets associated with that paladin oath.

A former vengeance paladin may wish to continue upholding their oath, as it may align with their views as a blackguard. However, a blackguard of fury does not derive power from such an oath. Rather, they draw their strength from their anger, bloodlust, and destructive impulses, rather than their commitment to the ideals of justice or order. Thus, rather than punishing evildoers for their sins, a blackguard of fury may focus their destructive ire against anything—and anyone—that stands in the way of their goals.

Vice of Pride

The Vice of Pride is for blackguards who are overtaken by conceit and narcissism. Some of these "false paladins" knowingly use this guise to achieve evil ends. Others are paladins that are so deluded in their self-importance that they still believe themselves to be on the path of righteousness, even going as far as to only use radiant smites and other abilities that they perceive as being holy in nature. Either way, most blackguards of this vice use their silvered words and demonstrations of power to influence others to their benefit, some even going as far as to attract a cult of followers in order to be worshiped as a god.

Vice of Treachery

The Vice of Treachery for blackguards who care only for their own power and survival, and are faithful only to themselves. Anyone desperate enough to follow one of these blackguards does so because, while deceitful, these blackguards command great power. Those who follow them without falling prey to their treachery hope to indulge in wanton violence and accumulate great treasure. Many of these blackguards pay homage to demon lords, especially Grazz't and Orcus. Even the Lords of Hell are loath to ally with these champions of chaos, but sometimes Baalzebul and Glasya find a kindred spirit in a blackguard's penchant for double dealing and treachery.

Vice Spells

3rd-level Vice of Treachery feature

You gain vice spells at the blackguard levels listed.

Channel Divinity

3rd-level Vice of Treachery feature

You gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Cloak of Shadows. You can use your Channel Divinity to vanish from sight. As an action, you become invisible until the end of your next turn. You become visible if you attack or cast a spell.

Poison Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity to make a weapon deadlier. As a bonus action, you touch one weapon or piece of ammunition and conjure a special poison on it. The poison lasts for 1 minute. The next time you hit a target with an attack using that weapon or ammunition, the target takes poison damage immediately after the attack. The poison damage equals 2d10 + your blackguard level, or 20 + your blackguard level if you had advantage on the attack roll.

Aura of Treachery

7th-level Vice of Treachery feature

You emanate an aura of discord, which gives you the following benefits.

Cull the Herd. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has one or more of its allies within 5 feet of it.

Treacherous Strike. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to reroll that attack against a creature of your choice that is also within 5 feet of the attacker. The ability fails and is wasted if the attacker is immune to being charmed. You can use this ability three times, and you regain expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.

Betrayer's Escape

15th-level Vice of Treachery feature

You gain the ability to slip away from your foes. Immediately after you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to a spot you can see. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Icon of Deceit

20th-level Vice of Treachery feature

You gain the ability to emanate feelings of treachery. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of deceit, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You are invisible.
• If a creature damages you on its turn, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, you control the creature's movement and action on its next turn, provided that you aren't incapacitated on that turn. A creature automatically succeeds on the save if the creature is immune to being charmed.
• If you have advantage on an attack roll, you gain a bonus to its damage roll equal to your paladin level.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Spell List

A blackguard has access to the following spells. A spell with an asterisk (*) next to its name can be found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and a spell with two asterisks (**) can be found in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.