In wilds beyond they speak your name with reverence and regret,
For none could tame our savage souls yet you the challenge met,
Under palest watch, you taught, we changed, base instincts were redeemed,
A world you gave to bug and beast as they had never dreamed.
Traditionally, pale knights do not speak and show no emotion. However, in the context of roleplaying games, feel free to break this precedent.
It's also important to consider what combination of charms you will be using. They are similar to Eldritch Invocations but can be equipped & unequipped each short or long rest.
It is generally best to have both a high Dexterity and a high Wisdom score, but you can lean more into one or the other via your choice of charms and ASI/feats.
Additionally, bear in mind that your main class resource, Soul, is not recovered by resting, but rather by striking enemies. You will have to engage in melee combat in order to use your powerful ranged attacks.
Soul save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Soul attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
The Pale Knight class is designed to work within the context of the 5th edition races. At your DM's discretion, you can alternatively use the following racial stats:
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity Score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Little is known about how arthropod vessels age. They are assumed to have lifespans similar to a human's.
Alignment. These vessels were created for a very specific purpose. In general, they adhere to lawful alignments.
Size. Arthropod vessels find themselves to be shorter than most creatures they meet. Your size is Small.
Speed. You have a walking speed of 25 feet.
Natural Armor. You are equipped with a protective exoskeleton. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Arthropod Leaps. Whenever you make a long or high jump, you can roll a d8 and add the number rolled to the number of feet you cover, even when making a standing jump. This extra distance costs movement as normal.
Hollow Body. You don't require food, water, or sleep, although you still require rest to reduce exhaustion and still benefit from finishing short and long rests. You are immune to disease.
Born of Void. Whenever you are reduced to zero hit points, you summon a shadowy doppelganger known as a Shade, as if you had cast simulacrum. The Shade is permanently under the effects of the slow spell and can fly (hover) at its reduced walking speed, and it has illusory copies of all your equipment. It acts immediately after each of your turns, attacking whichever creature within 30 feet of your body is closest to your body (choosing randomly at a tie, and choosing you if you are conscious), and it will continue to exist until it drops to zero hit points, even if you die. The Shade will not attack constructs or creatures that do not age.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Undercommon, and Abyssal. \columnbreak ## Feat: Steel Soul *Prerequisite: Arthropod Vessel*
Increase your Constitution or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You can perceive through the Shade's senses and control its actions, but you cannot willingly move it more than 30 feet from your body. When you are stabilized or have any hit points restored, the Shade disappears.
If your DM allows the Pale Knight class to be used in your games, they may also be interested in adding the following items to their world:
This item is tuned to one of the world's deities. You have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact with the deity's followers, and the deity is notified when your party makes a major accomplishment (such as killing a powerful enemy).
Whenever you are in a dark area, the lumafly in this lantern emits a pale glow, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.
This magical pale metal emanates an icy chill and is prized by those who craft weapons.
Pale Ore can be used to infuse weapons with magic, increasing their potency. To do this, one must succeed on a Strength (Smith's Tools) check using the correct materials, as noted in the table below.
If this check fails, the Pale Ore is lost.
This fatty egg emits a powerful stench of decay.
Though despised by most, it is rumored that a powerful cleric loves these eggs and is willing to perform favors in exchange for them.
These ancient relics are said to contain information that has since been lost to the world's civilizations.
It is possible that within these relics is information that can be deciphered with a successful Intelligence (History) check. The DM determines the DC of the check, the information the relic contains, and any additional languages you must know in order to decipher it.
Many people do not care about these relics, but some scholars view them at a high value.