Death Knight
A) Background:
Frost sharpens their strikes; empowered blood fortifies their bodies; and undead affiliation allows them to erupt in unholy rage in the heat of battle. A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies, replaced with cold steel and remorseless winter.
Death Knights engage their foes up-close, supplementing swings of their two-handed weapons with dark magic. Their attacks render enemies vulnerable to damage from unholy power. To prevent their enemies from fleeing their grasp, death knights must remain mindful of the power they call forth from runes, and pace their attacks appropriately. The presence of a death Knight strikes fear into the hearts of lesser men.
B) Class Features:
1) 12 sided dice for hit dice, until 8th level. +2 hP per level after 8th level.
2) Warrior Thaco progression chart. Warrior proficiency progression chart.
3) Paladin/Ranger experience progression chart. Wizard saving throw progression chart.
4) Death Knights may specialize in weapons. (But Not mastery).
5) Control Undead and turn good beings as Priest Turning table, minus 3 levels. A death knight can
control a number of undead in hit dice, equal to his/her level. This can be improved by spells,
guilds, or items.
6) Detect Good & Evil: 10 foot radius, per level.
7) immune to Poisons & Disease.
8) 6th level: Rune magic. allows the death knight to Cast Wizard & Priest spells. Use Paladin chart
starting at 6th level, for both spell types. There are 4 types of runes at a Death Knight's
disposal. Blood, Frost, Unholy, and Death Runes. blood runes are used to empower physical
attacks, Frost runes are used to cast mage spells. unholy runes are used to cast priest spells,
and death runes are used to activate innate class abilities. All spells require a specific rune to
also compliment the death knight's mana pool. Runes are carefully etched into the death
knight's sword, armor, or sometimes onto their skin. Death knights start with one rune of each
type. they gain 1 additional rune every level, but they can choose only one type of rune per
level of experience. Along with mana, spells will sometimes require one rune used for that
day. see house rules for Mana pool. some guilds and items make rune refreshment faster.
9) 8th level: Summon Unholy mount: Nightmare, Charger, etc, as per paladin. Death knights are also
eligible for an unholy sword at this level, as per Paladin.
10) 10th level: Remorseless Winter - Aura of extreme cold. Lasts for 1 round, plus 1 round per 5
levels. 10+ 4 damage per level.
11) Lay hands: Can be used to heal self, allies, or harm enemies. As per paladin. Double healing
effect for undea minions.
12) Cause Sickness & disease, as per opposite of Paladin.
a. 4th level: Necrotic Plague - highly contagious plague that causes gangreen effects, those
that die from this plague rise to become undead minions. 1d4 points of agonizing damage per
day. also applies a negative one cumulative penalty for every day of the disease to all
mechanics.
b. 8th level: Undead Infestation - This is cast on undead minions. Those killed by minions will
cause them to instantly rise as undead minions as well, and able to act 1 round later.
C. 12th level: Defile Terrain - Causes vegetation in the affected are to whither and rot. Area of
effect is 5 foot radius per level of the caster. the whithered effect lasts for 1 week per level of the caster. Anything passing through the defiled ground must save vs death magic, or be
infected by necrotic plague.
13) 25% spell Immunity to Cold based attacks of lower level.
14) Plus 1 to strike OR damage every 2 levels, (on even levels) with 2 handed weapons. Player
chooses one or the other every even level, but not both on the same level.
15) Proficiency: Undead Lore as free nonweapon Proficiency slot.
C) Restrictions:
1) May never own more than 10 total magical items & trinkets that cause magical effects.
2) Ability score requirements: 14 STR, 9 CON, 13 INT, 13 WIS.
3) Allowable races:
* Federation: Human (not Plainsman or mandaren), half-Elf (Kal-Dorei), worgen.
* Insurrectionist: Orc, Tauren, Forsaken, Syn-Dorei, Half-Elf (Syn-Dorei).
* Dissidents: Half-Orc, Quel-Dorei, Half-Elf (quel-Dorei)
4) Alignment: Can be anything that is not chaotic, and not good. (LN, LE, TN, NE)
5) Prime Requisites: STR, INT, WIS
6) May never employ good beings. Prefers undead minions.
7) Permanent negative 10 to reaction adjustment.
8) May not use shields. They believe shields are for the cowardly. They prefer 2 handed weapons.
9) Undead & Unholy Presense. Can be turned by paladins and Good Priests.
10) Can be controlled by poweful undead.
11) Narcissism. Death knights are afflicted with a severe psychosis of Narcissism. This mental
disorder is permanent, and cannot be cured by any means whatsoever, not even a wish spell.
to wit, death knights are obsessed with their physical appearance. This can be role played in a
variety of ways. either subtley, or overtly vane when speaking with others.
12) Depression. If a death knight's charisma or comeliness ever drops, they must make a saving
throw vs spells, with a penalty equal to their level. Failure indicates that they fall into a deep
depression for a number of days equal to their level. The higher their level, the harder the
loss will hit them. the depression causes the death knight to be at a negative equal to their
level on all game mechanics. This includes, dice rolls, saving throws, armor class, and hit
points, until the depression ends. Upon the time period ending, a death knight must go on a
killing spree to cleanse their mind of the depression. These killing sprees will eventually be
noticed by good organizations, to come deal with the death knight's madness.
13) undead affliction. Death Knights slowly show signs of undeath over time, yet they are
alive. These signs include discolored skin, sunken or greying eyes, foul stench of undeath,
haunting or echoing voice, gaunt form, greying hair, protruding bones, rotting teeth, rotting
skin, ethereal or ghostly trails behind them, & etc. This results in a permanent minus 1 to
Charisma and comeliness every 3 levels. Undead affects caused by undead affliction will be at
the dM's discretion.
14) Infamy. If a death knight's combined total of charisma and comeliness added together falls to
14 or below, the death knight instantly goes into a psychotic killing spree. No saving throw
allowed. This also occurs each time the death knight further deteriorates from undead
affliction, when he/she is at a combined charisma and comeliness of 14 or below. This will
attract the attention of paladins and other good beings to hunt down the death knight. Every
time the death knight goes on a killing spree, they acquire an additional permanent negative 1
penalty to reaction adjustment.
15) After 10th level, a death Knight must add an additional 50,000 xP per level to advance.
Frost sharpens their strikes; empowered blood fortifies their bodies; and undead affiliation allows them to erupt in unholy rage in the heat of battle. A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies, replaced with cold steel and remorseless winter.
Death Knights engage their foes up-close, supplementing swings of their two-handed weapons with dark magic. Their attacks render enemies vulnerable to damage from unholy power. To prevent their enemies from fleeing their grasp, death knights must remain mindful of the power they call forth from runes, and pace their attacks appropriately. The presence of a death Knight strikes fear into the hearts of lesser men.
B) Class Features:
1) 12 sided dice for hit dice, until 8th level. +2 hP per level after 8th level.
2) Warrior Thaco progression chart. Warrior proficiency progression chart.
3) Paladin/Ranger experience progression chart. Wizard saving throw progression chart.
4) Death Knights may specialize in weapons. (But Not mastery).
5) Control Undead and turn good beings as Priest Turning table, minus 3 levels. A death knight can
control a number of undead in hit dice, equal to his/her level. This can be improved by spells,
guilds, or items.
6) Detect Good & Evil: 10 foot radius, per level.
7) immune to Poisons & Disease.
8) 6th level: Rune magic. allows the death knight to Cast Wizard & Priest spells. Use Paladin chart
starting at 6th level, for both spell types. There are 4 types of runes at a Death Knight's
disposal. Blood, Frost, Unholy, and Death Runes. blood runes are used to empower physical
attacks, Frost runes are used to cast mage spells. unholy runes are used to cast priest spells,
and death runes are used to activate innate class abilities. All spells require a specific rune to
also compliment the death knight's mana pool. Runes are carefully etched into the death
knight's sword, armor, or sometimes onto their skin. Death knights start with one rune of each
type. they gain 1 additional rune every level, but they can choose only one type of rune per
level of experience. Along with mana, spells will sometimes require one rune used for that
day. see house rules for Mana pool. some guilds and items make rune refreshment faster.
9) 8th level: Summon Unholy mount: Nightmare, Charger, etc, as per paladin. Death knights are also
eligible for an unholy sword at this level, as per Paladin.
10) 10th level: Remorseless Winter - Aura of extreme cold. Lasts for 1 round, plus 1 round per 5
levels. 10+ 4 damage per level.
11) Lay hands: Can be used to heal self, allies, or harm enemies. As per paladin. Double healing
effect for undea minions.
12) Cause Sickness & disease, as per opposite of Paladin.
a. 4th level: Necrotic Plague - highly contagious plague that causes gangreen effects, those
that die from this plague rise to become undead minions. 1d4 points of agonizing damage per
day. also applies a negative one cumulative penalty for every day of the disease to all
mechanics.
b. 8th level: Undead Infestation - This is cast on undead minions. Those killed by minions will
cause them to instantly rise as undead minions as well, and able to act 1 round later.
C. 12th level: Defile Terrain - Causes vegetation in the affected are to whither and rot. Area of
effect is 5 foot radius per level of the caster. the whithered effect lasts for 1 week per level of the caster. Anything passing through the defiled ground must save vs death magic, or be
infected by necrotic plague.
13) 25% spell Immunity to Cold based attacks of lower level.
14) Plus 1 to strike OR damage every 2 levels, (on even levels) with 2 handed weapons. Player
chooses one or the other every even level, but not both on the same level.
15) Proficiency: Undead Lore as free nonweapon Proficiency slot.
C) Restrictions:
1) May never own more than 10 total magical items & trinkets that cause magical effects.
2) Ability score requirements: 14 STR, 9 CON, 13 INT, 13 WIS.
3) Allowable races:
* Federation: Human (not Plainsman or mandaren), half-Elf (Kal-Dorei), worgen.
* Insurrectionist: Orc, Tauren, Forsaken, Syn-Dorei, Half-Elf (Syn-Dorei).
* Dissidents: Half-Orc, Quel-Dorei, Half-Elf (quel-Dorei)
4) Alignment: Can be anything that is not chaotic, and not good. (LN, LE, TN, NE)
5) Prime Requisites: STR, INT, WIS
6) May never employ good beings. Prefers undead minions.
7) Permanent negative 10 to reaction adjustment.
8) May not use shields. They believe shields are for the cowardly. They prefer 2 handed weapons.
9) Undead & Unholy Presense. Can be turned by paladins and Good Priests.
10) Can be controlled by poweful undead.
11) Narcissism. Death knights are afflicted with a severe psychosis of Narcissism. This mental
disorder is permanent, and cannot be cured by any means whatsoever, not even a wish spell.
to wit, death knights are obsessed with their physical appearance. This can be role played in a
variety of ways. either subtley, or overtly vane when speaking with others.
12) Depression. If a death knight's charisma or comeliness ever drops, they must make a saving
throw vs spells, with a penalty equal to their level. Failure indicates that they fall into a deep
depression for a number of days equal to their level. The higher their level, the harder the
loss will hit them. the depression causes the death knight to be at a negative equal to their
level on all game mechanics. This includes, dice rolls, saving throws, armor class, and hit
points, until the depression ends. Upon the time period ending, a death knight must go on a
killing spree to cleanse their mind of the depression. These killing sprees will eventually be
noticed by good organizations, to come deal with the death knight's madness.
13) undead affliction. Death Knights slowly show signs of undeath over time, yet they are
alive. These signs include discolored skin, sunken or greying eyes, foul stench of undeath,
haunting or echoing voice, gaunt form, greying hair, protruding bones, rotting teeth, rotting
skin, ethereal or ghostly trails behind them, & etc. This results in a permanent minus 1 to
Charisma and comeliness every 3 levels. Undead affects caused by undead affliction will be at
the dM's discretion.
14) Infamy. If a death knight's combined total of charisma and comeliness added together falls to
14 or below, the death knight instantly goes into a psychotic killing spree. No saving throw
allowed. This also occurs each time the death knight further deteriorates from undead
affliction, when he/she is at a combined charisma and comeliness of 14 or below. This will
attract the attention of paladins and other good beings to hunt down the death knight. Every
time the death knight goes on a killing spree, they acquire an additional permanent negative 1
penalty to reaction adjustment.
15) After 10th level, a death Knight must add an additional 50,000 xP per level to advance.