Death Knight

For D&D 5th Edition

By Joshua Eskin

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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission
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All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Joshua Eskin and published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
 Death Knight
A
Death Knight is someone who has dedicated
themselves to a facet of death. Able to draw on
essence originating from beyond the grave, a
Death Knight imbues their weapon with this
essence and uses it to channel the power of
death. The aspects of death under the knight's
control include vampirism, darkness, and
plague.
Creating a Death Knight
When creating your Death Knight, consider your relationship
with death. Do you gain your power directly from death, or do
you gain it from an intermediary such as a God of death or a
powerful undead being.
Class Features
As a Death Knight you gain the following class features:
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 first.
Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Arcana, Deception,
Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
Multi-class: Light armor, Medium armor and shields; Simple
and Martial weapons; Death Knights require a score of 13
Strength and 13 Wisdom.
Equipment (or 5d4 x 10 gold)
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:
(a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
(a) martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial
weapons
(a) light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
(a) dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
Essence Save DC
The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier.
Shadow Spike
As an action, a target within 60 feet makes a Dexterity saving
throw versus your Essence Save DC. On a failed save, the
target takes 1d8 necrotic damage. Targets have disadvantage
on this saving throw if they are in darkness. This damage
increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level
(3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
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Fighting Style
At 1st level, you adopt a style of fighting 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.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged
weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no
other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that
weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you
make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two
hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The
weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for
you to gain this benefit.
Puglist
When you are using an unarmed strike, you deal 1d6 damage
instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. Starting
at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the
purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to
nonmagical attacks and damage.
Two Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your
ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Essence
You have 4 Essence, and you gain additional Essence as
indicated in the Class Table. You can use Essence to perform
Essence Strikes and to fuel the use of additional class
features. You recover all expended Essence when you finish a
short or long rest.
Essence Weapon
At 2nd level, you can draw on the dread magic of the grave to
infuse your weapon with the ability to channel the power of
death. You must spend one hour binding your weapon, which
may be completed during a short rest. You may bind up to
two weapons, and you may summon one or both Essence
Weapons to hand as a bonus action if the weapon is within
100 feet. If the weapon has the thrown property, immediately
after making a ranged attack, the weapon returns to your
hand. If you bind a third weapon, you must choose one of
your previous two weapons from which to remove the infused
essence.
The Death Knight
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Essence
1st +2 Shadow Spike, Fighting Style -
2nd +2 Essence, Essence Weapon, Essence Strike 4
3rd +2 Grim Oath, Undead Constitution 4
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 4
5th +3 Extra Attack 6
6th +3 Shadow Grasp, Dreadful Visage 6
7th +3 Oath Feature 6
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 6
9th +4 Relentless Advance, Speak with Dead 6
10th +4 Obliterate 6
11th +4 Oath Feature 8
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 8
13th +5 Sanguine Shield 8
14th +5 Slaughterhouse 8
15th +5 Oath Feature 8
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 8
17th +6 Death's Endurance 10
18th +6 Aura Range Increase 10
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 10
20th +6 Oath Feature 12

Essence Strike Vampiric Strike

Beginning at 2nd level, when you hit an enemy with a weapon
attack using your Essence Weapon or an unarmed strike, you
may expend one Essence to add one additional effect to the
attack, as listed below.
Plague Strike
When you use Plague Strike, you deal 1d6 additional
necrotic damage and afflict the target with Necrotizing
Plague for 1 minute. At the beginning of its turn while
afflicted with Necrotizing Plague, the target must make a
Constitution saving throw versus your Essence Save DC. On
a failed save, the target takes 1d6 necrotic damage. On a
successful save, Necrotizing Plague ends. This is a disease
effect. A creature can only be affected by one instance of your
Necrotizing Plague. The damage taken on a failed save
increases by 1d6 at 5th (2d6), 11th (3d6), and 17th (4d6)
level.
Umbral Touch
You attack and bind your foes with shadows. When you use
Umbral Touch, you deal 1d6 extra Necrotic damage and
reduce their speed by 10 until the start of your next turn. The
damage increases by 1d6 at 5th (2d6), 11th (3d6), and 17th
(4d6) level.
You drain the life force of those you hit. When you use
Vampiric Strike, you heal for half the damage dealt (rounded
down). At 5th level, you may add your Constitution modifier to
the amount healed, twice your Constitution modifier at 11th
level, and three times your Constitution modifier at 17th level.
Grim Oath
You may choose the Sanguine Oath, Umbral Oath, or
Plagued Oath, detailed at the end of this class description.
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th,
15th, and 20th level
Undead Constitution
At 3rd level, you have resistance to poison damage and have
advantage on saves versus diseases and poison.
Ability Score Improvement
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.

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 Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Shadow Grasp
At 6th level, you gain the ability to move creatures using their
own shadow. As an action, you may spend 2 Essence to cause
a target within 60 feet of you that you can see to make a
Strength saving throw versus your Essence Save DC. On a
failed save, the target is pulled up to 30 feet directly towards
you. On a successful save, the target does not move. If the
target is pulled within melee range of you, you may make one
weapon attack against it as a bonus action.
Dreadful Visage
Upon reaching 6th level, your connection to Death allows you
to temporarily exude the presence of Death to terrify those
around you. You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation)
checks.
Relentless Advance
At 9th level, you become as relentless as Death itself. Your
speed increases by 10 feet and non-magical difficult terrain
does not reduce your speed.
Speak with Dead
By 9th level, your knowledge of the inner workings of Death
allows you to communicate with the dead. You may spend 2
Essence to cast the spell Speak with Dead without expending
any material components.
Obliterate
At 10th level, when you hit with a weapon attack, you may
turn it into a critical hit. You regain the use of this ability after
a short or long rest.
Sanguine Shield
At 13th level, you coat yourself in a defensive layer of blood to
protect yourself against offensive magic. As a reaction when a
spell is cast that targets you or an area you are in, you may
spend 3 Essence to create a barrier around yourself until the
beginning of your next turn. While protected, when you
successfully save against a spell you take no damage and
suffer no additional effects from the spell and take only half
damage on a failed save.
Slaughterhouse
At 14th level, you may use Obliterate additional times by
spending a number of Essence equal to the previous number
of times Obliterate has been used before resting. (Ex. It costs
0 Essence the first time it is used, 1 Essence for the second, 2
Essence for the third, and resets to 0 after a short rest)
Death’s Endurance
By 17th level, your connection to Death empowers you, giving
you the ability to trudge onward when others would fall. You
are immune to Exhaustion. Additionally, when you are the
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victim of a critical hit, you may use your reaction to turn it
into a normal hit. You may use this feature a number of times
equal to your wisdom modifier, and regain spent uses upon
completing a long rest.
Aura Range Increase
At 18th level, the range of your aura increases to 30 feet.
Grim Oaths
Sanguine Oath
A Death Knight swearing the Sanguine Oath is often also
called a Blood Knight and begins to take on some vampiric
qualities. They specialize in manipulating blood, to their
benefit and their foe's detriment.
Blood Presence
At 3rd level when you take this Oath, you can use your
enemy's blood to fortify your body. When you use Vampiric
Strike, reduce all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
taken by your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) until the
start of your next turn. Additionally, when you use Vampiric
Strike may spend a hit die. If you do, instead of regaining hit
points from spending a hit die, Vampiric Strike heals you for
all of the damage dealt instead of half and you reduce all
damage taken instead of only bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing damage.
Aura of Blood Absorption
At 7th level, you gain a 10-foot aura that attracts the life force
of the recently fallen. When a creature within your aura is
reduced to 0 hit points, you regain one hit die. You may not
exceed your maximum number of hit dice. At 18th level, the
range of your aura increases to 30 feet.
Vital Strike
At 11th level, you learn hone in on a target's heart beat or
other vital location to increase the accuracy of your strike. As
a bonus action, you may make an attack with your Essence
Weapon or an unarmed strike with advantage. You may not
apply an Essence Strike to Vital Strike. If you are dual
wielding, you make this attack using the off-hand weapon,
and deal additional damage equal to the damage die of your
main hand weapon. At 17th level, instead of dealing
additional damage while dual wielding, you deal damage with
both weapons.
Improved Vampiric Strike
At 15th level, when you use Vampiric Strike, you may spend 1
additional Essence. If you do so, you gain temporary hit
points equal to the amount healed by Vampiric Strike.
Domain of Blood
At 20th level, as a bonus action you create a domain made of
blood for 1 minute that protects you with curtains of blood
and drains the life force of fallen enemies. For the duration,
attack rolls against you have disadvantage, you have
resistance to all damage except psychic, and whenever a
creature drops to 0 hit points while within 30 feet of you, you
regain 1d10 + Constitution modifier (minimum 1) hit points.
You regain the use of Domain of Blood after a long rest.
Umbral Oath
Those who swear the Umbral Oath have generally accepted
their fate as an outcast, and embrace the darkness of Death.
They take the dark power of the grave and channel it into
their attacks to slow and decimate their foes and to ultimately
become shadow.
Twilight Diffusion
At 3rd level when you take this Oath, darkness shrouds your
form. You gain resistance to Necrotic damage. Additionally,
when you use Umbral Touch, you may apply Umbral Touch to
one additional creature within 10 feet of the initial target
without spending an additional Essence. At 11th level you
may target a second additional creature.
Shadow Aura
At 7th level, you gain a 10-foot aura of living shadow. Enemies
that you can see that enter the Aura or start their turn within
its area take Necrotic damage equal to half your Death
Knight level, or equal to your Death Knight level if under the
effects of Umbral Touch. At 18th level, the range of your aura
increases to 30 feet.
Gloom Weapons
At 7th level, you gain control over the darkness. Your Umbral
Touch, Shadow Aura, and Shadow Spike ignore resistance to
Necrotic damage.
Shadow Strike
At 11th level you learn how to move through shadows in
order to attack. As a bonus action, you may teleport to any
point within your Shadow Aura, or any dim or dark light
within 30 feet of the edge of your Shadow Aura. After
teleporting, you may make an attack with your Essence
Weapon or an unarmed strike. You may not apply an Essence
Strike to Shadow Strike. If you are dual wielding, you make
this attack using the off-hand weapon, and deal additional
damage equal to the damage die of your main hand weapon.
At 17th level, instead of dealing additional damage while dual
wielding, you deal damage with both weapons.
Improved Gloom Weapons
At 15th level, you gain further mastery over darkness. Your
Umbral Touch, Shadow Aura, and Shadow Spike now ignore
immunity to Necrotic damage. Additionally, your Umbral
Touch deals additional damage equal to your Wisdom
modifier (minimum 1) to it's initial target.
Eclipse
At 20th level, you are able to forcefully extend your darkness.
As a bonus action, you cause a localized eclipse for 1 minute.
For the duration you gain the following effects: your Shadow
Aura extends to a total of 60 feet, the light within your
Shadow Aura becomes one step darker (bright light becomes
dim, dim light becomes darkness), and each time you use
Umbral Touch it affects all enemies you can see within your
Shadow Aura. You must finish a long rest before you may use
this feature again.
Plagued Oath
The Death Knights who swear this Oath have learned to use
life to cause death. Empowered by the cycle of Life and
Death, they embrace the power of disease and use it against
their enemies.
Virulent Plague
At 3rd level when you take this Oath, enemies become more
susceptible to your Necrotizing Plague. The first save made
against each instance of Necrotizing Plague is made with
disadvantage. At 11th level, Necrotizing Plague becomes
infused with the very concept of Plague and can affect
creatures with immunity to disease. Creatures with immunity
to disease have advantage on saves against Necrotizing
Plague.
Aura of Lethargy
At 7th level, you gain a 10-foot aura that projects a feeling of
unwellness to creatures within range. Enemies that are in
your Aura need to use 2 feet of movement in order to move 1
foot, and cannot take the dash or withdraw actions while
within the aura. At 18th level, the range of your aura
increases to 30 feet.
Hemorrhaging Strike
At 11th level, you learn how to cause hemorrhaging with each
strike, exacerbating any infections. As a bonus action, you
may make an attack with your Essence Weapon or an
unarmed strike. Diseased targets take 3d6 additional damage
from Hemorrhaging Strike. This additional damage increases
to 4d6 at 17th level. You may not apply an Essence Strike to
Hemorrhaging Strike. If you are dual wielding, you make this
attack using the off-hand weapon, and may deal additional
damage equal to the damage die of your main hand weapon.
At 17th level, instead of dealing additional damage while dual
wielding, you deal damage with both weapons.
Pestilence
At 15th level, your control over Necrotizing Plague heightens.
When you use Plagued Strike or make an attack against a
target affected by your Necrotizing Plague on your turn, you
may use a bonus action and spend up to 4 Essence. For each
Essence spent, you cause the Necrotizing Plague to jump to 1
additional creature of your choice that you can see within 20
feet of the original target.
Spell Plague
At 20th level, creatures affected by Necrotizing Plague have
vulnerability to all damage other than bludgeoning, piercing,
and slashing.