Dark Knight, Pure Martial Variant (5e Class)
Dark Knight, Pure Martial Variant[edit]
This variant of dark knights forego spellcasting in order to hone their martial prowess, becoming deadly in their own right. The darkness enjoys those who go down this path in order to see how far they can go. Most who follow this path end up dead before they can achieve their goals, so this isn’t recommended to anyone. Some are quite persistent and are taught this way. They experience even worse cruelty and hardships compared to those who go with spellcasting. This is meant as a deterrent against going without spellcasting, and most do drop out before finishing. The ones who stay the whole time end up learning maneuvers that no other class can hope to do. This is because the darkness aids them in their maneuvers however it can, so long as the maneuvers are executed well.
Class Features
As a Dark Knight you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Dark Knight level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Dark Knight level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields, and heavy armor.
Weapons: Simple melee weapons, martial melee weapons.
Tools:
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Pick two of the following: Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, or Stealth.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) A martial melee weapon & shield or (b) two martial melee weapons
- (a) 5 javelins or (b) Any simple melee weapon
- (a) dungeoneer's pack or (b) explorer's pack
- (a) chain mail or (b) scale mail
- Symbol of Darkness
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4x10 GP in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Soul Decay | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | d4 | Soul Decay |
| 2nd | +2 | d4 | Martial Maneuvers, Fighting Style |
| 3rd | +2 | d4 | Dark School |
| 4th | +2 | d4 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility |
| 5th | +3 | d6 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | d6 | Dark School Feature |
| 7th | +3 | d6 | Skill of Darkness |
| 8th | +3 | d6 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility |
| 9th | +4 | d6 | Sight of the Dark |
| 10th | +4 | d6 | The Blackest Night |
| 11th | +4 | d8 | Dark School Feature |
| 12th | +4 | d8 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility |
| 13th | +5 | d8 | Enhanced Weaponry |
| 14th | +5 | d8 | Aura of Darkness |
| 15th | +5 | d8 | Dark Stand |
| 16th | +5 | d8 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility |
| 17th | +6 | d10 | Area Decay |
| 18th | +6 | d10 | Dark Survival |
| 19th | +6 | d10 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility |
| 20th | +6 | d10 | Dark School Feature |
Martial Maneuvers[edit]
This replaces the spellcasting feature.
At 2nd level, you are able to replicate some ways of martial prowess from your training. You learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice.
- Maneuvers
You learn 2 maneuvers. You gain an additional maneuver at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. You can use only one maneuver per attack.
Some maneuvers are exclusive to certain schools. Which maneuvers each school can take is listed in the school's maneuvers section.
All maneuvers listed can be found in one of the following areas: the battle master fighter subclass in the Player's Handbook, in the maneuver options in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, in the martial maneuvers variant rule page, or in the dark knight maneuvers section. If a maneuver is listed here that comes from the martial maneuvers variant rule page that has a class prerequisite, then it is nonetheless a maneuver you can take. A level prerequisite means you must have that many levels in the dark knight class in order to take it.
- Superiority Dice
You gain 4 superiority dice, which are d6s. They increase to d8s at 13th level. You gain an additional superiority die at 13th level. You regain all expended dice after finishing a short or long rest.
Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Maneuver Save DC = 8 + Strength modifier + proficiency bonus
You may choose from the following list of martial maneuvers. If it is listed in a school, then you must be part of that school to take it.
General[edit]
Available to all dark knights.
Blood Maneuvers[edit]
Kill your foes without remorse.
Devilry Maneuvers[edit]
Manipulate your foes with curses.
Domination Maneuvers[edit]
Command and manipulate.
Far Realm Maneuvers[edit]
Warp the minds of your foes. More psionic than martial in nature.
Guardian Maneuvers[edit]
Protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Rally Maneuvers[edit]
Aid your allies on the battlefield
Shadow Maneuvers[edit]
Become one with the shadows.
You can use your Dexterity modifier, instead of Strength, to determine the DC of your maneuvers.
Sickness Maneuvers[edit]
Weaken and sicken your foes.
Dark Knight Maneuvers[edit]
The maneuvers are listed in alphabetical order.
- Antimagic
- Prerequisite-13th level
As a reaction to an ally you can see within 30 ft of you being forced to make a saving throw against a magical effect, you can expend and roll a superiority die, adding the number rolled to their save.
- Armor Piercer
Immediately after you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend and roll a superiority die, reducing the creature’s AC by half the number rolled, rounded up, until the start of your next turn.
- Befuddled Mind
- Prerequisite-13th level
Immediately upon hitting a creature with an attack, you can expend one superiority die. The creature then must make an Intelligence saving throw or become confused until the start of your next turn. While confused, the creature must roll a d6 to determine how they act for the duration. On a 1 or 2, they attack one of their allies. On a 3 or 4, they run away from you. On a 5, they do nothing. On a 6, they take their turn as normal.
- Blinding Strike
You can blind your foes with your strikes. Expend a superiority die. The next time you hit a creature on this turn, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the end of your next turn.
- Body Rot
- Prerequisite-13th level
Immediately after you hit a creature, expend a superiority die. The creature hit must make a Constitution saving throw or gain vulnerability to all damage until the end of your next turn.
- Brain Drain
- Prerequisite-17th level
As an action, you can expend and roll a superiority die and attempt to drain the mind of a creature. Choose a creature within 5 ft of you. That creature must make an Intelligence saving throw or have their Intelligence ability score reduced by the number rolled on the superiority die. You regain an amount of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier times the number rolled on the superiority die.
- Breakout
As a reaction to seeing an ally within 5 ft of you being forced to make a saving throw against being paralyzed, restrained, or stunned, you can expend and roll a superiority die to help them resist the condition, adding the number rolled to their save.
- Charming Look
Choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier within 60 ft of you. Expend a superiority die and make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested against each creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. Upon a success, the creature is charmed by you for 1 hour.
- Chilling Touch
Upon seeing an ally attack another creature, as a reaction, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The number rolled + your Charisma modifier is added to the attack as cold damage.
- Cursed
Immediately after hitting a creature with an attack, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On a fail, choose one ability score. The creature must subtract the number you rolled on your superiority die from all d20 rolls regarding that ability score until the start of your next turn.
- Dark Teleport
As a bonus action, you can expend and roll a superiority die and teleport to a spot no more than 30 ft away from you that you can see. Each creature within 5 ft of the area you teleport to must make a Constitution saving throw or take an amount of necrotic damage equal to the number rolled on the superiority die.
- Deafening Strike
You can deafen your foes with your strikes. Expend a superiority die. The next time you hit a creature on this turn, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw or become deafened until the end of your next turn.
- Defensive Guard
Upon seeing an ally within 15 ft of you get hit with an attack, you can expend and roll a superiority die and use your reaction to move toward them and take all the damage minus the number rolled on your superiority die in their stead. This moves the ally 5 ft in a direction of your choice. Movement done this way does not provoke an opportunity attack for you or the ally.
- Disguiser
You can expend a superiority die and add it to an ability check made regarding a Disguise Kit.
- Enhanced Curse
- Prerequisite-Cursed, 13th level
The duration of the Cursed maneuver increases to 1 minute. You cannot have two targets affected by the Cursed maneuver at the same time while you have this maneuver.
- False Enemy
Immediately upon hitting a creature, you can expend a superiority die. The creature must make an Intelligence saving throw or regard a certain creature of your choice as the most immediate threat, ignoring all others, until the start of your next turn.
- Forced Attack
You know how to make others do your bidding. You expend a superiority die. Choose a creature within 30 ft of you. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against the creature’s Wisdom (Insight), adding the roll of the superiority die to your check. Upon a success, the creature is forced to attack a creature of your choice on their next turn.
- Forger
You can expend a superiority die and add it to your ability check made to forge something using a Forgery Kit.
- Free Movement
You can expend a superiority die and ignore difficult terrain until the start of your next turn.
- Frightening Glare
- Prerequisite-9th level
You can strike a primal fear into the hearts of others from a distance. Choose a creature within 60 ft of you. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened and see all creatures other than itself as an enemy to be killed. At the end of each the creature’s turns, it can attempt a Wisdom saving throw, no longer being frightened after a success.
- Glimpse of Hell
Immediately after hitting a creature with an attack, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw and take the amount rolled on the superiority die plus your Charisma modifier as psychic damage, as they get a small glimpse of what the Nine Hells are like. On a success, they take half damage. Fiends are immune to this.
- Greed
As an action, choose a creature within 30 ft of you and expend a superiority die. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw. Upon a failure, the creature must use their action on their next turn to attempt to steal something. Once the attempt has been made, their turn ends.
- Incapacitating Strike
Immediately upon hitting a creature, you can expend a superiority die. The creature must make an Intelligence saving throw or become incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
- Inspired Strike
As a reaction to seeing your ally attack a creature, you can expend and roll a superiority die, adding the number rolled to their attack roll.
- Lockpicker
You can expend a superiority die and add it to the ability check made to pick a lock using Thieves' Tools.
- Logical Interference
As a reaction to a creature attempting to make an Intelligence check within 30 ft of you, you may expend and roll a superiority die, adding or subtracting the check by the number rolled. You choose whether to add or subtract before the roll.
- Mind Guard
Whenever a creature within 30 ft of you is forced to make a saving throw against being charmed or frightened, you can, as a reaction, expend and roll a superiority die and add the number rolled to their save.
- Mind Interruptions
- Prerequisite-13th level
Immediately upon hitting a creature, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature takes an additional amount of psychic damage equal to the number rolled, and must make an Intelligence saving throw or have all d20 rolls they make, aside from death saving throws, be reduced by 2d4 until the start of your next turn.
- Mind Rot
Immediately after hitting a creature, you can expend a superiority die and force the creature hit to make a Constitution saving throw or gain disadvantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks until the end of your next turn.
- Obey
Expend a superiority die and choose a creature within 30 ft of you. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against the creature’s Wisdom (Insight), adding the roll of the superiority die to your check. Upon a success, the creature is forced to do one thing that you tell it to do on it’s next turn so long as it does not involve directly harming anyone and then ends their turn.
- Overwhelming Presence
- Prerequisite-Commanding Presence
When you force a creature to make a saving throw against being frightened, you can expend and roll a superiority die, subtracting the number rolled from the creature's save.
- Paralyzing Strike
- Prerequisite-5th level
Expend and roll a superiority die. The next time you hit a creature this turn, they must make a Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed until the end of your next turn, taking extra weapon damage equal to the number rolled on the superiority die.
- Perfect Poison
- Prerequisites-17th level, Superior Poison maneuver
Upon forcing a creature to make a saving throw against the poisoned condition and/or take poison damage, you can expend 2 superiority dice to ignore immunity and resistance to both.
- Psionic Retribution
As a reaction to getting hit and taking damage, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature takes an amount of psychic damage equal to the roll of the superiority die + your Intelligence modifier.
- Psychic Ward
Whenever a creature within 30 ft of you takes psychic damage, you can, as a reaction, expend and roll a superiority die to reduce the amount of damage taken by the number rolled plus your Intelligence modifier.
- Quick Strike
As a bonus action, you can expend and roll a superiority die and make one weapon attack against a creature within reach. The creature takes additional necrotic damage equal to the number rolled on the superiority die on a hit.
- Retribution
Immediately after being hit with a melee attack, you can expend and roll a superiority die. Make a melee weapon attack roll against the creature that hit you. Upon a hit, you deal the weapon’s normal damage and add the roll to the total damage as fire damage.
- Rushing Strike
Expend a superiority die. You rush forward in a 30 ft line. Make one attack roll against each creature of your choice within 5 ft of the line. You add the superiority die to either all attack rolls or all damage rolls.
- Seizure
Immediately after hitting a creature, you can expend a superiority die and force the creature hit to make a Constitution saving throw or gain disadvantage on all Dexterity rolls until the end of your next turn.
- Sly Devil
When you make a Charisma (Deception) check, you can expend and roll a superiority die, adding the roll to the total. You also add your proficiency bonus to the check.
- Speed Up
You can expend and roll a superiority die, no action required, on your turn. Your movement speed increases by 5 times the number rolled until the end of your current turn. This does not increase any flying speed you may have. You can only use this maneuver once, being able to use it again at the start of your next turn.
- Superior Interception
- Prerequisite-Interception fighting style
As part of using your reaction for the interception fighting style, you can expend and roll a superiority die, adding the number rolled to the damage reduced.
- Superior Poison
Upon forcing a creature to make a saving throw against the poisoned condition and/or take poison damage, you can expend a superiority die to ignore resistance to poison damage and negate advantage against the poisoned condition.
- Supreme Commander
- Prerequisites-Commander’s Strike maneuver, 13th level
As an action, you may expend a superiority die to allow all your allies to expend their reaction to make one weapon attack against a creature within range. They each add a roll of your superiority die to the damage of the attack.
- Supreme Save
- Prerequisite-17th level, Will Boost and Antimagic Maneuvers
Upon seeing an ally within 30 ft of you being forced to make a saving throw against any condition, you can expend and roll a superiority die as a reaction, adding the number rolled to their save.
- Telepathic Link
As an action, you can expend and roll a superiority die. Choose a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier. Each creature chosen, including yourself, can telepathically communicate with each other for an amount of hours equal to the roll of the superiority die. This feature cannot be used again until the link is gone. Each creature must be within 1 mile of each other, else the link is severed.
- Terrorizing Strike
Immediately upon hitting a creature, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature takes an additional amount of psychic damage equal to the number rolled, and must make a Wisdom saving throw or take the dash action as a reaction to get away from you, avoiding dangerous areas such as pitfalls, lava, etc.
- Unimpeded
As a bonus action, you can expend a superiority die and ignore difficult terrain until the end of your turn.
- Vampiric Leech
Expend a superiority die and make an attack. Upon a hit, you deal extra necrotic damage equal to the roll of the superiority die and regain an amount of hit points equal to twice the necrotic damage dealt.
- Weakening Strike
Immediately after you hit a creature, expend a superiority die and add it to the damage. The creature hit must make a Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on all Strength based rolls until the end of your next turn.
- Will Boost
As a reaction to an ally you can see within 30 ft of you being forced to make a Wisdom saving throw, you can expend and roll a superiority die, adding the number rolled to their save.
- Will Sap
Immediately after hitting a creature, you can expend and roll a superiority die. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw or have the next saving throw they make subtract the roll of the superiority die.
- Withering Strike
Immediately after hitting a creature, you can expend a superiority die and force the creature hit to make a Constitution saving throw or gain disadvantage on all Constitution rolls until the end of your next turn.
- Zombification
Upon killing a creature, you may expend a superiority die to infect the creature with a disease that’ll turn them into a zombie version after 24 hours. They act as a zombie would upon awakening and they use the zombie stat block, keeping all their proficiencies, along with their Strength and Constitution scores, and the amount of hit dice they had before becoming a zombie.
Sight of the Dark[edit]
The darkness commends your commitment to the rejection of spells, and has enhanced your eyesight. Starting at 9th level, you can see out to 60 ft in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, as if it were bright light. This increases to 120 ft at 17th level.
Enhanced Physicality[edit]
The darkness sees your commitment and increases your physical might. Starting at 13th level, you gain a +1 bonus to all Strength based ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.
Area Decay[edit]
The darkness has taught you how to fully unleash decay upon an area. Starting at 17th level, you can decay everything within a 30 ft radius around you. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw against your maneuvers DC and take 3d12 necrotic damage, or half upon a success. Any creature who has their hit points reduced to 0 in this way is disintegrated. A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a true resurrection or a wish spell. You may do so again after finishing a short or long rest.
School of Sickness[edit]
This is the school exclusively available to those who forgo spellcasting, and is meant as a martial variant to the school of necromancy.
This is the martial variant’s answer to the school of necromancy. The darkness grants them power and knowledge about diseases and poisons that can be used to debilitate their foes. Once the target is debilitated, they end their life. They do make great torturers as well as interrogators.
- Sickness Defense
You have gained resilience against poison and disease. Starting at 3rd level, you gain advantage on saving throws against disease and the poisoned condition, along with resistance against poison damage. You also gain proficiency with the Poisoner's Kit. Starting at 11th level, you gain immunity to disease, the poisoned condition and poison damage.
- Sickness Knowledge
You gain the knowledge needed to identify poisons and disease. Starting at 6th level, you gain advantage on Intelligence and Wisdom checks to determine what disease or poison a creature is suffering from and to determine what disease or poison is in a potion.
- Poisonous Sting
You have learned how to infect with your strikes. Starting at 11th level, upon hitting a creature, you may infect it with poison, dealing an additional 2d10 poison damage and forcing the creature to make a Constitution saving throw against your maneuver DC or become poisoned for 1 minute. A creature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the condition upon a success. You may do this an amount of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, regaining all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
- Disease Spreader
You have reached the pinnacle of sickness. At 20th level, you may, as an action, infect all creatures within a 30 ft radius sphere around you. Each creature in range must make a Constitution saving throw against your maneuver DC or become infected with a random disease. Roll a d12 for the disease they are infected with. You can choose a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier to not be infected. The disease that the creatures are infected with manifests immediately, and starts at stage 1, if there are stages.
| d12 | Disease |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Sewer Plague |
| 3-4 | Cackle Fever |
| 5-6 | Sight Rot |
| 7-8 | Acid Plague |
| 9-10 | Rotscale |
| 11 | Dead Frog Disease |
| 12 | Vile Polypore |
School of Shadow[edit]
You gain an additional feature.
- Slinker
You have learned how to slip between the cracks of attention that others have. Starting at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one of the following tools: Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, or Thieves' Tools.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the pure martial variant of the dark knight class, you must meet this prerequisite: Strength 13. You gain the same proficiencies as are listed here.
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