Holy Death Knight (3.5e Class)
Holy Death Knight[edit]
Unlike knights that are undead or seek undeath, Holy Death Knights are knights that faithfully serve the God or Goddess of Death that chose them and tend to assist the souls of the fallen on their way to their God's realm and fight the undead that plague the world, especially those that are not created with a willing soul. Holy Death Knights are capable of wielding all types of armor and Simple and Martial weaponry and usually use magical weapons of the Ghost Touch variety to combat the hordes of the undead.
Making a Holy Death Knight[edit]
Holy Death Knights are strong warriors that tend to hit hard, especially against the undead. They however are untrained in ranged combat. These characters work well alongside Paladins and Good/Neutral Clerics.
Abilities: Able to use All armors and shields, and can use all simple and martial weaponry. Has spells based around hiding from or damaging undead and the Element of Ice.
Races: Any Race.
Alignment: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil.
Starting Gold: 5d6×10 gp.
Starting Age: Moderate.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Turn Undead | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Favored Enemy: Undead | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Spells | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/1 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/2 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Endurance | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/3 | +6 | +2 | +6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Bonus Feat | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/6/1 | +7 | +3 | +7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/7/2 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus Feat | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/8/3 | +8 | +4 | +8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/9/4 | +9 | +4 | +9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/10/5 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Immunity to Magical and Supernatural Instant Death Effects. | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/11/6/1 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Bonus Feat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/12/7/2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/13/8/3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Bonus Feat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/14/9/4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/15/10/5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features[edit]
Turn undead
Starting from level 1, a holy death knight gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. They may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Charisma modifier. They turns undead at the same level as a Cleric.
Favored Enemy (Ex)
At 3rd level, a holy death knight becomes accustomed to fighting undead. The holy death knight gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against Undead type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against Undead.
Spells
Starting from Level 5, a Holy Death Knight is capable of casting Healing, Undead Disrupting or Ice based Spells.
Endurance
At level 7, Holy Death Knights get Endurance as a bonus feat, they need not take it.
Bonus Feat
At 9th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Diehard, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Ride-By Attack, Shield Expertise, Shield Harmony, or Weapon Focus (bastard sword). You must still meet any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus feat from this list at 12th level, at 16th level, and again at 18th level.
Bastard Sword Proficiency
Starting from Level 10, a Holy Death Knight is treated as if they have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword.
Immunity to Magical and Supernatural Instant Death Effects
Starting from level 15, Magical and Supernatural instant death effects no longer affect the Holy Death Knight. All other methods of instantly killing them, such as an assassin's death attack still work.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A holy death knight is proficient with all simple and martial weaponry along with all armor and shields(Including Tower Shields). At level 10, they gain proficiency with the Bastard Sword and thus need not select it..
Spells: Holy Death Knights rely on their Wisdom to cast their spells, their Spell DC is 10 + Spell Level + WIS Modifier, they choose their spells from the following list:
0— Cure Minor Wounds, Resistance, Guidance, Ray of Frost, Disrupt Undead
1st— True Strike, Magic Weapon, Detect Undead, Hide from Undead, Cure Light Wounds
2nd— Align Weapon, Aid, Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds, Darkvision
3rd— Dispel Magic, Sleet Storm, Halt Undead, Magic Weapon, Greater, Cure Serious Wounds, Speak with Dead
4th— Cure Critical Wounds, Restoration, Death Ward, Ice Storm, Wall of Ice
5th— Cure Light Wounds, Mass, Spell Resistance, Raise Dead, Dispel Evil, Hallow, Break Enchantment
6th— Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass, Undeath to Death, Heal, Dispel Magic, Greater, True Seeing
| Level | Spells Known | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |
| 1st | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12th | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13th | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 16th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 17th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 18th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 19th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 20th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — |
Campaign Information[edit]
Playing a Holy Death Knight[edit]
Religion: They exclusively follow a God of Death as they are their chosen ones.
Other Classes: They get along with Paladins and Clerics of Neutral/Good alignment, they also tend to get along with bards, and wizards that don't summon the undead.
Combat: Front Line Fighters.
Advancement: A holy death knight's desirable secondary classes would be Cleric to increase their healing potential.
Holy Death Knights in the World[edit]
| “ | The undead are a blight on the world, they must be destroyed. | ” |
| —Unknown Holy Death Knight, Elf Holy Death Knight | ||
Daily Life: Their daily life is roughly the same as a cleric, aside from the adventuring to destroy any Undead that they come across.
Organizations: They tend to gather around temples to their Gods of Death or where their Gods appear, otherwise they either work solo or in groups of 2-10.
NPC Reactions: NPCs tend to react neutral towards members of this class until they realize that they destroy undead, depending on if they like or dislike undead, they react with hostility or with kindness..
Holy Death Knight Lore[edit]
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can research Holy Death Knights to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | These warriors are chosen by their gods. |
| 10 | They worship gods of death that dislike the idea of the undead. |
| 15 | These heroic warriors dedicated their lives to destroying any and all undead. |
| 20 | The very first Holy Death Knights were not chosen by their gods, but rather decided to destroy the undead on their own, they were later given their abilities when the Gods saw what their followers were doing. |
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