Dark Knight (Redux) (5e Class)

It's been over a year since the original Dark Knight was created, but now the class is finally in what I consider to be near-perfect condition. The flavor is 100% complete, it has 4 archetypes that are all finished (though Fiend may need fixing up after more testing), the Dark Bane feature is finally balanced and acceptable, and the entire class is acceptable for usage. The original Bando Homebrew is now just as good as the newest.

## **The Dark Knight**

*"To fight the darkness, you must know how to wield it."*

*-Di Anazeru, elven dark knight*

A man wearing dark armor pursues after a serial killer, catching him off guard. The armored man pulls out a greatsword, and for a moment shadows curl around the sword, as he brings it down on the killer. The killer shoves the knight away, and as he dashes off, he explodes into black energy. After the killer is no more, the knight heads off underneath a tree, sleeping and bandaging up his newfound wounds, despite the killer never scratching him.

Two women stand in a tower, one of them adorned in armor of gold and silver, the other wearing dark platemail, each of them a sword in hand. The two of them collide, the dark one's sword glowing black, and the silver one's blade glistening gold. They exchange blows, again and again, until eventually the golden woman hits the ground. Moments later, succumbing to her self-caused wounds, the dark armored woman falls unconscious.

### **Controlling Darkness**

Dark Knights possess a power not often seen on the side of good; they control shadows and darkness, using their own pain to harm others as well as themselves. Despite their outward appearance, dark knights are not all evil, although some may use the dark powers bestowed in themselves for the forces of evil, many of them choose to use the necrotic magic that courses through their veins as a way to combat the corrupted who appear just like them.

### **Unseen Heroes**

The stigma that comes with using black magic is not exempt for dark knights, as many of them are hated on sight due to learning how to use the magic. Due to this, many dark knights choose instead to conceal their powers, using their martial capabilities until they're in private. Alternatively, some dark knights choose to only use their powers while as an alter ego, to not let the world associate the powers with them and their personal lives.

### **Self-Destructive**

However, a dark knight's powers do come at a dire cost. Their methods of drawing life from themselves is deadly enough that if they overexert themselves, they can kill themselves more easily than most others would be able to. It is due to this as well as the stigma that not many heroes choose to become dark knights, due to how deadly it can be to your own health.

## **Creating a Dark Knight**

Dark Knights do not usually gain their abilities out of nowhere, for they require knowledge of the darkness that they wield. How did your character learn about the abilities they now possess? Did they study this power on their own merit, or was it thrust upon them and they had to adapt? Do they see their dark magic as a gift, or do they long for the days when they did not have it bearing upon them? Additionally, a dark knight's sigil is an important sigil for them to make. When your character has to choose a sigil, think carefully about why they would choose that specific sigil.

### **Quick Build**

You can make a Dark Knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit or noble background. Finally, choose a greatsword and shield, five javelins, and an explorer's pack.

## **Class Feature**

As a Dark Knight you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
**Hit Dice:** 1d12 per Dark Knight level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 12 + Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Dark Knight level after 1st

Proficiencies
**Armor:** All armor, shields

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, Martial weapons

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Constitution, Charisma

**Skills:** Choose 2 from Arcana, Athletics, History, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion.

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
* (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
* (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
* Chain mail

### **Dark Bane**

The dark magics of necromancy flourish with your blade, allowing you to cut through your soul to cleave through your foes. At the start of your turn, you may choose one weapon you are currently holding, and reduce your maximum hit points by 1d6. You do not take any damage from this feature, unless it would lower your maximum hit points below your current hit points. This reduction lasts until you finish a long rest. All weapon damage rolls you make until the end of your current turn with that weapon add 1d6 necrotic damage to them, as a bonus.

Additionally, some of your dark knight features may require saving throws. The DC is calculated as follows:

* **Dark Knight save DC =** 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

### **Pain Sense**

Suffering is like a beacon to you, letting you detect it like sonar. As an action, you begin to focus on the pain of the world around you. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any creature within 60 feet of yourself that is currently in physical pain. You know the type of the creature in pain, but not the identity. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

### **Vampirism**

Starting at 2nd level, the blood that clings to your blade can be absorbed to restore your own life force. As a bonus action, a weapon of your choice that you are currently holding glows with a crimson gleam, for 1 minute. Your first damage roll with that weapon during that minute adds your Charisma modifier as a bonus, and you restore hit points equal to half of the damage dealt by the weapon. When your hit point maximum is reduced and you restore hit points from this feature, you also restore your maximum hit points by the same amount of hit points you heal. You have one use of this feature, and obtain more as you gain levels in this class, restoring all uses after a long rest.

### **Fighting Style**

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option 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, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

#### Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

### **Shadow Sigil**

Starting at 3rd level, your dark powers manifest in a specific way, as a sigil that you brand on your armor, weapon, or even your skin. Choose from the Sigil of the Arcane, Sigil of the Champion, Sigil of the Fiend, and the Sigil of the Warden, which are featured at the bottom of the class description. The sigil you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 15th level.

### **Ability Score Increase**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10, 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.

### **Extra Attack**

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### **Night's Edge**

By 6th level, any weapon you wield becomes a catalyst of the night, able to crush even those who would see your damage as nothing more than scratches. Your dark knight features ignore necrotic resistance, and treat necrotic immunity as resistance.

### **Improved Dark Bane**

Starting at 7th level, the darkness of your dark bane increases in might. When you use your Dark Bane feature, you may choose to increase the damage die of both the additional necrotic damage and the amount of maximum hit points you reduce from 1d6 to 1d12.

### **Glory in Death**

At 9th level, even in death, you are unable to be struck without retaliation. As a reaction to being reduced to 0 hit points, you can make one weapon attack on the creature that hit you, which adds additional necrotic damage equal to your dark knight level as a bonus. You are able to use this reaction even if the source of damage had instantly killed you.

### **Doomseer**

Additionally, at 9th level, your ability to sense the pain of others has improved. Your Pain Sense feature has its range increased to 120 feet, and if you are within 5 feet of a creature, you are able to grasp hold of the creature's body as part of the same action, forming a link with it. During this link, you feel the emotions that are causing the creature distress and pain, and may communicate telepathically. If you let go of the creature, or it is unwilling, the link ends immediately.

### **Black Storm**

Starting at 10th level, you can fire out a miasma of shadows to decimate those whom you wish harm upon. As an action, you reduce your maximum hit points by 6d6 until you finish a long rest, and choose a point within 60 feet of yourself. Creatures within 20 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d6 necrotic damage on a failed saving throw, or half on a successful one.

### **Shade Shield**

Beginning at 13th level, shadows cling to your body like a thin mist. You gain resistance to necrotic damage.

### **Minus Strike**

At 14th level, the weight of your own wounds grows in power, and as they do, so do the wounds of your enemies. When you hit a creature with a weapon that is currently affected by your Dark Bane feature, you can choose to expend one hit die, and add the number rolled to the damage from your Dark Bane.

### **Born to the Grave**

By 17th level, the necromantic forces that power your abilities drive you to continue to live. If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can choose to make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 plus the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant-type or from a critical hit. On a success, you are reduced to 1 hit point, instead.

### **Umbral Pyre**

Starting at 18th level, your dark powers are able to explode in a fury around those who you are trying to slay. When you deal damage to a creature with a weapon affected by your Dark Bane feature, you can force a creature within 5 feet of the original target to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes the same amount of necrotic damage as the original target.

### **Til Death Do Us Part**

At 20th level, you are able to chain your life force with that of another. As a bonus action, you can bind your sacrifices with a creature within 30 feet of yourself, for 1 minute. Whenever you reduce your maximum hit points while linked to that creature, that creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, that creature takes necrotic damage equal to the amount your hit point maximum would have been reduced by, and you do not reduce your maximum hit points. The link is broken if the creature is farther than 120 feet from yourself, or if you link with another creature.

### **Shadow Sigils**

The might of dark knights comes from their sigils of dark magic, scrawled into their armor, weapons, or even their flesh itself, creating powers. Different dark knights have different sigils, possessing different specializations based on the kind of sigil that they possess. Sigils are a source of pride for a dark knight; an insult to a dark knight's sigil is like an insult to a noble's family name.

## **Sigil of the Arcane**

While most dark knights take on sigils to enhance their physical power, those whom take on the sigil of the arcane choose instead to gain magic similarly to a warlock or sorcerer. The sigil that they adorn contains arcane symbols, similarly to a circle of teleportation or mystical runes.

### **Spellcasting**

When you reach 3rd level, your dark magic manifests into arcane magic, as well.

**Cantrips**. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn an additional wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

**Spell Slots**. The Sigil of the Arcane Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

**Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher**. You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the necromancy and evocation spells on the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Sigil of the Arcane Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an necromancy or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a necromancy or evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

**Spellcasting Ability**. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since their power derives from your willpower. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

* **Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
* **Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

### **Elemental Blight**

Additionally at 3rd level, you are able to conjure up your dark bane as different elements. When you use your Dark Bane feature, you may choose for it to deal damage from the following types instead of necrotic; acid, cold, fire, or lightning.

### **War Magic**

Starting at 6th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you may use your bonus action to make one weapon attack.

### **Doombringer**

Beginning at 11th level, your arcane force can mix with your shadowy power to destroy others. When you use your Dark Bane feature, you can choose to instead affect your spellcasting focus instead of your weapon. When you cast a cantrip or spell of 1st level or higher using that focus before the end of your current turn, you add the damage from your Dark Bane to the damage roll of the spell or cantrip against one creature.

### **Magic Shroud**

At 15th level, the spells you cast give you a shroud to defend yourself from spells. When you cast a cantrip or spell of 1st level or higher using your action, you gain a bonus to all saving throws against magical effects until the start of your next turn. The bonus is equal to the spell level + 1, with cantrips counting as a level 0 spell.

## **Sigil of the Champion**

While many other sigils infuse dark knights with some sort of occult force to grant them powerful abilities, your sigil simply teaches you the ways of one of the most ancient entertainment arts; gladiators. Those whom fought in gladiatorial arenas now speak to you in your sleep, teaching you how to fight as effectively as they did, and to do it with style. This sigil usually has old symbols from forgotten empires adorning it, or may have symbols of gladiatorial weapons on it.

### **Bonus Proficiency**

When you choose this sigil at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in disguise kits. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks made to pass off as an alter-ego while wearing a disguise using this kit.

### **Signature Style**

Additionally, at 3rd level, your style of fighting is radically unique and flashy. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Signature Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

#### Cestus

Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 damage, and when you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. Your unarmed strike damage increases to 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 15th level.

#### Dimachaerius

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier. This does not stack with the Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style.

#### Hoplomachus

You no longer suffer disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a target within 5 feet of you.

#### Retiarius

When you use a net, its short and long range are doubled, it's AC and DC are increased by your proficiency bonus, and it increases its hit points by an amount equal to your dark knight level.

#### Secutor

While wielding a shield, you can use your bonus action to shove a target. You cannot knock a target prone if you shove in this way.

### **Challenge**

Beginning at 6th level, you have been taught the ways of being both flashy and deadly in combat. As a bonus action, you challenge one creature within 30 feet of yourself to a duel, and it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw. On a failed saving throw, for 1 minute you and the creature are dueling. While dueling, you gain advantage on weapon attack rolls against that foe for the duration of the duel. You lose this benefit until the end of your next turn if an ally makes an attack against this foe. You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

### **Night's Edge**

Starting at 11th level, your weapon attacks are critical hits on attack rolls of 19 or 20.

### **Superior Challenge**

At 15th level, your dueling skills have improved to be deadly. When you deal damage to a creature you are dueling, you reroll all 1 or 2s on damage rolls, taking the new result unless it is a 1 or a 2.

## **Sigil of the Fiend**

Bearing the power of a fiend from either the Nine Hells or the Abyss, dark knights who have the sigil of the fiend command a powerful fiend to aid them as they fight. Sometimes called hell knights due to their infernal or abyssal companion, the sigil they possess typically has symbols relating to fire or pain on it, similarly to a cult's demon summoning pentagrams.

### **Lord of the Fiends**

Starting when you choose this sigil at 3rd level, you learn to use your dark magic to conjure up a powerful fiend from the nine hells or the abyss. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50 gp worth of rare oils and incenses, you call forth a fiend to serve you. This monster uses the statistics for your choice of either an ape or a panther but it has the fiend typing. When complete, your conjured fiend is summoned and gains all the benefits of your Fiend Servant ability. You can have only one conjured fiend at a time.

If your conjured fiend is ever slain, it returns to its plane of existence, and you can summon it back. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of a further 25 gp worth of material components, you recall your conjured fiend back to this plane. You do not need to possess any parts of your conjured fiend's previous body to do so.

If you use this ability to return a former conjured fiend to unlife while you have a current conjured fiend, your current fiend returns to its plane of existence and is replaced by the restored companion.

### **Fiend Servant**

Your conjured fiend gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you. The fiend obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your fiend acts on its own.

Your conjured fiend has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your fiend uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, a conjured fiend also adds its proficiency bonus to its damage rolls. The conjured fiend is immune to effects that would banish fiends, thanks to the strength of their connection to you.

Your conjured fiend gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws.

For each level you gain after 3rd, your fiend gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your fiend’s abilities also improve. Your fiend can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your fiend can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Your fiend shares your alignment, and you are free to determine its personality traits and flaws. Your fiend shares your ideal and its bond is always: "The knight who summoned me is my lord, and I would gladly die for them.”

### **Burning Bane**

Starting at 6th level, your conjured fiend gains your Dark Bane feature, except for it deals fire damage to itself instead of necrotic. This feature improves whenever your Dark Bane feature would improve, as well. Additionally, when you use Dark Bane, you can choose for it to deal fire damage instead of necrotic damage.

### **Demonic Promotion**

By 11th level, your conjured fiend has obtained enough power for you to promote it into a greater form. After a short or long rest, you can choose for your fiend to gain one of the following benefits, which you can change at the end of a short or long rest.

* Your conjured fiend gains demonic wings, giving it a flight speed equal to its walking speed.
* Your conjured fiend gains a thickened hide, increasing its armor class to 16 and making it resistant to fire and poison damage.
* Your conjured fiend can breathe flames from its mouth, as an action. This is treated as casting *burning hands* at 3rd level, using your Charisma modifier for its spellcasting ability. At the start of each of its turns after using it, it can roll a d6, regaining usage of the breath on a roll of 6.

### **Destroy for Master**

At 15th level, your attacks can surge your fiend into a more precise attack when on the same target. If your conjured fiend attacks the same creature you did during your previous turn, it has advantage on its attack roll.

## **Sigil of the Warden**

Using their own superior life force to protect their allies, a dark knight who bears the sigil of the warden becomes a living shield with enhanced reflexes. Pain to one who bears this sigil is only a temporary setback, seeing the lives of their allies as being superior to their own life. This sigil commonly has runes of protection adorning it, as well as crosses or shields to signify defense.

### **Intercept**

When you choose this sigil, at 3rd level, you are able to defend those around you. As a reaction to an allied creature within 30 feet of yourself being attacked, you move next to the ally without provoking opportunity attacks, and change the attack's target to be you.

### **Living Wall**

Beginning at 6th level, it is almost impossible for enemies to attack those behind you. Allied creatures within 5 feet of you are treated as having half cover, and if an effect that would force an allied creature within 5 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw also effects you, you can use your reaction to have the allied creature succeed on the saving throw.

### **Warden's Guard**

Starting at 11th level, as an action while within 5 feet of another creature, you can choose to protect that creature with all your might. That creature gains total cover, which lasts until you or the creature moves.

### **Reactive**

At 15th level, you can take one reaction on every turn of combat.

## **Multiclassing**

**Prerequisites.** To qualify for multiclassing into the Dark Knight class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13, Constitution 13

**Proficiencies.** When you multiclass into the Dark Knight class, you gain the following proficiencies: All armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons

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BATMAN!

((And also Oncie Was Here))