Knight of Mourne (5e Class)

## **The Knight of Mourne**

**NOTE: This is a class inspired by The Lich King from World of Warcraft.**

Freezing wind ravages a necromancer's fortress, as a powerful warrior walks through it. Expending and collecting runes, freezing and cutting through everything in his path, the warrior eventually reaches the necromancer. Before the necromancer can even react, he's already a popsicle of what he was before, as the warrior, a Knight of Mourne, has slain everything with ease.

Knights of Mourne are a special kind of warrior: They are permanently bonded to a blade of pure frost. The blade's name can be anything, but the first was named Frostmourne, hence the title Knight of **Mourne**. They expend runes as a class resource, and due to this, have no long rest limit, merely being able to fight until they've been depleted of all of their runes.

However, being a Knight of Mourne isn't all sunshines and rainbows. The blade is not truly on the user's side, rather, it wishes to take over the knight's body and soul. The Knight can either resist the blade's soothing requests to be given their soul, or they can give in, both sides obtaining different power depending on their option.

## **Playing a Knight of Mourne**

As a Knight of Mourne, you control the frozen winds, as well as your blade, freezing, slowing, and destroying all who oppose you and those you consider allies. You don't play by the regular rules of casts per rest; Instead, you expend magical runes on your frozen blade, which magically grow in amount as you level up. Rarely, you may find runes and equip them to your armor or something else, to increase the amount of uses you have, but they are rare.

## **Creating a Knight of Mourne**

### **Requirements**

**Alignment:** Any Lawful

**Starting Age:** Moderate

**Race:** Any. If the Race has any fire-based abilities or appearance, these are changed to Ice or ice-like counterparts, instead.

### **Class Features**

As a Knight of Mourne you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
**Hit Dice:** 1d12 per Knight of Mourne level

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

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

Proficiencies
**Armor:** Heavy Armor and Helmets

**Weapons:** The Hilt of Frost

**Tools:** One Gaming Set or Musical Instrument

**Saving Throws:** Strength, Wisdom

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

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

* (*a*) Hilt of the Frost
* (*a*) a Gaming Set or (*b*) a Musical Instrument
* (*a*) Ring Mail or (b) Chain Mail
* 6d6 (21) gold

### **Spells and Whatnot**

#### **Hilt of Frost**

Instead of starting off with any weapon, you begin with a Hilt of Frost. It is a sword's hilt and handle, without the blade, and if it gets 20 feet away from you, it teleports back into your hand. Touching any weapon with the hilt for 6 seconds causes it to be absorbed into the hilt, making a greatsword made of true ice appear. The greatsword has rune slots in it, with more being obtained as you level up, and it's damage and effects are equal to what it last absorbed. This does not include elemental damage, however. You can name the sword if you wish, and it deals 1d(your level) as extra Ice damage per attack.

##### **Regaining Runes**

Once a Rune is spent, they can be recovered in a few ways.

###### **Killing**

Slaying any creature, or helping slay, grants you 1d(creature's challenge level) Rune. If the challenge level is above 20, and you roll the maximum number on that die, you permanently gain one more rune slot.

###### **Resting**

A short rest restores 25% of your runes, while a long rest restores 50% runes. This is rounded up.

###### **Others**

If an effect of something would restore an ally's uses per day, spells, or anything of the sort, that restores your Runes.

#### **Walking Tundra**

Beginning at 1st Level, your touch and body is as cold as ice. You have resistance to Ice damage. Additionally, you can spend 1 Rune to make your next attack's Ice Damage granted by Hilt of Frost doubled.

#### **Impatient Slash**

Starting at 2nd level, for 2 Runes, you can move up to 10 ft. at the start or end of an enemy's turn, and attack the enemy regularly. This only deals 50% of the damage you roll, however.

At 7th level, you can move 15 ft., and this deals 100% of the damage you roll.

#### **Ice Bolt**

Beginning at 3rd level, for 1 Rune, you can cast the Evocation cantrip Fire Bolt, except for Fire damage is replaced with ice, and you cannot light an object on fire with this. You cannot make this spell AoE, or deal more damage, even if you gain features allowing you to.

#### **Ability Score Increase**

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.

#### **Frozen Whispers**

At 5th level, your blade begins to whisper to you, telling you of the great power you can achieve, if you give it your soul. Choosing to ignore or obey these whispers affects your features.

#### **Icy Root**

Starting at 6th level, for 3 Runes, you force a target to make a DC 10 + your Wisdom modifier Dexterity check. If the target fails the check, they are rooted until either they succeed the same check on the end of their turn, or until the end of your next turn.

#### **Ice Storm**

Beginning at 9th level, you can cast the 4th-level evocation, Ice Storm, for 4 Runes. For the purpose of the target's saving throw, use your Wisdom modifier as your spellcasting modifier. If you spend double the Runes, you can add 2d(your level) Ice damage to the attack.

#### **Bladeshatter**

Starting at 11th level, you can, for 5 Runes, break your sword on an enemy. This deals 150% the regular damage a normal attack does, and the icy shrapnel deals (1/2 your total Rune slots)d4 Ice damage to the target. Your blade will either regenerate from a successful DC 12 Wisdom check at the start of your next turn, or for 2 Runes instantly.

#### **Stinging Frost**

At 13th level, you can spend 8 Runes to inflict an enemy with Frost Plague. A target afflicted by Frost Plague has only half of their regular movement speed, and takes 1d(1/2 your level) + your Wisdom modifier damage each turn for 1d4+1 turns.

#### **Frozen Cocoon**

Starting at 14th level, you can either freeze yourself, an ally, or an enemy, costing 10 Runes, for 1d3+1/4 your Rune slots turns. The Cocoon has an AC of 15, an hp equal to half of your max, and fire vulnerability. If broken early, the target inside is freed.

##### **Freezing Yourself**

If you freeze yourself, you regenerate 1d20 hp per turn, and can break out of the cocoon at any time. Any passive effects, such as poisons or over-time spells still affect you, as long as it does not need to hit you through the cocoon.

##### **Freezing an Ally**

The same as freezing yourself, except for no hp regeneration from the cocoon.

##### **Freezing an Enemy**

If you freeze an enemy, they can only break free by succeeding in a DC 15 Strength check, which they can attempt on the start of each of their turns. If their body is exceptionally warm, such as being made of fire, this DC is lowered to 10. The target takes 1d15 Ice damage per turn, and if a 15 is rolled, it deals 30 damage instead of 15.

#### **Runesplode**

Beginning at 17th level, for double the Rune cost, you can cast any of your skills as an AoE, in a 20 ft. area. If a spell has an optional cost to increase it's effectiveness, (e.g. Ice Storm, though using it on that one would be stupid), you only double the original cost, and then add it (e.g. for Ice Storm, you would spend 4 Runes for the original spell, 4 more for the extra damage, and then another 4 more for Runesplode).

#### **Frozen Shadow**

At 18th level, for 12 Runes, you can make an Ice double of any target, which has 1/3 of it's current hp, and all of it's stats + features. If you clone yourself, they are under your control all the time. If they are an ally, you can either choose to give them control, or keep control for yourself. If they are an enemy (or an ally trying to gain control by force), you and the target must compete with Wisdom checks. Whoever rolls higher gets control of the double for that round. These doubles last until they are either killed, the cloned target is killed, or if 10 minutes pass. You cannot clone creatures that have a CR of 16 or higher. The double is vulnerable to all fire damage, no matter what it was before it was cloned. Any Fire damage the target could use is replaced with Ice damage, and any flames on them or that they're made of are a pale blue, cold fire, instead.

## **Frozen Whispers Archetypes**

The Archetypes for Knights of Mourne are based on if they listen to the whispers inside of their cursed blades, and affect their alignment and features.

### **Listening to the Blade**

If you choose to listen to the blade, then your alignment changes. If you were good, you are now neutral, and if you were neutral, you are now evil. At level 10, if you aren't evil yet, you're now evil.

#### **Architect of the Damned**

Starting at 5th level, for 5 Runes, you can turn any corpse you see into a Frozen Zombie version of itself. It lasts for 24 hours, and has half of its maximum hp, and all of its stats. However, it only carries over attacks that are non-magical, or require things to be physically hit. They are vulnerable to fire, and if they have any attacks using Fire damage, it now does Ice damage. At 10th level, they have 100% of their maximum hp.

#### **Designer of the Dead**

Beginning at 10th level, for 10 Runes, you can uses corpses like a sculptor would use marble or ice, and make abominations of your own ideal. You can make Frozen Flesh Golems, which are the same as a Flesh Golem is, however they only last for 48 hours, their attacks have an added damage of 1/2 your level as Ice damage, and they have vulnerability to fire damage.

#### **Whirlwind of Death**

At 15th level, you are constantly surrounded by a 15 ft. aura of frozen Necrotic energy. This deals 1/4 your level as Necrotic, or Ice, damage, per turn to any target that begins their turn in the whirlwind, that you don't choose to be protected. You choose if it deals Necrotic or Ice. At 20th level, any target you don't choose to be protected has a 10% chance of being stunned for a round while in the storm.

#### **W r a t h o f t h e L i c h K i n g**

At 20th level, you are considered Undead. You no longer need to breathe, sleep (aside from regaining runes), eat, and you no longer age. For 20 Runes, you can deal damage to one target equal to all of your max hp, + 2x all of your stat modifiers. This deals either Necrotic, or Ice, you choosing which type of damage to use. If this kills the target, you regain 10 Runes.

### **Ignoring the Blade**

If you choose to ignore the blade, your alignment doesn't change at all.

#### **Frost Dragon's Blood**

At 5th level, you can, for 3 Runes, use a Silver or White Dragonborn's Breath Weapon. If you happen to be a Dragonborn, of any kind, the damage on your regular Breath Weapon is doubled, and if you have fire damage for your Breath Weapon, it is changed to Ice.

#### **Constructed Dragon**

At 10th level, you can make an Ice Golem, shaped like a dragon. It has half of your hp, and your stats, as well as a White Dragon Wyrmling's Cold Breath. *Cold Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales an icy blast of hail in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 5d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.* The Constructed Dragon is considered a Construct, can't fly, and lasts for 24 hours.

#### **Runic Affinity**

At 15th level, you have 10 + your Wisdom modifier more Runes, permanently. Additionally, you can double the cost of any spell you cast, doubling the damage. (this does not include spells that already have a damage increasing cost)

#### **H a r k a j d i w e r M o u r n e**

At 20th level, you have fully overpowered the blade. It no longer whispers to you dark lies, and instead is 100% on your side. For 20 Runes, you can unleash an insanely powerful Cold Breath, dealing (1/4 your max hp)d(wisdom modifier) Ice damage, to all targets in a 30 ft cone that fail a DC 15 Dexterity check, with those succeeding taking half damage. Additionally, you can spend 30 Runes instead of 20 to change the d from 1/4 your max hp, to 1/2 your max hp.