Black Knight

*A Black cloaked knight who controls the darkness. He influences his opponent's surroundings before slaying them with great force and accuracy. Black Knights are usually demons of exceptionally high caliber and skill, on par with the likes of the Divine Majin, Gideon, and Omega Sentinel.*

**Class Details**

Any dedicated martial scholar can join this prestige class.

**Hit Die:** d10

**Requirements**

To qualify to become a Black Knight, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:

**Base Attack Bonus**: +5.

**Feats:** Combat Expertise, Dodge, Skill Focus (any one Knowledge skill), Deva

**Skills**: Knowledge (any two) 4 ranks in each.

**Proficiency:** Must be proficient with two martial weapons.

**Special**: Must have made successful Knowledge checks against five distinct creatures prior to defeating them.

**Class Skills**

The Black Knight's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Int), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Martial Knowledge (Heavy blades) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Light Blades) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Axes, Flails, Clubs) (Int), Martial Knowledge (Monk/Close) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

**Skill Points at Each Level**: 6 + Int modifier.

**Class Features**

The following are class features of the Black Knight prestige class.

**Techniques Per Day (Ex)**

Black knights gain techniques per day as if they were leveling in their previous class at the levels indicated.

**Inheritance of Evil (Ex)**

You add the Black Knight Evilities to your list of class evilities.

**Darkness is My Ally (Ex)**

Add the following spells to your list of techniques that you can learn by spending mana and training as usual. You can only learn the techniques when you reach a level in which you can perform techniques of that level.

*1st:* Shadow Weapon

*2nd:* Darkness, Protective Penumbra, Blindness/Deafness (Only to cause Blindness)

*3rd:* Deeper Darkness

*4th:* Shadow Step, Shadow Projection, Shadow Conjuration

*5th:* Shadow Evocation

*6th:* Shadow Walk

*7th:* Shadow Conjuration (Greater), Power Word Blind

*8th:* Shadow Evocation (Greater)

*9th:* Shades, Polar Midnight

**Know Your Enemy (Ex)**

By taking the time to study her foes, the Black Knight gains insight into their weaknesses. As a move action, she may study a foe she can see and make a Knowledge check appropriate to the creature’s type (DC 10 + the target’s HD). Success grants her a +1 insight bonus against her enemy. This insight bonus may be applied to one of the following stances, chosen when the check is made:

*Martial stance*: Attack and damage rolls against the target. At 4th level, the student is treated as having the Critical Focus feat for the purpose of attacks against the studied foe.

*Defensive stance*: Armor Class and saving throws against the target’s attacks. At 6th level, the student is treated as having the Mobility feat when provoking attacks of opportunity from the studied foe.

*Tactical stance*: CMB and CMD when initiating or defending against bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip combat maneuvers. At 8th level, the student no longer provokes attacks of opportunity from a studied foe when attempting to bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, or trip that target; this does not affect attacks of opportunity made by any creature other than the studied foe.

A Black Knight may change her stance as a move action. The bonus lasts for 1 minute per class level or until the character uses this ability on another target. The bonus increases to +2 at 4th level and +3 at 7th level. At 7th level, the student can use this ability as a swift action rather than a move action.

The bonus granted by this ability increases by +2 if you are in an area of magical darkness when you use it.

**Black Knight Armor (Ex)**

At 2nd, 5th, and 8th level, a Black Knight gains and improves a suit of armor that is integrated into their own bodies. It like a warrior's weapon, is an extension of their will. You must purchase this armor, or simply expend a proper amount of hell when you reach this level to gain it.

While wearing this armor, it is considered to be medium armor for all purposes, the Black Knight reduces the armor check penalty by 1, increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by 1, and moves at full speed.

At 5th level, these adjustments increase to 2, and the spell failure chance lowers by 15%. In addition, you gain immunity to the vorpal enchantment. Furthermore you lessen damage dealt by called shots by one step.

At 8th level, these adjustments increase to 3, and the spell failure chance lowers to nothing. Finally, you can see in any kind of darkness, including magical darkness, and you gain a 20% miss chance while you are in an area of  magical darkness.

**Black Knight Plate**

These distinctive suits of armor are a special type of masterwork full plate that, when worn by a character with levels in the Black Knight prestige class, grants additional effects.

**Price** 2,000 hl **Armor Bonus** +9 **Max Dex** +2 **Armor Check Penalty (ACP)** –5 **Arcane Spell Failure Chance** 35% **Speed (30 ft.)** 20 ft.2 **Speed (20 ft.)** 15 ft.2 **Weight** 50 lbs.

*2''* When running in heavy armor, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.

**Mind Over Metal (Ex)**

A 2nd-level Black Knight is skilled at taking blows such that her armor or shield deflects them harmlessly. When using armor or a shield, she can use her Intelligence modifier in place of her Dexterity modifier for determining her Armor Class. The armor’s normal maximum Dexterity bonus still applies (limiting how much of the character’s Intelligence bonus she can apply to her AC).

**Anticipate (Ex)**

A 3rd-level Black Knight can anticipate her enemy’s moves. Once per day as an immediate action, she can ignore any damage and effects of a spell or ability she successfully saved against, such as the entangling effect of a *web* spell or the half damage from an *inflict serious wounds* spell. This ability has no effect against effects that do not allow saving throws (such as *darkness*, Difficulty Class (DC), etc.). This ability is usable one additional time per day at 10th level in this class.

**Discipline**

A 3rd-level Black Knight gains access to his first discipline.

At 6th level, the Black Knight gains a second discipline.

At 9th level, the Black Knight gains his third discipline

When applicable, the save DC to resist a discipline’s effect is equal to DC 10 + the Black Knight’s level + the Black Knight’s Charisma modifier. The Black Knight can use any one discipline a number of times per day equal to the total number of disciplines he has access to, so at 3rd level he may use his discipline once per day. At 6th level, he may use both disciplines twice per day each. At 9th level, he may use all three of his disciplines three times per day.

*Brand (Sp)*: The Black Knight can use *mark of justice* as a spell-like ability.

*Censor (Su)*: When the Black Knight uses Know your enemy on a creature, he can strike the creature mute for 1d4 rounds unless it makes a successful Will save. A mute creature cannot speak, nor can it cast spells that have verbal components or use language-dependent effects.

*Fearsomeness (Ex)*: A Black Knight who uses the Intimidate skill to cause a creature within 10 feet to become shaken can instead cause that creature to become frightened.

*Onslaught (Su)*: Once per day as a free action, a Black Knight increases his base speed by +10 feet and gains a +4 bonus to his Strength for 1 round. If the Black Knight is mounted, these bonuses also apply to his mount.

*Pentamic Faith (Ex)*: This ability allows the Black Knight to select one of the following domains: Artifice, Badass, Glory, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Nobility, Protection, Rune, Solitude, Strength, Travel, and War. The Black Knight gains all of the granted powers (but not domain spells) of that domain, treating his Black Knight levels as Cleric levels to determine what domain abilities he has access to.

*Shackle (Su)*: When the Black Knight uses Know your Enemy on a creature, he can impede its mobility. The creature can negate this effect with a Will save; otherwise, it is affected as if by a *slow* spell for 1d4 rounds.

*Summon Shadow (Sp)*: The Black Knight may use *summon monster V* as a spell-like ability to summon 1 ghost monster class creature at 5th level.

At 6th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by *summon monster VI*, allowing him to summon 1d3 Ghost monster class creatures at 5th level, or 1 level 8 Death shinigami.

At 9th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by *summon monster VII*, allowing him to summon 1d4+1 ghost monster class creatures at 5th level, 1d3 level 8 death shinigami, or 1 level 12 Shinigami.

*Tracker (Sp)*: The Black Knight can summon a creature to aid him, either in battle or to track an enemy, as if using a *summon monster* spell, save that the summoned creature lingers for 1 hour before vanishing. With this you can summon either a 3rd level Mystic Beast, a Moth Man, a Roc, or a Nekomata.

A 6th-level Black Knight can summon a 6th level version of one of those creatures.

A 9th-level Black Knight can instead opt to summon a 9th level version of one of those creatures.

*Vigilance (Su)*: The Black Knight gains low-light vision (this effect is constant). In addition, as a full-round action, the Black Knight can see through up to 5 feet of stone, wood, or similar barriers as if they didn’t exist. Metal or denser barriers block this effect. Each use of this ability lasts as long as the Black Knight concentrates, up to a number of rounds equal to the Black Knight’s level.

*Wrack (Su)*: The Black Knight may make a touch attack as a standard action to cause a creature to suffer incredible pain. The creature touched takes 1d6 points of damage + the Black Knight’s Charisma modifier, and must make a Will save to avoid being staggered for 1d4 rounds.

**Telling Blow (Ex)**

At 6th level, a Black Knight can aim her blows at the weakest point in a studied foe’s defense, ignoring up to 1 point of damage reduction. This increases by 1 point for every 2 levels you possess in this class (To a max of 5 DR). This ability cannot be used against creatures that are immune to critical hits or otherwise lack discernible weak points. This ability stacks with the Penetrating Strike feat.

**Nemesis (Su)**

At 9th level, a Black Knight can focus upon a held weapon as a swift action, rendering it anathema to her studied creature. The weapon gains the *bane* property against the creature for 1 minute, or until the Black Knight uses know your enemy against a different foe. Nemesis is usable once per day as well as an additional time per day for every 3 levels you possess. This stacks with the Mid Boss feat, or the bane ability of an inquisitor.

**Deadly Blow (Su)**

At 10th level, the student’s awareness of her studied foe allows her to find weak spots where none should exist. A Black Knight who uses her know your enemy ability and beats the Knowledge check DC by 10 or more may ignore the target’s natural damage reduction and immunity to critical hits and sneak attacks. This does not apply to immunities granted by spells, environmental effects, or equipment.