Death Knight, Undead
Death Knight, Undead CR: 8
STR
20 +5
DEX
11 +0
CON
19 +4
INT
12 +1
WIS
14 +2
CHA
16 +3
Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the death knight must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the death knight ‘s Fear Aura for the next 24 hours.
Fighting Style (suggested).
A death knight retains the fighting style it had in its former life. Pick one of the two fighting styles:
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. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Spellcasting. The death knight is a 19th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following paladin spells prepared:
- 1st level (4 slots): command, compelled duel, searing smite
- 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, magic weapon
- 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, elemental weapon
- 4th level (3 slots): banishment, staggering smite
- 5th level (2 slots): destructive wave (necrotic)
Unholy Smite
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is of good alignment.
The death knight’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save 18, + 10 to hit with spell attacks).
The death knight can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, see invisibility, wall of ice
2/day: dispel magic
1/day each: power word blind, power word kill, power word stun, symbol (fear, pain)
Actions
Multiattack. The death knight makes three longsword attacks.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage.
Hellfire Orb (1/Day).
The death knight hurls a magical ball of fire that explodes at a point it can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Reactions
The death knight adds 6 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the death knight must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
A death knight’s deep, chilling voice seems to echo from the depths of a bottomless cavern. A death knight converses in the language it spoke in its former life, as well as up to six additional languages. Magic Resistance.
The death knight has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects and (suggested) if the Death Knight rolls a natural 20, then the spell is reflected against the caster.
Marshal Undead. Unless the death knight is incapacitated, it and undead creatures of its choice within 60 feet of it have advantage on saving throws against features that turn undead.
Power over Undead (suggested). The death knight can establish complete and permanent control over skeletons (medium humanoid), zombies (medium humanoid) and wights.
Comments