When you are raised you are bound to the Lich that raised you. If you are bound to a Lich you and the Lich gain these abilities:



You can form a bond with a Lich in one of two ways:

Being raised from the dead by one.

Meditating with the Lich for 2 days without interruption.

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt the ability to fight in a certain style. Choose one fighting style from the Paladin or Fighter fighting style lists. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Death Strike

If you knew the paladin feature Divine Smite you may no longer use it. Starting at 2nd level, 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 ld8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by ld8 if the target is a Celestial. The damage also increases by 1d8 if you know the Divine Smite paladin feature.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have become more attuned to Death itself and as a result have learned to use this attunement to cast spells. When you gain this feature you must pick either Warlock or Paladin. You gain the spell list of the class you chose.

See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the spell lists of Paladin and Warlock.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Death Knight table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your death knight spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of death knight spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the spell list that you chose at 2nd level. When you do so, choose a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your death knight level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 5th-level death knight, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of death knight spells requires time spent in deep thought and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your death knight spells. 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 death knight 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.

Turn Resistance

Starting at 3rd level, You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Life Siphon

Starting at 3rd level, Anytime you deal necrotic damage you may gain half of the necrotic damage dealt as Temporary Hit Points. This amount cannot exceed your total level * 3.

Death's Strength

Starting at 4th level, you gain the ability to expend one spell slot to increase one of your ability scores. The increase is 2 points for a first level spell slot, plus 1 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 4 points. This effect lasts until you take a short or long rest, at which point your ability score returns to normal. You can only do this once per short or long rest.

Extra Attack

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

Free Mind

When you advance to 5th level you become too powerful for a Lich to control. You may only be bound to a Demilich or a stronger lord of the undead. If you are bound to a Lich when you gain this feature, you are automatically freed of your binding if you choose to be and you cannot be bound against your will. You also gain the ability to raise death knights yourself, though you may only control one death knight at a time. You may do this by spending all of your spell slots for one day and gain one level of exhaustion to revive someone as a death knight. The person you are reviving may not have been dead for longer than one week.