Masters of Mortality: The Death Knight An orc in bloody mail grins, shouting fierce warcries in the midst of battle. He clubs one ogre with the mace in his right hand before dancing to its companion in a flurry of whirling metal. His second mace lashes out, cracking the creature’s skull, and the resulting blood spray invigorates him. A worgen faces a goblin horde, quickly inscribing rime-covered runes into the cavern’s chokepoint. As the creatures approach, howling winds trigger all around them, freezing them in place and sending them scurrying for cover from the frosty blast. A Forsaken in heavy plate armor strides into melee, necrotic energy deflecting projectiles and lessening the strongest blows. He mutters an incantation and spectral hands reach out to hinder his opponents, leaving an opening for his black blade to find purchase. Bone and Battle Death knights are primarily melee warriors who can wear heavy armor and call on the powers of death and decay to augment their might through inscribing mystical runes. The unholy counterparts of paladins, death knights can be frequently found as guardians of death cults or keeping vigil over graveyards. Although death knights are grim figures, they are not necessarily evil ones. Some use necromantic energies to create undead servants, but others believe it more fitting of their duty to fight for the Alliance or Horde to ensure the dead are treated with proper care and consideration. Playing a Death Knight Death knights mix high survivability and strong melee combat with a small measure of spellcasting through their Hand of Death and Runic Power features. Early on, Consumption helps you stick through the toughest of fights at the cose of Hit Dice, while Runic Power provides destructive spells or magical utility. Although the class features related to your death knight presence do not arrive until 3rd level, you should plan ahead for what you want your primary combat options to be. Do you want increased mobility and rewards for chaining attacks from Blood Presence? Would you prefer to focus on utility and area control options from Frost Presence? Do you like a more fortified style, forcing opponents to push through your defenses to get to your allies with Unholy Presence? Your choice of rune preparation can also strongly affect your role in battle. Quick Build You can make a death knight quickly by following these suggestions. Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom should be your highest score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons, finesse weapons, or spell strength. Constitution should be your next highest ability score. Second, choose the acolyte background. Class Features Hit Points Hit Dice : 1d10

: 1d10 Hit Points at 1st Level : 10 + your Constitution modifier

: 10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per death knight level after 1st Proficiencies Armor : All armor, shields

: All armor, shields Weapons : Simple weapons, martial melee weapons

: Simple weapons, martial melee weapons Tools: None Saving Throws : Strength, Wisdom

: Strength, Wisdom Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Religion Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) chain mail or (b) leather armor

(a) a martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons

(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) five javelins

(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

The Death Knight Level Proficiency Bonus Features Rune Slots Runes Known 1st +2 Consumption, Hand of Death ─ ─ 2nd +2 Runic Power, Fighting Style 2 2 3rd +2 Death Knight Presence, Runeforging 2 3 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 2 3 5th +3 Extra Attack 3 4 6th +3 Will of Ner'zhul 3 4 7th +3 Presence feature 3 5 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 3 5 9th +4 ─ 4 6 10th +4 The Lich King's Favor 4 6 11th +4 Presence feature 4 7 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 4 7 13th +5 ─ 5 8 14th +5 Runic Surge 5 8 15th +5 Pallid Servant 5 9 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 9 17th +6 ─ 6 10 18th +6 Presence feature 6 10 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 6 11 20th +6 Hand of the Lich King 6 12 Consumption Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can spend 1 Hit Die as a bonus action. Hand of Death You learn the chill touch and death grip (listed below) cantrips. You may choose either Dexterity or Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for these cantrips, but once you make this choice it can never be changed. Runic Empowerment Beginning at 2nd level, you gain access to a special form of magic. With the inscription of special runes ahead of time, you can harness unholy ley energies to support yourself and your allies. Activating an inscribed rune requires an action unless otherwise indicated. You can activate a number of inscribed runes as indicated on the class table. You regain all expended rune slots after finishing a long rest. If a rune requires a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. You can learn a number of runes as indicated on the class table. Each time you gain a death knight level, you can choose to swap one known rune for one you currently do not know. You must meet all listed pre-requisites to learn a particular rune. You have access to three types of runes: icons, seals, and glyphs. Icons have offensive effects on creatures, seals provide defensive protection to creatures, and glyphs must be inscribed on objects to take effect. You can prepare a number of runes equal to the number of rune slots you possess. You can prepare runes for later activation whenever you take a short or long rest. Inscribing runes typically requires some sort of writing mechanism, whether ink, blood, or carving the runes into a material surface. Some death knights will even tattoo runic marks on their bodies, adding a bit of ink to finish preparing these designs shortly before they think they will need them. Both icons and seals generally trigger as an action on an adjacent creature. Glyphs can be triggered either as an action if you are within 5 feet or have used an action to set it as a proximity trigger. If triggered in this way, the rune slot is considered expended as soon as you set the trigger, and the next creature that approaches within 5 feet during the next hour will cause it to take effect.

Fighting Style Beginning at 2nd level, you gain one of the following Fighting Style options: Defense, Great Weapon Fighting, or Two-Weapon Fighting. Death Knight Presence When you reach 3rd level, you have learned to focus your power more narrowly, gaining greater mastery of some particular aspect of undeath. You choose from the Blood, Frost, or Unholy presences. All of these are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. Runeforging Also when you reach 3rd level, you learn the secrets of empowering weapons with small runic blessings. When you finish a short or long rest, you can choose one of the following features to add to a single weapon of your choice: Death Strike: You have one of the weapon's damage dice deal necrotic damage. This option requires a weapon with multiple damage dice.

Frost Strike: You have one of the weapon's damage dice deal frost damage. This option requires a weapon with multiple damage dice.

Plague Strike: You can replace one of the weapon's damage dice to deal poison damage. Ability Score Improvement Beginning at 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2 or increase two of your ability scores of your choice by 1. 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. Will of Ner'zhul Beginning at 6th level, you gain advantage on saving throws made to avoid becoming charmed or frightened. The Lich King's Favor At 10th level, you gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage, and your hit point maximum can never be reduced. Runic Surge At 14th level, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier whenever you expend a rune slot. Pallid Servant At 15th level, you become almost perfectly sustained by your powers. You can no longer be magically aged, suffer no penalties for old age, and do not require food and water to survive. Hand of the Lich King At 20th level, you achieve the pinnacle of undying perfection. If you die, the necromantic energies that fuel your powers will restore you to life 1 minute after your death. You resurrect with one-half your maximum hit points but not any runes you still had available. Once you are brought back with this feature, you must wait until 7 days have passed before you can use it again. ------------- Death Knight Presences Blood ------------- Death knights who take this presence draw blood from their foes, gaining vigor as lives around them ebb. These death knights usually make heavy use of iconic runes, overwhelming enemies in a tide of blade and blood. Heartbreaker Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this presence, you can intensify the pain a target feels when you strike them. You expend this feature as part of a melee weapon attack, forcing your target to make a Constitution saving throw against your death knight rune save DC. On a failure, successful weapon attacks you make against that target within the next 1 minute deal additional weapon damage equal to the number of rune slots you possess. Once you have used this feature, you must wait until you have finished a short or long rest or expend a prepared rune slot to use it again. Blooddrinker Beginning at 7th level, you have learned to use the blood of your enemies for inspiration. Whenever you make a successful weapon attack, you gain temporary hit points for 1 round equal to your Wisdom modifier. Additionally, you can track bleeding creatures, gaining advantage on Perception or Survival checks to detect wounded creatures you are trying to follow. Blood Frenzy Beginning at 11th level, you become adept at using multiple strikes to tear the flesh from your foes. When you hit a creature you have already damaged on your turn with a melee weapon attack, you deal an additional 2d8 weapon damage. Whenever you deal this extra damage, you can immediately move up to 10 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Tremble Before Me At 18th level, you are a true master of the battlefield. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend a rune slot. Your attack deals 2d8 additional weapon damage for each successful melee weapon attack you made against that creature since the beginning of your previous turn. This additional weapon damage stacks with the weapon damage from your Blood Frenzy feature. If this attack reduces the creature to 0 hit points, all enemy creatures within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your death knight rune save DC. On a failure, they are frightened of you for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Frost Death knights of this presence draw on the icy hand of undeath to freeze the air around them. These death knights prefer glyphic runes and make the environment their ally. Freezing Fog Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this presence, you can use your action to chill the air around you, freezing all surfaces within a 20-foot radius for a number of minutes equal to the number of rune slots you possess. The resulting ice causes all terrain within 20 feet of you to be considered difficult terrain for creatures other than yourself. Any creature killed by cold damage during this duration becomes a frozen statue until it thaws. This feature has no effect in unusually hot environments other than making the temperature tolerable for the effect’s duration. Once you have used this feature, you must wait until you have finished a short or long rest or expend a prepared rune slot to use it again. Howling Blast Beginning at 7th level, you can wield the winds to punish those who strike you. When you are struck by a weapon attack by a creature within 60 feet of you that you can perceive, you may use your reaction to send a gust of wind at them. The creature must make a Strength saving throw against your death knight rune save DC or suffer bludgeoning damage equal to your death knight level and be pushed 20 feet away in a straight line (half damage on a successful save). A creature of a size category larger than you has advantage on this saving throw. This gust of wind puts out candles, torches, and other unprotected flames between you and your target and has a 50 percent chance to extinguish protected flames in the same area. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses. Shattering Strikes Beginning at 11th level, you can infuse your weapons with a crippling chill. Whenever you strike a creature with a melee weapon attack, you reduce its current walking speed by 10 feet for 1 round. Additionally, if you strike a creature whose speed is reduced by this feature with a melee weapon attack, you deal an additional 2d8 cold damage to that creature. Frozen Tomb Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to expend a rune slot and encase a foe in solid ice, petrifying the creature and giving it immunity to damage. At the end of your next turn, the ice shatters, dealing 10d10 cold damage and leaving it slowed for 1 round as if by your Hand of Winter feature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Unholy Death knights in this presence increase their implacability by tapping into the necromantic energies that animate all undead. These death knights often focus their magic on sealing runes, knowing that the living who cannot break their defenses must break first. Unholy Endurance Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this presence, you can use your action to gain 5 temporary hit points for each rune slot you possess. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 hour. While you possess any of these temporary hit points, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws and ability checks. Once you have used this feature, you must wait until you have finished a short or long rest or expend a prepared rune slot to use it again. Profane Mettle Beginning at 7th level, you can call on a reservoir of necromantic power to shake off certain effects unharmed. When you are subject to an effect that allows you to make a Strength or Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw and only half damage if you fail. This feature ceases to function if you are incapacitated. Necrosis Beginning at 11th level, you can hinder opponents who strike you with a reactive poison, making them more vulnerable to your blows. If an adjacent opponent deals damage to you with a weapon attack, you may use your reaction to poison them, lowering their defenses with a virulent plague. You have advantage on the first attack you make against that creature on your next turn, and if you hit with this attack you deal an extra 2d8 necrotic damage as their blood rots and boils. Anti-Magic Shell Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to fortify yourself with magic, giving yourself resistance to all damage for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest or expend a prepared rune slot to use it again.

Death Knight Runes The following runes are available for death knights to prepare. Glyphs require concentration to maintain their full duration unless otherwise indicated. Glyph of Anti-Life Shell When this glyph is prepared, choose to channel unholy energy. A barrier of necrotic energy springs up in a sphere with a radius of 20 feet. Creatures other than you and unattended objects that move through the barrier receive 1d6 necrotic damage per rune slot you possess and cannot regain hit points on their next turn. The sphere lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it as an action. Glyph of the Bladebreaker A number of friendly creatures within 30 feet of the glyph equal to the number of rune slots you possess gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons for 1 minute. Glyph of the Gale A howling wind sweeps out from the glyph, chilling creatures other than you within a 20-foot cube. Creatures must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 cold damage for each rune slot you possess and have their speed reduced by 10 feet until the beginning of your next turn. Affected creatures take only half damage on a successful saving throw and are not slowed. Glyph of Gloom When this glyph activates, an eerie fog spreads in a sphere with a radius of 20 feet for each rune slot you possess. This fog spreads around corners and causes the area to be heavily obscured for the next hour. A wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) can suppress the fog’s effects as long as it blows. Icon of the Banshee's Kiss You can attempt to charm a number of humanoid creatures within 30 feet equal to the number of rune slots you possess. Affected creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw and have advantage if you or your companions are fighting them. If they fail, they are charmed by you up to 1 hour or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. Charmed creatures regard you as a friendly acquaintance, but when the effect ends creatures know that they have been charmed by you. Icon of Chains You conjure bonds of spectral force to immobilize your foes. A number of adjacent creatures up to the number of rune slots you possess must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained for up to 1 minute. A creature so restrained can use its action to repeat the saving throw and free itself. Icon of Illness Make a melee attack roll against an adjacent creature. If successful, you deal 1d12 poison damage for each rune slot you possess, and the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is poisoned for 1 round per rune slot you possess. Icon of Shadow Infusion Make a ranged spell attack against one creature within 60 feet. On a hit, the creature takes 1d8 necrotic damage per rune slot you possess, and the next few attack rolls made against this creature (equal to the number of rune slots you possess) before the end of your next turn have advantage. Icon of the San'layn Make a melee attack roll against an adjacent creature. If successful, you deal 1d12 necrotic damage for each rune slot you possess and gain temporary hit points for 1 minute equal to half the damage dealt. This rune has no effect on undead or constructs. Seal of Bone Shielding A number of friendly creatures you touch equal to the number of rune slots you possess gain a +2 bonus to AC for up to 1 minute. Seal of Eruption As a reaction, you can expend this seal when damaged by a creature within 60 feet of you and force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. The creature takes 1d12 poison damage per rune slot you possess or half as much damage on a successful saving throw. Seal of Lifelink You and an adjacent friendly creature create a mystical bond between you that lasts up to 1 hour for each rune slot you possess. While your ally is within 60 feet of you, it has resistance to damage, and when it takes damage you take the same amount. The effect ends if you drop to 0 hit points, if you and your ally become separated by more than 60 feet, if the rune is cast again on either you or your ally, or you dismiss the effect as an action. Seal of the Silent Tomb For a number of minutes equal to the number of rune slots you possess, no sound can be created within or pass through a 20-foot radius sphere centered on you. Creatures or objects entirely inside the sphere are immune to thunder damage, and creatures are deafened while entirely within it. Casting a spell that includes a verbal component is impossible there. This seal requires concentration to maintain. Seal of the Wraithwalker You or an adjacent ally gains a +10-foot bonus to your current walking speed. This bonus lasts for a number of hours equal to the number of rune slots you possess. Glyph of Consultation Pre-requisites: 3 rune slots This glyph duplicates the effects of a speak with dead spell, pouring a small amount of necromantic energy into a chosen corpse for interrogation.