Necrotic Knight

In the shadowed annals of forgotten lore, the Necrotic Knight emerges as an enigma steeped in both darkness and mastery over the macabre. These accursed warriors tread the perilous path of forbidden knowledge, fusing martial prowess with the arcane necromantic arts. 

Forged in the crucible of death's domain, a Necrotic Knight's genesis is a tale shrouded in mystique. To become one, an individual must undergo a harrowing ritual, a harrowing rite that transcends mortality. This undertaking requires the seeker to traverse cryptic realms, confronting the spirits of the departed and bargaining with eldritch entities that inhabit the boundary between life and death.

The chosen initiate, driven by an unquenchable thirst for power, delves into dark texts and ancient scrolls inscribed with incantations best left unread. The harrowing ritual itself demands a communion with the very essence of mortality's cessation – a confrontation with their own impending demise, a taste of the abyss that lies beyond. Through this, the aspiring Necrotic Knight forms a link with the spectral realm, tethering their existence to the ephemeral energy of death.

Emerging from this ordeal, the fledgling Necrotic Knight is irrevocably changed. Clad in obsidian armor adorned with sigils of anguish and decay, they bear a cursed weapon, a blade eternally thirsting for the life force of the living. The arcane symbiosis between their martial might and necromantic prowess empowers them to siphon vitality from foes, cloaking themselves in an aura of dread and enfeeblement.

As they journey deeper into the abyssal art, a Necrotic Knight gains the power to manipulate the very threads of life and death. They can cast spells that unravel the bonds of vitality, causing wounds to fester and enemies to wither before their gaze. At the pinnacle of their mastery, they may even transcend the limitations of flesh, assuming a spectral form that traverses barriers and inflicts spectral torment upon those unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Yet, with these profane powers comes a price – a price paid in eternal darkness. The line between savior and scourge blurs, as the Necrotic Knight grapples with the moral cost of their abilities. Will they wield their dominion over death for the greater good, or will they succumb to the seductive allure of unlimited power, forsaking their humanity in the process?

In realms where shadow and substance coalesce, the Necrotic Knight stands as a sentinel between realms, a figure feared and revered, an embodiment of the duality that haunts existence – life and death forever entwined in an ominous and mysterious dance.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the wizard spell list.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn an additional wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Necrotic Knight Spellcasting table is the same as a Wizards Spellcasting table. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the Necromancer, Conjuration and Evocation spells on the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Necrotic Knight Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an Necromancer, Conjuration or Evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an Necromancer, Conjuration or Evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spells leveling list = You spellcasting table follows the same as the Wizard

Embrace the Necrotic Arcanum

Upon embracing the mantle of the Necrotic Knight, you acquire the knowledge to master a cantrip from the Necromancy school of magic, chosen from any spell list. When harnessing this cantrip, your spellcasting ability becomes Intelligence.

Upon reaching the 3rd level, you unlock the arcane ritual that binds you to a weapon of your choosing. This ritual unfolds over the span of an hour, seamlessly woven into a short rest. Throughout the process, the weapon must remain within your reach until its culmination, whereupon you make physical contact with the weapon, solidifying the mystical connection.

Once you've established this bond, the weapon becomes an extension of your being, defying disarming unless you find yourself incapacitated. When residing on the same plane as you, the weapon can be summoned instantaneously to your hand as a bonus action during your turn.

Though the cosmos allow for two weapons to be bound to your essence, only one can be summoned at a time using your bonus action. Should you endeavor to forge a connection with a third weapon, the bond with one of your existing pair must be sundered.

Reapers Shroud

You can envelop your body with necromantic energy, protecting yourself from the harmful effects of the undeath and increasing the power of your attacks. As a bonus action, you can activate the Reaper's Shroud, granting you the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You have resistance to necrotic damage.
• Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can have the attack deal 1d6 extra necrotic damage to that creature.
• When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your fighter level.

You can use this feature 5 times and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Spectral Retinue

Spectral Retinue: At 7th level, your command over necromantic energies allows you to temporarily summon a group of spectral allies to aid you in battle. As an action, you can expend a use of your "Reaper's Shroud" ability to summon a group of 1d4+1 spectral warriors. These spectral allies last for 1 minute or until they are reduced to 0 hit points.

While the spectral warriors are present, you gain the following benefits:

• Spectral Guard: You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against area effects, and you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
• Ethereal Assault: Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, one of your spectral warriors can make an immediate melee attack against the same target. This attack deals necrotic damage equal to your fighter level.
• Deathly Presence: Creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses after a long rest.

Soul Reapers Grasp

At 10th level, your necromantic powers grant you dominion over the souls of the departed. You gain the ability to cast the spell "Speak with Dead" once per short rest without expending a spell slot. Additionally, when you cast "Speak with Dead" using this feature, you can ask up to five questions instead of the usual three.

Furthermore, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points using a necromancy spell, you can use your reaction to absorb a portion of its life force. You regain hit points equal to half the spell's level + your Constitution modifier.

Undying Conflux

At the pinnacle of your necromantic and martial mastery, a fusion of powers emerges as you gain the ability to cast the "animate undead" spell without components or a spell slot, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability. You regain this ability after a short rest. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a use of your Reaper's Shroud ability to empower the strike with necrotic energy, causing the target to also make a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on its next attack roll or saving throw before the start of your next turn.

Lich's Dominion

At 18th level, your command over the forces of death reaches its pinnacle. You gain the ability to cast the "Create Undead" spell without components or a spell slot. When you do so, you can create twice the normal number of undead creatures.

Furthermore, your necromantic spells that deal damage ignore resistance to necrotic damage and treat immunity to necrotic damage as resistance instead.

Additionally at the pinnacle of your necromantic journey, you achieve a state of minor lichdom, defying time and weaving the fabric of existence itself:

• You become immune to the effects of aging, whether caused by the passage of time or magical means but your soul must be put into an inanimate object called a phylactery and if this is destroyed you will lose this ability until you preform the ritual again.
• As a master of death and creation, you gain the ability to create a pocket dimension within an inanimate object of your choice. This dimension is a realm under your control, a sanctuary where you can rest, store items, and even communicate with others. This pocket dimension can be accessed by you and creatures you designate, providing a hidden sanctuary that transcends the confines of the material world.