Death Knight

Fighters who want power above all else usually find themselves seeking to learn the ways of the Death Knight. A Death Knight thrives on the cusp of death, keeping it at bay and using it to increase their fighting prowess.

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 Death Knight Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. 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 abjuration and evocation spells on the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Death Knight Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or necromancy 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 abjuration 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

Death Knight Spellcasting

Pain is Power

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this Archetype you gain the ability to turn pain into power. Whenever you take damage the next time you hit a creature you deal an additional 1d4 damage, and you regain hit points equal to the amount of additional damage dealt.

When you reach 5th level in this class the additional damage increases to 1d6,  1d8 at 8th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 17th level.

Fight Through the Pain

When you reach 7th level in this class you gain resistance to all damage types except Radiant, Force, and Psychic damage when you are below 1/4 of your max hit points.

Dark Presence

When you reach 7th level in this class you are able to imbue fear in others more easily. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill, if you already have proficiency in this skill then pick one of the other Fighter skills. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when making an Intimidation skill check.

Transfer the Pain

Starting at 10th level you can imbue your strikes with the pain you have endured. If you have taken damage since your last turn you can deal additional damage equal to your fighter level against a creature you hit, and you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt with this attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and only  once per turn.

Death Mage

When you reach 15th level in this class you are able to channel your necrotic energies from your spells more efficiently. When you are concentrating on a necromancy spell you can use your action to activate the ability two times as part of that action instead of just once.

For Example, if you are concentrating on the spell Vampiric Touch, you can make two melee spell attacks with that spell as part of your action instead of only one.

Near Death Fury

When you reach 18th level in this class you gain the ability to leech nearby enemies. You can expend a use of your Action Surge feature to force any creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Those that failed the save take 4d10 + your fighter level necrotic damage, or half damage on a successful save, and you regain hit points equal to the total damage dealt.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.