Oath of The Death Knight

The Oath of The Death Knight Binds a paladin to the servitude of a powerful necrotic force, such as a Lich, Vampire, or even The Raven Queen herself. Death Knights are often the highest tier warriors in their masters arsenal, and are bound to their servitude by a ritual that either turned the paladin with a curse of undeath. or raised them from the dead. Often Death Knights are raised dead paladins, that were in a past life enemies of their master, but have now been raised with no memory of their former self as a mockery of their previous deeds. The motives of many Death Nights is to spread and promote the influence of their master, and instill fear into their enemies. Often Death Knights are sent on important errands for their master, common examples being: Dealing with powerful rival necromancers, dealing with powerful threats to their master's seat of power, sending demands to rulers, and collecting powerful magical artifacts. 

 

TENETS OF DEVOTION

Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of The Death Knight vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.

All Fear Death. Instill fear of imminent demise into the weak and powerful of the world, those who rule over the living must always bow to those who rule over death, for death comes for us all.

Death Unending: Those who accept death will live forever, for death is the only inevitability.

Vanquish The Holy: Those who hide behind the power of immortal beings must be taught the harsh truth, none are safe from deaths withering gaze.

 

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of The Death Knight Spells

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.

Claim the Fallen. As an action you can claim dominion over the fallen creatures around you with unholy power. Within a 20 foot radius around you, any slain creatures that you can see of your choosing rise from the dead and serve you for 1d6 turns. All risen creatures get a movement and action on your turn, and as a bonus action you may give any number of them a command. The combined CR of the risen creatures cannot exceed half your Paladin Level. Additionally risen creatures only have half your Paladin Level d4 Hit Points, which cannot exceed half their maximum Hit Points, with a minimum of one. 

Dominate Undead. As an action, you may force any undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet, to roll a Wisdom Saving Throw. On a failure the undead creature is dominated for 1 minute. As a reaction on a dominated undead creature's turn, you can force them to either redirect their attack to another creature in range, or withhold their action. Additionally dominated undead creatures cannot attack you. 

Aura of Undeath

Starting at 7th level, you constantly emanate a ghostly aura of necrotic energy while you’re not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover.

If a creature dies while within the aura, their life energy is absorbed, granting you and your current undead servants 1d10 temporary hit points, divided in a way of your choosing, that last for 1 minute. Additionally no creature besides you can revive this creature magically.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Dead Thrall

Starting at 15th Level, your will over the negative energy of necromancy allows you to adopt your own undead servant. As a 1 hour ritual you may attempt raise the corpse of a dead creature with a CR not exceeding your Paladin Level, and the creature cannot be Gargantuant. The creature must make a Wisdom Saving Throw with advantage (They do not have advantage if they are equal to or less than half you Paladin Level, and they gain disadvantage if they are less equal too or less than one quarter of your Paladin Level.) On a failure the creature rises from the dead and becomes your undead servant until slain. 

Additionally while you have a Dead Thrall in your service you may add your charisma modifier to you and your Dead Thrall's attacks, dealing Necrotic Damage

You cannot have more than one Dead Thrall. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Unholy Avatar

at 20th level, you gain the ability to harness extraordinary necrotic energy. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of undeath, gaining the following benefits for one minute.

• You are immune to Diseases, Poison Damage, and Necrotic Damage.
• Whenever a creature starts its turn in your Aura of Undeath they take 10 Necrotic Damage.
• Whenever using an ability or spell that reanimates, revives, or dominates dead, or undead creatures, the CR maximum is doubled.