Blackguard

A Blackguard is a paladin who pursues some dark ambition or serves an evil power. Typically selfish and power-hungry, Blackguards are usually knights sworn to the service of some fiendish or undead entity, though some hold no particular allegiance other than to themselves.

A Paladin may become a Blackguard after breaking some other Oath, or take the path directly upon reaching 3rd level.

Blackguard Spells

A Blackguard paladin loses any previously gained oath spells and instead gains the following Blackguard spells at the paladin levels listed.

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	hellish rebuke, inflict wounds
5th	darkness, ray of enfeeblement
9th	animate dead, bestow curse
13th	blight, confusion
17th	contagion, dominate person

Channel Divinity

A Blackguard paladin of 3rd level or higher gains the following two Channel Divinity options.

Control Undead. As an action, the paladin targets one undead creature he or she can see within 30 feet of him or her. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target must obey the paladin’s commands for the next 24 hours, or until the paladin uses this Channel Divinity option again. An undead whose challenge rating is equal to or greater than the paladin’s level is immune to this effect.

Dreadful Aspect. As an action, the paladin channels the darkest emotions and focuses them into a burst of magical menace. Each creature of the paladin’s choice within 30 feet of the paladin must make a Wisdom saving throw if it can see the paladin. On a failed save, the target is frightened of the paladin for 1 minute. If a creature frightened by this effect ends its turn more than 30 feet away from the paladin, it can attempt another Wisdom saving throw to end the effect on it.

Baleful Smite

Your Divine Smite and Improved Divine Smite abilities deal Necrotic damage instead of Radiant.

Unholy Servant

At 7th level, you learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn’t count against your number of spells known.

When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, quasit, or a medium humanoid skeleton. Your familiar is always considered a fiend or undead.

Your Unholy Servant has all the normal capabilities of a familiar as well as the following modifications:

• The Unholy Servant gains a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your CHA modifier.
• The servant gains a bonus to its total hit points equal to twice your paladin level.
• A skeleton servant has the same weapon and armor proficiencies as you do, and will use any such gear you give it.
• As a bonus action, you can command the servant to take the Attack action.
• The servant's weapon attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks.
• If the servant forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC.

Supernatural Resistance

At 15th level, the paladin gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.

Fiendish Champion

At 20th level, you can assume the form of a Fiendish Champion. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

• Leathery wings sprout from your back and grant you a flying speed of 60 feet.
• Your eyes glow red, and you gain Darkvision to 60ft. If you already possess Darkvision the range increases by 60ft. Either way this darkvision is in shades of red rather than gray.
• You emanate an aura of menace in a 30-foot radius. The first time any enemy creature enters the aura or starts its turn there during a battle, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. Attack rolls against the frightened creature have advantage.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.