Death Knight (Tanares)

The Death Knight, a wielder of death’s dark might, can be found in any world where the shadow of death looms over warriors. An inseparable part of life’s cycle, death holds a captivating allure for those who stand in its presence, be it by their own choice or by the fates.

This fearsome subclass can take on many forms: a fallen champion, a harbinger of evil, a warrior risen from the dead seeking retribution, or even a hero shrouded in mystery, harnessing a power feared by many for the greater good. Yet the Death Knight is not limited to just these archetypes. They can also be malevolent tyrants, leading an army of undead to conquer the lands, anti-heroes, wielding death’s power in their quest for redemption, or even servants of death gods, serving as their deity’s chosen instrument of destruction.

Regardless of their role, the Death Knight is a force to be reckoned with, for death holds no sway over their relentless pursuit of victory. With their inextricable connection to death and mastery of its power, the mere mention of a Death Knight’s name is enough to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, making them a formidable presence on any battlefield.

Death Touched

Starting at 3rd level, you have established a connection with the essence and power of death, granting you a suite of abilities that grow in strength as your connection deepens:
• Starting at 3rd level, when you use your Second Wind feature, you may spend up to two hit dice to recover hit points in addition to its other effects.
• Starting at 6th level, you only require half the normal amount of food, drink, and sleep for someone of your species. Additionally, you can hold your breath three times longer than normal and have advantage on saving throws and resistance to damage from inhaled gasses.
• Starting at 9th level, you become immune to diseases, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.
• Starting at 12th level, for every 3 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, increasing your lifespan.
• Starting at 15th level, you may cast speak with dead spell once, regaining its use after a short rest.
• Starting at 18th level, your hit point maximum can no longer be reduced in any way.
• At 20th level, you age even more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, and you become immune to magical aging.

Death Soul

You learn 3 Death Powers, which must be chosen from the Death Power List, and gain an additional one at levels 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th. Some Death Powers have specific level requirements, which are noted in their description.

When a Death Power requires a creature to make a saving throw against its effect, the DC is calculated as follows: Death Power save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

You have 2 Soul Points and gain an additional Soul Point at 10th level. One Soul Point is always spent when using a Death Power. You regain all of your Soul Points after taking a short or long rest. Additionally, you gain 1 Soul Point whenever an intelligent creature (Intelligence 3 or higher), excluding constructs, dies within 15 feet of you, by taking part of the energy released by its essence. However, the maximum number of Soul Points you can accumulate is equal to 1 plus your proficiency bonus and any Soul Points gained in this manner are lost after taking a short or long rest.

Creeping Darkness (Prerequisite: Ethereal Move)

When an ally within 60 feet of you suffers an attack, you may take a reaction and spend 1 Soul Point to teleport to an unoccupied space adjacent to them and take the attack in their place, gaining resistance to the damage from this attack.

Death Embrace

When you suffer cold, lightning, or necrotic damage, you may take a reaction and spend 1 Soul Point to gain resistance against the triggering damage. At 12th level, you may spend an extra 1 Soul Point to gain immunity against the triggering damage, rather than just resistance

Death Grip

You may use your bonus action and spend 1 Soul Point to conjure a hand of necrotic energy that reaches for a creature within 30 feet of you. This creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pulled to the nearest empty space close to you, provided that the path is clear.

Death Protection

When a creature’s attack hits you or an ally within 5 feet of you, you may take a reaction and spend 1 Soul Point to give an AC bonus to the target hit by the attack equal to your proficiency bonus against this attack.

Death Strike

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may spend 1 Soul Point to cause an extra 1d10 of necrotic damage to the creature. At 11th level, you may spend 2 Soul Points to cause an extra 2d10 of necrotic damage. You may only use this ability once per turn. If a creature dies in the same turn you hit it with a Death Strike, you gain 1d6 temporary hit points, but you can’t gain any Soul Point from that death.

Death Terror

You may use your bonus action and spend 1 Soul Point to attempt to frighten a creature that is adjacent to you. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the affected creature may make a saving throw to try to end the frightened condition.

Ethereal Move

You may use your bonus action and spend 1 Soul Point to automatically move 30 feet without spending your speed. During this movement, you move through the ethereal plane, so you do not provoke opportunity attacks, ignore difficult terrain, and can move through objects and creatures. You must end your movement in an unoccupied space, or be expelled to the nearest unoccupied space.

Fleeing Death

When another creature deals damage to you with a melee attack, you may take a reaction and spend 1 Soul Point to reduce the damage by 1d10. At 7th level, you may spend additional Soul Points to further reduce the damage taken. For each extra Soul Point spent with this Death Power, you reduce an additional 1d10 of the damage taken.

Grave Mist

You may use your bonus action and spend 1 Soul Point to summon an eerie mist. You affect a circular area with a 10-foot radius centered on you for 1 minute. Any creature that enters or is within this area must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is poisoned for the next minute. If the creature is no longer in the affected area, it may make another saving throw at the end of each of its turns to try to end the poisoned condition.

Life Drain

You can use your action to attempt to touch a living creature adjacent to you. To determine if your touch is successful, you must make an unarmed strike against the creature. On a hit, you deal 1d10 necrotic damage for each Soul Point spent on this Death Power, and regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Strangling Grip (Prerequisite: Death Grip)

When you declare the use of the Death Grip, you can use an action and spend an extra 1 Soul Point to impose the restrained condition on the target, in addition to the effects of Death Grip, if the target fails its saving throw. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the condition.

Terrifying Howl

You can use your action and spend 1 Soul Point to unleash a haunting howl that mimics the sound of death. Creatures of your choice that can hear you and are within 60 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is frightened of you for the next minute. A frightened creature must use all its movement to move away from you. The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect.

Undead Fortitude

When your hit points are reduced to 0 but you are not killed outright, you can spend 1 Soul Point and make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you remain at 1 hit point. The DC increases by 2 for each subsequent use of this ability before a long rest.

Undying Knight

As an action and by spending 1 Soul Point, you can spend up to 3 Hit Dice to regain hit points. Additionally, you regain an extra amount of hit points equal to half your Constitution bonus (rounded up) for each Hit Die used.

Unwearying Warrior

When you would suffer a level of exhaustion, you can spend 1 Soul Point and not suffer it, regardless of its origin.

Vision of the Afterlife

You can use a bonus action and spend 1 Soul Point to gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet until your next short or long rest. If you already have darkvision, this Death Power doubles its range. While active, you can concentrate using a bonus action to gain a glimpse of what is occurring in the Ethereal Plane for the next 10 minutes. After this time, Vision of the Afterlife ends.

Blessed By Death

Starting at 7th level, when you make a death saving throw, any roll of 3 or higher is considered a success. If you roll a 1, it counts as only one failure. Additionally, if you roll a 20, you regain hit points equal to your level instead of just 1. However, you still automatically fail death saving throws if you take damage while you are at 0 hit points. Additionally, as a bonus action, you can spend 1 Soul Point to regain up to 3 spent Hit Dice. You can use this additional effect once, regaining its use after a long rest.

Grim Reaper

At 10th level, you become a beacon for departing souls. When you harvest a Soul Point from a creature that has fallen to your attack, you also gain 1d12 temporary hit points.

Undead Master

At 15th level, your intimate bond with death allows you to command the undead. You may cause any undead creature within a radius of 120 feet, who can see you, to make a Wisdom saving throw against your Death Power save DC. If it fails, the undead creature perceives you as a leader and becomes friendly, obeying your instructions. Intelligent undead creatures (Int 5+), however, have advantage on this saving throw and can resist your commands if you cause them harm or act against their fundamental beliefs. These intelligent undead can repeat their saving throw every 24 hours, potentially breaking free from your control. After 48 hours without your presence, any undead will automatically break free from this effect. You can only control a number of undead equal to your class level at the same time.

Between Life and Death

At 18th level, you exist in the twilight zone between life and death. You don’t require food, drink, or sleep, and you cannot be affected by sleep effects or the frightened condition. Even though you don’t need sleep, taking a long rest still requires at least 4 hours of inactivity to rejuvenate your body and mind. During this period, you remain alert and do not need to be unconscious.