Those who walk the path of the Wraith Knight fight alongside a "phantom warrior," a spirit that resides in a weapon and accompanies the fighter in battle. This phantom aids the fighter by taking control of the weapon to which they are linked, augmenting the fighter's attacks while their companion wields the weapon, or by contending with surrounding enemies as the fighter deals with another. Wraith Knights can communicate telepathically with their phantoms, allowing them to coordinate their attacks effectively as they fight in unison.

Tips on Roleplaying a Wraith Knight

If you and your DM decide to incorporate the wraith knight subclass into your campaign, don't worry about any strict rules or prerequisites for becoming a wraith knight outside of any multiclassing rules described in the Player's Handbook. Each wraith knight has his or her own origin and fighting style. You don't have to be a necromancer, or have a tragic backstory involving doom and gloom, or have your character go on an epic quest to find their phantom warrior - you can if you want, but it isn't necessary. The following questions and recommendations are here to help inspire you when fleshing out your character.

Origin: Why did you choose to walk this path?

Becoming a wraith knight is not an easy decision to make, unless you happen to be the reckless sort. Just as clerics devote themselves to a deity, paladins swear themselves to an oath, and warlocks forge pacts with otherworldly patrons, a wraith knight commits him or herself to a ghostly warrior, who travels with them for an often indeterminate amount of time. While your phantom warrior may not be as demanding as an archdevil or as strict as an oath or deity, they can still impact your daily life as much as they augment your fighting ability.

There are several reasons you may have become a wraith knight. Those reasons may be linked to one of your Ideals or Bonds. The following table lists some possible reasons you may have become a wraith knight; this table, along with others further down, is not a strict list you must follow, but rather suggestions to give you ideas on your motives.

d6	Origin
1	I found a sword buried in a tomb filled with undead skeletons. After fighting my way through the horde, the sword spoke to me, revealing itself as the spirit of a great warrior.
2	During a near-death experience in battle, I saw the ghosts of fallen warriors walking alongside me into the afterlife. When I returned to the world of the living, something came back with me.
3	I've always been known as a weakling to the people in my village. After learning of an artifact said to grant great power, I searched for it and found my prize. A spirit was bound to the artifact, and promised me strength and knowledge.
4	My loved ones were slaughtered by an old enemy. In the midst of my grief and anger, a spirit came to me, offering to help me enact my vengeance.
5	My family has been guided by a legendary warrior in our ancestry for generations. The time has come for me to learn from this warrior.
6	I seek lost knowledge of old fighting techniques to help improve my skills. Through research and exploration, I found a ghostly warrior who, after much convincing, has decided to mentor me.

 

Identity: Who, or what, is your phantom?

When you become a wraith knight, you can decide on the identity of your phantom warrior. It's recommended that you speak with your DM to help determine who this phantom is, so that you both have a good understanding of this companion.You don't have to create an entire backstory for this phantom, instead allowing your DM to create details about their previous life, which you might unravel as you progress through the campaign. If you'd like, you don't have to speak or directly interact with your phantom; it could be a silent ally, who only manifests when you choose.

Your phantom warrior could be related to your Bond. Perhaps the phantom was someone you knew in life, such as a family member or an old mentor. Maybe this phantom is a complete stranger, who you wish to learn more about - or who you wish would leave you alone. The following table lists some possible identities for your phantom warrior.

d6	Identity
1	A warrior who died dishonorably, and seeks redemption in battle
2	An ancestor who wants to see you prosper as a fighter
3	An infamous killer who wants to use you as an instrument for bloodshed
4	A sibling who perished in battle, who makes it their duty to protect you
5	A knight who was murdered after uncovering a terrible secret, and seeks justice through you
6	A heroic skald, who regales you with tales of their past exploits

 

Relationship: How do you and your phantom get along?

In combat, you and your phantom typically cooperate well enough to succeed in battle. When at rest, your interactions with your phantom warrior can be a reflection of this battle-forged bond, or a stark contrast to this union. Whether in or out of combat, how do you get along with your phantom? Are you equal partners, or does one consider the other a subordinate or master? Do you enjoy talking with them about your shared experiences? Do you ask many questions about your phantom's past life, or do you avoid talking about their history?

You can also consider how your fighting style may contrast or complement your phantom's. Perhaps you prefer fighting up close while your phantom strikes from a distance. You may be a patient and defensive combatant, while your phantom aggressively charges into battle, having no fear of risking a life it no longer has. The two of you may also share a fighting style, and prefer to work together as you wield the same weapon.

The following table offers some suggestions in regards to how you and your phantom perceive each other.

d6	Relationship
1	I find myself engrossed in the stories my phantom tells. I hope my exploits can live up to his tales.
2	My phantom is an overbearing teacher. I can fight perfectly fine without him yelling in my ear to widen my stance or change my grip.
3	I'm scared that my phantom's lust for blood will take me down a dark path. I hope I can teach him to calm his violent tendencies, or that I find a way to leave him for good.
4	I love my sister dearly, but seeing her spirit at my side constantly torments me. I just want her to move on.
5	I've learned so much from watching my phantom fight, and became a better person after talking with her each night. I don't know what I'd do without her.
6	My phantom is a means to an end. I'll go along with her schemes, so long as she gets me what I want.

 

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Phantom Bond

As part of a 1-hour ritual, which can be performed during a short rest, you can bind the phantom warrior to a weapon or shield of your choice. The item must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the item and bind the phantom to it. Once the weapon is bound to a phantom, it cannot be wielded by another creature, even if you are incapacitated, unless you allow it.

The phantom warrior can be bound to two light weapons, one shield and one weapon without the two-handed property, or one two-handed weapon. If you attempt to bind the phantom to another weapon in a way that would break these limits, the bond is broken with a previously bound item to accommodate the binding.

You can bind the phantom warrior to a ranged weapon, including one that uses ammunition such as a shortbow or a heavy crossbow. If you do so, the phantom produces its own ammunition, which disappears after it hits or misses a target. The phantom can still use ammunition that you or other creatures provide. If you bind the phantom to a weapon with the thrown property and throw it, you can cause the weapon to reappear in your hand immediately after the attack.

There are two ways you can fight with a phantom warrior: "equipped" or "separate." Fighting with the warrior "equipped" means you are equipping the weapon to which the phantom is bound. Fighting "separate" from the warrior means the weapon hovers away from you and makes attacks without your body controlling it.

As a bonus action, you can direct the phantom warrior to fight separate from you, causing the bound weapon to hover in a space within 15 feet from you. While separate, the weapon is always within 15 feet of you, and cannot go beyond this range unless you will it. You can order the weapon to move to any space within this range (no action required). If the weapon has the thrown property, it can be used to attack a creature beyond the 15-foot range, and reappears in its original position after the attack is made.

At 10th level, the range in which your phantom can fight separate from you increases to 30 feet.

Whenever you take the Attack action, you can forgo any of your attacks to have the warrior make an attack with the bound weapon instead, adding your own ability score modifiers and proficiency bonus as though you made the attack. Attacks made by your phantom benefit from any Fighting Style options you have adopted.

You can cause the weapon to reappear on your person at will (no action required). If you have any free hands, you can equip the weapon immediately.

Phantom Warrior

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, the spirit of a deceased warrior, called a "phantom warrior," fully manifests and proceeds to aid you in battle. There are 6 types of phantom warriors, each one granting you certain benefits based on the weapon to which it is bound. Some benefits remain while the spirit is bound to the weapon, while others rely on you wielding the weapon. Each phantom type is described at the end of this feature. Once you choose a phantom type, you can't change it to a different type later.

Each type of phantom requires you to have adopted a Fighting Style. The Fighting Style option you adopt does not have to be from the Fighter class: for example, you can still choose the Guardian Phantom if you learned the Protection fighting style from the paladin class, or the Phantom of Fury if you learned Two-Weapon Fighting as a ranger. Attacks made by you or your phantom benefit from any Fighting Styles you adopt.

Some phantoms have features and abilities which also force creatures to make saving throws. The save DC is determined as follows:

Phantom Warrior save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (choose one)

Choose one type of phantom warrior from the following:

The Breaker

Requirements: any melee weapon with the two-handed or versatile property; having the Great Weapon Fighting style

Your phantom skillfully wields two-handed weapons, using powerful swings to fell foes. Once per turn, when you or your phantom hits a creature with your bound weapon, you can use your bonus action to attempt to shove a creature, knocking them prone on a success.

Equipped: Once per turn when you take the Attack action to attack a creature, you can use your bonus action to make an additional attack against a creature within your weapon's reach. You do not add your ability modifier to the damage of this additional attack.
          At 7th level, you learn how to cause greater harm to an immobilized enemy. When you hit a grappled, prone, restrained, or incapacitated creature, you can reroll one of your weapon's damage dice and take either result.

The Duelist

Requirements: any melee Weapon that does not have the two-handed property; having the Dueling fighting style

Your phantom specializes with one-handed weapons, making them an adaptable and deadly force. Whenever you or your phantom attacks a target with your bound weapon, you can use your bonus action to make an additional attack with the weapon against the same target. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of this additional attack.

Equipped: Whenever a creature hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC, potentially causing the attack to miss.
          At 7th level, you can respond to a creature's strike with your own. If a creature misses you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against your attacker if they are within reach. If you use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC, as described earlier, you can make this attack as part of that reaction.

The Fury

Requirements: any two weapons with the light property; having the Two-Weapon Fighting style

Quick, brutal, and relentless, your phantom uses lightweight weapons to savage victims in an aggressive flurry. When fighting with your bound weapons, you and your phantom can each wield one of the two weapons and still benefit from attacking with them.

Whenever you or your phantom engages in Two-Weapon fighting by taking the Attack action with one bound weapon, you can use your bonus action to have the phantom attack with the second bound weapon. For example, suppose your bound weapons include a shortsword and a scimitar; you wield the shortsword and your phantom wields the scimitar. If you take the Attack action to attack with your shortsword, you can use your bonus action to have the phantom attack with the scimitar, and vice versa.

Equipped: You can apply a penalty to any attack rolls made with your bound weapons, up to a -3 penalty. If you hit, you gain a bonus to your damage roll equivalent to your penalty. For example, if you hit a creature after subtracting 2 from your attack roll, you deal an additional 2 damage as well.
          At 7th level, you can perform more reckless attacks, exposing yourself to danger while brutalizing your foes. You can give yourself advantage on all attacks made with any equipped bound weapons until the end of your turn. If you do so, creatures have advantage on attacks against you until the start of your next turn.

The Guardian

Requirements: any shield; having the Protection fighting style

Your phantom is a skilled defender, able to use a shield to effectively block blows and push back enemies. Your phantom cannot use the reaction offered by Protection option to apply disadvantage on attacks against you.

You and your phantom can make attacks with the shield, dealing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier on a hit. Magical shields are treated as magical weapons. On a hit, you can apply one of the following effects:
- You attempt to shove the creature, pushing them to a space up to 10 feet away from you on a success.
- You force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature can't take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Equipped: You gain a +1 bonus to your AC, as well as your Strength and Dexterity saving throws. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to position your shield between you and the threat, taking no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
          At 7th level, you are able to provide additional cover for your allies. Whenever you would provide an ally with half cover, you can instead grant them three-quarters cover. Additionally, if a creature makes an attack or forces a creature to make a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed as you attempt to protect the targeted creature. If you successfully interpose yourself between the creature and the attack or harmful effect, you provide the creature cover against the attack.

The Marksman

Requirements: any ranged weapon or weapon with the thrown property; having the Archery fighting style

Your phantom is an expert with ranged weaponry, taking down foes from afar with deadly accuracy. You benefit from the Archery option from your Fighting Style feature whenever you or your phantom attacks with a bound weapon.

You and your phantom ignore half cover and three-quarters cover when attacking with your bound weapon.

Equipped: You don't suffer disadvantage on ranged attacks, unless you are blinded or restrained.
          At 7th level, you learn how to throw and shoot more quickly, trading accuracy for speed. When you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with your bound weapon with two attacks with that weapon. You don't add your proficiency bonus to these two attacks.

The Sentry

Requirements: glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear; having the Great Weapon Fighting style

Well-practiced with the use of polearms, your phantom can contend with enemies at a distance, punishing foes who try to close in on you and your allies. Your bound weapon gains the reach property if it doesn't have it already. In addition, if a creature enters a space within reach of your bound weapon, you can use your reaction to attack the creature with that weapon.

Equipped: When you hit a Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of you, you can force the creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, you push the target up to 10 feet away from you.
          At 7th level, whenever you hit a creature of your size category or smaller, you can prevent that creature from entering any space within 5 feet of you until the start of your next turn. You can only apply this effect to one creature at a time.

Lessons from the Past

Starting at 7th level, you know how to apply the lessons and techniques you learned from your phantom warrior. This knowledge could be the result of your phantom tutoring you directly, from you listening to your phantom's tales, or simply from observing them in battle.

You gain proficiency in the History skill, if you don't already have it. In addition, you have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks to recall information on locations and battles your phantom has visited, as well as on any weapons to which your phantom can be bound.

You also gain an additional benefit from equipping your bound weapon, as shown in each phantom option in the Phantom Warrior feature.

Evolving Tactics

At 10th level, your and your phantom warrior's fighting styles begin to evolve, making you deadlier and more versatile fighters. You can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature, as well as a second Phantom Warrior option.

When benefiting from the secondary Phantom Warrior option, you only gain the benefits provided at 3rd level for that option.

Bloody Vessel

At 15th level, your phantom can possess the bodies of dead creatures to fight without relying on your commands. As an action, you can order your phantom to possess the corpse of a humanoid or a creature with humanoid features that is Medium or Small. To do so, your phantom weapon must be able to enter the space of the corpse, whereupon the weapon places itself into the creature's hands.

For the next hour, your phantom can control the body, and rolls its own initiative for combat. While occupying the body, the phantom gains the corpse's maximum hit points, Armor Class, and speed, and can move beyond the range specified in your Phantom Bond feature. The phantom can perform its own actions and bonus actions, and can make attacks as it normally would with your Phantom Bond feature; however, it does not gain access to any of the possessed creature's actions. When the phantom takes the Attack action, it can make two attacks with the bound weapon.

At the end of the duration, the phantom leaves the corpse, and cannot possess it again. The phantom can leave the corpse early if subjected to the dispel evil and good spell, if its hit points are reduced to 0, or if you will it (no action required).

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

Endless Battle

At 18th level, you develop a spiritual connection with your phantom warrior, causing your souls to intertwine. Whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, you can continue making attacks through your phantom warrior. For the next minute, your body enters the Border Ethereal, and you cannot be harmed or helped by attacks or effects outside of this realm, unless the attack or effect specifies otherwise, or unless you allow it to affect you.

While controlling your phantom warrior, you remain conscious of your and your phantom's surroundings. You can only take the Attack action, though you can still perform an Action Surge. You can move the phantom as you normally would with your Phantom Warrior feature, and the phantom cannot move beyond the range specified in that same feature.

You must continue rolling death saving throws, and you can still fail death saving throws as a result of taking damage. This feature ends early if you will it (no action required), you regain at least 1 hit point, or you die. When the feature ends, you exit the Border Ethereal and return to the space you originally occupied on the Material Plane, or to the nearest available space.

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