Again, I apologize for the criminally corny title. I can't help it. Pitty me.
My group has been looking for a good "dark knight" base class for some time. We were hoping one would make an appearance in the PHB II, but we had no such luck.
I have no subscription to Dragon, don't own Heroes of Horror, and am not interested in going out to buy something when I can make the class myself with a little help from my friends.
However, I am having a tough time with ideas. We're looking for an anti-paladin type settup, but not a PrC like the Blackguard, and not just a paladin with all the abilities inverted to "evil." That's too easy.
The only thing we have right now is that we want a spells per day/spell advancement similar to a paladin/blackguard, and a "smite"-ish ability that works with negative energy, thus healing undead and harming living foes, and not alignment-based at all.
I thought about adding an augmented critical ability to represent its ferocity, but increasing the threat range and multiplier is a) more of a fighter's area, b) (while powerful) boring and bland, and c) of questionable game balance.
Other thoughts in my mind included a more powerful Sundering attack (since Improved Sunder is a requirement for Blackguard, and thus seems to be somewhat keyed toward "savage" and "evil"), and a special mount (Undead? Fiendish? A nightmare?), with abilities that would stack/be augmented by levels in Blackguard (possibly with some special rules, such as the benefits granted to fallen paladins, but keyed towards stacking the fiendish servant with this class's mount).
We're wanting to shoot for a warrior-type thing here (again, like a paladin, but not just an inversion).
Unfortunately, I'm having trouble thinking of more. I've got few skills for their list in mind, either, other than Intimidate and Bluff.
Help?
It depends. Are you looking for a Lawful Evil, antipaladin with a twisted code of conduct? If so, I have some ideas.
First, develop a code of conduct for this antipaladin. For example:
No Mercy for Foes
Power at any costs
Law is a weapon
Bravery in combat
Victory at all costs, etc.
After fomulating a sort of code of conduct for him, you get his lawful bent. He follows order, but he sues it as a weapon to achieve his evil goals. When you get this conduct, work backwards to fit the rules. For example:
No Mercy: Increase effectiveness of coup de grace, maybe add a sneak attack variant.
Power at all costs: Skills like bluff and intimidate. maybe a circumstance bonus or an extraorinary ability to browbeat others.
Law as a weapon: Maybe weaposn become lawful, smites chaos, etc.
Bravery: Immunities to fear?
Other abilities to supplement this: a spell list that buffs him, hurts others, maybe add poison use. A fear aura.Maybe instead of rebuking undead, he can draw energy off of them. Easier access to Blackguard class. Instead of a mount, maybe a fiendish servant, or just a evil mount.
These are just a bunch of ideas I'm throwing out at random, but it gives a way to figure out how to do the class. I'd say begin with a code to determine behavior, and then configure it accordingly once you get the drift.
Well, I was originally hesitant to key the class to an alignment, as the blackguard isn't, but if I keep to that focusless (is that even a real word?) aim, it might be better to just expand the blackguard into a full class, which I don't want, so the code might not be a bad idea.
As far as the paladin of tyranny, that seems more like what I was trying to avoid, which is just inverting everything a paladin gets.
Another thought- at high levels, perhaps add Negative Energy Affinity? This makes negative energy heal instead of harm a creature, but I don't remember if positive energy then becomes harmful or not....
Saern, the Unearthed Arcana (pages 53-55) has paladin variants, for LE (paladin of tyranny), CE (paladin of slaughter), and CG (paladin of freedom).
If you don't have that book, check it out here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#palad inVariantsFreedomSlaughterAndTyranny
Thats why I didn't refer you to that title. They are pretty much EXACTLY a paladin, with evil stuff. Same thing.
Also, you will probably definitely have to key it to an alignment because that helps define a "dark knight."
I apologize- I meant, I didn't want to tie it to lawful vs. chaotic. I think I've come up with a more focused idea now- The Doomknight will be oriented around destructive abilities.
A low level ability will be an aura that imposes a penalty on the saves of surrounding enemies (say, 30 ft?). At later levels, he will gain another aura (he can only have one aura at a time) which will operate like a dragon's fear aura. Maybe an ability gained at high levels will give him an immolation aura? A small amount of fire damage per round to everything (Or should he be able to target foes and spare friends? Probably not) within 10 feet sounds good. Maybe at, oh, 15th level or so? 1d6? 1d8?
There will be an ability similar to a paladin's lay on hands, but using negative energy (although the Doomknight can use it to heal himself, but no one else) and ranged (and thus, requiring a save).
At 20th level, I'm envisioning an ability protonymically being called "apocalypse," which will be useable once per day, and will be like a combined Earthquake and Firestorm spell.
There will also be a fiendish or undead mount, or some such, which will have special benefits if stacked with a blackguard's equivalent ability. They will also have access to a small pool of spells, mainly those of the blackguard. Perhaps also a few more destructive abilities- Fireball as a 4th level spell? This spellcasting would be divine in origin.
Another possibility would be granting them Improved Sunder as a bonus feat, which would make it easier for them to gain access to Blackguard and appeal to that destructive aspect. Perhaps later levels also give the ability to overcome some amount of hardness?
I'm not thinking of giving them a sneak attack right now, as the blackguard already gets that, and it's not the concept I have envisioned; although not honor bound, the Doomknight is more straigtforward in its havoc wreaking.
All right, I have worked up the class in an official style, and am submitting it here to see what you all think about it. I'm rather proud of the design myself, but am curious as to the play balance. There are some abilities that are powerful, and I want to make sure they aren't too good- namely, should Fell Bolt's uses per day be trimmed down?
Well, I had the whole level progression thing laid out like in the PHB, but it got weird when I copy and pasted. It has full base attack bonus, good fortitude saves, and follows spells per day exactly like a paladin. I think everything else is outlined below. Enjoy!
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Doomknights are dark warriors in the service of evil deities of destruction. They are living embodiments of hatred, spite, and evil. They care nothing for their own lives, gladly throwing their existences away for a chance to spread as much horror as possible in the time they plague the world. They feed on their own fatalistic determination to see the world brought to ruin as much as they relish the pain and agony in others that they cause.
Blackguards are typically characters who started their lives with some other calling, and not necessarily one of evil. Only later did they feel the temptation of evil and go down their accursed path. Unlike blackguards, doomknights have almost always felt a calling towards darkness and death. They gain access to mystical powers like a cleric, but have the martial capabilities of a warrior. Many consider them anti-paladins, as they are almost the exact antithesis of the holy warriors.
Most doomknights worship Erythnul, although there are a good number of them in the service of deities such as Nerull, and even a few feel the lure of a more calculated evil, such as that espoused by Hextor, though his restrained philosophy is, more often than not, at odds with the raw, seething hatred typically felt by doomknights. If one is actually in the world of Greyhawk, Incabulos also makes an excellent patron for doomknights.
In the Forgotten Realms, Talos and Talona are the most common patrons of doomknights, although more subtle members of the class sometimes worship Cyric, and the more restrained feel a calling towards Bane or Loviator. A few find Beshaba to be a good patron, while others from more extreme climates worship Auril or Umberlee. Other deities, such as Tiamat, Garagos, and Tempus, lack the dedication to pure destruction and finality that that doomknights operate on. Deities in other pantheons that sponsor doomknights include Set, Selvetarm, Urdlen, and most of the orc pantheon.
Alignment: Any Evil
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con) Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A doomknight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (not including tower shields).
Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a doomknight’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his doomknight level, just like the aura of a cleric of an evil deity.
Fell Bolt (Su): A doomknight can call upon the dark powers he serves to produce a burst of negative energy. A doomknight with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can call upon this ability once per day at 1st level, twice per day at 4th level, three times per day at 9th level, four times per day at 14th level, and five times per day at 19th level. Each use of a doomknight’s fell bolt deals negative energy damage equal to his class level x his Charisma bonus. A target may attempt a Fortitude save (DC equal to 10 + ½ the doomknight’s class level + his Charisma bonus) for half damage. This ability is a standard action to use, and can target creatures up to 30 feet away. Note that this is negative energy damage, and thus heals undead.
Pestilence (Su): At 2nd level, a doomknight becomes immune to the effects of disease and poison, but can continue to harbor toxins within his body. Worse still, he can call forth these vile agents and transfer them to others. Whenever a doomknight is subjected to a poison or disease, he continues to roll saving throws as normal (he cannot choose to fail). If the save isn’t successful, the doomknight takes the toxin into his body. Anytime within the next week, the doomknight can choose to call forth this agent and transfer it into another creature with a melee touch attack that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this attack misses, the toxin is still spent from the doomknight’s body. If it succeeds, the target is entitled to a save against the poison or disease’s original DC. If this fails, they immediately suffer the negative effects of the toxin (no initial incubation periods in the case of diseases).
A doomknight can only hold one such toxin in his body at a time. Whenever subjected to a new disease or poison, the doomknight is aware of it, though not of the exact type or effects of the pestilence, and can choose whether or not to replace the toxin within his body with the new agent. The doomknight must declare this before making the save against the substance, at which point the previously held toxin is removed from his body, whether he succeeds on the save or not.
Unholy Courage (Su): A doomknight’s mind is filled with the most vile, horrible thoughts a mortal could have. Combined with the resolve granted by the dark powers they serve, doomknights become completely immune to fear (magical or otherwise) starting at 2nd level.
Auras (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a doomknight’s sense of fatalism and love of destruction begins to manifest itself in an aura noticeable by other creatures. A doomknight can only manifest one aura at a time (along with their aura of evil, which is always active). Each of these auras is a continual effect. A doomknight can choose to make any creature entering the radius of an aura subject to the aura’s effects (thus excluding allies from their effects; aura of destruction is an exception, and affects all creatures around the doomknight equally). A target must make a save once upon entering the doomknight’s aura. The save DC of an aura is equal to 10 + ½ the doomknight’s class level + his Charisma modifier. A doomknight stops radiating auras if he is reduced to unconsciousness or killed. All effects generated by an aura cease when the doomknight stops radiating them. A doomknight can choose to lower his auras at will as a free action.
Aura of Doom: The first aura a doomknight gains access to is the aura of doom. An aura of doom has a radius of 15 feet. Any creature that fails a Will save becomes shaken so long as they remain within the radius of the aura and for an additional 1d4 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-effecting fear effect. Any creature who saves against this aura is immune to its effects for another 24 hours.
Aura of Fear: Starting at 8th level, a doomknight gains the power to radiate an aura of fear. Any creature that comes within 15 feet must make a Will save or become panicked for a number of rounds equal to the doomknight’s class level. A creature must save every time it enters the aura, although a creature that saves against this aura is immune to its effects for another 24 hours.
Aura of Destruction: At 15th level, a doomknight gains the ability to radiate his most powerful aura, the aura of destruction. When this aura is active, the doomknight seems to be surrounded by a dim red glow and a faint crackling noise. Any creature coming within 5 feet of the doomknight takes 2d6 points of fire damage, with a Fortitude save for half.
Rebuke Undead (Su): Starting at 5th level, a doomknight gains the ability to rebuke undead, just as a cleric of an evil deity. A doomknights effective level for rebuking undead is his class level –4. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Special Mount: At 5th level, a doomknight can call upon the services of a special mount, much as a paladin can. Unlike a paladin’s mount, a doomknight’s mount is a skeletal warhorse (light or heavy). A doomknight’s skeletal mount gains benefits just like a paladin, with the following exceptions: A doomknight’s skeletal mount has no Intelligence score, and gains no improvements over time. The skeletal mount shares no empathic link with the doomknight, nor does it gain the ability to command other creatures of its kind. Finally, the skeletal mount, unlike other skeletons, is immune to fire.
A doomknight who takes levels in blackguard can choose to make his skeletal mount his fiendish servant as well. In this case, the doomknight can treat his effective character level as two higher than normal for the purposes of benefits granted to the fiendish servant. The skeletal mount gains all of the benefits granted to a fiendish servant, including an Intelligence score and empathic link.
Sacrificial Spell: Starting at 6th level, a doomknight can trade his life force for immediate magical power. The doomknight can spontaneously cast any spell on his class spell list that he has access to by taking damage equal to 2 hit points per spell level. Nothing can reduce this damage. The life force is traded at the same time as the spell is cast; the entire process requires a standard action, or the spell’s casting time, whichever is longer.
Apocalypse: The most powerful doomknights harbor so much hatred and evil within them that they can release it in devastating bursts. At 20th level, a doomknight gains access to the apocalypse ability once per day. Using this power requires a full-round action. When activated, the doomknight can produce the combined effects of an earthquake and firestorm spell within a 100-foot radius, centered anywhere within 1,000 feet of the doomknight. Both of these effects operate at caster level 20th. Note that the doomknight is not immune to the effects of his own apocalypse. Also, as a supernatural ability, the firestorm component of this power bypasses all spell resistance; this part of the power always sets fire to the surrounding terrain and brush, unlike the spell. Provided there is combustible material present, the entire area continues to burn for a day, dealing 1d6 fire damage to anything in the area (DC 12 Reflex save for half). The save DC for this ability is equal to 20 + the doomknight’s Charisma bonus.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a doomknight’s devotion grants them a small number of divine spells, much in the same way as a paladin. Their spell list primarily focuses on destructive magic. Before 4th level, a doomknight has no caster level. From 4th level on, his caster level is one half his doomknight level. A doomknight must prepare spells in advance by an hour-long prayer session at midnight or dusk. The doomknight must choose which of these will be his time for preparation when he first gains a level in the class and cannot change it thereafter. In all other regards, a doomknight’s preparation is just like a cleric’s. In order to cast a spell, a doomknight must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. The save DCs for this spells is 10 + the spell’s level + the doomknight’s Wisdom modifier. The base spells per day that a doomknight has access to are detailed on the table above, and he gains bonus spells per day for a high Wisdom score. A doomknight knows every spell on his class list of a level that he has access to.
Multi-classing Note: A doomknight is under a special restriction when it comes to multi-classing, in much the same manner as a paladin or monk. A doomknight’s dedication to his feelings of hatred must remain totally undiluted for him to continue to gain power. A doomknight who takes a level of any class or prestige class, other than blackguard, can never raise his doomknight level again, though he retains all his abilities.
Ex-Doomknights: A doomknight who becomes non-evil looses all spellcasting and supernatural abilities granted by the class, and cannot raise his doomknight level again until he has returned to an evil alignment and atoned for his actions by means of an atonement spell.
Doomknight Spell List
1st Level
Bane
Cause Fear
Corrupt Weapon1
Darkness
Detect Fiends2
Detect Poison
Detect Undead
Divine Favor
Doom
Inflict Light Wounds
Magic Weapon
Summon Monster I*
2nd Level
Bear’s Endurance
Bull’s Strength
Eagle’s Splendor
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Owl’s Wisdom
Scare
Summon Monster II*
Undetectable Alignment
3rd Level
Bestow Curse
Blindness/Deafness
Contagion
Fireball
Inflict Serious Wounds
Poison
Summon Monster III*
4th Level
Fear
Flame Strike
Inflict Critical Wounds
Slay Living
Summon Monster IV*
Unholy Sword3
*Evil creatures only
1 This is just like the blackguard’s spell, detailed on page 182 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide
2 This functions exactly like Detect Undead, but finds evil outsiders instead.
3 Like Corrupt Weapon, this is a counterpart to the paladin’s spell. Unholy Sword works exactly as the paladin spell Holy Sword, except that the extra 2d6 damage is dealt to good creatures, and the weapon radiates a magic circle against good.
Edit- Apocalypse should be doing 1d6 points of fire damage PER MINUTE to those that remain in the area, for up to a day. A significant source of water, such as using the ability in marshland or a large amount of rain, will end the burn. I don't think this is overpowering, as anything left standing after that a) shouldn't be too worried about 1d6 fire damage per minute and b) should be able to leave the area. It's just mainly for effect.
I like what you have so far. When I get home I am going to compare it to some classes in the books for thoughs on balance.
It looks good, though. My only thought is maybe a slight change to the fell bolt. Instead of requiring a Cha 12, instead just say it can be used a number of times per day equal to Cha modifier. Less than a 12 won't let it happen anyways. A minimum 1 might be good, too.
Good point. I was comparing it to a paladin's lay on hands, which has that stipulation. I was also thinking to put in a flat rate so that someone with a high Cha couldn't be throwing them around all day, since at level 20, that thing can be doing about 100 damage per shot, before a save, but then again, it's a standard action, and a 20th level barbarian or fighter can easily unload more than that in a full attack. Also, by the time a warrior-type gets his Cha high enough to do that (+5), he'd be up there in level anyway, so it really wouldn't unbalance things much at all. I think I'll go with that.
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The title of this thread reminds me of all those old "Peanuts" comic strips, when Snoopy would be up on top of his dog house with a typewrtier working on a book.
By the way, as far as the "evil knight" stuff goes, I won't delve into game rules, but for some great fluff there was this really cool character in Weis and Hickman's Rose of the Prophet Trilogy. The character struck me as being very Lawful Evil. Just thought I'd throw my two cents in.
Some suggestions:
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Pestilence(Su): At 2nd level the Doomknight becomes immune to the effects of disease and poison, including magical (like Mummy Rot).
At 8th level, the Doomknight is actually able to retain such toxins in his body, and later inflict them on his enemies! In order to store a poison or disease, the Doomknight must succeed on a saving throw as though he were trying to resist its effects. If successful, he's able to will his body to store it for later use. If the save fails, he suffers no ill effects but fails to store the toxin (his granted immunity destroys it).
The Doomknight may retain the toxin for up to a week, during which time he may call it forth and inflict it on another. Doing so requires a melee touch attack, and the victim gets a fortitude save to resist (DC 10 + 1/2 Class Level + Con Modifier, or the toxin's original DC, whichever is worse). If the save fails, the toxin affects the victim normally. Save or fail, the toxin is spent. The Doomknight may store a number of toxins (or uses of a single toxin) equal to his Con modifier.
At 12th level, the Doomknight can store a given toxin indefinitely, as he can will his body to succumb just enough to sustain a disease, or store a poison where it can remain undiluted. The toxin is still spent when called forth.
At 16th level, when the Doomknight uses his Pestilence ability to inflict a Disease, the victim suffers the full effects immediately with no incubation period.
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I suggest the above changes because a) I see Pestilence as a cool ability that can be expanded on, and breaking it up into chunks of increasing potency is just another reason to keep taking class levels. And b) the original wording had the ability getting worse over time; as the Doomknight's saves went up, Pestilence wasn't nearly as useful. Also, using the worst of the Pestilence DC or the "toxin" helps ensure that a low level Doomknight isn't going to romp all over people with a high DC poison, and a high level isn't going to merrily inflict people with more virulent strains of low DC ailments (though feats, perhaps epic, could change this).
I also suggest getting rid of the multiclass restriction. It's a fairly meaningless gesture as we've seen from the slew of feats and prestige classes that allow exceptions. The idea that anyone can't "go back to their roots" just because they took a small detour to learn a little something extra seems absurd to me.
Again, I like the suggestions! I knew what I wanted pestilence to do, but I wasn't sure how to make it function. I actually completed the entire rest of the class, then came back and though, "How in the world is this going to work?"
The doomknight's concept, to me, is someone running on raw, seething hatred and anger, and drawing power from that. The multiclass restriction makes as much sense to me as saying a barbarian can't stop raging for a round and then pick it up again, just because it was a short stop. I did mean to throw in an addendum that whether a PrC could be taken without penalty to multiclassing was to be left up to the DM; I was trying to keep it to core books only, but I can easily see the Ravagers or Frenzied Berserkers (not that I allow the later in my games) from the Complete Warrior as qualifying, just to name something off the top of my head.
Also, I was thinking of some feats. To save time, I'll just include a rough description, rather than "official" format:
Masochism
This allows a blackguard to turn one of his fell bolts per day into healing, like a lay on hands ability. Unlike lay on hands, the healing can't be broken up as the doomknight sees fit, and it can only be used on the doomknight himself.
Should this feat get rid of the 1/day use?
Extra Fell Bolt
Gain 2 more uses of the Fell Bolt ability per day.
Also, Ability Focus is particularly useful for Fell Bolt. Not so much for Pestilence, however, since I'm adopting the rule that it uses the level based save or original save, whichever is worse.
EDIT- I just thought of another one:
Improved Pestilence
Improves the save DCs on afflictions used with pestilence by 2. Possible prerequisite of Great Fortitude?
All right, here's the modified text for Pestilence:
Pestilence (Su): At 2nd level, a doomknight becomes immune to the effects of disease and poison, including magical afflictions such as mummy rot.
At 8th level, the doomknight gains the ability to harbor such afflictions within his body and spread them to his foes. In order to retain an affliction, the doomknight must succeed on his saving throw against a poison or toxin. He suffers no negative effects on a failed save, as his body destroys the ailment. Once the doomknight has taken the toxin into his body, he can store it for up to a week. At any time, he can attempt a melee touch attack against a creature; this does not provoke an attack of opportunity. On a hit, the target is entitled to a saving throw against the poison or disease (DC 10 + ½ the doomknight’s level + his Con modifier, or the affliction’s normal DC, whichever is lower). On a failed save, the target suffers the effects of the toxin (the incubation period for a disease still applies). Whether the target saves or not, the affliction is spent from the doomknight’s body.
A doomknight can hold a number of toxins within him equal to his Constitution bonus, to a minimum of 1. Whenever a doomknight is exposed to a poison or disease, he is aware of the toxin’s presence, though not its exact abilities (he always knows if it is a disease or poison, however). He can choose whether or not to try and take the affliction into his body. If he is currently retaining his maximum number of afflictions, he can choose to replace any toxin currently held with the new one. The choice must be made before the doomknight attempts the save against the toxin. If the save is failed, the doomknight still looses the previously held toxin.
At 12th level, a doomknight can store a poison or disease indefinitely within himself, although it is still expended when it is called forth.
At 16th level, the doomknight gains the power to know the abilities of any poison or disease when he is exposed to it. Also, when he uses the Pestilence ability in conjunction with a disease, there is no incubation period for the effects on the target.
EDIT- I'm thinking of making it a feat to be able to know the nature of poisons and diseases, mainly so that it can be taken earlier in play, but isn't too powerful, as a feat slot has to be expended. Thoughts?
Just a bit of semantics- I changed the name of the poison/disease immunity to Dark Stamina, and noted that Pestilence is an ability gained at 8th level.
Also, I am going to make the feat Improved Pestilence, which allows the doomknight to know the exact abilities of poisons and diseases when he is exposed to them, as well as increasing the save DC by 2.