The Grave Knight

A
half-orc in gleaming black plate mail surveys the Proficiencies
carnage of the battlefield. His massive blade sits Armor: All armor, shields
ready at his shoulder. Silent and motionless at Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
his side is a monstrosity of bone and sinew with Tools: none
features not unlike the half-orc himself. The
eerie simulacrum waits with dark intent. Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Around the dark knight, skeletons rise from the Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Deception, Intimidation,
fallen. Medicine, Persuasion and Religion
A human in shimmering silver armor raises a shield to Equipment
block the incoming blow from a bugbear. She deftly steps to You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
the side with inhuman speed and impales the creature on her equipment granted by your background:
sword. The beast's soul is visible as it tries to escape its husk
of a body. With a twisted smile the woman reaches out and (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial
grasps the ephemeral creature and begins to consume it. weapons
A teifling shrouded in darkness lays waste to the enemies (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
around him, their own strength turned against them. She Chain mail and a backpack
touches a corpse and draws the power it once held into
herself. Her foe defeated, she becomes a spectre and flies
through her enemies in search of more powerful prey. The Grave Knight
Proficiency Blasphemous
Creating a Grave Knight Level Bonus Features Acts known
A grave knight is often born of a feeling of abandonment by 1st +2 Profane Sacrament, -
the gods. A feeling of powerlessness to fulfill your sacred Shed the Flesh
duties, sometimes, a simple thirst for power. For many, it is
about turning the powers of darkness against itself. 2nd +2 Blasphemous Action,
Fighting Style
1
Did your god leave you defenseless in the face of
unbeatable odds? Did you fail to protect those you had 3rd +2 Sacrament Feature 2
pledged your life to? Perhaps you simply wished to live 4th +2 Ability Score 2
forever. People have turned to undeath for such reasons since Improvement
time beyond memory.
Whatever the reason, grave knights have partaken in 5th +3 Heart Strike, Corpse
Speaker
2
profane sacraments and have found the power they seek.
6th +3 Sacrament Feature 2
Forsaken Oaths 7th +3 Grave Knowledge 3
Many grave knights were once individuals hopeful to one day 8th +3 Ability Score 3
become paladins. Through some cruel twist of fate they Improvement
abandoned their vows and turned to the profane sacraments. 9th +4 Shallow Grave 3
For some it is a matter of a quicker, easier path to power. For
most, they could not abide the reactive nature of paladin 10th +4 Swiftness of Death 3
oaths. It is all well and good to avenge wrongs, to defend, and 11th +4 Sacrament Feature 4
to protect. The path of the grave knight, however, is one of 12th +4 Ability Score 4
action. To fight fire with fire as they say. Improvement
Though a grave knight has turned to means others find
horrid and unfathomable, grave knights are not inherently 13th +5 Improved Corpse 4
evil any more than a wizard that focuses on necromancy Speaker
magic. Some may even have a straighter moral compass than 14th +5 Last Rites 4
many a warlock. 15th +5 Lord of the Grave 4
16th +5 Ability Score 5
Class Features Improvement
As a grave knight, you gain the following class features 17th +6 Sacrament Feature 5
18th +6 Undeath’s Embrace 5
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per grave knight level 19th +6 Ability Score 5
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Improvement
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution 20th +6 Phylactery of Souls 6
modifier per grave knight level after 1st
Profane Sacrament
All grave knights, at 1st level, partake in an ancient and
forbidden sacrament officiated by unclean beings, fallen gods,
or apostate clerics. These sacraments offer a variety of
different abilities depending on which one you partake in.
The different sacraments are detailed at the end of the class
description.
Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at
3rd, 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Shed the Flesh
Beginning at 1st level, you can take on the guise of undeath
by discarding your flesh. As an action, you cause your flesh to
fall from your bones over the course of 6 seconds. For 1 hour
you gain the appearance of a skeleton.
Your flesh regrows over 15 seconds when the effect ends.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty.
Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting
Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose
again.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no
other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that
weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you
make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two
hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The
weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for
you to gain this benefit.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your
ability modifier to the damage of the second Attack.
Blasphemous Action
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to perform horrible deeds
powered by your mastery of the grave, using that energy to
fuel magical effects. As an action you may commit any
blasphemous act you know. Your blasphemous act options
are detailed at the end of the class description. When you
gain certain grave knight levels, you gain additional acts of
your choice, as shown in the Blasphemous Acts Known
column of the Grave Knight table.
You have 3 uses of your blasphemous action at 3rd level, 4
at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th. You recover spent uses when
you finish a long rest.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can
choose one blasphemous act you know and replace it with
another act that you could learn at that level.
Your blasphemous saving throw DC is 8 + proficiency bonus
+ Charisma modifier.
Heart Strike
Heart Strike
Starting at 5th level, you have learned to swing your weapon
to maximize the harm you cause in a single deadly blow.
As an action, make a melee weapon attack. If the attack
hits, it deals 1 additional weapon die of damage. This
increases to 2 additional dice at 11th level and to 3 additional
dice at 17th.
Corpse Speaker
Beginning at 5th level, you gain the ability to speak with a
corpse, provided it has not been dead for longer than 24
hours.
You can speak to the corpse for 5 minutes. The corpse
knows only what it knew in life, including the languages it
knew. It’s words are often brief, cryptic, or repetitive, and the
corpse is under no compulsion to offer truthful information.
After you use this feature on a corpse, you can never use it
again on the same corpse.
Grave Knowledge
At 7th level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills
of your choice: Arcana, Nature, Medicine, Religion and
Survival.
Alternatively, you can learn a new language instead.
Shallow Grave
Beginning at 9th level, you have learned to stay the hand of
death when it reaches for you. As long as you have not failed
any saving death saving throws, you have advantage on death
saving throws.
Additionally, when you would be reduced to 0 hit points,
you can spend your reaction and your blasphemous action to
be reduced to 1 hit point instead. After you use this feature,
you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Swiftness of Death
Beginning at 10th level, whenever you reduce an enemy to 0
hit points, you may use your bonus action to move up to your
speed.
Improved Corpse Speaker
Beginning at 13th level, you can use your Corpse Speaker
feature to speak to any corpse regardless of how long it has
been dead.
In addition, the corpse speaks using any language you
know, regardless of if it knew that language in life.
Last Rites
Beginning at 14th level you have learned dark rites that can
refuel your abilities. The specifics of the Last Rites differ
from grave knight to grave knight. All of them leave a lasting
air of foulness. If you spend at least 30 minutes performing
the Last Rites over a creature that has died within the last 24
hours, you recover 2 uses of your blasphemous action. This
can be done during a short rest.
After you you use this feature you cannot do so again until
you finish a long rest.
Lord of the Grave
At 15th level you learn to call the dead to your service. As an
action you choose to conjure one of the following options:
4d4 skeleton archers.
1d4 +1 mummies.
1d4 wraiths.
The undead appear in a space or spaces you can see within
30 ft. They roll for initiative as a group and all activate on the
same turn.
On each of your turns, you can use a Bonus Action to
mentally Command any undead you made with this feature if
the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple
creatures, you can Command any or all of them at the same
time, issuing the same Command to each one). You decide
what action the creature will take and where it will move
during its next turn, or you can issue a general Command,
such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue
no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile
creatures. Once given an order, the undead continues to
follow it until its task is complete.
The undead last for 5 minutes or until they are killed. Once
you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before
you can use it again.
Undeath’s Embrace
Beginning at 18th level, you have stepped past the threshold
of the living and gain the undead type. Your face is gaunt and
skin is pale. You no longer age and cannot be aged magically.
In addition you are immune to diseases and the poisoned
condition.
Phylactery of Souls
At 20th level you gain a Phylactery of Souls. The phylactery is
a relic that manifest from you and takes on many different
shapes depending on the grave knight that spawned it. Often
it is a small gem. The phylactery has no inherent benefit until
it is fueled by the deaths of your enemies.
Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hp the phylactery
consumes the creature's hit dice. When the phylactery has
100 hit dice you may add +1 to two different ability scores or
+2 to two different ability scores. This bonus can take you
beyond 20 in these scores. Furthermore, while you have a
Phylactery of Souls you recover one use of your Blasphemous
Action whenever you roll for initiative.
If the Phylactery is lost or destroyed you lose the ability
score bonus and suffer -1d4 to all ability scores for 1d4 weeks
after which time it magically returns to you. Each day it is not
in your possession it bleeds out 1d10 hit dice that must be
replaced to regain the benefits.
Profane Sacraments
Becoming a grave knight involves partaking in a profane
sacrament, a blasphemous ritual that forever marks one as a
grave knight. This is the first step, but it is not a small one.
This choice defines what it means to be a grave knight.
Sacrament of Necromancy
Perhaps you were guided by a god of death through these foul
rites. Or maybe it was a lich that showed you the way in
exchange for a favor to be called upon later. It may be that
days, months, and years of research revealed to you the path
to take. You wield knowledge and power over the undead and
living alike.
Corpse Lunge
Beginning when you choose this sacrament at 1st level you
learn the ancient secrets of compelling your will upon the
dead. You can use your action to force the corpse of a
creature within 15 ft of you that died within the last 24 hours
to lurch up to 10 ft forward an perform an action it had in life
except multiattack.
Any creature you attempt to use this feature on must be of
a challenge rating no greater than your grave knight level.
Blasphemous Act: Solemn Simulacrum
Upon reaching 3rd level, you know the Solemn Simulacrum
blasphemous act. It does not count against your total
blasphemous acts known and cannot be replaced by another
blasphemous act.
You spend 8 hours performing this blasphemous act. It
requires a number of bones equivalent to one adult of your
race. Your simulacrum is a skeletal recreation of yourself and
has the same ability scores as you and a number of hit points
equal to half of yours. You add your proficiency bonus to its
AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as its proficient
saving throws and skills which are the same as yours. It
wears spectral copies of your same equipment. Whenever
you or the simulacrum receives healing, the other is healed
for the same amount. The simulacrum cannot speak.
The simulacrum obeys your orders as best it can. It takes
its turn on your initiative, though it takes its own action. On
your turn you can mentally command the simulacrum to
move (no action required by you). It may spend its action to
take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action.
If the simulacrum dies, you can create another by
performing this blasphemous act again with the required
materials again. You may only have one simulacrum at at
time.
Blasphemous Construct
Your simulacrum is an offense to all creation. Beginning at
6th level, when you commit a Blasphemous Action, you may
do so as if you were standing in the location of your
simulacrum.
Additionally, you may use your action to cause your
simulacrum to perform your Butchery action as if it were you.
When it does so you resolve the attack as if you had made it
standing in your simulacrum’s space.
Gravewalk
Starting at 11th level, you and your simulacrum have formed
a twisted bond. While you are on the same plane you can see
through its eyes and speak through its mouth.
Additionally, you may use your bonus action to switch
places with your simulacrum as long as you are within 120
feet of each other and on the same plane. You can use this
feature 2 times and recover spent uses when you finish a long
rest.
Rites of Undeath
At 17th level your mastery of necromancy becomes complete.
You hold the power to grant the gift of undeath to anyone you
choose.
Once per day you may perform the Rites of Undeath to
return life to one creature that died within the last 8 hours.
The rites of Undeath take 30 minutes to complete and
requires the sacrifice of a living creature of the same size as
the creature you wish to raise. If the Rites are successful, the
target is returned to life but gains the Undead type.
They are not under your control and are the same person
they once were, except undead. This effect is permanent and
cannot be undone except through divine intervention or the
use of the Wish spell.
If the target of the Rites of Undeath is unwilling, you must
succeed in a contested Charisma check or the Rites fail.
Sacrament of Reaping
Your sacrament has taught you to harvest the souls of your
enemies to gather your power. As you kill your enemies you
slowly drain them of their life force, supplementing your own.
Grave knights of the Reaping are generally far more resilient
than other grave knights.
Soul Carver
The Sacrament of Reaping grants you knowledge of how to
harvest the life force from your foes.
Beginning at 1st level, as an action you can carve a portion
of the soul from a creature that has died within the last 24
hours. You touch a corpse and gain temporary hit points
equal to the total number of hit dice it had plus your
Charisma modifier. For instance, if you had a Charisma
modifier of 3 and touched the corpse of an orc (2d8 hit dice)
you would gain 5 temporary hit points. These temporary hit
points last for 1 hour.
Any creature you attempt to use this feature on must be of
a challenge rating no greater than your grave knight level.
Soul Link
Starting at 3rd level, you have learned how to link your soul to
that of another. As an action you can create a soul link
between yourself and another willing creature you can see
within 30 ft. The soul link lasts for 1 hour or until you use a
bonus action to end it early.
While linked, you and the creature you are linked to gain
each other’s skill proficiencies. The next time either you or
the creature you are linked to takes damage, that damage is
halved and the other creature in the link takes the second
half of the damage as necrotic. Then the soul link ends.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
Charisma modifier and recover spent uses when you finish a
long rest.
Soulshroud
Beginning at 6th level, you learn to wreath yourself in the
fragments of souls you carve from you enemies, granting you
even further protection. While you have temporary hit points,
you have advantage on all saving throws you make.
Blasphemous Act: Well of Souls
Starting at 11th level, you know the following Well of Souls
blasphemous act. It does not count against your total
blasphemous acts known and cannot be replaced by another
blasphemous act.
You use your Blasphemous Action cause a host of souls to
gather at a location you can see within 30 ft. The Well of
Souls covers a cylindrical area 10 ft in diameter and 25 ft
high. During your turn you can spend your movement to
cause the well to move along the ground. Each foot the well
moves costs you 2 feet of movement.
Whenever a creature enters or begins its turn within the
well they gain 4d6 temporary hit points. If they are undead
they recover that many hit points as well. The Well of Souls
lasts for 1 minute or until you use your action to dismiss it.
Soulgate
Beginning at 17th level, whenever you reduce an enemy to
below 0 hit points you may rend their soul to open a soulgate.
The soulgate is of the same size as the creature used to open
it.
The soulgate leads to a place the creature has been within
the last 24 hours. As you open the gate you are aware of all
possible locations but the fade immediately from your mind
when you select one.
The Soulgate persists for 1 minute. While it is open any
creature may willingly enter the gate.
Sacrament of the Unholy
You use your enemy's’ strengths against them, taking these
strengths as your own. Your sacrament is the most reviled.
Most that take this sacrament do so to fix the things they feel
the gods can’t... or won’t.
Grave Tap
Beginning at 1st level, you may use your action to touch the
corpse of a creature that died within the last 24 hours to steal
a portion of their essence. You gain proficiency in all skills
and saving throws that creature was proficient in and the
corpse shrivels into an unrecognizable grey husk. This effect
last for 8 hours or until you use the feature again.
Any creature you attempt to use this feature on must be of
a challenge rating no greater than your grave knight level.
Dark Sacrilege
Starting at 3rd level, your profane sacrament has revealed to
you universal truths of all things mortals and gods consider
holy. You gain proficiency in Religion. If you were already
proficient in Religion, you add twice your proficiency bonus to
Religion checks.
Blasphemous Act: Strength Betrays
At 6th level, you know the following Strength Betrays
blasphemous act. It does not count against your total
blasphemous acts known and cannot be replaced by another
blasphemous act.
Using your blasphemous action your cause the strength of
your enemies to turn against them. Each creature of your
choice within 25 feet of you suffers necrotic damage equal to
their Strength score plus your Charisma modifier. If at least 1
creature is damaged by this you gain advantage on Strength
ability checks and saving throws for 1 minute.
Draw Upon Unholy Might
Starting at 11th level, you learn fuel yourself with unholy
power to horrific ends. As a bonus action you can use one of
your Blasphemous Acts without spending a use of your
Blasphemous Action.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you
finish a long rest.
Wraithwalk
Beginning at 17th level you spend your bonus action to
wraithwalk, transmuting your body anything your are wearing
into an incorporeal form not unlike a wraith’s. While
wraithwalking you are incorporeal and have a flying speed
equal to your move speed +10 feet. While in this state you
cannot interact with any material objects and may not make
attack rolls. You may cease wraithwalking at any time on your
turn.
If you become corporeal while within an object you are
shunted to the nearest empty area.
Blasphemous Acts
If a blasphemous act has prerequisites, you must meet them
to learn it. You can learn the blasphemous act at the same
time that you meet its prerequisites.
Aspect of Death
Prerequisite: level 20
You become an Aspect of Death for 1 minute. While you are
in this state, you gain the following benefits:
Attacks against you have disadvantage.
You add your Charisma modifier to attack and damage
rolls.
Attacks made with your heart strike feature score a critical
hit on a roll of 18-20.
Whenever you use your Swiftness of Death feature, make
one attack at the end of the move.
After you use this blasphemous act you can’t do so again
until you finish a long rest.
Black Harvest
You conjure a host of whirling spectral scythes that fly from
you, passing through solid objects to attack your enemies
before returning to you. Each creature of your choice that you
can see within 30 feet must make a Constitution saving
throw, suffering 2d6 + your Charisma modifier necrotic
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.
You recover hit points equal to the total damage caused
this way.
Bone Spear
Prerequisite: level 5
You conjure a floating spear forged of bone and send it flying
to impale your enemies. It travels along a 50 ft line and is 1 ft
wide. Each creature in the path must make a Dexterity saving
throw, taking 6d6 + your Charisma modifier necrotic damage
on a failed save and half as much on a successful one.
Creatures that fail their save by 5 or more become impaled
by a sliver of bone. While they are impaled they are
restrained. One each of their turns that can use their action to
attempt to remove the sliver of bone by making a Strength
saving throw against you blasphemous save DC.
Bone Wall
Prerequisite: level 9
A wall of solid bone erupts from the ground at a point you
choose within 30 feet. The wall is 6 inches thick and is
composed of ten 10-foot-by-10-foot panels. Each panel must
be contiguous with at least one other panel. Alternatively, you
can create 10-foot-by-20-foot panels that are only 3 inches
thick.
If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears,
the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (your choice). If
a creature would be surrounded on all sides by the wall (or
the wall and another solid surface), the creature can make a
Dexterity saving throw. On a success, it can use its reaction to
move up to its speed so that it is no longer enclosed by the
wall.
The wall can have any shape you desire, though it can't
occupy the same space as a creature or object. The wall
doesn't need to be vertical, or rest on a firm foundation. Thus,
you can use this blasphemous action to bridge a chasm or
create a ramp.
If you create a span greater than 20 feet in length, you
must halve the size of each panel to create supports. You can
crudely shape the wall to create crenellations, battlements
and so on.
The wall is an object made of bone that can be damaged
and thus breached. Each panel has an AC 11 and 10 hit
points per inch of thickness. Reducing a panel to 0 hit points
destroys it and might cause connected panels to collapse at
the DM's discretion.
Corpse Explosion
You cause each corpse within a 10 ft radius that you can see
within 30 ft of you, to explode in a grisly detonation of bone
and gore. Each creature within a 25 ft radius of the corpses
must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking necrotic damage
equal to the the sum of the number of hit dice those creatures
had in life on a failure and half as much on a success.
This blasphemous action fails if it targets a corpse that has
been dead for over 24 hours.
Damnation
Prerequisite: level 13
You condemn a creature to an eternity of mindless undeath. A
creature you can see within 60 feet must make a Constitution
saving throw against your Blasphemous Save DC. It takes
7d8+30 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much
damage on a successful one.
A humanoid killed by this spell rises at the start of your
next turn as a Zombie that is permanently under your
Command, following your verbal orders to the best of its
ability.
After you use this blasphemous act you can’t do so again
until you finish a long rest.
Deathgrip
A massive spectral arm manifest from the ground in front of
you and reaches out to grab your prey and drag them to you.
The arm immediately attempts to grapple a creature within
60 ft using your Charisma. If it successfully grapples a
creature, it immediately drags that creature up to 60ft toward
you.
The creature remains grappled by the spectral arm until it
successfully breaks the grapple.
Dreadful Presence
A malevolent aura coalesces around you, instilling fear into
the hearts of those around you. Each creature within 30 ft of
you must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened
for 1 minute. They may reattempt the saving throw at the end
of each of their turns.
Creatures that fail their save by 5 or more have their speed
reduced to 0 until the beginning of your next turn.
Grasp of the Damned
Hundreds of undead arms of horrible creatures reach up
from the ground to fill a 20-foot square within 60 ft. For the
duration, these arms turn the ground in the area into difficult
terrain. When a creature enters the affected area for the first
time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must
succeed on a Strength saving throw or have one piece of
equipment is is carrying be stolen by one of the hands. A
creature attempting to take a stolen object back can use its
action to make a Strength check against you blasphemous
save DC. On a success, it recovers the stolen object. The area
lasts for 1 minute.
Profane Command
You utter a profane command that binds the will of the
undead to you. Each undead creature you can see within 30ft
must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails it must follow
your commands for the next 8 hours, or until you perform
this blasphemous act again. An undead with a challenge
rating greater than your grave knight levels or that is immune
to being charmed is immune to this effect.