P ale Rider Level Proficiency Features

A cold rain fell on the leaky leather hat of a night Bonus

watchman outside Caldra as he lazily eyed the edge
of the woods. His lantern flickered and dimmed, 1st +2 Cursed Soul, Dark Whisper
demanding more fuel. He reached for his oil, but felt 2nd +2 Fighting Style
something like a frigid hand on the back of his neck,
causing him to turn and swat at nothing. 3rd +2 Merciless Critical, Grave Aura
He whirled about to face the woods, his vision
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, Curse Feature
snagging on the muddy road just where it met
complete darkness. There in the moonlight, steam 5th +3 Extra Attack
billowed from the nostrils of a gleaming black steed
carrying a rider in heavy armor at breakneck speed. 6th +3 Haunted Implements
The startling spatter of hooves through mud ar- 7th +3 -
rived at the gate sooner than the watchman could lift
his dying lantern. He tried to speak, but found himself 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement
gasping, not realizing he’d been holding his breath. 9th +4 -
“Who--Who?” said the Watchman, as the rider
came to a towering halt before him. 10th +4 Curse Feature
A voice came from the Rider beneath his black 11th +4 Improved Fighting Style
helm, reverberating like a cathedral bell. “Samwise
Godfrey. Where is he?” 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement
“The..the Baker? What of him?” said the Watch-
13th +5 Bell’s Toll
man.
The armored rider stared down like a clock- 14th +5 Profane Command
tower locking the watchman in a gaze that felt
like a fight for his life. A flicker of distant
15th +5 Curse Feature
lightning revealed hundreds of silent crows 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement
bobbing on the trees surrounding the gate as
they bowed to the wind. 17th +6 -
“Down this road until you hear cob- 18th +6 Geistwalking
blestones,” said the Watchman. “Tallest
building in the square.” He stuttered and 19th +6 Murderous Critical
grasped at the air as if to take the words 20th +6 Lichdom
back, but the Rider was already charging
down the lane, holding a great bearded
axe at his side, snuffing every candle in
every window in his wake as he rode.
tragic misstep in a dark dungeon, or the foul magic of
an angry lich.
A Pale Rider is a person that has conquered such
A Terrible Night a curse. Whether through a pact with a powerful
being, or sheer force of will, a Pale Rider has
Dark magic born from liches and devils transformed the curse that once controlled them
inhabit the darkest places, but it sometimes into a weapon at their command.
creeps from beyond the veil cast itself upon
reckless, or unlucky adventurers. A Deadly Calm
Most, when faced with a curse, wither in
their fear, and resign themselves to misery. But Few who meet a Pale Rider would describe
some, some with the fortitude and conviction to focus them as favorable drinking companions. The
their mind from the terrors that haunt them, dedicate trials they suffer have the grim effect of
themselves to vengeance and triumph over the ones siphoning their social cares, leaving them
that haunt them. quiet, brooding, and deadly calm.
Pale Riders are resilient fighters that have learned To their allies, Pale Riders are
to withstand, embrace, or celebrate the dark magic that sources are impartial advice, conviction
lingers within their soul. They share a supernatural like steel, and unsettling prowess on
link to the world of the dead, which they exploit and the battlefield. To their enemies,
command to their agenda. they are an inexorable death
The source of a curse can vary, from a simple sentence.
copper ring they may have touched as a child, to a Though they carry an aura of
6 7
 unease that keeps strangers at an arm’s length, Pale
Riders are still fully alive and present. A common
misconception follows that they are undead wraiths,
or servants to their cursers, but these are untrue. A
Pale Rider is a free-willed being that operates on their
own agenda, usually smiting evil-doers with the same
shadowy magic they utilize to spread death and fear.
Creating a Pale Rider
When creating a Pale Rider, the most important
consideration is their origin story. How did your
character recieve their curse? How did they triumph
over it? Was it a vengeful devil that branded them,
or did they meddle in something beyond their
understanding?
Sometimes, the caster of a curse makes a fatal
mistake. They mispronounce the incantation, or
somehow fumble the ritual required to invoke a curse,
resulting in an unstable dark magical force that could
even be a boon to the intended victim.
Consider also that Pale Riders are still people. They
still have wants and needs beyond their vengeance
and remembered agony. A Pale Rider is more than a
hooded shadow, refusing to involve themselves in the
affairs of others, but instead they are people who have
learned the true measure of what is important, and
what is trivial. Keep in mind the character quirks and
even comical details of your character in spite of their
haunted nature.
The paths of a Pale Rider are defined by their
curse. Players seeking a fantasy closer to a vampire or
bloodthirsty warrior may choose the Curse of Burning
Veins, while the Curse of Lonely Winters is themed
toward cold damage and becoming a single-target
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duelist. The Curse of the Dead Moon follows more
closely to concepts evolved from classic horror, occult
hauntings and ghostly possessions.
Pale Riders may take on any alignment. While the
most honorable among them use their powers for good,
an equal number of them find purpose in the grim
dark of evil. This leaves the majority to fall somewhere
in the neutral middle, acting in their own interest,
committing as many good deeds as dark ones.
Class Features
As a Pale Rider, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per pale rider level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution
Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your
Constitution modifier per pale rider level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: All armor
Weapons: Sime weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Intimidation,
Survival, Perception, Animal Handling
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to
the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) two martial weapons or (b) a two-handed
martial weapon
• (a) chain mail or (b) breastplate
• A riding horse
Cursed Soul
Beginning at 1st level, you have triumphed over a dark
curse that once ravaged your existance, leaving you
with a lingering link to the magic within the realm of
the dead. You may choose the Curse of Burning Veins,
the Curse of Lonely Winters, or the Curse of the Dead
Moon. Your mastery over this curse grows as you
increase your pale rider level, and are detailed at the
end of the class description.
Dark Whisper
At 1st level, you may whisper an
ancient curse into the ear of a
medium or large sized beast,
typically a horse or other suitable
mount. The animal’s eyes become
an inky black, and it is no longer
recognized or accepted among
other animals of its kind. Animals
of great ferocity may reject the
curse and become violent
instead.
The cursed animal
retains some sense of
self and awareness, but is
entirely under your control.
You may curse one animal
at a time, and cursing a new
animal lifts the curse on the
previous one. Animals released
from this curse will fear you
indefinitely. You must take
a short or long rest before
regaining the use of this
feature.
While mounted in combat, your movement speed
becomes 50, and your maximum long jump distance
increases to 25 feet. Your mount is immune to fear
effects, and acts on your initiative. You may use your
action to force your mount to make a single melee
attack.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your
speciality. Choose one of the following options:
Butcher
While wielding a 2-handed weapon than can deal
slashing damage, your first melee attack each turn may
deal its full damage to an additional adjacent target.
You can’t move after using this feature, and it can’t be
used if you have already moved this turn.
Harbinger
You gain the use of the Chill Touch cantrip, and
Inflict Wounds and Blindness/Deafness spell. You
may use these spells a number of times equal to your
Charisma modifier between short or long rests. Your
spellcasting modifier is your Charisma modifier, plus
your proficiency bonus, unless another class gives you
a spellcasting modifier.
Wraith
While using swords, longbow, shortbow, or crossbow,
your fighting style maximizes pain in order to cripple
your foes. The first time you make a successful
attack against an enemy, the pain you inflict
causes them to lose their focus, forcing a
concentration check DC 15 in order to
maintain any spells they are casting.
Additionally when fighting with two
weapons, only one must be light (neither
can be heavy).
Scourge
While mounted, wielding a flail,
lance, polearm or sword grants +1
to attack and damage rolls. Other
mounted creatures you attack
must make a DC 10 Strength check
or be knocked prone from their
mounts.
Merciless Critical
Starting at 3rd level, you score
critical hits on attack rolls of 19 and
20. When you critically hit, you
also deal necrotic damage equal to
half your pale rider level. Damage
inflicted this way will always
be lethal, and cannot be used to
subdue enemies.
Grave Aura
Also at 3rd level, your oneness with the realm of
death lends you an array of supernatural abilities.
You emanate an aura of unease, bringing about panic
in mortals. Whenever you make an intimidate check
against a creature that is not immune to fear effects,
you may add your proficiency modifier to the roll
(regardless of whether you are already proficient).
You can perform minor haunting effects such
as low lying mist, igniting or snuffing light sources
as large as a bonfire, and causing your victims to
hallucinate strange whispers or other startling noises.
Additionally, when you take a short rest within
a cemetary or other location with strong ties to the
realm of the dead, you gain the benefits of a long rest.
 Haunted Implements
Once you’ve reached 6th Level, you may perform
a ritual to bind a wandering spirit to your service,
haunting a weapon or shield. You may have a single
haunted implement at a time. The ritual requires one
hour with the weapon beginning at midnight.
Haunted Weapon
A haunted weapon must be available like any other
weapon in combat. Whenever your regular weapon is
drawn, it is assumed your haunted weapon is at your
disposal as well. A haunted weapon makes one free
weapon attack on each of your turns, with an attack
modifier equal to your proficiency, plus your Charisma
modifier. The weapon has a speed of 5 feet when it is
not adjacent to you, and moves as a free action on your
turn, though it must remain within 25 feet of you. The
weapon is considered to be wielded with one hand.
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Haunted Shield
A haunted shield will float in the air near you,
interposing itself to hinder enemies. You gain +2 AC
against ranged attackers you can see, and you may use
your reaction to force any creature moving into a space
adjacent to you to make a Strength or Dexterity save
equal to 10 + your proficiency modifier. If the creature
fails, their speed is reduced to 0 until their next turn.
Improved Fighting Style
By 11th Level, your experience in battle has honed
your fighting prowess significantly. You may choose
an additional fighting style from the Fighting Style
feature, or increase the benefits of a style you already
employ:
Butcher
You may now attack up to two additional targets, and
move up to half your speed when using this feature.
Harbinger
You gain the ability to part your spirit from your body,
striking out at distant targets that dare not come near
you. As an action, you may make a single melee attack
against a target within 30 feet as if they were adjacent
to you. Damage dealt this way is converted to Necrotic.
Wraith
Whenever you land an attack against a foe, subsequent
attacks you make against that target gain +2 to attack
and damage rolls until the end of your turn. This effect
grants a maximum benefit of +6 to attack and damage
rolls.
Scourge
You may now also perform a murderous charge, laying
waste to multiple targets on the battlefield. As an
action you may move 15 feet in a straight line, making
a single melee attack against each target on either
side of the travelled line (maximum of 6 targets). You
must take a short or long rest before using this feature
again.
Bell’s Toll
Starting at 13th level, you’re able to call upon the
lingering malignant force in your soul, bidding it to
lead a foe to certain death. As an action, you may curse
a single target you can see within 100 feet, reducing
their speed by half, and causing all of their attack rolls,
skill checks and saving throws to have disadvantage
until the end of your next turn. The next time you
make a successful melee attack against that target
before the curse ends, you will strike critically on a roll
of 2 or higher.
You must take a short or long rest between uses of
this feature.
Profane Command Curse of Burning Veins
By 14th level, You’re able to recite an unholy command
at an undead creature within 30 feet with a CR equal to You have survived a curse that once caused you
constant agonizing pain, as if your blood had been
or less than your Charisma modifier. When you do this,
the creature will follow your orders for 10 minutes, but turned to molten steel. This curse drove you to
excessive bloodletting as the only source of relief. Now
then becomes freed and immune to this effect. You may
command the creature to do anything, including acts firmly aquainted with both pain and blood, you use
these ideals as a deadly weapon.
of obvious self-harm. You must take a long rest before
using this feature again.
Bloodlust
From 1st Level, the sight of blood fills you with vigor
Geistwalking and resolve. Whenever you make a melee attack
At 18th Level, You’ve learned to transcend the barriers that deals damage, you regain 1 Hit Point for each
of the physical world, becoming a ghostly image of successful attack. This amount increases to 2 Hit Points
yourself at will. As a bonus action, you may become at 4th level, 3 Hit Points at 10th level, and 5 Hit Points
incorporeal, allowing you to pass through creatures at 15th level.
and barriers no thicker than 3 feet until the end of your
turn.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to
your Charisma modifier between long rests.
Murderous Critical
At 19th Level, when you score a critical hit, you now
deal additional necrotic damage equal to your pale
rider level, instead of half your level.
Lichdom
You may bind your soul to an object no smaller than a
coin, no larger than a bed, creating a phylactery. The
ritual to do so requires 24 hours of concentration and
1000 gold worth of reagents. Creating a Phylactery also
permanently reduces your Hit Point maximum by 10.
Whenever you die, your soul returns to your
phylactery. A living creature must then touch your
phylactery and utter an incantation of your choosing,
and you will be reborn from the dust in the air, with
none of your possessions or clothing.
If your phylactery is destroyed, your connection to
the object is shattered, causing you to fall unconscious
and drop to 0 hit points, regardless of the distance
between you and your phylactery. If your phylactery
is destroyed with your spirit contained within it (you
have died and have not yet been resurrected), your
body is annihilated, and your soul cannot be recovered.
Additionally, you may also use your Profane
Command on humanoids, and the CR limit is increased
by 5.
C ursed Soul Options
You may choose one of the following curses to further
define your role: Curse of Burning Veins, Curse of
Lonely Winters, or Curse of the Dead Moon.
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Agonizing Fury
Beginning at 4th level, you are able to let the pain of
your curse to flow through you again, sending you
into a white-hot frenzy. As a bonus action, you may
inflict psychic damage on yourself equal to your pale
rider level. The next attack you make this turn has
advantage, and the first time you reduce a target to
0 hit points this turn, you may immediately make a
single melee attack at another adjacent target. You
regain the use of this feature whenever you take a
short or long rest, or reduce a target to 0 hit points.
Blood Seeker
Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to track
your foes using their blood. If you locate any amount
of a creature’s blood, you instantly know the direction,
distance, and health of the source.
Curse of Burning Veins
At 15th level, you learn to turn your curse against
others, afflicting them with the Curse of Burning Veins,
causing them to unravel in a fit of absolute torture. As
an action you may touch a creature to cause them to
suffer 1d10 psychic damage immediately, and at the
end of each of their turns.
Additionally, whenever the sufferer misses a
melee attack, they must immediately repeat the
attack against an adjacent ally as they writhe and flail
without hope for relief. If the sufferer has no adjacent
allies, the make no such attack.
The curse is ended when you or the target is
reduced to 0 Hit Points, or if the target moves more
than 100 feet from you.
You regain the use of this feature after a short or
long rest, and whenever you reduce a target to 0 Hit
Points.
Curse of Lonely Winters
You have survived a curse that once extinguished all
sense of happiness within you. The curse was meant
to drive you to isolation and solitary doom, but you’ve
instead harnessed the icy focus and clarity of purpose
this has brought to you.
Solemnity
Although you value your allies, you have found that you
stand strongest when you know you will not be saved.
While you have no adjacent allies in combat, you gain a
+1 bonus to AC, and have advantage to save against any
effect that would cause you to be stunned, moved, or
knocked prone.
Abolish Hope
Whenever a melee attack from an enemy misses you,
you may immediately spend your reaction to make a
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single melee attack toward that enemy. If the attack
deals damage, the creature is overwhelmed by your
skill and presence. Until the end of your next turn, that
becomes frightened, and its movement speed is halved.
Frigid Soul
Starting at 10th level, you are no longer bothered by
freezing temperatures, and gain resistance to cold
damage. As a bonus action, you may cause the ground
beneath your feet to flash freeze, creating a 10 foot
radius of difficult terrain. If a creature other than you
attempts to move within this terrain, they must make
a DC 14 dexterity skill check, falling prone if they fail.
This check must only be made once per turn by the
creature.
Additionally, you may use this feature to rapidly
freeze water as you step over it. You may walk at half
your speed across calm fresh water such as a pond,
lake or calm river.
Curse of Lonely Winters
Starting at 15th level, you learn to turn your curse
against others, afflicting them with the Curse of Lonely
Winters. As an action, you may curse up to three
creatures you can see within 100 feet, causing them
to immediately suffer 3 points of exhaustion (they
have disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws and
ability checks, and their movement speed is halved).
If the target is already suffering from exhaustion, this
curse cannot force them to have more than 3 points of
exhaustion.
Additionally, the victim hallucinates an endless,
blinding blizzard that causes it to interact with all foes
as if they had half cover (they gain +2 AC and +2 to
Dexterity saving throws), and their vision is reduced to
30 feet.
This curse is ended if an ally of the victim within
touching distance spends a turn consoling them, or if
you or the victim drop to 0 Hit Points.
You may curse up to three creatures when you use
this feature, and you may not use this feature again
until you have had a long rest in solitude.
Curse of the Dead Moon
You have survived a curse that plagued your every
waking moment with unease, and abruptly into heart-
stopping terror. Horrible omens distracted you at every
turn, but instead of begging for the end of it, you found
a home within the horror.
Ominous Following
Wherever you go, a flock of crows, ravens, or vultures
follow you, perching silently on tree branches and
rooftops to witness your actions. Even indoors, a single
bird or other ominous creature will always be present,
calm and silent.
Whenever you choose, this flock will erupt into
cacophanous cawing and screeching causing all
creatures within 100 feet of you to become frightened Artist Credits
unless they succeed a Wisdom saving throw with a
DC equal to 10 plus your Charisma modifier. After ArtStation
using this feature, the following will quickly disperse, Lynton Levengood
returning in number after a short or long rest. James Starr King
Additionally, while your following is present, they Anton Sander
may begin to caw and shift when an evil presence Wojtek Depczyns
draws near, or an unseen danger threatens you. This Matt Forsyth
occurs at the DM’s discretion.
Doomblade
Starting at 4th level, as a bonus action, you may
cause your weapon to become ethereal and seemingly
weightless allowing you to swing through your foes
with no resistance. The next weapon attack you make
before the end of your turn becomes magical for the
purposes of overcoming resistance, and is a successful
hit on an attack result of 10 or higher, regardless of the
target’s AC.
If the target is frightened, your attack also deals
bonus damage according to your Merciless Critical
feature (do not double the damage dice as a normal
critical).
You regain the use of this feature after a short or
long rest, or whenever you score a critical hit.
Pale Moonrise
Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to summon
an eerie, unnatural vision of a second pale and sinister
moon on the horizon as an action. For the next minute,
you and up to five nearby allies gain a fly speed equal
to your movement speed (this applies while mounted).
When you successfully attack a creature during
this effect, they must succeed a Wisdom saving throw
equal to 10 plus your Charisma modifier or become
frightened.
As a bonus action during this effect, you may
let out a mad cackle or howl, causing all frightened
creatures within 100 feet suffer 2d6 psychic damage.
You regain the use of this feature after a long rest, as
long as the moon is visible.
Curse of the Dead Moon
Starting at 15th level, you learn to turn your curse
against others, afflicting them with the Curse of the
Dead Moon. You may spend an action to awaken the
full terror of the Dead Moon within a single target
within 100 feet.
At the start of the victim’s next turn, they begin
to experience unprovoked terror, becoming paralyzed
until their next turn, or until they’ve lost half their hit
points, whichever comes first. Upon releasing from
paralysis, the victim witnesses the Dead Moon, and
suffers 15d10 temporary psychic damage (which wears
off after a long rest).
You regain the use of this feature after you allow
yourself to be afflicted by it again.
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