What's the deal with Bone Knight?

[Venger]

I've heard bone knight bandied about in charop at least somewhat frequently (mostly in older stuff) and I seem to remember it playing a pivotal role in the twice betrayer of shar (or nystra?) but I can't find that.

I looked it up in five nations and don't really understand what makes it so powerful. 9/10s divine casting is pretty cool, but it takes 10 levels to essentially give you undead immunities. what makes this better than becoming undead in another way (lich, necropolitan, etc)

I like it, it certainly is interesting, but what's the deal?

[Greenish]

Immunities, is the deal. Without losing Con score. And it's not terribad otherwise, progresses casting, turning, boosts undead… But mostly the immunities.

[deuxhero]

It's one of the very few classes for fallen Paladins to regain their powers without dropping to evil.

[tyckspoon]

It gives you immunities you were going to want anyway without the tradeoffs involved in other methods of becoming undead (the XP sacrificed to be a Necropolitan, the *huge* amount of XP, money, and especially the LA to be a lich, giving up your Con score and the associated HPs and Fort save.) It doesn't involve a huge sacrifice to enter (skill requirements are a little annoying for a Cleric, but manageable) and... probably the biggest thing, especially for a Paladin, is that there aren't a heck of a lot of good prestige classes to compete with it. Most of the other decent divine classes are heavily focused on casting, which doesn't benefit the Paladin much. When your choice is between Bone Knight and, say, Shining Blade, Bone Knight wins every time.

[DeAnno]

I think I've seen the Diehard effect of the Bone Armor interpreted to interact with Delay Death to keep the Cleric functioning no matter how much damage he took ala Frenzied Berserker (unless he gets hit by Disjunction, Disintegrate, Dispel, etc). I never really investigated the RAW legality though as he was saving me from death most of the time and I thought it was better just to leave it be.

[Wings of Peace]

Undead can't get regen.

[kulosle]

Gaining immunity to non-lethal damage while still having a constitution score. It's one of the only ways to become actually immune to damage. The only other way I know of is with half golem I believe.

[Coidzor]

Well, it's not much, but the full BAB hasn't been brought up yet.

[kardar233]

I think I've seen the Diehard effect of the Bone Armor interpreted to interact with Delay Death to keep the Cleric functioning no matter how much damage he took ala Frenzied Berserker (unless he gets hit by Disjunction, Disintegrate, Dispel, etc). I never really investigated the RAW legality though as he was saving me from death most of the time and I thought it was better just to leave it be.

This works. At IIRC level 5 of the class, you don't care if you're in negatives, you can still act unless you're dead. Removes a point of failure from the Twice-Betrayer. However, the Delay Death is still vulnerable (unless you're actually using Deathless Frenzy, but I don't suggest that for a truck-load of reasons) so I'd cover that up by using Dweomerkeeper and casting Delay Death as a (Su) ability, stopping it from being dispelled. Disjunction still messes you up though. Use a Contingency or Instant Refuge to get away just before it lands. Don't know a way around Dimensional Lock/Anchor or Weirdstone there, unless you use a Crafted Contingent Wish.

Hey, that's a good idea. Gotta remember that.

[TuggyNE]

This works. At IIRC level 5 of the class, you don't care if you're in negatives, you can still act unless you're dead. Removes a point of failure from the Twice-Betrayer. However, the Delay Death is still vulnerable (unless you're actually using Deathless Frenzy, but I don't suggest that for a truck-load of reasons) so I'd cover that up by using Dweomerkeeper and casting Delay Death as a (Su) ability, stopping it from being dispelled. Disjunction still messes you up though. Use a Contingency or Instant Refuge to get away just before it lands. Don't know a way around Dimensional Lock/Anchor or Weirdstone there, unless you use a Crafted Contingent Wish.

I thought wish could only get you into a dimensionally locked area, not out of one. So maybe a contingent invoke magic...? *runs out of ideas*

[DeAnno]

He managed to stave off most problems by getting really high SR (he had some CL skeeze he also used with Blasphemy). As for dispels and disjunctions like three party members including him constantly had Battlemagic Perception on so we were pretty on top of that. We did run into (Su) Disintegrate once though and it was real scary :smalleek:

[NineThePuma]

3.0 or 3.5 disintegrate?

[DeAnno]

3.5 Disintegrate (dusts you if below 0 hp lol you so Frenzied), it was some horrible homebrewed thing throwing giant magical swords in a silenced room full of pillars.

His name was Mongoose and he was the prison warden.

[kardar233]

Make your primary weapon a Spellblade keyed to whatever spell you're worried about. (Su) Disintegrate is a reasonable thing to be worried about, as is Reaving Dispel.

[Greenish]

Well, it's not much, but the full BAB hasn't been brought up yet.Probably because it's not relevant when talking about medium BAB PrC.

[Manateee]

Well, it's not much, but the full BAB hasn't been brought up yet.
I keep seeing that on these boards and it keeps confusing me. Is it in some secret errata somewhere?

[hex0]

I keep seeing that on these boards and it keeps confusing me. Is it in some secret errata somewhere?

People confuse it with Knight Phantom from the same book?

[Greenish]

People confuse it with Knight Phantom from the same book?Or with some of the other 9/10 divine casting PrCs like Fist of Raziel or Knight of the Raven.

It's basically just a mistake that keeps being echoing because people trust the sources that are usually reliable. Five Nations is a relatively obscure book, after all.