ritual for roleplaying purposes

[reapersoulEater]

so i plan to take the death knight template but the way the book describes how the character ascends is really vague so could you guys share your creative imagination for a "ritual" that i would have to go through(Im a neutral evil cleric btw)



Gods of death create death knights. They are martial champions of evil. These horrible undead are most commonly raised from the ranks of blackguards, fighters, rangers, and barbarians; but a paladin who falls from grace near the moment of death may also become a death knight. Paladins who become death knights are subject to the same modifications as are presented for the blackguard.

[ArcturusV]

Well, it's not a ritual so much. It's mostly a God going "Poit... you're a Death Knight" when you die.

USUALLY, when I see it in fiction it is based on the Death Knight in question doing something which so taints his soul that it's a beacon to the gods to be poited into Death Knighthood.

The archetypical example of this is Krynn's Lord Soth.

Lord Soth's backstory is that he was basically a shiny Paladin who was unequaled in skill, talent, etc, etc, etc. Then one day he rescues some elves from brigands or something. Falls in love at first sight with some elf maiden that he helped rescue. Downside? She's already married. Lord Soth says "SCREW THE RULES!" and seduces her, then kidnaps her from her husband.

This prompts his Fall, and eventually getting driven from the ranks of the Paladins and marked for death or something. So he holes himself up in his ancestral castle, where with the men still loyal to him can hold off any attempts to actually arrest him or anything along with his stolen Elf Chick. But he kind of laments the fact that he's fallen so far.

So a shiny god of good comes down, tells him, "Yo, Soth... this assclown High Cleric of me is going to call down an apocalypse upon the world in his hubris. Go over there and stop him. You can do it. You will be redeemed."

So he rides off. But along the way there? Evil goddess who had a hold of his soul post fall tries to taunt him. Plants suggestions in his mind about how his elf lass is betraying him and bedding one of his warriors behind his back etc. It builds up so halfway on his mission he turns back. I THINK he kills his elfy lover. And just at that moment the world gets Apocalypsed and he failed in his mission. Failing his mission to redeem himself, killing his love, generally hating himself and being a very powerful former paladin. The Goddess of Evil said "Poit, no death for you. You will live on. ANd just to keep you in a state of self loathing so I can manipulate you? I'll raise the elf's handmaidens as banshees who will constantly sing of your failures to you."

But yeah. Point being it's less "ritual" and more just having some God/dess of evil point at you and say "Arise!"

[Karnith]

This could be setting-specific thing; Death Knights of Krynn are explicitly created as punishment for their sins (see also Lord Ausric Krell, who was a weaselly coward of a Knight of Takhisis who betrayed Lord Ariakan, and was turned into a Death Knight by Ariakan's mother, Zeboim), but in other settings the rules for death knights may differ.

And to the OP, have you checked Dragon Magazine 360 (the first one published online, I think)? It contains Ecology of the Death Knight, which gives some examples of how some death knights got to where they were. The first death knight (according to elves), for example, made a deal with an evil fey creature, and killed the woman he loved (who didn't reciprocate his feelings) to gain power and make the world suffer.

[Moonwolf727]

As the people above me have said, the process usually isn't very much of a ritual but regardless, if you want a ritual I'll have a go at fluffing it up a little. Sorry if it doesn't turn out that well. Just so you know, this is only a ritual for those who willingly become death knights, other methods exist and this is by no means the most certain to succeed.

Ritual of Malevolent Devotion

This ritual is unholy, let there be no doubt that anyone willing to perform it is evil to the highest degree and willing to lay down everything they have, including their life, to further the purpose of whatever dark god they have pledged their allegiance to.

Step 1: During the three preliminary steps the single participant must set up a number of different things ready for their imminent transformation. The participant must take a piece of chalk and sprinkle unholy water over it while chanting in either in infernal, abyssal or the dark speech and then, using that very same chalk, draw, with accuracy down to the width of a child's hair, an elaborate circle of swirling patterns and eldritch shapes with converge into the center to form the symbol of their patron evil deity. Properly drawing this circle takes an hour. Any non-evil characters other than the participant who look upon the circle must make a DC14 Will save or become shaken while they remain in it's presence, the circle only provokes a Will save if it was drawn within the last twenty-four hours or until the ritual has been completed, whichever comes first.

Step 2: The participant must write a list of all of the deeds that they have performed throughout their lifetime which would merit being called evil. The list is to be written on a single piece of parchment which can be as long or short as is required to properly detail all of the participant's evil actions. The list may be written in whatever liquid the participant wishes, provided it can be used to write with, but the participant must mix at least a single drop of their own blood in order to properly bind themselves to it. The process of properly scribing the list takes varying amounts of time to complete depending on the number of evil deeds the participant has performed but a minimum of an hour must be spent writing, if the participant finishes their list before that time has elapsed then they are obliged to inscribe symbols of their deity around the border of the list while they wait for the requisite time to pass. Any non-evil character other than the participant who attempts to read the finished list must make a DC14 Will save or be fascinated with the list and read until the end, this takes approximately ten minutes regardless of its length. Reading the list only provokes a will save if it was written with the last twenty-four hours or until the ritual has been completed, whichever comes first.

Step 3: The participant must mix a simple drink consisting of unholy water, at least a drop of their own blood and powder from the ground bones of an innocent whom they have slain personally (the bones need not be fresh). Mixing the drink takes only a negligible amount of time to do and their is no requisite amount of time that must be spend doing so. Any non-evil character other than the participant who attempts to drink or otherwise imbibe the drink must make a DC14 fortitude save or be sickened for an hour afterwards. Attempting to consume the drink only provokes a fortitude save if it was mixed within twenty-four hours of consumption or until the ritual has been completed, whichever comes first.

Once the drink has been mixed, the list scribed and the circle drawn then it is time to begin the final step.

The Final Step: The participant must stand within the circle and place the drink at their feet while they read aloud the list of their evil deeds to all, if any, who are present. Once the list has been read the participant must grasp it in both hands and tear it in half while chanting prayers to their god in infernal, abyssal or the dark speech. The participant must continue tearing the list until they have finished their chant regardless of how small the pieces may become. Next, the participant must drop the shreds of their ripped list into the drink that they had placed by their feet, the pieces melt away into the mixture without causing it to overflow. The participant must now kneel in the center of their circle directly upon the symbol of their god and consume the drink which now contains the shredded list of their evil deeds. Drinking this mixture is near-fatal to the participant, and only the participant, who immediately drops to 0HP regardless of their previous physical or mental state. The participant must use their final moments to pledge themselves to their god forever more and beg for revival in the form of a death knight, forever bound in service to their lord and master. Upon completing the pledge the participant stabs themselves once, and only once, with a simple knife. This one blow instantly reduces the participant to -10HP and kills them.

The circle fades from the floor and leaves only a dusty imprint which could be blown away by the slightest breeze, the glass in which the drink was held dissolves into sand on the floor or wherever it currently lies. And the corpse of the participant rots on the ground to take on an appropriate visage of a death knight while the soul is prepared for an eternity of misdeeds and crimes most foul. Eight hours after the final step of the ritual is completed the participant is restored to 1HP as their soul is unceremoniously shoved back into the rotted corpse that was once their body and they shakily rise from their place on the cold floor and take their first steps as an undead monstrosity. They have succeeded and none shall doubt the might of their lord.

They are now a death knight, free to go forth in the name of darkness.

[Clistenes]

I think that in Greyhawk the Death Knights are a creation of Demogorgon (or maybe Orcus?), and the usual way to become a Death Knight is to be corrupted by a Demon Prince or making a deal with one of them.