Foxydono
2019-09-07, 02:09 PM
Before we get started, let me first give some ground rules and background info. I got the idea of making a death knight from a legendary magic item set I found in a book called 'Artifacts of the Guild'. The set is called: 'Death Knight's Dreadful Accouterments'. When I saw the set, I immediately wanted to make a death knight, but the set has some unique abilities/requirements, which make it hard to make an appropriate character for it. The set pieces are as follows and when you equip all of them together, they count as one attunement slot:
Helm:
This fearsome helm makes your eyes glow red and grants darkvision of 120 feet while you wear it. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and non-magical. Wearing this helm also grants immunity to the exhaustion and frightened conditions.
Armor (full plate):
This set of armor is fashioned after a death knight’s armor, and is reinforced with adamantine, one of the hardest substances in existence.
After becoming attuned to this armor, you gain the following benefits while wearing it:
Resistance: You have resistance to necrotic and poison damage.
Invulnerability: You have resistance to non-magical damage, and any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit. Additionally, you can use an action to make yourself immune to non-magical damage for 10 minutes or until you are no longer wearing the armor. Uses of this ability restore the following morning at dawn.
Etherealness: You can speak the armor’s command word as an action to gain the effect of the etherealness spell. This spell lasts for 10 minutes, until you remove the armor, or you use an action to speak the command word again. Uses of this ability restore the following morning at dawn.
Shield:
Sentinel: While holding this shield, you have advantage on initiative rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Spellguard: While holding this shield, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and spell attacks have disadvantage against you.
Shield Bash: When taking the attack action, as a bonus action, you can make an attack with your shield, dealing (1d6 + Strength modifier) magical bludgeoning damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Strength Modifier) or be knocked prone. If you use this ability you lose your AC bonus provided by the shield until the start of your next turn.
Weapon (longsword):
Parry: As a reaction, you add 6 to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you. To do so, you must see the attacker.
Unholy Flame: You can use a bonus action to speak this magic sword’s command word, causing dark flames to erupt from the blade. These flames shed no light, instead causing light to dim in a 40-foot radius. While the sword is ablaze, it deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage to any target it hits. Te flames last until you use a bonus action to speak the command word again, or until you drop or sheathe the sword.
Unholy Smite: If attuned by a spellcaster, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend a spell slot to deal additional necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s other damage. Te extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, up to a maximum of 5d8. You deal an additional 1d8 damage if the target is a celestial. If this effect is used against an undead creature, they are instead healed by an amount equal to the necrotic damage.
As you can see, the set needs/does a couple of things:
- You need to be able to wear heavy armor and a shield.
- You get smite (if you have spell slots)
- Melee, preferably Strength based, since you need 15 Strength for full plate, but also because it fits the character.
- Dark undertone (necrotic damage, shed light etc.)
- Parry as a reaction (so a character with many bonus reactions is not a good choice)
- Shield bash as a bonus action (so a character with many bonus actions is not a good choice)
If you look at the above requirements, a barbarian isn't a good fit, because you need heavy armor. A hexblade warlock might be an option, but you don't have a lot of spell slots for smites. Also I prefer going 20 Strength instead of Charisma and you need a feat to use heavy armor. An EK is an option, you have spell slots and you can go Strength, but you do already have parry as a reaction. You could go valor bard, but you have the same problems as with the warlock. Going evil pally is right up this set alley, but you have double smite.. THe best thing I could come up with, is going war cleric. You have spell slots, you don't have many bonus actions or reaction, you can still worship a God of war or death and you get heavy armor.
Anyway, I wanted to share my own thoughts, so you understand why I am having trouble finding the right class/build for the character. The challenge is as follows:
- Character level 20, only official material, no UA.
- Multiclassing and feats are allowed.
- No magic items, except the above set.
- Make a character which fits the set as best you can.
- Point buy
- Post results of character with feats/stats at level 20 (also with HP and AC)
- Posting spells/flaws/ideals/background etc. is not needed, but go ahead if you like :)
I'll use the best character as a villain in my next campaign!
Helm:
This fearsome helm makes your eyes glow red and grants darkvision of 120 feet while you wear it. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and non-magical. Wearing this helm also grants immunity to the exhaustion and frightened conditions.
Armor (full plate):
This set of armor is fashioned after a death knight’s armor, and is reinforced with adamantine, one of the hardest substances in existence.
After becoming attuned to this armor, you gain the following benefits while wearing it:
Resistance: You have resistance to necrotic and poison damage.
Invulnerability: You have resistance to non-magical damage, and any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit. Additionally, you can use an action to make yourself immune to non-magical damage for 10 minutes or until you are no longer wearing the armor. Uses of this ability restore the following morning at dawn.
Etherealness: You can speak the armor’s command word as an action to gain the effect of the etherealness spell. This spell lasts for 10 minutes, until you remove the armor, or you use an action to speak the command word again. Uses of this ability restore the following morning at dawn.
Shield:
Sentinel: While holding this shield, you have advantage on initiative rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Spellguard: While holding this shield, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and spell attacks have disadvantage against you.
Shield Bash: When taking the attack action, as a bonus action, you can make an attack with your shield, dealing (1d6 + Strength modifier) magical bludgeoning damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Strength Modifier) or be knocked prone. If you use this ability you lose your AC bonus provided by the shield until the start of your next turn.
Weapon (longsword):
Parry: As a reaction, you add 6 to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you. To do so, you must see the attacker.
Unholy Flame: You can use a bonus action to speak this magic sword’s command word, causing dark flames to erupt from the blade. These flames shed no light, instead causing light to dim in a 40-foot radius. While the sword is ablaze, it deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage to any target it hits. Te flames last until you use a bonus action to speak the command word again, or until you drop or sheathe the sword.
Unholy Smite: If attuned by a spellcaster, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend a spell slot to deal additional necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s other damage. Te extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, up to a maximum of 5d8. You deal an additional 1d8 damage if the target is a celestial. If this effect is used against an undead creature, they are instead healed by an amount equal to the necrotic damage.
As you can see, the set needs/does a couple of things:
- You need to be able to wear heavy armor and a shield.
- You get smite (if you have spell slots)
- Melee, preferably Strength based, since you need 15 Strength for full plate, but also because it fits the character.
- Dark undertone (necrotic damage, shed light etc.)
- Parry as a reaction (so a character with many bonus reactions is not a good choice)
- Shield bash as a bonus action (so a character with many bonus actions is not a good choice)
If you look at the above requirements, a barbarian isn't a good fit, because you need heavy armor. A hexblade warlock might be an option, but you don't have a lot of spell slots for smites. Also I prefer going 20 Strength instead of Charisma and you need a feat to use heavy armor. An EK is an option, you have spell slots and you can go Strength, but you do already have parry as a reaction. You could go valor bard, but you have the same problems as with the warlock. Going evil pally is right up this set alley, but you have double smite.. THe best thing I could come up with, is going war cleric. You have spell slots, you don't have many bonus actions or reaction, you can still worship a God of war or death and you get heavy armor.
Anyway, I wanted to share my own thoughts, so you understand why I am having trouble finding the right class/build for the character. The challenge is as follows:
- Character level 20, only official material, no UA.
- Multiclassing and feats are allowed.
- No magic items, except the above set.
- Make a character which fits the set as best you can.
- Point buy
- Post results of character with feats/stats at level 20 (also with HP and AC)
- Posting spells/flaws/ideals/background etc. is not needed, but go ahead if you like :)
I'll use the best character as a villain in my next campaign!