Biscuit
2023-07-01, 02:50 AM
D&D 3.5 - Bone Knight
(Five Nations variant, p. 117)
“We shall emerge triumphant from this dreadful war or be reduced to dust. We defend our home with our spilled blood, our last breath, our very bones.”
— Madox Kaminarr, Bone Knight Commander of Karrnath
Bone knights are patriots of lands that do not shun necromancy, living protectors who fight alongside the undead legions of their land. During the war, they provide tactical expertise and fine control to the legions of undead that their casters raise to defend their people. Outside of war, they serve as elite knights who travel abroad to complete missions that serve the greater glory of their leige lords, guilds, companies, or organizations. They wear suits of bonecraft armor and weaponry that they craft themselves and learn to harness the power of necromancy, turning hordes of undead into disciplined, even cunning, troops.
Becoming a Bone Knight
Most bone knights begin their service as clerics or cleric/fighters. A few ex-paladins or black guards also drift easily into the bone knight class, regaining much of what they lost for straying from the highest ideals of the paladin, or a shared belief they held while a Blackguard. Bone knights train in various armies and usually, but not always, swear oaths of fealty in a common cause. A handful of others are taught by the Orders in various lands who embrace the idea of service after death, but lack the normal taboos that is commonly associated with such necromantic practices.
Requirements
Feats: Base Attack Bonus +4
Feats: Combat Casting or Mounted Casting
Skills: Craft (Armorsmithing) 6 ranks, Ride 6 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells.
Special: Ability to turn or rebuke undead (or alternative class ability equivalent)
Hit die d10
Skill Points: 2 + Int
The Bone Knight’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge - Royalty & Nobility (Int), Knowledge (Religion), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int)
LevelBABFortReflexWillClass FeaturesSpells Per Day[/tr]
1+1+2+0+0Bonecraft Armor, Paladin Conversion, Rebuke Undead--
2+2+3+0+0Bone March, Summon Skeletal Steed+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
3+3+3+1+1Master of the White Banner+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
4+4+4+1+1Improved Bonecraft Armor+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
5+5+4+1+1Fill the Ranks--
6+6+5+2+2Bonecraft Weapon+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
7+7+5+2+2Improved Bonecraft Armor+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
8+8+6+2+2Exoskeleton of The Undead Steed+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
9+9+6+3+3Armored Troops+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
10+10+7+3+3Improved Bonecraft Armor, Pale Rider+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bone Knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor and shields (including tower shields).
Bonecraft Armor (Ex): At 1st level, you learn to craft and wear the distinctive Bonecraft armor used by the order of Bone Knights. You can now craft suits of medium or heavy Bonecraft Armor that would normally be composed mostly of metal. The Bonecraft Armor has the same cost and time to create as normal armor of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce spiked or masterwork Bonecraft Armor (which may then be further enhanced through magic). Only a character with this class ability can effectively wear such Bonecraft Armor.
Wearing bonecraft armor grants a Bone Knight a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks made while wearing it. In addition, the armor grants you damage reduction 1/bludgeoning for every two class levels if it is medium armor or damage reduction 2/bludgeoning if it is heavy armor. Bonecraft Armor is not considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch.
Paladin Conversion: If you were a Paladin or ex-Paladin before becoming a Bone Knight, you can never again advance levels as a Paladin, since your association with the undead forever taints you in the eyes of most paladin orders. However, you retain (or regain) certain paladin abilities, including divine grace, lay on hands, aura of courage, divine health, and spellcasting. You cannot detect or smite evil or remove disease. You can use your lay on hands ability to cure living or undead creatures. You lose the service of your special mount, if you had one (but see the summon skeletal steed ability, below).
Rebuke Undead (Su): At 1st level, you gain the ability to rebuke undead as a Cleric of your Bone Knight level. If you already had the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you add your previous effective Cleric level to your Bone Knight level to determine your effective Cleric level for rebuking undead now. You can no longer turn undead once you gain this ability. If you had an alternative class feature that focused on something other than undead, you do not retain that ability and gain Rebuke Undead instead, but still add your previous levels when calculating effective cleric level of Rebuke Undead.
If you were specifically using the Destroy Undead alternative class feature instead of Turn or Rebuke undead, this ability also adds to your previous effective Cleric level for that ability instead, except it becomes Bolster Undead. Bolster Undead functions exactly like Destroy Undead, but heals undead instead of dealing damage to them. It still does not affect non-undead in any way.
Spellcasting: Beginning at 2nd level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in the divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level ate very level except 5th. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a Bone Knight, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
In addition, your divine spell list expands to add all the spells without the [Evil] descriptor on the Blackguard's spell list, but all spells with the [Good] descriptor are also removed from your existing spell list, regardless of your actual alignment.
Bone March (Su): At 2nd level, you gain the ability to assume control of animated undead from a willing caster as a standard action. You must be within 10 feet per your levels of Bone Knight of both the caster and the undead being given to you in order to assume control. The maximum total Hit Dice you may command in this manner is equal to five times your Bone Knight level. You may not control any individual undead creature with more HD than double your Bone Knight level; for example, a 2nd-level bone knight can control up to 10 Hit Dice of undead creatures, each with 4 Hit Dice or less.
Your uses of Turn or Rebuke Undead (or alternate class feature equivalent) can now also be spent to make a traditional Rebuke check, regardless of how it may function normally. However, instead of becoming damaged or fleeing in fear, a successful check renders the undead in question under your control as if it had been given to you by a willing caster. This is only successful within 10 feet per level of Bone Knight, and only if you have enough control space within your Bone March ability to assume control over the undead in question, and they do not exceed your limits granted by the ability. This allows you to collect undead under your command without requiring a friendly caster at hand.
Summon Skeletal Steed (Sp): At 2nd level, you gain the services of a skeletal steed: A Heavy Warhorse with the Bone Creature template applied (or a War Pony with the Bone Creature template applied for Small bone knights). You may call this steed in the same fashion as a paladin whose level equals 4 + your bone knight level, and the steed gains the same special abilities as a paladin's special mount at the same effective level. This counts as a Paladin's special mount for all feats and class abilities relating to such. If you would gain the ability to call a different type of Paladin mount other than a heavy warhorse or war pony as appropriate to your size, you must also apply the Bone Creature template to the new mount. This includes alternative mounts altered through feats such as Dragon Steed (Draconomicon, p. 105), and mounts that count as a paladin's mount gained via prestige classes, etc. Unlike the Skeleton template, the Bone Creature template allows the base creature to retain its original Intelligence score and racial abilities such as natural attacks, as well as any natural flight speed it had before (though it would now be considered magical flight).
A Skeletal Steed is immune to Turning by any means while its Bone Knight master rides it, nor can it be targeted by hostile spells that can otherwise only target undead while being ridden by its Bone Knight. While riding their Skeleton Mount and wearing their Bonecraft Armor, the Bone Knight is perceived as an undead by otherwise hostile unintelligent undead.
Additionally, when summoning your Skeletal Steed, it benefits from feats like Corpsecrafter (Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, p. 25) and other feats and class features like it as if it were an undead you had just created the yourself, gaining any applicable additional benefits for doing so.
Master of the White Banner (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you grant any undead under your control Turn Resistance and a bonus to their saving throws equal to your Charisma bonus (if any) as long as they are within 60 feet of you.
Improved Bonecraft Armor (Ex): At 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, the damage reduction afforded by your Bonecraft Armor increases by +1 (upgrading to 2/Bludgeoning for Medium and 3/Bludgeoning for Heavy). Moreover, you gain additional benefits while clad in your Bonecraft Armor, as described below:
At 4th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you immunity to stunning attacks and nonlethal damage while worn, and the base damage resistance it provides doubles (upgrading further to a total of 4/Bludgeoning for Medium and 6/Bludgeoning for Heavy). You can now sleep in your Bonecraft Armor with no ill effects.
At 7th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you Heavy Fortification, giving you a 50% chance of negating any critical hit or sneak attack made against you while wearing it. In addition, the Bonecraft Armor no longer has an armor check penalty for you, and allows you to act and fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
At 10th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you 100% immunity to extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks. In addition, your Bonecraft Armor is treated as having the Ghost Touch armor enhancement, regardless of actual magical enhancements it may or may not have, and it does not count towards future magical enhancement costs.
Fill the Ranks (Sp): Starting at 5th level, you can use a limited form of the Animate Dead spell as a spell-like ability once per day for every 5 levels of Bone Knight (1/Day at 5th level and 2/Day at 10th). The target corpse, which must have had at least 3HD in life, if not more, rises as either a Karrnathi Skeleton or Karrnathi Zombie (depending on the condition of the corpse and your preference - the corpse must still have intact flesh to become a zombie, but any mostly intact humanoid corpse can become a skeleton if the Bone Knight desires). This undead's Hit Dice count against the maximum number of undead the Bone Knight can control at once with their Bone March ability. This counts in all ways as using the Animate Dead spell for any conditions or circumstances that would affect the creation of new undead, such as being within the area of effect of a Desecration spell or benefitting from feats like Corpsecrafter (Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, p. 25) and other feats like it.
If used without providing the traditional material component of the animate Dead spell, the resulting undead has the base Hit Dice (3) of the Karrnathi skeleton or zombie listed in their respective entries. However, if you opt to add the normal onyx worth 25gp per Hit Die (-75gp, as the first 3 Hit Dice are essentially free with this ability) required of the Animate Dead spell, you can raise creatures into their Karrnathi undead counterparts with up to the same Hit Dice they had in life (to the normal maximum of 10 HD for Zombies, and 20 HD for Skeletons).
See the EBERRON Campaign Setting for Karrnathi Skeleton and Karrnathi Zombie statistics (pages 292—293), or simply use the alternate statistics provided in the post below this one if needed or desired.
Bonecraft Weaponry (Ex): At 6th level, if the Bone Knight has at least 10 ranks in Craft (Weaponsmithing), they can now also craft weapons with pieces of bone worked into the design, or even entirely of bone, if desired. The Bonecraft Weapon has the same cost and time to create as a normal weapon of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce a masterwork Bonecraft Weapon (which may then be further enhanced through magic as normal). Bonecraft weapons are never considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch. Only a character with this class ability can effectively wield Bonecraft Weapons.
If the Bone Knight has at least 10 ranks in Craft (Armorsmithing), they can now also craft shields with pieces of bone worked into the design, or even entirely of bone, if desired. The Bonecraft Shield has the same cost and time to create as a normal shield of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce a masterwork Bonecraft Shield (which may then be further enhanced through magic as normal). Bonecraft Shields are never considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch. Only a character with this class ability can effectively wield Bonecraft Shields.
In the hands of a Bone Knight of 6th level or higher, a Bonecraft Weapons deal an additional +1d6 points of damage against living creatures when doing damage. An appropriate ranged weapon bestows this benefit on its ammunition. Alternatively, Bonecraft ranged ammunition can be crafted instead, but the additional damage is only gained if fired a Bone Knight with this class ability.
At level 8, the Bone Knight can also craft bone spikes to attach to Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Shields that also deal the bonus damage to the living of all Bonecraft Weaponry. Only a Bonecraft Shield with the aforementioned bone spikes gain the extra bonus to living creatures when dealing damage.
At level 10, your Bonecraft weapon's extra damage to living creatures grows from +1d6 to living creatures to +1d8 to living creatures, and all Bonecraft Weaponry is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Exoskeleton of the Undead Steed (Ex): At 8th level, if the Bone Knight is wearing Bonecraft armor when summoning their Skeletal Steed, their mount comes pre-equipped with Bonecraft Armor Barding of their own with the exact same statistics as the Bone Knight's own and is treated as a Bone Knight for the normal requirements to wear Bonecraft Armor.
Additionally, if you are wielding a Bonecraft Weapon when your steed is summoned, its natural attacks deal additional damage to the living as if its natural weapons were also Bonecraft Weapons.
Armored Troops (Ex): At 9th level, the Bone Knight can now also equip the Undead under their control via the Bone March Ability with Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Weapons that the commanding Bone Knight has crafted personally. They can use this equipment without the normal restrictions associated with specific levels of Bone Knight and gain any benefits from the equipment that their commander themselves currently benefit from with their current Bone Knight level.
While they benefit from the Bonecraft Weapon's additional damage to living creatures, they gain no class specific benefits of the Bonecraft Armor. Instead, when wearing Bonecraft Armor, undead under the Bone March ability wearing Bonecraft armor use the same Fortitude Save modifier as the Bone Knight commanding them if it is greater than their own, they benefit from a base increase of +4 Turn Resistance, and gain Fast Healing 1 when they have less than half of their full Hit Points - they do not get the benefits of Fast Healing if they have 1/2 or more of their total Hit Points.
Undead under control via the Bone March ability are considered automatically proficient with both Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Weapon that their commanding Bone Knight has crafted.
Pale Rider (Su): At 10th level, while riding your Skeletal Steed and wearing your Bonecraft Armor, you gain additional powers of the undead and become a force to be reckoned with. You gain complete immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, death effects, fatigue, exhaustion, ability damage to your physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, and death from massive damage.
If the Bone Knight is already of the Undead type, then while riding their Skeletal Steed and clad in your Bonecraft Armor, the Bone Knight and their Skeletal Steed are instead both considered 1 size larger whenever it would be favorable to do so (and not, if it would be detrimental to do so). This includes benefitting from increased weapon damage dice, reach, etc., while not suffering penalties to-hit or to AC for being a larger size.
Rewrote the class description to make it viable in any setting and not restricted to Eberron lore.
Made it a Full BAB class and expanded the class spell lists while removing all spells of the [Good] & [Evil] descriptors to better convey the moral grey area the Bone Knnight operates in, but removed Spellcasting progression from level 5 to balance that fact.
Swapped the Death Strike 1/Day at level 9 for an additional use of Fill The Ranks.
Clarified the ambiguous Fill The Ranks ability to allow for scaling undead like Animate Dead without having to clarify with DM about 'how it works'.
Swapped the Skeleton Template for the Bone Creature Template for the steed because Bone Creature allows for the keeping of any preexisting flight speeds (looking at you, Griffonriders), as well as keeping their base intelligence and abilities (such as natural attacks).
Added Consentration as a class skill.
Altered Bone March to allow 5 * Class Level worth of HD, up from the original 4 * class level.
Altered the scaling benefits of Bonecraft Armor & Bonecraft Weapon to be actually useful long-term.
Removed the Exoskeleton of Undeath class feature because that was a truly terrible class feature that did far more harm than good.
Reworded the Skeletal Steed class ability to be more flexible and less vague.
Replaced Exoskeleton of Undead with Exoskeleton of the Undead Steed, granting the special mount some barding to make the mount more of a prominant class feature.
Removed & Replaced the Death Strike with the ability to equip undead with Bonecraft armor and weapons and gave them alternative benefits with the armor since they already have undead immunities.
Overall, this build has a slightly greater focus on Mounted combat and minion control, but is still in line with other Gish prestige classes in terms of overall power.
(Five Nations variant, p. 117)
“We shall emerge triumphant from this dreadful war or be reduced to dust. We defend our home with our spilled blood, our last breath, our very bones.”
— Madox Kaminarr, Bone Knight Commander of Karrnath
Bone knights are patriots of lands that do not shun necromancy, living protectors who fight alongside the undead legions of their land. During the war, they provide tactical expertise and fine control to the legions of undead that their casters raise to defend their people. Outside of war, they serve as elite knights who travel abroad to complete missions that serve the greater glory of their leige lords, guilds, companies, or organizations. They wear suits of bonecraft armor and weaponry that they craft themselves and learn to harness the power of necromancy, turning hordes of undead into disciplined, even cunning, troops.
Becoming a Bone Knight
Most bone knights begin their service as clerics or cleric/fighters. A few ex-paladins or black guards also drift easily into the bone knight class, regaining much of what they lost for straying from the highest ideals of the paladin, or a shared belief they held while a Blackguard. Bone knights train in various armies and usually, but not always, swear oaths of fealty in a common cause. A handful of others are taught by the Orders in various lands who embrace the idea of service after death, but lack the normal taboos that is commonly associated with such necromantic practices.
Requirements
Feats: Base Attack Bonus +4
Feats: Combat Casting or Mounted Casting
Skills: Craft (Armorsmithing) 6 ranks, Ride 6 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells.
Special: Ability to turn or rebuke undead (or alternative class ability equivalent)
Hit die d10
Skill Points: 2 + Int
The Bone Knight’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge - Royalty & Nobility (Int), Knowledge (Religion), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int)
LevelBABFortReflexWillClass FeaturesSpells Per Day[/tr]
1+1+2+0+0Bonecraft Armor, Paladin Conversion, Rebuke Undead--
2+2+3+0+0Bone March, Summon Skeletal Steed+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
3+3+3+1+1Master of the White Banner+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
4+4+4+1+1Improved Bonecraft Armor+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
5+5+4+1+1Fill the Ranks--
6+6+5+2+2Bonecraft Weapon+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
7+7+5+2+2Improved Bonecraft Armor+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
8+8+6+2+2Exoskeleton of The Undead Steed+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
9+9+6+3+3Armored Troops+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
10+10+7+3+3Improved Bonecraft Armor, Pale Rider+1 Level of Existing Divine Spellcasting Class
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bone Knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor and shields (including tower shields).
Bonecraft Armor (Ex): At 1st level, you learn to craft and wear the distinctive Bonecraft armor used by the order of Bone Knights. You can now craft suits of medium or heavy Bonecraft Armor that would normally be composed mostly of metal. The Bonecraft Armor has the same cost and time to create as normal armor of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce spiked or masterwork Bonecraft Armor (which may then be further enhanced through magic). Only a character with this class ability can effectively wear such Bonecraft Armor.
Wearing bonecraft armor grants a Bone Knight a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks made while wearing it. In addition, the armor grants you damage reduction 1/bludgeoning for every two class levels if it is medium armor or damage reduction 2/bludgeoning if it is heavy armor. Bonecraft Armor is not considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch.
Paladin Conversion: If you were a Paladin or ex-Paladin before becoming a Bone Knight, you can never again advance levels as a Paladin, since your association with the undead forever taints you in the eyes of most paladin orders. However, you retain (or regain) certain paladin abilities, including divine grace, lay on hands, aura of courage, divine health, and spellcasting. You cannot detect or smite evil or remove disease. You can use your lay on hands ability to cure living or undead creatures. You lose the service of your special mount, if you had one (but see the summon skeletal steed ability, below).
Rebuke Undead (Su): At 1st level, you gain the ability to rebuke undead as a Cleric of your Bone Knight level. If you already had the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you add your previous effective Cleric level to your Bone Knight level to determine your effective Cleric level for rebuking undead now. You can no longer turn undead once you gain this ability. If you had an alternative class feature that focused on something other than undead, you do not retain that ability and gain Rebuke Undead instead, but still add your previous levels when calculating effective cleric level of Rebuke Undead.
If you were specifically using the Destroy Undead alternative class feature instead of Turn or Rebuke undead, this ability also adds to your previous effective Cleric level for that ability instead, except it becomes Bolster Undead. Bolster Undead functions exactly like Destroy Undead, but heals undead instead of dealing damage to them. It still does not affect non-undead in any way.
Spellcasting: Beginning at 2nd level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in the divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level ate very level except 5th. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a Bone Knight, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
In addition, your divine spell list expands to add all the spells without the [Evil] descriptor on the Blackguard's spell list, but all spells with the [Good] descriptor are also removed from your existing spell list, regardless of your actual alignment.
Bone March (Su): At 2nd level, you gain the ability to assume control of animated undead from a willing caster as a standard action. You must be within 10 feet per your levels of Bone Knight of both the caster and the undead being given to you in order to assume control. The maximum total Hit Dice you may command in this manner is equal to five times your Bone Knight level. You may not control any individual undead creature with more HD than double your Bone Knight level; for example, a 2nd-level bone knight can control up to 10 Hit Dice of undead creatures, each with 4 Hit Dice or less.
Your uses of Turn or Rebuke Undead (or alternate class feature equivalent) can now also be spent to make a traditional Rebuke check, regardless of how it may function normally. However, instead of becoming damaged or fleeing in fear, a successful check renders the undead in question under your control as if it had been given to you by a willing caster. This is only successful within 10 feet per level of Bone Knight, and only if you have enough control space within your Bone March ability to assume control over the undead in question, and they do not exceed your limits granted by the ability. This allows you to collect undead under your command without requiring a friendly caster at hand.
Summon Skeletal Steed (Sp): At 2nd level, you gain the services of a skeletal steed: A Heavy Warhorse with the Bone Creature template applied (or a War Pony with the Bone Creature template applied for Small bone knights). You may call this steed in the same fashion as a paladin whose level equals 4 + your bone knight level, and the steed gains the same special abilities as a paladin's special mount at the same effective level. This counts as a Paladin's special mount for all feats and class abilities relating to such. If you would gain the ability to call a different type of Paladin mount other than a heavy warhorse or war pony as appropriate to your size, you must also apply the Bone Creature template to the new mount. This includes alternative mounts altered through feats such as Dragon Steed (Draconomicon, p. 105), and mounts that count as a paladin's mount gained via prestige classes, etc. Unlike the Skeleton template, the Bone Creature template allows the base creature to retain its original Intelligence score and racial abilities such as natural attacks, as well as any natural flight speed it had before (though it would now be considered magical flight).
A Skeletal Steed is immune to Turning by any means while its Bone Knight master rides it, nor can it be targeted by hostile spells that can otherwise only target undead while being ridden by its Bone Knight. While riding their Skeleton Mount and wearing their Bonecraft Armor, the Bone Knight is perceived as an undead by otherwise hostile unintelligent undead.
Additionally, when summoning your Skeletal Steed, it benefits from feats like Corpsecrafter (Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, p. 25) and other feats and class features like it as if it were an undead you had just created the yourself, gaining any applicable additional benefits for doing so.
Master of the White Banner (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you grant any undead under your control Turn Resistance and a bonus to their saving throws equal to your Charisma bonus (if any) as long as they are within 60 feet of you.
Improved Bonecraft Armor (Ex): At 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, the damage reduction afforded by your Bonecraft Armor increases by +1 (upgrading to 2/Bludgeoning for Medium and 3/Bludgeoning for Heavy). Moreover, you gain additional benefits while clad in your Bonecraft Armor, as described below:
At 4th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you immunity to stunning attacks and nonlethal damage while worn, and the base damage resistance it provides doubles (upgrading further to a total of 4/Bludgeoning for Medium and 6/Bludgeoning for Heavy). You can now sleep in your Bonecraft Armor with no ill effects.
At 7th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you Heavy Fortification, giving you a 50% chance of negating any critical hit or sneak attack made against you while wearing it. In addition, the Bonecraft Armor no longer has an armor check penalty for you, and allows you to act and fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
At 10th level, your Bonecraft Armor grants you 100% immunity to extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks. In addition, your Bonecraft Armor is treated as having the Ghost Touch armor enhancement, regardless of actual magical enhancements it may or may not have, and it does not count towards future magical enhancement costs.
Fill the Ranks (Sp): Starting at 5th level, you can use a limited form of the Animate Dead spell as a spell-like ability once per day for every 5 levels of Bone Knight (1/Day at 5th level and 2/Day at 10th). The target corpse, which must have had at least 3HD in life, if not more, rises as either a Karrnathi Skeleton or Karrnathi Zombie (depending on the condition of the corpse and your preference - the corpse must still have intact flesh to become a zombie, but any mostly intact humanoid corpse can become a skeleton if the Bone Knight desires). This undead's Hit Dice count against the maximum number of undead the Bone Knight can control at once with their Bone March ability. This counts in all ways as using the Animate Dead spell for any conditions or circumstances that would affect the creation of new undead, such as being within the area of effect of a Desecration spell or benefitting from feats like Corpsecrafter (Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, p. 25) and other feats like it.
If used without providing the traditional material component of the animate Dead spell, the resulting undead has the base Hit Dice (3) of the Karrnathi skeleton or zombie listed in their respective entries. However, if you opt to add the normal onyx worth 25gp per Hit Die (-75gp, as the first 3 Hit Dice are essentially free with this ability) required of the Animate Dead spell, you can raise creatures into their Karrnathi undead counterparts with up to the same Hit Dice they had in life (to the normal maximum of 10 HD for Zombies, and 20 HD for Skeletons).
See the EBERRON Campaign Setting for Karrnathi Skeleton and Karrnathi Zombie statistics (pages 292—293), or simply use the alternate statistics provided in the post below this one if needed or desired.
Bonecraft Weaponry (Ex): At 6th level, if the Bone Knight has at least 10 ranks in Craft (Weaponsmithing), they can now also craft weapons with pieces of bone worked into the design, or even entirely of bone, if desired. The Bonecraft Weapon has the same cost and time to create as a normal weapon of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce a masterwork Bonecraft Weapon (which may then be further enhanced through magic as normal). Bonecraft weapons are never considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch. Only a character with this class ability can effectively wield Bonecraft Weapons.
If the Bone Knight has at least 10 ranks in Craft (Armorsmithing), they can now also craft shields with pieces of bone worked into the design, or even entirely of bone, if desired. The Bonecraft Shield has the same cost and time to create as a normal shield of that type. It is possible to spend additional time and money to produce a masterwork Bonecraft Shield (which may then be further enhanced through magic as normal). Bonecraft Shields are never considered metallic and not subject to spells such as chill metal or to special attacks that target metal, such as a rust monster's touch. Only a character with this class ability can effectively wield Bonecraft Shields.
In the hands of a Bone Knight of 6th level or higher, a Bonecraft Weapons deal an additional +1d6 points of damage against living creatures when doing damage. An appropriate ranged weapon bestows this benefit on its ammunition. Alternatively, Bonecraft ranged ammunition can be crafted instead, but the additional damage is only gained if fired a Bone Knight with this class ability.
At level 8, the Bone Knight can also craft bone spikes to attach to Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Shields that also deal the bonus damage to the living of all Bonecraft Weaponry. Only a Bonecraft Shield with the aforementioned bone spikes gain the extra bonus to living creatures when dealing damage.
At level 10, your Bonecraft weapon's extra damage to living creatures grows from +1d6 to living creatures to +1d8 to living creatures, and all Bonecraft Weaponry is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Exoskeleton of the Undead Steed (Ex): At 8th level, if the Bone Knight is wearing Bonecraft armor when summoning their Skeletal Steed, their mount comes pre-equipped with Bonecraft Armor Barding of their own with the exact same statistics as the Bone Knight's own and is treated as a Bone Knight for the normal requirements to wear Bonecraft Armor.
Additionally, if you are wielding a Bonecraft Weapon when your steed is summoned, its natural attacks deal additional damage to the living as if its natural weapons were also Bonecraft Weapons.
Armored Troops (Ex): At 9th level, the Bone Knight can now also equip the Undead under their control via the Bone March Ability with Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Weapons that the commanding Bone Knight has crafted personally. They can use this equipment without the normal restrictions associated with specific levels of Bone Knight and gain any benefits from the equipment that their commander themselves currently benefit from with their current Bone Knight level.
While they benefit from the Bonecraft Weapon's additional damage to living creatures, they gain no class specific benefits of the Bonecraft Armor. Instead, when wearing Bonecraft Armor, undead under the Bone March ability wearing Bonecraft armor use the same Fortitude Save modifier as the Bone Knight commanding them if it is greater than their own, they benefit from a base increase of +4 Turn Resistance, and gain Fast Healing 1 when they have less than half of their full Hit Points - they do not get the benefits of Fast Healing if they have 1/2 or more of their total Hit Points.
Undead under control via the Bone March ability are considered automatically proficient with both Bonecraft Armor and Bonecraft Weapon that their commanding Bone Knight has crafted.
Pale Rider (Su): At 10th level, while riding your Skeletal Steed and wearing your Bonecraft Armor, you gain additional powers of the undead and become a force to be reckoned with. You gain complete immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, death effects, fatigue, exhaustion, ability damage to your physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, and death from massive damage.
If the Bone Knight is already of the Undead type, then while riding their Skeletal Steed and clad in your Bonecraft Armor, the Bone Knight and their Skeletal Steed are instead both considered 1 size larger whenever it would be favorable to do so (and not, if it would be detrimental to do so). This includes benefitting from increased weapon damage dice, reach, etc., while not suffering penalties to-hit or to AC for being a larger size.
Rewrote the class description to make it viable in any setting and not restricted to Eberron lore.
Made it a Full BAB class and expanded the class spell lists while removing all spells of the [Good] & [Evil] descriptors to better convey the moral grey area the Bone Knnight operates in, but removed Spellcasting progression from level 5 to balance that fact.
Swapped the Death Strike 1/Day at level 9 for an additional use of Fill The Ranks.
Clarified the ambiguous Fill The Ranks ability to allow for scaling undead like Animate Dead without having to clarify with DM about 'how it works'.
Swapped the Skeleton Template for the Bone Creature Template for the steed because Bone Creature allows for the keeping of any preexisting flight speeds (looking at you, Griffonriders), as well as keeping their base intelligence and abilities (such as natural attacks).
Added Consentration as a class skill.
Altered Bone March to allow 5 * Class Level worth of HD, up from the original 4 * class level.
Altered the scaling benefits of Bonecraft Armor & Bonecraft Weapon to be actually useful long-term.
Removed the Exoskeleton of Undeath class feature because that was a truly terrible class feature that did far more harm than good.
Reworded the Skeletal Steed class ability to be more flexible and less vague.
Replaced Exoskeleton of Undead with Exoskeleton of the Undead Steed, granting the special mount some barding to make the mount more of a prominant class feature.
Removed & Replaced the Death Strike with the ability to equip undead with Bonecraft armor and weapons and gave them alternative benefits with the armor since they already have undead immunities.
Overall, this build has a slightly greater focus on Mounted combat and minion control, but is still in line with other Gish prestige classes in terms of overall power.