GiTP Pathfinder Grab Bag Competition XV: Gamer's Gambit

[iTookUrNick]

Work in Progress!!!
I must say that this project is turning out to be trickier than expected. I do not know if I'll be able to finish in time, especially considering other RL engagements...

The Cursed Knight
(a.k.a. Azeroth's Death Knight Hero Class)


"With my death, all I have left is my duty. There is no family, there are no friends... there is only this. War." Thassarian, first death knight to join the alliance

This is a class based on the Death Knight from the World of Warcraft universe.
Author's note:

Spoiler

Show

This is probably the 1472th (and counting) attempt to bring a piece of World of Warcaft in d20 form. Some of these attempts might be more polished, closer to the lore or the game mechanic, or whatever. Here I will try to make a "death knight-esque" character that preserves the feel and flavor of the mmo ad combines it with the balance of the base class on witch it is molded (the [anti]paladin). Ideally, a player familiar with the class in one game should not find it overly difficult to use it in the other; at the same time, I do not with to implement a mechanical system that hinders and lengthen the combat round when playing with pen and paper. Hopefully, the execution will remain faithful to these principles.

As to why I made an entirely new class: well, I ended up changing so much that the original was nowhere to be seen, except as a rough guideline power-wise.

Design Note:

Spoiler

Show

The fundamental points of a death knight in WoW are: blood (and lifesteal), frost (and movement impairing) and unholy (and undeath). Diseases play a major role in all three specs, although they seem to be more appropriate to the unholy spec in the context of the d20 system
Limited resources include, originally, both runes and rune powers, with one fuelling the other in more or less complex patterns. The important point is that runic power is supposed to be gained during combat and spent as a devastating/finishing move. Runes, on the other hand, are supposed to be immediately available, spent to gain runic power or to activate selected special abilities, and slowly regained (perhaps with a mechanic similar to meneuvers, or perhaps grit points).

Although this is a different class (not an alternate), I've tried to maintain the power level in line with the Paladin. As a reference, these are the "substitutions", so to speak:

• Detect + Smite > Runic Weapon
• Lay on hands > Vampiric strike
• Mercy > Cruelty (≠ from the antipaladin)
• Plague bringer (same as AP)
• Divine Grace > Presence
• Spells > Spec. Powers
• Divine Bond > rune tap
• Aura of Courage > aura 2
• Aura of despair (same as AP) moved as aura 1
• Aura of vengeance > aura 3
• Aura of sin > aura 4
• Aura of depravity > aura 5
• Unholy champion > Lich King

Role: The cursed knight is a hybrid class, whose focus changes in accordance to the chosen order. A blood-specc'd knight is a tank without shield that saps away the life force of his enemies in order to fuel his own staying power. A frost-specc'd knight is king of the battlefield around himself, controlling enemy movement and offensive capabilities. A unholy-specc'd knight harness the power of death and decay to weaken the enemy defenses and bring them down. All death knights can dabble in all three aspects of the class, albeit only those specialized in a particular aspect can unleash its full power.

Alignment: Any Good or Evil. Cursed Knights tend to be lawful on both sides of the conflict, but this is not a requirement.

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills
The Cursed Knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier


CCursed Knight
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Aura, Specialization, Runic Weapon, Presence

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|0th-level powers

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|1st cruelty

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Plague Bringer

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Specialized Power

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|1st-level powers

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|2nd cruelty

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Death and Decay

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|—

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|2nd-level powers

11th|

+11

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|3rd cruelty

12th|

+12

|

+8

|

+4

|

+8

|Aura of Despair

13th|

+13

|

+8

|

+4

|

+8

|—

14th|

+14

|

+9

|

+4

|

+9

|3rd-level powers

15th|

+15

|

+9

|

+5

|

+9

|4th cruelty

16th|

+16

|

+10

|

+5

|

+10

|—

17th|

+17

|

+10

|

+5

|

+10

|—

18th|

+18

|

+11

|

+6

|

+11

|4th-level powers

19th|

+19

|

+11

|

+6

|

+11

|5th cruelty

20th|

+20

|

+12

|

+6

|

+12

|Lich King[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cursed Knight.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Cursed knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), but not with shields.

Aura (Ex): as a cleric of the same level. The aura is Good or Evil, depending on alignment. Law and chaos register as normal. The cursed knight registers as an undead when targeted by a detect undead spell.

Deathbound (Ex): unholy energies were infused in cursed knights upon creation. Cursed knights are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, and they use their Charisma bonus to calculate their bonus HPs.
Their type remains the one set by their race, including subtypes, they keep their constitution score, they are not immune to critical hits and precision damage, mind affecting spells or effects that require a fortitude save, unless they are actually undead.

Specialization (Su): a cursed knight can specialize in one of the following areas of expertise: blood, frost or unholy. To change spec you can pay 25 gp to your class trainer if you are in Azeroth, or spend 200 gp per class level for a 1-week long specialized ritual everywhere else.
When determining effects, unless specified otherwise, consider the caster level equal to the knight's class level, and the DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the knight's level + the knight's Charisma modifier. Whenever the knight attempts to use a power whose descriptor does not match his current specialization, his level is to be considered two levels lower. If this adjustment brings his level below the minimum level for the ability, the knight cannot use it.

Runic Weapon (Su): starting at 1st level, a cursed knight reforges a weapon by adding a piece of his former self into its construction. This is always a two-handed weapon. The knight starts the game with a masterwork version of the weapon for free.
As a special ritual taking 8 hours at a forge, a cursed knight can etch or alter the runes on his weapon of choice.
The runes on the weapon channel his runic powers. If a cursed knight attempts to use said powers through a weapon without reforging it first, he must make a concentration check (using his class level + his Charisma modifier) or be unable to do so. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the power's level.
A knight can have a number of active runes equal to his Charisma modifier. These runes are refreshed every day after a long rest. Also, each specialization has a way to regain spent runes during combat.

• Blood: rune of parry. When fighting defensively or using the total defense action and wielding his runic weapon with two hands, the runic weapon provides the knight with a shield bonus equal to +1. This bonus increases by +1 for each 5 class levels attained, up to +5 at 20th level. In addition, the runic weapon gains the defensive special ability (= the character can add the weapon's enchantment bonus to the AC instead of the attack roll).
• Frost: rune of opportunity. When making attacks of opportunity and wielding his runic weapon with two hands, the knight gains a bonus to his attack roll equal to +1. This bonus increases by +1 for each 5 class levels attained, up to +5 at 20th level. In addition, the runic weapon gains reach (if it doesn't have it already).
• Unholy: rune of distraction. When threatened by the knight wielding his runic weapon with two hands, the concentration DC for enemies casting spells is increased by +1. This value increases by +1 for each 5 class levels attained, up to +5 at 20th level.

Presence (Su): cursed knight learn a handful of fighting styles in order to adapt to the situation at hand. These fighting styles are tied to the knight's spec.

• Blood: the knight adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his AC and CMD, and DR/– equal to 1/4 of his class levels.
  When a targeted attack from an enemy fails to damage the knight, one spent rune is refreshed. This effect cannot occur more than once per round.
• Frost: the knight adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to all saves. When an enemy is damaged by the knight, one spent rune is refreshed. This effect cannot occur more than once per round.
• Unholy: the knight gains his class level + his Charisma bonus (if any) as Spell Resistance.
  When an enemy fails a saving throw against one of the knight's abilities, one spent rune is refreshed. This effect cannot occur more than once per round.

Runic Powers (Su): runic powers are progressively more advanced moves that the cursed knight can unleash later in the combat.
At 2st level, Cursed knights gain access to 0th level powers. At 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th level they gain access to the higher order of powers.
Runic points are needed for powers above 0th level: it costs 1 pont for 1st level powers, 3 points for 2nd level powers, 6 points for 3rd level powers and 10 points for 4th level powers.

Cruelties (Su): when using any runic power that target a single enemy, the cursed knight can add an effect by spending an extra rune. When choosing an effect that does not match his spec, the knight is considered 2 levels lower.

At 3rd level, a cursed knight can choose between the following:

• Blood: increase the hit dices to d8s.
• Frost: the target is entangled, as per the Entangle spell.
• Unholy: the target is frightened, as per the cause fear spell (but with no HD limit)

At 7th level, a cursed knight can choose between the following:

• Blood:
• Frost: the target is slowed, as per the Slow spell.
• Unholy: the target is diseased, as per the Contagion spell.

At 11th level, a cursed knight can choose between the following:

• Blood: increase the hit dices to d10s.
• Frost:
• Unholy: the target is cursed, as per the Bestow Curse spell.

At 15th level, a cursed knight can choose between the following:

• Blood:
• Frost: the target is paralyzed
• Unholy: the target is diseased, as per the Greater Contagion spell.

At 19th level, a cursed knight can choose between the following:

• Blood: increase the hit dices to d12s.
• Frost: the target is turned into ice, as per the flesh-to-stone spell.
• Unholy:

Plaguebringer (Ex): At 4rd level, the powers of darkness make an cursed knight a beacon of corruption and disease. A cursed knight does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases. He can still contract diseases and spread them to others, but he is otherwise immune to their effects.

Specialized Powers (Sp): at 5th level, cursed knight gain the use of specialized powers. In contrast to most other abilities, specialized powers are available only to those of whose specialty matches the descriptor. Unless otherwise noted, specialized powers are usable once per day per 5 levels attained.

• Blood: Armor of Bone and Blood.
• Frost: Chains of Ice.
• Unholy: Animate Dead servant/mount.

Death and Decay (Su): at 8th level, an cursed knight can spend two runes to target all living creatures in a 30-ft radius burst centered on the knight. The terrain is corrupted, all non-magical plants wither and die, and the life force of all creatures is siphoned to the knight as temporary hit points. The effect is equal to a basic (0th-level) runic strike. Otherwise, treat this ability as a channel energy ability.
The knight can add a cruelty by spending two extra runes

Aura of Despair (Su): At 12th level, enemies within 10 feet of a cursed knight take a –2 penalty on all saving throws.
This ability functions only while the knight is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.

Lich King (Su): the cursed knight has risen in power above all others of his kind, becoming the new Lich king. The bonuses granted by his chosen specialty are always active, and are doubled if he is in the corresponding presence. In addition, his vampiric strike deals maximum damage.

List of Runic Powers:

• 0th-level
  
  • Blood:
    Heart Strike: as a swift action, a cursed knight can enhance his next attack to cause 1d6 points of damage for every two knight levels he possesses to a living creature and gain them back as temporary hit points. Using this ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Cost: 1 rune.
  • Frost:
    Frost Strike: as a swift action, a cursed knight can enhance his next attack to cause 1d6 points of damage for every two knight levels he possesses to a undead creatures, and adding 1 runic point for every two levels the knight possesses to the knight's runic point pool. Cost: 1 rune.
  • Unholy:
    Scourge Strike: as a swift action, a cursed knight can enhance his next attack to cause 1d6 points of damage for every two knight levels he possesses to any creature, and attempting to steal one spell in effect on the creature as per the spell steal weapon ability. A knight can only steal spells whose level is equal or lower to the number of dices of damage done, up to 9th level. Cost: 1 rune.
• 1st-level powers (available to 5th level knights)
  
  • Blood:
  • Frost:
  • Unholy:
• 2nd-level powers (available to 9th level knights)
  
  • Blood:
  • Frost:
    Death Grip : as per the dimensional anchor spell
  • Unholy:
• 3rd-level powers (available to 13th level knights)
  
  • Blood:
    Rune Tap: the knight heals as if he had cast Harm on himself.
  • Frost:
  • Unholy:
    Anti-Magic Field: as the spell of the same name.
• 4th-level powers (available to 17th level knights)
  
  • Blood:
  • Frost:
  • Unholy:

New Feats
Extra Rune
Requirement: runic weapon class feature
Benefit: your total number of available runes is increased by 1. This extra rune is is not refreshed after a long rest, but can be refreshed as normal during combat.
Special: you can select this feat multiple times. Their effects stack.
Rune Boost
Requirement: runic weapon class feature
Benefit: by spending an extra rune, you can boost the save DC of any of the knight's class abilities by 2.