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Derjuin
2012-08-21, 07:02 AM
DEATH KNIGHT
http://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/253663.jpg

The Dark Guardian (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/078/b/6/grip_of_death_by_breathing2004-d3bynjr.jpg), The Harbinger of Winter (http://th04.deviantart.net/fs43/PRE/f/2009/091/5/5/going_home_for_the_holidays_by_sandara.jpg), The Deathlord (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/025/f/4/teh_death_knight_by_viking_heart-d382074.jpg)


Death Knights tend to either be champions of foul causes, or fallen heroes from previous times brought back by dark magic to serve a new purpose. Not all Death Knights are evil - many fallen heroes break free from their "master" and serve themselves or a greater good, using their new time alive to seek purpose. Those resurrected Death Knights that do not have the will to live again usually return to the ground within days of being resurrected.

Adventures: Of the Death Knights that adventure, most recall a previous adventuring life and seek new sights. Those with the greater good on their mind adventure to right wrongs and help those in need, despite their rather heinous powers. Some others just want to kill things and get rich. The process of becoming a Death Knight for those who are brought back to life renews the body with vigor, and though some may appear old, they live as long as their race normally does after their resurrection.

Characteristics: Death Knights are frontline fighters with some mid-range abilities at their disposal, depending on their choice of discipline.

Alignment: A Death Knight's alignment is usually seen as Evil - however, there are many Neutral Death Knights as well. Because of their powers, not many Death Knights feel the urge to commit themselves to Good. If they were resurrected, the Death Knight typically inherits its alignment from before he or she died, unless a master commands them to do vile deeds - even then, their alignment may not have changed, and they are simply under the effect of a spell.

Religion: Some Death Knights believe strongly in devoting themselves to Good deities, while others may abandon religion altogether. There is no real central religion among Death Knights.

Background: Most Death Knights are resurrected or recruited in groups, and these groups tend to come from the same kind of background. Those that are recruited are often rebellious or aimless adults hungry for power, while those that are resurrected tend to be veterans or warriors.

Races: Any race can become a Death Knight, with humans and other short-lived races that may fall prey to promises of power having slightly higher numbers. Death Knights tend not to be prominent in any civilization, and very rarely decide to hole up with members of their previous communities.

Other Classes: Death Knights fit in well with other characters that are pragmatic. Sorcerers, wizards, and most warrior-types may agree with the Death Knight's choices. Clerics of Good-aligned gods or those that oppose unnatural life, as well as Paladins and Good-laigned Crusaders tend to clash with the Death Knight, however. Warblades and Swordsages may see the Death Knight's fighting style as a challenge, and whether or not the two enjoy it is up to the individual.

Role: The Death Knight's role is at the front of the party during combat, whether it is to take damage or deal it out. He does not have many options for ranged combat or social interaction.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Death Knights have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Death Knights rely on strength and constitution to perform in combat, and dexterity to help keep themselves alive. Intelligence, wisdom and charisma are less important for them, contributing largely only through skills.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: As barbarian or as cleric.
Starting Gold: As ranger.

Class Skills
The Death Knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

DEATH KNIGHT
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Stances Known

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Runeforging, Blood Rites (Will saves)|5|1

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|-|5|2

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Runic Empowerment|6|2

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Blood Rites (Opposed checks)|6|2

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat|7|3

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|-|7|3

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Mettle|7|3

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Blood Rites (armor class)|8|3

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Empower Rune Weapon 1/day|8|4

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Bonus Feat, Raise Ghoul|9|4

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|-|9|4

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|Blood Rites (damage)|9|4

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|-|10|4

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|-|10|5

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat|11|5

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5|Blood Rites (skills)|11|5

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|-|11|5

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Empower Rune Weapon 2/day|12|5

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6|-|12|5

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Army of the Dead|13|6[/table]

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Death Knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and all armor, but not with shields.

Maneuvers: The Death Knight begins his career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to Death Knights are Bloody Scourge, Frozen Heart, and Dread Blade. Once a Death Knight knows a maneuver, he must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by Death Knights is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. In essence, a Death Knight's Maneuvers Known is the same as his Maneuvers Readied, as he always has them all available to him, but must channel them through the power of the runes he has scribed onto his weapon.

You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the table above. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See Table 3–1, page 39, of Tome of Battle to determine the highest-level maneuvers you can learn.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Death Knight level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. You can choose a new maneuver of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuvers you know; you need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-level maneuver for a maneuver of 5th level or lower, as long as you meet the prerequisite of the new maneuver. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.

Maneuvers Readied: In order to ready his maneuvers, a Death Knight must scribe sigils and runes onto his weapon(s). These runes hold the power that his martial maneuvers draw from, and take approximately five minutes to create. The Death Knight can scribe up to six runes on his weapon(s) total (see Runeforging, below). Technically, a Death Knight does not actually "ready" maneuvers, as every maneuver he knows is available to him, but he cannot use them all at once because of the runes required to power them.

You begin an encounter with all your known maneuvers ready. Instead of expending maneuvers, you expend runes. As you use maneuvers, the runes on your weapon will deplete, and take time to recharge. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend the correct rune for the current encounter, which takes time to become available again. If you have no runes available of the proper kind, you cannot use the discipline tied to that rune.

Death Knights rely on the power of their runed weapons to use their martial maneuvers. As such, as an encounter progresses, they have fewer and fewer maneuvers available to them at any one time, but will eventually regain their use over time at no action cost to themselves. When a Death Knight initiates a readied martial maneuver, he must wait 1d4+2 rounds before being able to use a specific rune again.

Runeforging: In addition to his Maneuvers readied, the Death Knight inscribes runes onto his weapon(s) which power his martial powers. A runed weapon can fit exactly six runes on it. Only one weapon can bear an individual Death Knight's runes at once; if he inscribes runes on another weapon, the previous set vanish. Runes are broken up into four categories, three of which are associated with their discipline and can be inscribed: Blood runes (Bloody Scourge), Frost runes (Frozen Heart), and Unholy runes (Dread Blade), while Death runes are more like wild cards and cannot be inscribed normally. Death runes can be used for any maneuver the Death Knight has readied.

A Death Knight can only scribe Blood, Frost, and Unholy runes onto his weapon - Death runes are the product of certain maneuvers (such as Blood Tap). Once a Death rune is used, it reverts to its previous rune type. For example, if Tomas the Death Knight uses Blood Tap to activate a Blood rune as a Death rune, he is able to use that Death rune to initiate Frost Strike, even though it was originally a Blood rune. Once the Death rune is expended, it is depleted for 1d4+2 rounds, and returns to being a Blood rune.

When you initiate a strike, boost, or counter from one of the Death Knight schools, it uses power from one of the runes on the Death Knight's runed weapon. For example, in order to initiate the Heart Strike maneuver, you must 1. Have a blood rune scribed on your weapon, and 2. expend the power stored in a blood rune. Expending the power in a rune causes the rune to grow dormant for 1d4+1 rounds, during which that specific rune can't be used. For example, Alex the Death Knight scribes two blood runes, two frost runes, and two unholy runes onto his greatsword. He then uses Icy Touch, Heart Strike, and Corpse Explosion in an encounter. He would have used one frost rune, one blood rune, and one unholy rune. If he had instead used Scarlet Fever and Heart Strike, he would have used two blood runes - limiting his ability to use any more Bloody Scourge maneuvers until one of his blood runes (1d4+1 rounds later) becomes available again.

Blood Rites (Ex): The Death Knight draws power from the ritual used to infuse his body with power, also known as Blood Rites. These rites provide him with additional power linked to his life force. Initially, the Blood Rites keep his mind clear in the midst of combat. At 1st level, the Death Knight adds his Constitution modifier to his Will saves.

At 4th level, this power extends to mundane maneuvers in combat, granting him more precise control of his strength. The Death Knight adds his Constitution modifier to all special attacks (such as trip, disarm, and sunder).

At 8th level, the Death Knight is able to shrug some attacks off, deflecting them as if they were nothing. The Death Knight gains a Shield bonus to AC equal to his Constitution modifier.

At 12th level, the Death Knight becomes more powerful as his situation grows more dire. When the Death Knight's current hit points are less than half of his maximum hit points, he adds his Constitution modifier to damage with all attacks and martial strikes.

At 16th level, the Blood Rites complete. The Death Knight adds his Constitution modifier to all Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based checks (he adds his Constitution twice for Constitution checks).

Runic Empowerment (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, you can hasten the speed at which you can inscribe runes onto your weapon, even doing so in the middle of combat. You can change which runes are inscribed on your weapon (or inscribe all-new ones) as a full-round action; however, half the runes (randomly determined) are dormant and recharge after 1d4-1 rounds.

Bonus Feat: At 5th level, and again at 10th, 15th, and 20th level, the Death Knight gains a bonus feat. These feats can be any of the following: Blade Meditation, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Diehard, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Run, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, and Weapon Focus.

Mettle (Ex): The Death Knight's particular fortitude and mental might allow him to shrug off certain attacks against his mind and body. If the Death Knight makes a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw that would normally reduce the spell’s effect, he suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of “Will partial,” “Fortitude half,” or similar entries can be negated through this ability.

Empower Rune Weapon (Su): By charging his runic weapon with immense power, the Death Knight may, once per day starting at level 9, immediately inscribe all new runes on his weapon as a swift action. At 18th level, he may do so twice per day.

Raise Ghoul (Su): Once per encounter, a skilled Death Knight of 10th level or higher can expend an Unholy rune or a Death rune to raise a Ghoul from spiritual remains in the area as a standard action. This Ghoul lasts for 1 minute (10 rounds) and has hit points equal to half the hit points of the Death Knight that raised it and inherits its base attack bonus from him. The Death Knight can only control one Ghoul at a time.

Army of the Dead (Su): At 20th level, the Death Knight learns how to create an army of ghasts to fight by his side. The Death Knight can expend a Blood rune, a Frost rune, and an Unholy rune at once to create 1d4+6 ghasts. This ability is a full-round action and can be used once per day. The ghasts have hit points equal to half the hit points of the Death Knight that raised them and last 5 rounds.

THE DEATH KNIGHT'S MANEUVERS

BLOODY SCOURGE

1ST LEVEL
Butchery: Stance - Deal extra damage after defeating a foe
Blood Strike: Strike - Victim cannot make a Full Attack next turn
Forceful Deflection: Boost - Gain AC bonus equal to Strength modifier for 1 round
Blood Boil: Strike - Nearby enemies take damage, more if they are infected with Blood Plague

2ND LEVEL
Dark Command: Boost - Victim must attack you or suffer penalty to attacks and damage
Blood-Caked Blade: Strike - Attack another foe twice at +4 bonus to attack and damage
Bladed Armor: Counter - Gain attacks against a successful attacker

3RD LEVEL
Blood Presence: Stance - Gain Fortification 50%, DR equal to IL/Good or Evil
Scarlet Fever: Strike - Victim is infected with Scarlet Fever
Bone Shield: Boost - Gain bonus AC vs. next 6 attacks

4TH LEVEL
Heart Strike: Strike - Attack all foes in front of you, deals bonus damage if they are infected with Scarlet Fever
Pestilence: Boost - Next attack infects all victims with Scarlet Fever
Asphyxiate: Strike - Binds victim's throat, deals 4d6 damage and silences/stuns

5TH LEVEL
Blood Parasite: Strike - Infects victim with a parasite that heals you
Death Strike: Strike - Gores a foe with a horrific attack for +10d6 damage, heal self and gain temporary hit points

6TH LEVEL
Blood Tap: Boost - You take 3d6+20 damage and recover an expended blood rune as a Death rune
Death's Advance: Stance - Your type is Undead for benefits, gain movement bonus
Crimson Scourge: Strike - Successful strike deals +5d6 damage +1/IL and unleashes a Blood Boil

7TH LEVEL
Abomination's Might: Boost - Defeat foe, gain +10 Strength, Constitution for 5 rounds
Scent of Blood: Strike - Foe you strike takes 3d6 damage from your attacks next turn
Dark Simulacrum: Counter - Copy spell being cast by a spellcaster

8TH LEVEL
Call Blood Beast: Boost - Victim attracts the attention of a Blood Beast
Mark of the Fallen Champion: Boost - Victim takes damage equal to damage you inflict this round; if they die, you are healed as if by a heal spell

9TH LEVEL
Dancing Rune Weapon: Boost - Summon a copy of your weapon for 5 rounds


FROZEN HEART

1ST LEVEL
Nerves of Cold Steel: Stance - Gain bonuses to hit and vs. fear
Icy Touch: Strike - Deal cold damage, infect foe with Frost Fever
Rune of Razorice: Boost - Victim of cold damage takes additional damage next round

2ND LEVEL
Icy Reach: Boost - Extend your reach with attacks for 1 round
Chains of Ice: Strike - Victim becomes wrapped in icy chains, becomes slowed and takes 3d6 damage
Mind Freeze: Counter - Spellcaster's spell is interrupted if they fail a Concentration check

3RD LEVEL
Frost Presence: Stance - Increases cold damage dealt, grants Cold Resistance
Frost Strike: Strike - Inflict physical and cold damage as a touch attack
Chilblains: Boost - Cold damage causes a movement penalty for 1 round

4TH LEVEL
Annihilate: Strike - Attempt to finish a diseased foe off
Horn of Winter: Boost - Grant allies bonus to hit and damage for 5 rounds
Icy Talons: Strike - Tear into foe ferociously, gain an additional attack

5TH LEVEL
Brittle Bones: Strike - Ignore foe's DR, victim loses DR for 1 round
Icebound Fortitude: Boost - Gain defensive boosts for 3 rounds

6TH LEVEL
Merciless Combat: Stance - You and allies gain extra bonuses vs. flanked foes
Killing Machine: Boost - Recover frost rune as a Death rune after slaying a foe
Obliterate: Strike - Brutally strike a foe for +5d6, may be a critical hit more often

7TH LEVEL
Festering Strike: Strike - Lengthen disease time on victim, inflict +6d6 damage
Hungering Cold: Strike - Victim and all nearby foes become encased in ice
Rune Strike: Counter - Initiate a strike in response to a missed Attack of Opportunity

8TH LEVEL
Might of the Frozen Wastes: Stance - Gain bonus to damage and hit when using two-handed weapons with a strike
Threat of Thassarian: Stance - Copy certain strikes when wielding two weapons at once
Rune of Cinderglacier: Boost - You inflict Fire damage instead of Cold damage for 1 round

9TH LEVEL
Howling Blast: Strike - Burst of cold deals 100 points of damage


DREAD BLADE

1ST LEVEL
Reaping: Stance - Recover expended maneuver when using specific strikes
Plague Strike: Strike - Victim becomes infected with Blood Plague
Desecration: Boost - Cause desecrated ground to slow enemies caught in it

2ND LEVEL
Death Coil: Strike - Damage living creature or heal undead
Death Grip: Boost - Draw creature closer to yourself
Unholy Blight: Strike - Victim takes damage continually, cannot be cured of diseases

3RD LEVEL
Contagion: Counter - Creature striking you becomes infected with virulent Blood Plague
Unholy Frenzy: Boost - Become empowered, take damage over time
Unholy Presence: Stance - Move faster and as a swift action

4TH LEVEL
Scourge Strike: Strike - Deal weapon damage plus 2d6 negative energy damage per disease
Anti-magic Shell: Boost - Gain immunity to magic for 1 round
Death Siphon: Strike - Remove victim's diseases, deal damage and heal self

5TH LEVEL
Shadow Infusion: Boost - You or ally become Undead for 1 round
Death and Decay: Strike - Corrupts an area, causing damage over time
Corpse Explosion: Strike - Causes corpse to quickly decay and explode, causing damage based on corpse's HD

6TH LEVEL
Ebon Plaguebringer: Stance - Blood Plague mutates into Ebon Plague, cause extra negative energy damage with strikes
Sudden Doom: Boost - Recover an unholy rune as a Death rune after scoring a critical hit

7TH LEVEL
Outbreak: Strike - Victim becomes infected with Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever and Blood Plague
Rune of Spellshattering: Boost - Disjoin a spell that is in effect

8TH LEVEL
Pain and Suffering: Strike - Creatures in a cone take damage over time
Necrotic Strike: Strike - Deal +5d6 damage, inhibit healing equal to damage
Deathless: Stance - Death by hit point damage is delayed

9TH LEVEL
Defile: Strike - Defiled ground injures enemies, expands rapidly

Derjuin
2012-08-21, 07:07 AM
BLOODY SCOURGE
The Bloody Scourge discipline focuses on drawing power from life. It also acts as a defender for its comrades in arms. The key skill for Bloody Scourge maneuvers is Intimidate. Weapons associated with Bloody Scourge include the greatsword, maul, bastard sword, greataxe, and greatclub.


Butchery
Bloody Scourge (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Hewing your foe apart, you revel in its slaughter and find yourself empowered.

Whenever you kill an enemy that grants you experience for its death and threatens you in melee, you gain a +1 bonus to damage with all attacks and strikes for 5 rounds.

Blood Strike
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Your blow strikes a sensitive area, dampening your foe's ability to go all-out.

As part of initiating this strike, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hits, the victim cannot make a full attack next round.

Forceful Deflection
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Steeling yourself, you swing your weapon in quick, wide arcs, pushing aside enemies' blows with ease.

For 1 round after using this boost, you gain a bonus to AC equal to your Strength bonus (if positive).

Blood Boil
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Area: 15-ft.-radius burst
You call upon ancient power to roil the blood of nearby foes, injuring the infected among them grievously.

As part of initiating this strike, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, all creatures within a 15-ft.-radius burst of the victim (including the victim) take 1d6 damage plus 1d6 if they are infected with Blood Plague. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Dark Command
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds
You shout a word of power at your foe, imbuing it with negative energy. It refocuses its attacks on you, for fear of punishment should it ignore your command.

The victim of Dark Command must attack you for 5 rounds. In any round in which it does not attack you, it suffers a -5 penalty to hit and damage with all attacks. This maneuver is a supernatural ability and a mind-affecting ability.

Blood-caked Blade
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature; see text
Seeing blood on your blade sends you into a frenzy, lashing out at another foe with great fervor.

As part of initiating this strike, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you may make an extra attack against another enemy within reach.

Bladed Armor
Bloody Scourge (Counter)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
You deflect and simultaneously injure an attacker with your weapon, a whirl of blades and blood.

When an opponent successfully strikes you and is within your reach, you can lash at him. Each time the attacking creature strikes you this turn, you may make an attack against that foe following his attack.

Blood Presence
Bloody Scourge (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You assume the presence of empowered blood, gaining fortitude and protection against your foes.

You gain Fortification 50%, and DR equal to half of your initiator level/Good if you are Evil, or /Evil if you are Good. If you are neither Good nor Evil, you may choose which damage reduction to gain upon entering the stance.

Scarlet Fever
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/2 initiator levels you have
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
You send a short-lived, disastrous disease upon the wind to infect a single creature. Within moments, the victim becomes weakened and sluggish.

You send forth wind which carries the Scarlet Fever. Victims that fail their fortitude save (DC = 15 + your Strength modifier) become infected. Victims take a -4 penalty to Strength and Dexterity.

Bone Shield
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 5 rounds
A shroud of loosely animated bones whirl around you, seeking out incoming attacks and helping to deflect them.

For 5 rounds, you gain a +5 Deflection bonus to AC. If you take damage from a melee attack during those 5 rounds, this boost is immediately removed.

Heart Strike
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature plus adjacent creatures; see text
You cleave through your foe, shattering bone and rending flesh; with such power was your strike that your weapon continues through one foe into its allies.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, all creatures adjacent to the enemy take the same damage as the first. Creatures struck by Heart Strike take an additional +4d6 damage if they are infected with one of your diseases (Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever, Blood Plague or Ebon Plague).

Pestilence
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
You gorge your weapon with diseased blood, causing your next blow to infect victims with the dread malady, Scarlet Fever.

The next attack or strike you make after initiating this maneuver automatically infects the victim with Scarlet Fever if it successfully deals damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Asphyxiate
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
You bind the victim's throat with dark power and wrench them off the ground, leaving them stunned, injured and silent for a time.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a ranged touch attack. If you hit, the victim takes 4d6 damage, cannot speak and is lifted 20 feet into the air for 5 rounds. The victim must make a Fortitude save (DC = 14 + your Strength modifier) or be stunned for 1 round. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Blood Parasite
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 5
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Your touch causes a parasite to worm its way into the victim. After a short moment, the parasite bursts forth from the host and explodes in a shower of gore, leeching life to you from the unfortunate victim.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee touch attack. If you hit, you implant a blood parasite in the victim. 3 rounds afterwards, the parasite erupts from the victim's skin and explodes, dealing 6d6+12 damage to the victim and healing all allies within 15 yards of the victim for half the amount.

Death Strike
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 5
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
You swing your blade in a wicked curve, drawing blood and maiming your foe. At the same time, your weapon feasts upon their injury, drawing life from them into you.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you inflict +10d6 damage, are healed for half the damage inflicted and also gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage inflicted. These temporary hit points do not stack with each other.

Blood Tap
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Enacting a blood rite, you sacrifice your health to gain greater martial prowess.

As you initiate this maneuver, you take damage equal to 10% of your maximum hit points. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way and bypasses temporary hit points. You recover a single expended blood rune. For 3 rounds afterwards, this blood rune becomes a Death rune. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Death's Advance
Bloody Scourge (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance
You take on the aspects of death itself, your body unassailable and your march intrepid and undaunted in the face of opposition.

While in this stance, you are considered to have all the traits of the Undead type, but are still considered your previous type (usually humanoid). In addition, your movement speed cannot be reduced below its maximum amount.

Crimson Scourge
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature; see text
You charge your weapon with power, causing your victim's wound to erupt in a shower of gore and bone, pelting his allies with such force that they also suffer damage.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you inflict +5d6 damage +1 per initiator level, and all creatures within a 15-ft.-radius burst of the victim (excluding the victim) take 1d6 damage, plus 1d6 more if they are infected with Blood Plague.

Abomination's Might
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 5 rounds
You draw power from the mangled corpse of your foe into your body, granting yourself unimaginable power and fortitude.

As you defeat a foe, you can use this boost as a swift action to gain a +10 Profane bonus to Strength and Constitution for 5 rounds. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Scent of Blood
Bloody Scourge (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Awash with blood, your blade leaves the powerful scent of gore and death upon its victim. Moments later, your weapon stirs with power as you crash down upon the foe again.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, in the next round, that creature takes an additional 3d6 damage from all attacks you make against it.

Dark Simulacrum
Bloody Scourge (Counter)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisite: Two Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round; see text
You form a temporary link with the target, siphoning magical power from them as they attempt to assault you with a spell. Moments later, you unleash your own spell, much to the surprise of your victim.

Whenever an enemy begins casting a spell that targets you, you can use Dark Simulacrum. If the spell affects you in any way (e.g. you succeed on your save vs. a Dominate Monster spell, or are struck by a Scorching Ray but not if you are immune to mind-affecting effects or the enemy misses your touch AC), you are able to cast your own version of the spell as a Swift action once for 5 rounds. If you don't cast the spell before 5 rounds elapse, you lose the spell. You use your Initiator Level and your Strength modifier to determine your caster level and save modifier for that spell. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Call Blood Beast
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 8
Prerequisite: Three Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds
You scribe a rune of blood into the air, and from some abhorrent plane, an amalgamation of terror and blood emerges to attack your foes for a short time.

When you initiate this maneuver, you must designate a target for the Blood Beast to attack. At the end of the current round, your Blood Beast appears within 60 feet of you. At the end of its duration or when the designated target dies, the Blood Beast disappears. You can only have one Blood Beast summoned at a time. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Blood Beast
{table]Size/Type|Large Aberration
Hit Dice|16d8+64 (136 hp)

Initiative|+9

Speed|50 ft. (10 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect) (10 squares)

Armor Class|33 (+5 Dex, +15 natural, -1 size, +4 Constitution), touch 14, flat-footed 28

Base Attack/Grapple|+12/+23

Attack|Claw +18 melee (3d8+7) or Bite +16 melee (4d6+14)

Full Attack|2 Claws +18 melee (3d8+7) or Bite +16 melee (4d6+14)

Space/Reach|10 ft./15 ft. (with claws only)

Special Attacks|Leeching Bite, Blood Resistance

Special Qualities|Darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.

Saves|Fort +13, Ref +14, Will +18

Abilities|Str 24, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 1, Wis 19, Cha 1

Skills|Listen +20

Feats|Alertness, Power Attack, Blind-Fight, Multiattack, Improved Initiative, Flyby Attack[/table]

Leeching Bite: Whenever the Blood Beast successfully deals damage with its bite attack, it is healed for an amount equal to half the damage dealt.

Blood Resistance: The Blood Beast gains a bonus to all saves and AC equal to its Constitution modifier.

Mark of the Fallen Champion
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 8
Prerequisite: Three Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 100 ft.; see text
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
You bind a creature's life force to your weapon, causing the victim to take damage each time you injure one of its allies.

For 5 rounds after initiating this maneuver, the victim takes all damage you deal to any of its allies within 100 feet of itself. Each round, it may attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 18 + your Strength modifier) to halve the damage it takes that round.

Dancing Rune Weapon
Bloody Scourge (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 9
Prerequisite: Five Bloody Scourge maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 4 rounds
Tracing an abominable blood rune into the air, your weapon shimmers for a moment before spawning a copy of itself that follows you. The second reaches in to harrass opponents and copies your combat style.

For 1 minute, you create a weapon-shaped force, identical to your weapon, that floats in your square (or squares). It attempts to parry enemy strikes, causing opponents to suffer a 20% miss chance against you. Any time you initiate a strike from the Bloody Scourge discipline, the second weapon copies the maneuver and uses it at the same time. It deals the same damage as your weapon and gains the same strength bonus as you. If your strike or attack of opportunity hits, the Dancing Rune Weapon's does as well - likewise if you miss. If you are wielding more than one weapon, only one weapon is copied.

FROZEN HEART
The Frozen Heart discipline focuses on unleashing the remorseless power of winter. It encompasses its cruelty and power through manipulating temperature, blasting and freezing foes and sapping their strength. The key skill for Frozen Heart maneuvers is Balance. Weapons associated with the Frozen Heart include the Scimitar, Longsword, Handaxe, Heavy Mace, and Battleaxe.


Nerves of Cold Steel
Frozen Heart (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Drawing on the chill of the grave, you sharpen your wits and steel yourself to face even the mightiest of foes.

While in the Nerves of Cold Steel stance, you gain a +2 bonus to hit and a +4 Morale bonus to Will saves vs. fear effects. In addition, if you are wielding two weapons when you initiate a strike from the Frozen Heart discipline that requires a single melee attack, you may make two attacks, one with each weapon. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Icy Touch
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
You arc your blade in a sweeping strike, the gathering frost on the blade seeping into the victim's wound and infecting them with the Frost Fever.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you deal weapon damage as Cold damage and the victim must make a DC (11 + your Strength modifier) or become infected with the Frost Fever disease. Creatures infected with Frost Fever are frail and easily suggestible from delusions, taking a -2 penalty to Fortitude and Will saves for 5 rounds. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Rune of Razorice
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round
Drawing a frigid rune in the air, your weapon resonates with the foul magic. Your icy touch becomes like a curse, persisting on unfortunate victims.

After initiating this maneuver, any creature that suffers Cold damage from you in this round suffers 1/2 that damage in the next round at the beginning of their turn. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Icy Reach
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round
Your weapon unleashes bursts of frost as it whistles through the air, striking creatures seeking refuge in distance.

For 1 round after initiating this maneuver, you gain an extra 20 ft. reach with all melee attacks and strikes. In addition, the range of all non-melee strikes is doubled for that round. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Chains of Ice
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds; see text
You fling your weapon at the foe, a flurry of icy chains flying with it. Upon striking, your weapon returns to your hand, but it leaves the enemy entangled in painfully cold steel.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a ranged touch attack. If you hit, you deal weapon damage to your target as Cold damage and entangle them for 3 rounds. For the first round, the icy chains anchor to the ground, preventing movement of any kind. If the victim is airborne, they fall to the ground as if under a feather fall effect. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Mind Freeze
Frozen Heart (Counter)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
You shock the victim's mind with freezing cold, interrupting their carefully planned spell and forcing them to gather their wits.

You may initiate this maneuver any time you notice a spellcaster casting a spell within 60 feet of you. The victim must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Frost Presence
Frozen Heart (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You seethe with the power of endless winter: cold, ruthless and unstoppable.

Whenever you inflict cold damage while in the Frost Presence stance, you deal an additional 1 cold damage per damage die. In addition, you gain Cold Resistance equal to your initiator level. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Frost Strike
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
For an instant, your weapons cover themselves in permafrost, wracking your foes with cold and steel at once.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you inflict bonus damage equal to your weapon damage plus Strength bonus as Cold damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Chilblains
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Your icy attacks take their toll on victims unaccustomed to freezing temperatures: blood retreats, extremities become painful and blistered.

For 1 round, victims of your attacks that inflict Cold damage are slowed. This effect lasts for 1 round. Victims that are also infected with Frost Fever are instead slowed until their Frost Fever subsides or is cured. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Annihilate
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
You charge your weapon with foul magic, causing a diseased foe to buckle under your might and succumb to their sickness.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy that is infected with one of your diseases (Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever, Blood Plague or Ebon Plague). If you hit, you inflict weapon damage, instantly remove all of your diseases on the foe, and inflict an additional 4d6 damage per disease removed in this way.

Horn of Winter
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: You and all allied creatures within 60 ft.
Duration: 5 rounds
You send forth a series of notes on the chill wind that follows you, rousing your spirits and inspiring ferocity in your allies.

You and all allies within range gain a +4 Morale bonus to hit and damage for 5 rounds.

Icy Talons
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
You unleash a series of strikes, each faster than the last, until your foe is nothing but a bloody, mangled heap.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you make a full attack against a creature you threaten with all weapons you are wielding. Each attack that hits deals cold damage instead of its normal damage type. You gain an additional attack when initiating this maneuver at a -2 penalty. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Brittle Bones
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 5
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 2 rounds
Your attack chills the foe to the bone, weakening their defenses and making them more susceptible to attacks it might otherwise shrug off.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, your attack ignores all forms of Damage Reduction, and for 2 rounds, all of your attacks ignore the victim's damage reduction. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Icebound Fortitude
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 5
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 3 rounds
You freeze your blood, preventing the most grievous injuries and weathering even the strongest of attacks against you.

You gain DR 10/-, immunity to critical hits and immunity to effects that require a fortitude save that cannot also target objects for 3 rounds. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Merciless Combat
Frozen Heart (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance
You urge your allies to fight with ruthless ferocity, giving no quarter and slaying all foes without conscience. Those foes that fall prey to your tactics find themselves at a large disadvantage.

While in this stance, you and all allied creatures flanking the same creature (or creatures) deal +4 damage with all attacks and gain a +4 flanking bonus to hit instead of a +2 bonus. All creatures you flank also suffer a -2 Morale penalty to hit, AC, and all saves. The Morale penalty of this stance is a Mind-affecting effect. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Killing Machine
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
You stand over your defeated foe, the exhilaration of combat and death filling you with power.

As a swift action, you initiate this boost after you have reduced an opponent to 0 or fewer hit points. You recover an expended frost rune. For 3 rounds afterwards, this frost rune becomes a Death rune. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Obliterate
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 6
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
You make a single powerful attack against your foe, crushing it utterly.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against a creature. For this attack, the critical threat range of your weapon is increased by one step (stacking with all other critical threat range increases). If you hit, you deal an additional 5d6 damage.

Festering Strike
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
You rip open already diseased wounds, causing your sicknesses to wrack your victim further.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against a creature. If you hit, you deal an additional 6d6 damage and cause all of your diseases (Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever, Blood Plague and Ebon Plague) the victim is suffering from to last 5 rounds longer.

Hungering Cold
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 15-ft. burst
Target: All enemy creatures within 15 ft.
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
You leech heat from the area surrounding you and expel a wave of freezing air, encasing unfortunate victims in ice.

Enemy creatures within 15 ft. of you become frozen in ice. They cannot move or act, as if paralyzed. Creatures that are encased in ice thaw after 5 rounds or when they take any damage; while frozen, creatures can still take purely mental actions, but if these actions include manifesting a power or casting a spell, the creature must make a DC (15 + spell or power level) concentration check or fail. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Rune Strike
Frozen Heart (Counter)
Level: Death Knight 7
Prerequisites: Two Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round
You easily dodge your opponent's clumsy attempt at taking advantage of you and respond with a powerful, icy strike.

As an immediate action, you initiate this counter after an enemy's attack of opportunity fails to hit you. Following the attack of opportunity, you can initiate any one strike with an initiation action of 1 standard action or less as a free action.

Might of the Frozen Wastes
Frozen Heart (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 8
Prerequisites: Three Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance
You channel the power of endless tundras and the frigidity of the grave into your weapon, wielding not just a piece of wood or metal, but the combined force of unending winter itself.

Whenever you initiate a strike that inflicts Cold damage while wielding a two-handed weapon, you deal half-and-again as much damage.

Threat of Thassarian
Frozen Heart (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 8
Prerequisites: Three Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance
You become a storm of steel and ice, casting a bloody blizzard upon your foes and emerging unscathed.

Whenever you initiate a Blood Strike, Heart Strike, Icy Touch, Frost Strike, Obliterate, Festering Strike, Plague Strike or Scourge Strike maneuver while wielding two weapons, you resolve the maneuver once for each weapon, as if you had used it twice. You still only deplete one rune.

Rune of Cinderglacier
Frozen Heart (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 8
Prerequisites: Three Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round
You draw a horrid symbol into the air, corrupting the nature of winter to do your bidding. Freezing wind burns and ice catches flame, snaring unprepared foes in an inferno that defies nature.

For 1 round after initiating this boost, all Cold damage you deal becomes Fire damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Howling Blast
Frozen Heart (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 9
Prerequisites: Four Frozen Heart maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature and all enemy creatures in a 30-ft. area
Saving Throw: Reflex half
You blast your victims with an absolutely frigid wind, inflicting massive injury to them as heat quickly escapes their bodies and renders them near-dead.

You blast one creature with frigid wind that expands to encompass creatures up to 30 feet away from the victim. Creatures caught in the wind take 100 Cold damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

DREAD BLADE
The Dread Blade discipline focuses on the power of death and decay. They mix powerful shadow magic with their martial prowess to bring pain and suffering to their enemies. The key skill for Dread Blade is Bluff. Weapons associated with Dread Blade include the greatsword, falchion, flail, heavy pick, warhammer, greataxe, and halberd.


Reaping
Dread Blade (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You weave a careful balance between your strikes, using the weight shift of one strike to quickly recover your runic power.

Whenever you successfully initiate and deal damage with a Bloody Scourge or Frozen Heart maneuver, the expended rune refreshes as a Death rune instead of a blood rune (Bloody Scourge) or frost rune (Frozen Heart). The Death rune lasts for 3 rounds.

Plague Strike
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
You hack at your foe, driving the edge of your disease-ridden blade into his veins. As you draw back, a hideous plague overcomes your victim.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against an enemy. If you hit, you deal weapon damage and the victim must make a DC (11 + your Strength modifier) or become infected with the Blood Plague disease. Creatures infected with Blood Plague are weakened; for 5 rounds, they take an additional 2 points of damage from all weapon attacks. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Desecration
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round; see text
Invocations of shadow magic seldom leave nature as it was; your reckless use of it causes the ground under you to spoil and writhe with the grasping arms of the dead.

After using this boost, your next Plague Strike, Scourge Strike, Necrotic Strike or Defile causes the ground within a 20-ft.-radius of you to erupt with the arms of the dead, entangling all foes within it. A character caught in the Desecration is entangled. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Death Coil
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
You launch a bolt of negative energy at the creature, mending fetid flesh and putrefying living flesh.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a ranged touch attack. If you hit a living creature, that creature takes damage equal to your weapon damage plus 3d6 negative energy damage; if you hit an undead creature, that creature is healed for 3d6.

Death Grip
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
You harness the dark energy that binds all matter to draw an unfortunate victim closer to you.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a ranged touch attack against a creature within 60 feet of yourself. If you hit, the victim is pulled directly to you and lands in a spot adjacent to you that is closest to their original position. If this ability would cause the creature to land on a spot that is obstructed (such as a wall, a space where another creature already is, or a cliff face), the creature lands in the closest available spot adjacent to you. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Unholy Blight
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 2
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds
You throw a shadowy copy of your weapon at the foe, and just before striking it dissolves to reveal a hideous swarm of plague insects. Moments later your victims lay dead, devoured or overcome by their illnesses.

Designate a single creature within 60 ft. of you that is infected with one of your diseases (Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever, Blood Plague or Ebon Plague). A swarm of insects instantly descends upon them for 5 rounds. While a creature is under the effects of Unholy Blight, its diseases cannot be removed by magical means. Each round, the victim also takes 1d6 damage from the biting and stinging. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Contagion
Dread Blade (Counter)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Melee
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Your opponent grins as their attack strikes home, only to be greeted with a drop of corrupt, diseased blood. In no time at all, your blood plague has spread like wildfire.

As an immediate action, you can use this counter whenever you take damage from an enemy's melee attack. The attacker must make a DC (14 + your Strength modifier) Fortitude save or become infected with a special, virulent strain of Blood Plague. For 5 rounds, the Blood Plague acts as a normal Blood Plague would; however, at the end of each round, all uninfected creatures adjacent to the infected creature must also make Fortitude saves or become infected. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Unholy Frenzy
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Touch
Target: You or one ally
Duration: 5 rounds
Drawing on negative emotions such as anger and envy, you empower yourself or an ally, sending one of you into a frothing rage.

With a touch, you can well up immense negative emotions in you or your ally. The affected ally goes into a Frenzy similar to a Frenzied Berserker's ability of the same name. Each round, the affected ally takes 1d6+1 points of damage as the dark process wears at their body. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Unholy Presence
Dread Blade (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 3
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You draw on the power of pain, suffering, and death, entering the presence of Unholy power.

While in the Unholy Presence stance, you gain a +15 ft. bonus to movement speed and, once per round, can move at your full movement speed as a swift action.

Scourge Strike
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
A sickening sound erupts from your foe as your blade sinks into their disease-ridden flesh, causing your diseases to roil within them.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against a creature. If you hit, you deal normal weapon damage plus 2d6+1 negative energy damage for each of your diseases that are currently afflicting the victim (Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever, Blood Plague and Ebon Plague).

Anti-magic Shell
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 4
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
You scribe a rune into the air and surround yourself in a shroud of reversed magical power, causing most spells to wither against you.

For 1 round after using this boost, you gain immunity to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance.

Death Siphon
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 4
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude half; see text
You siphon your diseases from a victim, drawing life with it and further causing harm those unlucky enough to stand against you.

You instantly purge all diseases from the target creature; this inflicts 2d8 + your Strength score per disease removed. The victim can make a DC (14 + your Strength modifier) Fortitude save to halve the damage taken. You are healed for an amount equal to the damage the victim suffers. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Shadow Infusion
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 5
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: You or a willing allied creature within 60 ft.
Duration: 1 round
You press your unholy blade against the skin of a supplicant ally, the dark blade magic infusing their body with the fortitude and power of undeath.

You or a willing allied creature is considered Undead for the purposes of spells, abilities, and other instances in which a character's type determines effects. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Death and Decay
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 5
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Effect: Cloud spreads in 10-ft. radius, 10 ft. high
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
You force the tip of your weapon into the ground, causing a cloud of corruption to spring forth in a distant location. Creatures caught in the cloud rot and have the life sapped from their bodies.

Enemies that stand within the cloud take 3d6 negative energy damage per turn until they move beyond the cloud. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Corpse Explosion
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 5
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One corpse
Area: 10-ft. burst
Saving Throw: Reflex half
You let slip a dark word and make a precise motion with your blade, causing your opponents' dead friend to suddenly explode; shards of bone and burning, diseased gore pummel everything nearby.

You cause the corpse of a creature to erupt; enemies within 10 feet of the corpse take 1d6 damage per hit die the creature had in life. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Ebon Plaguebringer
Dread Blade (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 6
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
As dark magic writhes around you, your disease - the feared Blood Plague - mutates into a much deadlier strain: the Ebon Plague.

While you are in the stance of the Ebon Plaguebringer, you are able to infect your foes with a new disease. Any attacks you make that would normally infect the foe with Blood Plague infect them with Ebon Plague. The DC to resist Ebon Plague is 16 + your Strength modifier. Creatures afflicted with Ebon Plague take 2 extra damage per die of magical damage it suffers. The damage dealt by Ebon Plague is untyped.

Sudden Doom
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 6
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Seeing the opportunity arise, you unleash a mighty strike and draw power from your foe's suffering, granting you the power to make the finishing blow.

As a swift action, you can use this boost after scoring a critical hit. You recover a single expended Unholy rune. For 3 rounds afterwards this unholy rune becomes a Death rune.

Outbreak
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 7
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
A twist of your blade is all it takes to infect your foe, the very air becoming your servant to deliver sickness.

The target creature must make a DC (17 + your Strength modifier) Fortitude save or become infected with Scarlet Fever, Frost Fever and Blood Plague. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Rune of Spellshattering
Dread Blade (Boost)
Level: Death Knight 7
Requirements: Two Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One continuous spell effect
You draw a rune in the air, which quickly becomes a solid object, though fragile. Your blade slices cleanly through the rune, after which it, and the spell it was attuned to, vanishes.

The continuous spell effect targeted is disjoined. This ability can only target continuous spell effects, not magical items or artifacts. As with Disjunction, antimagic fields have only a 1% chance per initiator level of being disjoined. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Pain and Suffering
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 8
Requirements: Three Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: 30 ft. cone
Saving Throw: Reflex half; see text
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
You slice through the air in front of you and a shockwave of corruption pulses forwards, causing creatures in its wake to suffer immense agony as their flesh wilts before their eyes.

Creatures in a 30-ft. cone in front of you take 4d6 damage plus 1 per initiator level you have. Any creature that successfully saves (DC 18 + your Strength modifier) takes only half damage. Any creature that fails its save also suffers wracking pains that impose a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks for the duration. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Necrotic Strike
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 8
Requirements: Three Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds; see text
A wicked gash is left where your blackened blade sliced through your foe's flesh. His wounds refuse to close and blood continues to spill; soon he is nothing but a lifeless husk.

As part of initiating this maneuver, you must make a melee attack against a creature. If you hit, you deal normal melee weapon damage plus 5d6 bonus damage. In addition, the wound absorbs an amount of healing equal to the damage dealt. This effect is removed once the full amount of healing is absorbed or after 5 rounds. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Deathless
Dread Blade (Stance)
Level: Death Knight 8
Requirements: Three Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance
Standing at the precipice of oblivion, you take blow after blow, and yet each time you stare death in the face and come back to fight.

So long as you remain in this stance, you have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall fatal injuries. If you take damage that would reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points, the damage dealt is instead added to your delayed damage pool. After 3 rounds at the beginning of your turn, you take all damage in your delayed damage pool. If you are still alive after your delayed damage pool empties, this stance automatically ends, even if you are unconscious. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool.

Defile
Dread Blade (Strike)
Level: Death Knight 9
Requirements: Five Dread Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 30 ft., up to 200 ft.
Area: 30 ft. spread centered on you
Duration: 5 rounds
A ring of blackness spreads outwards from your weapon, stirring ancient corruptions in the ground.

When you initiate this maneuver, an expanding bank of black fog covers the ground. Enemy creatures in the initial 30-foot radius take 5d6 damage. The black fog lasts for 5 rounds; each round all enemies still within the fog take another 3d6 points of damage, and they suffer a negative level (no save). For each negative level bestowed, the radius of the fog expands by 10 feet, up to 200 feet. Creatures flying less than 60 feet above the fog are grabbed by unholy tendrils and dragged down, taking 8d6 damage and suffering two negative levels on the first round.

Derjuin
2012-08-21, 07:40 AM
Okay, all my posts and pre-edits are done. PEACH away!

I'm mostly worried about:

Inconsistencies between the maneuver list and the descriptions (description should always be right), I was very tired while writing it I admit :smallredface:
Balance (aimed for T3, tried not to eclipse any of the ToB classes but I get the feeling I did)
Clunkiness of the new recovery/expenditure mechanic (Runeforging)
Not enough class abilities


CHANGELOG
Changed the way Runic Empowerment works: instead of slowly giving runes back when you're starved, it works like Adaptive Style, sort of.
Clarified Death runes: you can't inscribe them, they work like wild cards and only come from 4 specific maneuvers (Blood Tap, Killing Machine, Reaping, and Sudden Doom)
Fixed some consistency between list and description of maneuvers (again)
Clarified that only one weapon can be a Rune Weapon at a time (so no keeping a pile of differently inscribed weapons around)


10,000,000th edit: This class is an adaptation of a World of Warcraft character class. All ideas belong to Blizzard Entertainment for the abilities, while all the Tome of Battle stuff belongs to Wizards of the Coast. I'm just mixing the two is all.

God Imperror
2012-08-21, 07:49 AM
I'll give it a serious look once I get some time (busy atm) but 1st of all, awesome idea to make the specializations maneuvers it is a really neat thought, kudos on that.

Midwoka
2012-08-21, 08:24 AM
So... Besides not being able to activate Army of the Dead at level 20, is there a reason not to take all Death runes? I may have misread something, or the other runes might give bonuses in the maneuver descriptions (I haven't looked at many of the maneuvers yet), but I only saw that one little problem with loading up on Death runes.

Derjuin
2012-08-21, 08:33 AM
So... Besides not being able to activate Army of the Dead at level 20, is there a reason not to take all Death runes? I may have misread something, or the other runes might give bonuses in the maneuver descriptions (I haven't looked at many of the maneuvers yet), but I only saw that one little problem with loading up on Death runes.

Oops, thanks for finding that. I'll need to clarify what Death runes do and how to use them. Basically you can't scribe Death runes, they're only the product of your abilities (for a short time).

Also clarified some things and changed the way Runic Empowerment works to be more like the Adaptive Style feat.

Grimsage Matt
2012-08-28, 09:59 PM
Thinking of making some speical Death Knight Armor sets and weapons...

A level 5, a Level 10 and a Level 15 version based off each of the three runes, and a level 20 version based off Death Runes.

Will get to work on those soon.