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RandomFellow
2008-01-20, 08:06 PM
Death Knight Lord

The most powerful of the Death Knights, these fell lords of the undead serve as commanders for armies of undead in Hell's service. Asmodeus and the other Hell Lords have long since realized that the Demon's numbers combined with the constant conflict with the Celestials required a way to increase the number of soldiers at Hell's command.

Just fyi...Death Knight Lord is just because I couldn't come up with a better name for an exceptional Death Knight. If anyone has a better idea let me know. =) Also, anyone who wants to know where the DK template is:
MMII, pg. 207-208

The other names I was considering:
Asmodean Death Knight (this fellow is basically created only by Devils to command their undead armies)
Death Knight General

This template may be applied to any Death Knight with at least 8 HD.

Size and Type:
Same as base creature.

Special Attacks:
The base creature retains all existing special attacks. In addition, any weapon wielded by a Death Knight Lord is considered evil for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Abyssal Blast (Su)
As Death Knight, except it may used up to Cha modifier times per day. (Effectively a Fireball spell that deals 50% Divine, 50% Fire with CL = HD and save of 10+1/2HD+Cha)

Fear Aura (Su)
As Death Knight, except the HD cap is equal to the Death Knight Lord's HD.

Special Qualities:
Create Spawn (Su)
Creatures killed (by Spell, Spell-Like Ability, Su Ability, or Weapon) by a Death Knight Lord, with fewer HD than the Death Knight Lord, rise after 1d4 rounds as a skeleton or zombie under the Death Knight Lord's control. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life. Demons are not limited by the HD cap. (e.g. A 18HD Death Knight that lands the killing blow against a Balor gains a Balor Skeleton or Zombie.)

Damage Reduction (Su)
The Death Knight Lord's damage reduction changes from 15/+1 to 15/magic and good. Only a holy blade is capable of harming a powerful servant to an evil Deity.

Spell Resistance (Su)
A Death Knight Lord has his SR increased by 5. (This changes it from SR 20 to 25 + HD past 10th)

Summon Mount (Su)
As Death Knight, except the Death Knight Lord's level is treated as being 4 higher for purposes of the type of mount he can summon. (e.g. A Death Knight Lord (+8 LA) of 8th level is capable of summoning a Nightmare instead of having to wait 4 more levels.)

Spell-like Abilities
Once per day per point of Cha modifier a Death Knight Lord is capable of using the spells Plane Shift and Greater Teleport (self, plus items up to maximum load for the death Knight+Followers, plus any commanded undead) to any altar or temple aligned with the Death Knight Lord's deity (or devil master).

Abilities:
Increase from the base creature as follows: +4 Str, +4 Wis, +4 Cha

Alignment
Any Evil

Challenge Rating:
Same as base creature.

Level Adjustment:
+3

CR Adjustment:
+2

BisectedBrioche
2008-01-20, 09:42 PM
For naming: In the (British) feudal system a knight would serve under a Baron so maybe you could use "Death Baron" or "Baron of Death"?

If this still still sounds a bit cheesy you could still use lord (lord being the term address for a baron), Earl (used to describe a close friend of the king) or Thane (the scottish equivlent of a Baron).

Personally I think Death Thane sounds the best.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-01-20, 11:19 PM
What about Death Champion?

SilentNight
2008-01-20, 11:22 PM
Personally I think Death Thane sounds the best.

Or Thane of Death, I dunno. Maybe Infernal Vassal. Leigionaire of Doom/Death?
Seems nice though. One question, is the LA and CR adjustment stated applied on top of the death knight's existing ones or does it suppersede them?

RandomFellow
2008-01-21, 12:35 AM
Or Thane of Death, I dunno. Maybe Infernal Vassal. Leigionaire of Doom/Death?
Seems nice though. One question, is the LA and CR adjustment stated applied on top of the death knight's existing ones or does it suppersede them?
On top.
The base template is +5 LA, +3 CR. With this the final result is +8 LA, +5 CR.

-----

Some Thoughts:
Death Baron <- Ya, I agree Death Thane sounds cooler.
Death Champion <- I like Death Thane better. =-) Sorry.
Thane of Death <- That breaks the naming convention, so I'd go with the below version over it.
Death Thane <- Better than what I have now.

I'm not going to revise it now just in case anyone else comes up with anything better. I do admit I was planning to put more templates on top of this one (it is intended for a BBEG's Lt. who runs the operations while the BBEG goes out and does the 'important stuff'). And what can I say? I love necromancers and illusions. =)

RandomFellow
2008-01-22, 12:03 PM
Any more thoughts? =)

Tyonisius
2008-01-22, 01:44 PM
Sounds good. I haven't had a chance to look at the Death Knight yet though. What about Death Knight Commander? That way it still points towards the Death Knight in the name alone. I've never been good at LA but this one seems low to me.

Stycotl
2008-01-22, 02:24 PM
wrackful tyrant

harbinger of death

infernal overseer

just a couple of ideas

aaron out

SilentNight
2008-01-22, 02:54 PM
Some more thoughts.

Centurion of the Unliving
Evil Incarnate
Death Incarnate
Commander of the Darkend Leigion(sounds more like a prestige class but I like it)

RandomFellow
2008-01-22, 04:18 PM
Sounds good. I haven't had a chance to look at the Death Knight yet though. What about Death Knight Commander? That way it still points towards the Death Knight in the name alone. I've never been good
at LA but this one seems low to me.
I'd prefer Death Knight General over Death Knight Commander. Thanks tho.

What do you think LA should be? I think it is a little to weak for +4 after factoring in the fact the only way to get this template is after applying a +5 LA template.


@Silent
I like Centurion of the Unliving. =)

---
So I think my choices are down to:
Centurion of the Unliving and Death Thane

MrBojangles
2008-01-24, 11:11 AM
Here's a couple:

Hell Knight (similar ring, but not undead-is)

Fist of Asmodai (not quite the same ring as 'knight' though)

Baatorian Prince (because an Archduke is obviously (from their point of view) superior to a Demon Prince, and these Death Knights are Hells commanders under the king (Asmodeus) of Hell, or did i read the fluff wrong)

RandomFellow
2008-01-24, 11:28 AM
You didn't read the fluff wrong. The Death Knight Lords answer to Archdukes and Asmodeus.

Bah, this thread is making this more complicated rather than less. =)
Centurion of the Unliving, Baatorian Prince, and Death Thane

Athaniar
2008-01-24, 11:45 AM
Doom Knight. Always struck me as cool.

Or Doom Lord/Baron/King/Marshal/Warlord/General/Paladin, et cetera.

Mando Knight
2008-01-24, 12:31 PM
I second SilentNight on Thane of Death. It has an aura of demise about it...

Athaniar
2008-01-24, 12:40 PM
Nah, when I hear "Thane" I immediately think of fantasy dwarves or real-life vikings. But "Doom Thane" could work...

And my involvement in this thread has inspired a sig change. Xavian posts: now with 100% more doom.

Yakk
2008-01-24, 01:07 PM
Make it a single template, instead of a template on a template.

Ie, write it up as a "Baron of Death" or a "Doom Thane", and stop referring to the Death Knight. This makes it easier to understand what the effects of the template are (ie, you don't have to have a Death Knight template sitting next to your Doom Thane sitting next to your Base creature).

Stycotl
2008-01-24, 02:16 PM
i think that yakk has a point. for clarity's sake.

that would imply a change from life, directly to this uber death knight, skipping the lower death knight. if you still want to make it possible for people to take the first template, and then later, through exeptional service to the infernal forces or whatever, you could (and should) point out what changes would have to be made in order to change a death knight to an uber death knight.

RandomFellow
2008-01-24, 03:40 PM
Make it a single template, instead of a template on a template.

Ie, write it up as a "Baron of Death" or a "Doom Thane", and stop referring to the Death Knight. This makes it easier to understand what the effects of the template are (ie, you don't have to have a Death Knight template sitting next to your Doom Thane sitting next to your Base creature).

I thought of doing that but it isn't OGL content so I'm not sure I can basically copy the template and post it here. =)

SilentNight
2008-01-25, 09:24 AM
I second SilentNight on Thane of Death. It has an aura of demise about it...

Thanks, seemed like that to me too.:smallbiggrin:

RandomFellow
2008-01-25, 11:16 PM
No one is complaining about the stats 0o

I guess they are balancedish?

SilentNight
2008-01-25, 11:33 PM
Seems to be. It's mainly the fluff.

Stycotl
2008-01-25, 11:51 PM
yeah, looks good, though i'm not so confident in my cr/la-appraising skill ranks. good job.

RandomFellow
2008-01-26, 01:41 AM
Eh if no one on either the WotC boards or here cry "Unbalanced" it probably is. =)

One more thing to add to the Erth Thread then. As soon as I can decide on a name. Heh.

Pronounceable
2008-01-26, 09:47 AM
Oblivion Knight?
Mortus Dominus (because everything is considered cooler if in latin)?
Death Marshall?
...

"Thane" sounds too dwarf.

RandomFellow
2008-01-26, 02:40 PM
That could be. It is technically Anglo-Saxon or Viking if I recall correctly.

Although the good news is there are 0 dwarves in Erth. Zippo. So confusing a Death Thane with a Dwarven thingy is unlikely. =)