Originally Posted by
Troacctid
If you want "Avatar of Evil" then wouldn't incarnate or soulborn be the more natural choice? Almost any character can be evil, and cleric is actively anti-synergistic with blackguard.
I mean, let's be fair here. You know what else is a hodgepodge of garbage? Most of the low-tier warrior classes beyond 2nd level or so. For them, blackguard offers accelerated paladin spellcasting on top of other combat-relevant abilities and a strong chassis. If you're a barbarian, don't tell me you'd rather have DR 3, greater rage, and improved trap sense than 4th level divine spells, 3d6 sneak attack, and Cha to saves. If you're a knight, blackguard is competing with a bad frightful presence knockoff, a couple save rerolls, and a mediocre bonus feat. Isn't that what the opportunity cost section is supposed to be about? I bet if you scored cleric as the expected entry for assassin, it would've gotten a zero too.