Blackguard

[RhaezDaevan]

Can evil be used to defeat evil? Let's find out.

Blackguard

The blackguard is a warrior that wields dark power for their own gain. Though often selfish, they are not inherently evil, and can be heroes when they want to be. The source of their power is that of an evil being or plane, but never a god. Their abilities are similar enough to paladins of evil gods, that they are often confused with one another, which infuriates both sides.

[TABLE="width: 500, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Level
[/TD]
[TD]Proficiency Bonus
[/TD]
[TD]Features
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Dark Sight, Dark Servant[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Dark Smite[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Dark Health, Dark Corruption[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Extra Attack[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Aura of Fear[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Dark Corruption feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Aura of Agony[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Improved Dark Smite[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Withering Touch[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Dark Corruption feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]-[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Aura Improvements[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Dark Corruption feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per cavalier level
Hit Points at 1^st-level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per cavalier level after 1^st level

Proficiencies
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: All simple weapons, martial weapons.
Tools: none
Saves: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion and Religion.

Dark Sight
Works like the warlock's invocation Devil's Sight.

Dark Servant
A spirit only you can see moves things at your will. Works like Mage Hand cantrip, with an added ability. Dark servants can be told to annoy your enemies. As a reaction, you can have your dark servant give disadvantage to an enemy making a skill roll or ability check. The dark servant isn't powerful enough to disrupt attack rolls or spellcasting.

Fighting Style
Like Paladin’s Fighting Style.

Spellcasting
Works the same as Paladin’s spellcasting class feature, but uses the Blackguard spell list. Use spell slots table of paladin.

Dark Smite
Like Paladin’s Divine Smite, except it deals necrotic damage instead of radiant.

Dark Health
Like Paladin’s Divine Health.

Dark Corruption
At 3th level you fully succumb to the corruption from your dark training. You choose from shadows (Shadow Master), death (Bone Lord), or fiends (Fiendish Champion) and gain features at 3th, 7th, 15th, and 20th.
In addition, each Dark Corruption has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the Dark Corruption description. Once you gain access to a corruption spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Dark Corruption spells that aren’t on the Blackguard spell list are still considered Blackguard spells for you.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Aura of Fear
Enemies within 10 feet of you must make a charisma saving throw or be frightened. Enemies will remain frightened while within the aura’s radius. An enemy that fails their saving throw is allowed another saving throw each round. An enemy that succeeds on their saving throw is immune to your Aura of Fear for the next 24 hours.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Aura of Agony
Enemies within 10 feet of you must make a wisdom saving throw or be wracked with pain giving disadvantage to all their attack rolls, as well as all saving throws against your blackguard spells and abilities. Enemies will remain in pain while within the aura’s radius. An enemy that fails their saving throw is allowed another saving throw each round. An enemy that succeeds on their saving throw is immune to your Aura of Agony for the next 24 hours.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Improved Dark Smite
Like Paladin’s Improved Divine Smite, except the extra damage is necrotic.

Withering Touch
At 14th level you gain the ability to touch an enemy and absorb some of their life force. This acts like the Vampiric Touch spell cast using a 3rd level slot, but doesn’t require a spell slot and the target has all their melee and ranged attack damage halved until the end of your next turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain spent uses after a long rest.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Blackguard Spell List
Spell Level Spells
[TABLE="width: 700, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[TD]Bane, Command, Compelled Duel, Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, Heroism, Inflict Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good, Searing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[TD]Branding Smite, Find Steed, Lesser Restoration, Locate Object, Magic Weapon, Protection from Poison, Spider Climb, Zone of Truth[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]Bestow Curse, Blinding Smite, Crusader’s Mantle, Dispel Magic, Elemental Weapon, Magic Circle, Phantom Steed, Remove Curse, Speak with Dead, Vampiric Touch[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[TD]Banishment, Blight, Death Ward, Locate Creature, Staggering Smite[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Destructive Smite, Dispel Evil and Good, Geas, Raise Dead[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Feel free to comment on this spells list and the subclass spell lists. Spellcasters are not my forte.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Dark Corruptions
Shadow Master
Corruption Spells:

[TABLE="width: 500, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Blackguard Level
[/TD]
[TD]Spells[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD] Bane, Hex[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]Darkness, Phantasmal Force[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]Fear, Phantom Steed[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13th[/TD]
[TD]Evard’s Black Tentacles, Phantasmal Killer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17th[/TD]
[TD]Passwall, Telekinesis[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Shadow Weapon – You can manifest a weapon out of pure shadow as a bonus action. Another bonus action can be used to dismiss it. This shadow weapon acts exactly like a weapon of your choice, except it has no weight, is treated as magical and deals necrotic damage. If the shadow weapon takes the form of a weapon that fires projectiles, it creates its own projectiles. Thrown weapons and fired projectiles disappear at the start of your next turn.

Improved Dark Servant – Your dark servant can now function like the Unseen Servant spell at will.

Shadow Step – At 15th level, you have learned to jump from one shadow to another. This acts like the Misty Step spell. Shadow Step can be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once). Spent uses are regained after a long rest.

Form of Living Shadow – At 20th level you can cover yourself in darkness and become a living shadow. As an action you transform for 1 minute into a wraith-like creature and gain the following benefits:
- You gain resistance to all damage except radiant.
- You base land speed increase by 10 feet.
- You ignore all difficult terrain.
- When an enemy attacks you with a ranged attack and misses, you can make the attack continue to a target on the opposite side of you.
- Melee attacks against you have disadvantage unless they deal radiant damage.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

 
Bone Lord
Corruption Spells:

[TABLE="width: 500, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Blackguard Level
[/TD]
[TD]Spells[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]False Life, Ray of Sickness[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]Blindness/Deafness, Ray of Enfeeblement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]Animate Dead, Speak with Dead[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13th[/TD]
[TD]Blight, Death Ward[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17th[/TD]
[TD]Contagion, Insect Plague[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Skeletal Minion – You gain a skeleton as a loyal servant. Treat it as a normal skeleton, but add your proficiency bonus to its AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls. It also has hit points equal to its normal maximum or four times your blackguard level, whichever is higher. You may use a bonus action to have your skeletal minion either move or attack, but it can take reactions without command. At 14th level, you may have your skeletal minion use your withering touch instead of a normal attack, but it heals itself, not you. If your skeletal minion is destroyed, you may spend 10 minutes after a long rest to gain a new skeletal minion.

Armor of Bone – you can create an armor made of bone. You are proficient in it and it acts like any medium or heavy armor of your choice. It can take the form of a different armor after completing a long rest. Your bone armor naturally wants to protect you and will grow bone spikes in order to do so. Anyone attacking you within 10 feet must make a dexterity saving throw or be struck by a bone spike and take necrotic damage equal to 1d8 + your Blackguard level.

Gaze of Death – At 15th level, you can stare into the eyes of an enemy and try to kill them with your will alone. As an action you choose a target within 30 feet of you that can see you. They must succeed on a charisma saving throw or be dropped to 0 hp. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to your Gaze of Death for 24 hours. Constructs, undead and creatures that are blind are immune to this death effect.

Form of the Reaper - At 20th level you can become an undead reaper of souls. As an action you transform for 1 minute into an undead creature and gain the following benefits:
- You gain resistance to all damage except radiant.
- Your melee reach is increased by 5 feet.
- Once per turn, your attacks deals an extra 1d8 damage which stacks with Dark Smite and Improved Dark Smite.
- All of your attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.


Fiendish Champion
Corruption Spells:

[TABLE="width: 500, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Blackguard Level
[/TD]
[TD]Spells[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]Comprehend Languages, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]Enthrall, Spider Climb[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]Stinking Cloud, Hunger of Hadar[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13th[/TD]
[TD]Arcane Eye, Dimension Door[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17th[/TD]
[TD]Contact Other Plane, Wall of Fire[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Fiendish Magic - At 3rd level, gain one of the following cantrips: Acid Splash, Chill Touch, Fire Bolt, Poison Spray, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp.

Fiendish Resistance – At 7th level gain resistance to any three of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder.

Opener of Gates – At 15th level, you can open a gate to one of the lower planes and bring forth a fiend. This ability acts like the Conjure Elemental spell, but instead conjures a fiend of CR 6 or lower. The fiend will do as you command for up to 1 minute before it returns through the gate. If the fiend is killed, the gate immediately closes. While a gate is open, the DM may have other fiends that you don’t control also come through, so beware. No creature above CR 6 may pass through the gate created with this ability. You must complete a long rest before using this ability again.

Form of the Beast Unleashed – At 20th level you can tap into a fiendish spirit locked inside you. As an action you transform for 1 minute into a beast-like fiend and gain the following benefits:
- You regain 10 hit points at the start of each turn.
- All enemies that hit you with melee attacks take 1d4 damage of each type you have resistance to from your Fiendish Resistance (3d4 in all).
- Enemies have disadvantage to all your blackguard spells.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

 

[Redthistle]

Well crafted, RhaezDaevan. Well crafted, indeed.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Well crafted, RhaezDaevan. Well crafted, indeed.

Thanks. I was worried the spell lists might be a bit much, as I was going more for flavor and theme rather than power.

 

[Khaalis]

Ok, well Blackguards aren't my particular cup of tea but I'll take a shot. One one hand I think this concept could be covered by a subclass, but on the other hand I guess in an all evil game you need a full class rather than waiting for the paladin to "Fall" at 3rd level. I'll also say now I don't really know if this was drawn from an exiting old version class or not, so I'm making comments purely based on whats in front of me for 5E.

Specifics:
1) Dark Sight. I think I would have simply left this as Divine Sight per the Paladin; except that it detects Consecrate rather than Hallowed. It works just fine this way with the fluff changing celestials to the enemies rather than the fiends.

2) Dark Servant. I think that Mage Hand at will is a bit weak and not so sure it fits the dark paladin them.
Why not simply Keep Lay on Hands but make it:
* deal necrotic damage instead of restore health
* cause 1 disease or poisoning
* can be used to Heal undead

3) Dark Smite. Either Keep it divine Smite or if you really want the rename use it but in either case you need to state that it works as Divine Smite but deals Necrotic damage instead of Radiant damage.

4) Dark Health. Again, doesn't really need the name change as they are still divine. Just a flavor thing.

5) Dark Corruption. I could see this go either of 2 ways.
a) As is written, being corrupted by the dark forces of Shadow, Death or Fiends.
b) Or you could go with Corrupted Oath & Profane Oath with oaths of: Oath of Death, Oath of Darkness, Oath of Fealty (Fiendish)
Then you could do others such as: Oath of Animosity (reverse of Devotion), Oath of Decay or Destruction (reverse of Ancients), Oath of Vengeance (as is), Oath of Insanity (Chaos), Oath of Tyranny, Oath of Ferocity, etc.

Also in Dark Corruption, you left out Channel Divinity.

6) Auras.
a) Aura of Fear. This seems ok.
b) Aura of Agony. Not so sure on this one. It grants Advantage on ALL rolls made against someone in the aura regardless of the source. Not only do I think this one is OP, I don't think it fits the theme. I would make this more about personal protection.
"Enemies within 10 feet of you must make a wisdom saving throw or be wracked with pain, gaining disadvantgae on attack rolls made against you and on saving throw rolls against your spells and abilities."

7) Withering Touch. This one seems ok mechanically and fits the theme.

8) Spell Lists - I don't particularly see anything out of the ordinary.

I've done a skim over of the subclass and don't see anything yet that screams of an issue.

Good job. I'm sure plenty of peeps will like this.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

I'll take this a piece at a time.

Ok, well Blackguards aren't my particular cup of tea but I'll take a shot. One one hand I think this concept could be covered by a subclass, but on the other hand I guess in an all evil game you need a full class rather than waiting for the paladin to "Fall" at 3rd level. I'll also say now I don't really know if this was drawn from an exiting old version class or not, so I'm making comments purely based on whats in front of me for 5E.

The oathbreaker paladin will be in the DMG and I view that as the 'fallen paladin' so I see design space for someone who took a darker path from the beginning that's not a warlock. Just like the warlock, this version of the blackguard is not inherently evil, but does use evil powers. The paladin no longer has to be good, so blackguards don't have to be evil.

Specifics:
1) Dark Sight. I think I would have simply left this as Divine Sight per the Paladin; except that it detects Consecrate rather than Hallowed. It works just fine this way with the fluff changing celestials to the enemies rather than the fiends.

I start the design of this class not as a champion of an evil god, but as a warrior that channels evil powers for their own use. As such I didn't want anything divine as this is technically not a divinely powered class. Like you suggest later, paladins that get power from evil gods could just be the paladin with other, darker oaths. With that said, the blackguard doesn't care holy vs. unholy and could easily view fiends, undead and celestials as all equal. Both potential allies or potential enemies.

2) Dark Servant. I think that Mage Hand at will is a bit weak and not so sure it fits the dark paladin them.
Why not simply Keep Lay on Hands but make it:
* deal necrotic damage instead of restore health
* cause 1 disease or poisoning
* can be used to Heal undead

The blackguard I was going for was more selfish and as such they have much less in the way of healing and protecting allies. Though this acts like mage hand it is actually a spirit that does your bidding, representing the themes I was going for with the class from the beginning. Perhaps if it seems weak, I could add an extra ability that the dark servant can do once per long rest. Not sure what though.

3) Dark Smite. Either Keep it divine Smite or if you really want the rename use it but in either case you need to state that it works as Divine Smite but deals Necrotic damage instead of Radiant damage.

Changing to necrotic is a great idea and I'll change the ability to say just that.

4) Dark Health. Again, doesn't really need the name change as they are still divine. Just a flavor thing.

They aren't divine, so that's settled.

5) Dark Corruption. I could see this go either of 2 ways.
a) As is written, being corrupted by the dark forces of Shadow, Death or Fiends.
b) Or you could go with Corrupted Oath & Profane Oath with oaths of: Oath of Death, Oath of Darkness, Oath of Fealty (Fiendish)
Then you could do others such as: Oath of Animosity (reverse of Devotion), Oath of Decay or Destruction (reverse of Ancients), Oath of Vengeance (as is), Oath of Insanity (Chaos), Oath of Tyranny, Oath of Ferocity, etc.

Also in Dark Corruption, you left out Channel Divinity.

Like I mentioned earlier, this blackguard class is not divine, and paladin's of evil gods could be done with some of the oaths you mention being added to the paladin class. With the absence of channel divinity, do you think the blackguard is weak? It has a number of powerful abilities that I think mostly make up for channel divinity being missing, but I could always add a channel darkness ability back in. I want them to have hints of paladin without being a total copy of paladin.

6) Auras.
a) Aura of Fear. This seems ok.
b) Aura of Agony. Not so sure on this one. It grants Advantage on ALL rolls made against someone in the aura regardless of the source. Not only do I think this one is OP, I don't think it fits the theme. I would make this more about personal protection.
"Enemies within 10 feet of you must make a wisdom saving throw or be wracked with pain, gaining disadvantage on attack rolls made against you and on saving throw rolls against your spells and abilities."

Both auras only function within the radius, so they just have to back off and use ranged attacks instead. I do like your suggestion better though. When in close range, enemies will be dying fast as disadvantage to saving throws against the blackguard's abilities means Aura of Fear, Withering Touch, as well as Armor of Bone and Gaze of Death are all working much more often.

7) Withering Touch. This one seems ok mechanically and fits the theme.

Yeah, I originally had something like this at level 1 instead of lay on hands but decided to move it higher and just use an equivalent spell to describe the effect.

8) Spell Lists - I don't particularly see anything out of the ordinary.

Good to know. They have the same spell slots as paladin, so even if they had a few powerful spells, they never go above 5th level the slots will run out eventually. Plus they can't prepare that many of what's available like a full caster can.

I've done a skim over of the subclass and don't see anything yet that screams of an issue.

Good job. I'm sure plenty of peeps will like this.

Thanks!

 

[RhaezDaevan]

I made a few changes based on the feedback.

 

[Khaalis]

Ok, now that I know its not a Reverse Paladin (btw a tiny bit of fluff to introduce the class would help in that respect), I can see where you were going with some of it.

1) Dark Sight makes more sense now. However, that said, I'd make this the same as the Warlock Invocation "Devil's Sight".
2) On Channel Divinity you do need to give a balance for losing this. Since this is a Once Per Short rest ability and you are drawing inspiration from the Warlock, lets continue the theme. Look at giving something like "Dark Invocation". Have it either mechanically act the same as Channel Divinity and choose 2 abilities that are normally Once/Short Rest resources, OR simply give them say 2 at-will Invocations that don't have level restrictions like say "Thief of Five Fates", "Fiendish Vigor", etc.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

Ok, now that I know its not a Reverse Paladin (btw a tiny bit of fluff to introduce the class would help in that respect), I can see where you were going with some of it.

1) Dark Sight makes more sense now. However, that said, I'd make this the same as the Warlock Invocation "Devil's Sight".
2) On Channel Divinity you do need to give a balance for losing this. Since this is a Once Per Short rest ability and you are drawing inspiration from the Warlock, lets continue the theme. Look at giving something like "Dark Invocation". Have it either mechanically act the same as Channel Divinity and choose 2 abilities that are normally Once/Short Rest resources, OR simply give them say 2 at-will Invocations that don't have level restrictions like say "Thief of Five Fates", "Fiendish Vigor", etc.

You may not have noticed, but I did add a few lines to describe the class near the top. Looking at Devil's Sight I agree that it makes more sense, so I've updated Dark Sight to work the same. Reading the paladin again, it seams that channel divinity IS the paladin oath feature at 3rd level, not in addition to like I was thinking, so I just have to buff up the Dark Corruption 3rd level features. How about:

Shadow Weapon - Same as listed, but add " In addition, you can have your shadow weapon ignore all resistances, but not immunities. This is for all attacks made by you on your turn. After using this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before using it again."

Skeletal Minion - Same as listed, but add " In addition, on your turn, you may split your skeletal minion in two. Until the end of your next turn, you have two skeletal minions with the same statistics, and you may use a bonus action to have each either attack or move. Once the effect ends, one of the minions disappears and the skeletal minion that is left is returned to full hit points. You must complete a short or long rest to use this ability again."

Fiendish Magic - Same as listed, but add " In addition, on your turn you can use an action to cast a spell and make a weapon attack. You must complete a short or long rest to use this ability again."

Just some ideas. Feel free to suggest better ones.