D&D 5th Edition: Looking for critique on a Class

[Oramac]

Just looking for comments/criticism on this.  I've done all the math, and near as I can tell it's balanced.  I just want more eyes on it to check for whatever I might have missed.  

 

Without further ado: 

 

Death Knight (Dread; Grim; Risen?)
 

Dressed in armor streaked with blood, a human swings his Greatsword with precise fury, using his attacks to keep his enemies occupied.  As he does so, the allies around him watch as his wounds seem to heal even as the enemy falls. 

Standing tall against the oncoming horde, a High Elf embraces the icy resolve within to steel her veins and ignore the attacks of his enemies. Freezing her twin longswords with the power of the frozen north, her attacks break through their armor with relentless abandon.

A lonely Dwarf gazes over the battlefield, remembering a time when he was alive enough to relish the battle.  No longer the same Dwarf, he takes the power of Death and uses it for his own ends.

 

Not dead, but not truly living

Paladin.  That’s what you used to be. Before you died. The Death Knight is a resurrected Paladin, brought back by some benefactor to wield the power of Death. Most Death Knights have no will.  They’re just puppets of whoever brought them back.  But sometimes, a Death Knight of extraordinary willpower breaks that hold and regains their free will. 

 

These people, often ostracized by society, are filled with the same vigor they had in their previous life.  Some of them remember their old values and try to complete their previous mission.  Others shed their former morals and become a deadly killing machine, working only for their own gain.  Still others wish to return to their previous positions of honor, though the news of their death invariably precedes them, and they know not if their former Kings will accept their service. 

 

Creating a Death Knight

When creating your Death Knight, consider your relationship with the person or being that resurrected you.  Do you know who it was, or why they brought you back from Death?  Do you feel indebted to them for giving you a second chance at life, or are you angry that they took you away from your eternal rest?  Also, consider the Oath you took as a Paladin.  Do you remember it?  Do you choose to follow those Tenets again, or forsake your Paladin teachings and follow a new path?  In either case, the Oaths of the Paladin are no longer available to you, and you must choose a new, Grim Oath. 

 

Quick Build

You can build a Death Knight quickly by following these suggestions.  First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom.  Second, choose the Soldier or Noble background.

 

EDIT: well the table isn't working. Here's the important stuff:

 

Runes per level:  2-4: 4 Runes; 5-10: 8 Runes; 11-15: 12 Runes; 16-19: 16 Runes; 20: 20 Runes

Rune Weapon Damage: 3-4: 1d4; 5-10: 1d6; 11-16: 1d8; 17-20: 1d10

 

Class Features

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Death Knight Level
Hit points at 1st level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Death Knight level after first. 

Proficiencies
Armor: Heavy armor; No shields
Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons
Tools: none
Saving Throws: Strength; Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Persuasion.

Multiclass: Light/Medium Armor; Simple and Martial weapons; Death Knights require a score of 13 Strength and 13 Wisdom.
 

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a Greatsword or ( two Longswords
- (a) two Handaxes or ( any simple melee weapon
- (a) a Dungeoneer’s pack or ( an Explorer’s Pack
- Chain Mail

 

Runes: At 1st level, you can draw on the dread magic of the grave. You can access Runes that you may use for additional effects described in this class description. You gain Runes as you level, shown in the Runes column of the Class Table. If an ability that uses a Rune requires a saving throw, the saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. No Rune features require a spell attack roll. You recover all expended Runes when you finish a Long Rest. 

Rune Strike: Beginning at 1st level, when you take the attack action with a Weapon, you may expend a Rune to add an additional effect to the attack, as listed below. You may use this feature only once per turn, even if you get more than one attack on that turn. You may begin using each Strike at the level indicated in its description.

Leeching Strike (1st level): If your attack hits, the target takes the normal attack damage, and you may expend 1 Rune to heal for 1d8 + your Constitution modifier. You can only regain HP if the blow is struck in combat.

Icy Blast (2nd level): If your attack hits, the target takes the normal attack damage, and you may expend 1 Rune to force the target to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 Cold damage and has its speed reduced by 10 feet for one turn. On a successful save, the target takes half damage and does not have its speed reduced. 

Plague Strike (3rd level): If your attack hits, the target takes the normal attack damage, and you may expend 1 Rune to afflict the target with Plague for 1 minute. Beginning with its next turn, and at the beginning of each of its turns thereafter, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 Necrotic damage. On a successful save, the effect ends. The Plague effect does not stack if applied more than once. 
Fighting Style: At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a fighting style more than once, even if you later get to choose again. 

Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Rune Weapon: At 3^rd level, your chill connection with Death allows you to inscribe your melee weapon with hellish Runes. When you acquire a melee weapon, you may spend 1 hour inscribing the weapon, which can be done during a short rest. You may have no more than two Rune weapons at any given time. If you inscribe a third weapon, choose one of your previously inscribed weapons from which to remove the Runes. 

When you hit with a melee weapon attack using your rune weapon, you deal additional Fire, Cold, or Necrotic damage (determined by your Grim Oath) equal to the damage dice listed in the Rune Weapon column of the class table.
 

Grim Oath: At 3rd level you mimic the Oath you took in your former life as a Paladin.  Though you can choose to follow the same Tenets, you are not bound by your Paladin Oath any longer, and may do as you please. Choose a Grim Oath that you follow exclusively. You may choose the Oath of the Undying, Oath of the North, or Oath of the Plague, all detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. 

Ability Score Improvement: When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, 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 Dread: At 6th level, your Dread presence hangs heavily on your enemies. Whenever an enemy within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, it takes a penalty on the throw equal to 1 + half your Wisdom modifier, rounded down. This Aura has no effect on Undead creatures, and does not stack with itself or similar effects. 

At 18th level, this Aura increases to 30 feet. 

Relentless Advance: At 9th level, you become as relentless as Death itself. Your speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, your speed cannot be reduced by any means. 

Pull of the Grave: At 10th level, your power over the forces of Death increase. As an action, you may choose a target within 30 feet of you that you can see. That target must make a Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 30 feet towards you. If the target is pulled within melee range of you, you may make one weapon attack against it as a bonus action.
Magic Barrier: At 13th level, you can harness the power of death to protect yourself against offensive magic. As a reaction when a spell is cast that targets you or an area you’re in, you may spend 4 Runes to create a barrier around yourself, granting you resistance to damaging magic. This effect lasts 1 minute, or until 3 damaging magical effects hit you, including the triggering attack. 

Runic Recovery: Beginning at 14th level, you can control your Runes with greater discipline. During a Short Rest, you recover 1d4 + 2 Runes. 

Grim Oaths: 

Oath of the Undying

Undying Presence: At 3rd level when you take this Oath, your blood churns with deathly fire. You gain resistance to Fire damage, and your Rune Weapon deals Fire damage. Additionally, your Leeching Strike is empowered. You can spend up to 3 additional Runes to increase the healing by 1d8 for each Rune spent. 
 

Blood Strike: At 7th level, your mastery of the dread blood in your veins intensifies. When you make a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 or more Runes to empower the attack. On a hit, the target suffers the attacks normal effects and you gain 5 Temporary Hit Points for each Rune spent, up to 8 Runes. Additionally, the enemy hit by Blood Strike has disadvantage on attacks against targets other than you. This effect lasts 1 minute, and the target can make a Wisdom saving throw at the end of its turn to end the effect. 
 

Aura of the Undying: At 15th level, allies within 10 feet of you gain resistance to Fire damage. Additionally, the power of your blood can help prevent death. You and allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on Death Saving Throws. The power of your will is so strong, the saving throw effect persists even if you are unconscious or incapacitated. At 18th level, this Aura increases to 30 feet. 

Purgatory: By 20th level, you are as hard to stop as Death itself. When you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, but not killed outright, your soul may keep fighting in your stead. Your soul has the same speed and AC as your body, half its hit point total, resistance to all damage, and deals magical slashing damage equal to your weapon damage. Your soul cannot take any action other than the attack action, and cannot use any Rune Strikes or Rune Weapon attacks. If your Soul is reduced to 0 hit points, or moves more than 100 feet from your body, you die immediately and cannot be resurrected by any means. This effect lasts for 1 minute, and you must finish a long rest before you can benefit from it again. Additionally, you must now fail five death saving throws to die, instead of three. 

Oath of the North

Chill Presence: At 3rd level when you take this Oath, Frost hangs heavy on your form. You gain resistance to Cold damage, and your Rune Weapon deals Cold damage. Additionally, when you use Icy Blast, you can spend up to 3 additional Runes. For each additional Rune spent, you cause the Cold damage and slowing effect to hit one additional target in a 15 foot cone centered on you. 
 

Freezing Strike: At 7th level, your control over the might of winter sharpens your resolve. When you make a melee weapon attack, you can choose to freeze your Rune Weapon with the power of the Frozen North. For this attack, your weapon deals Cold damage, and you can spend up to 2 Runes to increase the damage by 1d6 per Rune spent. This damage ignores resistance to Cold damage. You may use this feature only once per turn. 

Chill Aura: At 15th level, allies within 10 feet of you gain resistance to Cold damage. Additionally, you and allies within 10 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to all damage die rolled for a melee or ranged weapon attack. You must be conscious for this benefit to have effect. At 18th level, the Aura increases to 30 feet.

Pillar of Frozen Might: At 20th level, your command of the chill touch of death is so powerful you can shrug off that which would cause others to falter. As a bonus action, you can fortify yourself with the power of Frost for 1 minute. For the next minute, all of your attacks are made with advantage, and you are immune to the Stunned, Frightened, and Grappled conditions. You must finish a long rest before you may use this feature again. 
 

Oath of the Plague

Dread Presence: At 3rd level when you take this Oath, you are empowered by the energy of Death itself. You have resistance to Necrotic damage, and your Rune Weapon deals Necrotic damage. Additionally, you may spend up to 2 runes to increase the Plague damage of your Plague Strike by 1d6 per Rune spent. This increase must be applied when the initial melee attack is made, and cannot be applied once the Plague is already on a target. 
 

Vile Swarm: At 7th level, you command the vile power of the grave. As an action, you may spend 4 Runes to summon a vile swarm of carrion flies around you, lasting 1 minute or until you dismiss it as a bonus action. The swarm covers a 10 foot radius, centered on you. Any creature other than you caught in the swarm must make a Dexterity saving throw at the beginning of its turn. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 Necrotic damage and is considered to be in difficult terrain. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not considered to be in difficult terrain. 

Aura of the Risen Dead: At 15th level, allies within 10 feet of you gain resistance to Necrotic damage. Additionally, you and allies within 10 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws. This effect stacks with similar effects. You must be conscious for this benefit to have effect. At 18th level, the Aura increases to 30 feet. 

Plague Reaper: At 20th level, you can draw on the grim power of Death to empower your Plague. When you take the attack action against a target afflicted by your Plague, you can use a bonus action to cause it to jump to all enemies within 15 feet of the target. Additionally, your Plague’s base damage increases to 3d6.

 

 

That's it!!  Any and all comments are welcome!