AC 18 (full plate)
HP 262 (25d8 + 150; bloodied 131)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency +6; Maneuver DC 20
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +12, Int +8, Wis +10, Cha +11
Skills History +8, Intimidation +11, Perception +10
Damage Immunities cold, fire, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed , fatigue , frightened , poisoned , stunned
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages the languages it knew in life
Undead Nature. A dread knight doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Unholy Aura. The dread knight and allies within 30 feet have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magic effects and against features that turn undead. Other creatures of the dread knight’s choice within 30 feet have disadvantage on saving throws against spells and other magic effects.
ACTIONS
Cursed Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage, and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest . The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.
Fire Blast (1/Day). A fiery mote streaks from the dread knight’s finger to a point within 120 feet and blossoms into a 20-foot-radius sphere of black fire which spreads around corners. Each creature within the area makes a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw , taking 63 (18d6) fire damage on a failed saving throw or half damage on a success. This damage ignores fire resistance and treats immunity to fire damage as fire resistance.
Ice Wall (1/Day). The dread knight magically creates a wall of ice on a solid surface it can see within 60 feet. The wall is flat, 1 foot thick, and can be up to 50 feet long and 15 feet high. The wall lasts for 1 minute or until destroyed. Each 10-foot section has AC 12, 30 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage.
If the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (creature’s choice). The creature then makes a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw , taking 49 (14d6) cold damage on a successful save or half damage on a success.
Soul Wrack (1/Day). A creature within 60 feet makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw , taking 70 (20d6) necrotic damage and falling prone on a failed save or taking half damage on a success.
Summon Fiendish Steed (1/Day). A fell nightmare or wyvern magically appears in an empty space within 5 feet. The steed follows the dread knight’s commands and acts on its turn. It may attack on the turn on which it is summoned. It remains until the dread knight dismisses it as an action or it is killed.
BONUS ACTIONS
Cursed Greatsword. The dread knight makes a cursed greatsword attack.
Break Magic. The dread knight ends all spell effects created by a 5th-level or lower spell slot on a creature, object, or point within 30 feet.
Combat
The dread knight uses its bonus action to duel the strongest melee combatant with its cursed greatsword, while using Fire Blast, Soul Wrack, and Wall of Ice to eliminate or cut off those who interfere. If it is bloodied and without allies, it uses Summon Fiendish Steed and tries to escape.
Legends and Lore
With a History or Religion check, characters can learn the following:
DC 10 Tragic figures, dread knights were once honorable warriors who suffered a fall from grace.
DC 15 Dread knights are gifted leaders, even in undeath. Under a dread knight’s command, the restless dead are bolstered against the power of the gods.
DC 20 In addition to their prowess on the battlefield, dread knights possess powerful magic. They can summon walls of ice and hurl balls of hellfire to divide and incinerate their foes.
Names
Roll once on the Title table and once on the Sinister Name table.
Title
1–5 None
6 Lord/Lady
7 Baron/Baroness
8 Prince/Princess
9 Sir/Lady
10 Roll on the Sinister Name table
Sinister Name
1 Gaunt
2 Vainglory
3 Wormwood
4 Bleakstone
5 Riven
6 Ember
7 Darkthorn
8 Aquilon
9 Tharn
10 Leda
11 Bitterbane
12 Wrack
13 Fell
14 Mourn
15 Talon
16 Ire
17 Chillgrave
18 Scorpius
19 Alphigor
20 Greyblood
Infernal powers and evil gods can transform paragons of knightly virtue into malevolent undead creatures of hate and loathing dread knights, also called doom knights or death knights. These fallen knights are cursed to exist forever as brooding mockeries of their former selves: armored skeletal warriors with fearsome martial and magical powers. A dread knight’s face is a burnt, blackened skull in which two tiny flames serve as eyes, and its voice echoes as though it emanates from beneath the earth.
Dark Commander. Dread knights attract lesser undead followers, including skeletons , banshees , and nightmare steeds . Deities and demon lords alike recruit dread knights to command their undead hordes.
Lives of Solitude. Most dread knights lair in ancient castles and keeps, reliving the events that led to their fall from grace. Their hatred for the living ensures that any attendants they keep are also undead. The land for miles around a dread knight’s lair is often entirely devoid of life.
Honorable Warriors. Despite their unholy natures, dread knights continue to uphold the codes of honor that sustained them in life. They disdain cowardice and deception, preferring to meet their foes head-on. They might allow a prone opponent to stand, for example, or give an unarmed foe the time to ready a sword. Once engaged in battle, however, dread knights are merciless.
1 In its lair, marshaling its forces for an assault on the living
2 Kneeling before an altar (praying? mourning? reporting to its overlord?)
3 Aloft on its fiendish steed, scouting
4 Marching at the head of an army of the dead
1 Wraiths scout or deliver threatening ultimatums
2 Hundreds of skulls on spikes
3 The prints of many marching boots and skeletal feet
4 An aura of dread; chill winds and a pale, dim sun
5 Skeletal griffons circle overhead
6 Skeletons claw their way out of old graves and begin marching towards some distant rallying point
Dread knights brood in ancient castles and necropolises in once-populated lands.
CR 17–22 Dread knight; dread knight with 10 skeletons ; dread knight riding nightmare
Treasure 1,000 pp, signet ring (50 gp), potion of invisibility , dancing sword (greatsword) named Ruin, horseshoes of speed
CR 23–30 Dread knight riding corrupted unicorn , fell nightmare , skeletal tyrannosaurus rex , or wyvern ; dread knight with 3 skeletal champions , wights , or zombie knights ; dread knight with 2 ghosts , skeleton hordes , or wraiths
Treasure 5,000 gp, golden prosthetic hand (10,000 gp), star sapphire ring (2,500 gp), potion of storm giant strength , spell scroll of earthquake , flame tongue (greatsword) named Balor
CR 31+ Dread knight champion riding young shadow dragon ; dread knight riding fell nightmare with mage and 20 zombies ; dread knight with 1d4 + 3 wraiths
Treasure ruby necklace (7,500 gp), 10 black sapphires (5,000 gp each), twisted gold wedding ring (10 gp), adamantium plate armor , javelin of slaying (as arrow of slaying vs. humanoids), holy avenger (greatsword) named Dusk which deals necrotic instead of radiant damage while attuned to the dread knight