Witch Knight Fighter

Witch Knight (Swordwraith/Death Knight) Fighter Archetype


"I remember my first death fondly. Let me show you how it feels."
- The Swordwraith of Vvaldenfaar

Known by many names, be they Witch Kings, Deathknights, or the fabled Swordwraith, these nearly-dead Warriors are not magical of design, though the decaying energies of the negative energy place suffuse and empower them. Often times regarded as immortal, the Witch Knight is close to such a feat, but perhaps less than many may wager. Entities such as the legendary Lord Soth have much to be attributed to for the fearsome place a Witch Knight takes in the hearts and minds of the average mortal, yet not all of them are insidious and devious wretches. Like all things, they are a mixed lot, though it is never unwise to remember that these sorry souls are afflicted with a curse, one which they very well may have earned.

Curse of the Cursed Knight
Each Witch Knight is formed by a powerful curse. When you pick this archetype at 3rd level, one such nearly-unbreakable curse has afflicted you. However, this curse is also a source of power, allowing you to invigorate yourself and afflict your enemies, which are fueled by a pool of points called your Curse Well.

Curses: When you choose this archetype, you gain one of the Curses detailed below. You may gain an additional curse at 7th and 18th levels. Curses have multiple effects, the first of which is always a constant effect that begins once enacted. Additional effects can be activated by spending Curse points from your Curse Well. You can enact a curse as a free action, and activate the effects of a curse as a bonus action. You can only enact one curse per turn.


Curse of Cold Hate
While you enact the Curse of Cold Hate you may make an attack as a reaction when a creature enters in or begins its turn within your reach, and enemies count space that you threaten as difficult terrain.
1: You drive your weapon into the ground, and you turn terrain in a 20 foot radius sphere around you into difficult terrain for one minute. (Conc)
3: You clad yourself in frozen armor. Until you take damage, you gain +2 AC and vulnerability to Fire.
5: The next time you deal damage, the creature hit must make a Constitution saving throw to resist being Petrified for a number of turns equal to your Wisdom Modifier (minimum of 1). On a successful save, the creature has its base speed halved instead for that many turns.


Curse of Sanguine Tithe
While you Enact the Curse of Sanguine Tithe, when you deal damage with a melee weapon attack you gain your wisdom modifier as temporary hit points. These temporary Hit Points last until the end of combat and is cumulative with itself.
2: You may mutilate a recently dead or a dying creature (instantly killing it) to regain a use of Second Wind.
4: Target creature you touch must make a constitution save. On a failed save, it gains a point of exhaustion.
5: Until the end of your next turn, if you would receive healing, you may instead apply it as a bonus to the next time you deal damage.


Curse of Black Vengeance
While you enact the Curse of Black Vengance, you may add your wisdom modifier to attack rolls if you are attacking a creature that hit you previously.
X: You may spend up to your wisdom modifier to deal an equal amount of Necrotic damage on your next damage roll.
2: You may move your move speed towards an enemy creature. Doing so does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
6: As a reaction, if you would take damage from an attack, you may deal that much Necrotic damage to your attacker.


Curse of Relentless Malice
While you enact the Curse of Relentless Malice, when you reduce a creature to 0 hitpoints you may immediately spend a hit die. You may choose to spend this hit die on a Ghoul you control through Curse of Relentless Malice.
1: Until your next turn, attacks you make force your enemies 5 feet backwards from you.
4: You have advantage on attacks made against enemies adjacent to your allies until the end of your next turn.
8: You transform a nearby corpse within ten feet into a Ghoul under your control. You may control up to your Wisdom modifier (min 1) at any one time. Creating a Ghoul while at your maximum destroys your oldest Ghoul. At 15th level, your Ghouls become the same type of Undead that you are if you have chosen a type of Undead. Skeletal Ghouls are Ghouls with resistance to Slashing and Piercing.


Curse of Butcher's Wrath
While you enact the Curse of Butcher's Wrath, when you roll a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may make an additional attack this turn.
1: You may reroll any number of your Damage dice once when you attack. You must take the result.
2: You make an attack forcing your target to make a Constitution save instead of making an attack roll. On a failed save, they take half damage.
7: When you make the attack action, you may make an additional attack.


Curse of Endless Pain
While you enact the Curse of Endless Pain, when you deal damage you may lose up to your wisdom modifier in hit points to deal that much additional damage.
1: When you lose hit points to deal additional damage, you may double the damage you deal this way.
2: For a number of turns equal to your wisdom modifier, you have resistance against Slashing, Piercing, and bludgeoning damage from non-magic sources.
4: As an action, you may lose up to double your Wisdom modifier in hit points to deal that much force damage to a creature within your reach.


Curse of Consuming Plague
While you enact the Curse of Consuming Plague, you may ignore up to your proficiency in slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing damage from each hit you receive.
X: Creatures you choose within 10 feet of you that are poisoned take Xd6 Poison damage. X cannot be more than your wisdom modifier.
1: Until the start of your next turn, your attacks cause the poisoned condition. This can only be removed with lesser restoration, or as an action to make a constitution save to end the effect.
4: You gain temporary hitpoints equal to your wisdom modifier multiplied by the number of creatures you have poisoned.

Curse of Arbitrary Doom
While you enact this curse, you may make an unarmed attack as a bonus action. It deals 1d4+str necrotic damage.
2: As a reaction, if you are forced to make a save, you may force the imposing entity to make a similar save if possible. On a failed save, it also suffers the effects.
3: Make an unarmed strike as normal. If you hit, you gain temp hp equal to the damage dealt, and your target cannot heal until the end of your next turn.
8: As an action, you detonate into a 5xProf foot sphere of dust, with each creature making a constitution save or taking a d8 x Prof of necrotic damage. On a success, they take half. Regardless, you may remain a dust cloud until the start of your next turn, and you may reform at any point within the radius of your cloud until the effect ends. Creatures you choose are blinded while within the dustcloud.


Curse of Sublime Martyrdom
While you enact this curse, you may not make the attack action. You have unlimited reactions, and may make an attack of opportunity when attacked.
X: X creatures must make a wisdom save or begin weeping blood, giving them disadvantage of fear saves, resisting intimidation, and attack rolls until the end of your next turn. On a success, they only have disadvantage on fear saves.
3: You begin to bleed profusely from sigmata, giving you disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of your next turn. If you hit, you automatically crit.
6: You may attack as an action. Your weapon attacks gain your wisdom modifier to your attack and damage rolls, and your attacks do radiant damage.


Curse Well: You have a pool of power drawn from your curse, called your Curse Well. You have a number of curse points equal to half your level + your Wisdom Modifier (Minimum of 1). You regain Curse Points at the end of each Short Rest.

Saving Throws: Some of your Curses require your target to make a saving throw to resist
the Curse's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Curse save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Curse-Driven
At 7th level, When you use your Action Surge, you gain an additional Bonus Action as well.

Forsaken of the Grave
At 10th level, if you would fail a death saving throw you may use your Second Wind feature to immediately heal and return to battle. Doing so heals you for the maximum value.

Dark Lord
At 15th level, you may choose to become as an undead creature of your choice. If you do not, you may pick two Paladin or Warlock spells of 5th level or lower. You may cast them twice as a fifth level spell per short or long rest. Otherwise, pick from one of the following options:

Skeleton: You gain Resistance to Slashing and Piercing damage, and when you are at 0 hit points you may continue to act as normal until you fail all three death saving throws.

Wight: Once per round, when you deal damage to a creature you may deal an additional 1d4 Necrotic damage and force that creature to make a Constitution save. If it succeeds, it is immune to this paralysis for 24 hours. If it fails, it is paralyzed for one minute. It may reattempt this save at the end of its turn.

Wraith: You have a fly speed equal to your movement speed. As a bonus action you may become incorporeal or tangible until the end of your turn. While Incorporeal, you can only be damaged by Force damage, and cannot attack corporeal targets. You can also move through solid objects. Ending your turn while inside a solid object will shunt you into the nearest open space.

Vampire: You may force a creature to make a Charisma save. On a success, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. On a failed save, it is charmed by you. It may repeat this save at the end of each of its turns. Additionally, you gain a climb speed equal to your move speed. You are aware of the location of all living creatures within one mile of you and can track them unerringly.

Witch-King
At level 18, you have become the master of all Curses. You may use a Curse Well ability from a curse that you do not have. You must spend curse points to activate the ability. You must complete a Long or Short before using this feature again.