D&D 3.x 3.5 Death Knight

smetzger · Dec 16, 2004

Hi,

I have the 3.0 Death Knight template in MMII. Could someone inform me of the differences between the 3.0 version and the 3.5 version?

I believe the 3.5 version can be found in the Dragonlance Setting.

Thanks,
*:> Scott

glass · Dec 16, 2004

IIRC the Death Knight template in DLcs is not a replacement for the one in MMII, it is a supplement to it, adding more abilities to the top end for high HD death knights.

Most importantly, it adds power word kill, which is for some unaccountable reason missing from the MMII version.

glass.

Sheltem · Dec 17, 2004

The 3.5 Accessory Update Booklet on the Wizards pages just says:

Death Knight: Undead; 5 ft./5 ft.; as written; change Sunder to Improved
Sunder; LA +5.

But I believe the Death Knight has DR */+1 which is probably just converted to */magic.

Anthelios · Dec 17, 2004

The one I used a few sessions back used the rules as written, with DR/magic and Power Word Kill. I also gave it the Unholy Toughness special quality, which let it use its charisma modifer as a HP modifier.

smetzger · Dec 17, 2004

Anyone have the specifics on the Dragonlance version?

hong · Dec 17, 2004

I'll never understand why death knights get wall of ice as a special ability. I mean, power word kill, fine. Abyssal blast/fireball, fine. But conjuring a bunch of ice? WTF?

Sammael · Dec 17, 2004

I used a death knight's wall of ice to great effect a few sessions ago, when the dk separated the party's fighter from the rest of the group and then raised the wall around the two of them. The dk eventually lost to a summoned huge earth elemental and a ghaele eladrin.

Anthelios · Dec 18, 2004

Lord Soth used Wall of Ice quite.. Differently.. in one of the novels. Used it to touch and freeze a locked door, then kicked the door down and went through.

Nightfall · Dec 18, 2004

Maybe Soth had a special version.

My understanding is that DL Death Knight has power words, wall of ice and also can create Skeletal Warrior that I believe do count towards his undead followers. I don't think there's much else different other than that.

Alzrius · Dec 19, 2004

Anthelios said:
Lord Soth used Wall of Ice quite.. Differently.. in one of the novels. Used it to touch and freeze a locked door, then kicked the door down and went through.

This happened in Test of the Twins, IIRC. However, it was also displayed in Knight of the Black Rose, where Soth seems to have several other powers never displayed before or since. James Lowder, the author of that novel, has explained that it was due to a lack of knowledge on his part at the time about Soth's exact powers (apparently when he was writing it details were harder to come by).