D&D 3E/3.5 3.5E Death Knight?

[Bungus]

Is there a Death Knight in 3.5? I looked through 3 different Monster Manuals, plus Libris Mortis, and could not find one. Is it called something different in 3E?

Thanks

 

[Dragonnety]

Yes there is a death knight in 3.5. You can find him in Monster Manual II, pg 207

 

[Voadam]

Death knights appeared in a couple of different places including the 3.0 MMII which was updated in the 3.5 update manual.

I can't remember the others off the top of my head though, maybe Mongoose's Encyclopedia Arcane Necromancy (another 3.0 one). Maybe the Dragonlance Campaign Setting (a 3.5 book) for Lord Soth. Maybe the Bestiary of Krynn the Dragonlance 3.5 monster book. Maybe Tome of Horrors Revised (3.5).

 

[frankthedm]

Consider putting unholy toughness on the death knight. [add charisma bonus as bonus HP like alivng creature's con score]The 3.0 to 3.5 change boned a lot of monsters DR ratings, so while i am away from my book, I suspect that may have happened to the death knight. plus as a front line undead, it'll need it.

 

[humble minion]

Consider putting unholy toughness on the death knight. [add charisma bonus as bonus HP like alivng creature's con score]The 3.0 to 3.5 change boned a lot of monsters DR ratings, so while i am away from my book, I suspect that may have happened to the death knight. plus as a front line undead, it'll need it.

I'd say this is an absolute necessity if your Death Knight isn't going to meet a quick and inglorious end.

The 3.0=>3.5e DR changes did have something to do with the problem, but MM2 monsters as a whole have a tendency to be ludicrously over-CRed. Compare the Death Knight template to the half-fiend or half-dragon for instance.

On the other hand, Monster of Legend is an MM2 template that is probably very significantly UNDER CRed - and I love it ever so much in the black depths of my weaselly GM's heart...

 

[Bungus]

Yes there is a death knight in 3.5. You can find him in Monster Manual II, pg 207

Thanks - my mistake for looking under "D" instead of the templates in the back.

 

[Bungus]

Consider putting unholy toughness on the death knight. [add charisma bonus as bonus HP like alivng creature's con score]The 3.0 to 3.5 change boned a lot of monsters DR ratings, so while i am away from my book, I suspect that may have happened to the death knight. plus as a front line undead, it'll need it.

good point - i recently put the vampire template on a fighter type, and the fighter stayed at his level 6 hit points, but his CR went from 6 to 14! So, it was 60 or so hit points for a CR:14 monster. That is one good spell against a CR:14 party.

 

[Voadam]

good point - i recently put the vampire template on a fighter type, and the fighter stayed at his level 6 hit points, but his CR went from 6 to 14! So, it was 60 or so hit points for a CR:14 monster. That is one good spell against a CR:14 party.

The vampire template should only increase a CR 6 fighter to a CR 8 monster. The ECL would go from 6 to 14.

Vampires are CR +2 but LA +8.

 

[Thanael]

The World of Sulerin monster index is a great resource for thse kinds of questions:

Monster CR Source
Death Knight [T] +3 3E Monster Manual 2, Ultimate Monsters 1
Death Knight - 1E Fiend Folio, Monstrous Manual
Death Knight of Krynn [T] +3 Dragonlance Campaign Setting, Dragonlance (MC4), Tales of the Lance


Dicefreaks also did their own excellent version of the Death Knight template here.

 

[Runestar]

Alternatively, simply increase the hp they get. In the case of templated undead npcs who have fewer HD than cr, I think you can safely max out hp (ie: hp = 12*HD) to simulate the benefit of having a con score on an equivalent living npc.

So for a certain half-fiend death knight ex-paladin8/blackguard10, he would get 18*12 or 216 hp, still respectable for a cr20+ npc. Throw in improved toughness, and a few ways of accessing temp hp if you think he is still too fragile.