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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RhaezDaevan" data-source="post: 6402212" data-attributes="member: 6777482">I'll take this a piece at a time.  The oathbreaker paladin will be in the DMG and I view that as the 'fallen paladin' so I see design space for someone who took a darker path from the beginning that's not a warlock.  Just like the warlock, this version of the blackguard is not inherently evil, but does use evil powers.  The paladin no longer has to be good, so blackguards don't have to be evil.  I start the design of this class not as a champion of an evil god, but as a warrior that channels evil powers for their own use.  As such I didn't want anything divine as this is technically not a divinely powered class.  Like you suggest later, paladins that get power from evil gods could just be the paladin with other, darker oaths.  With that said, the blackguard doesn't care holy vs. unholy and could easily view fiends, undead and celestials as all equal.  Both potential allies or potential enemies.  The blackguard I was going for was more selfish and as such they have much less in the way of healing and protecting allies.  Though this acts like mage hand it is actually a spirit that does your bidding, representing the themes I was going for with the class from the beginning.  Perhaps if it seems weak, I could add an extra ability that the dark servant can do once per long rest.  Not sure what though.  Changing to necrotic is a great idea and I'll change the ability to say just that.  They aren't divine, so that's settled.  Like I mentioned earlier, this blackguard class is not divine, and paladin's of evil gods could be done with some of the oaths you mention being added to the paladin class.  With the absence of channel divinity, do you think the blackguard is weak?  It has a number of powerful abilities that I think mostly make up for channel divinity being missing, but I could always add a channel darkness ability back in.  I want them to have hints of paladin without being a total copy of paladin.Both auras only function within the radius, so they just have to back off and use ranged attacks instead.  I do like your suggestion better though.  When in close range, enemies will be dying fast as disadvantage to saving throws against the blackguard's abilities means Aura of Fear, Withering Touch, as well as Armor of Bone and Gaze of Death are all working much more often. Yeah, I originally had something like this at level 1 instead of lay on hands but decided to move it higher and just use an equivalent spell to describe the effect.  Good to know.  They have the same spell slots as paladin, so even if they had a few powerful spells, they never go above 5th level the slots will run out eventually.  Plus they can't prepare that many of what's available like a full caster can. Thanks!</blockquote>

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