Darksong Knight (3.5e Class)

Darksong Knight

The worship of the goddess Eilistraee has expanded beyond its origins to the greater reaches of Faerun. In an effort to maintain a hold on the various places of worship, to bolster their efforts to bring good Drow to the surface and to continue to strike at the heart of all evil (but especially that of the Dark Seldarine), the Dark Ladies (the religious leaders of Eilistraee's church) created the Darksong Knights to be the martial arm and champions of The Dark Maiden. This is for all intents and purposes, the Paladin order of Eilistraee. And as such, they follow a chivalrous code as well as receive the benefits and requirements of all paladins (refer to the disposition of the alternative version of the paladin: Paladin of Freedom). **I am going to be play-testing a variant of this with the use of a new deity named 'Elune'. She is an amalgam of Mystra and Eilistraee and will therefore have a similar divine portfolio (Domains of Knowledge, Magic, Moon and Spell).

Making a Darksong Knight

Due to the fact that this emerging church is spread fairly thin, the Darksong Knights have trained in a wide variety of areas. They are very self-sufficient but also have the ability to play a support role to any group. While their armor and defense (lacking shields and the repercussions of wearing armor heavier than light armor) is not that great, they can be a front line warrior. With their spells (albeit a short list), they can provide some offensive support along with some very nice supporting magic to others within their group. They also have the ability to be somewhat stealthy as needed. Overall, the Darksong Knight is a great addition to any group but does not necessarily completely fill any particular role 100%.

Abilities: Charisma determinate to DC against Darksong Knight's spells. A Charisma of 19 is needed to access all of a Darksong Knight's spells. Dexterity is important due to the extreme armor restrictions. Constitution and Strength are also important because she is combat oriented. Abilities will vary widely with each Darksong Knight as each one leans towards a different role including: combat(called a Darksong Knight Blade), stealth/infiltrator (called a Darksong Knight Hunter) or support caster/healer (called a Darksong Knight Luminary). Items that enhance one of these roles are sought after to further specialize the individual darksong knight.

Races: The majority of the Darksong Knights are Elves or Half-Elves (with a significant portion coming from the Drow or Half-Drow lineage). Some of them are Humans. Others races are rarely become Darksong Knights. Darksong Knights may be of either gender.

Alignment: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral.

Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150).

Starting Age: Complex.

Table: The Darksong Knight

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8^th	9^th
1st	+1	+0	+2	+2	Blessing of the Dark Maiden, Dodge	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+3	Spiral Dance, Weapon Focus (any Sword)	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+3	Armored Caster, Weapon Specialization (focused sword only)	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+4	+1	+4	+4	Dark Melody, Evasion	6	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+5	+1	+4	+4	Moonlights	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+6/+1	+2	+5	+5	Maiden's Chorus	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+7/+2	+2	+5	+5	Track, Embrace of the Maiden	6	6	5	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+8/+3	+2	+6	+6	Greater Weapon Focus, Hide in Plain Sight	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+9/+4	+3	+6	+6	Extended Haste (4th level spell), Moonvision	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—
10th	+10/+5	+3	+7	+7	Artistry of the Maiden	6	6	6	6	5	—	—	—	—	—
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+7	Shadow Illusion, Shadow Jump 20'	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+8	Greater Weapon Specialization (any Sword)	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+8	Defense of the Dark Maiden, Shadow Jump 40'	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+9		6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+9	Shadow Jump 80', Slippery Mind	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+10	Lady's Pool of Tears	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Improved evasion, Shadow Jump 160', Veil of the Masked Lady	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Melee weapon mastery (slashing)	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11		6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Weapon Sumpremacy (any Sword)	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Darksong Knight.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Darksong knights are proficient with simple and martial weapons, and light armor. A Darksong Knight can cast their spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance (until level 3). However, like any other arcane spellcaster, wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass Darksong Knight still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells: Darksong knights are a divine caster; their ability to cast spells is a divine gift from their goddess and functions similar to a Sorcerer's (the Sorcerer's gift would be more genetic while a Darksong Knight's would be divine.) The spells utilized by this class are very limited and generally augment either their own combat prowess and those of their colleagues or confound their enemies. Charisma determines the spell DC, bonus spells, and how high a spell they can cast (in order to cast a particular spell, the Charisma score must be at least 10 + the spell's level). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Darksong Knight's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Darksong Knight's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a darksong knight can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is give on Table: The Darksong Knight Spells Known. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. Like clerics, Darksong Knights are divine casters. Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a Darksong Knight need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not used up her spells per day for that spell level. She does not have to decide ahead of time which spells she will cast.

Darksong knights may choose their spells from the the following list:

0—create water, cure minor wounds, dancing lights, detect poison, daze, ghost sound, guidance, lullaby, message, purify food and drink, summon instrument

1st—bless, bless water, bless weapon, charm person, cure light wounds, detect secret doors, disguise self, divine favor, Eilistraee's moonfire, faerie fire, feather fall, longstrider, magic missile, obscuring mist, protection from evil, remove fear, sanctuary, true strike

2nd—aid, analyze portal, barkskin, blindness/deafness, calm emotions, cat's grace, clairaudience/clairvoyance, delay poison, heroism, invisibility, knock, lesser restoration, locate object, moonbeam, remove paralysis, zone of truth

3rd—blacklight, create food and water, cure moderate wounds,cure serious wounds, darkfire, dimensional anchor, fly, good hope, haste, magic circle against evil, moon blade, nondetection, remove curse, remove disease, see invisibility, snare, suggestion, water breathing

4th—animate objects, armor of darkness, confusion, cure serious wounds, dimension door, divine power, discern lies, emotion, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, holy smite, holy sword, neutralize poison, prayer, restoration, wall of moonlight

5th—commune with nature, cure critical wounds,darkbolt, dispel evil, false vision, greater heroism, mass cure light wounds, moon path, moon web, Presper's moonbow, righteous might, teleport

6th—banishment, blade barrier, find the path, greater dispel magic, find the path, geas/quest, heal, heroes' feast, mass cure moderate wounds,, mislead, permanent image, prying eyes, stone to flesh, stoneskin, true seeing

7th—etherealness, greater restoration, holy word, insanity, live oak, greater teleport, mass cure serious wounds, refuge, resurrection, screen

8th—demand, holy aura, greater planar ally, greater prying eyes, mass cure critical wounds, maze, mind blank, phase door, polymorph any object

9th—antipathy, astral projection, dimensional lock, dominate monster, foresight, gate, mass heal, miracle, moonfire, regenerate, time stop, true resurrection

Blessing of the Dark Maiden (lvl1) (Su): Because Eilistraee's ministry is to bring drow to the surface and co-mingle with the other surface races, she ensures that her followers are equipped to do her will. At first level (if the follower is a dark elf or half dark elf), the darksong knight receives the feat daylight adaptation. This blessing comes in the form of a small scar in the shape of a bastard sword on the back of the darksong knight's neck. This blessing is bestowed regardless of the lineage of the follower.

Dodge (lvl1) (Sp): During your action, you designate an opponent and receive a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks from that opponent. You can select a new opponent on any action. A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses (such as this one and a dwarf's racial bonus on dodge attempts against giants) stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonuses.

Sprial Dance (lvl2) (Ex): When a darksong knight wields a weapon with which she is focused, she gains a dodge bonus to armor class equal to her class level, up to a maximum of her Intelligence bonus. If the darksong knight wears medium or heavier armor and/or has anything else in her off hand, she loses all the benefits of the spiral dance.

Weapon Focus (lvl2) (Sp): Choose one type of weapon from the darksong knights sword list, such as bastard sword. You are especially good at using this weapon. You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Armored Caster (LVL3) (Ex): Darksong Knights do not suffer from the normal arcane spell failure and armor check penalties normally associated with arcane spell casters as long as they are wearing light or medium armor and do not use a shield.

Weapon Specialization (lvl3) (Sp): Choose one type of weapon from the darksong knights sword list, such as bastard sword. You deal extra damage when using this weapon. You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Dark Melody (lvl4) (Su): A darksong knight can attune herself to a particular sword (magical or not or weapon set if two-weapon fighting feat is used), a process that takes one tenday. During this time she must be wearing or holding the sword for at least 8 hours each day, and if interrupted she must start again. She may only be attuned in this fashion to one sword or weapon set (she must always use the same off hand weapon) at a time. Beginning the process of attuning another sword negates the ability of the currently attuned sword. Once attuned to this sword, whenever she wields it the sword grants her a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls and a +3 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and effects. If this ability is applied to a dancing sword, the dancing sword gains the attack and damage bonus, but the saving throw bonus still applies to the Darksong Knight.

Evasion (lvl4) (Ex): At 4th level and higher, a darksong knight can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the darksong knight is wearing light armor or no armor.

Moonlights (lvl5) (Su): At will and as a free action, a darksong knight can create small lights equal to those produced by the dancing lights spell. These lights are under the control of the darksong knight but cannot move more than 5 feet from her body. The darksong knight can have in existence a number of lights equal to 1/2 her class level (rounding down).

Maiden's Chorus (lvl6) (Su): A darksong knight can attune herself to a particular sword (which may be the same sword as her singing sword) in the process described above. One attuned to the sword, she may use it as if it had the dancing property. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to her class level.

Track (lvl7) (Sp): A Darksong Knight gains Track as a bonus feat.

Embrace of the Dark Maiden (lvl7) (Su): Eilistraee embraces her Darksong Knights protecting with a personal aura of death ward.

Greater Weapon Focus (lvl8) (Sp): Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected Weapon Focus. You are especially good at using this weapon. You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on attack rolls, including the one from Weapon Focus.

Hide in Plain Sight (lvl8) (Ex): A darksong knight can use her Hide skill even while being observed.

Moonvision (lvl9) (Su): A darksong knight gains Darkvision out to 60 feet that stacks with other Darkvision and Low Light Vision. She may now also see through magical darkness.

Artistry of the Maiden (lvl10) (Su): A darksong knight gains the ability to craft magic swords as if she had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat. This ability only works on her attuned swords, but the magic abilities given to the sword persist even if she loses her attunement to the sword. She may add any properties (including enhancement bonuses) to a sword as long as she meets the property's other prerequisites.

Shadow Illusion (lvl10) (Sp): A darksong knight can create visual illusions from surrounding shadows. This ability's effect is identical to that of the arcane spell silent image and may be employed once per day.

Shadow Jump (lvl11) (Su): A darksong knight gains the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A darksong knight can jump up to a total of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels, the distance a darksong knight can jump each day doubles. This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment.

Greater Weapon Specialization (lvl12) (Sp): Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected Weapon Specialization. You deal extra damage when using this weapon. You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on damage rolls, including the one from Weapon Specialization.

Defense of the Dark Maiden (lvl13) (Su): As a free action, a darksong knight may command her dancing sword to fight in a defensive manner, taking a penalty up to -5 on the sword's attacks in order to add the same number (up to +5) to her AC as an armor bonus. The changes to the sword's attack rolls and her AC last until her next action. She can only use this ability on one dancing sword at a time.

Slippery Mind (lvl15) (Ex): This ability represents a darksong knight's ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel her. If a darksong knight is affected by an enchantment and fails her saving throw, 1 round later she can attempt her saving throw again. She only gets one extra chance to succeed at her saving throw. If it fails as well, the spell's effects occur normally.

Lady's Pool of Tears (lvl16) (Ex): A darksong knight can use any pool of water to scry anywhere she has been. This is an extraordinary ability and thus there is no save. Unlike the spell, she can only scry in places, not on people. However, if people are in the area, she can hear and see them.

Improved Evasion (lvl17) (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the darksong knight still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save.

Veil of the Masked Lady (lvl17) (Su): Once per day per point of Charisma bonus, she may use the spell Darkness as caster level 1/2 her level + her charisma modifier.

Melee Weapon Mastery (slashing) (lvl18) (Sp): You have mastered a wide range of weapons. Your training with one specific weapon now extends to other weapons of a similar sort. When using any melee weapon that has the damage type you selected, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage rolls.

Weapon Supremacy (lvl20) (Sp): You are a grandmaster in the use of your chosen weapon. When you hold it in your hands, no foe can stand against you. When fighting with the weapon that you choose for this feat, you gain a number of additional advantages. You gain a +4 bonus on all checks made to resist being disarmed. You can wield your weapon against a foe who grapples you without penalty and without fi rst making a grapple check. In this situation, you can take a standard action or a full attack action as normal. When you take a full attack action, you can apply a +5 bonus to any single attack after your fi rst strike. Once per round before making an attack roll, you can instead choose to treat your d20 result as a 10. You gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Ex-Darksong Knights

If at any time a darksong knight changes her worship from Eilistraee to another deity she loses all of the benefits (including available spells and casting) associated with the darksong knight class. This is also the case for any darksong knight whose alignment changes to evil.

Epic Darksong Knights

Table: The Epic Darksong Knight

Hit Die: d8

Level	Special
21st	Lady's Bane (Su): A darksong knight gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of five levels lower would. She may also turn evil lycanthropes in the same way she can turn undead.
22nd	Maiden's Kiss (Su): A darksong knight with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to half her class level × her Charisma bonus. A darksong knight may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using maiden's kiss is a standard action. Alternatively, a darksong knight can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The darksong knight decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.
23rd	Bonus feat
24th	Shadow Illusion - same as at lower level but may be done a number of times equal to her Charisma modifier.
25th	Shadow Jump 360'
26th	Bonus feat
27th
28th
29th	Bonus feat
30th	Aura of Good, Aura of Resolve, Divine Health
6 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Bonus Feats: The epic Darksong Knight gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic bard and paladin bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.

Epic Darksong Knight Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Craft Epic Magic Arms And Armor (weapons only), Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Weapon Focus, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Overwhelming Critical, Permanent Emanation, Positive Energy Aura, Spectral Strike, Spell Knowledge, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic.

Half-Drow Darksong Knight Starting Package

Weapons: Bastard Sword, Hand crossbow.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty

Feat: Improved Initiative.

Bonus Feats: Daylight Adaptation.

Gear: .

Gold: 100gp.

Playing a Darksong Knight

Religion: Darksong knights are strictly followers of Eilistraee. Many followers revere and venerate the other gods of the Seldarine (especially Correllon Larethian) but their true devotion is to the Dark Maiden, the one true Lady of the Dance. Religion plays an important role in the lives of the darksong knights.

Other Classes: .

Combat: Light combat, light stealth, spell support.

Advancement: .

Darksong Knights in the World

“		”
—,

Daily Life: .

Notables: .

Organizations: .

NPC Reactions: .

Lore

Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC	Result
5	.
10	.
15	.
20	.

in the Game

Adaptation: .

Sample Encounter: .

EL : .

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